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wardenparker · 8 months

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Vampire Waltz - ch 5

Max Phillips x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

A mysterious inheritance, sprawling mansion, eccentric roommates, friendly bat, and coven of New England witches are the newest chapter of your life after being unceremoniously dumped and kicked out by your boyfriend. For Max, the biggest change in his life is you, and what exactly he's going to do about the fact that he is stuck living with you as long as his sire continues to punish him for that incident at his last office...

Rating: Mature, but this blog is always 18+ Word Count: 10.4k Warnings: *Blanket warnings for this series: deceased parents, cursing, food, blood and blood drinking, depictions and references to abusive relationships. Anxiety and trauma responses. Self-worth issues.* Teasing, fluff, Dolly has low self esteem but it's not her fault, Bat Max comes with his own warning. Summary: In the course of one day, conversations turn from right interesting to downright life-changing, as Max starts to learn the truth of your connection from you but also from his sire. Notes: Big revelations are coming, folx! 🎵 Let's have a beautiful picture of the wonderful ballroom this week.

Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4

You really should be paying more attention as Candance and Tracy talk through coven business. The room that you have come to know as the Green Salon in your inherited house is full to the brim with coven members all talking about the food drive they want to help out at for Thanksgiving next month. There are volunteer signups to follow through with and your own can drive to be organized, and you have to admit that this is the most community-focused coven that you've ever been a part of. But still you can't focus. The dreams have been so vivid lately, and they're such a mix of topics – your little bat friend pops up so often, and you haven't dreamt about Yayo in years. And now...now thoughts of Max are starting to slip in between the cracks and you aren't quite sure what it all means.

Mrs. Taylor smiles as she listens to the chattering of the coven. It's been too long since there has been life within these walls. He had been right in assuming that you would bring that life back to the mansion. Knocking on the door, she opens it to find several heads turned her way and she clears her throat. "Ladies, lunch is served."

"Thank you, Mrs. Taylor." Her appearance snaps you out of your daze for a moment, and you lend her a grateful smile. Breakfast this morning was simple because it was just for you, but Renee said that Mrs. Taylor had already been toiling away on lunch from early in the morning. She seems to revel in having people in the house again and you are the last person to want to deny someone the thing that makes them happy.

"Let's go in and we can start planning the masquerade while we eat," Allison suggests, pushing up from the couch that the two of you had been sitting on.

The housekeeper smiles before she disappears again. Aware that he is upstairs and once the meal is presented for the humans, she is going to take him one of the special blood bags that he requests when he is in residence.

The coven has preferred things ‘family style’ in recent years, even when Ms. Brown was a more traditional and formal woman most of the time. So Mrs. Taylor has set the table with bowls of fresh salad, baskets of warm homemade crusty bread, and tureens of steaming hot beef bourguignon. A few of the ladies, Allison included, all groan happily to have Mrs. Taylor’s cooking back. She pulls out a notebook to place at her seat but pauses, allowing herself what she thinks is a private smile when Eddie enters the dining room.

“Is it still alright for me to join you?” He asks, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans and a nervous expression on his face as he looks around. The invitation is a week old and might not still hold, so he wants to check.

"Of course!" Allison leaps up from her chair, even though it technically should be you answering Eddie since it is your house. "I mean, I don't think anyone would mind, right?" She looks around the table and is silently grateful for when the girls easily shift down to leave a spot right next to her own chair for the vampire to sit.

“Of course.” When you echo your agreement that seems to be the end of any debate at all. “We were going to start planning the masquerade while we eat.”

"Oh, I have to admit, I am hoping that I am invited." He tells the coven hopefully, giving them a charming grin. "I have always wanted to go to a masquerade."

“Of course you will be.” Candace pipes up from across the table, where the bread basket is already being passed around. “You live here. It would be awfully rude not to invite you when you live here.” Of course, it’s for Allison’s benefit too. And for you, since you seem a little more relaxed around Eddie than most other people.

"That's good." He makes sure to pass the bread to Allison when it comes his way, not taking one for himself. "Is this - it's going to be a thing that requires dates?" He slides his hands under the table to rub them on his thighs. His hands aren't sweaty anymore, he doesn't sweat, but he is nervous.

"It could be." Allison worries her bottom lip as she takes a slice of warm bread and passes you the basket. "What do you think, Dolly?"

"It...it doesn't seem nice to make it mandatory," you admit, taking a slice of bread and passing the basket along again. You can't imagine anyone in the world would be your date to such a thing and you would hate to be excluded from the night for something like that. Especially, like Candance said, with it being held in your own house. "But dancing is always fun with a partner."

Eddie nods, sensing that you don't like the idea. "Then we should make sure that it's not required to have dates, but maybe the guest list is even to make sure everyone is paired up when it comes to dancing."

“Like dance cards?” The salad is making its way around now and once more Eddie passes it on while he listens to you. “As in…something old fashioned? Dance cards for everyone who wants one?”

“I don’t know what it would be like, but I love the sound of that.” He glances towards Allison and wonders if he can make sure that he is on her dance card more than once.

“Mrs. Taylor brought out some old photographs from past masquerades in the house.” You haven’t seen them yet, but you’ve been told that all the gowns were one of a kind and the men looked resplendent in their costumes. That’s what Mrs. Taylor said, with absolute rhapsody on her face. “A hundred and fifty years ago they would start the ball at ten or so at night, serve supper around midnight, and end the thing with breakfast at sunrise for whoever was left.”

“That sounds perfect.” Of course, Eddie knows why it was held at night, but he’s not going to say anything about that. “Are you thinking of keeping to that tradition?”

“How does it sound to everyone else?” You ask, looking around the table.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea.” Of course, Allison would practically think anything Eddie suggests would be wonderful, but this does sound amazing. “It’s an ode to the past.”

“A return to the Gilded Age sounds fun.” Candace agrees. “We can do themed menus if Mrs. Taylor is okay with it? And encourage historical costumes?”

“I think that Mrs. Taylor would love that.” Eddie agrees. “She loves things like that. It would make her year. And I’ll help out wherever I can.”

“Thirteen of us, plus guests. That’s a fairly big party isn’t it?” You differ to Mrs. Taylor, who has popped into the dining room again to bring more bread like she somehow magically knew the first round would go instantly.

“Invite as many as you like, ladies,” she insists. Her smile is excited and eyes are twinkling like she has a secret she is just bursting to share. “This house can handle hundreds.”

“You could always invite the town as well.” Eddie suggests. “Make it the event of the season.”

“The whole town? Can we do that?” Tracy looks intrigued at the idea and glances around the table. “It could be a hell of a fundraiser, and I know we’re always looking for ways to do more good in the community.”

“It could be a ticketed event.” Eddie muses. “All proceeds going to the coven's charitable works?”

"It actually sounds like a whole lot of fun." The last time you organized any kind of dance or fundraiser was with your dance studios in high school and then in college, but back then it had been a blast to get decorations, refreshments, flyers, and all the necessary things sorted out for big events. It was a sense of accomplishment that nothing else quite seemed to give you. Bringing people together and seeing everyone happy? Your mother called it your hostess's heart, and had always said you would use it to help people one day. This seems like a beautiful way to make her words come true. "Tracy, you work at town hall, don't you? If we need any permits for serving alcohol or having a large fundraiser, would you be able to take care of them?"

“Of course!” Tracy beams at the thought of being able to help in any significant way. “I’ll find out Monday and let you know.”

“What about music?” Allison asks next. Everyone is starting to eat, and people are getting excited. And with Eddie sitting beside her, Allison has to admit that she’s more than a little excited, too.

“You know…..” Eddie tilts his head. “The orchestra group in college has been talking about needing to have more live events.” He sounds out. “To practice. What if I see if they would like to perform?”

“That would be perfect!” Candace lights up at the table and few of the other girls nod alongside her. “Gilded Age theme, right? Maybe we can make it like classical versions of pop songs? Like they did for Bridgerton?”

“I’ll ask them.” Eddie chuckles and nods his head. “It’ll be a challenge that I think they would enjoy.”

“I’ll ask Mrs. Taylor to look out for any old boxes of party decorations from long enough ago to be an inspiration for us. If we’re lucky there will be something in the attic alongside the clothing we borrowed this week. I sort of get the feeling that most things don’t get thrown out in this house.” As always, Mrs. Taylor’s cooking is off the walls amazing and all around the table people are humming happily and enjoying their lunch as the planning picks up.

“The house is basically a museum.” Eddie snorts, sipping his double walled cup. “What could possibly give you the idea they don’t like throwing things away?” He winks at you to remind you that he’s teasing playfully.

"It's a beautiful museum." Every day you spend here, you fall more and more in love with the house. There's always new details to discover. New intricacies in the carvings, new details in the paintings, new trinkets in the cases all around the hallways. "I'm glad everything got kept. It gives it so much more character than all the brand new houses that are just painted white and made of one big room divided by furniture you're not supposed to touch."

Eddie tilts his head, watching you smile, and he thinks about how far you have come since the first time he had talked to you. Even your posture is more assertive, as if you have come into your own skin. He would believe you had been turned if it weren’t for the steady thump of your heartbeat, mixed with those of your coven.

"So when are we doing this?" Allison has her notebook, and in the front is a calendar that is just positively chock full of little notes to herself but she flips open to it anyway. "Can we actually get all of this organized by the end of the month?"

“I’ve already aired the ballroom out.” Mrs. Taylor announces, having just come back from the tower. “As far as the menu goes, you tell me what you would like and it will be done.”

“Mrs. Taylor thinks we can manage it.” And for some reason that bolsters you more than almost anything else. It just makes you wish that you had someone to dance with. “That’s good enough for me.”

“Invitations, tickets will need to be printed.” She muses. “Perhaps an ad in the paper?”

"We can hand out flyers at the farmer's market," Allison nods, glad to see the infectious excitement go around the table. "It's going to be fantastic. I can feel it."

“Since your theme is the Gilded Age, the ink should be gold leaf.” Mrs. Taylor suggests. “There is a printshop in town that Ms. Brown would use.”

"You should take Max with you and check it out." Candace's suggestion takes you off guard and your eyes must get a little wider because she immediately adds, "You know...because he's business guy. Maybe he can make a deal on pricing or something?"

"Oh! I–uh–that's actually not a bad point." You wouldn't have thought to get him involved in any of this at all, but of course Candance is right. You have no head for business and that's literally all Max does. "I'll ask...see if he has any time to spare."

“Did I hear my name?” As if on an invisible cue, Max appears in the doorway of the dining room. “Ladies, ladies, speak my name and I shall appear.” He flashes everyone a charming grin but he smirks when his eyes fall on you. “Queenie, you are looking radiant, have you been plotting?” He asks playfully before he hides the one side of his mouth facing Mrs. Taylor. “I think you can take her.” He faux whispers loudly and winks at you.

"We were working out the plans for the Samhain Masquerade," you admit, probably the only one in the room who doesn't see the way you light up at Max's little joke. And only because you're too busy hiding a small laugh.

"Join us." Candance could not possibly be grinning any more widely and immediately shuffles her chair to one side to make room next to you for Max to pull up a chair.

Max looks over the food that is on display and grimaces slightly. “I’ll sit, but I couldn’t possibly eat.”

"Have an early lunch at the office?" Eddie guesses, a slight smirk going along with his raised eyebrow. He has a much stronger stomach for human food than Max does and doesn't mind still indulging in a bloodless meal from time to time.

“Lunch with the bosses.” He agrees, patting his stomach over the vest. “So what are you thinking? Aerobatic performers? Jugglers? Fire breathing?” He waggles his brows as he smirks at the table.

"We were talking about a theme." Having him sit next to you makes you suddenly hyper aware of yourself and you take a sip of your drink. "Making it an old fashioned Gilded Age thing with classical versions of modern music, food served overnight, and elaborate masquerade costumes. Even selling tickets and donating the proceeds to charity."

“That sounds fun.” Max chuckles. “Everyone will shit themselves to get exclusive tickets.”

“And we’ll be taking a poll of every guy who buys a ticket to find one good enough for Dolly,” Tracy adds, wondering how Max would react to that idea after seeing the way he had marked you at the Mabon bonfire. They had all seen it, and all understood that you had no idea it was Max. Which only makes the whole thing more fun.

That makes the grin slide off Max's face. Just for a split second before he forces his lips to twist up out of the pout that had taken over before you could notice. He's not going to make you think that he is controlling, not with the way you react to everything. "That's a tall order." He settles for a slight grumble in his voice as he leans back in his seat.

“Newport’s a pretty decent sized town, I bet we can make it happen.” She caught the slight slip in his expression and is fucking delighted by it. None of them have ever seen Max actually care about another being and it has the few of them that talked about it convinced that he must actually be feeling things for you. “We’re going to make sure her dance card is completely full.”

"Good luck." Max snorts, crossing his arms and trying to look smug rather than worried that he might not spend any time with you. It's a feeling he doesn't like. "She's not going to enjoy the stomping of the men who think they can dance because they took lessons when they were twelve and haven't trod a dance floor since."

“Well,” Allison’s head tilts in curiosity and she affects a fully innocent expression as she shrugs her shoulders. She knows you don’t like to be the center of attention but this is developing in an interesting direction. “I suppose it would be different if our girl had a date for that night.”

It feels like Max is being led somewhere and he really doesn't like it. But the idea of you having some faceless date that might try to take advantage of you, or hurt your feelings has Max nearly snarling in anger. Body tensing beside you like he's a guard dog about to attack until he hears your heartbeat speed up beside him, anxiety flooding your scent. "That would be up to Dolly." He manages to keep his tone light, almost cheerful. "She might not want one."

“I don’t know anyone.” Your voice is quiet, not liking the fact that there seems to be an argument brewing over you in any way, shape, or form. The only two men you know here are Max and Eddie, and you would have to be blind not to see Eddie’s interest in Allison. “It—it really doesn’t matter anyway.” You insist. “It’s been a long time since I danced.”

"You should dance." Max frowns as he turns towards you, ignoring Allison the second it sounds like you are contemplating not dancing. This is your party, after all. "Do you want to dance?"

“Well…of course I do.” He knows better than anyone that dancing means everything to you. Having to give it up felt like it would kill you. “But it doesn’t matter. It’s not…I mean…I wouldn’t want anyone to feel like they had to ask me. That’s…not okay.”

He wants to roll his eyes at the stupidity of that statement, but he knows you will get upset. No one has to ask you. "You should go with me." He decides easily. "We are by far the best dancers and it's not like it would be taxing to pick you up." He jokes. "I can tell you who will stomp on your pretty dance shoes and who would be a moderately good dancer, though, not nearly as good as I am."

The entire table seems to hold its breath — half of them expecting the invitation and half taken completely aback by it. It’s not like Max Phillips has ever shown any one of them specific attention before. No. He usually hits on an entire room at once and then zeroes in on the most vulnerable. But you don’t know that side of him. You’ve never seen it. Max might be full of himself but he’s reasonably nice to you these days. He teases more than anything else, and you’re starting to learn his sense of humor. “You don’t have to do that.” You tell him, assuming he’s only asking out of pity. Out of some sense that you’re actually as pathetic as you think you are, which is absurd to everyone but you. “If you…if you want to look for someone else..I can be your backup date.” To you it seems like the best offer in the world. The most sensible and the most likely to alleviate whatever sense of duty he might feel toward you as a housemate. “It’s still weeks away. You never know what can happen.”

Max snorts and shakes his head. "I'm thinking about the competition, babe." He scoffs. "No one could keep up and it's better that the best dancers are paired together, right?" He knows he's cocky, that he's brash and the fear that you don't want to go with him strikes a cord that makes him slightly more bold than usual. "I'd rather have the best, and you're the best."

Unconsciously, your head tilts, surprise tempered with a swipe of confusion. “You’ve never even seen me dance.”

“I have.” Max responds vaguely.

“When?” The incredulous question comes out of your mouth instantly, knowing that you’ve danced maybe twice in the last year and neither time was in this house.

Online. That’s the real answer, but he doesn’t want to weird you out. Your competitions had been filmed. Instead he just shrugs and grins

“Well…” Slightly unsettled, you just shake your head and shift in your seat again. “You don’t have to decide now. I’m sure there’s someone else you’d like to take more, and you should be able to.” It hurts more than you expect, the idea that he would choose someone else over you, but you tell yourself to stop being silly. You’re nothing special. You never have been. And Max is…well, you’re starting to see how truly special he really is.

“No.” Max frowns when he hears the smattering of whispers and giggles but he doesn’t focus on that. Instead he’s looking at you. “We’re going together. Unless you don’t want to, of course.”

“I want to.” It’s almost too hurried. Too enthusiastic. But once it’s out of your mouth there’s no going back.

“Then it’s settled.” Eddie says quickly. “Dolly and Max are the first couple for the masquerade.”

“Perfect.” Allison practically holds up her glass in salute. “If you wanted to, I bet we could make some pretty killer king and queen costumes out of whatever clothes Mrs. Taylor finds upstairs,” She suggests instead, having noted that Max seems to be the only one who calls you Queenie.

Max doesn't seem to get the reasoning behind that and hums thoughtfully. "If she likes it. I am easy to dress." He winks playfully. "Killer abs and all that."

“I—I really don’t need to be a queen.” You protest right away, feeling like that would be way too much look at me for one night. You’ve spent so long trying desperately to fly under the radar that you doubt you would even know how to stand out anymore. You’d end up looking like a little girl playing dress up and embarrass Max. And you definitely wouldn’t want to do that. “We’ll figure out costumes along the way.”

Max raises his brow and nods, sensing that you are not comfortable with the idea. Throwing his arm around the back of your chair, he leans in. "Just as long as we can dance, right sweetheart?" His tone is low, just meant for you.

“Right.” Just as instantly as you had become uncomfortable, that one thought soothes you, and in your gratitude you end up looking Max directly in the eyes for maybe the first time ever — there are entire worlds in his deep brown eyes and somehow this is the time you’re discovering it. At the table eating lunch with a dozen other people. “As long as we can dance,” you murmur in agreement.

******

He had spent the afternoon taking care of legitimate business. Things that he had to take care of instead of spending the rest of the day with the coven of witches like he had surprisingly wanted to do. He doesn't mind the witches, having nothing against them and finding them pretty entertaining, but he had really wanted to see you more relaxed, to see the smiles that have become more common now that you have settled in and finding your place.

The ballroom seems to call your name tonight, and you aren’t sure why. Or at least you would never admit to the reason. To say that you’ve been stuck on the thought of dancing with Max all day would feel utterly silly. To admit that you perked up at the mere mention of him while having dinner out with some of the girls from the coven makes you feel like a silly teenager. It isn’t worth it. He’s just being nice, and the last time that a guy was nice to you, you ended up in a decade-long abusive relationship with him. You’re just…you’re not the kind of person who can be in a relationship. Period. So you shouldn’t be daydreaming about it, either. Especially not mere weeks after being kicked out of Derek’s house. But you know damn well that you were emotionally done with that relationship well before the door ever closed behind you.

The thing about vampires is that they are blessed, or cursed with a keen sense of hearing. You would be mortified to know that every vampire in the house could hear you fart in your sleep. Most of them had trained themselves to block out the sounds of human prowling around again. Max couldn't, or maybe wouldn't, would be a better word. Drawn to the quiet strands of "The Blue Danube". Quickly and silently making his way to the ballroom, and to you.

You shouldn’t do it. You know you shouldn’t. Anybody could just walk in, and it’s not as though you are the type of person to show off. Or that you even could show off at this point. But you just can’t resist. The thought of dancing with someone — Max — has been in your head all day and you turn on some music on your phone to take some basic waltz steps around the ballroom all on your own.

He approaches quietly. His ears filling with the strands of the music, making his fingers twitch with the urge to join you when he sees you waltzing around the large, polished dance floor. You are grace itself, floating on air and seemingly carefree as your eyes close and the small smile on your face brightens into full joy.

A few turns around the floor with your eyes closed are all it takes to find your feet and your frame again, and in mere seconds it’s like you’re back in your first rehearsal room with your first real freedom after learning to dance. It’s a return to the easiest and most natural feeling in the world. And then, without even realizing anyone was nearby, someone steps into your frame and sweeps you up in the dance.

"Seamless." Max chuckles quietly as he enjoys the look of shock on your face. Starting to lead you through the steps as the music swells. "I knew that you would be flawless."

“Max…” Pure surprise has his name coming out in a breath of disbelief, but you don’t stop moving. He’s completely right. It was seamless. “I—I didn’t hear you come in.”

"I didn't want you to hear me." He chuckles quietly. "You were caught up in the music." His grin is wide and warm as he continues to lead you through the dance.

“It’s…been a long time.” For all your protests, you never miss a step or fail to follow a lead. Maybe your frame isn’t competition ready anymore, but Max’s hold isn’t demanding it.

"It doesn't feel like it." Max counters, moving you into a dip and smirking when you gasp before he pulls you upright again.

Ballroom dancers will tell you that when you find your perfect partner, it’s obvious. Steps feel surer and your hold feels truer. The rhythm of movement feels more natural. It’s something you had thought wistfully of someday long in the future, sort of the way you thought about your soulmate. Someday my prince will come, that sort of thing. You’re just shocked to be feeling that feeling in your gut when Max pulls you up from the dip. Like your heart has skipped a beat, but that only happens in movies and fairy tales. “I think it’s all down to a strong lead,” you manage, heaping the credit on him where you feel it’s due.

“Not from what I’ve seen.” Max tuts, backing you through the next few steps and leaning in before he pulls you back in the opposite directly. “You carried your partners before. It takes talent to lead and yet make it appear that they are leading.”

“Never managed to find my perfect partner,” you mumble, unable to shake the monumental feeling that yes you have but it’s only just now. “How have you seen me dance, Max?”

“YouTube.” He shoots you a grin, shameless now that he has danced with you. “Your competitions were beautiful and it’s amazing what you will find online now, if you know where to look.”

“I guess so.” It’s not something you ever would have thought to look into, but when you give it even a little thought it makes perfect sense. “Those were…the good days,” you admit. “The best days. Giving it up felt like it might kill me.”

“Why did you stop?” That has him extremely curious because he has seen how talented you are. Even now, every step you take is more poised and confident than the last. Dancing is so naturally in your blood that you are holding a conversation while doing it.

“Gotta grow up sometime, right?” It’s a bullshit excuse. You know it is. But what else can you say? The expression on his face says he doesn’t buy that excuse for a second and you sigh while he turns you both around the room. “My boyfriend wanted me to get a full time job,” you explain quietly. “Being home to take care of the house and make dinner every night meant there was no time for competitions or classes anymore. He— he wanted me at home.”

Max frowns, finding that to be a bunch of sexist bullshit. As much as he might have joked about having the little lady barefoot in the kitchen, normally that meant getting a snack before he fucked her silly and fed from her again. “Well, he’s an asshole.” He snorts, firming his grip on your waist. “You don’t make someone you love give up what they love.”

“It was…a bad decision all around.” As the song comes to an end, another one will begin right afterward, you just don’t know what it will be. The playlist you chose was just marked Classics. “It’s a long story. Not something you need to worry about.”

The urge to compel you is nearly overwhelming, but Max resists. Instead of commanding that you tell him, he just watches you. Letting his silence do the talking for him.

“I thought he was going to rescue me.” It comes tumbling out of your mouth when his eyes fix on yours, and you’re sure that it’s just your imagination that says he wants to know everything. “I had gotten stood up on a blind date and he—my ex— he came up to me at the bar and dried my tears and took me home…and I really thought that he was going to teach me how to grow up. But it’s obvious now how naive that is to believe.”

“Did he hurt you?” Max’s voice is soft, not wanting to scare you, even if he can’t help the darkness in his eyes. The anger that leaps to life at the thought of someone hurting someone as gentle as you are.

“I—” Yes. He did. He broke down who you were as a person and tried to reconstruct you into an automaton who would do only his bidding. And he almost succeeded. “It doesn’t matter now.” The tears that spring up in your eyes are unavoidable, and your feet stop moving with the heaviness that settles on your shoulders. “He got sick of me and kicked me out and then I came here. It’s done.”

A bad dance partner would have stepped on your feet, not able to avoid continuing despite the fact that you had stopped suddenly. Max doesn’t. He sweeps you into a hug that is encompassing. “He was a fool and you are safe here.” Max had wondered why he had wanted you here, now he wonders why he had not brought you here sooner.

It’s such an unexpected gesture, for his arms to lock tight around you, and you really almost break down sobbing right there in his arms in the middle of the ballroom. You find, though, that that isn’t the message that you want to convey to him — or at least it’s not how you want to convey the message. Your gratitude is boundless, but it boils down to just one thing. “I believe you.” Is what you murmur instead, burying your face in his chest as he holds you to him.

He stands off to the side. In a corner where it’s almost impossible to see him. Slippery as the shadows on the walls and twice as deceptive. Strong, white teeth flash in a smug smile. It was working.

The most overwhelming and surprising — well, maybe not most surprising, but it certainly surprises you at first — urge you have in your whole body is to kiss him. He’s never made a single serious motion in the way of wanting you, or being interested in you. He’s never done anything but be polite. But you’re so close to him now that you feel like closer is the only way to be and stepping apart even a little would be agony.

“Queenie…” Out of the corner of his eye, Max sees something. Head whipping up only to find a wall sconce. He had sworn he had just seen a flash of movement.

“I—I’m sorry.” He must have known what you were thinking somehow. Or you must have leaned in without realizing it. Stared at his lips accidentally. Something. But he doesn’t let you out of his arms when you start to pull away self-consciously.

“Nothing to be sorry for.” Max looks back at you again. “I’m sorry. I thought I saw someone.”

“I thought…” you look to the doorway too, but there’s no one there. Not even a hint of Renee and her duster. “Thought…nevermind.”

“Thought what?” Max prompts softly, wanting to know what is going on in that pretty little head of yours. Dying of curiosity to know what you think of him.

“That you didn’t…” Your cheeks are burning hot on fire and your heartbeat is somewhere in the proximity of your eardrums rather than your chest, but you shake your head. “I thought you could tell what I was thinking. That’s why I apologized,” you admit finally, when his eyes don’t leave you for an instant.

“I could.” Max doesn’t know what you were thinking, but he’ll figure it out. “I just got distracted.”

“It doesn’t…” It doesn’t matter. It was a thought you’ve had far too many times since sitting and watching tv with him last week and he just doesn’t need to know that you’ve started dreaming about him. That’s…that’s far too much. “It’s nothing. I’m sorry.” You apologize again. If he really could tell what you were thinking then you can only assume how either disgusted or exasperated he is. But for some reason the knowledge that Max Phillips couldn’t possibly want you makes you crack apart like you’re leaving the dance studio all over again.

Max frowns slightly, not approving of the way that your eyes shutter, your shoulders seem to curl around in an effort to protect yourself. It's as bad as if you had flinched away from him, fearing that you would be hit. He slides his hand up your side and cups your cheek. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Queenie." He wants to kiss you, a feeling that he normally would act on, but he doesn't want to scare you. "When the moment is perfect." He decides, murmuring it out loud.

It’s not a rejection but it’s also not a full acceptance, and for some reason the unexpected space between the two things leaves you feeling like you’re in some sort of emotional limbo where all you can do is nod against his hand and try not to look too wistful at the gesture itself. It’s just wishful thinking that has you feeling like you never want him to let you go. At least, that’s what you’re going to keep telling yourself.

There’s a pregnant pause, a feeling in the air that makes Max lean in. Feeling that the moment is now. That he needs to get this urge to kiss you out of his system. Watching you to see if you pull away or panic fills your eyes when the front door opens. Startling him because he had been so entranced by you, he hadn’t heard anyone approaching.

Jumping away from him like a frightened children’s film or cartoon character, your whole face and body are on fire for so many different reasons but you bury your face in both hands and stammer out another vague apology before looking to the stairwell with frozen fear. “Eddie!” His name is a squeak in your voice and nothing more.

Eddie is there in an instant, obviously worried that Max had done something from the look the other vampire shoots him. Making Max narrow his eyes and huff at the assumption. The song fades and the silence in the ballroom settles awkwardly. “Dolly?” Eddie reaches for you. “Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.” He has awful timing, that’s all. But you’re not even sure that Max was going to kiss you. You could have been imagining it. “I—I think I’m going to grab a book from the library and turn in. Good night.” You announce, snatching up your phone and hightailing it to the library as fast as your legs will carry you.

Max huffs at Eddie. “Thanks asshole.” He grunts, rushing off towards the balcony doors that lead out to the gardens.

“What?” Eddie shrugs in complete confusion as you and Max both flee from the room.

******

Heading through the marble hall and into the library, you scoop the first edition copy of Rudyard Kipling’s Rewards and Fairies off the shelf where you left it that morning. It will make for good bedtime reading now that you’ve gone through both books you were reading previously. Quick as a mouse and just as quiet, you rush upstairs to your room with every intention of just locking yourself inside for the night. But there, sitting and chirping on your windowsill, is your little bat friend.

As soon as he had cleared the doors, Max had transformed. Not wanting you to run away from him, but he’s also found that you find comfort in his bat form. It’s interesting considering most are afraid of bats, but you pet him, snuggle him, and talk to him. He flaps his wings impatiently, telling you to open the window to let him in.

“Hey, Cutie.” It’s such a relief to see this little friendly face that what you once just called the bat as a descriptor has now become his name. Cutie is now featured in any number of bat things around your room, like little sketches tucked into the corners of your vanity mirror and the embroidered pillow that you brought home early on. You go to the window to let him in knowing that he will hop right into your hand, and leave one window cracked for him to leave by when he eventually wants to. It’s chilly, but you’re not going to trap the little guy inside the house. That would be cruel. “Were you waiting for me?” You croon, sniffing back tears of anxiety and instead focusing on petting his little head to soothe yourself.

Max chirps, acknowledging that he had been waiting for you, just not as long as you might think. He nuzzles into your hand for a moment before he shoots out of your hand, crawling up your arm and chest to curl into your neck.

“Awwe, I’m sorry I kept you waiting, Cutie.” The feeling of being hugged is as real and undeniable as being hugged by Max just a minute ago and you sniffle again before continuing to scratch the bat’s head. “Please don’t be upset with me…” Though how the little animal could show it, you don’t know. This bat is more expressive than any other creature you’ve ever known. “I…got caught up dancing. Haven’t done that in a long time.” A soft sigh escapes you and you peak down at the bat’s expression of curiosity. “Lemme put on my pajamas and I’ll read to you, okay? You seem to like that.”

Max wants to watch you undress, but even he isn’t that unethical. So he flutters off your shoulder to the chair where you sit every night he comes, reading to him. Landing on the arm rest and fluttering his wings as he folds them up, chattering at you.

It isn’t so much changing as just stripping down a few layers to your tank top, and you replace your jeans with flannel pj pants. You come out of your dressing room far more relaxed and pick up the Kipling from the side table before coming over to the chaise. “You want your nest, Cutie?” Sometimes he likes to curl up in your lap and sometimes he likes to be snuggled against you, but either way you plop down on the chaise and grab your ballet slipper throw blanket to tuck around you.

Max waits until the blanket is on your lap, hopping right into it and looking up at you. He knows you have a soft spot for this version of him, so he plays it up, cooing at you.

“Here we go.” Fixing the blanket so it’s slung over one of your shoulders gives him a cozy place to settle near your collarbone, and you could swear that the little bay must like the vibration of your voice or something because he loves to perch there. “I got us some Kipling tonight,” you tell him, feeling more relaxed by the second. “A little something different than the gothic novels I’ve been reading you.”

Max chirps again, surprised that you are in your pajamas. It’s the most amount of skin that he has ever seen on you. He decides that he will make a lap around you, get the full effect of your comfortable clothing.

“Is that an excited chirp or a chirp of protest?” Either way it makes you laugh. Just a quiet, half-huffed sound, and you open the book in your lap while Cutie takes off around your chair. He seems excitable tonight and maybe you need that. A little positive energy before bed.

You’re beautiful. He’s popping the equivalent of a bat boner from the innocent scene, unsure why you are so irresistible to him. You’re pretty and kind, but so are other women who don’t affect him as badly. Max takes another lap and damn near falls out of the sky when he sees it. Discolored skin, in an unusual grouping. A birthmark. Screeching wildly, Max dive bombs your arm to make sure he’s not seeing things. But it’s there. The matching mark that has been the only blemish on his skin since he had been brought back by his sire. You’re his fucking soulmate.

“You okay, Cutie?” He’s never lost his balance in the air like that and suddenly you’re worried there’s something wrong with the little bat’s wing. Twisting around and scooping him out of the air, you take a careful look at both appendages and don’t see anything wrong.

Those big eyes bug out even more and he squawks as if you could hear him. Soulmate. You. You’re his soulmate. There’s zero doubt in his mind that he knew that. And the fact that he kept it from Max infuriates him. But it also explains why Max was kept here. How long had he known? All of these things run through Max’s mind as he flaps his way out of your hold and immediately crawls his way up your arm to stare at your birthmark again.

"Alright, alright, if you want to hang out back there, you go right ahead." It's a weird choice, but you're the one talking to a fucking bat so who are you to judge? You just let the little guy curl up behind your shoulder and open your book to start reading. The ritual is something that you've started to find immensely soothing so you're going to appreciate every second of it tonight, while thoughts of Max still race through your head. Unshakeable and unwavering.

Just to make sure he’s not insane and it’s not some makeup covering some tattoo or whatever, his little bat tongue comes out to lick at your skin.

"What are you doing?" You twist to look at the bat over your shoulder quizzically. "Not like you can answer me, can you? It's just a birthmark, Cutie. Nothing to be confused about."

Max looks up at you, his eyes meeting yours and his tongue swipe your skin again. Convinced it’s not makeup causing the discoloration.

“What is up with you, huh?” The book goes down to your lap again and you frown a little at the winged ‘pet’. He’s never licked you or anything before. Just nuzzles and chirps or squeaks while he cuddles into you. This is all new.

Max pulls his tongue back into his mouth and climbs up your shoulder, nuzzling your cheek and chirping again. Unable to vocalize the issue, but he doesn’t want you to shoo him off.

"How about I just cover up, then." He climbs back up on your shoulder and you pull the blanket around you, covering the little star-shaped set of marks on your skin that make up your birthmark. It must confuse his little bat mind or something. That's the only explanation you can come up with. "It's just some marks on my skin, that's all." You explain, rather uselessly. After all, what does the bat care? "My skin and no one else's. I used to have tattoos, too. But...well, the person that gave them to me is gone now. So I don't have them anymore."

Max flaps his wings, squawking indignantly. He’s right here. He wonders why he wasn’t allowed to have his tattoo put back. Some kind of punishment?

“You wanna be my soulmate?” Bats don’t have soulmates. Not that you’re aware of. Just humans, some species of monkeys, and some people think that dogs and cats do but that’s just wishful thinking. But then, what is this if not wishful thinking? Talking to a bat is as wishful as it gets. “Okay, Cutie. You can be my new soulmate. Since you’re a little bit spooky and like being read to, I think it’s perfect.”

If he could preen, Bat Max would. Your words soothes him instantly and he cuddles against your pulse, cooing and almost purring happily. You accept his bat form, and that’s half the battle in his mind.

"Yeah?" You giggle softly, glad for the now familiar feeling of the small winged creature cuddling against your chest. "Is that all you wanted? Just my never ending love and devotion?" This laugh is slightly more hollow, and you pet his little head with two fingers as you pick your book up again. "Somebody might as well have it. I don't think I trust myself to actually give it to a human anymore."

Max blows out a breath, actually needing to breath as a bat, funnily enough. He hates the idea that you are so hurt that you wouldn’t trust and love again. You’re too sweet to put yourself on a shelf.

"Just you and me, Cutie." You murmur softly. "That's all I need." Maybe. Just maybe. If you say it enough, it will be true one day. Unfortunately for your heart, though, it's already given itself away. And denying it won't do a single ounce of good.

Max listens to the sadness in your voice, still freaking out because you’re his soulmate and he can’t tell you. How would he explain himself? You aren’t to know that the residents of this house are vampires. On his orders. How would he explain that he has no marks? They disappeared four years ago when he was staked through the heart and turned into a blood splatter on the wall. The only reason he’s here now is because his sire, somehow your relative, took pity on him.

Reading is calming and before long you're yawning between paragraphs and curling deeper into your blanket. When you're on the verge of drifting off you stifle another long yawn and rub two fingers along your little bat friend's head. "I'm glad you came to say hello tonight," you tell the little creature, right before your eyes shut.

Max chirps softly, listening to your heartbeat slow down. Waiting until you are asleep before he moves. Changing back to a human form and watching you. Staring at you in awe, not hearing someone else approach.

He watches as his protégé stares at you. A smile curving his lips and exposing the pointed fangs. He senses the turbulent emotions in the younger man, able to sense what he is feeling since he created him. Linked in an inextricable way. He had hoped to visit you tonight, but he sinks back into the shadows with glee. You are already entertaining it seems.

******

Deciding that it is time for a conversation - not the one Max will want, but the one he will get for now – he disappears back downstairs and settles himself in the kitchen, knowing that Max has a tendency to go for a 'midnight snack' glass of blood before turning in for the night. Sleep is not necessary the way it is for humans, but rest helps to keep vampires strong. And Max is using quite a bit of stamina every night to transform in and out of bat form.

Max whistles as he comes in the kitchen, trying to put on an air of nonchalance as he grapples with the very real knowledge that his soulmate has been discovered. He had watched you for far too long, unable to move until you had shivered in your sleep. Picking you up and carrying you over to your bed as if you were no heavier than a feather, Max had tucked you into bed again. Closing the window like he had before and slipping out of the door to come down to the kitchen. Every step he had been taking away from you being one he was forcing himself to make.

His tendency toward dramatics is well documented, especially by those closest to him, so for him to be lounging in the pitch black kitchen when Max comes in and flicks on the light out of deeply ingrained habit? Well, it should surprise no one. The skies outside have torn open and the midnight rain is torrential, making the scene all the more delightfully gothic as rain pelts the kitchen windows across the room.

“Fucking shit.” Max isn’t afraid of much, but the sight of him appearing has the younger vampire jumping slightly, his dead heart nearly leaping to life in his chest. Relaxing slightly before he remembers. “Why are you here?”

“Business.” He answers, languidly rolling the word over in his tongue and drawing out the hissing sound of the last syllable. “Amongst other reasons.” There are already two glasses of blood poured and he gestures to the other side of the kitchen table for Max to join him.

Max snorts and rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t refuse the invitation from his maker. “And does ‘other reasons’ include the human upstairs?”

“She seems to be settling in.” While it’s an observation instead of an actual answer, the older vampire shrugs one shoulder gracefully.

Frustrating, that is what the old man is. Hissing slightly, Max remembers that he also enjoys getting a rise out of people, so he leans back and picks up the glass of blood. “New pet?” He asks.

While he won’t give Max the satisfaction of a sharp reaction, he does set his glass down and let his eyes sweep over the younger vampire appraisingly. “As I understand it, she is the one keeping a pet. Not me.” He’s seen it with his own eyes. And while it’s unexpectedly charming, it certainly does represent a communication issue. “Or is ‘Cutie’ a different resident bat that I’ve not met before?”

It’s only because of the fresh blood that max has ingested that allows the flush to rise up under his skin. “She doesn’t know it’s any different from a regular bat.” He defends himself. How he knows about that, Max doesn’t know, but he always seems to know things he shouldn’t. As far as he knows, no one else in the house knows about his nearly nightly routine.

“She will eventually.” There’s spice in this blood. Something warm and tingling. Mrs. Taylor always somehow manages to provide the best of the best for him and he’s grateful to have had her for the last several hundred years. “One day she’ll know everything.”

“How long have you known?” That is the question that is burning under his skin. He doesn’t elaborate, knowing the elder understands what he is referring to.

“That she exists?” He is evasive by nature. Always has been. And he waves off the question with ease. “Her whole life.”

Max rolls his eyes again, obviously he should have been more specific. “That I am her soulmate?” He clarifies tightly.

“Oh?” One eyebrow quirks up in interest and he takes another sip of blood. “If that were true it would be a most interesting state of being. For you, of course. Entirely inconsequential to others.”

Max frowns, staring at the man who had changed him in college. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“That I firmly doubt the soulmate status of one infant vampire will matter much to the general population of mortals in the world.” The immortals, he knows, will take a great interest. They did the last time a vampire and witch were soulmates and they will take an even greater interest this time.

Max takes a sip of his blood. “Stimulating conversation, as always.”

Amused, his sire almost smiles but just the ghost of the expression makes it to his lips. “Ask the correct question and I will gladly answer.”

It’s always a game with him. “What is she to you?” Max demands, leaning forward and his eyes are darker than they should be, directed at his sire.

It isn’t the right question, but it is an important one. One that he isn’t quite ready to answer in full, but he swallows and lets his eyes close for a brief moment. “Now that Cookie is gone, she is everything to me.” It is an honest answer, if not a whole one. And certainly more than he would have given Max at any other time.

Max sighs, aware that he’s not going to get the answers he wants from the older vampire. “What’s the correct question, then?” He huffs. “Since you want to play your little games.”

“What is it you truly want to know, Maxwell?” He tilts his head in curiosity, wondering what the most important question is to his protégé’s beatless heart. The correct question is the one that matters the most — Max has not learned that lesson quite yet.

Max growls, increasingly frustrated and sure he’s not going to get an answer to his question. His maker is some kind of mood and it is impossible when he is like this. “Is she the reason I’m here?” He asks.

“Yes.” Although the question might give Max complicated feelings, his sire’s answer is simple. There is no other possible answer, in fact. “She is the reason for much.”

“Fuck.” Max is aware that the program that he was selected for was very high stakes, pun intended. Most humans were eaten. “Is she-“ he stops, wondering if he really wants to know this. “Is my connection with her the reason I was changed?”

“Partially.” After another sip of blood, his sire chuckles at the purses frown on Max’s face. “You were always going to graduate the program, Maxwell. But she is the reason that I am your sire and not a lesser vampire.”

“Because she’s somehow related to your soulmate?” He still doesn’t know the relation, but that’s because he’s never cared to ask. Not that Mrs. Taylor would spill if he didn’t wish for Max to know.

“Now you’re getting it.” The intention was never to keep the entire truth from Max. Never. But to tell him before telling you? He may be unscrupulous, but he is not uncaring.

“Why does one distant relative matter so much?” Max asks, frowning again. Since his own family turned their back on him, he’s hardened himself against that sort of connection.

“Have you ever known me to be careless in my decisions?” The honest question is not meant to be a trick, but it is meant to make Max think. “Have I not kept my family as close as I am able? And the families of those I have sired?” It may also be ever so slightly evasive, but he will not apologize for that just yet.

One thing Max can say for sure is that he is not careless. But it brings up another question. “Then why have you not brought her here sooner?” He huffs. “She’s been abused, that much is obvious.”

Shame is not a thing most creatures like to feel, and he likes it even less than most. But unfortunately shame is what he must endure, and for once he lets his protégé see the emotion in his face when he finds the younger man’s eyes. “I tried everything in my power to find her before now, but I was prevented. Kept from her. And I will never let such a thing happen again. Not for all the days I roam the endless earth. It is our duty now, to protect her. Yours and mine.”

Max bites his lip and nods. “I don’t know what she thinks of me.” He admits. “She’s more comfortable around the bat than the man. It’s- I’m drawn to her, now I know why.”

“She seemed quite fond of dancing with you.” Which is no small thing, and brings a smile unburdened to his lips. The fluffy pink tutu, tights, and shoes he had bought for an eager four-year-old spring to mind immediately. “Perhaps she ought to be trusted with the truth. That the bat and the man are one.”

Max huffs out a laugh. “And how should I do that?” He asks jokingly. “Just transform in front of her? She doesn’t believe vampires are real.”

A sigh overtakes him. Weary and far more emotional than he would normally let on, but your disbelief at the existence of vampires hurts more than he can possibly say. “She knows, in her soul. In her heart. But her mind has been bound from believing it.”

Max frowns slightly and rubs his tongue over his teeth. “It sounds like you believe she was supposed to be raised in this world.”

“Because she was.” A flash of anger in his eyes has to be tamped down before he says more than he should, but the point is firm. “She was born to it. She belongs here.”

“Okaaaaaay.” Max’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise at the passionate answer. Sometimes it seemed like Cookie was the only thing the older vampire cared about. Obviously you are just as important, though the connection is still vague. “It’s not like she’s your daughter or something.”

His sire huffs, burying anger and sadness back under mystery where they belong, and shakes his head. “A witch and a vampire having a child? What a fantastical thought.” His tone has turned droll under the guise of heaviness. “That would be the stuff of Legend if it were true.”

Max snorts and sends him a small smirk. “As if you aren’t already a legend.”

“Am I?” That flash of mystery and amusement graces his features and Max’s sire sits back in his chair. “I had nearly forgotten.”

It’s not like he had bragged about it. Max had to learn of his sire’s exploits through the rumor mill that seems to power a college. Even a vamp one. He wasn’t one to boast or rest on his laurels apparently. Max hadn’t known how great the honor of him being his sire was until he was nearly graduated. And just now, he’s learning the reason why he had turned him. “Aren’t you?” Max asks, taking another sip of the warm blood. “Maybe not.”

“If you want to bait someone, Maxwell, go find Eddie and tell him flannel has gone out of fashion.” He chuckles at his own joke, taking the last sip of blood from his goblet. “Understand fully, though, before you leave me tonight. That Dolly is of the utmost importance. She is the only priority that matters.”

The weight of his words settle on Max and he bites his lip before he voices the concern. “Should I- would you prefer that I leave her alone?” He asks, unsure of why he would be giving such an obvious warning.

“If that was my wish, you would never have known she existed.” His sire tells him honestly. “You would not have be among those I deemed worthy of eternal life, and you certainly would not have been brought back after that stunt four years ago.” He shakes his head, wishing now for wine more than blood. Something to temper the emotional rollercoaster he has been on since you were finally located weeks ago. “You have been brought here for her, Maxwell. Endeavor to be worthy of that honour.”

“I don’t think she wants romantic entanglements.” Max admits. “She’s - skittish and I’m….” He trails off and shrugs. With his sire, it’s a lot easier to admit shortcomings. “Not.”

“But it is what you want?” Knowing Max as he does, it takes a great deal of willpower for his sire not to play on Max’s usual cocky side. This is too important for that anyway.

“I-“ Max stops, unsure of how to answer that. He wants you, but he also knows that you aren’t ready for something like that. It’s why he had spent so much time as the bat lately. “For her to be happy.” He decides. How that happiness looks is up to you. He’s already been selfish and he’s paid too high a price to chance it again.

“Good.” There may not have technically been a correct question to ask earlier, but there was certainly a correct answer to this one, and Max has hit on it. “You will tell her the truth soon. She’s made of stronger stuff than whatever she’s been through.”

It sounds like an order, but Max nods. “I hope you are right.” He tells the vampire who had turned him into what he is now. “Otherwise, we ruin the only safe place she has.”

“It is all the stronger for having us in it.” He reminds the younger vampire. “In the meantime, not a word to Eddie or anyone else. Only Mrs. Taylor knows I’ve arrived.”

His brow lifts again, but he doesn’t say a word about it. “Then back to the tower with you.”

______

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#Pedro Pascal #Pedro Pascal character fanfiction #Pedro Pascal fanfic #Max Phillips #Max Phillips x reader #Max Phillips x you #Max Phillips x female reader #Max Phillips x f!reader #Eddie BtVS #Bloodsucking Bastards #soulmate sunday #crossover fic #tw past abuse

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soobadnoonecanstopher · 4 months

Text

Can I Stay? (A Baekhyun Story) Part 20.

Pairing: You x Baekhyun

Rating: M (Mature)

Word Count: 13.5k

Warnings: Slight angst. Alcohol.

Tag List: @his-mochi-cheeks

Links: Can I Stay: Masterlist

You looked like a jewel.

You’d been to the salon for hair and makeup; had been to the spa for a waxing and skin treatment. You’d had everything that could be plucked and everything that could be massaged, filed, shaped and painted and the moment you pulled up the sparkly flesh colored, curve hugging, mini dress up over you hips, slipped the nude colored straps over your shoulders and reached just behind you to zip up the hidden zipper and turned to look over your own surprising reflection in your floor length mirror you gave yourself a tiny spin in place.

The dress sparkled like facets of a diamond even in your sparsely lit bedroom. The slight sparkling fringe moved when you moved and where the delicate pattern of the sparkles stopped, the dress gave the illusion of showing a lot more skin than it did; thanks to the fact that it seemed to blend in with your skin tone perfectly. There were some places in which the illusion broke; such as the high slit that crept up so high on your smooth bare thigh or on either side of your breasts where whatever bits of covering fabric simply stopped existing and the slightest glimpse of skin outlined the curves of your body.

The dress was sexy. It looked good on you and you felt beautiful, desirable, and powerful in it.

You bought it a few months ago. You’d happened upon this particular number in a boutique and hadn’t ever planned on spending this much on a dress at the time but when you’d held the dress up to yourself; shrugged and thought what’s the worst that could happen if you just tried it on, well…

Turns out, the worst that could happen was if it you as if it were made exclusively for you and you fell absolutely in love with every sparkly bit that curved over your hips, and hugged tightly around your waist; despite the fact that it was actually much more money than you’d ever wanted to spend on a single garment for one night; and was actually much sexier of a look than you thought you had a right to pull off at the time. What with being single and alone and undesired and the last thing you wanted was the purely animalistic looks you’d recognize in many of the men’s eyes; muted only by the scrutiny of the women around you who leaned toward bitchy and jealous when presented with a woman who wore such a sexy look with confidence and power around them.

You were beyond giving a damn anymore. At least when it comes to anyone who might have anything negative to say about you.

You left your neck bare; the dress was distracting and the cut away sides that gave just enough side boob with the way it landed below your arms and the delicately low cut neckline, you didn’t think you needed to draw any more attention below your neck. Instead you opted only to wear some delicate dangly earrings that might occasionally distract the occasional wandering eyes should they find themselves so inclined to look.

One item though; one very distracting and obvious item had you second guessing.

The diamond engagement ring.

Should you wear it? Something so obvious in its meaning in a place filled with so many people who both had no business knowing the truth and who really shouldn’t know at this point in the game.

You vacillated. Putting it on and taking it off at least three times before you let out the longest sigh and simply moved the ring to your right hand. Maybe you’d get the nerve to move it back when you saw him tonight. Maybe you’d change your mind when his eyes fell down to the empty ring finger of your left hand, then slipped over to catch the sparks that flew and caught his eyes from your right hand and looked back up into your own with whatever flash of disappointment in his eyes hidden so quickly you would question whether you’d seen anything at all.

He would understand. This was work. This was your career. These were your coworkers and this was your professional reputation. Sure, the truth would have to come out eventually, but you were desperate to put a little bit of distance between you being his direct supervisor and him being your soon to be husband.

The ring felt foreign and wrong on your right hand.

You did your best to push the feeling deep down inside of your belly where you could safely ignore it for now.

You hoped for a few things tonight.

That you wouldn’t collapse into a heap of love-sickness when you saw him.

That you could manage to keep yourself from drinking too much alcohol in some weak plan to keep yourself from collapsing into a heap of love-sickness when you saw him.

That Baekhyun would … that he might perhaps, by-chance, maybe you kind of, sort of, you hoped that Baekhyun would fall into a heap of love-sickness when he saw you.

You slinked closer to your front door; making the briefest stop at the entryway table that you kept at the door for one final touch. Something you knew he would very well struggle against when he leaned in close for a harmless and chaste touch of his soft cheek against yours; a hand that might linger on your waist when he came in close for a greeting he would smell the fragrance you sprayed against your neck. He would smell it here when he leaned close to whisper into your ear to ask you something harmless like ‘Would you like another drink, Miss Manager? This is already your second one, will you be okay?’, ‘Did you order the chicken or the fish, Miss Manager?’ or ‘Would you like to dance with me, Miss Manager?’

You felt giddy with anticipation.

All of your team members would be mingling with the other department team members; all of whom had worked tirelessly on this project from the very start. There would even be speeches and acknowledgments of a job well done. Another successful project completed. High ratings would be teased at. The liquor and the beer would flow in a grateful celebration as the wallets of the biggest, fattest cats got bigger and fatter.

Upper level producers, directors, and project executives would likely be on their second or third drinks by now and would start to set their wandering eyes on some of the younger, fresher girls as the alcohol gave them just enough of a push for a flirtatious compliment. Tucked away somewhere within the grand ballroom, one might even catch a glimpse of blond hair adoring a handsome face atop of a pair or strong, broad shoulders that would fill out a designer suit in a way that would surely take anyone’s breath away.

The taxi driver took a turn and you lifted a hand to grab a hold of the grip above the window and your nose caught the scent of your perfume. You were always careful not to overdo it. He might not even notice it until his face came in close to you. Maybe while you were both dancing. Maybe while he sat beside you at the table and leaned down to pick up your napkin that had slipped to the floor by your feet; reaching down at the same moment that you did, your heads nearly colliding.

You had to watch yourself tonight. Maybe three drinks maximum. Maybe three dances maximum. Any more than that was simply too dangerous.

Of course deep down inside you hoped his secret whispered questions wouldn’t all be so very appropriate. In your mind, his questions shifted as you sat in the backseat of the taxi to the hotel where the party was surely well underway by now. You didn’t mind being a bit late to these things. You’d spent the entirety of the year being obsessively dependable and chronically punctual but this was the end. This was the celebration. You could afford to relax now.

The first few times you’d attended, the idea of letting go on a weekday evening felt somewhat forbidden. But this was how they usually scheduled them for the sake of stretching out whatever was left of the budget. The rates were better on a week-night party and you knew the studio could even splurge on an open bar if they planned it well enough. You’d been to enough of these parties to know how they worked. Glitz and glamor, plenty of alcohol, lots of dancing, even more schmoozing. You giggled to yourself recalling the wild rumors and gossip that quickly spread through the last wrap party. It seems that a pair of particularly drunk party goers were caught making out in a darkened corner. It seemed that something scandalous had taken place in a hidden stairwell. Some drunken debauchery led to another pair waking up in the same bed together and at least two walk-of-shames had allegedly been witnessed by some particularly gossip loving members of the group chat that blew up your phone the next morning.

You really, really needed to watch yourself tonight. Absolutely no more than four drinks. A firm and immovable limit you would under no circumstances bend under. Four drinks and spread out thin. Maybe five if they seemed particularly watered down, but that was it. The most, the absolute most dances you would allow with him would be five. And the majority would be fast songs; not all of them slow dances. Not all of them touching each other lightly and carefully as not to sink fingertips too deep into any flesh; in the dimly lit crowded space that felt much more intimate than it had any right to. At least you should keep from staring for too long into the dark brown irises of his eyes. Two, or three, slow dances, max. You would not lose yourself in the embrace of his arms. You would not lean your head over his shoulder as his arms wrapped around your waist and the lyrics grew more romantic over the top of your heads. You would not hold your breath as you strained to listen to the sound of his heart beating inside of his chest over the sound of the music up ahead.

Your imagination quickly ran away from you and you ignored the fact that none of your math seemed to be making any sense right now.

‘Oh really? Was she, Miss Manager? I didn’t notice.’

‘Honestly, I can’t seem to see anyone else but you tonight, Miss Manager.’

‘Miss Manager … I heard that some of the staff just book a room after these parties so they don't have to drive.’

‘Do you think any of them are seeing each other?’

‘Do you think any of them are obsessed with each other?’

‘Do you think any of them are desperate for each other?’

‘Do you think any of them are like us?’

‘Miss Manager …’

‘Noona …’

‘Baby…

‘Should we just go up and get a room?’

You were giggling all alone in the back seat of this taxi. You’d forgotten yourself for long enough for a genuine snort of giggles to escape and you quickly laid a palm over your mouth to somehow catch them and put them back in.

Instinctively your eyes looked toward the cab driver and you caught a split second of eye contact with the man in the rear view mirror before he looked away with an amused grin on his face.

The hotel lobby was opulent and fancy. This was a good one. You dared to guess it was nicer than the last one, but this had been a bigger project with a bigger price tag. You were certain you’d spot an occasional cast member mingling amongst the production staff tonight; doing their due diligence; securing their next big role.

It was a grand event. You could hear the exciting sounds of the crowd inside the moment you stepped up to the foyer doors that would lead to the grand ballroom.

You were so late that it seemed the first episode had already aired. You’d missed the grand unveiling and the credits rolling. You were sure the congratulatory speeches and awards had already been passed out. There were never any such accolades for any one in your field so you didn’t really feel too bad about missing that part. You had entered the open space where larger crowds lingered. Hotel staff passed by with trays of drinks and small bites or held doors for you as you passed through doorways from spaces where people dressed to the nines just as you were, mingled; drank; laughed loudly and freely.

The stress and incredible effort of the past few months was finally let go. Smiles all around were genuine. It felt as if the culmination of a career’s worth of effort had finally amounted to something quite tangible here. The project, like countless you’d worked on in the past, had been a success. Well received by critics, audiences, and sold well to streaming services. Whispers of the next season filtered to your ears and you smiled widely to person after person; all familiar and all just as relieved by the good news as you felt.

They were all familiar in a once or twice introduced or professional acquaintance sort of way. You had yet to come across the members of your team and with as cliquey as things tended to grow after suffering together for so long, you were sure you’d find them in close proximity to each other.

You were sure you’d find another sort of familiar face amongst them. You couldn’t help the drift of your eyes over the heads of the crowds as you searched for that familiar shade of blond hair.

There were a few false alarms. That one was too tall, this one wasn’t even a man.

You heard a gasp that called your focus to your right and you’d at last found some of your team.

“Miss Manager, you look incredible!” Marci covered her open mouth with a palm and her wide eyes drifted over the length of you, her startled reaction pulled your lips into an amused grin. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.” She had a drink in her hands and her eyes had an excited glassiness to them. Already. You giggled when she gripped you tightly around the hand and shook it lightly and you were opening your mouth to refute her claims.

“Nah ~ I always dress up for these events.”

“Like a goddess!” She shouted over the music that had picked up in volume. She was joined by a few other team members and their eyes looked you up and down with the same sort of excited wonder.

“Sandi,” Marci shouted out over your shoulder and you turned your head toward the direction she was looking, “look at how pretty she looks tonight!” Sandi looked upon you with a quiet smile and a knowing expression behind her eyes and before long, Sandi and Marci were soon joined by some of the other girls in your team and you were quickly surrounded by a chorus of oohs and aahs. It seemed you had been just a bit later than you had expected because it was becoming evident that the drinking had been going on for quite some time already. Someone pushed a drink into your hand declaring that you needed to catch up. You were quickly caught up in the excitement and to quiet their noisy cries you raised what you knew was some sort of shot of alcohol and quickly downed it. It burned and tasted bad and someone else shoved a quarter of a lime between your lips. Tequila.

You needed to be more careful. Of all of the liquors that took your rational mind and tossed it quickly out the window, tequila was one of the most dangerous ones.

It was useless though. Everyone was too worked up and much too excited to listen to your polite declinations. This is a party, they all shouted. You’d had another shot of something else; influenced by the excitement that buzzed through them like a flu, spreading from them to you; you were too caught up. Two. You could still keep your wits about you with just two drinks.

Let’s go dance together, someone else urged. You grinned and you pushed your hands forward, promising them that you would join them as soon as you were able to. Just as soon as you made your rounds and said your greetings to your superiors. They gave small groans of disappointment that was quickly forgotten as soon as the next songs began playing in the speakers over their heads. It was a fun and popular pop song and the small group jumped up and down excitedly, abandoning you and your self proclaimed very important managerial duties that still called your name.

And you certainly would greet whoever you happened to run into. Producers and managers from other teams. You nodded politely, shook their hands and gave your sweetest smiles to some of your favorites.

Sophie Choi grabbed you tightly around the shoulders and pulled you in for a warm hug and over her shoulders your eyes scanned the room for any shades of hair that were anything other than black. You’d begun to feel just a little bit desperate the longer you looked and came up empty.

As your eyes searched they met with a pair of eyes that were indeed familiar. You pushed a smile on your lips, making absolutely certain that your expression showed not even a hint of the disappointment you were beginning to feel the longer you searched through in this place and did not find the person you were really looking for.

Ben from the marketing department gave you an almost undetectable double take and his eyes drifted over the length of you before the ultra polite professional smile quickly took over whatever look you might have imagined seeing in his eyes. Perhaps his team had pressured him into having a few more drinks that he had intended to as well. Perhaps that was the reason for the way his focus seemed to linger in places other than your shrewd, business-like eyes and co-worker-appropriate placid smile.

Ben leaned into you with his greeting, a warm hand landing just over your back as he did it. His words spoke into the space where he leaned near your ear. The music was loud, of course, he had to speak up a bit. Despite the unusually close proximity between the two of you and the warm palm that still sat quite high up on your bare shoulder, a part of you marveled at just how little thought you actually gave to anything other than the words coming from his mouth.

He was talking about work. Asking you about this new co-worker who you had sent him. This mystery man who would soon be joining his Marketing Communication team as his newest Marcom Specialist; an impressive sounding title for sure. You gave yourself the smallest internal pat on the back for pulling the necessary strings to sell Ben on such a move for your former assistant. Although it wasn’t as if Baekhyun was any stranger to blatant favoritism in this company, you still felt pretty green when it came to nepotism. Not that it was even needed. The second Ben found out who Baekhyun was, he would have agreed straight away. This man was basically guaranteed to be everyone’s boss one day.

Still, urged by your own guilt, you’d made the deal with plenty of back-end promises to owe Ben big time for this, and knowing the man, he would cash in on those favors as soon as he was met with even the slightest bit of resistance from some of the other managers. After this quick chat with Ben, you felt good about this change.

Ben was now giggling and asking about special treatment the President's son might require; his eyes not even trying to conceal the apprehension that broke through the nervous laughter that he was obviously feeling for agreeing to play host to such a high profile guest. You were quick to refute any such ideas. Your former assistant would be a valuable addition and an asset to his team. At no point in your working with Baekhyun had he ever given any sort of impression that he was even capable of using his birth as a professional advantage. Ben was lucky to have such a talented person working at his side and this was not a decision he would regret.

“I’ll admit I’m still a little bit suspicious of my new charge. But I’ll trust you for now,” he smiled genuinely with his eyes, sated for now.

Ben had always been kind. He had been great in the few instances as you’d had to work with him and he was not unattractive. Although the deeper parts of your brain tended to describe his good looks in rather clinical terms. He looked clean. He looked symmetrical. Conventionally attractive. A safe bet. Perhaps even a little boringly so. The kind of attractive looks that one might have with the occasional medical and orthodontic intervention courtesy of a pair of well-off parents who were probably still securely married to this day.

You couldn’t help the way your mind wandered. You also did very little to stop it. It was probably the alcohol's fault. You had somehow finished another drink. Looking into Ben’s harmless and clean smile you heard a judgemental whisper deep within your subconscious. Comparing this man to the other man who had a death grip on your heart and your soul and your lady parts for good measure. Ben was nice but also felt extremely sterile. Curious judgements of the man slipped in. A man like this, and you’d known a few through the years, but, a man like Ben in the bedroom would not always be a disappointment. But he would not be a triumph either.

With a man like this, a woman might even be satisfied and perhaps thirty percent of the time she might even orgasm. As long as she managed that before fifteen minutes were up of course. A man like this definitely had a time limit.

This was definitely the alcohol speaking.

“Sophie!” A familiar voice interrupted your mind's silly wandering and brought a dark shadow along with it.

You heard his loud abrasive laugh. It sounded fake and forced. The owner of that familiar voice calling for Sophia Choi was lingering close by. It was Sophie’s 1st. The very same man you’d promised your boyfriend you wouldn’t allow yourself an opportunity to spend time alone with. The man who looked you up and down with an unfiltered, animalistic look in his drunken eyes and wagged perfectly manicured eyebrows up and down as his lips pulled into something in between a sneer and a delighted grin.

Chet.

Your eyes rolled and you exhaled a slow breath.

You weren’t too much of a drinker. Occasionally and only in social settings; you rarely let loose too often outside of that. Alcohol wasn’t your first medicine of choice and in situations when others might want to drown their sorrows in something to make the mind far far away from reality; you usually made other self detrimental choices like not eating for a week until you got so dizzy you had to force down a bowl of oatmeal, or on the opposite spectrum downing a quart of ice cream until you felt so full and bloated you had no choice but to wallow in your own self curated misery.

“Chet.” Ben nodded his head, and a single eyebrow danced above his eye, “enjoying the party, I see.” Something in Ben’s tone told you that he didn’t have a very high opinion of the man either.

Chet pulled his eyes up from his blatant and obvious examination of your chest and gave Ben a two second glance with a curt nod before his focus was back on you; thankfully on your face now instead of wherever his lustful eyes had been looking.

“Miss Manager,” you heard Chet tack your name onto the end of your title and the sounds of his words had the sort of inflection that told you he had very much intended to keep talking. “That’s quite a dress. You look … very pretty tonight.”

“Doesn’t she look so pretty, Ben? Like a pretty little princess.” Chet’s words were on the surface directed at Ben but his eyes did not leave you. Although they had drifted from your face again.

“So… I was wondering, Miss Princess—” Chet’s eyes moved slowly back up into your face and the excessive way he drew out the S sounds made his words slither like a snake up the back of your spine.

Ben’s body language had changed with the off-putting new nickname and weirdly confrontational tone Chet somehow felt was appropriate to use with you.

“Whoa. Hey—” Ben had noticeably stiffened and his face pulled into a frown as he lifted a hand, palm facing outward about chest level, calling the other man out audibly for the disrespect.

“Maybe you should slow down on the drinks tonight, Man.” Like any rational person might, Ben attributed Chet’s bad behavior to an alcohol induced slip up. It was an easier conclusion to accept than the realization that maybe Chet was just an asshole who didn’t see women as real people and only showed them basic human decency when delusioned by the chance to fuck them.

Once you’d taken that off the table, Chet no longer had any reason to fake it. This was the real Chet.

His intentions toward you had taken on more transparent and obvious meaning. Had you been completely in your right mind, you might have even sensed a little danger in the darkness you saw in those eyes of his.

But as you stood now, you cared too little about this person. He was insignificant in your life. Let him throw his fit. You were simply not interested in whatever it was he felt he had to say to you and so you allowed your eyes to drift away from both of these men, giving almost no acknowledgement at all to Chet or to his greeting or to whatever the hell he was wondering about. You didn’t even give him the satisfaction of acting offended.

You could blame the loud music for not hearing him. You could blame the alcohol for giving you the nerve to turn your back and walk away from him the way you did. He could blame you for being a cold bitch for all you cared. You’d been clear with him in the past when you told him he wasn’t to speak to you unless absolutely necessary and only for work.

It wasn’t that you liked to hold grudges. It was just that you had seen his true colors already and you simply could not unsee them now.

As you left the two men behind you heard Ben’s attempts at being a rational adult. Their bickering voices quickly faded though when the crowds moved and you saw the familiar shape of a man in a deep blue suit. A man with broad shoulders so significant that you felt a warmth surge deep within your belly when your eyes landed on his back. The effect was instantaneous. It was the sudden blast of a warm shower after being caught in the cold rain. It was the warmth of the summer sunshine hitting your face as the dark clouds parted and heat penetrated every layer of your skin. He was life and happiness and joy and love and the sudden shift within your body nearly gave you whiplash with how complete and instant this transformation that happened inside of you was.

It was him. It was Baekhyun. You knew him in an instant. You’d found him.

He was standing next to your team. You saw Marci, Sandi, Ju Won, Sera, and even Sunny — your newest Assistant. He was laughing with a hand over his mouth; you heard his genuine delight and loud guffaws pierce through the crowds. His back was to you and you dropped your hand that held your empty glass hanging it down by your thigh and you simply took in the sight of him. For just a moment you allowed those feelings to fill you completely. You knew you had to be staring. You knew if someone was paying any attention to you right now they’d know without a doubt how very in love you were with this man.

The suit was fitted. Cinched at the waist and it looked designer, of course and very expensive. He filled it out very well. You could make out the strength in his back, the biceps in his arms. The plushness of his thighs below where the jacket ended. The knowledge that this man was yours bubbled up inside of your chest and you had to lift your fingertips to lightly touch over the heat you felt in your face, begging some of the flushness you felt to dissipate.

Earlier as you wandered around this busy place, greeting people you knew on a surface level it all felt very performative. You would push up your smile wide and believable. You would use your kindest and sweetest voice to speak out many compliments and it felt like work.

This though — standing here and looking at this man. The smile you felt was real. I took no effort. It took more effort to blank out your face and pretend like you weren’t looking at your person; the one that felt like home to you.

Only something was very different. The hair. His hair. No wonder you couldn’t find him earlier; you’d been searching for blond hair. He had done something new.

His hair was brown now. It looked like rich honey or dark caramel in this lighting. It was coiffed and styled up by an expert’s hand and when he turned you caught the sight of his profile. The contrast between the dark hair and his light skin, the slight pink of his cheeks and his pouty lips as he spoke; the dark eyebrows and pretty black of his eyelashes and the specks of the tiny moles on his lovely face — all of it; all of him — you were reeling. You felt frozen. You hadn't been prepared for such a drastic change. He should have told you first. He should have sent you a picture so you could get your reaction ready.

He hadn’t told you that he was going to change his hair color. Although he seemed to change it so often you really should have prepared yourself for the possibility of such a thing but everything about this felt so different.

Still the suddenness of this; the impact of how shockingly beautiful he looked with this particular up-style in this particular shade of caramel; your mind was spinning and you were having a moment in the middle of this crowded party too stunned to take another step.

You caught the moment when Sandi noticed you and she reached out a hand to touch lightly on Baekhyun’s forearm; catching his attention easily, her eyes bounced pointedly to where you stood like a statue glued to the floor behind him.

Baekhyun followed. First with his eyes and then he turned his head before he spun halfway around and he looked into your face; his eyes landing first into your own stunned ones.

The smile he had from the lively chat sank, flattened and vanished when he saw you. His eyes had a drift to them. Those deep brown irises took you in. It was an achingly slow journey from your face where his brown eyes had first sunk in with a splash. But their flighty focus slid down to the bare skin of your neck and your chest. They took their time at the deep plunge of the neckline and the peek of cleavage this dress displayed; no doubt triggering flashes of memories of his mouth and the bite marks he’d left all over your breasts that the sheer swirls of this fabric concealed. The drift of him moved again; lower and lower until you felt thoroughly consumed and had by him. He absorbed you — all of you. He did it slowly and he savored it.

This look from him, this reaction left you dumbfounded; even more so than seeing him standing there looking exactly as he should on your wedding day complete with the hair, the slight eye makeup his stylist had put on him that accentuated his beauty, the expertly fit suit in the exact shade of navy blue satin that complimented him so well and made him stand out like a goddamned god amongst mortals. That he could so affect you in absolute silence; without a word, without a single touch, with only the look in his eyes, was a wonder.

In addition to the new and sudden warmth that built up under the surface of your skin you also felt a rush of power. You very much enjoyed this feeling. This dress in all of its sparkly, curve hugging and teasingly enticing glory from the beginning to where it abruptly ended, so high up on your thighs, it just might have been worth the hefty price tag afterall. Just for this reaction from him.

You wondered at that moment if he’d dressed up for you just as you had done for him.

His eyes had made it down. His gaze was faltering and he was pushing through it. Halfway through the journey back up to once again meet your waiting eyes and now, victorious smile, his parted lips tensed and he snapped his jaw up tight with a visible clench of the muscles on his face and his chest rose with the sudden intake of air through his nose. Then he bit down on his bottom lip, furrowed his eyebrows and he pushed his eyes forcefully away from you; he looked off somewhere else; anywhere else; eyes completely devoid of any focus as he exhaled a purposefully stunted and restrained breath through his parted lips.

You knew you had to do the same. You had to blank out your expression and get rid of the lustful look in your eyes. You had to put on the falsely confident, bright as sunshine smile that did not betray any of your true feelings.

It took some doing. It took a deep breath, quite similar to the one he’d drawn into his lungs just now and you also had to look at something that was not him.

You chose the floor right in front of your feet. You shook your head a tiny bit to rid yourself of whatever leftover bits of haze might still be floating around inside of there and you forced your feet to move.

It was only two or three steps to join the group and you slipped into an empty space between Sunny and Baekhyun, looking at the other friendly faces first before you dared to look head-on into his face from this close.

There were greetings of course. Your eyes danced around the small circle quite quickly and by the time you had taken as many deep and steadying breaths of air you were going to get, you looked up into his face with an absolutely passive and non-sexually charged smile on your face.

“Assistant Byun,” you said with a tick of your face in his direction. He hadn’t been looking at you either. When you spoke his name, you saw him lick his lips, close his eyes tightly once and quickly replace the tension in his jaw with a small smile before he turned his attention to you. Your words were light and you let the surprise out of your voice as casually as you could, “you changed your hair?”

“Or I guess it’s Specialist Byun now, isn’t it?” A single eyebrow danced over one of your eyes and you ticked your head a tiny bit. His focus shifted down and as he caught the movement a look of alarm flew across his face. Those pink pouty lips parted. You watched from up close, the tiny gasp he took the moment you lifted a hand and rolled several strands of this new hair of his between your fingertips and your thumb; resisting the urge to sink your hand in deep and run your fingers through his hair; scraping the warmth of his scalp lightly with your fingernails; eliciting that low throaty moan that you knew would escape from deep within his chest when you did it.

Instead you just smiled wider, dropped your hand without even letting the pads of your fingers run down the smooth warmth of his pretty face, you just dropped your hand down, gripping the stem of this empty wine glass instead of touching any other part of his body.

“I love it like this,” you said softly with affection written all over your voice, “looks so good on you—” you added with a sudden halt at the end of your words as you realized you’d just said all of that with honey dripping off of your tongue, directing genuine compliments toward the man in the presence of at least half of your entire team. The effects of your sudden, easy, and completely out-of-character declarations left him as shell-shocked as you felt on the inside.

“Miss Manager … I’ve never seen you like this. You’ve been drinking, haven’t you?” Sandi interjected loudly from the other side of where Baekhyun stood frozen; an amused smile on her face and her eyes wide with a purposeful look that went deeper than others could catch on to.

“I also went to the salon, don’t you love my hair too?” Her lips pulled into a dramatic pout and you smiled wider, understanding that she was saving your ass right now. You leaned into it. Feeling every bit of the warmth of those alcohol shots coursing through your veins you closed the distance between you and this wonderful woman as you gripped both sides of her head with your hands and leaned in closely with a wide smile. You leaned your forehead into hers, unspoken messages of thanks written all over your eyes.

“You look so beautiful. I love it! It’s absolutely stunning!” You declared and the delighted giggles left your chest mingled and mixed with the cadence of the rest of the group's laughter. “And I am, maybe, a tiny bit drunk right now.”

“Oh she has been drinking,” you heard several relieved voices justifying your odd behavior just now. “Well — yeah, it is a party.”

“I thought he was going to faint just now.”

“I know, right. She doesn’t know the power she has over him. Poor guy didn't know what to do.” Their words were whispered in hushed asides between casual members of this small group, but you still caught them. Perhaps Baekhyun’s crush on you had only ever been a secret to you. You must have been the blindest, dimmest, worst work-aholic ever.

Marci was your next target. She was already laughing when you poked an index finger into her cheek, calling her cute as a button. Your hand was off of Sandi and you wrapped one around each of the girls shoulders and declared them both to be the most beautiful women in the room as you urged them both to join you on the dance floor. The music had picked up and more and more people had ventured out to get lost in the crowds and move their bodies to the beat of the music.

You danced and danced. Song after song played and you found yourself completely lost in this unfiltered joy; with so many of your favorite people cheering and laughing and dancing along with you. There was more alcohol that simply appeared and try as you might, you were no match for this kind of pressure.

You’d lost count.

Oh no.

You’d lost count of them.

Still, somehow you could always feel the warm arm of your Sandi by your side. She was strong, but you’d found your way to the edge of the dance floor, peering out toward the tables where a handsome man in a navy blue suit was giggling and laughing with some other men. That same handsome man was throwing back a shot of something, he was making a face and pulling a green lime out from in between his teeth and licking his lips and oh, his eyes, his eyes were darting from the faces of his friends into your own eyes again and again. He was pulling you into him.

“I’m going to dance with him,” you said abruptly to the group of women beside you. Several faces leaned in, unable to hear you over the loud music and you repeated with an evident slur in your voice, “Him. I want to dance with him. Bring him to me. I want him.” You pointed a finger toward Baekhyun and the women were all giggling. One of them was off, rushing toward where he leaned against his table resting his hands joined together over his thighs and she was leaning in close, her hand shielding her mouth as she whispered something into his ear.

His smile was wide and breathtaking. He was grinning. You’d never experienced Baekhyun in any state of intoxication before but his cheeks were pink and he was giggling as he stood up straight, pulled his suit jacket down and smoothed it over with the palms of his hands and allowed himself to be dragged by the sleeve for several feet until he was standing before you within touching distance.

You felt the palm of his hand land over your waist and you smelled the deliciousness of his cologne before you felt the heat of his cheek land over yours. He whispered into your ear.

“I heard — —- —?” A particularly loud song started. This took more than a whisper. You reached a hand up and gripped around the back of his neck, pulling his head down so you could speak loudly into his ear.

“What?” Was all you said. Less than classy and less than romantic. It had him laughing and he closed his eyes tighter as he did it. A small head shake from him preceded the tightening of his arm’s grip around your waist and he gave a rough tug. You stumbled into him and with his other hand, he reached for your face.

You felt unprepared for this. His touch. His touch here, in this place. All of these people. The stiffness you felt all over his body and the way he smelled. How much could you get away with blaming on the alcohol? That hand that touched your face reached for you, slipping around to the back of your neck, he dipped into you. With the entire length of your bodies touching you felt the hot breath from his mouth fan out over your ear and you heard the low rumble from his throat as he growled out the words for you to hear.

“You. Want. Me.”

What was he saying?

What was he doing to you in front of all of these people by saying such a thing to you in the way that he said it?

“To dance,” you shouted over the music, quite loudly, not just for him but for anyone else who might have been watching you.

Baekhyun was laughing again. Loudly. It shook his entire body and you along with it.

“That’s what I meant, silly girl.” He was pushing you deeper into the dance floor with his hands still around your waist, he simply walked forward and you were forced to step back; stumbling a few times without knowing where you were going until the tightness with which he held you around the waist grew stronger and stiffer and his body heat built as his muscles flexed. You were no longer relying on your own feet. You were being carried by these strong arms. He lifted you as he moved. The room was spinning and oh no, what if someone saw?

What if someone noticed the obvious ease and intimate familiarity with which this man handled your body?

You were deposited. The song had changed again. It was, thankfully, another lively quick tempoed pop song; one you liked quite a lot. You found the rhythm easily with his arms around you. He led you around, his eyes boring deep within yours, pushing you out with strong arms and pulling you back.

You followed where he sent you and you found yourself finally giving in. Giggling and squealing when you were spun around in a dizzying circle before you were once again caught in those arms and then, much to your absolute terror, dipped down, frighteningly fast, you were looking straight up into the strings of lights that decorated the ceiling and clawing into the fabric over his strong shoulders; holding on for dear life. Before you were dropped flat on your back in an embarrassing heap, you found the gravity had changed very suddenly and you were back on your feet with this man biting down very hard on his own lip to keep from doing something stupid like leaning in to kiss the red hot embarrassment from the surface of your cheeks.

Baekhyun was a good dancer. He made your dancing seem that much better by comparison, but really, you were simply being dragged around by someone who seemed to know exactly what he was doing. You weren’t awful. You had the basics down and easily found your footing; moving easily to the beat again and again whenever he relinquished a little bit of control over to you. You were lost in this. You never, ever wanted this to end. Devastatingly though, it did.

You were genuinely surprised and even pouting quite visibly when the song ended. It was too quick. If dancing with him was your excuse to touch him and to be held by him tonight then you wanted to dance with him for the rest of the evening.

The song had ended and you stood with both of his arms wrapped around your waist and the rhythm of his heavy breathing matched yours perfectly. You found yourself staring at his parted lips, watching the movement in them as he breathed; glimpsing the tip of his tongue that lightly touched the underside of his front teeth.

“I told you —” you heard the softest whisper from him. The words from him, desperate and careful, piled up slowly one by one inside of your head, “I might not behave myself if you looked too pretty—”

He squeezed his eyes shut and you recognized that the tightness in his arms did not let up.

“How dare you show up in this dress — how dare you — ohh, I’ve been drinking…what do — what do I do?”

His jaw snapped shut and his eyes stayed closed.

“I want to kiss you. You fit so perfectly in my arms.”

His grip was still so tight and the music had changed. The song was slow and lovely and romantic with a soft and delicate melody. Around you, the crowds began to thin as friendly coworkers who had no intention of turning into lovers began to drift away from the dance floor; back to their tables for another drink, or over to the bathrooms, or over to mingle and chat in one of the lounge areas.

“Push me away — please.” His words came as a plea through clenched teeth, “unless you want me to kiss you in front of all of these people, please push me and go. Leave me here.” He was serious. He had enough of his mind still intact to ask for help.

His words and the shift in the air had brought you out of the spell and one glance around had you making eye contact with the occasional curious observer. People were slow with it, but every now and then you would catch someone’s eyes. Why were the two of you still in such a tight embrace? What are they doing? They aren’t even moving anymore. The song ended, shouldn’t they go back to the table?

So you lifted a hand to place over his chest, giving a very light tap atop of his beating heart.

You left your hand to rest there and noticed he didn’t move. It took a slightly firmer hand, you tapped again and pushed, also taking a step back away from him.

The arms loosened and his eyes were opening. You stepped out of his embrace. He was not looking at you, but down at the empty space between his hands where you’d once occupied.

“I’ll go to the bathroom,” you offered, hanging your head slightly as you stepped quickly off the dance floor. You resisted the urge to look back until you were safely at the hallways that led to the restrooms. When you finally did turn and look back, he was nowhere to be found.

The bathrooms were impeccably clean and well lit. You spared yourself a quick glance in the mirror just to be sure that nothing was out of place and you were pleasantly surprised by what you saw. While the reflection staring back at you did take a few moments to stop looking blurry and dizzy, your professional salon makeup job hadn’t seemed to budge and your hair and dress still looked perfect. Furthermore, the soft pink glow in your cheeks and sparkle you saw shining back in your eyes seemed to make you look even better. It was the alcohol, of course.

This was it. You wouldn’t drink any more alcohol tonight. You had plenty to still feel good and you could still reasonably think well enough to avoid making any disastrous mistakes.

When you were satisfied that the danger for such mistakes had passed, you left the sanctity of that private calm space for the darkened hallway just outside. The contrast between the well lit bathrooms and the darkened hallway on the other side of the door had you struggling for your eyes to focus and with the second step you felt the telltale bump of your shoulder against a warm body.

You were quick to step aside and drop your face, uttering a quiet apology for bumping into someone but there was no response that came immediately. It only took a half a second more for you to recognize who this person was.

You smelled it first. It was kind of an acrid alcohol scent and a distinct fragrance from one of those drugstore deodorant sprays, the kinds that prepubescent teen boys spray way too much of as they wander through their high school hallways. You’d always smelled it when he demanded his greeting hugs and you smelled it now.

The realization made you exhale a low breath of irritation and you turned to leave this place and walk away from this conversation before it began.

“Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”

Chet’s words slurred even more than that had earlier in the evening.

You already felt exhausted by this. “Chet, you are drunk. We are not having this conversation.”

“You avoid me now. You blocked me.” His words were filled with vitriol and his big body moved to block you off from the exit. All you cared about at this point was removing yourself from this darkened hallway and getting back into the spaces where more people congregated. “You used to be cool but now, now you’re just like … this—”

“If you have any actual, substantial complaints about working with me,” you cut him off. You didn’t want him to say something he was going to regret when he sobered up, “please feel free to contact HR in the morning and we will follow the proper channels to get this resolved. I don’t want you to speak to me outside of work — not alone.”

“Do you know how many times I bought you lunch? Only for you to blow me off like this?”

Was he serious? Was he really saying you owed him more than what you had initially thought was friendship; what you later learned was what he hoped would be something physical just because he used the company card to pay for your lunches sometimes?

His arguments were so stupid you had a physical reaction. You had been trying your best not to react to any of the idiotic things he said but this simply had you overcome. You rolled your eyes hard, crossed your arms over your chest and scoffed out loud.

“Please. Please send me a bill for your itty bitty sandwiches, Chet. I would gladly pay anything to be done with you.” Your voice dripped with sarcasm. You had perhaps gone a bit far. You should have known a man like him had plenty to be insecure about. It was too late. You were already mad and the alcohol didn’t help you hold your tongue at all.

“We are done here.”

You’d had all you could stand. How dare this big oaf of a man try and ruin your fun night out. You caught a small gap between him and the wall and you ducked through the space, moving fast so he wouldn’t have a chance to react.

You'd made it four steps before you felt the sting of a strong hand grabbing hard around your wrist and yanking you backward in a fluid motion.

All of your forward momentum shifted in one instant and you spun around, yelping out loud from the sudden shock of being pulled back and also from the genuine pain you felt around your wrist. His hold didn’t let go when your motion stopped; instead he squeezed harder and the stinging pain turned into an ache as the bones in your wrist seemed to flex under the strength of his hold. You wondered how much they could take. You could hear the racing of your own heartbeat echoing loudly inside your ears and the frantic thumping made your already fuzzy mind begin to feel dizzy and unstable. The darkness in this hallway felt suffocating as the fear surged through you; taking your breath and making it shallow and ineffective and you cried out from the terror of this.

“Chet. You’re hurting me.” Your voice sounded so small to your own ears. It sounded helpless and like pleading. It scared you to hear yourself sound this way.

There was a new sound. A shuffling and a grunting sound and your eyes caught a swift blur of motion; someone else was here now. Someone was here.

Someone in blue; someone familiar. You felt a new set of hands on you, around your wrist there was a shove and Chet let go from the surprise of being interrupted. You grabbed at your own wrist and held it up to your chest watching the commotion unfold before you. If you hadn’t known him so well you might not even have known who this was. You could smell him. You could hear the cadence of his breathing and you could make out that specific shade of blue that he wore tonight.

Baekhyun moved quickly, reaching behind the man in one swift motion he grabbed for Chet’s suit jacket and pulled it up over the man’s face, blocking out whatever light he might have been able to see and disorienting him completely. Chet grunted and hollered like a stuck pig. If you hadn’t been so surprised by this you might have even laughed. You saw Baekhyun shoving hard at the man’s back as Chet tried to untangle himself from beneath the coat as he struggled to breathe, struggled to identify his attacker, struggled to free himself of his own coat, it soon became clear why your boyfriend chose this route to come to your rescue.

Chet had no way of knowing who was doing this. Baekhyun didn’t say a single word despite what you knew had to be a deep ache inside of himself to tell this rat bastard to get his filthy hands off his woman and possible go fuck himself while he was at it.

Instead he merely gave one very hard final shove at the man’s back and sent him flying through the doorway of the ladies bathroom. As the door parted you briefly got a glimpse of the chaos that ensued inside that room. A drunken tangle of a man toppled to the floor surrounded by surprised and screeching women who lifted hand bags and swatted at the unwelcome intruder as they all screamed for help. A pervert, one of them cried. The moment he broke free from the coat long enough to open his eyes into the blinding brightly lit room of the ladies bathroom he was swiftly greeted by a rough smack of a heavy purse to the face.

Gravity pulled the door closed and the shouts and shrieks grew muffled behind that door.

You felt too stunned to move. Your hands hung limply by your side and you flinched hard when you felt his warm hands reach out to grab one of them. He held you tightly by the wrist, the same one that was still sore.

“He’s done.” Baekhyun growled. “You’ll never see him or hear from him again. He is blacklisted here and everywhere else. He can shovel shit in Kabul for all I care, that’s the choice he made by putting his fucking hands on you.”

There was a grave seriousness to his voice that you had never, ever heard from him before; in your entire history of knowing him you’ve never witnessed this kind of a reaction from him.

“Baek, I,” you lightly pulled back against his arm. He was walking faster to exit the darkened hallway and put some distance between you and what had just happened back there.

“I told you. I begged you not to be alone with him. Don’t you think I know men? I know a fucking piece of shit when I see one.”

He was worked up. He was angry and cursing and he didn’t seem to hear you call his name or feel you pull against the hold he had on your arm. From the left turn he took it seemed like he was headed for one of the far off lounges where the loud music from the grand ballroom was a distant thumping echo and someone might be able to sit and talk in peace for a while in a somewhat private space.

“Baek,” you called him again a little louder. You were still being dragged and you pulled back again; a little bit harder against him. It wasn’t that you weren’t grateful for him being there and intervening when he did. It wasn’t even that he was here dragging you around this place, where anyone who might not yet be drunk enough to pay attention, might see. It wasn’t even that he had a firm grip around the very same wrist that had been wrangled by Chet and it was honestly feeling just a little too sore from all the rough handling, but the part that you really began to feel was unfair, the part that had you stop your legs in their tracks and pull your hand roughly out of his hands, an action so unexpected from him that he turned around to look at you with wide surprised eyes, halfway through, and standing right in the middle of lounge that he’d brought you to; that part, that was what did it to you and made you move. Unfair. This was unfair.

You held your wrist up to your chest and covered it lightly with the other hand, took your eyes away from his questioning ones and looked around the room. There were some people. In the far left corner in the dark a couple sat with their drinks in their hands and their heads close enough for quiet whispers. On the other end, a woman sat with her cell phone in her hands as she frantically typed away on the screen.

You weren’t alone with him here.

Your wrist hurt.

Your feelings hurt.

The alcohol was making everything dizzy and fuzzy and your mood was quickly plummeting.

You didn’t like the wild anger you’d heard coming from him, and while, yes, it was justified — Chet had acted like an asshole and had definitely crossed a line, something in Baekhyun’s words had irked you. Something in the way he turned the situation around and seemed to imply that the responsibility for what happened was on you.

I told you.

I told you not to be alone with him.

I told you so.

He was right and you were… wrong?

What had you done wrong?

You felt it. It was in the burning inside of your eyes. A hot tingling that made you inhale a sharp breath and avert your eyes quickly from him.

“Do you believe that I did something wrong?” Your words came out as a barely inaudible whisper. You caught the motion of Baekhyun’s feet, you saw him take a step into you and you felt the light touch of his fingertips on your forearm.

There was a sharp intake of breath from him. You could heard it even with you looking down at the floor like this. You could hear the breath he took and the way it stuttered and shook. You heard the exhale that came after that and the small groan that came from deep inside him.

You couldn't do this here. There were people here. The last thing you needed was a breakdown. You had to close your eyes to stop it. Stupid alcohol. You knew it was making these bad feelings so much worse.

“No, no.” You heard him whisper under his breath. His fingertips were touching your skin, “shit — I didn’t —”

“I wasn’t … looking for him … I just came out of the bathroom and he was there.” Your bottom lip felt heavy. It trembled under its own weight. You pulled it in between your teeth and bit down, willing yourself to behave, willing your emotions to calm down.

“No. I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry I said that.”

You were on the edge right now. Every single bit of your weak and vulnerable humanity had bubbled up right to the very rim and was threatening to crest. You were being tested and the careful control you always maintained, always begged and pleaded to keep under wraps was at its limit. You could feel it abating. You could feel yourself beginning to get on top of it the longer you stood here with your eyes closed; not saying anything to anybody and not touching anything but yourself. Not being touched by anything but the very very tips of his fingers, you could hardly even stand that much.

“I know it wasn’t anything you did.”

He needed to just wait.

“You didn’t do anything. It was him. I’m just…I’m just mad at him.”

This would pass if you just waited it out, it would pass. You wouldn't cry. You wouldn't break down here, at this party filled to the absolute brim with nearly every single person you know in your professional career.

“I’m sorry, baby. I made a mistake. I didn’t mean it about you. I don't think that about you. I don't believe that. I’m so sorry.”

You lifted a single finger and you held it suspended, begging for him to stop speaking for the sake of your own careful control. Your closed eyes were trembling and they were fighting to open; to look into his pretty face and to see the softness in those eyes that you know you heard in his voice.

Your hands were fighting too. You longed to feel the warmth of his chest against your own. You longed to slip inside his suit jacket and wrap yourself around him. But you knew, you knew you weren’t alone with him here. You knew such a thing would be too much; would push you over the edge; would destroy whatever carefully crafted self-soothing emotional control you’d been just on the verge of.

You lost the feeling of his fingertips. The shift pulled your eyes open and you looked down at his feet that hadn’t moved at all. He didn’t leave but he’d taken his touch off of you.

He was too quiet. You had to look.

You started slowly, pulling your stinging eyes up to look at his face. You could see his lips, silently waiting and closed. Motionless. Not demanding; not accusing; not judging.

You looked up into his brown eyes and he was watching your face so closely. His body stood as physically close as he thought you might allow right now and within his eyes sat a deep seated worry. The moment you looked at him, looked into his face and looked into his eyes he inhaled a breath through his nose and you caught the slight motion in his throat as he swallowed.

“Can I touch your shoulder? I won’t grab your wrist, I’m sorry — I wasn’t thinking. I’m just — we can go somewhere private — if you want me to come.” His words were so stifled and unsure you felt a fresh wave of emotions bubbling up inside of your chest. The surge must have been visible in your face somehow because he took the smallest step back and he leaned away from you, changing his plan with one sentence, “or you can just follow me,” he said in a single breath, with a tick of his face and a lift of his eyebrows.

On his mouth, in his lips, manifested the saddest nervous smile you’d ever witnessed.

You were filled with regrets for having seen it.

“Baek,” you whispered and you let your lips frown dramatically.

This was a terrible feeling. This was awful. You wanted to hold him. You wanted him to hold you.

Instead you lifted a hand, palm up and motioned vaguely beyond where he stood; sighing in defeat and lifting your eyebrows with a small shake of your head.

He silently turned around and walked further into the lounge, through a doorway that led to what looked like a sliding glass door. The wall here was lined with curtains and you figured this had to be some outside patio. You wondered how this might possibly be a private space with as many guests of this party just wandering around this area non-stop, but you kept your mouth shut when he reached inside his coat pocket, pulled out his wallet and peered inside. You saw his fingertips leafing through several business card shaped items and after a few false alarms he pulled out a small flat white card; which he held up to a spot above the door.

It beeped and the door clicked as a lock disengaged and he turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Outside was exactly as you had thought. A tiny guest patio with a single two person sized lounge chair.

You stood out here with your arms hung at your side watching him busy himself with dusting off the cushion of the seat and after he was sure it was clean enough he stood up straight and looked at you, one hand still holding the white card and the other hand motioning toward the seat; instructing you to sit down.

“What’s that?” You asked without moving your hands.

“A key,” he said flatly.

“Why does it open that door?”

“Master key.”

“Baek,” your head dipped and you blinked in his direction. He wasn’t giving you whole answers. Instead of speaking though, he opened his jaw and bit down on his bottom lip, breathing in a deep breath with a deep squint forming on his eyes as he looked off in the distance. After a few seconds he slowly exhaled the breath and he gave up on standing; lowering himself onto the seat.

“My key,” he said softly with his jaw hung upon after the final syllable. He inhaled again, “my hotel.”

You watched his face for signs of truth. You did not think it was possible for him to continue to surprise you with these bombshells again and again, but here he was sitting before you, a genuine member of some royal family you hadn’t even realized existed. It was too much. Just like the mansion and the staff that followed his every order, it was entirely too much.

You closed your eyes up and felt the remnants of wetness drip down your face. From the upset feeling from earlier, apparently.

You wiped the stray wetness with your fingertips and looked back down for any signs of the color black, or maybe evidence that all of your makeup had been ruined by these unsanctioned tears.

When you looked at him again he was watching you; holding his tongue well as you sniffled whatever bits of the emotions away and blotted at your face again with the back of your hand.

“Do I look like a mess?” You asked through the sniffles.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said without even giving your question a chance to settle. He answered without thinking about the questions or considering the answer, he answered on instinct and the rapid fire response brought out the smallest chuckle from deep inside your lungs. He couldn't even see your face. It was dark out here.

“I spent four hours at the salon. Hair and makeup and waxing and plucking — and I’m crying now. It’s all ruined.” Your low-down mood had lifted some with the sudden compliment. You knew he couldn't even really see you and yet, hearing him say it still had such a strong effect on you.

“Nothing is ruined. You’re so fucking beautiful.”

”I just wanted to look pretty,” you added with a slight whine in your voice now. It was the alcohol for sure. It was the fact that you hadn’t seen him all day and when you did, you had been surrounded by people who shouldn’t ever know this true side of you. It was the way he was looking at you with the smallest smile building on his lips, looking like the most gorgeous man you’d ever seen in his suit and tie, with his super shiny shoes on his feet and the hair, my God, the hair.

“You do look very pretty.”

You gripped at the bottom of your sparkly dress, looking down at it and marveling at how even with the limited lighting out here, it managed to grab a hold of a few far off distant lights from the city skyline and shoot them back at you when you moved just right.

“Did you see my dress? Isn’t my dress pretty too?”

You were playing now. He knew it too. It seems that the crisis had passed and getting this alone time with him had been the best medicine for your rotten mood from earlier. After you asked this final question he looked at you with another tiny smile playing on his lips. He didn’t speak right away and just blinked his eyes at you as you swayed just a little so the sparks in the dress could catch his eye the right way.

“I feel like you didn’t really see it,” you said softly mostly to yourself and you lifted a hand to showcase the many beautiful features of it for him.

His smile was growing.

“See,” you pointed with a fingertip to the high slit that showcased your upper thigh; then you spun halfway and lifted an arm, pointing to the spot on the side of your ribs just below your breast where just a bit of side boob was visible.

His jaw parted and you saw the tip of his tongue brush over the surface of his bottom teeth and his eyes rolled with the wider smile that broke through on his face. He looked away, across the empty view and seemed to focus on the other floors of the building next door.

“Oh and this,” you motioned with both hands behind yourself, just above your ass where the small of your back was visible thanks to the low cut of the back of the dress.

“You’re right, I didn’t really get to see it up close.” He was still seated on the chair, possibly for survival. His hands were fisted tightly together in his own lap and he didn’t reach for you or even try and touch the fabric of the dress.

You could feel it though, the way he gave into you; humored you. The way he let you play this little game you were playing. You smiled and took the three steps needed to reach him and he leaned back casually in his seat with a finger lifted to his face as his eyes took you in from up close.

“Look,” you went through the motions again. Starting up high on your thigh, running your fingertip up the entire inside length of the slit, and even making a few strands of jewels sparkle as you did it.

“Mhmm,” he said with his fingers still covering his mouth in deep consideration. His self control even while a little bit drunk was admirable.

“And here,” you spun, showing off the cut-out in the side. His head was nodding and his blinking slowed down a little. He pursed his lips out and he did a good impression of someone who looked thoroughly impressed by your little show.

“I..” he leaned forward just a little, cleared his throat before he continued — “ahh…I don't umm… don’t think I see a bra strap.”

You clapped your hands in excitement.

“Actually!” He flinched.

While on the surface this was an excellent observation from a man who was probably fishing for a sneak peak of your undergarments or lack thereof, but you were wearing something new and you were quite excited about it.

You leaned to the side, and slipped the dress open just a tiny bit. Baekhyun’s eyes widened and he peered his head to see around the side of the fabric.

“I have these little … stickers,” you said it with pride, “for my nipples,” as if you’d accomplished something fantastic tonight with the pasties that covered your nipples so that nobody got a glimpse of anything too noteworthy from this dress tonight.

His eyes were wide and his lips were open. It took him a minute to move. He leaned back again and ran his open palm down the length of his face as his eyes pulled off of you and all of your sparkles and your bare thighs and your nipple stickers and he stared across at the building next door again.

You followed his eyes and the longer you looked the more you focused on each individual window; each space; each tiny world.

You could see the occasional room that was lit up. These were homes. You could clearly see a few of the residents watching tv; sitting at a kitchen table, reading books. You could see details. You could see plenty.

A sudden realization dawned and you gasped lightly.

“Those apartments are all full of people.”

Baekhyun hummed a response and he nodded his head, closing his eyes through the nod. “Yep,” he said. There was a sense of misery you could pick up in the delivery of that single word.

“I can see them.”

”Mhmm,” he hummed. “And they can see us.” He added with a sharp inhale after speaking.

You suddenly understood his standoff-ish reaction to you giving him the grand tour of this dress and your body below it. You understood how he could possibly keep his hands from touching any bit of you.

“We need to go back to the party. We’ve been gone for too long.” You said the words so easily but you didn’t actually move one bit. You stood still, looking down at the man who was fighting his own internal battle; sitting with his hands secured firmly in his own lap and staring blankly ahead of himself into the black of the night.

He blinked but did not respond to you. You kicked your feet just a little, reaching a sparkly high-heeled foot forward you lightly kicked at the sole of his dress shoe.

“I’m leaving now,” you threatened.

Baekhyun closed his eyes.

“You’re just going to let me go, huh?”

You counted inside of your head; completely fine with the idea of blaming this behavior on the alcohol. Even though you knew this was unfair to him. He was your only savior tonight, again and again. The voice of reason in spite of yourself.

You spun on your heels, ready to go and you’d taken the first step away from him when you felt the warmth of his hand wrap securely around your wrist and he pulled you down hard.

You stumbled and you fell and you landed with a yelp and a huff securely on top of his lap, rather clumsy and side-saddle for sure, but definitely within touching and kissing distance.

You turned your face to look at him, not quite expecting the darkness that sat deep inside his eyes to hit you straight in the chest with as much force as it did, but hit you it did. You had to open your lips to breathe through it; you had to reach out a hand to touch his lips lightly and you had to blame the alcohol, you had to. There was no other excuse you could cling to; no other reason for your leaning in and capturing his lips in between your own and touching his cheek with your wandering hands. You had no excuses you could find for why you shifted your weight on top of his lap and straddled his thighs, throwing your head back when his lips moved to bite down hard on the bare skin of your neck and lower.

He moved lower. His mouth sucked and bit and he pushed fabric aside to pull lightly at those damn stickers that covered your nipples with his teeth. You felt the sting as the glue pulled at your skin. They didn't budge much. You were suddenly even more impressed by them.

“Not my stickers,” you whispered “I only have the two,” and you wanted to blame the alcohol for the snort of laughter that escaped your chest to hear yourself utter such an absurd thing in the middle of this kind of a moment but the stifled shaking giggles you heard from the man who sat below you only made your own laughter that much worse.

”Not my precious stickers,” he whispered through the giggles that were barely audible through the fabric he was buried beneath.

When he came up for air the smile you saw on his face was breathtakingly real and when you leaned down to kiss him again you bumped against his teeth when you were taken by the giggles again, mid-kiss.

It took a while for you to recover and after the laughter finally settled you leaned down for one more sweet kiss on his pretty lips.

“I feel like I can make it back to the party now,” you said. His wide smile slowly but completely flattened out in front of your eyes. You pushed up against him, leaving behind the full effect you’d had on him right there for him to come to terms with and he stared at you with a look of utter shock.

“We can’t do that here, Baek,” you pointed toward the rows of homes across the way and his wide eyes looked where you pointed without seeing anything at all.

“You—,” he began, a full tone of attitude on his voice that he quickly interrupted by cutting off his own words.

“You.” He repeated again. You could see it happening. Dreams being crushed. Egos being put to bed. Justice not being served and revenge being planned. He shook his head and threw himself back into that chair with a force and crossed his arms squarely over his chest.

You were already at the door, pulling it open after straightening your dress back out and smoothing your hair.

“I’m getting those stickers later!” He shouted behind your back and you laughed once and threw your hand up into the air before the door closed shut behind you.

[To be continued]

Links: Can I Stay?: Masterlist

#exo #exo fanfiction #exo smut #baekhyun #exo fic #exo scenario #baekhyun smut #baekhyun fanfic #exo story

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sweet-villain · 4 months

Text

Just Another Lie~2

Summary : Billy works in the mechanic shop with Eddie, Eddie Munson. But he hasn't told you. He kept it away from you while you moved on in your life to be a mother, to Billy Hargrove child. What happens when things get ugly?

Tags : @ali-r3n

Angst

Part 1

Author's note : Just wrote this an hour before my birthday. Happy Birthday to me!

As the cool night air enveloped you two, Eddie and you lay on the grass, gazing up at the starry sky above. The twinkling stars seemed to dance above you two, as if they were putting on a show just for the two of you. As you lay there in silence, Eddie turned to you with a determined look in his eyes. 'I promise you, one day we will live where we both live happily,' he said with conviction.

You couldn't help but feel a sense of hope and excitement wash over you at his words. Eddie was always full of big ideas and dreams, but this one seemed different. It was as if he truly believed that a happy ending was possible, and that he was determined to make it happen.

“ It’s going to be two of us surrounded by people we love, dreams happening and we will do it together. Take on the world” he says, turning his head as his gaze bore in on you. The smile on his face made you feel at ease and made you feel like it was all alright.

At school the following week was buzzing with excitement about the upcoming dance and everyone was busy making plans and preparations. Eddie and you happened to be seated next to each other in our English class and couldn't help but discuss prom plans during breaks in the lesson.

Eddie let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulders. 'I don't know, prom just seems like a big, overrated event to me. I'd much rather be hanging out with you at home, watching movies or something.'

You felt a twinge of disappointment but you didn't want to let it ruin the day t. 'Come on, Eddie. It's our senior prom, we have to make the most of it. Plus, I've been looking forward to this for so long and it wouldn't be the same without you.'

Eddie looked at you with a soft expression and you could tell he was considering your words. 'Okay, fine. I'll try to make the best of it for your sake.'

Your face beamed with happiness. Eddie laughed, noticing how your face lit up at his words.

You were adorable. The two of you would flirt all the time and everyone assumed the two of you were dating.

You had spent weeks searching for the perfect dress and shoes, and now it was time to focus on your hair. You had always dreamed of having a beautiful updo for prom, but you had no idea how to achieve it. That's when you turned to your mom, who was a master at styling hair.

When it was that time to go to prom, you had walked into your room with your mom greeting you. The smell of hairspray filled the room. She had set up a mini salon in your room, complete with all of her tools and products. You sat down in front of the mirror, and your mom immediately began combing through your hair, discussing different styles and options.

“ Did you ever end up telling Eddie how you feel, sweetheart?” she asks. You eyed her in your mirror.

How did she even know? Did she read your diary or something?

“ Mom” you groaned. She chuckled, and continued to comb your hair.

“ You can’t hide anything from me, sweetheart. I’m your mother” you groaned, sifting in your seat.

“ Can we talk about anything else?” She squeezed your shoulder apologies if she overstepped.

Your mom started by sectioning off your hair and curling each section with a curling iron. As she worked, you two chatted about plans that Eddie had for the night and reminisced about her own prom experiences. It was a special bonding moment, and you were grateful to have your mom by your side for such an important event.

Let alone going to prom with Eddie. Your best friend. The boy that took your heart at first glance.

She added in some sparkly hair clips and a delicate flower crown, which added the perfect touch of glamor to your look. As she finished up, she gave you a quick spritz of hairspray and turned you towards the mirror.

You were in awe of your reflection. Your hair looked even better than you had imagined, and you couldn't wait to show it off at prom. Your mom beamed with pride as she admired her handiwork.

“ Look at you, all so pretty. You always are the prettiest out of everyone, my little girl” she leaned down to kiss your cheek. “ You’re going to rock it, tonight” you laughed looking over your shoulder at her.

“ Thanks, mom”

As you were getting your makeup on and dressed, your mom couldn’t stop telling you how beautiful you looked and teased how much Eddie would love you in the color you chose. A hint of red appeared on your cheeks, trying to look away and brush off the fact that she knew how you felt about Eddie.

“ Eddie is going to faint when he sees you, sweetheart”

“ Mom!” you shoot her a look but chuckled, not being mean or trying to yell at her. She put her hands up telling you she’s finally going to stop.

You couldn't wait to see your date, Eddie all dressed up in his tuxedo, ready to sweep you off your feet. He never liked wearing one of those things, but he promised he was going to rock it on what he chose out.

But as the minutes ticked by, your excitement turned into worry. Eddie was never late, he was always the punctual one. Maybe he got caught up in traffic, you thought. But as the time passed, the sinking feeling in your stomach grew.

You kept asking your mom if the phone had rang. But it didn’t.

Your mind raced with all sorts of scenarios, trying to make sense of why he hadn't shown up yet.

As the clock struck 7, the time you were supposed to leave for prom, you couldn't ignore the fact that Eddie was a no-show. Panic started to set in as you imagined the worst. Did something happen to him? Was he hurt? Did he change his mind about going to prom with you? The questions swirled in your mind, but you pushed them aside, not wanting to believe any of them.

“ He will be here, he promised” you kept telling your mom who gazed at you with longing and sadness. She knew how much you were looking forward to this night. It was special, to you anyways.

As the night went on, you couldn't help but feel heartbroken and betrayed. You had trusted Eddie, and he had let you down. All your dreams and hopes for a perfect prom night were shattered, and you couldn't understand why. The hours dragged on as you sat alone in your room, the sound of the music and laughter from prom night taunting you.

The next day, you were furious with Eddie. You saw him sitting laughing with his friends at the lunch table, the spot next to him being empty. Your spot. You stomped your way up to him with your hands on your hips and foot tapping on the ground.

“ Oh hi Y/N!” Dustin greets you with a cheery look on your face but your eyes are glaring hard at Eddie. He felt your presence and turned his head to see you standing there.

“ Oh Y/N! I-” you cut him off.

You started off calmly, “ I was really disappointed that you didn't show up to take me to prom last night. What happened?”

His face dropped once he realized what this is about, cleared his throat as he answered, “ I completely forgot about it. I got caught up with some other things.”

“But you promised me weeks ago that you would take me. Prom is a big deal, and it meant a lot to me to have you as my date.”

“ I know, I'm sorry. I just had a lot going on and it slipped my mind. I didn't mean to let you down.”

“ It's not just about letting me down, Eddie. It's about the fact that you didn't even bother to reach out and let me know you couldn't make it. I was waiting for you all dressed up and excited, and you didn't even bother to call.”

“I understand, and I feel terrible about it now. But at the time, I was so caught up in everything else that it didn't even occur to me.”

“ That's not a good excuse, Eddie. You knew how important this night was to me. It wall for nothing.”

“ Sweetheart..” he clasped his hands together. “ I know, and I'll make it up to you.” He adds.

“No, It's about the memories and the experience of going to prom with someone special. And now I'll never get to have that. I was hoping we’d create those memories…”

Eddie’s heart sank as he felt disappointed and guilty. His other plans were distracting and he had forgotten all about taking you to prom.

“I understand, and I'm truly sorry. I wish I could go back and change things. I know I messed up and I'll do whatever it takes to make it right.”

“ I appreciate that, but it's not just about making it right now. It's about the fact that you didn't prioritize me or our plans. I can't help but feel like I wasn't important enough to you.”

Eddie now felt even more guilty as he looked down in his lap feeling like he really messed up.

“That's not true, you are important to me. I just made a mistake and I'm really sorry for it.” He looked up with his brown eyes becoming glossy, holding back tears.

He was so pretty but you couldn’t just let this slide.

“I'll try to forgive you, but it's going to take some time. I hope you understand that I'm hurt and disappointed.”

“Sweetheart, I completely understand and I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you. I promise to never let you down like this again.”

He tried to reach out to take your hand in his, but you stepped back.

“I appreciate your apology and I hope you've learned from this. But for now, I need some time to process everything and figure out if I can truly forgive you.”

You couldn’t understand what other plans he had that were so important that he had forgotten about taking you to prom. It wasn’t until you were in math class when you found out what those exact plans were.

‘So, how was your date with Eddie last night?' Chrissy’s friend asked, causing your eyes to immediately widen and head perk up and lean in a little closer.

Chrissy let out a dreamy sigh before responding, 'It was absolutely amazing. He took me out to Benny's and we had the most delicious food. And the best part? He remembered my favorite and ordered it for me’.

Your jaw clenched and hands balled into a fist. So where was he?

'That's so sweet of him,' Chrissy’s friend replied. 'What else did you guys do?'

Your nose twitched in anger. How could he do that to you?

'Well, after dinner we went for a walk in the park and talked for hours. I couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to him. We have so much in common and he just makes me laugh,' Chrissy gushed.

'Did he try to make a move on you?' Chrissy’s friend asked, making you lean in even closer to hear Chrissy's response. Yeah right, like Eddie had the guts to do anything with her. He was too shy to show any affection let alone touch a girl.

Chrissy let out a giggle before saying, 'Well, he did try to hold my hand when we were walking, but I think he was a little nervous. But it was cute, I could tell he really liked me.

'Well, I'm happy for you, Chrissy. You deserve someone who treats you like a princess,' the friend said, before excusing herself to use the bathroom.

By now, your pencil was broken down and you were in need to sharpen it. There was black hard dot on your paper too and you stopped writing notes for class that your eyes were locked on the back of Chrissy’s head. She had felt someone staring at her and turned to see it was you.

“ Do you need any help?” She asks you, sweetly.

Mustering a smile with a shake of your head, you gazed down muttering the words " lucky bitch” under your breath. You were jealous and hurt that Eddie chose her. What did she have that you didn’t?

Tears began to form in your eyes and you raised your hand to be excused. Your teacher saw that you were holding back tears and waved you off. You hurried to your locker to grab your books and head home.

As you walk outside you can't help but notice Billy Hargrove leaning against his car in the parking lot. You've never really spoken to him before, but you've heard all the rumors about him being the resident bad boy of Hawkins High. You try to avoid eye contact and make a beeline for your own car, but as you fumble with your keys, you can feel his gaze on you.

'Hey, you okay?' His voice startles you and you turn to see him walking towards you. You can't believe he's actually talking to you, and you can feel your cheeks flush with embarrassment.

You try to play it cool and shrug, 'Yeah, I'm fine. Just a rough day.'

He nods, understanding, and leans against the car next to yours. Need a ride home? I see you're having some trouble with your keys there.' He smirks, and you can't help but let out a small laugh.

'Um, yeah, that would be great. Thank you.' You mumble, still in disbelief that Billy Hargrove is offering to drive you home.

As you climb into the passenger seat of his car, you can't help but feel a bit nervous. But as he starts the engine and drives out of the parking lot, you start to relax. Surprisingly, Billy is a good driver, and he even turns on some music to break the silence. As you drive through the familiar streets of Hawkins, you start to open up to Billy about your rough day.

“ Stupid men… stupid prom.. Stupid me..” you mumbled underneath your breath but Billy had caught it.

“ That loser doesn’t deserve you, and prom is overrated. You don’t need all that. You’re better than that” He tries to tell you to make you feel better, he’s not good with words but he is trying.

He has seen you plenty of times hanging around Eddie and his friends to know what you're like and he knows you're into Eddie too since it’s so obvious.

Before you know it, you're pulling up to your house. You thank Billy for the ride and start to get out of the car, but he stops you. 'Hey, if you ever need to talk or just need a ride, I'm around.' He gives you a small smile and you can't help but smile back.

You had never in your life time seen Billy Hargrove smile, maybe this was a new thing. Maybe you were meant to meet Billy and have him drive you home. For a moment you forgot that your car was still in the parking lot at school.

But you were sure someone would bring it back. You were in no mood to think about it.

But Eddie felt hurt when he found out that Billy Hargrove drove you home and found your car in the parking lot. He waited for you after school but you never showed up. He thought you might be home sick or something. But then, he heard from Lucas who heard from Dustin who heard from Robin that she saw you get into Billy Hargrove’s car.

Since when were you friends with Billy?

How could he have the audacity to approach you like that? It was like rubbing salt in the wound.

Eddie had always been jealous of Billy. He was everything that he wasn't - confident, rebellious, and popular. And now, it seemed like he was trying to steal the one thing that Eddie held dear - his friendship with you.

Eddie could feel his anger rising, his body tensing up as he clenched his fists.

He had always been there for you, through thick and thin. He had protected you from bullies, nursed you back to health when you were sick, and listened to your problems without judgment. And yet, it seemed like all of that meant nothing to you when suddenly Billy Hargrove happened.

Eddie knew he shouldn't be this upset. After all, you were free to talk to whoever you wanted. But he couldn't help the feeling of possessiveness that washed over him whenever Billy was involved. He didn't want to share you with anyone else, especially not with someone like Billy.

Wait, Eddie had to backtrack. He felt possessive? But the two of you were friends that flirted. But it was like a light bulb appeared on top of his head as Eddie understood what this was. Why did he feel the way he felt..

It wasn't just about jealousy either. Eddie was genuinely concerned for you. He knew Billy's reputation and the trouble he could bring. He didn't want you to get caught up in his dangerous lifestyle.

It was later he showed up at your door with your car parked near your house. He drove it there. He thought he was being thoughtful and nice about it. He raised his fist to the door and knocked on it, three times to be exact. It was his way of telling you that it’s him.

You threw the door open, an unhappy look on your face and had your arms across your chest with an eyebrow raised waiting for him to talk.

He frowned seeing the expression on your face and shifted from one foot to the other as he tried to find the words he wanted to say to you. But he came up with nothing. Your eyes fall to your car behind his shoulder.

“ Thanks for dropping off my car” you break the silence between you two. He nods as his head raises a bit and eyes lock with yours. He didn’t like this silence that has fallen between the two of you. It was uncomfortable and he didn’t like it.

“ You left with Billy Hargrove…” he started to say. Mentally he slapped himself for starting the conversation with that instead of asking how you were or if you were sick.

“ Yeah, and what of it?” you shrugged.

“ You know he’s not a good person”

“ Neither are you, Munson” he winced when you used his last name in a sentence. You only used his last name when you were really pissed at him. It seems like you were.

“ What did I do?” He asks.

You scoffed, “ You lied to me, Eddie Munson. You were doing things on prom night when you were on a date with Chrissy Cunnigham. Does that ring a bell?”

His eyes go wide and swallows the lump in his throat. How did you find out?

“ I bet you're wondering how I know. Your little girlfriend talks a lot”

“ She’s not my girlfriend-”

“ And I don’t care, are we done here?” you asked, ready to close the door on him. His lips go into a deep frown and his heart sinks to his stomach.

“ I’ve told you I’m sorry about not taking you to prom…I am going to make it up to you.. I told you…”

“ No you lied to me, you hurt me and you broke your promise Eddie.. I can’t forgive you.. Not now” He hung his head as he heavily sighed.

“ I’ll go” he mumbles and turns around to walk. You threw him an umbrella that you had from your bag by the door. Even though he hurt you, you still cared about him and worried about him. He caught it in his hands when you called out to him.

He had hoped you had something else to say to him and when he saw you gave him your umbrella, he had hope in his eyes.

“ It’s not your concern who I hang out with, Eddie or whom I talk to. We’re not dating… good luck with Chrissy.”

It was the last thing you told him before you closed the door for the night on him.

It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later when you found out where your friendship stood with him. It was nothing. After that night, he didn’t glance at you. He rarely spoke to you. He didn’t even hang out with you anymore or offer you to smoke with him.

Your friendship with him was sinking.

All you saw was he was with her. But you were with him. He made you feel better. He made the pain feel easier. He made it all better with one smile, one laugh and one gesture.

“ I don’t know what you see in him” you heard for the very first time his voice as he spoke to you. You looked around to see if he was talking to anyone else. But it was you.

“ So we're on speaking terms again, are we?” you asked, closing your book. Eddie rolled his eyes as he sat next to you on the benches.

“ You’ve seen him go to your own little world thinking he’s all rainbows in whatever you two have “ Eddie continued.

“ I don’t believe I’ve asked your opinion” you mumbled about standing up and walking away. You didn’t need to hear anything from him. He hasn’t been a friend to you in a while now.

“ You’re going to hear it whether you like it or not '' He chuckled. “ You don’t get to walk like your tough shit, sweetheart..”

“ I’m not-” He shook his head, waving a finger in your face.

“ You don’t get to just walk with his arm around you like you owe this school. I’ve got the girl who does. You’ve only been nothing but a joke in this school…”

Your head snaps toward him, ready to slap him in the face if he needs it. It looks like he did because you have no idea who this is. Not Eddie anymore. Not the same person.

“ How many times did you have to suck Hargrove off to get where you are today? He takes you to parties, he lets you drive his loud ass Camaro, you reek of him. I bet you he’ll give you some disease and knock you up. Then, what? Who are you going to come crawling to? Who-”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence because you push him in between the bleachers as he falls.

“ Fuck you, Eddie Munson” you spatted at him. Those were the last words you said to him.

He regrets ever speaking to you like this. It wasn’t like him. But he was jealous that Billy Hargrove took you away from him. It wasn’t until graduation when he saw how happy you were with Billy. He watched Max fist bump her brother for graduating. You captured the moment on the camera, sneakily.

Chrissy was forgotten and he stood wearing his cap and gown, holding back tears. He always thought that he’d graduate with you and the two of you would end the year.

But it was his fault. It wasn’t his year. It wasn’t both your years it seems. But to Eddie it felt like it was your year.

When you turned to look at him to see him in the cap and gown, you almost cried. Even the two of you had a huge fall out and didn’t talk anymore, you were proud of him. You knew Wayne was proud of him. You sent him a small nod with a smile letting him know he did it, and you were happy for him.

He sent the nod and smile back to you, but it turned into a frown when Billy wrapped his arms around you. Jealousy flared up at him as he sighed to himself before Dustin jumped on him and tackled him to the ground.

Now, here you were years later, a mother and you were happy. You never really questioned your happiness. You always took care of your son and made sure he was happy. As long as he was happy, you were too.

Eddie overlooked Billy who was having his own lunch. The two sat in silence as one gazed at the other with a sandwich in his hands. Billy could feel Eddie’s eyes on him. It was starting to annoy him but he didn’t say anything feeling like if he didn’t then Eddie wouldn’t speak to him. Billy knew that Eddie had questions.

“ Are you two still together?” He asked. Billy stopped chewing the food he had in his mouth, sighing and dropped it on the plate. He didn’t look up at Eddie to know what look that Eddie had on his face.

“ Why does it matter to you?” Billy asks, once he swallowed his food and looked up at Eddie.

Eddie shrugged, “ I just thought she would leave Hawkins and move somewhere else…”

Billy chuckled, “ She couldn’t. This is home, her mom is here. Daniel was born here… I’m here” Billy added the last part to see the reaction on Eddie’s face. Eddie scrunched up his nose and looked away from Billy. Not wanting to see how he feels through his eyes.

Billy could read Eddie. They knew each other for quite some time.

“ She doesn’t talk about you if that’s what you want to hear. She’s over it. She’s moved on, but she doesn’t want to even think you exist… not after what you had told her.. What you put through her…”

“ What did I put her through?” Eddie glances back at Billy.

“ You’ve only disappointed her and hurt her”

“ No, I didn’t mean it. I was stupid back then, and it was a different time..”

“ She was your best friend and you screwed it up..”

Eddie nodded.

“... Do you think she’ll talk to me? Ever?”

“ I don’t know, you can try but I am not going to promise you anything, Munson. You’re on your own..”

“ But man… I thought we were friends….”

Billy stood up from his chair as he put the trash in the trash can and ran a hand through his hair.

“ This is something between you and her… “

“ You never answered my question, Hargrove”

“ Which is it?”

“ Are you two still together?”

“ What if we are? Billy’s eyebrow raised.

“ That’s not your concern about what I do” Eddie says.

Billy puts his hands on the table and leans forward, getting into Eddie’s face almost.

“ If you do anything to hurt her, say something to hurt her or use my son as a way to your advantage.. You’ll be sorry.. “ Billy grumbles. “ I promise you.”

#eddie munson #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x y/n #stranger things x reader #jewls writes

49 notes · View notes

ladylooch · 5 months

Note

https://www.tumblr.com/ladylooch/738802484095647744/i-miss-timo-and-emma-just-the-two-of-them-alone

Something sweet. I was thinking a surprise to T by Em. He is tired so she decides that they have to escape for a few days. She doesn't say anything, she picks him up after the practice and he thinks they will return home. Instead she drives them to a beautiful chalet and they have a beautiful night ( dancing, drinking and more...) It's a silly idea.... If you don't like it you can write whatever you want!!! I know it will be great since you are the writer

A/N: This is a perfect idea 🥰 Thank you so much for requesting this! I love writing T and Em. To revisit the two of them alone together is such a treat!

Word Count: 3.2k

On a sunny Swiss afternoon, Timo and Nico walk out of practice together, chatting about weekend plans for the rare, four day weekend they have off. Although it is the off-season, they are both deep into intense training plans for the upcoming season. Timo’s off-day plans are to sleep, sleep, and more sleep. But the Meier babies, and mama, may have a different idea. They haven’t spent much time as a family together this summer yet. Too many obligations between both parents and other family members demanding attention.

“Either way, I’m happy to step away from hockey for a few days.” Timo pushes his black sunglasses up his nose.

“Yeah. Looking forward to snuggles with Lex and the girls.” Nico admits. “Maybe we can get together with all the kids?”

“Did you miss the part where I said all I want to do is sleep?” Timo laughs, stopping at the front of his backed-in car.

“Looks like we got some grand theft auto happening here.” Nico laughs at his sister’s giddy face sitting in the driver’s seat of Timo’s car. Her chin is resting on the steering wheel as she grins at her husband. The driver’s side window rolls down.

“Get in, Timo Time. We’re going on a riiiiide.” She watches Timo walk around to the passenger side. He tosses his bag in a back, then slides into the passenger seat. “Hey Neeks, if we are missing for three days, don’t try to find us.” Emma grins. Nico salutes her with two fingers then gets into his car. Emma smirks. He’s going to get home to find a few more babies in his house than when he left for training.

“Hi baby.” Timo leans over, kissing Emma. She hums into his mouth, then takes one hand off the wheel to kiss him harder. Her nails drag at his scalp gently.

“Mmm, hi.” She responds, eyes doey and liquid.

“You missed me so much you had to pick me up?”

“I wanted to do something nice for you.” Timo squints at her, cocking his head.

“Or you wanted to get out of the house?”

“I mean, yeah that too.” She admits, pulling out of the parking spot.

Timo takes out his phone, checking in on the messages and emails he has from the three hours he was in training. He rubs at the vein in the center of his forehead at Larissa’s text that they need to do major plumbing repairs in the salon he co-owns with her. That is sure to cost a fortune. He glances up, getting grounded in their location, then sees Emma whiz right passed the turn to their house.

“Are we taking the scenic route home?”

“We aren’t going home. You and I are disappearing like I told Nico.”

“Where?”

“You will see.”

“Em I gotta check in at the salon with Larissa. There is an issue.”

“Your sister runs that business without you a majority of the time. She doesn’t need you to drop by and get all flustered and micromanaging.”

“I don’t micromanage.” Emma snorts. Timo contemplates. Okay maybe he does do that a little bit, but it’s not intentional. He just feels dumb when they talk about things he doesn’t know. “Are we picking up the babies?”

“No, babies are at Nico’s. So he won’t be getting sleep. I will tell you that.” Emma laughs. “I packed a bag for you. Everything is all set. Just relax.” Timo clicks his phone closed, then puts it in the pocket of his shorts. He takes a deep breath, then releases it, trying to do what his wife suggested. Yeah, maybe this is what he needs this weekend. True relaxation with the woman of his dreams.

“I can’t when you’re driving in the mountains.” He decides to poke at her.

“Shut up!” Emma snorts, slapping his thigh. “You break hard one time in the mountains and suddenly you ‘can’t drive’.” Timo wheezes as he laughs incredulously.

“Baby, you almost launched me through the windshield.”

“Well, you should have been wearing your seatbelt. Be a role model for our children.”

“We didn’t have babies then. And you know why my seatbelt was off.” Timo shakes his head. He brings his hand over to her thigh, giving it a squeeze. “I am gonna catch a nap though, if that is okay.”

“More than okay.” Emma murmurs.

Timo sleeps for about 45 minutes in the car. How he is able too stay asleep is beyond Emma. She wishes he had passed that skill onto their youngest. Liv is struggling with sleeping through the night right now. It’s been hard on everyone in the house except for Lio who seemingly sleeps through everything.

When the car arrives at the Burgenstock Resort on Lake Lucerne, Emma gently shakes Timo awake. He looks around, then slowly pops the door open to step out. Emma hands the keys over to the valet after they both grab their bags from the trunk. The check-in for their room is fast then they take the elevator to their private suite. A bottle of champagne is waiting for them along with a spread of fruit, chocolate and nuts for a quick snack.

Emma walks over to the floor to ceiling windows, looking out at the glittering blue lake. Timo comes behind her, wrapping his arms around her body, pulling her tight against him.

“This view never gets old.”

It is far from the first time Timo and Emma have visited the resort. In fact, it was one of their favorite places to sneak off to. This room in particular holds several sweet, sexy memories for the two.

“Did you request this room?”

“Mhm.” Emma nods.

“You going to let me fuck you against the window again?”

“Sure, if you’re good.” She holds his cheek to hers. “But first, we have a lot of relaxation we have to get to.”

“I need a massage. Bad.”

“Good, cause you’re getting one.” Emma spins in his arms. Timo’s hands drift to collect on the small of her back. “I’ve been missing you.” Emma confesses. “Just you. With me. No babies. No brothers or sisters or in laws or hockey.”

“This hasn’t exactly been a relaxing off-season.”

“No.” She agrees.

“I’m sorry. I overbooked myself. I can cancel some appearances.”

“No, it’s fine. You should do the things you are doing while you are home. But I need you present with me all weekend. No distractions.”

“Deal, baby.” His lips begin to consume hers in a hot kiss.

“Okay, we can’t right now.” Emma presses her palm to his chest. She is breathless and tousled. “We need to get to the spa.”

Music to Timo’s ears.

- - -

Emma relaxes back into the hot salt water of her and Timo’s private spa. She spared no expense for this weekend. They have another half day of spa time again tomorrow afternoon. By the end of the weekend, Emma is hopeful her and Timo will be throughly rejuvenated for the rest of their crazy summer. Timo and her both finished their couples massages, but he is in the sauna now, sweating out more toxins before he joins her in the comforting heat. Reaching for her champagne flute, she sips the dry liquid between her lips.

“I feel so good right now. We should get a sauna in Jersey.” His bare feet slap the tile as he comes out, wiping some of the sweat off him with a towel.

“Where would it go?” Emma ponders.

“The garage?” She nod her head in agreement. “I’ll see if Haula has the information for the guy who did his.”

Timo sits on the edge of the hot tub then lowers himself in next to Emma, careful to not disrupt the water too much. Little waves lap at Emma’s upper shoulders. Timo leans over, kissing her cheek, down her neck. Little pecks pepper her jaw to her mouth. Then she turns to kiss him full on.

“Thank you for taking care of us.” He mumbles against her lips. “Gonna take care of you when we get back to our room.”

Emma moves closer to him, bringing herself into his lap. Timo spreads his thighs to accommodate her body. She leans her back into his chest. He rests his jaw against her temple. The two fall quiet, looking out at the world enjoying their summer vacations below.

“What do you think the kids are doing right now?” Timo asks.

“Probably not missing us.” Emma murmurs, closing her eyes. “Lexi talked about them going to the splash pad.”

“Oh Livy will be so happy.” Timo runs his nose against her hair. He presses a kiss to her scalp. “We are going to FaceTime them right?” Emma swoons into his body, so thankful for the most amazing, caring, loving father for her babies.

“Of course.”

Timo’s stomach rumbles loud enough that Emma can feel it against her back. So, they decide to head back to their room and scope out the room service menu. The two decide on ordering a boat load of sushi and another bottle of white wine to share. They eat their rolls at the table, chairs turned in. Emma’s feet rest across Timo’s lap as they lounge in their robes, catching up with each other. Recently, it feels like the only things they talk about are work or the kids. This conversation focuses around goals for the future, investment ideas, and places in the world they want to make a priority to see.

“We might need to get to Australia sooner rather than later, especially if we want that third baby while Lio is still relatively young.” Emma contemplate after she swallows another piece of sushi.

“Baby, Livy is only 7 months old…” Timo trails off, surprised. He begged for years for Liv, so to hear Emma talking about getting pregnant again is unexpected.

“I know.” She murmurs, twirling the stem of her wine glass. “Just a thought. We don’t have to commit to it right now.”

“Oh, I will absolutely knock you up again, but is that good for you?”

“I’ve had healthy pregnancies. I don’t think there is much concern. I also kinda just wanna do it again and be done.” Emma answers honestly. Timo contemplates, then nods.

“You let me know. I’ll be ready.”

“I’m sure you will be.” Emma chuckles. Timo sets his chopsticks down, pushing his plate away. He gathers one of Emma’s feet into his hands, beginning to massage down the arch. Soft music has been playing through their meal from the TV. Forever and Ever by Randy Travis begins to play and Emma gasps.

“Oh my god.” She closes her eyes, grinning. “My parents used to dance to this song in our kitchen when they were making dinner.” She clasps her hands in front of her. “I remember they would dance together for part of it then my dad would pick me up and my mom would have Nico. It is my favorite memory from growing up.”

“We should dance to it then.”

Timo tugs Emma away from the table, standing and gathering her into his body. One hand goes to her hip and the other laces their hands together to lead. Emma hides her lips into his collar bone. Together, they sway across the carpet, holding each other. Timo buries his nose into Emma’s neck as she sings.

“Oh darling, I’m going to love you forever.” She sings in time with Mr. Travis. Timo’s soft breath flickers along her bare skin. He trails the tip of his nose along her bone, pressing his lips every few breaths. “I dreamed of a love like theirs in that yellow kitchen.” She whispers to her husband. “Now I wake up with it in my bed.” Emma turns her face into his neck, kissing along the thickness there. She scrapes her teeth in his sensitive skin. Carefully, she sucks his skin into her mouth, lathering her tongue over the slice until Timo moans softly.

He rushes his lips towards hers, creating a wet smear across her face. His tongue meets hers. Emma crosses her wrists behind his head, then glides her fingers into his hair. Timo’s hands wander too, down her butt to her thighs. Easily, without effort, he lifts her, then walks her down the short hallway to the bedroom. He lays her on her back. Emma tugs at his belt keeping his robe closed, wanting it off his body so she can see the reward of his summer of training. She claws her nails up his chest, letting her fingers entwine together in his hair.

The curtains are open and the soft glow of the lights along the dusty mountains creates moody lighting in their room. Timo opens Emma’s robe, tugging the sleeves quickly down her arms. They untangle from the soft cloth, hurried and eager. There is no need for foreplay, they’re both more than ready, so Timo doesn’t waste anymore time. He grips the base of his shaft, needing to be bottomed out in her immediately.

“Ohmygod. Baby, you feel so good.” He sighs into her lips. Emma moans when he glides out then presses in deep again. Timo pulls Emma’s legs up to his shoulders, plowing into her tight, wet heat again and again. His big hands grip her ass, finger prints melting into her skin. Emma closes her eyes, heavy breathing beginning to fill the room from both of them. Timo licks his lips, watching with feral eyes as his wife’s body surrenders to him with each thrust. “Just like that.” He encourages her, fucking deeper into her. “Lose yourself in us.”

“You fuck me so good.” Emma whines out. Her hands roll up her sides, then squeeze her breasts. Timo adjusts her legs to be on one side of him, then curls them down so they are folded up to one side of her. He drops her back to the bed, then snaps his hips against her ass so hard Emma feels the wave of collision roll up to her scalp. “Oh shit.” Her words quiver with the first flick of orgasm in her core.

“Yeah, let it take you.” He encourages.

Timo reaches towards her chest, rolling her nipple as the snap of his hips becomes crude and demanding. Emma arches her back. Timo pins her hips to the bed so she can’t wiggle away from the spot or tempo that is calling her orgasm. Emma’s breathing becomes ragged, urgent as she grits her teeth and then unleashes a scream of his name. He pumps her through, waiting for her to open her eyes. When she does, he taps her thigh, bringing her to her knees, ass in the air, so he can bury himself deep again. She is soaked through for him, like a wet cave of pleasure that makes his dick twitch, dribbling a bit into her before he focuses back in on her next explosion.

Timo connects her back with his chest, running his hands along her sides. He settles back on her hips, rocking her from behind onto his cock with each press forward. His nose curves along her spine as he focuses in on the right tempo for her. He licks along the knots there, smiling into her flesh as a guttural moan releases from low in her chest.

Emma looks over her shoulder at him, wanting to see his smug, victorious face as he fucks her so well. She smiles at him, dimples coming out, making Timo kiss the one closest to him.

“Remember last time we were here?” She asks him.

How could he forget? When he whisked her away to be alone, no other distractions, just the two of them on a long weekend in the Swiss Alps. It had been during COVID. The place had practically been deserted, but also safe despite the virus that gripped the globe. Timo had fallen in love with Emma then. He had her time and time again, in different, new positions, hard and fast and slow and lazy, until they had to stop because neither of them could take anymore. It was a marathon of sex and two people falling in love.

“Did you know I loved you then?” Timo hums.

“Yeah. A woman know when you’re making love to her.” Timo stops his thrusts, staying deep inside of her. He gently runs the tips of his fingers down her back, watching her skin pebble under his touch. “On your back, princess.” He coos. “Wanna see your face.”

“Things Timo Meier never thought he would tell a woman.” Emma says after she rolls. Timo chuckles then nods.

“Yeah, I’ve done and said a lot of things with you I wasn’t sure I would. You changed my life, Em.” He reaches up to the headboard, grabbing a pillow. He pulls her down to the edge of the bed so he is standing up between her spread legs. Emma lifts her head, then lays on the pillow Timo situated for her. “We never did this one.”

“No it was too intimate.” Her hands go to his abdomen, spreading out along the thick muscle there. She beholds the way they tighten as he begins to move inside of her again.

“Watch me.” He reminds her, calling her eyes to his face. A long blink pulls Emma’s gaze away from a minute. Timo surprises her with his lips on hers. He shifts her hips up with a hand at the small of her back, just slightly off the bed.

“Oh.” Emma whimpers out. Her finger nails dig into his skin at his shoulder blades. “Fuck, T. Just like that.” She exhales heavily. Her breasts dance against his strong chest with each hard pump into her. “Mmm.” His teeth bite her bottom lip. Her brown eyes open as he puts his forehead against hers, focusing in on each other. Her staccato breaths dance against his wet mouth.

“This time you’re all mine.” His husky voice has Emma’s jaw unhinging.

Timo holds her face, thumb and middle finger pressing her cheeks into a screaming O as she comes undone on his cock. He catches the last few grunts and mewls of her pleasure on his tongue. His jerky thrusts confess he is close before he unloads creamy lines into her core. Emma tugs his biceps, encouraging his weight to fall onto her frame. She wraps her arms and legs tightly around him, holding him close and inside of her. She turns her face into his cheek, eyes squeezed shut as they caress each other.

Neither of them are even sure how it happens. But in time, they fall into a slumber, tangled up like that in each other. When Timo awakens, the world is pitch black around them. Emma has rolled away from him, onto her stomach with parted lips. The moonlight splays across her back, highlighting the indents of her hips at her lower back. His fingers brush her hair out of her face so he can see the way her lashes kiss her cheek bones. A slow, accomplished smirk raises one corner of his lips as he leaves her be.

You did it, he thinks to himself. You made her fall in love with you.

Back then, he didn’t have a plan. But the way it worked out was better than he could have imagined anyway.

#tm: loving & leaving #Timo Meier x oc #Timo Meier smut #Timo Meier imagine

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pascaloverx · 7 months

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Invisible Bonds: The Power of Destiny

Author's Note: This fanfic contains possible strong language and explores themes of unconventional love. The relationship between the protagonists will be handled with sensitivity, without explicit scenes.

preview chapter two

*pictures credits are not mine, credits belong to their owners

Chapter One

You woke up feeling discouraged, but with a hopeful feeling that things would get better. How could you not feel hopeful when the love of your life is about to marry an incredible woman?

"Darling, Taehyung called to let you know he'll be waiting for you at the beauty salon. He said you'd know which one. He also wanted to remind you that he remembered to pick up the tuxedo and the shoes. He asked you to call his friend about the wedding rings." Your mother shouted from downstairs, and you felt the urge to never leave your bed again. How could you be a bridesmaid in a wedding you theoretically should prevent? But then again, who are you to go against the dictates of destiny?

Your mother came to visit you this weekend because Taehyung considers her a second mother, and she's thrilled to see her heart's son getting married. She has already given up of the ideia of you getting married.

You shout back that you're already getting ready to meet the groom. Damn, you had forgotten to call Taehyung's childhood friend, Jungkook. You haven't met him in person, but you've heard the guys talk a lot about him. And by guys, you mean the college friends you met through Taehyung: Jin, Namjoon, Yoongi, Hoseok, and Jimin. The lilac dress that the bride has chosen for all the bridesmaids is so delicate that you feel like you shouldn't even take it out of the closet. You quickly slip into it and fix your hair within minutes. Why take your time when you're not the bride, right?

Finishing getting ready, you search for Jungkook's number on your phone. You wonder why you volunteered to help with this wedding and why, out of everyone, you ended up with the task of calling this guy. The phone rings and rings, but no one answers. When I call again, he finally picks up. His voice is hoarse; it feels like I just woke him up. Oops...

"There better be a good reason for calling me this early in the morning then..." He says in an almost rude tone. You wonder if there's a way to slap someone through the phone. Perhaps in the future, there will be.

"Good morning, Jungkook. I hate to break it to you, but as an adult, you should've been up hours ago. My name is (Y/N), and I'd like to know if the wedding rings and their bearer will be here on time for the wedding." You reply, trying to be as patient as possible, but honestly, you're furious. Always having to deal with other people's issues.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a beautiful voice? Ever thought about becoming a singer or a voice actor?" He says while you can hear noises in the background, a woman murmuring something. He's too busy getting romantically involved with someone to remember to be a good friend, how wonderful.

"Instead of trying to flatter me, make sure you're here at the agreed time and with the rings. If you want to invite your company to come along, feel free. But know that if you mess something up today, I'll be your particular nightmare." You say as sternly as possible. You even slow down your speech in the last part to appear more intimidating.

"If this is your way of asking if I'll be accompanied today, the answer is no. As for the rest, I'll do exactly as you asked, if you promise to reward me at the end of the night." He says, trying to be seductive. You prefer to pretend you didn't hear that proposition.

"I'm sorry to burst your fantasies, but I don't plan on getting involved with anyone. You can pretend that I'm saving myself for my other half." You reply firmly, putting an end to any further advances.

"Believing in soulmates is for fools. I bet I can convince you otherwise at the wedding." You don't even know the guy, but you're already envious of his arrogance.

"Listen, I have things to do and can't waste time. I expect to see you in a few hours, appropriately dressed and with wedding rings in your pocket." You say firmly, ending the conversation and hanging up the phone.

You descend the stairs, seeing the table full of food that your mother is packing for you to freeze and eat during the week. You thank her and let her know you won't be able to have breakfast together. She says she doesn't want to inconvenience you, knowing that Taehyung needs you. You nod in agreement and give your mother a goodbye kiss. A few minutes later, you're finishing up the last details at the reception hall. Of course, you had already organized things at the church. Everything is going as planned. You arrive at the beauty salon where the bride and groom are getting their skin and hair done.

"I was starting to miss you. You look breathtaking." Taehyung says as he gets up from the chair where he was finishing his makeup. He looks so radiant, as if his smile could light up the world. It heals me even as it hurts. He isn't my soulmate; God knows he never thought of me romantically, but I simply love him.

"Look who's talking. Haewon is going to feel incredibly lucky when she sees you walking down the aisle like this. Although, she looks stunning. I sneakily peeked because I thought you'd want to know." You say as you adjust Taehyung's tie.

"I'm so nervous. It's worse than that time we were at a concert, and I got called up on stage to sing. I don't know how I'm going to walk down the aisle and wait for my future wife patiently." He says as you lock at each other. It's not romantic, but it's a moment of tenderness. After all, he is my best friend, and he's getting married.

""Taehyung, today you embark on a new chapter of your life, and I have no doubt that your love story with Haewon will be as magical as the bond that you guys already share. No nervousness in the world will ruin your moment." You say, trying to be as positive as possible.

"You always know what to say. I love you, you know that?" He says, hugging you.

"I love you too, now come on. We have a beautiful wedding waiting for you, and it's not nice to keep the bride waiting." You say as you send a message to the driver, letting them know Taehyung is ready to go. According to the schedule, Haewon will be making her grand entrance in about ten minutes.

The journey from the salon to the church takes about five minutes. Up until now, everything has been going perfectly. Right now, Taehyung is surrounded by friends and is nervous. Not because of the bride, but because Jungkook hasn't arrived yet. That idiot.

You knew you shouldn't have trusted him to get the rings. You can't believe he's going to mess everything up in the end. And just as you lose patience completely, Jungkook walks into the church. At least, you think he's Jungkook. I must admit he looks elegant, almost like he stepped out of a movie. He arrives with a smile, as if he's the main attraction.

And suddenly, you feel it—a suffocating sensation as if the air has been sucked out of the world. A pain in your chest so immense that it makes you stumble, clinging onto Taehyung for support. Then you notice Jungkook doesn't seem well either. Damn, this can only mean one thing. As your body collapses to the ground and your consciousness fades, amidst people shouting and lifting me to call for medical help, you feel something inside you that only soulmates feel for each other. You can't believe that out of all the people in the world, your other half is Jeon Jungkook.

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yandereinc · 1 year

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Isekai - Yandere!ShalnarkxFem!Reader 04

Prologue Chapter 01 Chapter 02 Chapter 03 Chapter 05 Synopsis: You have an unfortunate encounter with Truck-kun which leads you to wake up in the HXH universe.

It was currently 3 pm, and you had three hours to get to the restaurant. After quickly looking up the restaurant you found that it was fairly close. Which meant you had plenty of time to go dress shopping. After another search, you found the address of a clothing store that sold just what you were looking for.

it took you around fifteen minutes to get there on foot. The saleslady greeted you with an eager smile. For a second you thought she would ignore you because you weren't dressed for a store as fancy as this one. But apparently, she didn't care. She was as friendly as any good salesperson would be.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am. How can I help you?" she asked as she approached you. Her uniform made her look like a flight attendant but it fit her well.

"I have a… well a date tonight at the Catch 44 and I was looking to buy an outfit. A complete outfit. Dress, shoes, accessories, everything really," you told her. Nothing you were currently wearing would fit the dress code of the restaurant.

"In that case, you're at the right address, follow me please," she said. When you followed her you could read the name on her nametag. It read Hermione. She certainly didn't look like a Hermione Granger, more of a Hermione Lodge. Elegant and beautiful, making you feel a bit out of place with your shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

Since you had never been to a restaurant this fancy before you decided to let Hermione take the lead. Letting her decide on the dress, shoes, necklace, and purse.

That turned out to be the right decision. The black dress hugged you just the right way to show off your curves. It was a floor-length dress that completely covered your shoes. Making you wonder if you could just wear your own sneakers, but the suggestion made Hermione frown and you decided against it.

The purse was simple but elegant, and so were your necklace and earrings. They were all completely useless but you wanted to look like you belonged.

The only problem now was your hair and make-up. Luckily Hermione knew just the place. After you paid for everything she handed you a business card to a nearby beauty salon. Giving that card would also give you a 5 percent discount, not that you needed it of course.

Since it was only 4 pm now you decided to walk to the beauty salon. Wondering where in the plot of Hunter x Hunter you currently were. The troupe was already in York New and since Shalnark was free to take you out on a date you doubted their plan has started yet.

Which made you wonder if Shalnark was the only spider in town. Maybe you ended up way earlier than the start of Hunter x Hunter. Or perhaps the plot would never happen.

Feeling a headache come up from overthinking you push those thoughts away. You had to focus on survival for now. It might be a simple date, but it was a date with a spider.

A spider with the ability to control your every move if he so wishes. All by sticking an antenna in someone.

Wait…

That made you realize something. You turned on godmode. Nothing should be able to damage you. Perhaps his antenna wouldn't be able to pierce your skin now?

That thought comforted you but you hoped it wouldn't get that far. Right now you decided to focus on getting ready for your date.

Your appointment at the beauty salon was very uneventful. They did your hair and make-up. Luckily they allowed you to change into your dress first so changing clothes wouldn't mess up their work. By the time you were done, it was already 5 pm.

That left you with one hour to kill. Which was the perfect time to learn more about your abilities. You found a remote area with nobody around. It was an abandoned complex. The perfect place to practice your spells.

You started simple by practicing the spell invisibility. You were amazed at how quickly you disappeared. It seemed to stay on until you manually turned it off. Which was good to know. You weren't the best at holding your breath so you were glad that wasn't a requirement to stay invisible.

Next, you tried out telekinesis. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot around. But the few pieces of abandoned furniture were easy for you to lift with the spell. You didn't feel a thing. You wondered how much you could really lift up.

Using the spell that let you conjure a sword for 2 minutes worked flawlessly as well. For as long as it stayed you swung the sword around like a fool. It wasn't useful to you now, but it was nice to see that it worked.

The spell incinerate was unfortunately still too risky to test indoors. So was the spell Flame Thrall. But it didn't matter anyways. Your time was up. You had to leave right now if you wanted to arrive on time for your little date with Shalnark.

With a sigh, you left the comfort of the abandoned building and made your way back to the city. You took a taxi that drove you to the restaurant. You were lucky you left when you did because you arrived with only five minutes to spare.

When you stepped out of the taxi your eyes almost immediately met Shalnark's. The man always had a smile on his face but when he saw you his smile turned a little too eager for your liking. Perhaps you overdid it with your clothes and make-up? But looking at the other patrons of the restaurant made you not look out of place.

Slowly you made your way to Shalnark. Both because of your heels and the fact that you didn't really want to join him anyways.

"I'm glad you made it, Y/N," Shalnark smiled at you. Holding out his arm for you to hold onto. Seeing as every other couple was pretty much doing the same thing you sighed before holding onto him.

It wasn't too bad, it prevented you from tripping with these high heels.

Ever the perfect gentleman Shalnark pulled out your chair for you. When he sat down in front of you you noticed that he was pretty much dressed the same way when he was disguised as the mafia. Minus the sunglasses.

For a moment neither of you said anything, allowing you to read his mind through the subtitles. His thoughts were surprisingly sweet for a spider.

She looks so pretty. I never thought I could get envy a dress. I can't wait to get that thing off of her!

Wait… What? You reread the last sentence until it disappeared. You were sure your face was as red as a tomato now. Not wanting to read his mind any further you looked away. Hoping he didn't notice how you suddenly got incredibly nervous

"So how was your day?" Shalnark asked to break the ice.

"It was alright until you showed up," you replied with pursed lips. Deciding to not hold back your animosity towards him, it was a good distraction from his thoughts. Not looking at him since you didn't want to risk catching a glimpse of his thoughts again.

But it seemed like Shalnark didn't care. He just laughed. "That's not very nice, Y/N. Do you know how hard it is to get a reservation here?" he asked, it almost sounded like he was pouting. But you weren't going to look at him to confirm that.

"Maybe for a regular person. But it must be a piece of cake for a hunter. I'm sure all you had to do was flash your license at them to get yourself a table booked," you said as you looked around the restaurant. Wondering when the waiter would arrive. You could use a drink or two right about now.

The silence that followed was what made you finally look at Shalnark. Who was staring at you with the same smile he wore when he saw you exit the taxi. Realizing your mouth ran away from you yet again you stared back at him with a wide-eyed panicked look.

"Have we met before? You certainly seem to know a lot about me, yet all I know about you is your name."

"No, we haven't." You tried to think of the right words to say. Would it be better or worse if you told him you know he's part of the phantom troupe? You even knew his number.

As you got lost in your thought you suddenly noticed something in your vision that you hadn't noticed before. Besides your health bar, which was permanently in the green thanks to putting on godmode, you also had a level counter. Currently, you were on level 1. Which made you wonder how you could possibly level up.

"Y/N!"

This time you did look up in time to see him pout at you. It would've been cute, scratch that, it was still cute. But you weren't going to fall for his boyish charm.

"It's not very polite to daydream during a date," he said, his tone of voice making it sound as if he was scolding you. Making you frown. What made you frown even more was when a waiter set down a glass of wine in front of you.

The waiter did the same for Shalnark and you raised an eyebrow at the blonde, hoping he would explain himself.

Unfortunately, he didn't. He just picked up his glass and raised it toward you. Since you were immune to damage now you decided to let loose and picked up your own glass. Quickly you raised it towards him before you took a sip.

When you did you suddenly got a popup over your health bar.

Warning: poison nullified.

For a second you were worried that Shalnark poisoned you. But then you remembered that technically alcohol was poison on its own. From his lack of reaction he just ordered a glass of wine for you. Nothing suspicious at all.

The only downside about this was that it meant you couldn't get drunk. Not that getting drunk around a spider who seemed oddly fascinated by you would be a wise idea, but now you didn't even get the option to. Not without making yourself more vulnerable than you had to be at least.

Feeling frustrated you shot back your wine as if it was a shot. Making Shalnark's smile drop for a moment before he picked it up again.

"Whoa there cowboy, no need to go so fast. The night's still young. We have the whole evening to get drunk if you're so eager," he smiled at you.

You just proceeded to put your now empty wine glass down. Looking around, hoping that keeping quiet would prevent him from finding something else interesting about you.

That was the idea. But the moment you spotted him you couldn't help but ask.

"What's Phinks doing here?" You asked, panic clear in your voice. Where the other spiders here as well? But why? While it was true that he knew nothing about you why did he feel the need to bring backup? You were clearly not a nen user so beating you if necessary wouldn't be a problem for the manipulator.

Your little outburst was met with an eager smile.

"Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?" Shalnark asked, brushing off your question with a question of his own.

His nonchalant way of ignoring your question made you frown at him. He, infuriatingly enough, responded with a laugh.

"You know so much about me, don't you? You know that I'm a hunter, you know that I'm part of the phantom troupe," Shalnark paused for a moment to see your reaction. When you didn't react as if this was all new to you he continued talking. "You know Phinks. But yet I know nothing about you. And dates are for getting to know one another right?"

His smile managed to widen and you were wondering if his cheeks ever hurt from smiling so much.

"So, let's get to know each other, Y/N."

#yandere shalnark #yandere shalnark x reader #shalnark x reader #yandere hxh #yandere hunter x hunter #yandere x reader #shalnark ryusei #shalnark

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alaminhpi2 · 9 months

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youtube

How to improve beauty salon business.

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bleach-your-panties · 9 months

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💙🩵16. entertain + swimming pool with armin arlert💙🩵

💙black/poc!fem!reader. modern!au

🩵part of my 28th birthday event.

💙requested by @rheawolf, another long-time supporter of mine! thank you, love!

🩵featuring @ ejthedon from @chrollohearttags rapper/influencer au. thanks again, love, for letting me use him!

💙nsfw 18+. mdni!⚠️

💿: humble - kendrick lamar

💿: swimming pools - kendrick lamar

**all music and artists' likenesses belong to them!**

🤍2.6 k words

—-----

See, Armin is very good at hiding details when it comes to surprising you with gifts and dates.

For your birthday this year, he went all out with getting the two of you front-row tickets to the three-day music festival that Drake and 21 Savage are headlining. Kendrick Lamar will be there on the last night, also, and you're so fucking pumped to see him live.

As you sit in the beauty salon getting your hair, nails, toes, and eyebrows done (all courtesy of Armin, of course), you excitedly texted your best friend to tell her about your plans for the next couple of days.

bestie boo🫦🤎: girl, you're so lucky. i wish my man was thoughtful like armin.

you: mhm. he's really the best. 💗

Once you were finished, you texted Armin to pick you up. It didn't take him long to pull up in his ocean-blue BMW.

"Baby!" You ran and hopped on him. He hugged you to him, pulling your legs around his waist to secure you.

"Hey, dove. Be careful, you don't want to mess up your beautiful nails, do you?"

(Just picture your Zodiac sign)

Sighing softly, you knew he was right. Still, you nuzzled your face into his neck, inhaling his Armani cologne.

"Just happy to see you, that's all…"

He smiled and rubbed your back.

"I know, baby. I'm happy to see you, too. Come on, I've got a surprise for you in the car."

Armin carried you over to the passenger seat and opened the door. You gasped once you saw what was laid out on the seat.

"Armie!" You cried as he let you down back onto your feet. He just chuckled and watched you scoop the bills up neatly to put them inside your wallet.

"What am I supposed to do with all this?" You asked rhetorically, knowing that he wasn't going to take it back by any means.

He shrugged. "Buy yourself something nice and put the rest in your savings. I don't know, baby, do what you want with it. It's yours."

Tears pooled in your eyes. Armin's so good to you. Sometimes you wondered what you'd done to deserve someone like him.

"Thank you so much, Armie. You always make my birthdays so special." Sniffling and wiping under your eye, you were careful not to mess up your lashes.

"Aww, you're welcome, dove. Anything for you, and you deserve so much more. Let's go, so you can start getting dressed for the concert."

Nodding happily, you picked up your bouquet of roses and set them in your lap so you could sit down.

—

The first two nights of the concert were amazing, but it felt like they passed by way too quickly.

Drake and 21 Savage were phenomenal, as well as the other artists that were featured. Armin and you were turnt up all night long; drinking, dancing, just having yourselves a grand ole time.

Now you're sitting in your hotel suite getting ready to go see Kendrick. Seeing him perform and then spending the rest of the night with Armin will be the perfect ending to your birthday weekend.

"Baby, what do you think of my outfit?"

You did a little spin in the mirror as Armin raised one blonde eyebrow.

"I love it baby, but-"

"I know, I know what you're going to say, but it has shorts underneath it, daddy~"

This caused a little smirk to cover his lips.

"Oh really? Come here and let me feel then.."

You just giggled and playfully swatted his hand away, but Armin grabbed your wrist and pulled you on top of him as he reclined back on the bed.

"You won't have to worry about any creeps trying to cop a feel or anything."

Armin rolled his eyes.

"I won't have to worry about that anyway, baby. Nobody has any fucking business putting their hands underneath your skirt unless they want to get knocked the fuck out."

He moved his head up to kiss your lips passionately, moving his hand down like he planned in order to feel underneath your skirt.

"Nobody but me…"

Your eyes closed involuntarily as Armin's fingers traced up your plush ass cheek, stopping to squeeze the soft flesh.

"Mmm, babe…if we don't hurry and leave we're going to be late…" You moaned softly when he began pecking your neck with quick, wet kisses.

Chuckling to himself, his cerulean eyes gazed up into your brown ones before scanning over the rest of your face. You know that look.

He's turned on.

"Armie~"

He laughed harder at you for moving off of him and attempting to tug him up off the bed.

"Okay baby, I'm coming. I wouldn't make you miss your big night."

"Yay! I love you! Come on, the Uber is probably already downstairs!"

"Alright, dove. Lead the way…shit."

Armin was going to have a time walking with this hard-on, and you walking in front of him in that tiny ass skirt wasn't helping whatsoever.

—

(A/N: Bold italics is Kendrick rapping. Regular italics is Armin rapping.)

"How y'all doing tonight?"

The crowd roared as Kendrick came out on stage.

"I SAID HOW THE FUCK ARE Y'ALL DOING TONIGHT?!"

You screamed at the top of your lungs, Armin right along with you.

"That's more like it! Come on, everybody stand up!"

His first song was DNA, which never failed to get you hype.

Followed by Complexion, m.A.A.d city; Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe, Alright, LOVE, Loyalty, and Poetic Justice.

It all seemed to zoom by as you and Armin danced and sang along to every song.

"Alright, alright. I'm getting ready to close the night off, but let's turn it up one more motherfucking time!"

Kendrick hollered and the crowd responded in kind.

"Nobody pray for me, it been that day for me, way, yeah yeah!"

You and Armin, much like the rest of the crowd were jumping up and down like maniacs as you belted out the song lyrics.

Kendrick began moving around the stage as he rapped, coming close enough for you to brush your hand against his pants legs.

You pulled your hand back and stared at it as if it were made of gold.

"I'm never going to wash this hand again."

Armin just snorted, thinking of how much more impressed you were about to be.

"Ayy, I remember syrup sandwiches and crime allowances. Finesse a nigga with some counterfeits, but now I'm countin' this-

-Parmesan where my accountant lives; in fact, I'm downin' this, D'USSÉ with my boo bae tastes like Kool-Aid for the analysts."

While Kendrick continued on, Armin turned you to face him. You looked up, as his six foot frame easily towered over you.

"Girl, I can buy yo' ass the world with my pay stub. Ooo, that pussy good, won't you sit it on my taste buds?"

Warmth flooded your cheeks and made your neck itch as Armin rapped to you. He licked his lips and kept his eyes trained on your face.

"MY LEFT STROKE JUST WENT VIRAL!" Rang out around you, but you were still trapped in Armin's azure gaze.

"Right stroke put lil baby in a spiral."

He grabbed your hand and twirled you around, making you giggle.

"It's levels to it, you and I know. Bitch be humble, sit down. Be humble, sit down. Be humble, bitch, sit down. Be humble, sit down."

"Who dat nigga thinkin' that he frontin' on Man Man? Get the fuck off my stage, I'm the Sandman. Get the fuck off my dick, that ain't right. I make a play fucking up your whole life."

"I'm so fucking sick and tired of the Photoshop. Show me something natural like afro on Richard Pryor. Show me something natural like ass with some stretch marks."

Armin was really feeling himself as he rapped to you with his natural poise and charisma.

He was looking so handsome in only a simple, black U-neck tee, gold chain, and diamond studs glimmering in each ear. Light-wash ripped jeans adorned his long, lean legs, ending in a simple black pair of low Air Forces.

You were starting to forget all about Kendrick with Armin looking at you the way he was and snaking that sneaky hand back around your waist to rest just above your ass.

When the song ended, Armin kissed your temple and turned you back to face the stage just as Kendrick began to speak.

"So, I've been told that we have a birthday in the house tonight. A Miss Y/n L/n?"

Your pupils immediately grew two sizes and you tried to turn to look at Armin, but he kept you still and faced forward by gripping your biceps.

"Speak up, baby. So everyone can hear you.." Armin whispered into your ear as Kendrick knelt on one knee to extend the microphone out to you.

"T-that's me…I'm Y-Y/n…" You spoke timidly into the microphone. That made Kendrick smile.

"I'm glad you came out to see me tonight, Miss Y/n. I think my good friend will also be glad that you came."

His good friend? What was going on here?

Nothing else needed to be explained as EJ walked out with a microphone. He dapped Kendrick up while you just started screaming like a maniac.

Both of the men on the stage laughed as they watched you turn and throw your arms around Armin's neck and kiss all over his face.

"Why didn't you tell me that we were seeing EJ, too?!" He laughed when you began playfully hitting his chest.

"If I told you, it wouldn't have been a surprise!"

Armin helped you up onto the stage when EJ motioned for you.

"Alright, let's continue this birthday party then! Do you have anything that you want to say, baby girl?" He held the microphone out to you.

"I…I just love you…"

EJ chuckled.

"I love you too, sweetheart. Happy birthday and thank you for being a devoted fan. Let's go!"

EJ kept you on stage with him the entire time as he performed all of your favorite songs. Armin even came up and the three of you danced, rapped, and sang together.

After the concert, you and Armin went backstage with EJ and had drinks with him, Kendrick, and the other artists that had been a part of the festival.

After the meet-and-greet, you were sent home with a gift basket full of autographed memorabilia.

—-

"I had such a great time tonight, Armie."

You sighed in content as you sank down into the warm, bubbly water of the indoor hot tub.

Armin reclined next to you, wet hair stuck to his forehead in dripping strands. He looked so damn good like this, and after all he'd done for you tonight, your folds were slick with your desire for him.

"Yeah, baby? I'm glad you did, sweet girl."

He grabbed your waist and pulled you on top of him, sitting you right on top of his hard dick.

You wrapped your arms around his neck just as he sat up to press his lips against yours.

Armin gently held your neck while his tongue rubbed against yours. He sucked on your bottom lip, top lip, and each corner of your mouth.

"Mmm…babe.."

"Mhmm…shit, girl." He grabbed a handful of your ass and smacked it hard. Your fingers moved to his neck to play with his chain while your wet breasts squished against his hard chest.

—

i think that I’m feeling the vibe

i see the love in her eyes

i see the feeling the freedom is granted

as soon as the damage of vodka arrived

this how you capitalize, this is parental-advised

and apparently, i'm over-influenced

by what you are doin'

i thought i was doin' the most

til someone said to me

—

"Baby?" You asked innocently, still twirling his chain in your fingers while you stared into his deep ocean-blue eyes.

"Yes, my love?"

You moved your hand from his neck to trail it down his side and over his stomach. His dick twitched underneath you, making you grin.

"Why aren't you inside of me yet?"

Armin's eyes widened for a brief second before they became slanted, a devilish grin splitting his soft, pink lips apart, showcasing perfect, white teeth.

His hand on your ass began moving your bikini bottoms to the side. You watched him suck on the opposite hand's thumb and move it down to your top, pushing the triangle-shaped fabric to the side so he could rub his spit over your nipple and make it harden in the cool air conditioning surrounding you.

"Take it, daddy. It's yours."

Armin cussed under his breath, moving his eyes back and forth between your beautiful face and hard nipples.

"Shit, baby girl. Don't have to tell me twice." He smirked at your use of his words from earlier and sank you down on his cock with one push of his hand on your ass.

—-

nigga, why you babysittin' only,

two or three shots?

imma show you how

to turn it up a notch

first you get a swimming pool

full of liquor, then you dive in it

pool full of liquor, then you dive in it

—-

Armin bounced you sloppily on his dick, making the water slosh around every which way in the hot tub.

His movements were usually more precise, making sure that he angled his dick just right to hit your G-spot, but right now he was drunk as fuck and just trying to fuck into you hard and fast enough to make you both cum.

“Armie! I’m close!” You whined, holding onto his neck with your legs wrapped tightly around his thighs.

“Oh yeah, I am too, dove…s-shit. Hold onto me, tight.”

You were about to ask why, but Armin stood to his full height and pulled your legs around his hips.

“Armin! I’m going to fall!” You panicked/moaned as he bounced you on him harder and harder. If someone were to walk in right now, they’d get quite the eyeful.

“Hush, I wouldn’t let you fucking fall. Drunk or not.” He smushed his face into your neck and inhaled your sweet scent before biting down on your neck. With one last hard thrust, Armin came inside of you.

It was so much that it began to leak out and down your thighs, but he moved to sit down on the steps leading out of the tub so it wouldn’t drip into the water.

“Forever the gentlemen…” You panted, pressing your cheek against his while you rode out your orgasm.

“Always for you, my love. Happy birthday.” He smiled and kissed your lips, holding you close to him.

—-

i wave a few bottles then I watch em’ all flock

all the girls wanna play baywatch

i got a swimming pool full of liquor

and they dive in it

pool full of liquor, imma dive in it

#happy birthday admin #aot armin #armin arlert #armin x black reader #armin x black female reader #armin arlert x black female reader #armin x female reader #armin arlert x female reader #aot x black!reader #💗💗🍡°my fics #💗💗🍡°aot masterlist

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warmaidensrevenge · 4 months

Text

Cuddle bugs

Pairings: Eddie Munson x fem!reader

A/N: Greetings love ones. This is just a little blurb I had this week. Something a little cute and cuddly. I hope everyone is doing well and you're taking good care of yourselves. I appreciate all of you. Thank you so much for reading and following me. Kay love ya. Byyyyyeeee.

I do not give permission for my work to be posted anywhere else. Please respect all creators. Also, all pictures and songs are from a Google search and found on Spotify. A credit to original posters and artists. Thank you for your work.

Word count: 4,281

Warnings: 18+ No minors. Angst, doubt, pinning, sexual implications, language and not proof read.

Summary: Pinning after Eddie is crazy. But a good kinda crazy.

Fucking Eddie Munson. The crazy beautiful lunatic with the voice that's a cross between angelic and rock legend. Voice so deep in the mornings it practically ruined your underwear every time he said 'Mornin' sweetheart''

Was he talking to you that day? Or any day for that matter? Well no. But you imagined it was. You imagined that his smiles were directed towards you when he ordered his morning coffee and scrambled eggs. With 1 sausage patty and 1 bacon strip. You pictured that it was you his eyes slit for as he smiled, giving thanks as you placed his meal on the counter.

But, it never was. Eddie never sat in your section. 4 long years waiting tables at Benny's and not once had he looked into your eyes.

Oh how you long for a glance. For one little smile. Just something, anything that would give you an indication that he, Eddie Munson knew you were on this plain of existence.

How could you possibly be this enamored with someone you never met? How is it that in the 4 years since you moved to this small town, that you had never said so much as a hello to him.

Sure you saw him all the time. Around the town, running errands, at the grocery store, at the movies, even at the salon. Still, you were invisible to the one you wanted the most to be visible to.

It was ridiculous, you knew that. Pinning after a guy that was clearly way way out of your league. But you couldn't help it.

You wanted to know what it was like to be on the receiving end of his smiles. To finally know what it felt like for him to rest his eyes on you.

Would you look away? Would you blush? Or would you find some sliver of courage to finally say 'hello can I take your order?'

Well you would get your chance.

…

You picked up an evening shift on a Friday night. It was prom season so Benny needed an extra pair of hands. Since his restaurant was one of the very few decent places to eat in Hawkins, he was anticipating being busy. Just not as busy as it actually was.

Originally, you were planning on going out on a blind date that night. But when you heard the desperation in Benny's voice you had to cancel.

Maybe it was for the better. You didn't want to go on a date with some random guy. But your grandpa insisted you go out with a young fella he met at the bank earlier that week.

All you knew of the guy was that he helped your grandpa pick up his checkbook after he dropped it. And that his voice sounded nice over the phone and he was the same age as you. But thank goodness for Benny.

When you walked into the restaurant, it was so loud that you couldn't even hear the jukebox. You immediately went to the back room and dawned on an apron. You didn't even put on your name tag before you went back up front.

The second you walked out the swinging doors you saw Eddie walking in. Your eyes followed him to an open seat at the counter. Once you noticed that he was in fact in your section, you turned around and went through the door again. You stood there shaking your head.

" What is it?"

You looked to the side and Benny was giving you a concerned look. But then that faded when he looked out of the window area. He chuckled a little and went back to work.

" Kiddo, I need you out there to get his order."

You sighed. " Can't you just put it in? He always orders the same thing."

"Tonight might be the night something changes."

Not likely. You thought. Creature of habit that one.

You took a deep breath and went out.

You cleared your throat lightly. " H-hi."

Eddie smiled at his menu. " Hey. Um can I get the uhh…the chicken fried steak."

You smiled to yourself. " With fries instead of mashed potatoes and buttered corn? Mountain dew, no ice?"

He looked up from his menu and tilted his head to the side. " umm yeah. How did you-"

"ORDER UP!" Benny shouted.

Before you could look up from your order pad you jumped and turned around. Where you were met with Benny grinning at you.

When you looked back Eddie was smiling. His eyes were down as he took off his jacket.

Damn it!

" I'll be back with your drink."

You huffed a little as you took the order to the customer. After, you grabbed Eddie's drink. When you went back to give it to him he was heading towards the bathroom.

Aww.

A few minutes later his food was ready and you tried to give it to him but, someone had already placed it on the counter and took off to help other customers. That's when you saw Eddie lift his finger to ask something, but he got ignored.

You looked at the table full of kids in their pretty dresses and cute tuxedos.

" Your order will be up shortly."

When you turned, you heard someone say that they hoped none of their food went missing before it got to the table.

You paused for a second feeling the hurt, then shook it off and went to help Eddie.

You place a bottle of steak sauce and a small bowl of bbq sauce in front of him.

You were so embarrassed from what just occurred that you couldn't take your eyes off the ground.

That's when Eddie grabbed your hand. Your eyes shot up to his rings that littered his fingers.

" Hey. They're stupid kids. Don't listen to them."

You furrowed your brow a little and nodded.

" Umm do you need anything else?"

He let go of your wrist. " No. Not right now. Thanks for bringing me sauce."

You pressed your lips together and turned to fill more drink orders. Now all you could think about was how warm and rough his hand was. It was rougher than you expected it to be. But the way he held your hand so gently, you could have died.

Damn it. I should've looked at him.

A little bit later you went back to check on him. As soon as you saw he bottomed out his pop, you brought him another.

" Thanks doll."

You blushed. You knew you did. You could feel your cheeks get hot.

" You're welcome Eddie."

When your eyes met finally, your heart nearly stopped. He was smiling… at you!

" Are you new here?" He asked.

You couldn't talk. You could barely breathe. All you could do was shake your head.

He tilted his head a little. " Huh? How long have you worked here?"

You had to look away. You needed to so you could answer him.

" 4-4 years."

He leaned back slightly." Seriously? How come I have never seen you before?"

You shrugged. " Umm you normally sit over there."

Eddie's eyes followed your finger to his normal spot.

" Oh. Huh…guess I'm not too observant am I?"

" Well we're all creatures of habit. Sorry that you had to sit on my side tonight."

He smiled again when you looked at him. You actually seemed genuinely apologetic for it. " I like this side. I never had such good service before. You knew my order."

You smiled a little. " Well you kinda order the same thing for dinner when you come in."

He smirked. " But, how did you know that if you never served me before?"

You bit your lip and looked away again. " I'm…a really good waitress."

His chuckle made your heart flutter.

" Hmmm is that so? Okay." He said, clapping his hands together and rubbing them. " I challenge you. What dessert do I get?"

Your smile got a little bigger. " Well that depends."

He raised a brow. " On?"

You took a step closer to the counter when it got loud again. Afraid that he might not hear you over it.

" Umm did you have a good day at work today?"

He jerked his head back a little and pinched his brows together. " I did."

That's when you gave him a breathtaking smile. He was actually taken back by it. Not in a weird way, just that how could he have missed a smile like that all this time.

" Cherry pie with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream."

He scoffed in disbelief. " Okay…what would I get if I had a bad day?"

All of a sudden you thought that this conversation made you look like a creep. So much so that you didn't want to answer.

" Ummm. Haha." You shrugged." I-I guess I'm not as good as I thought I was."

He leaned forward on his elbows. " Care to take a guess at it doll?"

You took a small step closer to the counter. About half an arms length away from him now. Even though you didn't want to tell him that you actually did know what he ordered. The way his big brown eyes looked at you made it so that you never wanted to lie to him." Well umm let's see…Maybe...Triple chocolate cake…with chocolate ice cream and milk."

Eddie leaned in closer and nodded. " You are a really really good waitress."

He saw you blush as you looked away.

You blushed again." I-I'll get you that pie."

When you walked away he watched you. He thought you were cute. The way your chubby cheeks got all pink and how you kept looking away from him. You were clearly shy as hell. But it was adorable.

It made him actually quite happy his blind date cancelled on him.

In normal circumstances, he would never accept being set up with someone. Well, that's because no one would actually want to go out on a date with him. And he had never been offered that before.

He had been out of highschool for almost 2 years and he still was someone who was to be avoided. Not that it really bothered him. But he was rather lonely.

So imagine his surprise when he was offered the chance to go out with an old man's granddaughter. He at first declined, but Don insisted that he had to meet his beautiful granddaughter.

That's what he was supposed to do tonight. But turned out it wasn't meant to be.

Still, this night turned out better than he expected. Even with the horny teenagers filling all the seats in his favorite place. And the shitty music someone decided to play. He was intrigued by you. The girl who has been working here for ages. The one with no name apparently.

He liked you. He liked the way you didn't wear a lot of makeup like the rest of the waitresses here. He liked how normal you looked.

Sure you were a curvy girl. But he never really had a type. He thought everyone was beautiful in their own way. Guys and girls.

What he really wanted was to be with someone who was nice. Someone who was funny as well as smart. Mostly, just someone. That's why he agreed to a blind date after all.

But as the night went on, he forgot all about her and focused on you.

Once the kids had gone to their dance, there were only regulars there. Eddie decided to stick around for a bit. Possibly get your number.

When you went back with his change, you were feeling down. He was gonna leave. The whole 3 hours he was there made the night bearable.

He joked around a bit and kept giving you compliments. For a moment there you thought maybe he was flirting. But then again, he talked that way with his other waitresses.

You gave him a soft smile."Have a great rest of your night."

He nodded and grinned. "Uhh you too."

You handed him his change and lingered there for a second.

Stop being weird and go. You told yourself.

So you did. You turned and started walking off.

" Hey doll?"

You froze. Doll? Love that for me.

" What's your name?"

You bit your lip out of sheer excitement. He wanted to know your name. You turned a little and opened your mouth to say it. But then a car backfiring blocked out the sound.

Eddie looked out the window and saw the old truck peeling out of the parking lot.

" Uhh sorry I didn't catch-" he cut off when he saw you walking into the back.

" Damn." He whispered to himself.

Now he had to come back and get your name. Then maybe your number.

…

When you went home all you could think about was how satisfying it was to finally get that smile from him. How incredible it was to look into his eyes and see the twinkle you knew was there.

Though you realize you had a small crush on the guy, you knew that nothing was going to happen. If there was, then you would leave it up to the universe.

However, you still felt bad for canceling on your date. So before heading home you made a quick phone call from the restaurant.

Eddie had just walked in through the door when the phone rang. He hung his jacket on the coat rack while Wayne answered the call.

" It's for you son."

Eddie nodded and went to the phone.

" Hello?"

" H-hey. It's umm y/n."

He rubbed the back of his neck. " Oh. Hey."

" Hi… Ummm so I called because I wanted to apologize again for canceling."

" Uhh n-no. You're good. I get it. Work sucks sometimes."

He heard a sweet little laugh that sounded familiar.

" It does. But I am really sorry…I was wondering if possibly…I could make it up to you. Maybe buy you a drink sometime?"

Eddie grinned. This was a first. He thought he would never hear from his blind date again. " Uhh s-sure. How about tomorrow night?"

" Okay. Umm, is there a place you have in mind?"

He nodded. " Yeah. Do you know a place called The Hideout?"

" By the river?"

He smiled. " That's the one. Say 7?"

"Y-yeah. That would be great! I'll uhh be the girl in pink."

The excitement in your voice made him chuckle." I'll see you tomorrow."

" See ya. Goodnight."

When he hung up all he could think about was how sweet you were.

The amount of courage it took to call him all came from talking to Eddie. Sure you didn't really want to go out on a date. But after what happened tonight, you thought what harm would one drink do? The guy seemed nice. So you were excited. And so was Eddie.

…

It was cold in the bar. So cold that you put on your sweater and buttoned it all the way up.

It was the fall, so you were expecting the cold. Just not this bad yet.

You arrived a little early to try and find a place to sit. But to your surprise the place was practically empty.

You ordered a drink and sat patiently waiting for your date.

Eddie had come early too. He was sitting in his van rocking out for a minute. For some reason he thought the date was gonna go well.

He walked in and looked around. He didn't see anyone in pink so he sat at the bar and ordered a drink.

It was 15 minutes until 7 and he thought he should take a leak before you came. So he went real quick. When he came back, he still hadn't seen a girl in pink. But he did see you.

He was shocked for a second but then he smiled and went to sit down.

It looked like you were waiting for someone too. You kept glancing at the door, while sipping on your drink.

For a second there he got kinda jealous that someone got to go out on a date with you. But from the looks of it, you were stood up. Him too in fact.

It was 7:20 and his nor your date showed up. He kinda expected this, but he felt bad because who would bail on a pretty girl like you? That's when he decided to buy you a drink.

When you got it the bartender pointed at him. The look in your eyes made him smile.

He waved and raised his drink. You of course blushed and looked down. But you smiled. And that's all he needed to get up and join you.

" Hello again."

He grinned." Hey doll. What's a girl like you doing in a dump like this?"

You looked away again and sighed. " I was supposed to meet someone here. But it looks like he didn't show."

He sat down and shook his head. " What a dick."

You laughed a little and took a small sip of your drink. " Last time I let my grandpa set me up."

Eddie furrowed his brow and jerked his head back. What were the odds that you were his date?

" Erm, I'm sorry. But is your grandpa named Don?"

You raised your brows and met his gaze. " How?"

He looked away and chuckled.

" Edward?"

He licked his lips and looked back at you. " Guilty."

You nervously laughed and looked down again. " Wowsers. I-I wasn't… ummm."

His smile faded. Now worried that you didn't want to be here. "Hey umm if you want to leave that's cool. I know I have a reputation and all."

Your brows pinched together as you looked up again. " So what if you do?"

Surprised by your response he tilted his head. " Well, mostly people turn the other way when they see me coming."

" I'm not most people."

He grinned a little and took a swig of his beer.

" But I'm curious. You sound so different on the phone. What did you think would happen if you told your dates your name was Edward and they met you? If you wanted to hide your identity, that wasn't a well thought out plan."

He chuckled. " You got me there. I'm not really a guy with a plan."

You nodded. " Clearly."

You both laughed and cheers each other.

A little while later you guys decided to get a late dinner.

That dinner turned into many more after that. Eddie liked you. Liked you a lot. So much that he was ready to take the next step with you. However, he had to be honest. He never had sex before. Well he had, but only with himself.

You guys have been seeing each other for 2 months now. Going on 3 and he was sure he was ready. He had planned a night with dinner and candles. With baby making music and everything. But you ended up working. So that plan was ruined. And so we're all future plans.

One night he thought maybe.

You were cuddling up next to him. Which was a mistake. He should have known better. Every time you cuddled with him like this. Your face snuggled in the crook of his neck and your hand under his shirt. With your hoodie on and legs laced with his. You would fall asleep.

And that's exactly what happened. 15 minutes into the movie you were softly snoring away. He looked at you and sighed.

" Babe?" He whispered. " Babe?"

You softly moaned and opened your eyes a little. You then smiled at him and kissed his cheek. Snuggling back in his neck after.

You were absolutely adorable. Just so damn precious to him. He couldn't force the next step with you. And that moment of cuteness he decided to just let things be.

…

It's been 5 months since you and Eddie got together. And tonight was the night.

You guys didn't have plans that Saturday evening so you thought you would make some. You went to the phone and called your boyfriend.

" Hey babes."

" Why hello doll."

You smiled and swooned. Absolutely loving that he called you that. " Hi. So umm I know we hadn't planned on doing anything tonight. But I was wondering if you would like to come over. Maybe…stay the night?"

He raised his brows. " Uhh y-yeah s-sure."

You pressed your lips together. You were actually nervous too. " I know that we haven't spent the night together yet. But I think it's time…I-I mean if you're ready that is."

" Y-yeah. No. Yeah. Umm I'm ready." He stammered.

You giggled. " Okay…so umm bring me flowers?"

He chuckled lightly. "I always get you flowers. How about I get you chocolates?"

" Hmmm you can get some of those too. But make sure to get protection."

He got nervous again. " O-okay. Umm I'll be over soon."

" Great."

When he hung up he just stood there for a second. "Shit! It's finally gonna happen."

…

When Eddie showed up he had a bouquet of marigolds and a heart shaped box of chocolates. The way he smiled and held both out nervously was so adorable. You could squeal and jump up and down from the sheer cuteness.

While smiling and taking your gifts, you motioned him to come in.

Eddie was beyond nervous. For a moment there he thought he might chicken out. But then he thought if he was going to do it with anyone, why not the beautiful shy girl that he was dating. He had waited a long time for this. And he was excited that it was going to happen. He just hoped he wouldn't disappoint you.

You guys kissed for a little while before his hands started to explore your body.

The way he lightly caressed your thighs made you tremble.

"E-Eddie?"

He lifted his head to look at you. You were gorgeous. Eyes all big and lips all pink.

" Ready?"

You licked your lips and softly nodded.

This was it. You guys were finally gonna see each other naked. When you thought about this, you pictured Eddie running away. Or not being able to get a hard on. But when he took off his clothes your core ached. His penis wasn't crazy thick or super long. But it was beautiful. So much so that you sat there for a minute, just staring at him entirely.

" Doll?"

" Hmm?" You squeaked, while looking into worried brown hues. " O-oh I'm sorry…it's just…I-I" you looked away and blushed. " Never seen one with skin."

As soon as you said that you felt like a whore. But then Eddie spoke, giving you some assurance that he didn't think that.

" Is it bad? I-I keep it clean... Do you still want to?"

You looked back up at him and shook your head. " No. It's not bad. I think it's cute. Like a little turtle neck. And thanks for being hygienic."

Your little smile and comment had him chuckling lightly. He sat down and looked you over.

You looked at yourself. It was time.

You first took off your socks. Then your bottoms along with your panties.

When it was time for your shirt you lifted it over your head. Causing your hair to whip to the side.

He reached up and brushed it behind your shoulder. When you looked up at him he leaned in to kiss you.

You laid there trying to catch your breath. With Eddie doing the same.

" You uhhh- you okay doll?"

" Uh-huh."

He looked at you and studied your face. He wasn't sure if you came. He sure did.

It went faster than he expected. But it was better than he could have imagined.

"Do…do you want something to eat and drink?" You asked

" Actually, I was so nervous I didn't eat dinner."

You giggled. "Me too. Why don't you clean up and I'll make us some grilled cheese."

He nodded and got up with you. While you put on your pajamas shirt and bottoms he grabbed his boxers.

You started for the kitchen when he reached for your elbow. He pulled you into a tender kiss. After he smiled at you.

You smiled against his lips. "Hurry up ok? Star Wars is supposed to come on at 8:15."

He gave you one more kiss before going to shower.

You were waiting for him in the living room when he was done. He grinned happily when you pulled back the throw that was on your lap and motioned him to come sit with you. He threw himself next to you and gave you a peck on the cheek before grabbing his plate.

" Umm babes?"

He looked at you and you looked nervous. He shoved the bite he just took into one cheek. " Yeah doll?"

You lightly cleared your throat. " umm do you think after we eat…we…could do that again."

His eyes slightly got bigger. Even though you guys literally had sex like 10 minutes ago, you wanted to do it again.

He quickly chewed his food and harshly swallowed it. " I'm done."

You laughed and put your plate down. As soon as you did, he grabbed your hand and led you back to bed.

After, he laid there listening to your soft snores. Holding you close to him while breathing in your shampoo. He loved how you always smell so good. How you were always so damn warm. So soft. He squeezed you a little bit tighter. Not wanting to ever let you go.

“ I think I love you doll.” He whispers.

You stirred a little and he smiled.

“ You love me too don't you?”

You stirred again. Only this time you turned around and cuddled into his neck. Sighing sleepily.

He smiled to himself and fell into a deep slumber.

...

@salenorona23 @browneyes528

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