#but i accidentally left her in a taxi and never saw her again :(
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My Best Friend (3)
[modern! club owner • Aemond x fem!reader]
[warnings: fluff, mention of stalking, swearing]
[description: Aemond has his own club and often does business at the home of one of his business associates. There he often meets his younger sister, with whom he develops a deeper relationship through shared secrets. This is slow burn love story.]
* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *
Previous and next chapters: Masterlist
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"What was that?" Klaus's voice expressed surprise and uncertainty. Y/N turned to her window and sighed. They were on their way home in a taxi.
"Nothing. Aemond just told me something sad." She said finally, and though it was true, she knew, it didn't sound convincing. Her brother came to the same conclusion.
"That's why you stuck to him and cried?" He asked disapprovingly. Y/N just made a sound of tiredness and resignation.
"Please, have mercy on me today."
Once they got home, Y/N went straight upstairs to her bedroom. She changed into her pajamas, threw herself on the bed, her face down on the pillow, and thought.
What Aemond had told her kept running through her mind. She understood now, why he was angry with her. He took it personally. If she knew about his past, she would never tell him about Albert, so he wouldn't have to go through it all again. But it was too late.
She knew, he was involved now. That from now on, every conversation with her would remind him, of what that woman had done to him. Just thinking about it made her chest tighten.
She tried to close her eyes and fall asleep, but she kept seeing an 18-year-old with a 40-year-old woman in her mind. Her heart was pounding. Resigned, she picked up her phone to check the time. It was almost three in the morning.
She was tempted to write to him. Text him, that if she could, she'd strangle her too. But she knew, he wouldn't like it. From what she could see, Aemond didn't like being bothered or texted, unless it was nothing important.
When they left the club, he seemed tired and resigned. She felt, that he regretted having told her all this. In addition, she was afraid, that Klaus would start to isolate her from him, thinking, that they had something completely different in common.
She jumped as her phone lit up and she heard it vibrate. She saw, that she had one new message. She thought it was Albert again, but when she unlocked the keypad, she saw, it was Aemond. Her heart pounded hard in her chest, she felt shivers. She opened the message.
A: "Are you sleeping?"
She replied quickly.
Y: "No. Something happened?"
She held the phone waiting, but instead of a message, she saw an incoming call. Aemond.
She stared at the screen, her heart pounding wildly. She didn't have the strength for another confrontation with him, but since he was calling her of his own free will, he apparently couldn't sleep himself.
She picked it up and pressed the phone to her ear, lowering the volume of the speaker with her finger, so that no one couldn't accidentally hear, what he might have said.
"Hi" She said softly, almost a whisper.
There was silence on the other end. She heard his sigh, so she knew, he was there. She could feel his embarrassment even over the phone. She guessed, that he was furious with himself, and if he could, he'd erase the memory of his confession from her mind. But it was too late. After a long pause, she decided to take pity on him.
"I won't tell anyone. I promise. I know you regret telling me that." She said softly. For some reason, her throat was constricted." Don't think about it and try to rest."
She heard another sigh, longer this time.
"Good night." He said softly and hung up.
***
Aemond woke with a lump in his throat. He couldn't forgive himself for the sudden hole in his mind, that made him tell Y/N about this embarrassing event in his life. He didn't want her to look at him with pity now, like his mother who had never forgiven herself, for letting this woman into their house.
He stared at the ceiling for a moment, his mind blank. He laughed at his own desperation, at the fact, that he had called her and couldn't get a word out. He was just pathetic in his eyes.
He remembered, that Klaus was having a birthday party at their house in two days. He'd invited everyone a few months ago, probably including Albert. The last thing he wanted was to be there, but the thought of Y/N and Albert being alone with so many people, chilled his blood.
On the day of the party, Aemond decided to drive straight from his club to them. When he arrived at their house, there were already plenty of cars parked in the driveway. From their garden came the sounds of music, barbecues and people talking. It was a pleasant, sunny and summer evening.
Aemond walked around the house, going straight to the garden. The party was impressive. Several tables were set up, so that the most important customers and business partners sat together, and friends and family together. Colorful ribbons were hung, loudspeakers stood around, a hired crew added food from catering to platters on special tables.
Off the beaten track stood a tiny bar, also manned by a man, and crowded around it. Aemond saw Klaus in the crowd. He was talking to a man, who looked like his father. He didn't look pleased. Aemond wondered, if Klaus was talking to him about Albert.
"Aemond!" He heard a happy, and at the same time, confused voice from behind him.
He turned to see, that Y/N was standing in front of him, smiling warmly. She was wearing a simple, short floral dress in blue and white, highlighting her eyes and dark hair. The front strands of her hair were pinned back, as his own, apparently to keep them out of her way.
It was obvious, that she was hot, holding a platter in her hand. Apparently, she was watching over the whole event.
"How nice, that you came." She spoke softly, and he knew, that she meant it.
“Do you want me to make you a drink? The bar is crowded, but we still have plenty of supplies in the kitchen." She said, the corner of her mouth twitching, as if she wanted to laugh.
“No, thank you.” He replied politely, not wanting to add more work to her.
"Come.” She nodded at him and he just followed her. He wondered, if he should return to the topic, that they had brought up at the club, when a voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Oh, who am I seeing! I knew coming here was a good idea." A mature woman in an elegant black dress approached him with big smile. Her hair was tied up in an unruly bun.
Aemond freezed, and Y/N with him, looking at the woman in surprise. Aemond had the feeling, that he was about to sink into the ground.
"Kate." He said calmly, in surprise. "Hi."
The woman laughed as he paused.
"And that's it? Are you ashamed of me in front of your little friend?" She asked, looking at him with raised eyebrows, her voice amused.
Y/N blushed in embarrassment, which didn't escape his notice. She wanted to say, that she'd go away and won't bother them, but Aemond spoke first.
"I am not ashamed. I just have nothing to say to you." He said dryly and coldly, infuriated by her remark.
“Come on” He said to Y/N, without looking at her and they walked ahead. Y/N followed him, but didn't miss Kate's hurt expression.
They walked through the crowd in silence. Y/N set the platter she was carrying back in its place. They both stood silently for a moment, the music pounding around them, making Aemond feel, like his head would explode.
He looked at her. She wasn't looking at him, but somewhere to the side, lost in thought. For a moment, he thought of apologizing to her, but he knew, that would make her want to ask questions. He didn't want that. He decided to change the subject.
"I guess I need that drink after all." He admitted resignedly.
Y/N finally looked at him, a slight smile of amusement betraying, that she understood the allusion. She looked at him sympathetically and they both headed towards her house.
They climbed the stairs from the terrace, crossed the hall, and reached the kitchen. The warm, orange light of the setting sun streamed in through the windows. They were alone.
"What will you drink?" She asked, opening the bar. He had to admit, that the arsenal of alcoholes they had was impressive. He knelt beside her, sorting through the bottles, finally selecting one of the whiskeys.
Y/N also made herself something to drink, vodka mixed with mango juice and ice. They took a sip from their glasses, the music still pounding in the background.
He could see from her expression, that she was barely biting her tongue to keep from asking about the woman, that they had encountered. He appreciated her fight with herself. Most of the women he met didn't care, if he wanted to answer their questions.
His face hardened, as he saw Albert appear in the kitchen. He smiled at the sight of them, but it was a smile, that did not reach his eyes.
He was a tall, handsome man. His blond hair was neatly styled and combed. His jacket and shirt were perfectly ironed. Y/N pressed herself tighter against the kitchen cupboards, as if that would protect her from him in any way.
"Am I interrupting something?" He asked, partly amused, partly ironically.
Aemond stared at him silently.
"Get the fuck out." He said finally. Y/N looked at him in horror. Albert laughed and shook his head, as if he had misheard.
"Excuse me?"
"Get the fuck out. It's a private conversation." He said coldly, his gaze dark and intense.
Y/N felt, that Aemond could really do something to Albert. She was so shocked, that she couldn't utter a word. Albert probably did not expect such a turn of events. He laughed under his breath, but his look did not express any amusement.
"So I'm interrupting. I see. I thought, that you liked much older women."
Y/N felt her heart jump into her throat. She stared at Aemond with wide eyes, terrified, afraid of his reaction. For some reason, she was having a hard time catching her breath.
"I heard, that you like to send pictures of your dick to girls, who don't want to look at it." He evaporated through clenched teeth.
The atmosphere in the room was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Y/N breathed heavily as Criston entered the room.
"Hi! Why are you all hiding here?" He asked, looking at everyone in turn. Seeing their expressions, he was confused. "Everything's all right?"
Albert started to reply, but Aemond was faster.
"Yes. Albert was just telling us about his new investments.” His voice was ironic and cold. He took a sip of his whiskey, keeping his eye on Albert. Albert snorted and laugh, walked over to Aemond. He patted him on the shoulder.
"You're a good friend. Have fun today.” He said, glanced briefly at Y/N and left.
Criston was asking questions about some light subjects, but even though Aemond and Y/N were answering them, it felt like their minds were somewhere else.
Y/N knew, that Aemond had declared open war to Albert, and she knew, he wasn't going to let it go. Her whole body was tense like a string. Even though it was very warm, her body was shivering cold.
Someone outside called Criston. Aemond assured him, that they would join him soon. Once they were alone, they looked at each other. There was nothing to say. Y/N's face showed desperation. Aemond was furious.
Y/N sucked in a breath as he grabbed her arm rather roughly and pulled her towards him, so that she bumped into him. Instinctively, she set her drink down on the counter beside them and snuggled up to him, hugging him tight, burying her face into his chest, as if she wanted to melt into him.
Surprisingly, he hugged her just as tightly. She could feel his heart literally pounding like crazy. His grip was steel. The pleasant smell of his perfume filled her nostrils and somehow soothed her. She felt both of them breathing heavily and with difficulty.
"Don't leave me alone with him." She said softly, her eyes wide open, her breath ragged.
"You will sit next to me. All evening. Do you understand?" He asked, his tone brooking no objection.
She nodded her head, swallowing.
"Thank God, you're here." She whispered and closed her eyes.
Her confession made him feel a stab in his chest. Moved by some unfamiliar, intense feeling, he kissed the top of her head and buried his nose in her hair. Y/N froze.
When he realized, what he had done, he released her immediately and reached for his drink. They looked at each other, her cheeks red. The scent of her hair still echoed in his nose. He swallowed and was silent for a moment.
"Let's go." He said finally.
#aemond x you#aemond targaryen#aemond x y/n#aemond fanfiction#aemond fic#aemond x oc#aemond x fem!reader#prince aemond#aemond one eye#hotd aemond#ewan mitchell#aemond fluff
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Heart Shaped Wound:
Chapter 38
Author’s note: Jack time! Please enjoy
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After the eventful date with Kureha, (your name) wanted to do nothing more than to just lay down in her bed. Fate didn’t have that plan for her though.
Jack was sitting in her porch, the blonde jolting up once he saw her exit a taxi. He wore a worried expression on his face as he made a beeline towards her..
“Jack?” Jack took (your name)’s face in his hands, inspecting every inch of her before sighing in relief. “Is there something wrong?”
“…I was scared my father hurt you when you weren’t home after work.” Jack bent down to place a kiss on her forehead with a smile before wrapping his arms around her. “God… I don’t know what I’d do if her hurt you…”
“Jack. I’m alright.” (Your name) could feel him shake a bit in her arms. Why was he so afraid? Could Yujiro actually have hurt her if he wanted to? Was he that dangerous? “Jack-“
Jack pressed his lips to hers as he pulled her closer to his body. The blonde being mindful of not accidentally crushing her. He was so worried about (your name) and it was finally time for him to come to full terms on how he truly felt about her.
“I love you.” Jack whispered so softly, she almost didn’t hear him. (Your name)’s eyes widened when he tenderly pressed his lips to hers again. Jack… was in love with her? “Please tell me you feel the same.”
(Your name) was sure how she felt for Jack. She really liked him but she wasn’t sure if it was love. (Your name) leaned forward and pressed her lips to his cheeks. Jack shaking more as his grip on her began to tighten like a snake.
“Do you love me too?” (Your name) grabbed Jack’s face in her hands.
“I really like you but I’m not quite sure if it’s love yet.” (Your name) gave Jack a reassuring smile. “I don’t want to ever lie to you.”
Jack felt his jaw clench. He hated that he was jealous of her seeing other people but he understood it. The others could offer her a much better life than what he could. They weren’t going to give her a dangerous, unpredictable life nor were they going to potentially harm her in any act of intimacy. Jack knew she was out of his league… it was just the fact that she didn’t seem to care about what he could do for her.
(Your name) had not judged him once for all of the surgeries and steroids he’s taken. She didn’t judge him for his size or his brutish appearance. She didn’t mind his scars and mental wounds. And she never looked at him like he was a monster.
It was impossible not to cling to her. Not to take her into his arms and never let her go. Not to whisk her away to a cabin in the middle of nowhere much like a dragon does with a princess in a tower.
“Jack?” Jack came back to reality when (your name)’s hands were placed on his chest. His brown eyes softening at her concerned expression. She looked so cute with her furrowed brow. He wanted to kiss her again.
Jack pressed his lips to hers again. He wanted more… he wanted so much more.
(Your name) melted into his kisses as his lips began to trail to the side of her face and down her neck. A gasp escaping her lips when his teeth grazed her collar bone.
“Jack, why don’t you come inside?”
“I won’t fit.” Jack whispered as he continued his demonstrations. (Your name) could tell he was getting needier in his lust. She had to push him away for now.
“How about I make you something to eat?” (Your name) asked Jack who paused. His brown eyes glancing up at (your name).
“I’m just hungry for you.” Jack replied with a cocky grin.
“You’re insufferable.” (Your name) began to push the blonde away who had an even bigger smirk on his lips. “Why do you have that weird smile on your face?”
“I left a little piece of me on you.” Jack placed a finger over the red mark on her collar bone from his teeth.
(Your name)’s entire face became scarlet much to Jack’s pleasure. The blonde loving every expression he was able to get out of her. Especially because they were meant for him.
“Did you come here to pick on me?” (Your name) pouted causing the blonde to smile.
“I enjoy seeing you. I wish I could see you more…” he wished he could see (your name) everyday just like Katsumi. Jack wished he could hold her in his arms at night even though he didn’t have a sleeping schedule. Maybe he’d sleep better with her beside him?
(Your name) pressed her lips to Jack’s cheek with a sad smile. She was a monster playing with all these men’s hearts.
Jack noticed her troubled expression. The blonde frowning. He didn’t want her to be confused… he just wanted her to choose him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-“
“I’m a horrible person, aren’t I?” (Your name) whispered, Jack back tracking immediately.
“No. Who told you that?” (Your name) giggled at Jack’s serious expression. The blonde sitting on her step to be at her height.
“I didn’t think I’d get entangled with so many people. It’s hard to choose between all of you.” (Your name) placed her hands on Jack’s arms. “I’m going to have to make a decision soon.”
Jack pressed a kiss to his forehead. He was willing to wait until she did… and then he would fight Hanayama because he knew Hanayama wouldn’t respect her decision. Jack would be okay with watching her from afar. It would hurt him but her happiness was his only priority. If he could always see her smiling then he was okay with her decision.
Jack turned his head over to the side. Speak of the devil.
Hanayama’s limousine was right up on the hill like it always was. If that bastard wasn’t so rich and powerful, he would be a mega creep.
“I can wait. Just don’t forget to open a small portion of your day for me.”
(Your name) giggled as she smiled up at Jack. He was such a good guy. He was so sweet and he always put her best interests at heart. She wished the others were more like Jack.
“I’ll always make time for you.”
“Don’t say things like that…” Jack blushed, causing (your name) to pinch his cheek. He would give into his desire if she kept saying such sweet words to him. Jack would lock her up and throw away the key.
“I like to tease you sometimes too.” (Your name) smiled at the pit fighter. “I like making you blush. It makes me feel special.”
“Because you are special.” (Your name) leaning her head on Jack’s shoulder as the two sat in a comfortable silence.
.
.
.
Jack stood outside of the black limousine. Hanayama slipping out from the back seat.
“You need to respect her space.” Jack hissed at the yakuza who hummed in response.
“Like you respected hers earlier?” Hanayama bit back,his dark eyes giving Jack a bored glance over. Jack was a thorn in his side. Just like Katsumi, Jun, Katou, Kureha, and Baki were. Hell, Retsu might end up being one too and Hanayama couldn’t take all of them at once.
It why he was going to pull his trump out on Saturday. Hanayama was going to make a move that was a game changer in all of this.
“You’re planning something aren’t you?” Jack grit his teeth in annoyance at the smug yakuza. He didn’t know what Hanayama was up to but he didn’t like it one bit.
“I am but you don’t need to worry about it.” Hanayama turned around to get back into his limousine. “There’s nothing you can do to stop me anyways.”
Hanayama shut the door and had Kizaki drive him away, leaving Jack in the dust.
Jack tightly clenched his fist before slamming it into a nearby fence post. The wooden post exploding into thousands of tint wooden splinters from the blow.
Jack began to think about his father’s advice. To just take what he wanted… but the only thing Jack wanted was for (your name) to be happy.
It’s his lack of a selfish nature that made him the weakest Hanma. And Jack began to loathe the man he has become… but he adored the softness you’ve shown him and he’d do anything to protect it.
Jack would do anything to protect you.
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Author’s note: thanks for reading!
#baki hanma#yandere#yandere fic#baki the grappler x reader#yandere baki#katsumi orochi#jack hanma#kaoru hanayama#yandere imagine#baki x reader#retsu kaioh#grappler baki#baki kaoru hanayama#baki the grappler#baki son of ogre#baki headcanons#kiyosumi katou#kureha shinogi#baki#baki dou#jack hanma x reader#jack hammer
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Reynard x G/N Reader (Isle Of Armor)
Here's something I did and worked on for roughly a month the reason it took so long was mainly that I was busy with life but also because of me having gastro a few days ago- which completely drained me of whatever motivation I had to do any real writing besides a small bit before I passed out from exhaustion
And also the first long thing I've written and posted to my Tumblr- maybe I'll post this to my ao3 too, so who knows!
This takes place roughly in the Isle of Armor area of the Galar region where the reader (you) gets their own pass to the small island after basically being worried about my OC who you're friends with
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It had been maybe a few months since you last saw the champion, your friend, in her glory
You have not seen her at all. maybe she was somewhere else in Galar? Who knows? But what you did know was that you were not only worried but you were concerned.
You and she have been friends since you were small, 2nd grade or so. She travelled here from when she was roughly a few years old from the Kalos region. Her mother was the former Champion of the region who caught Xerneas.
You travelled to her home which was neighbours to Hop and Leon's home. And neighbouring to the Slumbering Weald.
"Yes?" Her mother asked as a motherly smile appeared on her face "Is Rey home? I'm concerned"
"Yeah, she's doing just fine Sweetheart… She's just having a bad depressive episode, but she is out despite it"
"Really?" you perked up as she smiled again
"That's great! Where is she?"
"Isle of Armor… You've likely not heard of it, You'll need a pass to get there, so here"
She handed you a pass which had your name on it, you gave the ash blonde haired woman a hug before you left with a pep in your step, "Next stop- Isle of Armor"
You boarded the train and watched the scenery as you awaited to arrive at the next station before taking a taxi over the sea to the island "Huh… I have never heard of this area before… Sandy beaches, Pokemon everywhere, and a beautiful sky easily seen and not hidden by a city landscape" You breathed some fresh air as you unconsciously held your breath from nervousness on the ride over.
You walked a bit before seeing a bridge and decided to cross it still taking in the surrounding scenery before noticing a building. A dojo-looking building which had a yellow accents.
"I should ask if they know of Rey…"
Approaching the building before the doors swung open revealing a female wearing a purple and green uniform with the number "887" while she wore a fuzzy white jacket
It is warm out… Isn't she hot?? "Ugh, excuse me, I need to go-" she pushed you out of the way slightly as she ran surprisingly fast considering she was wearing heels. Which also didn't work too well with her uniform and her headband which looked the strangest out of it all.
You just decided to not bother as you wandered to the grassy field area where the sounds of Pokemon could be heard as you held the pokeball with your partner in it
After a few barely done battles you realised this area was way stronger than you imagined… A loud thud could be heard as you turned around alerted to see a bird-like Pokemon staring right at you.
It's sky blue eyes boring holes into yours before it let out an almost ear-splitting cry before it swooped down attacking you and your Pokemon who were far too weak to handle the bird.
It easily wiped your party clean before it flew off to the right and you followed, curious where it was flying to since you clearly didn't learn your lesson
Your Pokemon were all healed as you accidentally fell asleep and by now it was dark and you quickly looked around making sure you weren't surrounded by dangerous Pokemon and you thankfully weren't but… A Zorua could be seen snuggling in your lap strangely enough, you've never seen this Pokemon before as they usually ran away frightened by your presence.
You gave the puff of fur on its head a gentle brush with your fingertip and the kit awoke, it staring directly at you, its aqua eyes now boring into yours like that crimson bird from before. "Rua!" it yipped before it bolted off and you ran after it, unsure where it was leading you but had a feeling it wanted you to follow and you did
You eventually came to a halt as you saw a huge serpent-like Pokemon and you couldn't even tell if it was looking at you but you were sure of it. The Pokemon seemed to be studying you before it looked at the baby fox who was yipping happily as if talking to it who just replied with a gruff-like noise occasionally.
"Are these Reynard's Pokemon?" you pondered as you felt something, or someone, behind you. You anxiously turned around to see the bird before who was making a chirping-like shrill at the serpent who just shook its head. That was honestly the first thing you were able to make out from them speaking and you're unsure whether to be anxious or something else entirely.
"Rua! Rua!" it began headbutting the calf of your leg and you reluctantly began walking anxiously, giving a glance at the snake who watched you both walk by before continuing to talk to the avian
The Zorua continued yipping as you continued walking through the grassland, you picked up the fox who began getting tired before walking into the forest of focus seeing the serpent and the avian accompanying you and it was uncomfortably quiet beside the neighbouring Pokemon.
The serpent abruptly stopped in front of you before a Pokemon lunged out but got easily taken out unsurprisingly
"Is Reynard here somewhere?" you inquired as the serpent just nodded, a small noise came out as in agreement, you subtly looked at the kit who was practically knocked out now in your arms
You eventually exited the forest after getting lost, like, twice, but at least you got out in one piece and with no injuries in the end.
The Zorua was now perched on your head and was yipping before it hopped off and ran towards a tent where a Zoroark could be seen giving the kit a lick across its face and you couldn't help but let out a "Aww" at the sight as the serpent and the bird just awkwardly where on each side of you.
"Zenith? Arkane?" A feminine voice rang out as the two began moving towards the blue tent where a familiar female climbed out, her white hair glistening in the moonlight as her eyes landed on you who was just awkwardly staring back at her "Hi…" you awkwardly spoke up as you sheepishly rubbed your arm uncomfortable from her stern almost-like glare at what you were sure was at her Pokemon and not at you like she was very unamused.
She just glanced at you before she just muttered a "Yeah, same to you." she seemed slightly unhappy and it was obvious. Her Pokemon ventured off so no wonder.
You felt bad as you let your Pokemon out who instantly perked up at seeing the Champion who was beginning to cook food.
After a few awkward minutes you all began eating food and afterwards the female spoke up "Sorry if these three caused you trouble"
"Nah they didn't" The little kit looked in your direction before bouncing over yipping happily, "That's Salem, his Meema is over there" she pointed at a dark-furred fox with a huge mane of hair nearby who seemed to be chatting with another Pokemon.
"Vixy!" she exclaimed as the fox instantly perked up and bolted over to the white-haired female curious "This is Y/N" the fox looked at you its eyes narrowing as it eyed you unsure what to think before it noticed its child nearby, picked up Salem before storming off "She'll get to like you soon, I'm sure of it" "It's fine, Rey, seriously"
"I'm not in the greatest mood y'know… Sorry."
"I get it, I genuinely do! Your Pokemon ventured off; but they helped me get to you, so I have them to thank I guess"
"Arkane wiped your party clean didn't he?" she must've noticed your expression change as you spoke, she was almost unnaturally good at guessing. Leaving you pondering if she was psychic. But regardless- was she referring to the crimson and black bird? "Uh, yeah, he did" her face dropped slightly as she called the bird over who let out a chirp before flying over and sat on the ground who now surprisingly looked cute
"Actually, wait, there's another who I would like you to get used to too since these two can help you in case stuff gets dicey out there" she spoke quickly retrieving a luxury ball out from her bag before throwing it revealing a… Huge Pokemon.
Is.. Is that Giratina?
"W-wait…" you stuttered, obviously scared as the beasts red crimson eyes burning into yours as you stuttered, unable to break eye contact "Don't worry, he's friendly if he is used to you; although a bit of a recluse and loner" she said as she gently patted the beast who still was staring directly at you
The bird looked at the beast as well. Letting out a chirp before it got a noise in return and you couldn't help but notice her Zacian nearby looking at you too.
What is it with Pokemon and staring at me? Do I look off? Is my hair that much of a mess?
"Fenrir" the canine perked up, its ears wiggling slightly at hearing its name before it bounded over smiling, its beautiful ribbon-like braids flowing in the wind behind it as it then got pats on the head from its trainer.
The two other legendaries just continued staring at Y/N as they awkwardly just looked back at them the three having a very intense and uncomfortable stare down
A few minutes passed and she and her Zacian came back. "Right, as I was saying," she continued as she cleared her throat. Her canine sitting somewhat behind her listening to its trainer
"These two will help aid you with battling out here since the Pokemon are too strong for you since your partner is only roughly level 30 or so, if my memory serves me right"
Her canine let out a soft but echoing "Ruff" in response as if wanting to help "You'd really do that for Y/N?" the wolf barked In agreement before walking over to you, its eyes filled with determination.
"No, I'm sorry Fenrir, but I think you should stay with Reynard. Okay?" you petted the lupines head gently as it looked at you. A subtle look of sadness washed over its face as it went back over to its trainer its sword in its mouth; like a dog with a stick.
The two beasts continued to stare at you before the avian waddled over its tail dragging behind it not bothering to walk since the distance wasn't that big before it began letting out a chirp as it smiled and you couldn't help but smile back "Seems like Arkane already likes you"
She sounded almost unsure about what she was saying as if finding it hard to believe with her own hazel eyes what she was seeing. Her other Pokemon just continued staring at you, not moving an inch before it… Disappeared? But where? The Distortion World?? Where!?
It abruptly popped up next to you catching you off guard causing you to gasp, obviously at the huge thing basically Harry Houdini-ing next to you
"Yeah Hades' does that, you'll get used to it" she just nonchalantly mentioned as she was attending to her Zygarde, Zenith, who briefly looked in your direction before back at its trainer who was giving it pets.
How many bloody legendaries does she have?-
"Alright, you three go do whatever" she spoke as she then began pushing the human away with the two Pokemon trailing behind them, "You two" she spoke as the two looked at her "Protect Y/N and listen to them if they command you. Got it?" she commanded and the two nodded before the three set off "Come back whenever!" Reynard yelled as she retreated back to her tent, probably to sleep
You felt awkward with the two foreign Pokemon who were briefly chatting until a loud swoop could be heard and you got attacked. By an Emolga of all Pokemon.
You quickly decided you should try and catch it with a quick ball to add it to your Pokedex and it thankfully got caught instantly, you breathed a sigh of relief as you looked at the two gargantuan Pokemon who were looking intently at you until Arkane let out a shrill before smiling at you. The other subtly rolled its eyes
"Well that went better than expected" you muttered out loud as you continued walking, the two legendaries following behind you awaiting more attacks or needing to attack
*crack!* a loud cracking could be heard as the small Zorua from earlier stepped out from a bush with small scratch on its head, "Salem! You okay?" you ran over to the small kit who just yipped happily as if oblivious to the scratch which was easily noticeable considering its dark fur.
The kit then bounced over to the avian who just merely nuzzled the fox before grabbing the back of its neck/fluff with its maw before it dragging it up when Arkane began flapping his wings again.
"The more the merrier, I guess!" you exclaimed trying to hype yourself up before you four ventured into the Forest of Focus a second time, but hopefully to the grassland on the other side
"Rua! Rua!" The kit exclaimed as it broke free from the legendaries maw and sprung off, you three chasing after the small male who was smiling gleefully,
"Salem! Wait!" you yelled trying to get your hair out of your face as you tried to make sure you didn't lose sight of the small Zorua who seemed to be interacting with another Zorua
"Salem!" You'd figure it'd be easy to find the kit considering he had a small little collar with a bell connected to it which would've instantly brought him out from his crowd but… He wasn't wearing it, so he looked almost entirely like a normal wild one.
The wild one looked frightened and nervous as it yipped and sprinted back into the neighbouring grass leaving what you assumed to be Salem sitting down and grooming himself "Come on Salem, let's go." you asked as the Zorua just looked at you before leaping into your arms instantly snuggling into your chest.
A few hours passed of the little group searching around Isle of Armor and catching more Pokemon that Y/N wouldn’t have encountered if it wasn't for this pass…
Many of what you expected to be her Pokemon were running to you. Her Absol, her Zorua, her Zacian even. You weren't complaining they were all lovely companions you could see they really liked you and you felt relieved as you now felt safe with basically a whole party of mighty Pokemon roaming the island with you.
"Mal!" Rey could be heard crying as you could be seen panicking, her Zoroark could be seen running after her trying to keep up. "Go on, Reynard's looking for you"
The Absol returned to Reynard who was practically nearly on the verge of crying by now from fear of what could've happened to her beloved Pokemon and from what you could guess was stress too "Where were you?" she asked as she hugged the feline-looking Pokemon. you walked over towards the female who looked like she hadn't slept well. "How did you go with catching Pokemon?" she inquired after she caught her bearings and calmed down as she petted the white-furred Pokemon who was purring
"Yeah I did some. Look!" you exclaimed like a child opening their Christmas presents and seeing you look so excited made the champion feel better as she was panicking about how you were doing and whether or not you'd come back alive. Let's just say you aren't always the smartest in the wild areas flooded with Pokemon. There're many cases of her saving your ass from getting in very bad situations just because you not being careful enough.
You all returned back to Rey's campsite where you played with your new Pokemon and ended up sleeping. So in the end, you ended up enjoying yourself
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I've been working on this thing for basically a month or so (February 23rd to March 23rd) and decided to finally post it after I think I did a decent job finishing it before it gets way longer since it could definitely be longer- I'll maybe do a part 2? depends on how received this is I guess.
Ashes out <3
#pokemon sword#kinda a story#pokemon oc reynard#ashestoshadows#pokemon#nintendo#reynard x reader#gender neutral reader#i'm sorry i only do my oc basically#queued since march 23rd
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cast party || @foreverwednesday
JM SD BA AM: Doing something like this again made Betsy feel like she'd transported backwards ten years or so; she'd sworn she didn't miss performing all that much, that she was fine living a life without it... But then she'd jumped at the first opportunity and she absolutely knew why. She didn't know who any of the other cast was - the email had only told her what part she was playing and that she'd meet the rest of the cast tonight, at this party. She could only assume it was made up of other past members and whilst she was excited, she was also a little bit hesitant - the only person she still spoke to was Ashton and they hadn't even spoken about this, she hadn't thought to ask him. As soon as she walked into the venue, she walked straight over to the bar and ordered herself a Bacardi and coke, not even noticing that she'd accidentally jumped the queue in front of somebody. "Oh shit, sorry - I'm the fucking worst person, what do you want? I'll get it for you." She laughed, shaking her head - and then laughed harder as she saw who it was. "Caleb! Jesus, almost didn't recognise you. So you're doing this too, then?"
JM SD BA AM: "This is so fucking crazy, right?" Johnny chuckled as his and River's taxi pulled up outside the venue, a big grin on his face. They were all supposed to go together, but he'd been held up with lesson planning and River had volunteered to wait for him - so they were going to meet Caleb there. "I tell you what, I'm glad we had a couple of drinks on the way here, 'cause I'm actually kind of nervous." He smiled. He'd done a few bits of amateur performing here and there over the past few years, but this would be the first big thing... And more than that, he was nervous to see who else was there. He didn't think he'd left anything on bad terms with anybody, but there had always been a lot of drama back then. Who knew what would happen now, even if they were all a bit older? "Alright, my faithful companion - let us go in!" He grinned, offering River his arm to help her out of the taxi and making his way in there as quickly as he could. "Shit, we're some of the first ones here." He laughed, raising an eyebrow. "Where's our boy, then?" He smiled, looking around. "Oh, he's there! And there's Betsy! That's who he's talking to! Oh, I'm so glad she's back." He smiled, shaking his head.
JM SD BA AM: Many things in Audrey's life had changed over the last few years, but one thing had stayed the same - she was perpetually late, even more so since having Ivy and that was never going to change. Her brother was looking after her tonight; Billy was nineteen now, a far cry from the awkward teenager he'd once been and he was the most amazing uncle, Ivy loved having him babysit and she trusted him with her life. Even so, she'd gotten caught up laughing with the two of them while she got ready and hadn't looked at the time. She'd jumped on the tube as quickly as she could, figuring it would be quicker than a taxi, still shoving things into her bag as she ran out of the apartment. If she was honest, she wasn't really sure why she'd decided to do this... There was enough on her plate as it was; but she had a good few months before her next job and this place had done so much for her. It had given her a start. How could she say no, when they needed help? She was smiling as she rushed off the tube and to the venue, swinging her bag recklessly over her shoulder in attempt to get there as quickly as she could. Of course, without her even seeing it hit somebody around the shoulders and she turned in shock, a sheepish grin on her face - that turned into laughter when she saw who it was. "What the hell are you doing here?!" She laughed, looking up at Ashton. "Thought your performing days were behind you, Mr Big Shot Museum Curator?"
JM SD BA AM: In the weeks since he'd agreed to put up the money to allow the theatre to put on this show, Scott had asked himself why many a time. Why had he done it? Even now, he wasn't the kind of person who allowed himself to feel much, or at least he didn't want to be. He wasn't sentimental, but when he thought about the theatre and all of the memories there... Something in him just hadn't been able to stomach the thought of it going under. Now he was here, watching as people arrived and trying to figure out if he knew who they were or not - so far, everybody that had walked in had been either a stranger or somebody he didn't care very much to speak to, but as he saw Johnny and River walking in, he felt himself getting almost nervous. Things hadn't ended well there, but he had never quite been able to get River off his mind... He instantly wanted to speak to her, but he knew he couldn't. He hung back, watching the door - and then another blast from the past walked in. She was impossible to ignore, not just because of how even her entrance affected the room, but because he'd been staring right at her and it would be awkward to look away now. "Hettie." He greeted almost formally, nodding his head.
HD RW RM AK CK: Musical theatre had always been one of Calebs first loves and when he had been contacted about going back to his old theatre for another show, he felt like he had no choice but to say yes. He owed so much to that place. He had his two very best friends - Johnny and River - because of that place. And he was always going to be grateful for that. He'd been eager to get there, to see who else was going to be in the show. If he, Johnny and River were there, he was sure that there would be a bunch of other people that he knew. And he couldn't help but laugh as Betsy jumped the queue in front of him. He had always liked Betsy. She was ballsy and someone who knew her mind - she intimidated him but he thought that she was incredible. And he was glad to see that she was there too. "You're far from the worst person, Betsy." He laughed, shaking his head. He liked, though, that she seemed to recognise him instantly. He had been almost worried that people wouldn't recognise him as they were all coming in. He hadn't changed too much in the last five years but he had changed enough, he thought. "Yeah. And Johnny and River. The whole gangs back together!" He beamed. "It's good to see you, Bets."
HD RW RM AK CK: "Absolutely insane." River nodded. As she and Johnny were walking into the venue, she was once again questioning why she was doing this. Because she didn't need too. She had a good job and she was happy. She was fulfilled. And she had no idea who she was going to bump into when she opened up this door to the past. But she also knew that she would have gotten serious FOMO had she not joined her friends. She had taken the chance of being late just so that she could check that what she was wearing was absolutely what she wanted to wear. River didn't particularly care about what most people thought about her - but most people weren't her ex boyfriend. And entering a room where Scott was, she wanted to make sure that she was looking as perfect as she could - perfect for her, anyway. "If he's here, don't let him talk to me." She whispered to Johnny as they walked inside. Because the last thing that she wanted was to have to talk to Scott and she knew that she wouldn't be able to say no if he came over to her. As soon as she walked in, she spotted him. And she hated herself for it. She saw him whenever she walked into any room. It didn't matter who else was around, how many people there was in that room. If Scott was in a room, River would always see him first. She quickly turned her attention to Johnny, though, as he spoke about Betsy, "Oh, nice!" She smiled. "I wonder who else'll be here. Do you know anyone else?"
HD RW RM AK CK: Although Ashton was a father now, his life hadn't changed all that much. He was still able to travel, he was still able to do the job that he loved. He was still able to be a twenty something, with minimal responsibilities. And he knew that it wasn't the same for Audrey. And sometimes he felt a little guilty for that - but it never really lasted that long. She had been the one to decide to keep her, after all. It was because of Ivy that Ashton had thought Audrey wouldn't be doing this. He had assumed that she would be too busy. That was part of the reason why he had decided to join the musical. Because he hadn't thought that he would have to face her. But as the bag hit him and he saw her, he realised how stupid that had been. "Well, when the email from the theatre comes and they're begging for you to come back, I gotta say, the ego enjoyed the boost." He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm surprised to see you're here. I didn't think that you were still performing?"
HD RW RM AK CK: Hettie hadn't wanted to go to the musical on her own. She had begged Amber to come along with her but to no avail. And Hettie hadn't been able to say no. The idea of everyone being there, whispering about if she'd been invited, why she had said no, had been too much for her. She had, had to say yes. And when she had gotten the cast list back, she was pretty glad that she had. Like almost everyone, Hettie was intrigued as to who else had agreed to come back. Her eye met Scotts as she walked into the room and she slowly made her way over to him. "Scott." Hettie nodded, a smirk on her face as she looked up at him. It felt weird to greet him like this. Once upon a time, he had been her best friend, the most important person in her life. And now, she barely knew him. She had no real idea what was going on in his life, outside what she saw across the tabloids and she was sure there was more to it than what they said, "I didn't expect to see you here."
HD RW RM AK CK: Robyn had been running late to the cast party. She'd just met her cousin for a bit of food before she had gone. She was only supposed to be there for an hour or so but the two girls had gotten chatting and she had lost track of time. She had, had to go to the party in what she was wearing and she touched up her makeup in the taxi there. This definitely wasn't how Robyn had wanted to show up but she thought that it was better to show up than not at all. She was excited to see who else was going to be there. She was looking forward to spending time with some of her old friends and, hopefully, making some new ones. She was excited to see what everyone had been up to in the last five years since they had all been together.
JM SD BA AM: "Well yeah, clearly - I'm not Donald fucking Trump or something. But cutting the queue is still a bit of a dick move. I'm serious, what do you want to drink?" Betsy laughed as her drink was handed over, waiting to tap her card until Caleb had told her what he wanted. It was the least she could do, she thought. When she'd been at this theatre before, when she was younger, she wouldn't have even been able to afford to get somebody else a drink - things weren't that tight now, although she still wasn't exactly wealthy. "Oh shit, really?! I love that. I was hoping some of the old lot would be here." She smiled, looking around the room. She was trying her hardest not to think about it, but Betsy still couldn't help wondering if Robyn was going to be there... And she didn't know how she'd feel if she was. Part of her really wanted to see her and the other part... Would have no idea how to act. "It's good to see you too - you don't look any fucking different." She laughed, shaking her head. She thought it was so cute that the three of them were still friends, that they all knew what each other was up to. "You in touch with anybody else from the old gang?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Even as she was saying it, she could see Robyn walking in and her stomach jumped.
JM SD BA AM: Mostly, Johnny only had fond memories of this place and the friends he'd made there - and he'd always be grateful that it brought River and Caleb into his life, but he definitely remembered some harder times too. Especially for River; he had no idea how she'd cope seeing Scott, but he didn't think it would be good. "I won't, don't worry." He promised, shaking his head. He was pretty sure he'd read in the announcement that Scott was one of the people who'd put up a big sum of money - and so he was pretty sure he'd be there, but he was holding out hope for River's sake that he wouldn't be. "Uh, let me see..." He muttered, looking around. He saw Hettie almost right away; and of course, she looked beautiful. She always did. "There's Hettie, right there. Talking to -- oh." He muttered, trailing off as he realised who she was talking to. "Don't worry, I won't let him come over." He sighed. He wished things were easier for River.
JM SD BA AM: There was definitely a part of Audrey that resented Ashton for the life he was still able to lead; she'd had to stop working, she'd had to change apartments, she'd had sleepless night after sleepless night and she was the one raising their daughter... But she also knew there was no point in holding onto that resentment. It wasn't going to change anything and Ivy was the best part of her life. But she wished she hadn't had to struggle to so much, she wished he would just care a little more about his daughter. She wasn't ever going to get into that now, though - and she was so surprised to see him here. "Oh yeah, I bet you did - I can see the look on your face now." She laughed, shaking her head. "Do I even need to ask who they've got you playing?" She smirked. "Me? Of course I am." She laughed. "Went back to Bonnie and Clyde about... I don't know, five months ago? It was a short run, I'm supposed to be on a few months break now but... Couldn't say no when I got the email." She laughed.
JM SD BA AM: It felt so alien to Scott that Hettie was somebody he barely knew now; there had been a point when the two of them had known everything about each other, they hadn't even had to speak to know what the other was thinking and now they were just... totally separate. Even just speaking to her now felt like a huge deal, though. "Mm? Yeah, I can imagine. They asked me to put up some money and, well - it looks good." He raised an eyebrow. That wasn't at all why he'd done it, of course, but he wasn't going to admit he actually cared. "I did wonder whether you'd be here or not, though. They managed to tear you away from the West End?" He smiled, raising an eyebrow. Despite everything that had happened, he was so proud of Hettie for getting exactly what she'd always wanted.
HD RW RM AK CK: "Well, if you're serious.." Caleb thought for a moment before he spoke to the bartender, "Vodka, lime and soda, please. Make it a double since she's paying." He laughed cheekily. He thought that it was a good sign, though. He remembered how things had been back then. He remembered how much they'd both struggled when a lot of the others seemed to just be able to float on water - like they could do whatever it was that they wanted. He had always struggled and it hadn't changed now, either. "Yeah! I haven't seen anyone else just yet though." He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. He was definitely excited to see who else was going to be there. "No. Just those two. I have Audrey on instagram - have you seen her kid? She's so cute." He laughed, shaking his head. "But I don't really talk to anyone. I live with Johnny, though. And River, basically, but not officially." He smiled at her. Caleb was loving this already. He was so excited to get to know her all over again. "What about you? How're things with you? Do you talk to anyone still?"
HD RW RM AK CK: When Scott and River had started dating, she had known that there was a massive chance that she would get hurt. She knew his reputation and it wasn't good. But she had really thought that he would be different with her. He had always been different with her. And when she had seen the texts, that whole image had come crashing down around her and she couldn't fix it. No matter how much she tried. Though she knew that if she spoke to him now, there was a very big chance that Scott could crack her heart wide open all over again. "It's alright." She muttered, shaking her head a little. "It's okay. We thought he'd be here." She shrugged as Johnny spotted Scott. "Did you think that she'd be here?" She asked. She couldn't help but wonder what it was that Johnny thought about that.
HD RW RM AK CK: If Audrey had told Ashton about her pregnancy and asked for his opinion on it - or if this was some alternative reality and men were the ones to have the babies - he knew that there was no way he would've had Ivy. He didn't want children. And he wished that he'd made it a little clearer to Audrey. But he wasn't going to change his life for a decision that he hadn't even been a part off. He hadn't had a choice in the matter. If Audrey had wanted to do this, then it was on her. And he refused to feel too guilty for too long about any of it. "I just couldn't say no." Ashton laughed, shrugging his shoulders. In this setting, it felt like he was back to how they had been in the old days. "Probably not." He shrugged his shoulders. It was the obvious choice but he was excited about it regardless. He thought that he was going to have a lot of fun with it. "Right, of course." He chuckled, nodding his head. "And you're playing Audrey, right?" He asked her. Because he figured that, that was the obvious choice.
HD RW RM AK CK: Hattie really wished that the life that she had once visioned for her and Scott had come true. She wished that they could've made it through their issues and they could've been happy together ... it just wasn't supposed to be.And losing him as a friend had been the most heartbreaking thing to her. She missed him, even now. She had missed him through all of the big things that had happened to her. When she and Jack had gotten engaged, Scott was one of the first person that she had wanted to call, when she had found out that he had cheated, she had needed him. And yet she hadn't. She couldn't have. And now, stood in front of him, she knew that she couldn't tell him any of that. "Of course. Mr Money bags over here." Hettie laughed, looking up at Johnny. He had, had everything that he seemed to want and she couldn't be prouder of him. "Just for a little while." Hettie laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "I start in Heathers the day after we're done here. So I'll be rehearsing through the day and then coming to the shows in the evening." She was busy but that was exactly how she liked it. She wanted to make this work and working hard was the only way that she knew how to do it.
JM SD BA AM: Johnny had always tried to warn River that Scott wasn't the best person, that he'd broken Hettie's heart completely but at the end of the day he'd always known it was her decision to make - and he hated that it had backfired, that she'd trusted him and he'd crushed it. "Yeah, we did... But it's still shitty that he is." He sighed, shaking his head. He shrugged his shoulders at the question about Hettie. "I wasn't sure - I didn't think she'd pass up the opportunity, but she's probably so busy these days... I wasn't sure." He repeated, nodding his head. He'd absolutely thought about it, though - he'd thought about Hettie a lot over the past few years, wondering what she was up to.
JM SD BA AM: Audrey knew that realistically, she couldn't expect anything from Ashton, because she'd chosen to have Ivy and there had been no changing her mind. She just felt sad when she thought of her baby girl growing up with a distant father, like she had. It was crazy though because right now, standing here talking to him, she felt like she was twenty years old again. "I should've guessed. Your head'll be so big you won't be able to get back out of the door." She laughed, shaking her head playfully. It was obvious that Ashton would make a fantastic dentist, after all. "Yeah - I'm so forgetful that people don't even trust me to remember who I'm playing unless their name is the same as mine anymore." She grinned, rolling her eyes. Audrey had always been a dream role though, so she was happy - and so excited. "Come on, let's go in - find out who else you're gracing with your presence." She teased, nudging him gently as she pushed open the doors.
JM SD BA AM: Scott knew that he'd done a lot of bad things in the past, but he had no idea how to rectify them - he had just come to terms with the idea that he wasn't a good person, that he ruined things. And that's what he'd done to his friendship with Hettie. "Is that my new name?" He laughed, raising an eyebrow. Money had never been an issue for Scott, but especially not now - and he loved that it was all his own. He didn't have to rely on his parents for anything at all and it was the best feeling ever. "So it's worked out pretty well, then?" He smirked. He was so happy to see her here, he couldn't even deny it. It was always as though there was something that just drew him towards Hettie. "So in other words, you're fucking busy?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm happy for you, H. Really. You've done amazingly." He smiled.
HD RW RM AK CK: "Well, not every day Betsy Abbot offers to buy you a drink." Caleb laughed, shrugging his shoulders. He liked that things seemed to be going well for Betsy. He was sure that she was still working incredible hard but to see her get what she wanted in life - even from the outside - was nice. He was definitely looking forward to hearing how her life was going on. "Who do you think i'm playing?" Caleb asked, raising an eyebrow. He thought that, that was more interesting. When Caleb had been offered the part of Seymore, he had been so surprised but so happy. It had definitely been a dream role for him - one that he never really thought would happen. He was excited to see who he would be playing opposite from. "Oh shit. Yeah, got me beat there." He chuckled, nodding his head. Caleb hated that he and Audrey didn't speak much. When he had been in them musicals with her back in the day, he'd thought that they'd be friends for a long time and he was sad to realise that, that wasn't the case. "Oh, yeah." He laughed, "It's crazy! Like we're real fucking adults. I don't like it."
HD RW RM AK CK: When River had been with Scott, she hadn't really cared about anything else that was going on around them. She had been happy with him. River had never really been someone who care what other people thought about her and so she had never cared about the people in Scotts life who probably thought that she wasn't the most suitable person for him. "It's fine Johnny, really. We're both adults. We'll act like it." Since their break up, they hadn't really spoke so she had no idea how that was going to be - if they had to talk now. She turned to look at Johnny then, trying to read the look on his face as he looked over at Hettie. "Yeah, she's doing the most, isn't she." River responded. "How do you feel?" Because, really, she thought that, that was what mattered most.
HD RW RM AK CK: A part of Ashton wondered if he should try and be around a little more. He wondered if he should be there for his daughter like Audrey was... but every time he tried, he got cold feet. He'd spend a little bit of time with his daughter and he just didn't have that feeling. The feeling that everyone said you would have when you had a kid. He looked at Ivy sometimes and felt nothing, he felt almost cold towards her. And he knew that, that wasn't fair - and something he would never actually admit out loud. "Yeah, better play it down. Play it down." He laughed, nodding his head. He liked being back like this with Audrey. It almost felt like no time had passed at all. "Well, you have been out of the game for a little while. Can't really blame them." He shrugged his shoulders. He was almost certain that Audrey was going to be absolutely amazing in this role, though. He followed after Audrey, into the building, instantly scanning to see who else was in the room. "Looks like everyone fucking came back..." He muttered. Though he was definitely glad to see Scott there too.
HD RW RM AK CK: Hettie would've done anything to try and keep her friendship with Scott. They'd gone from knowing what the other was thinking just by a look, to not seeing or even speaking to one another and she had hated it. Like him, though, she had, had no idea how to rectify it. "Well, it fits, right?" Hettie raised an eyebrow. When she was last here, she was just like him. Money didn't really mean anything to her because she had enough to go around. It was different now - hence why she shared a flat with Amber. She was doing okay but she wasn't anywhere near what she had been before. "Yeah, pretty well." She shrugged before she laughed. She couldn't deny how proud of herself she was. "Thanks Scott. I'm proud of you too, you know. Look like we got everything we could've ever dreamed."
JM SD BA AM: "That's very true. Might as well take what you can get." Betsy laughed, nodding her head. She'd always been fairly sensible with money, because it had been a necessity - she hadn't had money to splash around like some of the others, every penny had mattered and in a way it still did. Just not as desperately as it had done when she was younger. "God, that's a hard one... I'm torn between Mushnik and Seymour. It's definitely one of those though, right?" She raised an eyebrow. She could see him as either; and it just depended on what everybody else had got. She was interested in finding out who her fellow urchins were, too. "I don't like it either, even if the kid is cute." She laughed, shaking her head. "Speaking of the devils - there they are." She laughed as she saw Ashton and Audrey walking in. "Wanna go over?" She asked. It seemed like the two of them still got on, after all.
JM SD BA AM: Johnny nodded; he believed with his whole heart that River could act like an adult even if she didn't want to, but he wasn't so sure about Scott. He hadn't spoken to the other since the last time they were in this theatre, but from what he'd seen in the media he didn't think the other had changed very much at all and he hoped that he wasn't going to try and make this difficult for River tonight. "She was always going to be." He chuckled, raising an eyebrow. He couldn't imagine Hettie ever choosing an easy life for herself; she had too much to do, too much potential. "Me? Absolutely fine." He smiled, squeezing River's arm reassuringly. "I mean, what happened between us was so long ago. We ended things as friends." He shrugged his shoulders. That was important to Johnny; he didn't like leaving things on a bad note with anybody.
JM SD BA AM: Audrey knew that she was lucky to have the family around her that she did; her grandparents loved any time they got to spend with Ivy, her brother was always around and her friends were the best aunties and uncles to her little girl... But sometimes she wished she could rely on Ivy's father, on Ashton, just a little bit more. She couldn't understand how he was content to miss out on such an amazing kid. She was already so funny, so loud and full of personality and he was missing it all. "True, I guess it's a good idea to start me off easy. Zero chance of me forgetting this one - although it is me, so maybe not zero. Like five percent chance." She grinned. "Oh wow..." She muttered as they got in and looked around the room, raising an eyebrow. "The whole gang's back together, aren't they?"
JM SD BA AM: There had been a time when Scott would've sacrificed anything for his friendship with Hettie, but after they had been together he just hadn't known whether they could ever go back to it... It felt like it was being together or nothing at all and if they'd stayed together, they would've ruined each other. It was better for them to be apart, that's what he told himself. "Maybe. It's crass, though." He laughed, shaking his head. Everybody knew he had money, but that didn't mean he wanted to go around talking about it - that was always his parents way and some things had to stick, after all. "Thanks, H." He smiled, nodding his head. "Yeah, I suppose we did." Scott had a dream life, he knew that - but it was so lonely and he wondered if it had always been bound to be this way. He had loved River, but he had still betrayed her - was that just the way he was? He couldn't hold onto anything good? He thought it might be.
HD RW RM AK CK: "Exactly. So I am." Caleb laughed, shrugging his shoulders. He definitely earnt more than he had when he was at the theatre last but the rent with Johnny was still a lot. He felt like he wasn't quite as well off as he had been before. He was happy, though, so he thought that, that was all that mattered. He got to spend every single day with his best friend and he got to do a job that he loved. He knew that a lot of people probably wouldn't be as happy about still being a cafe worker at 25 but he didn't mind. And he was working towards what he wanted for his life. He thought that it was fine. "Yeah. I'm Seymore." He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. He had thought that it was bound to be Johnny. Caleb thought that his best friend was the most talented person. "Do you think you'd ever do it? Have kids?" He asked her. Caleb definitely wanted a little brood. He just knew that it wouldn't be for a little while yet. He raised an eyebrow as he looked over to Audrey and saw her with Ashton. "Yeah, lets go." He smiled, gripping his drink before he started towards them.
HD RW RM AK CK: There was no that Scott being there was ever going to put River off of participating but she did wish that things could be a little better, could be less on bad terms. She hated feeling like this about someone who had been so important to her once upon a time but she also knew better than to think about going back there with him. She was sure that getting in deep with Scott would just end with her getting hurt again - it didn't look like he'd changed, after all. She had always been someone who gave him the benefit of the doubt when they were younger. It was hard to do that now. River nodded as he spoke, "That's good. I'm glad." She had known how excited he was about all of this and she hadn't wanted anything to ruin that - especially not Hettie being there. "Who do you think everyones been cast as?" She smiled, looking around the room. It was so nice but so strange to look around the room and see so many familiar faces.
HD RW RM AK CK: Ashton knew that if he admitted how he felt about Ivy, he would never get to see Audrey again so he just thought that it was easier this way. It was better to be absent than uncaring, he thought. "Yeah, it's never gonna be zero when you're around Auds." Ashton laughed, shaking his head. He had seen her a decent amount over the years but she was still exactly the person that he would think about when he thought back. She hadn't changed and he loved that about her. If it wasn't for Ivy, Ashton knew that he would almost definitely try and go home with the other. It was different now, though. He didn't think that it was going to be as easy anymore. He nodded his head as he glanced at Audrey and then took a look around the room, "Yeah, like time stood still."
HD RW RM AK CK: Hettie hated how badly things had ended between her and Scott. She hated that all of their history was ruined because they'd decided to jump into a relationship that wasn't really right for either of them. And she missed him. He had been her very best friend for so long. A part of her wondered if they would've made up by now if she was still around their families. If they had to see each other all of the time, she wondered if they would've had to talk. But, as it happened, they had both been too stubborn to talk to each other off of their own back. "Well, consider it done for, then." She shrugged, smiling up at him. Hettie hoped that he was done with his parents, too. She had never felt freer since they had kicked her out. "I'm going to grab a drink. Do you want anything?"
JM SD BA AM: In Betsy's mind, twenty four was still super young - she didn't feel stressed about the things she hadn't achieved yet, because she had so much time to make them happen. She thought it was totally normal for them to have normal jobs, to not have these big career paths yet. Especially for people like she and Caleb, who didn't just get everything handed to them. "Congratulations, that's sick!" She laughed, patting him on the arm happily. She thought he'd make a great Seymour; and she was curious as to who would be his Audrey. "Have kids? Yeah, of course. I have four brothers, it would be weird to ever have a quiet house." She laughed, nodding her head. "Not yet, though. In a while." She absolutely wanted kids, she had always imagined herself being a mother eventually. She smiled and followed after Caleb, giving Audrey and Ashton a wave as they reached the two of them. "Hey - it's mum and dad!" She laughed, nudging him jokingly. "Couldn't stay away from the stage, then?" She grinned, raising an eyebrow as she looked over to her friend. She thought it made sense that he was back here.
JM SD BA AM: Although he'd never really hidden his opinions of Scott, there had been a point there when Johnny had really thought he might've changed; he did seem to really love River and the pair seemed to have something good going for them. But then it had all come crashing down and he'd been so angry at Scott for what he'd done. "Yeah, me too. I'd like to talk to her at some point, you know? Find out what's happening in her life." He'd always held Hettie in such high regard and that hadn't changed now. "Well, we know three of 'em, don't we? Me, you and Caleb. I'm guessing Ashton is playing the dentist." He nodded. It only made sense. "Betsy will be one of the girls." Apart from that, he really wasn't sure. "You got any thoughts?" He smiled, raising an eyebrow. He liked this game, it was fun.
JM SD BA AM: "It's just about time I accept that, isn't it?" Audrey laughed, nodding her head in agreement. It was nice, being back here and chatting to Ashton like nothing had ever happened, falling back into their old ways - but she was still very aware that things had changed, that as much as she seemed it she wasn't the same person she had been five years ago. She had grown, she had gotten stronger. She wondered if Ashton realised that or not, or if he thought things could just end up the same way. "Exactly like that." She agreed with a nod of her head, a smile spreading across her face as she saw who was heading towards them. "Oh my god!" She laughed, throwing her arms around Caleb instantly. "I had no idea you'd be here, but I'm so happy you are!" She beamed into his shoulder. One of her biggest regrets was that she and Caleb hadn't stayed in touch, but life had been so hectic - she was so happy to see him now, though.
JM SD BA AM: Walking away from his family was something that Scott could have never regretted, but the one thing he did miss was being able to find out what Hettie was up to, how her life was going, from them. He hated that he was so in the dark, that they were almost strangers in some ways now. "Thank you." He laughed, nodding his head. He was so desperate to ask a thousand questions, to ask how she really was - but he knew he couldn't jump into that. It would be embarrassing. "I'll take a whiskey, if you're sure?" He smiled, raising an eyebrow. He didn't want to insult her by telling her he'd pay, he was sure he'd make it up by buying her a drink later on. "So - who will you be playing then, H?" He smiled curiously. He didn't know the musical very well, but he had watched the movie after putting up the money and he'd actually quite enjoyed it.
HD RW RM AK CK: When his friends had been going off to university, Caleb had hung back. He hadn't wanted to jump into something and have it not be what he actually wanted to do. If he was going to go to university, going to get in that much debt, then he wanted to make sure that it was for something that he really wanted to do. And he felt pretty passionate about what he was doing now. "Thanks!" Caleb laughed. He was pretty proud of himself and he really hoped that he would do a good job. He'd missed performing so much. He didn't want his first attempt back to be a failure. "Yeah, loads of time." He laughed, nodding his head. Caleb couldn't wait, though. He hoped that it wouldn't be too long away. As they made their way to Audrey, he couldn't help but beam at her. He quickly wrapped his arms around her. "Hey! You look good, mama." He laughed, squeezing her slightly before he pulled back. "It's good to see you Audrey. Really good." He nodded. A part of him wondered - hoped - that she would be his Audrey. He knew that he'd feel instantly at ease if she was.
HD RW RM AK CK: "I think so. Baby brain was already a thing with you before Ivy. Least now you have an excuse." Ashton chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. He felt like the old days - before their daughter had come along. Ashton sometimes wondered if Audrey regretted having her or if it was just him. Ashton definitely hoped that things could be like they had been back in the day and a part of him thought that they probably would be. He was definitely intrigued to find out if he was right about that or not, though. He smiled, though, as he heard Betsys voice and turned to look at her. "Oh shut up." Ashton laughed, rolling his eyes. "More like I thought you guys would probably need someone with my excellent stage presence." He smirked at her, knowing full well that she would never let him get away with saying something like that.
HD RW RM AK CK: Sometimes, River wondered if she had overreacted to the texts on Scotts phone. He'd been so adamant that nothing had happened but she couldn't help but wonder if it was more than that. If she'd have let that slide then she wondered if he would've taken it a step forward. And she didn't want that what if hanging over her. River hadn't really seen anyone since him. She was far too busy, far too focused. "You can go talk to her if you want. Don't let me stop you." River smiled. In reality, she kind of wanted an excuse to talk to Scott. She knew that she had told Johnny to keep her away from him but it just felt weird that he was over there and she couldn't talk to him. A part of her figured that things would be so different now that it wouldn't matter what they said to one another, anyway. "Oh definitely. To both." She nodded. "Do you think that Hettie would be Audrey? Or do you think that's Audrey?" She laughed a little. She figured that it was obviously one of those two.
HD RW RM AK CK: Hettie hadn't even known that Scott wasn't talking to his family anymore. She had been completely cut off from that world the moment that her parents kicked her out. The Davenports didn't speak to her anymore and neither did any of her familys friends. They pretended like she didn't exist, crossed the street to avoid if her if came across them. And she hated it but she had always known that, that was going to happen. It had almost felt like Scott had turned his back on her back then too. He'd been her safe space for a little while after everything that had happened ... and then he was gone. "Of course I'm sure." she rolled her eyes. Because she didn't see the point in him questioning her. She, obviously, knew that he still had a lot of money but she was doing well herself. She was proud of herself. She'd built herself back up from literally nothing. "Crystal. You know, the one who stands and belts her ass off." She laughed, shaking her head. "You didn't feel like joining us on the stage?"
JM SD BA AM: There had never been a question of what Audrey wanted to do; it was performing all the way, it was her passion and nothing made her happier. But the question had been whether or not it was a viable option; for a working class family, sending your child to drama school wasn't easy and she'd had to consider whether or not she would be able to support herself, to make it through. She'd been determined though and when she looked back now, she was proud of herself and everything she'd managed to achieve - and she knew without a doubt that when Ivy was old enough, she'd break down every single door she could for her. "Thank you!" She laughed at the compliment, squeezing Caleb back before she pulled away. "You too. I'm so excited that you're here, I swear - you feature in like eighty percent of my funny stories and I'm running out, I need some more." She grinned, shaking her head. "Who are you playing?" She was so hoping he would say Seymour, she couldn't imagine a better person to play opposite.
JM SD BA AM: Betsy laughed as Ashton told her to shut up, rolling her eyes back at him. Her friendship with Ashton was her favourite kind of friendship; the one where you could ignore each other for months and yet still be exactly the same when you eventually saw each other again. "Oh god yeah, how could we have coped without you? You did us all a favour by coming back, really." She grinned. This was something she'd missed almost as much as the performing, the togetherness of the cast and how well she'd gotten on with some of them. She couldn't help that her gaze kept flickering over to Robyn even though she wanted to be talking to Ashton, it was so hard to not wonder why she was here, what she was thinking... Betsy was pretty sure Robyn had been the first person she'd ever really loved, she had truly seen a future with her and having to revise all of that had been so hard. She wanted to talk to her, but she also didn't. And she had no idea which way she'd swing.
JM SD BA AM: Johnny raised an eyebrow as River spoke; he hadn't even realised that his desire to go and talk to Hettie was so obvious, but he almost felt a little embarrassed about it now. He knew that River wouldn't judge, though. She would understand. It wasn't as though he'd spent his whole adult life pining for Hettie, but he'd absolutely always carried a torch for her for a while; he just thought she was incredible and seeing her now, so accomplished, reaffirmed that. "But what about me being your Scott blocker?" He chuckled, raising an eyebrow. He didn't want to leave her open for Scott to come and ruin her night. "I think it's gotta be Audrey, right?" He raised an eyebrow. He thought Hettie was too strong, she'd be much more likely to be one of the urchins. Probably the lead one.
JM SD BA AM: Scott knew how things worked in their world and as much as his parents had claimed that Hettie was a disgrace to her family and that they wanted nothing to do with her, they'd still kept tabs on what she was doing over the years which meant he'd been fed the information too. And he was so happy for her. He was so happy she'd gotten everything she'd ever dreamed about having. It was an argument he'd had with his parents many, many times - he would never stand there and listen to them slander her. "Then a whiskey it is." He laughed, nodding his head. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her, but he knew how inappropriate it would be. "I don't know them by name, but from that description - I think I know who you mean. You'll be perfect." He laughed, a fond smile on his face. He was trying his hardest not to look over to River; he knew he didn't deserve to speak to her and that she probably wouldn't want to speak to him, but it was so bizarre that she was here and he wasn't around her. "Absolutely not. Not for all the money in the world." He laughed, rolling his eyes. "It was fun while it lasted, but those days are behind me. Plus, the boys on the team would have my ass." He smirked.
HD RW RM AK CK: Musical theatre had always just been a bit of a hobby for Caleb. He loved it and he really did feel like he was on such a high whenever he was on stage ... and he didn't want to ruin that by trying to make it into more than that. He thought that the way that it was now - with him in a show every now and again - was enough for him. He liked how his life was and he didn't know how many people his age got to say that. "Ah, so Ivy knows who I am, then?" Caleb beamed. He knew that she was only young and he didn't know her but he liked that she might know him already. He loved being around kids. His little sister was only seven so he'd had plenty of experience around them. He really hoped that he got to meet Ivy. "Seymore!" Caleb laughed. "Please tell me that you're Audrey?"
HD RW RM AK CK: As he had gotten older, Ashton hadn't really been able to keep the friendships he'd had since he was young. He had his very best friend but that was it. At this point, Scott and Betsy were two of his oldest friends. And he didn't get to see either of them all that much. He thought that, that was adult life, though. You got busy and it was difficult to keep up with people. He could understand that. What he did like, though, was that things felt the same whenever he was around them. "Exactly. I couldn't just stand back and watch you all fall on your faces because I wasn't around. I'm doing you a service, obviously." He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. He was under no impression that things would stay this friendly between everyone for the entire run but he was going to enjoy it while it lasted.
HD RW RM AK CK: River didn't mean to make Johnny feel silly but she thought that it was obvious that he'd want to catch up with her. She always thought that Hettie was basically his 'one that got away'. And she could understand how he felt. Wanting to catch up with someone who had meant so much to him once upon a time made sense. "Like I said, I'm a grown up. If he comes over, I can handle it. You don't need to worry about me." River shrugged. She wondered if he would and she didn't know what she actually wanted. She thought that if he didn't, she'd convince herself that he never really cared for her in the first place ... but if he did, then it meant that she would have to talk to him and she had no idea if she really wanted to do that or not. Scott had truly broken her heart and, if she was honest, she felt like he'd made a fool out of him. She had trusted him and he had broken that trust. "Calebs gonna love that, if so." River laughed, smiling at Johnny. She wondered if anything was going to happen there between them - she hoped so. She thought that it was about time that Audrey woke up and realised how perfect Caleb was for her.
HD RW RM AK CK: A part of Hettie hoped that Scott would still defend her around his parents, around the people that she used to spend half of her life with. She didn't know if she thought that he would, though. "Alright." She nodded and turned to the bar so that she could order their drinks. She liked that he still felt familiar that way. At least she still knew something about him. "Hopefully." She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. She was excited about the show. She loved performing with this group of people, after all. "Does that mean that they're not gonna come see the show? Shame, I could do with a footballer on my arm." Hettie laughed, shaking her head. She wondered if that was a step too far. It was how they would've joked back in the old days but it wasn't like the two of them were friends anymore. They hadn't really spoke for a long, long time.
JM SD BA AM: "Of course she does, what do you think I am?" Audrey laughed, rolling her eyes playfully. Even though Ivy was only one, she had so much personality and Audrey spoke to her the same as she would any adult; she told her stories, asked her opinions, chatted away - and plenty of those stories included Caleb, all of the old gang. She wouldn't have it any other way. "You'll have to meet her, she's amazing." She smiled, it was clear how proud she was just from the look on her face. Her smile grew instantly as soon as Caleb told her who he was playing and she punched the air triumphantly, letting out a joyful laugh. "YES!" She grinned happily. "I am! Oh, this is going to be so much fun." She laughed, shaking her head.
JM SD BA AM: Betsy's life was too busy for her to see any friends she had every day of her life; and she didn't think she'd enjoy a friendship like that anyway, she enjoyed her alone time too much. She hated clinginess. It was why a few of her relationships hadn't worked out. "You're such a dick." She laughed, shaking her head. She took a sip of her drink, then. "How do you feel being back, then? Things feel any different?" She smirked. From what she'd witnessed with him and Audrey talking, she thought things seemed pretty much the same. "I can't people how many people I actually know here, I thought it was going to be a bunch of strangers." She laughed.
JM SD BA AM: River was probably the least judgemental person Johnny knew, so although it was a little embarrassing to be so openly wanting to talk to Hettie, he knew that he could bear it all in front of River and she wouldn't care a jot. "But you asked me to make sure he didn't talk to you?" He raised an eyebrow. He wasn't going to argue if River said it was really fine, but he wanted to make sure she wasn't being brave just because he wanted to speak to Hettie. He hated how Scott had broken her heart, had destroyed the trust she'd been so good as to have for him. He chuckled as she spoke about Caleb though, nodding his head. "Yeah, I just - I hope he's careful." He smiled, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't want to see either of his friends hurt again.
JM SD BA AM: Scott didn't think there was a world where he wouldn't defend Hettie, no matter what happened between them - he had always thought of her as one of the most amazing people he knew and he only thought more of her after she'd walked away from her parents, even if he'd worried about her. "Oh no, I'm sure I can convince them to come and see it - I'll just show them your picture and tell them you're interested. They'll come flocking." He laughed, rolling his eyes. He liked that Hettie still felt as though she could joke like that. To even his surprise, it wasn't his relationship with Hettie that he missed... it was the friendship. He missed having her as his best friend, he missed the connection they'd had. And now he found himself wondering if there was any chance they could get it back.
HD RW RM AK CK: "Good. Good to know I wasn't forgotten over the years." Caleb laughed. He had really tried to put his feelings for Audrey aside and just tried to be her friend but it was hard. He had thought that he loved her - and even now, he was pretty sure that, that was what it was - so her rejecting him had hit him deeply. He had never wanted to be the kind of person to cut someone off because she couldn't feel the same way as him but it had been hard to be around Audrey all of the time. Especially as he saw how badly Ashton would treat her and she'd just let him get away with it. "I'd love to meet her. I'm sure she's great!" He smiled. Caleb loved kids. And he was sure that Audreys kid would be the best amongst them all. He was practically beaming as Audrey told him who she was playing, "Oh, sweet!" he laughed, nodding his head. "This'll be perfect." He nodded. He had been excited before but he was so excited now.
HD RW RM AK CK: Ashton definitely felt the same way as Betsy. If his friends were a little too clingy, then it would definitely be something that he didn't like. He didn't think that it needed to be the case. He thought that they were too old to be too insecure. Ashton shrugged his shoulders, laughing a little. He'd definitely been called that before and it pretty much just bounced off of him. "Not really. It's like some sort of fucking time machine. I've gone back give years." He laughed, shaking his head. "You been able to catch up with anyone else, yet?" For the first time that night, he let his gaze cross the room, taking in who else was there and it was pretty much the usual suspects. He was pretty surprised, if he was honest. He didn't think that everyone would've come back.
HD RW RM AK CK: "I know." River nodded. "I know I did but i'm not going to make you stand with me all night on Scott duty, Johnny." She laughed before she shrugged her shoulders, "Besides, if we're going to be seeing each other more often then it's probably better that we get used to it. I'll have to talk to him eventually, right?" Though she still wasn't sure how she felt about that. Over the three years since they had been together, River had only dated one person and it hadn't been anywhere near how she had felt for Scott. She wished him and she wished that she didn't. "I'll be alright, I promise." She nodded. She didn't want to hold Johnny back if he wanted to go and talk to someone else. She didn't want him feeling like he had to be with her all evening. River nodded, "He knows what he's doing." She hoped so, anyway. River had really liked Audrey and she was definitely looking forward to spending some time with her now that they were all adults.
HD RW RM AK CK: One of Hetties biggest regrets was how everything went down with Scott. She regretted that she had let their feelings for one another get in the way of their friendship. For a little while, Hettie had really, truly believed that Scott was her soulmate. She had thought that they would spend their lives together, in one way or another. And letting go of that idea had been so difficult for her. Though, now, she wished that they had never tried to change things between them in the first place. Because then, she thought, they might have been able to keep a hold of the friendship that had been so special to her. She laughed as Scott spoke and nodded her head, "Alright, you do that." She smiled at him. "Don't make me sound desperate though, jeez." Hettie rolled her eyes. Just having Scott back in her life was so nice. She had known that she had missed him but she had, had no idea just how much until now.
JM SD BA AM: "Did you seriously think I could've forgotten you?" Audrey laughed, shaking her head. When she looked back, she regretted a lot of what had happened between she and Caleb; they'd had the best time together, he had been one of her closest friends and it had all felt just a little bit awkward after he'd told her how he felt. She knew that on paper, he had been the perfect man for her; but she'd been so wrapped up in Ashton, in wanting him, that she hadn't been able to look past it. "Oh, she is. She says 'mama' in this tiny, baby Scottish accent and it's fucking adorable." She laughed, nodding her head in agreement. "It's going to be so much fun, I can't believe you're Seymour!" She beamed. She was so excited. "Do you know who anybody else is playing?" Performing as a job was something she'd always dreamed about, but there was something about being back here with her old friends, doing it for fun that just felt really cathartic.
JM SD BA AM: "That's how it feels, doesn't it? Nobody even seems to have changed that much." Betsy shook her head. She was sure peoples lives were wildly different now, but it would take some time to figure that out. "I got talking to Caleb a bit at the bar, he seems exactly the same. And you're pretty much the only one I've kept in touch with." She laughed. She'd managed to catch Hettie and Audrey when they were in Grease, but that was still a long time ago now. "Have you?" She raised an eyebrow. She figured that Ashton would probably be the same as her, it wasn't as though he considered many of these people great friends. "I see Robyn's here, too - that's awkward, right?" She laughed, shaking her head. She just wanted to address it, if she was honest - because it felt weird not to talk about it.
JM SD BA AM: "I would, if you wanted me to." Johnny chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. If River wanted a bodyguard for the whole night then he'd be happy to do it, but he also understood what she was saying - if Scott was going to be a part of this project, then River was going to have to get used to being around him, even if it was hard. "Just don't let him... You know. Be Scott." He smiled wryly, raising an eyebrow. He knew that Scott knew how to talk the talk, he was too good at it and he didn't want River getting hurt again. "Yeah, I think he does." He nodded. Johnny just wanted to see his two best friends happy; their lives had been relatively calm over the past few years and he had a feeling they were about to turn upside down again.
JM SD BA AM: Hettie had always been the one that knew Scott the best and for a while, he had assumed that meant they were supposed to be together; if somebody could know the ugly parts of you and still want to be around, didn't that mean they were the one for you? He didn't believe that anymore. He thought they'd ruined what they had by being together, as much as he'd loved Hettie... He missed their friendship. He missed having her around. "Oh please, I would never. I know what I'm doing." He laughed, rolling his eyes. "So what happened, anyway? Last I heard, there was a big rock on your finger?" He raised an eyebrow. He didn't know if that was insensitive or not, but he was definitely curious.
HD RW RM AK CK: "I'm just making sure! Don't know what you'd do." Caleb laughed. He had been so sure that how he felt for Audrey was mutual. He had convinced himself that they were supposed to be together. Her rejecting him had never been something that he had properly considered. And it had been too difficult to be around her and then it was too long to mend things. He was so glad that he was getting the chance to do so now. He smiled even wider as she continued to talk about Ivy. "I bet she's the most adorable little thing. You've really taken to motherhood, huh?" He raised an eyebrow. He thought that, that was good, though. Audrey was made to be a mother, he thought. "Yeah! Johnnys Mushnik which is exciting - We live together now. And Riv - Rivers Audrey 2 which is going to be so much fun!" He thought that this had been cast so, so perfectly. And he was so excited to see how they all went.
HD RW RM AK CK: "Yeah, exactly. Which is fucking bizarre because i feel like i've lived a million lifetimes since we were last here." Ashton chuckled. He was definitely intrigued to find out what had happened with everyone. And he definitely didn't like Audrey and Caleb being like they were. He didn't think that he would ever shake how he felt for Audrey. "Course he is." Ashton commented, though he tried not to let the other hear how he really felt about that. He didn't like that Caleb was there but he wasn't about to kick up a fuss about it. "I see Scott pretty often but that's it." He shrugged. He had never really counted any of the others as friends. Not like Betsy had, anyway. Ashton hadn't even noticed that Robyn was there until Betsy had said something and he shrugged his shoulders, "Depends on how you feel about it, doesn't it? Have you guys not spoke since you broke up?"
HD RW RM AK CK: River laughed as Johnny spoke and nodded her head. "I know you would." And she did. She really did trust Johnny. She knew that he would always have her back if she needed him. Growing up, River had always wanted friends like this and she felt so grateful to have Johnny and Caleb - people who she knew would have her back, no matter what happened. "I know. I won't." She nodded. She hoped not, anyway. The last thing that she wanted was to let him under her skin again. She was pretty sure that Johnny would never forgive him for what had happened the last time, after all. "And you. Don't get wrapped up in her again. You deserve more, okay?" She asked him. Because she hoped that he knew that. She figured that he did.
HD RW RM AK CK: Hettie didn't think that she would ever stop loving Scott. She still thought that he was the love of her life - but the platonic love of her life. And, if she got the chance, she wanted to make that clear to him. She wanted them to be friends again. She missed Scott so much. She missed their friendship. She hoped that it wasn't just a one sided thing. "Oh. Yeah, well, turns out he was a cheating asshole so.." Hettie shrugged her shoulders. It was definitely still raw but she wasn't about to berate Scott for asking. She could understand the curiosity, after all. "Who's the flavour of the month for you?" She retorted, smiling a little so that he knew she was just playing around with him.
JM SD BA AM: "That's because it's been too long since we've seen each other, you've forgotten all about me." Audrey laughed, nudging him teasingly. When she looked back, she could hardly believe how much of a spell she'd been under when it came to Ashton - and even now she could feel the spark there, she wasn't going to deny that, but she didn't think she'd ever let herself be treated like that again. She didn't think she'd fall for the same tricks. "I guess so. Which I never expected to happen, but you know - didn't really have much of a choice." She chuckled. She would never, ever regret having Ivy, though. "That's so exciting! God, you guys living together is like your dreams coming true, right?" She grinned, raising an eyebrow. She could imagine it being such a happy household. "And how's Amber?! I haven't seen her in forever!" Because the last Audrey had heard, they were still together - and she couldn't imagine why that would've changed now.
JM SD BA AM: "God, right? I feel like a totally different person." Betsy laughed, although she knew that was an exaggeration - she was fundamentally the same; she believed the same things, she enjoyed the same things, her actions hadn't changed, but so much had happened in her life that the others didn't know about and she was sure it was the other way around, too. She raised an eyebrow at Ashton's reaction to Caleb, although she couldn't help laughing - she didn't think there'd ever be any love lost there. "Yeah? That makes sense. His life seems like a fucking fantasy, though." She smiled, raising an eyebrow. She couldn't believe how big Scott had gotten; or that he was actually here. She wondered if it was because River was here. Or Hettie. "Not really. There wasn't much to speak about." She shrugged her shoulders. She didn't want to think about how much it had hurt to break up with Robyn; it was probably the hardest decision she'd ever made, but Betsy knew she couldn't have kept things a secret for much longer. It wasn't fair.
JM SD BA AM: There was absolutely nothing that Johnny wouldn't do for River or Caleb; they were as much his siblings as his biological sister, maybe even more so and he would go to the ends of the earth to make them happy. Even if that meant standing up to Scott and making a drama; but he was relieved that for now, at least, River didn't seem to want that. "Good." He smiled, nodding his head. He was sure they had all seen Scott's colourful dating history over the past few years and he didn't want River to be another name on the list, just because Scott thought it would be easy to get back in there. "In Hettie? Of course not." He chuckled, shaking his head. He hadn't even thought of it like that, truthfully; he just admired Hettie, he wanted to talk to her because he thought she was brilliant and he'd missed having her around. He very much doubted she was single, anyway - she had always been the type of girl who liked being in a relationship and she was absolutely gorgeous, so he couldn't imagine that somebody wouldn't be completely in love with her by now. "Wanna head over?" He asked, reaching down to squeeze River's hand gently.
JM SD BA AM: Everything he and Hettie had been through together was too much for Scott to ever forget and the feelings he had for her would last forever, but he didn't think he actually had any desire for the two of them to be together anymore - and if he was honest, he hadn't for a while. He thought the both of them had realised that when they were together, it wasn't meant to be that way. He hated that they'd messed it all up so badly. He raised an eyebrow as Hettie spoke about her ex-fiance, shaking his head. "Fucking prick." He rolled his eyes. "You're well shot of him, H. I'll set you up with a good looking footballer, don't worry." He smirked. He hated that somebody would treat her like that. "Right now? Nobody. Management thinks I should stay single for a while." He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. After everything with Alessia, they thought he needed to stay out of the press for at least a month or so.
HD RW RM AK CK: "Oh now, that's impossible." Caleb laughed, shaking his head. He knew that he would never forget Audrey. She was one of the most important people in his life and he thought about the time the two of them spent together so fondly. He just hoped that she still wasn't under the same kind of spell that she had been back then. He thought that she deserved so much more than Ashton. "Yeah, I guess not. It looks good on you, though." He smiled, nodding his head. He thought that Audrey had always been gorgeous but there was something about the way that she lit up when she was talking about Ivy, when she spoke about what she did, that was so attractive to him. "Yeah, exactly. It's the best!" He smiled, nodding his head. He loved living with Johnny. It was like a sleepover with his very best friend and the magic of that hadn't worn off just yet. "Ambers good." Caleb nodded. "We're not together anymore but she's good. We're still friends." He shrugged. She was - minus Johnny and River - his very best friend.
HD RW RM AK CK: "Exactly. All of this feels like such a long time ago." Ashton gestured to the room. So many things were both the same and different now. And he found that so strange. Being around all of these guys was pretty interesting to Asthon. He felt like he was back in university all over again. He definitely wondered how things were going to go, though. It had been so dramatic back in the day. He didn't know if that would be the case now that they were all a little bit older. "Scotts? Yeah, I guess so." He laughed, nodding his head. He was definitely glad that he got to still spend time around Scott. He thought that things would be interesting whenever the other was around. "Then it's not awkward." He shrugged. "You had to think that she might be here, Bets?"
HD RW RM AK CK: River didn't have any siblings but Johnny and Caleb were exactly how she thought that having siblings would be like. They were two of her favourite people and she would do absolutely anything to make sure that the two of them were okay. It had been harder to get over Scott than River had ever thought it would be. She had seen him splashed across some newspaper or trashy magazine with some different girl every few months. Seeing that he had moved on, without a care, definitely hurt her. It still continued to sting now. River had only had one relationship since him but it had barely been anything. He'd had multiple that seemed to be pretty intense. "Good. Don't." River sighed. She would hate for Johnny to get hurt because he had allowed himself to get distracted by Hettie all over again. Especially since she was sure that he was still hurting over Mikey. "Yeah. Lets go." River nodded. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand gently. She wondered if Johnny could feel how fast her heart was beating. She hoped not. She didn't want him knowing how nervous she was.
HD RW RM AK CK: It felt so nice to be back with Scott, to be able to talk to him - like friends. Hettie had really missed that and now that she had it back, she didn't think that she was ever going to be able to let him go again. She nodded as Scott spoke about Jack. Because he was right. And he wasn't saying anything that she hadn't already told herself. "You're not telling me something that I don't already know." Hettie shrugged, reaching to smooth down her hair a little. It had always been her nervous habit. And talking about Jack was a sure fire way of upsetting her. She didn't want anyone to see that. She wanted to be over him, to ignore that he had ever done anything like that in the first place. "Are you going to listen to them?" She laughed. She'd seen all of Scotts dating life across magazines and such but she wondered how much truth there was to all of them. She knew better than to judge Scotts actions from what she read.
JM SD BA AM: "I would hope so." Audrey laughed, raising an eyebrow with a grin. Being back with this group of people made her feel a certain type of way, almost like she'd gone back in time - and she remembered who she had been back then, the things that had happened. She didn't think she would stand for a lot of it now. Her face lit up as Caleb spoke; she had never been a particularly insecure people, but motherhood had its effect on everybody and when you spent so many days covered in baby food and scraping your hair up because you didn't have time to wash it, it was definitely nice to hear a compliment every now and again. "Thanks, Caleb." She beamed. "I bet! That's like, one of the main things I miss about uni, the constant company." She laughed. "Oh, really? It's nice that you're friends, though - you were always really sweet together." She smiled, nodding her head.
JM SD BA AM: "You think everybody is gonna fall back into old habits?" Betsy laughed, looking around the room as Ashton did. She definitely did, anyway - she thought it was hard not to, when you had as much history as the people in this room did. There was a lot of first loves in there and she didn't think that kind of thing ever really went away. "Yeah, Scott. He's a big celebrity now, right? I'm surprised he's graced us all with his presence." She laughed. As much as she'd grown, that kind of wealth still made her sick to her stomach and she couldn't deny it. How could any one person have that kind of money, when some people still had nothing? It would never sit right with her. "I guess I should've. Do you think I should talk to her?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn't want things to be weird, not if they were going to be working alongside each other.
JM SD BA AM: When Scott's dating life had first made the front pages, Johnny had done his best to try and keep it out of River's way - he didn't think she needed to see any of that, not when she was starting to heal, but it had been hard to keep it from her entirely when it was so prominent. His popularity was growing by the day and so everybody wanted an interview, a picture, anything. He had been so angry at Scott for it, even though he knew it was probably unfair. "Let's go." He repeated with a soft smile, leading the way over to where Scott and Hettie were talking. He took a breath, a smile on his face as they approached the pair. "Hey, you guys! I can't believe you're here." He chuckled, addressing that last part to Hettie. He was sure she was so busy, that her life was crazy, but he was definitely glad to see her. "Not that I don't think it's a good thing - it's really nice to see you."
JM SD BA AM: "I figured that, but still. From experience, it's still nice to hear somebody else saying it." Scott laughed, shrugging his shoulders. He thought it was just nice to hear that people were on your side - and he was always going to be on Hettie's, even after all this time. He had to resist the urge to reach out and touch her hand as she smoothed her hair; he knew her well enough to know that was a nervous habit, but it wasn't up to him to soothe that anymore. "Who knows? So far, I haven't found anybody worth ignoring it for." He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. He knew what kind of things were printed about him and not all of them were unfair, but a lot of it was exaggerated. He turned instinctively as he heard people approaching them, feeling his stomach flip slightly as he saw River. He cleared his throat, sticking his hand into his pocket nervously. "River, hi." He had missed her. That was the first thought he had as he looked at her face; he missed her and he had no idea how to talk to her right now. But he wanted to.
HD RW RM AK CK: Caleb smiled as he looked down at Audrey - he basically hadn't stopped smiling since the two of them had come face to face again. He was someone who tried to make a joke out of everything , he liked seeing the bright side of things but he never felt happier than when he was around Audrey. She was one in a million, he thought. "I honestly can't wait to meet her." He laughed, nodding slightly. He thought that anyone that came from Audrey was going to be amazing - even if she was half Ashton. "Does he see her often?" He asked, obviously referring to Ashton. "I honestly wouldn't change it. It's so fun. River spends most of the time at the house too." He smiled. He was so happy whenever he was around both of them. "Yeah, she's one of my best friends." He nodded.
HD RW RM AK CK: "Probably. It'd make sense, right?" Ashton raised an eyebrow. He didn't think that it would be possible that they were all around one another like this and they didn't revert a little bit to how they had been when they were younger. It wasn't like any of them had been particularly low key, after all. He wouldn't say it out loud but he figured that Audrey was his first love. And he knew that he wasn't the only person in that place who thought of someone else in the room as their first love, too. "Yeah, course he is. He worked hard for it." Ashton shrugged. He knew that Betsy didn't like people like that - people with too much wealth - but he would defend Scott over pretty much anyone. He shrugged again at her questions, "That's for you to decide, Bets. Do you want to talk to him?"
HD RW RM AK CK: *her
HD RW RM AK CK: Hettie nodded her head, "It is. It's good to know you're still there." She confirmed. If things had been really bad, Hettie was pretty sure that if she showed up on Scotts doorstep, he would've let her in. They'd grown up together. They'd been everything for one another while they were growing up. There was always going to be that kind of connection there - no matter what had happened between them in the past. "Well, then I guess we'll see what happens." She laughed. She only turned away from Scott when she heard Johnnys voice and she couldn't help but smile, a little. She hadn't seen him for a long, long time and she was so happy that he was here. "Hey." She nodded. "Oh yeah? How come? Because I'm such a star?" She laughed, raising an eyebrow. She thought that it was clear that she was just joking, though. She couldn't deny the flutter of her heart as Johnny said it was good to see her, "I'm glad to see you, Johnny." She nodded.
HD RW RM AK CK: River was so nervous as they moved over to Scott and Hettie. She had never felt like this when she was around Scott before and she hated it. She had been so sure that he was a good guy, that he could be good for her ... and he had done what he always did. She hated that she had been such an idiot. And she hated that he had let her feel like that. River still had so many feelings around all of that and she wished that she could stop. As he looked at her, though, she could feel the butterflies in her stomach. "Hi Scott." River sighed. "How are you doing?" She asked him. She didn't know what else to ask. She didn't want to ask him what he had been up too in the few years since they had broken up - she didn't think that she wanted to know.
JM SD BA AM: Audrey had always felt happy around Caleb, he was such an easy person to be around, they were always laughing; as she'd gotten older, she figured she needed more people like that in her life. Drama was thrilling and exciting, but it just didn't really fit into her life anymore; she had to think about Ivy and she always did. "I bet she can't wait to meet you too. You should come over and meet her when you're free, come for lunch or something - I'm better at cooking now, I promise. Or we'll just order something, to be on the safe side." She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. Her expression changed ever so slightly as Ashton was mentioned, almost imperceptibly - but it was still there. She didn't want to talk badly of him, whatever happened he was Ivy's father... But as a father, she knew he could do a great deal better. She cleared her throat, shaking her head slightly. "Not that much, no." She sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm desperate to see it now, I can only imagine what an amalgamation of the three of you would look like." She chuckled. "Good! It's so good that you can end things that way. She was always such a sweet girl."
JM SD BA AM: "I think so, too. Too much happened between everybody for them not to all go back." Betsy laughed, shrugging her shoulders. She wondered if Ashton would be one of those people; she refused to think of herself as being one. She was happy with Summer and she didn't want to jeopardise what they had, not for the sake of memories that had been and gone. That was maybe why she felt so weird about Robyn being there; she didn't like how it made her feel. "I don't know. I don't want things to be awkward, but I can't tell if speaking to her will make it more or less awkward." She laughed, rolling her eyes. She thought it all depended on how the conversation went.
JM SD BA AM: As soon as Hettie spoke, there was a huge smile on Johnny's face and he nodded his head, pretending to fan himself. "Exactly! I feel honoured to even be in your presence right now." He chuckled, shaking his head playfully. It was no secret that Hettie had done amazingly for herself, but there had never been a doubt in Johnny's mind that she would - she was a born star. "Good! I didn't know if the fancy folk like you would want to be around the peasants anymore." He teased, nudging her gently. "You look great, you look - well, like you. And you always look great, so." He laughed, rambling now but only because he was so happy to see her. "Can I get you a drink?" He smiled, nodding down to her empty glass.
JM SD BA AM: Nobody, not even Hettie, had seen Scott as vulnerable as River had; he'd bared it all to her, she'd seen the parts of him he'd hidden away for so long and that was mostly what was on his mind right now, as he stood in front of her. That even after all this time, she was still the person that knew him best in the world and he hated that he was sure she hated his guts now. "I'm good, I'm doing well - I had no idea you'd be here." He shook his head, although that was a lie - he had almost been hoping she would be, after all. "You look great, I like your hair. Have you changed it?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He was searching for things to say, because he was sure neither of them wanted to address the tension that lay between them.
HD RW RM AK CK joined the chat
HD RW RM AK CK: Caleb hoped that this meant that he and Audrey were going to be in one anothers lives for longer. He had always wanted to be there for Audrey for their entire lives and he had hated that he let life get in the way of that. She had been one of hid favourite people on the planet. He laughed as she spoke, "Yeah, I think we're best just ordering something. God, Ivys gonna love all of the food you're gonna feed her." He nudged her then, laughing. He was already so excited to meet Ivy. He thought that if she was even half as much fun as Audrey, she was going to be amazing. He felt so proud of Audrey. Caleb nodded slightly as Audrey spoke. He hated that. He hated that Audrey had picked him and he wasn't the guy that she had wanted him to be. He wasn't there for his daughter. Caleb couldn't understand why she would do that. "Well, it doesn't matter. She has all of us, now." He smiled. Because he hoped that all of this meant that they were going to become a little family, again. "Riv spends half the time cleaning up after us but it's good. It's fun! We'll have to have everyone over some time soon." He smiled. He was so excited at just the idea of it.
HD RW RM AK CK: "Exactly. It's too easy to get caught up in it all." Ashton shrugged. He'd gotten older but he hadn't really grown up. He was almost worse with women now that he was older, too. He was sure that everyone would find out, sooner or later. He wondered what Betsy was thinking, if she would go over and talk to Robyn. He shrugged his shoulders as she continued, "You're gonna have to talk to her sooner or later, right? We're all here, after all. You can't avoid her for forever." Ashton spoke, "You might as well get it all over with, right?"
HD RW RM AK CK: Hettie couldn't help but laugh as Johnny spoke and she shrugged her shoulders, "You guys are so lucky that I'm even here. Honestly, feel blessed that I even found the time." It was rare that Hettie got to be like this around anyone. Johnny was one of the very few people who saw it and that was what she had always liked when she was around him. She felt like she could be completely herself and not have to worry about how people saw her. Hettie rolled her eyes fondly. "Thank you, Johnny." She laughed. "I appreciate the compliment. You look good too. I like the hair." She nodded. When Hettie had accepted the role, it was seeing Johnny that she had mostly been excited about. "Yes, that would be great! White wine, please."
HD RW RM AK CK: This was the part that River always struggled with after a break up. She didn't understand how people just went about their day, being around one another, when they knew so much about each other. Scott knew her, inside and out. And she missed him so much. "My best friends were going to be doing the show so..." She shrugged her shoulders, "I wasn't going to miss out." Joining the musical had been a no brainer for her. Scott being there hadn't even been something that she had even thought about. River raised an eyebrow, though, as he complimented her. "Yeah. I cut it a little." She shrugged. She wasn't sure what to say to him now. It felt so awkward with him and she wished that wasn't the case. He had always felt like such a safe space for her back in the day. It was different now.
JM SD BA AM: "You're probably right, I don't want to try and show off and end up burning my apartment down." Audrey laughed, shaking her head. "Honestly, I'm better with baby food - it all gets mushed together, so there's not really anything to ruin. God knows what happens when she moves onto proper solids." She grinned, wincing slightly and then letting out a laugh. Out of this whole group, she had never imagined herself being the first one to enter parenthood; but here she was and she loved her life, she loved every part of it. She felt strangely emotional as Caleb spoke and she nodded her head, the smile still on her face. "Yeah, of course. My friends have basically become a little family to her; she says three words, one is mama, one is Billy - my brother and the other is one of my friends names." She chuckled. She wondered when Ivy would say dada, or if Ashton even cared when she did. "Oh, I bet she does." She laughed, nodding her head. "That would be so much fun. A good old fashioned house party." She chuckled.
JM SD BA AM: "Way too easy." Betsy agreed, finishing what was left in her glass and placing it on the bar. She wanted to make sure she didn't get caught up though, she was here to perform and catch up with some old friends and that was it. Nothing more. She nodded, then. "Yeah, you're right. I'm gonna go over." She muttered, sighing quietly. There had been a time when Robyn had been everything to her, they had known each other inside out - she didn't have know what was going on in the others life anymore. "See you soon?" She told Ashton, before she started heading over to Robyn. "Fancy seeing you here." She laughed, raising an eyebrow as she reached the other girl. "How you doing?" She didn't want things to be awkward, she wanted them to at least be able to be friends; they had really loved each other once, after all.
JM SD BA AM: "I might have to write to the papers and tell them what an honour it was, get my picture right on the front there." Johnny laughed, shrugging his shoulders. He liked getting to see this slightly silly side of Hettie, he thought it was his favourite side of her and he liked that he was one of the few people that got to see it. "You do? My mum is always on at me to cut it, but I really like it too." He chuckled, messing up his hair almost instinctively. "Of course!" He smiled, ordering Hettie a white wine and himself a beer. "So - what was the decision maker, then? To come back? I take it you're not out of work?" He smiled. She was so successful, he was almost sure she would be balancing this with something fabulous.
JM SD BA AM: "Of course, of course... I didn't really get a chance to look at the sign up sheets." Scott nodded his head. He hadn't wanted to, if he was honest - he wouldn't have known how to feel if he knew for certain he was going to see River tonight. "Did you get a good part?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He hated that their conversations had been reduced to small talk, when they had used to speak about anything and everything. "I thought so. It looks good." He nodded. "So, how are you?" There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he figured it was best to start with that one.
HD RW RM AK CK: "And poisoning me in the mean time." Caleb laughed. He loved cooking. It was something that he did to keep his brain busy. And he definitely planned to cook for Audrey - and Ivy, when she got to that stage. "Your grandparent'll have to bring you packages of food just to get you by." He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. He thought that it made sense that Audrey was the first one out of the group to have a kid. She was always the most fun, the most impulsive. And the rest of them all had their hang ups - he and Johnny were definitely too childish at this point. Caleb smiled as Audrey spoke. "The next word is gonna be Caleb. I'm gonna make sure." He laughed, nodding his head. He thought that it was pretty telling that Dada wasn't one of the words that she had said. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the two girls. "Exactly! We haven't really had a welcome party for the flat so we'll definitely have to sort it out."
HD RW RM AK CK: Robyn had been mingling, flitting from person to person. But the one person that she wanted to talk too, was Betsy. She had been all too aware of her from the moment that she had walked through the door and she was trying to get her courage up to talk to her. And as soon as the girl noticed her heading over, she stood up a little straighter. A lot of things had changed for Robyn. She was out, now, she had a whole new family. It was different. Though she knew that Betsy had a girlfriend - a quick look at her instagram told her that. She smiled, though, as she heard the others voice. "It's like we didn't meet in this exact room or anything." She countered, laughing a little. "I'm good." She smiled, "How are you, Bets?"
HD RW RM AK CK: "Oh no, please. I don't need the extra attention. It's almost too much to bare." Hettie laughed. It was nice that the two of them were able to jump back in where they had left off. This was definitely how she had hoped that things would be. She was so glad that Johnny had joined the musical. She thought that, that meant that they were definitely going to have a lot of fun together. "I do. It suits you like that." She nodded, a small smile on her face. she had always thought that Johnny was attractive but even more so now - she didn't know if it was the slight mature edge or the longer hair. But she liked it. "I had a bit of time before I start Heathers. I was just telling Scott - I'm rehearsing for heathers while we perform the show."
HD RW RM AK CK: River nodded her head. She wondered if that was true or not. If it had been her, she'd have been checking all of the time. Now that the two of them were talking, she felt almost sad that they were like this. They had never been like this. They had been friends for such a long time before they had gotten together and in a few short months, the two of them were over. She hated that. "I'm Audrey 2. The plant. I'm so excited." She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. She was going to have so much fun with this part, she knew that. "Thanks." River shrugged. She didn't like the flutter of her heart as Scott complimented her. She wished that she didn't have to feel like that. "Yeah, I'm good. Busy. You know." she shrugged again.
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𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 — mason mount
summary: you and mason mount were polar opposites — you thought you hated each other. until you’re sent clubbing with him and a few friends.
notes: requests are still open!
“I’m not your princess.” + “Are you hurt? What happened?”
for @masterclassbaby
If there was one thing you’d realised to be complete bullshit within the dating world: it was that opposites attract. Because they in fact do not.
You were an easygoing person, you enjoyed spending time with your friends, even if that meant at a club for five hours, but you’d prefer a barbecue with drinks. And being the only single lady in your group left, they made it their mission to set you up. They’d searched high and low for a worthy suitor, to find Mason Mount. One of your friend’s boyfriend’s friends.
He was also an easygoing person, was very fun to be around and always made people laugh. But as they introduced the pair of you, it hadn’t gone to plan — it had gone worse. You’d clashed over a debate, disagreeing with each other completely and now you refused to go anywhere with your friends if he were there. It was clear their plan had failed, and that the pair of you just didn’t like each other.
But Declan was adamant. He knew you quite well, he knew what made you laugh, what your interests were, and technically, you lined up perfectly with this man. So whenever one of your friends would host a barbecue, they knew you’d say yes, and Declan would invite Mason, claiming to not have known you were coming. The barbecue was a disaster. Once again, you’d disagreed on something and spent the whole evenings in different rooms.
But whenever you’d talk or see each other, not willingly, he’d use that horrible nickname. Princess. It was ghastly. He’d heard you ask for a specific rosé to go with dinner once, and ever since then he’d seen you as completely high maintenance. And labelled you as a princess. Your friends thought it was the beginning of a blooming relationship, but Mason quickly shut it down. Saying, “as if, if she’s fussy about wine with dinner, she’s fussy about men.”
Your friends were really pushing this dating thing on you both, but you weren’t having any of it. You’d be caught dead before you were being intimate with this man boy. It seemed that every time you were hanging out with your friends, Declan was with Mason, and the two of you would spot each other again.
“Happy with your wine, princess?” He sneered, grabbing the glass you’d poured for yourself and sipping on it, all whilst maintaining eye contact. He was an asshole, a hot asshole.
It hurt, but you couldn’t deny he was your type. He was just so handsome, and the way he interacted with Declan and the people he actually liked, you could see why he was a good friend. But to you, you didn’t get on. Not at all. There was a tension, and you could quite name what it was. Mason seemed to hate you.
Mason couldn’t deny you were attractive, because you were. Declan showed him your Instagram, and he was almost drooling at you. But meeting you in person, the way you both interacted, it didn’t work the way he thought it would. It’s not like he hated you, he’d sometimes hide a laugh after a joke you made, trying to not inflate your ego. There was just something about you, he was sexually attracted to you, sure, but he enjoyed toying with you. It was a long game of teasing to him, slowly getting you to fall for him. He didn’t think you’d take it the wrong way and assume he hated you.
“Clubbing tonight, babe?” A friend had asked, catching you on the phone just as you left work. You knew what they were doing, you’d ‘accidentally’ bump into Mason again. It’s like they wanted you to fight.
You sighed and started your car up, phone squashed between your cheek and shoulder. “Sure, where?”
You heard a few giggles in the background, matching one of them to Declan. He had a distinctive laugh, more like a cackle. “That place we got like 28 free shots from,” your friend reminded you, “sound good?”
“What a good night that was.” You reminisced, turning out of the car park of your work building and making your usual route home. “Sure, I’ll be there.” When you’d gotten home and showered, you’d held onto the glimmer of hope that Mason would actually change how he felt about you. That he’d go from hating you and despising being in your presence, to wanting nothing more than to be in your presence, and your bed. You put your best dress on, best heels, best everything. Ready for Mason.
“There you are.” Your friend groaned, pulling you into a hug, and behind her was none other than: Declan, two more of your friend group, and Mason. You saw him wink at you, and you rolled your eyes, knowing this would be the longest night you’d have to endure Mason’s shit. “Why’d you take so long to get here?”
“Her carriage was far too slow.” Mason put on his best posh accent, earning a laugh from the rest of the group. You just glared at him and entered the club, hoping you didn’t see him for the rest of the evening. And you didn’t. But he saw you.
He watched you throughout the night, more to keep an eye on you if anything. In the taxi to the club, Declan and your friends were telling him all about your drunk alter ego. The second you’d had more than 5 shots, you were a different person. Bumping into people, falling over, climbing onto tables, kissing random men. The last one had Mason’s jaw clenching, but he ignored it and decided he’d keep watch. To make sure that nothing like that would be happening. He’d zone out of Declan’s conversation, watching as you moved your hips. The music had drowned out, the people around you becoming blurry messes, and it was only you.
His little bubble of Y/N had soon disappeared when he’d lost sight of you, immediately sending him into panic mode. He looked around at the faces that once surrounded you, trying to find yours. He’d gotten up from his seat at the bar, frantically walking around the dance floor to find you getting almost trampled on. You looked up at his concerned eyes, and Mason had lifted you up, carrying you outside of the club and round the corner, where it was a little less populated.
“What happened? Are you hurt?” He peppered you with questions, scanning your arms and legs for any damage. But you pushed him off. It was clear you were drunk, your eyes half closed and your balance completely gone. Even though you’d pushed him away from you, your arm was still tightly around him as you held yourself up.
“I’m fine.” You slurred, the world around you spinning as you clutched onto his shirt, “really I’m good.” It was a well-known thing that when drinking, once you get outside, it’s worse. It never really hits you until you leave the room. Mason searched around for a bench, but couldn’t find one. Instead, putting his jacket on the ground and helping you sit down.
“Thank you, Mase.” You smiled sweetly, a smile so sweet that he couldn’t help but smile too. “This is very nice of you, it’s the nicest you’ve ever been to me actually.” It burnt hearing that. Mason knew he came off as a dick to you, but he didn’t hate you. Not in the slightest.
“You’re welcome, princess.” He replied, keeping the dickish personality alive. It wasn’t him at all, he wanted to be sweet and intimate with you, but you didn’t want him. Or so he thought.
You tutted and picked your head up from his shoulder, your glare almost burning holes into his eyes. “I’m not your princess.”
Mason just laughed at you, pushing your head back onto his shoulder gently and keeping his arm around you. He was so protective of you tonight, and as much as he played around and was mean to you, he’d never let another person be that way to you. He knew he didn’t mean it, and deep down, you knew that too. “Yeah, yeah.” Mason shrugged off your remark, holding you closer to him.
“You’re lucky you’re super hot because I would not want to go on a date with someone as mean as you.” You mentioned, not even understanding what you were saying. It was as if you didn’t have a filter, you were just saying whatever was on your mind.
“I’m super hot, am I?” He questioned, a smirk on his lips as he looked down to you. You’d met his eyes and groaned, resting your head in your hands now. With utter shame coursing your veins.
“Oh God,” you whimpered, emotions getting the best of you, “now Mason knows I like him. This day sucks, I want to go home.” Mason was glad to be stone cold sober, as now he’d remember how you felt.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered back to you, lips dangerously close to your ear, “Mason likes you too.”
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Mafia!Ateez reaction to s/o being abused by her family
Warnings: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK domestic abuse, bruises, scars, toxic family behaviour, manipulation, torture, mentions of blood, smoking, murder, death
I'm so sorry if this made you uncomfortable, my dms are always open if you want to talk about anything
Requested by @racheloveyunho
It only gets darker and longer with the next member
Hongjoong
He came home early so you weren't prepared and were wearing a tanktop with shorts
He saw the bruises on your back and thighs
When he asked you about it later that day, you sobbed and told him that your brothers beat you because you insisted on moving in with Hongjoong
Would pretend that it didn't affect him but on the inside he's furious
He himself doesn't like to physically discipline anyone unless it is necessary or they get on his nerves and bring him to that point
How dare they lay a finger on you
He wouldn't change his behaviour with you, he'd be his usual caring self, all the while planning to knock some sense into your brothers
He laid a trap for your brothers to fall right into and met with them personally
He's a reasonable man so he started with talking to them but when they didn't listen and called him slurs he threatened to murder them
They knew Hongjoong was a part of a mafia and didn't want to anger him any further
They promised him that they would treat you better
Seonghwa
You told him you tripped and fell while you were packing your things to move in with him and that's how you got the bruise on your head and a busted lip
He bought it honestly because he's soft for you and couldn't see you like that so his focus was to get you the medical treatment you needed
You were happy with him and spent almost all of your time with him but he didn't want to hold you back form meeting your friends and family
You were ecstatic to meet your friends but not your family
They hurt you after all
So when he had someone drop you off to your family house, you were nervous but still went inside to meet them
What you got was taunts and verbal abuse
When you tried convincing them that Seonghwa was indeed very kind and loving towards you, they hit you so hard, you lost your balance and your back hit the glass corner of the table which you tried holding onto and ended up scratching your upper arm, drawing blood
You were shocked and hurt and ran out of the house
You hailed a taxi and went to your friend's house and told Seonghwa to pick you up from there
When he came home that night, you were already asleep
In the morning he woke up and found you in the kitchen at the brink of tears and you cheek was a little swollen and purplish
He asked you what happened but you said you liked hanging out with your friends yesterday and these were tears of joy and that your swollen cheek was because you ran into a glass wall
He believed you like always and wrapped his arms around you to pull you into an embrace and accidentally put pressure on the bruise on your back from yesterday
You yelped and arched your back
This time he didn't ask you but lifted your shirt to see for himself, despite your protests and was shocked to say the least
He made you feel comfortable enough to tell him that it was your family's doing
He reassured you that everything will be okay and that you could stay with him forever
That night he paid your family a visit after you went to sleep
They never contacted you again
Yunho
Your family was very religious and never really messed with you because Yunho made it very clear how protective he was towards you
Any bitter comment from your family would earn them a death glare from Yunho
He'd stare them down until they got super uncomfortable
Nobody knew what he was capable of, other than the fact that he was involved with a mafia
Your family wanted you to stay away from him but you loved him and he had promised to protect you and shield you from the mafia life
Yunho's girlfriend had no face, no one in the mafia world had ever seen you
One day you were visiting your family to celebrate your sister's birthday
You felt unwelcomed, you own blood was making you feel uncomfortable
When the guests had left and it was time to open the presents, your brother told you to go home
You were embarrassed but tried to reason with him that you guys were family
He started saying hurtful things and called you a slut and accused you of selling yourself to a dirty mafia rat who kills people for a living. He said you are nothing but his whore and he will replace you one day when he is tired of you and then you will have no one to turn to because they didn't consider you family anymore
You got up and went to the home. The home Yunho had made in the middle of a dense forest to hide you and came to see you almost every day
Yunho had decided to complete his work in advance today so he could spend more time with you in the next days, since you said you would be at your family house today
You unlocked the door and went in crying. You were wailing so hard that you laid on the floor in the lobby
You screamed when you felt someone grab you by your arms and made you sit up
Yunho looked at you in shock and worry, you nuzzled your face in the crook of his neck and cried your heart out, not caring if you were being loud and looking like a mess
You didn't need to tell him what had happened because he was aware your family had something to do with this
You woke up in bed the next day, feeling numb but had a severe headache
You looked around the room and saw a shirtless Yunho starting outside the window, you called out to him "Yunho..."
"I don't want to know what they did or said. I'm never ever going to allow you to meet them again. It took everything I had in me to stop from murdering them because I don't want to hurt you, but I can't have anyone else hurting you either"
He turned around and looked furious, you had only once seen him this angry when a spy from another mafia broke into your house and tried to stab you. Yunho had ripped his jaw off of his face with his bare hands in front of you and you fainted from shock from the intensity of the situation
Right now he had the same look on his face and you didn't want to anger him any further
Yeosang
He had never been the one to talk a lot
His calm and collected nature made people underestimate him
Your family used to love Yeosang and were supportive of your relationship with him, they were happy when you moved in with him, but that was before they knew who he was
Only you knew that Yeosang was a cold blooded killer. He was his gang's ace, he was sharp, very intelligent and very manipulative, not to mention he was the second most strongest member and was very good with weapons, his speciality being butterfly knives. He killed people the bad guys and felt no remorse. His gang members often joke that he only feels two emotions, rage when the bad guys cause menace and love towards you.
He got you pregnant and you were now worried but Yeosang had reassured you that no one in this world will ever lay a finger on you as long as he is by your side. He made you feel safe and loved. He didn't trust anyone to help you around the house so he stayed home to help you.
One day your family came over to meet you and ask after you unannounced, you being 7 months pregnant, were home alone
They wanted to see your huge house, you were nervous because you didn't want them to see some rooms but couldn't keep up with them because you got tired from walking
Then the unthinkable happened, they saw everything. They saw Yeosang's training room, his collection of knives and bulletin boards with photos of people, nasty looking people. One board had two sets of photos of the same person, one photo was for Yeosang to know who to attack and the other photo of the same person killed by him. Yeosang never wanted you to see the contents of the room, let alone your family.
They told you to come with them and to leave Yeosang but you tried to tell them that you were more than okay and wanted to stay with him
It all happened too fast, your father grabbed you by your arm, dragged you outside and forced you to sit in the car while your mother pleaded to him to not shove you around like that in this state. They didn't drive home, they were fleeing the city to get as far away from Yeosang as possible
You were screaming, your parents paid no attention to you, they thought you were protesting but actually you were screaming because of the excruciating pain you were experiencing. You were bleeding and your mom had noticed it but they were on a highway and there was no hospital nearby. They couldn't do anything about it so they kept driving out of the city, your father hoping the child would die in your womb because he now hated Yeosang and wouldn't be able to love his child either.
You fainted and after 2 hours of driving, they got to a hospital. No one knew but you were carrying twins, sadly one of them had died in your womb while the other was born healthy. You were now fighting for your life. Your parents were scared for you and afraid of being tracked down by Yeosang.
You and your baby spent a month in the hospital and recovered enough for your parents take you with them
On the other side Yeosang was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He was out looking for you, now scared and confused and in rage. He didn't know who had taken you away and was frustrated and tired but he couldn't let you go. You were the love of his life and the only person in the world who ever loved him.
He got a lead on you and within hours was outside the house where your parents were hiding you.
He broke in the house in the middle of the night and found you crying on the bed with a sleeping child by your side. He instantly became soft at the sight, all the rage he had in him was replaced by love. He softly called to you and you whipped your head up and instantly ran to him.
You begged him not to harm your parents and he couldn't say no. He silently took you and his month old son back home in the dead of the night
San
San was not one person, he had two kinds of personalities, one was a ruthless assassin and the other, a passionate lover. Both personalities had him being manipulative in common
He absolutely hated your family because you were a free spirit and liked taking risks while they were the complete opposites and often tried holding you back but you always loved an adventure and that's how you ended up with Choi San.
You dispised your family the same as they did you. You were so used to the beating that you felt nothing now. Profanities were very common too and you wanted nothing but to slap each and every one of them and run away.
You were head over heals for him the moment he crossed paths with you but you didn't show that to him. He tried manipulating you into getting you to sleep with him but you knew better and brushed him off
He was used to women being on their knees for him so you not doing that was a challenge for him and he was hell bent on getting you to like him
He was going crazy over you and started meeting you at your workplace during his missions, like he had to kill a man in 30 minutes but he just had to see you first
When you weren't giving in to his art of seduction, he tried a different way
He asked you out like a decent human being and you said yes, wow that was easy, right?
No, you made him work hard for your love and affection and he was obsessed with making you happy to feel loved by you and by the time San realized what was going on, it was too late
He was madly in love with you and practically drooling over you
He finally asked you to move in with him and you said yes even though you knew your family would disapprove. You went home and packed your stuff and tried to leave but your family members didn't let you leave and in an effort of saving you from inevitable destruction which was Choi San, they beat you to the point you passed out.
They texted San from your phone, pretending to be you and told him to stay away and leave you alone, that you wanted nothing to do with him.
San was confused and scared when he got that text from you and texted you back to take your time and rethink your decision.
You woke up in your room at some point during the night, unable to open one eye because it had been bruised badly. Your head was bleeding and the blood had dried on your face. You left leg hurt a lot because of you lying in an unnatural position. You didn't have your phone or anything else
You felt empty and all you wanted was to be in San's loving embrace
It was now or never
You escaped from your window and somehow managed to get to San's front door, it was almost morning
You knocked on his door and called for him
He opened the door after some time and took in your form
He was in too much rage but he had to tend to you first
A few weeks later he came home and told you that he made sure your family is now in another city far away from you and won't contact you again
A tear slipped down your face, you were free from their torment
You kissed San and thanked him
He would do anything to make you happy
Mingi
Mingi was the notorious mafia leader who has connections with the government and the dark world
He had money and fame (the good and bad kind) and all that was missing was love and you filled that void
He loved you too much and would never let anyone hurt you
People knew better
So your own family, your own blood hurting you for wanting to live with Mingi didn't sit well with him
He was distracted at work and all he could see was your face, your tear filled eyes, your bruised arm and your distraught state
He wished he had sent someone to get you from your family house sooner so you didn't have to go through the abuse
He wished you never told them about it and just moved in with him
You were in his home, resting in his bed, thinking about what had happened
Did they really didn't see any good in Mingi?
Did they really have to hit you?
Did you do the right thing?
These thoughts flooded your mind and you were just as distracted
Mingi came home in a hurry and told you to come with him
You asked him where you guys are going and he says we're going to get back at them
He took you to your house and barged right in, unannounced
Seeing Mingi in person was overwhelming and your family were scared, pleading to him to let them go
Mingi told them that he was going to kill them for hurting you and there was panic and chaos
You came to stand next to him, squeezed his hand and softly told him that you want to go home
He couldn't say no to you so he warned them that this isn't over and took you home
You talked to Mingi and convinced him to let them go because they were your family after all
He's the one who said that if the loved toy and cared for you, they wouldn't hurt you like this and family doesn't mean you have to tolerate this kind I'd behavior when you're old enough to make decisions for yourself
You kissed him and wondered why couldn't your family see the good in him
Wooyoung
It started off with you slowly telling your folks about what Wooyoung did for a living
You were smart, so you didn't tell them about his business until you moved in with him otherwise they would have disapproved
You didn't mention that he tortured people and killed them without remorse, no, you said that he works with an organization that eliminates evil people which was true in essence
Your family was having none of it
They wanted you as far away from him as possible
You loved him and he loved you but they didn't believe it
They kept you from leaving the house and since Wooyoung was away for some time on a mission he didn't know
It was only when he got home that he found out that you hadn't returned, but he didn't think much of it because you were with your family
You on the other hand were panicking not only because you were being forced to stay away from Wooyoung but also because you just found out that you were pregnant
You had to get back to him no matter what
You refused to eat or talk to your family members, only demanding to meet Wooyoung
When he didn't get any message from you he began to get suspicious
He sent someone disguised as a delivery boy over to your house to check up on you and got word that you were sick and locked in your room
He got up and drove to your house in the middle of the night and broke through the front door. He didn't care who got in his way and pushed and punched whoever protested
He got to your room and demanded that you open it
You did and jumped at him, told him you were pregnant and they were keeping you from going back to him and cried
He took you in his arms and was taking you back with him
Your father threatened to call the police and Wooyoung simply said "say hi to chief inspector Jeon from me" leaving the father shocked
You were happy to be back with your lover and were excited about the baby, the same as Wooyoung
Jongho
Probably the strongest man in the whole mafia world
Everyone feared him
He didn't have to say twice for what he wanted because people had heard how he smashed someone's skull open with his bare fists
He had asked you to move in with him and you happily said yes
But when you told your family about your decision they asked you if you were crazy
You didn't listen to them and started packing
They weren't going to let you go to some barbarian
But you weren't listening so they had to do it the hard way
Deep down you were happy to leave because your family had always been abusive and toxic
When you were asked to leave with your suitcases your father grabbed you by your arm and shoved you against the wall
"you bitch, you really think you can disobey me?"
Your mother held you by your hair and slapped you so hard your nose started bleeding
They beat you severely and you had stopped screaming at this point
You thought you were going to die when they left you like this on the kitchen floor
You don't know what got into you but you got on your feet and ran out the front door where you were stopped by Jongho waiting for you beside his car
He saw you and gently pushed you aside and went straight inside the house
He came out after almost 20 minutes, blood splattered on his face and clothes
You were already in shock from the beating that you didn't question him
He got in the car with you, held your face in his hands and said "don't worry, I called an ambulance for them, they just might be okay"
With that your heart sank but you were too shaken to feel sad for them so you just cried
Jongho took you home
#ateez#ateez yandere#mafia ateez#ateez icons#yandere ateez#ateez x reader#ateez au#ateez reactions#ateez hongjoong#ateez seonghwa#ateez yunho#ateez yeosang#ateez san#ateez mingi#ateez wooyoung#ateez jongho#ateez mafia au#ateez scenarios
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Burn The Witch 4 - Making Believe [Bucky Barnes x Reader]
A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful support and feedback my loves ! ❤ Here’s the next chapter, I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think! ❤ Thank you! ❤❤❤
Warnings: Enemies to lovers, fake dating, mentions of blood, sex, violence, death, manipulation, language, guns, knives.
Summary: A lot can happen in a coffee shop.
Series Masterlist
Considering all the missions your superiors had sent you, this wasn’t the first one to make you end up with a gunshot wound, but it was the first one that you were assigned to seduce the target and ended up with a gunshot wound as a first impression.
Now that you had met Bucky, the next step would be easier. You just hoped he wouldn’t suspect something was up like General kept warning you about, so you had to make sure to memorize every single detail of your cover story.
Instead of being a trained assassin, you were now working in a milkshake shop.
Instead of having lived there your whole life, you were now clueless about the city since you had recently moved there.
Instead of liking horror movies, you now loved rom-coms.
New identity, new apartment, new car, new everything. It was as if the real you had never existed, but none of that was your biggest issue right now.
It was your new uniform for the milkshake shop.
“Jesus Christ,” you muttered to yourself, looking in the mirror before fixing your skirt. Even after a week, you still weren’t used to wearing it, the uniform was some sort of a retro diner waitress costume with red and white stripes, cinched waist and a white apron over the short skirt. “I’m going to kill whoever picked this after I’m done with the mission.”
“Y/N?” Chloe called out from the living room, “Come on, we need to go over everything for today.”
You ran a hand over your face and walked to the living room to find your two best friends sprawling on the couch. Keith let out a laugh as soon as he saw you in that outfit, but managed to hide it by pressing his fist on his lips while Chloe kicked at his boot.
“I didn’t say anything!” He held up his hands, “Will you break my phone again if I take a picture?”
“Yeah,” you pointed at him, “I will, so don’t even.”
“We need to go over the plan,” Chloe said, “Today is the day you accidentally run into Barnes, he’ll be at that coffee shop.”
“How do you know where he will be?”
Chloe scoffed, “Hello? I’m a genius hacker?”
Keith sat up straighter, turning the pages of your file.
“Okay so,” he said, “You guys will probably make some small talk, let’s have some practice. Pretend I’m Bucky, how will you talk about yourself?”
“We don’t need to practice it, it’s not my first rodeo,” you reminded him “I got this.”
“Y/N, no offense but he isn’t some clueless civilian okay? The guy was going after targets before you or your parents were born for that matter. The tiniest mistake could tip him off.”
“He has a point.”
“Fine,” you sighed, fixing your nametag, “Let’s practice then.”
Keith took a deep breath and cleared his throat, “Look at that, we ran into each other again.”
You frowned at his deep voice, “Bucky doesn’t sound like one of those robots in the Terminator, Keith.”
“I’m in the zone, just go with it,” he said as offered you his hand, and you shook it.
“Yeah, hi again.”
“I haven’t seen you around here before.”
“Oh that’s normal, I just moved here. A month ago.”
“You just moved here?” he repeated “Really? Did you get used to the city yet?”
“A little.”
“I bet your family misses you.”
“Not really, I grew up with my grandmother. She passed away last year.”
“Any siblings?”
“No.”
Keith raised his brows, “Can you be less specific?”
“Keith—“
“You’re not acting like a civilian right now, you’re acting like a spy who has been forced to socialize and he will see right through that,” he told you. “You have to give him more details, civilians talk about themselves a lot.”
“It’s true,” Chloe said, “Once I was in this speed dating thing and just- don’t ask. They don’t stop talking about themselves.”
Keith pursed his lips only for a moment, stealing a look at Chloe before turning to you,
“Let’s try again. Any siblings?”
You rolled your eyes, “Unfortunately not. I’m an only child but when I was a kid, I kept begging my parents for a sister. My mom asked me what would happen if I got a brother, apparently I went like “but mommy, you can give him back then!””
“There we go, embarrassing childhood memories,” Keith grinned, “Good idea.”
You checked your wristwatch, “I gotta run,” you said, “You guys can see yourselves out.”
“I was actually hoping I could stay a little more,” Chloe said, “To make this place look a bit more appropriate. I suppose you’ll bring him here at some point?”
You pulled your brows together, looking around. “Yeah, so? There’s a bedroom.”
“Ever the romantic, this one,” Keith said and Chloe shook her head,
“Y/N, he needs to see something personal otherwise he might get suspicious.”
You pursed your lips, deep in thought, “You mean like sex toys?”
“Oh Jesus…”
“Contrary to popular belief, when people say they want to see something personal, they don’t refer to sex toys.” Keith stated helpfully, “That being said, we’re all screwed if you end up falling for a civilian, you have no idea how to act like one.”
“I meant personal as in stuff to make your place look more homely,” Chloe explained, “Things from your cover’s past that show him we didn’t fabricate this whole identity.”
“Even if we did,” Keith mumbled under his breath and she nodded.
“Even if we did. He needs to see something personal when he comes here, like…” she motioned at the walls, “Like your childhood pictures or your art projects from when you were seventeen.”
“I was learning how to use a pencil as a knife when I was seventeen, Chloe.”
“Exactly. Just let me handle it, I’ve been watching so many makeover shows lately.”
You shrugged your shoulders, “Knock yourself out,” you said, “I have milkshakes to fill, see you guys later.”
“Go get him tiger!”
“You got this!” Chloe called out as you walked to the door, “Just be confident and your milkshake will bring all the ex-assassins to the yard!”
You let out a small laugh, then closed the door behind you before throwing your shoulders back and going down the stairs.
***
Approaching the target as your training taught you had to have certain steps. You couldn’t just implant yourself in their life, you had to wait until they thought it was their choice to include you in their lives. Sometimes it took more time than you had patience for, but in the end it was worth it.
Seeing that Bucky Barnes was no civilian, every single step had to be checked twice.
Well the uniform would help the mission, at least a little.
A distracted target was a good target.
You lowered the binoculars before pushing them into your purse and fixing the apron wrapped around your waist. Bucky was sitting with Sam at the coffee shop and they seemed to be in a deep discussion, not even aware of what was going on around them. You took a deep breath and approached the door before you pushed it, then slowly made your way to the barista.
“Hi, can I get a cappuccino please? Small.” You smiled at her and went to the counter on the right to wait for your order. Out of the corner of your eye you could see Sam looking at you with a frown before saying something to Bucky, nodding in your direction. You kept your eyes on the counter, rocking back and forth on the balls of your feet before you scratched around the tape of the bandage over the bullet wound absentmindedly.
Come on…. you thought Come on, approach me already, just come here….
“Here you go, miss.”
“Thank you,” you said, taking the cup off the counter before you started pouring sugar into it just to stall, and finally heard someone clear their throat behind you.
Bingo.
You looked over your shoulder and turned around, your jaw dropping.
“Come on,” you let out a giggle, “Is this real?”
Bucky smiled slightly and pursed his lips together as if he wasn’t familiar with the gesture, “Uh…hi.”
“Hi!” you said, your voice way too high pitched for a moment, “Wow. We meet again, my hero.”
His smile widened and he rubbed the back of his neck, “How’s your arm?”
“Healing,” you ran a finger over the tape of the bandage, “I didn’t die, that’s something. But the doctor said that was the worst bullet wound he had ever seen in his life.”
Bucky frowned, “Wait, really?”
“No, I’m just trying to look badass,” you admitted, making him chuckle, “They didn’t even think it needed stitches.”
“Ah,” he said and motioned at your uniform, “So you’re a…?”
You scrunched up your nose in what you hoped to be a cute manner and shot him an abashed look, “I know. I thought the exact same thing when I first saw myself in it.”
“I doubt that,” he mumbled more to himself and you tilted your head, batting your lashes.
“Hm?”
“Nothing,” he said quickly, “So the uniform?”
“I work at this milkshake shop just around the corner,” you said, “Apparently retro shops are popular nowadays. It’s supposed to look like this pin up style— can you tell me what’s wrong with the dress so that I can tell the owner what a ridiculous idea it is?”
He opened his mouth and closed it again, looking you up and down, “I don’t- it’s-“ he stammered “You know, it was such a long time ago. I think it looks perfectly fine.”
“Does it?”
“Absolutely.”
You grinned at him, “Well in any case, you should drop by sometime. Milkshakes are better than the uniform, I promise.”
“Yeah?”
You nodded, “Yeah! I would’ve invited you sooner but by the time I was done at the hospital you had already left, and they also told me you paid for the whole thing and the taxi, so…”
“Don’t worry about it,” he waved a hand, “It’s nothing.”
You bit down on your lip, “If you don’t mind me asking,” you said softly, “Why did you leave in a hurry? I mean obviously you didn’t have to stay, I’m sure you’re very busy and—“
“No no, it’s nothing like that,” Bucky cut you off, “I just didn’t want you to think you owed me anything, that’s all.”
“Huh,” you clicked your tongue, “I see. I was wondering what the catch was, didn’t have to wait that long. That’s good to know.”
He raised his brows, amused for some reason, ���What’s the catch?”
“You’re too much of a gentleman.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Not really,” you taunted him “Just unfamiliar.”
His gaze lingered on you as you took a sip of your coffee, keeping your eyes on him.
“I hope you got home safe though,” he said after a beat and you thought for a moment.
“I did, and now I know to stay away from dark alleys in New York,” you said, “Lesson learned I’d say.”
“You’re not from around here?”
“I- no, I actually moved here just a month ago,” you said, “I grew up in a small town, we didn’t really have robbers or anything. And I managed to get mugged within the first thirty days in a big city. A true New York experience, I feel like I belong here already.”
“Your folks must be losing their minds if you attract trouble that fast in the city.”
“No one is losing their minds, it’s just me,” you said and when you saw his quizzical glances, you felt the need to explain. “I grew up with my grandma and I lost her a year ago, so…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Ah it’s okay,” you said, “She wouldn’t want me to live in sadness, she told me that herself. You can’t focus on what ifs, you know? We just decide what to do with the time left for us and that’s it. Past would drive all of us crazy otherwise.”
He looked almost surprised at your take on loss and when you saw the soft light in his eyes, you knew you had just hit jackpot.
“You’re a glass half full kind of person, huh?”
Nope, I’m more of a “use the glass as a weapon” kind of person.
“Yeah,” you said, “There are enough pessimists in the world, and they don’t need me within their ranks. No one really did anything nice by thinking the worst anyways.”
“Oh you were definitely not raised here.”
Your jaw dropped, “You know what Mr. Barnes, I’d take that as an offense but lucky for you, you saved me the other day, so I’ll let that slide.”
“Mm hm,” He looked like he was struggling with himself not to laugh, “Lucky me.”
You narrowed your eyes at him playfully, then checked your wristwatch.
“I should probably go, my boss cares a lot about punctuality,” you said, “But is it okay if I gave you my number?”
He stared at you for a couple of seconds as if he couldn’t believe you.
“Wait- really?”
“I mean I was going to wait until you asked me, but apparently you’re too much of a gentleman,” you joked as he hastily grabbed his phone from his pocket and handed it to you. You typed in your number, then saved it.
Y/N (The Milkshake Girl)
Bucky tilted his head, his brows furrowed, “What, you didn’t think I’d recognize your name?”
“Well it’s better to be safe than sorry,” you joked, “Besides you should really come by sometime. We have the best chocolate milkshakes. It’s on the house.”
He smiled, “I will.”
You took a step, then held your breath and turned around as if you had just remembered something.
As if it wasn’t all practiced.
“But not after 4 on Mondays and Wednesdays,” you said, “I volunteer at the soup kitchen then.”
That light in his eyes was almost gentle, as if he was worried he could hurt you just by looking at you, but couldn’t stop himself from doing so.
“I’ll see you not after 4 on Mondays and Wednesdays then,” he said and you giggled, then turned around and walked to the door. Sam was watching you with a small, proud grin on his lips so you waved at him and left the coffee shop, still holding the warm cup tightly in your hand.
As soon as you were sure you were out of their sight, you dropped the smile, exhaled a relaxed breathe and grabbed your phone to touch the contact on the screen.
“I’m sorry, our delivery service is down right now,” the voice said and you scratched around the tape on your arm before telling her the code;
“That’s okay, I can wait until the rain stops.”
There was a click on the other line and soon enough you heard the assistant’s voice.
“Hello?”
“This is Shrike, put me through the General.”
“Of course, a second please,” she said and you tossed the cup into the garbage can, then General’s voice reached you.
“Shrike?”
“Sir, I just called to inform you that I’ve contacted the target for the second time,” you said, “Everything is going according to plan, my report will be on your desk by tonight.”
“He didn’t suspect anything?”
“No sir.”
“Okay,” he said, “Don’t move too fast, alright? We don’t want to spook him.”
“Of course.”
“And Shrike?” he said, “Good job.”
A smile lit up your face, “Thank you sir,” you said and hung up, closing your eyes and leaning back to the wall.
“Okay,” you whispered to yourself, “You got this, he’s just another target. Let the games begin.”
Chapter 5
#bucky barnes x reader#bucky barnes#tfatws#the falcon and the winter soldier#bucky barnes imagine#marvel#bucky barnes x you
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I have a suggestion! What about pan or jerome valeska kiddnaping the reader/oc? Ik its pretty basic, but maybe pan kidnapps her to obress Emma and Jerome kiddnapps her because he is fond of her appearance yk? Maybe a little bit yandere style.
Thank u I hope you like my suggestions!
Thanks for my first suggestion! I hope it’s good :)
Please let me know if there is something I should fix for later suggestions. Be it my writing style, or if you’d prefer me to make an OC for the story.
Also TW with just a mention of how Greenwood is charged with Rape and Murder. It’s only the mention and will not be brought up further.
Now on with the story.
Background information: Y/N is the daughter of Jim Gordon and Barbara. She isn’t associated with Barbra since she went slightly crazy. She considers Lee like her mom. Her dad is very over protective since he’s seen the dark side of Gotham. She is 18 years old and somewhat shy/innocent from being protected by her dad.
“Bye dad! Love you!” Y/N yelled out as she approached the front door of their apartment. She was hoping to leave before her dad could give her the talk she always got before leaving the house but luck wasn’t on her side. She also felt the teeniest bit of guilt for rushing out so quickly as she and her dad had a good relationship and she knew he was just trying to protect her.
“Wait.” He spoke coming down the hallway into the room. He knew she didn’t like the fact she had to go over rules before she left the house but he’d been even more nervous since there was a breakout at Arkham.
“Yes?” Y/N questioned.
“Got your phone?”
“Yep.”
“Charged?”
“100%.”
“House key?”
“Definitely.”
“Emergency money?”
“Right in my pocket.”
“Pepper spray?”
“Yep and with the safety on so I don’t accidentally spray myself... again.” She spoke while looking down sheepishly.
“All right love you kiddo. Remember what I said about those people who broke out yesterday.”
Jim spoke while lightly kissing the side of her head and let her go to school.
“I remember. Also love you Always and forever dad. Don’t forget you have a date with Lee later!” Y/N reminded before closing the door to make her way to the Gotham High school. Her dad had bought her a car so she would be more safe getting to and from school as he didn’t trust city busses or taxis. She didn’t mind though it was nice and she was able to play some music while she drove.
Once she arrived at the school she saw the cheerleaders loading onto the bus. She was a photographer for the yearbook and it was one of their first football games for the year so they send her to photograph for the team. She was way to shy to actually try out for it. Once double checking if her car was locked she put the keys in her pocket and made her way to the bus with her camera looped around her neck.
She got on first as the rest of the cheerleads were talking outside the bus with the coach. Y/N sat in the very back with her feet up next to her as a sign of ‘do not sit by me’ she was rather short so it was comfortable as well. She then pulled out her phone and began to text her dad that she was safely on the bus. He replied with a quick ‘ok’ and ‘be safe’ then she started to play a game on her phone as the cheerleaders began to load onto the bus. Once everyone was on the bus they drove away from the school at the cheerleaders were practice their cheers. The. Whole. Ride. It was beginning to get on her nerves as she preferred the peace and quiet but she knew that being on a bus with cheerleaders would be anything but. She grabbed one side of her headphones and began to play music. She lightly tapped her fingers to it and looked out the window.
They drove for about 20 more mins before they were stopped. A red truck had pulled in front of them and people approached the truck. She spotted guns in their hands. She quickly dialed her dads phone and begged for him to pick up.
“Y/N? What is it?” He could tell by her erratic breathing that something was wrong.
“There are people with guns on the bus! They just shot the driver. We are on (random Gotham street) please hurry!”
“I’m on my way! Try and stay on the line.” She said a quiet okay she a boy with red hair entered the bus. Jim quickly ordered police officers to make their way towards the scene.
“I want you all to know... this was a very difficult decision for us.” The boy spoke as he waved around his guns as if it was a toy. Y/N had already ducked down in her seat after a different person had handcuffed them to the seats. She wanted to stay out of of the seemingly ringleaders point of view as she watching her phone continue to hold the call with her dad and her headphone was in on low in order for him not to hear the phone. She still listened from her other ear to be aware.
“It was between you and a senior citizen bingo party.
In the end, we decided to skew a little younger.” He spoke while putting the gun to one of the girls heads. He walked towards the back of the bus as he continued his speech. She heard him coming and quickly tucked her phone into her pocket along with the headphones.
“Youth won the day. Sorry.”
He had reached the back to the bus and was about to turn around when he saw her tucked into the seat. She was very small and if he didn’t know this was a high school bus he would have thought she was a kid. She looked up at him with terrified doe eyes and he looked at her with a smile. He liked her. The innocence in her eyes that made him swoon. She clearly wasn’t like his whore of a mother. She would make a good partner.
“And who might you be.” He spoke while he used his charm. He lifted her chin up lightly with his unoccupied hand as the gun still rested in the other. She scooted as far away as she could with the handcuffs keeping her in place.
“Y-Y/N.” She stuttered out in fear. She was trying to hide not stand out. He moved her hand away from the start of the handcuffs and brought up his gun to which she began squirming at as it was raised.
“Shh, just going to get these off.” He attempted to comfort but it was honestly more frighting what was he going to do.
He shot the handcuffs and the bullet got lodged into the seat as she was detached from the seat but still had the cuffs around her wrist.
“You’ll be coming with me Doll.” He spoke while tugging her up from the seat as the cheerleaders continued to cry at the situation.
“No!” She attempted to struggle but she was too small to get away. But he held onto her. He tugged her out of the bus before giving her to Aaron. Since he didn’t trust Greenwood with his girl. Not like he trusted Aaron any more but he wasn’t charged for rape.
Aaron obeyed and tightly held her as Jerome put back on his crazy face and went back onto the bus.
“Give me an "O"!” He shouted to make fun of them.
“I said, give me a "O".” He shot the roof of the bus making the cry harder.
“O!” The cried out through their tears.
“ Give me an "N".” He spoke again with enthusiasm
“N!”
“Give me another "O"!”
“O!”
“What does that spell?” He questioned while greenwood handed him a hose that would spray gasoline out from the truck they had stolen.
"Oh, no!"
He walked up and down the isles of the bus and sprayed each and everyone one of them with gasoline while they all screamed in fear.
He finished and walked out of the bus and grabbed a lighter from his pocket.
“Ready? Okay!” Jerome said as he attempted to make the lighter work. The flame wouldn’t appear and Y/N continued to struggle in Aaron’s arms but for the man it was nothing. Dobkins was bouncing in his place with anticipation.
But it never lit.
“This is so embarrassing.” Jerome spoke harshly. He was making a fool out of himself in front of his girl.
“Anyone got a light?” He requested from the group of cheerleaders. Y/N was questioning if he really expected them to give him one since he was trying to kill them. He walked off after they all cried out a ‘No’ and winked at Y/N as she looked at him making her glance away hoping for her dad to hurry.
“I do. I got...” Dobkins replied while reaching into his own pocket to grab a lighter.
As Dobkins went to hand Jerome the lighter sirens sounded and police pulled onto the scene. She began struggling more as Aaron held her with one hand and shot with the other with little to no aim.
She saw as her dad got out of the car and quickly held up his gun. His heart stopped as he saw his daughter in the hands of one of the Maniax.
“Stand your ground, boys. They can't shoot at a bus.” Jerome smugly told the crew. He glanced at his doll to see her struggling still while eyeing one of the officers.
“Hold your fire! Hold your fire!” Jim quickly yelled in fear one something hitting his daughter or the bus.
“Dad!” She yelled out as she attempted to kick Aaron but did little to no damage.
Jeromes eyes widened with surprise. Jim Gordon had a daughter? This would be two birds with one stone. He smirked as Jim looked panicked.
“Aaron, Greenwood, get the truck started. And pass me my girl.” Jerome demanded. Y/N was shoved towards Jerome who caught her with a arm wrapped around her waist. He spotted her phone in her pocket and tossed it onto the pavement so they couldn’t be tracked nor could she call.
The officers had ducked behind their cars as Jerome shot at them.
“We're gonna blow this barbecue stand, huh Doll?” He told her as he tugged her towards the truck as her dad tried to follow before he was shot at again.
Greenwood sat on the outside holding onto the bus with the hose.
“Light 'em up!” Jerome spoke as he turned around and made a round motion with his arm to Dobkins who struggled with a lighter as well.
Jerome laughed manically as he got into the truck with her on his lap to which she blushed making him smirk and they began to drive off leaving Dobkins with the police.
Soon they were out of view and Jim quickly drove the bus away from the flames that had fought when the lighter was dropped. He needed to get his daughter back.
Y/N had a blind fold put on her as they left the scene to head back to Galivants building. Once they arrived Jerome picked her up bridal style and carried her into the building. He was stopped by the man himself as he headed to his room.
“And whose this?” He questioned quite poshly. She couldn’t recognize the voice but it seemed familiar.
“My girl.” He replied looking Galivant in the eye with a murderous look, daring him to say she couldn’t stay.
“Fine. But she stays in your room. Wouldn’t suggest having her out here with Greenwood.” He spoke before walking away to his office. Jerome laughed at even the thought of letting Greenwood anywhere near her. He brought her into his room and sat her on the bed. He quickly locked the door with a key to which he placed in his pocket before removing the blindfold.
Y/N blinked to adjust to the light and when she did she quickly scrambled back on the bed, away from the boy in front of her.
“Oh Y/N your never getting away from me. Not now, not ever.” He spoke before laughing crazily making her whimper and her eyes water. She curled up in a ball in an attempt to shield herself away from the boy.
“Well Doll, welcome to your new home. By the way, the names Jerome. Jerome Valeska.”
Y/N began to shake, her dad had told her about his interview. She should have for the hint from the fact of his unsettling laughter.
She was utterly screwed.
Let me know if you’d like a quick part 2
Also, please suggest things to write 😁
#jerome valeska#gotham#story prompt#oneshots#jerome valeska x reader#jim gordon#male yandere#love at first sight#writing
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Truth Serum
Description: Matty Healy x Reader (Female) | You’ve been friends with Matty for quite a few years and he thinks he knows pretty much everything about you. Like how you’re always more honest when you’d had a drink and even more so when you’re tired too. But when a head injury and strong painkillers are added to that equation, for Matty it’s entertaining, but for you it’s a recipe for heartbreak.
Word Count: 9.7k
Warnings: A lil bit of angst but mostly fluff.
A/N: This was requested by @jagz72! Sorry it took so long but I got VERY carried away and just couldn't stop writing. I really hope you enjoy reading it, I definitely enjoyed writing it. I hope everyone has a very Happy New Year! This year has been amazing (on Tumblr) and I’ve connected with so many people on here it’s been really lovely making so many new friends. I’m wishing you all a wonderful 2021!
Likes and Reblogs are appreciated but most of all, thank you so much for reading x
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This really wasn’t how you hoped your day would go. But here you were, sitting on a hospital bed with a nurse shining a torch in your eyes making sure you were okay.
The reason you were here may be funny in the future when you tell it back to your kids or something. But right now, you were worried and so was the man that was holding your hand, who’d been the cause of your injury.
Matty had brought you to A&E as soon as the incident happened.
You'd been friends for 3 years, so it really wasn’t anything out of the ordinary these days when Matty popped by early in the morning. You knew he liked getting out of his house so his inability to sleep for long durations didn’t suffocate him.
After all, no one liked lying in bed wide awake when you knew you were meant to be asleep.
So, you’d given him a key many moons ago to try and help him combat that. You were a creative person, be that crafting or baking or painting.
You had it all.
So, his mind could run wild in your house and he’d yet to get bored. You’d woken up more than once to find him in your lounge, painting once but most of the time you found him trying to replicate your baking goods.
And he was really shit at it.
When he walked into your home this morning, you were already up and in the kitchen baking. Truthfully it was a surprise to see you up and about so early as it was only 6:30.
You didn’t sleep very well last night as you’d been out drinking with a few friends. You never really slept well after an alcohol filled night. It always left you really dehydrated and because you lived quite a bit out of London, not too far from Matty, you most of the time started with your hangover before you even got back home.
But that was the choice you made when you went into the city to drink.
So in theory Matty shouldn't have been surprised when he saw you already awake this morning. He knew you’d gone out and he knew what drinking did to you.
Matty quite liked when you got drunk with him, you were a really funny person and you pretty much had no filter when you had alcohol in your system. That was always fun for you all when you went out, and Matty loved the taxis back home with you on nights like that.
He always brought an extra drink in the taxi with him so your hangover wouldn’t start in the 30 minute drive back.
Matty had greeted you with a hug when he walked into your house and found that you were in the kitchen. You seemed really happy to see him too and you got to chatting about how Notes was coming along.
But it seemed that you and Matty let time get the better of you as Matty kept teasing you for practically still being drunk. The alcohol that was still present in your system obviously hadn’t worn off it’s truth serum effects yet and Matty liked to tease you about doing impulsive things, like baking cookies at 7:30 in the morning.
The next time Matty looked at the clock though, he was really late for a meeting. Your tired, tipsy, sleep deprived self had been quite entertaining leading him to forget that he had people to meet.
Jamie had called him double checking about the meeting that was meant to be starting at 8:45. But the time was now 9:22 and he still hadn’t showed up so Jamie, being the friendly manager he was, just called him up to check if he was okay.
“Oh fuck.” Matty curses looking at the caller ID and the time.
You look around at Matty worriedly and ask, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m meant to be at a meeting with Jamie and the lads right now.” Matty tells you, “I’ll be just a minute.”
Matty goes out of the kitchen to answer the call as he didn’t want to disturb your early morning baking. He didn't care if you could hear what he said or not he just didn't want to disturb your morning.
That and he was going to try and get out of the meeting so he could stay and eat all the cookies you’d yet to put in the oven.
Matty answers Jamie and profusely apologises for lacking manners to show up to a meeting on time. Thankfully, Jamie isn’t that fussed about it and suggests putting the meeting back as he was free until early afternoon.
Matty jumps at that chance.
But then Matty practically whips himself around with the intent to ask you how long it will take to bake the cookies so he’d know how long to push the meeting back, but he never gets that far. When Matty turns around, he barges his shoulder straight into you causing you to be pushed back.
You were just about to make your way past him to get your phone from where you’d put it on charge in your lounge earlier, but that was long forgotten when your head smacked off the corner of the wooden door frame behind you.
The bang to the back of your head shocked Matty to his core. You both stopped dead and looked at each other and as soon as Matty’s hands rested on your shoulders he kept apologising.
“Shit shit shit. Y/N are you okay?!” Matty asks, his hands flying to your shoulders to steady you, his phone still in his hand.
“I’m okay.” You tell him in shock, moving away from the door frame a little to hold the back of your head.
You could feel a lump forming already, but there was no blood, so you guessed you were alright. Matty quickly puts his phone to his ear to tell Jamie he’d call him back before he pockets his phone and holds your shoulders again.
“I’m so sorry Y/N. I didn't know you were there, are you okay? Did I hurt you?” Matty asks worriedly.
“Not your fault Matty.” You tell him, “I’m fine.”
Something which Matty doesn’t believe for a solid minute despite you assuring him that you were okay.
Once he relaxes a little, he pulls you into a hug as another way to apologise. You also relax and take your hand off the back of your head to hug him back, trying to assure him you’re okay. But you can’t help the curse that falls from your lips as you could already feel a headache coming on.
“Fuck me.” You say resting your forehead down on his shoulder.
His eyes go wide, “Really?” Matty questions in shock.
“No.” You say immediately, and Matty is about to laugh until you correct your statement to, “Well, not right now.”
Matty’s eyes widen, “What?”
You didn’t even say it in a sarcastic or joking way. Matty immediately felt the need to pry.
“My head hurts a little.” You whine into his shoulder, but he assumes it's to try and distract from the little slip up you just had.
And as much as Matty wanted to make your head better instantly he was shocked by what you said. So before he could stop himself he grins, “Tell me what you just said.”
“Matty I’m fine, go to your meeting.” You say picking your head up off his shoulder.
He looks into your Y/E/C eyes and they narrow as he asks if he hears correctly, “You said I couldn’t fuck you right now?”
“Yeah, so?” You shake your head as if you didn’t remember saying that.
Matty looks at you curiously, frowning a little as the thought had never really crossed his mind that you thought of him like that. “You want me to fuck you?”
“We’re not discussing this right now.” You shake your head again but Matty sees pain flash through your eyes. You hold the back of your head again and he can see you're actually in pain. “Matty, my head hurts.”
“I’ll get you some ice.” Matty says letting go of your waist and looking to your fridge freezer across the room.
Before he can move though you grab his arm and say, “No, go to your meeting.”
“You can’t just say you want me to fuck you and then tell me to go to a meeting Y/N.” Matty grins at you.
You close your eyes and sigh, “Matty.”
Matty’s grin gets bigger and he holds your waist again and teasingly says your name, “Y/N.”
“You shouldn’t be joking about this now...” You shake your head a little harder, “You just made me accidentally whack my head on the fucking door fra- oh... I feel dizzy.” You say and Matty’s heart goes in his throat when your eyes roll to the back of your head and you almost go limp in his arms.
“Shit.” Matty says, tightening his hold around you so you don't fall to the floor and hit your head again.
And that was how you ended up in A&E at 9:55 on a Friday morning.
“Okay so, you’re okay but you’ve had a moderate concussion and you're unfortunately going to be in pain for a day or two with it.” The nurse tells you when she stops shining the torch in your eyes.
“We will give you stronger painkillers than the ones you’ve already taken but with these you need to be woken up every two hours when you go to sleep tonight. Try and stay awake as long as possible today and then,” She looks to Matty, “You need to wake her a little every two hours. Not like getting up and about but she needs to respond or you call an ambulance.”
“Oh he’s n-” You start to correct her to wonder what you need to do for yourself because Matty wouldn’t be with you.
But Matty says, “Yeah course, I can do that.”
After the nurse told you and Matty what symptoms of things getting worse to look out for you picked up your prescription from the chemist. After that though you expected to go back home and try to relax your headache away but Matty refused to let you out of his sight because it was his fault you were in this state.
So Matty took you to his pushed back meeting and took you to the studio afterwards as he had to keep his eye on you. You weren’t chatty throughout it all, as you tried to keep yourself to yourself.
But that didn’t mean that you didn’t find the meeting fucking boring and you felt like you were intruding in the studio. But you did get another insight into their new album which was fun.
You tried to keep your mouth shut whilst you listened to it, liking to take in the lyrics but when you did you were a little shocked about it.
The song you were allowed to listen to today was Nothing Revealed/ Everything Denied and there were a few revelations in there that you weren't expecting. But you tried to keep that as quiet as you could because the strong painkillers mixed with the lack of sleep was also acting as another form of truth serum.
Since taking your painkillers early this afternoon, you’d been messy to say the least. You’d made a fool out of yourself when you complimented all of the other boys.
Earlier you basically told George earlier that you thought his tattoos were attractive. You told Ross that his hair was looking really good with it longer on top and you even accidentally moved it and styled it a tad for him. You forced yourself to not tell Adam that you found him hypnotic when he played the guitar.
“You have nice eyes” You tell Matty, but not actually meaning to, as you sat across from him at the cafe you’d gone to for lunch not far from the studio.
Matty glances back at you from the window then and he smiles, “Thank you”
He also feels the need to add, “You’ve got nice eyes too”
You seem to become a bit embarrassed then which makes Matty smile. You seem to disagree with his observation though and shake your head which confuses him a little, until you say, “I have boring eyes”
“Mine are literally the colour of this table Y/N” Matty says, pointing to the dark wood that your plates both rest on. “Not very interesting”
“They are interesting. They look like they see the world differently” You say honestly before looking back down to your food.
Matty watches as you eat then. It seemed like you didn’t mean to say that either because you went a bit shy again.
He decides to let this one slide but when you do it again he can’t help himself.
About 3 hours later, Matty was driving you both back home from the studio and he noticed that you were pretty silent in the car despite one of your favourite songs just being on the radio. Matty looks to you after the song finishes and notices your leaning your head on the window.
Your eyes were closed and you looked a bit better than earlier, so he asked you, “How you feeling, love?”
But you didn’t answer him and that makes him panic a little bit. He forgot you weren’t allowed to sleep.
“Hey Y/N/N” Matty says, flicking his eyes between you and the road and he shakes your shoulder.
“I’m tired Matty, leave me alone ” You say shrugging his hand away.
“No no no stay awake” Matty says pulling on your hair a little bit instead to try and annoy you awake.
He does it for a minute and he only stops when you pick your head up off the window. You shift in your seat and turn towards him so you’re now facing him properly and resting your temple on the headrest.
You close your eyes again but you know he’s right, so you ask, “Can you keep chatting to me to keep me awake because I don’t think I can do it on my own.”
“Fuck.” Matty chuckles.
You always told him to shut up. Never to keep talking.
“Have I broken you?” Matty chuckles a little looking back to the road.
“Not in the way I want you to break me.” Matty hears you whisper and his eyes go wide.
He sees that your eyes were closed again but this time you were curled up on the seat facing him. It didn’t even look like you knew what you just said.
He immediately turns his head and asks in shock, “Do you know you said that out loud?”
“I said that out loud?” You ask, your eyes open in shock.
“Yes Y/N.” Matty smirks glancing back at the road and then at you again.
You look mortified and you pull your phone out of your pocket and distract yourself on that. You don’t look at him as you say, “Well pretend I didn’t”
Matty wants answers though. “Y/N do you wa-“
But you interrupt with, “Matty when are you releasing Notes because I wanna play If You’re too Shy on repeat?”
“Y/N/N.” Matty tries again but you have none of it.
“Answer me.” You insist, evidently not wanting to revert back to what you said.
Matty gives in and estimates, “Like May-ish.”
“May?” You question in an annoyed sigh. “Matty you said it would be out last year.”
“Don’t believe what I say music wise.” Matty says looking back to the road now as you definitely weren’t going to go back to the topic of him ‘breaking you’. “I said that we were stopping the band after Notes remember and that’s changed.”
“Yeah, I don’t know why you ever said that. You belong on a stage”. You say as you scroll back through your phone.
“Thanks Darling” Matty grins, “Do you like watching me up on stage?”
He hopes to get another comment out of you like before. But he just gets a sarcastic, “Oh yeah Hun, you look like the drama queen you are.”
You’re good with your slip ups after that until late at night when you head up to bed with Matty following close behind joking about the ‘adult sleepover’ you were having. He’d insisted he was staying and doing the checks on you every two hours.
You were fine with that as he’d stayed in your bed before when the both of you had passed out mid movie nights, but the jokes you could do without. Especially when your lips were speaking so freely from the meds you were on and the lack of sleep in your system.
“You hurt me Matthew, you should be taking care of me not asking me to shag you” You say before heading into your bathroom to get changed after throwing a pair of joggers his way.
When you re-enter your bedroom, you see Matty already under your duvet and you give him a hug once you lie yourself down beside him.
“You’re never this touchy with me” Matty says a minute into the hug that's practically turned into a cuddle.
“Because I don’t know if you like me touching you.” You say as you let go of him and grab the pillow under your head to bring it between you so you could hug it as you drifted off to sleep.
But you leave Matty confused then. You were never the touchy type in general and in the time he’d known you, he’d never seen you with the boyfriend you had when you initially met so he didn’t even know if you were a cuddly person in a relationship.
“You don’t like anyone touching you.” Matty says after your eyes had been closed for a few seconds.
You don’t open them back up again, not even when you admit, “I like you touching me.”
It makes Matty once again freeze as he wasn’t expecting your honesty. And he certainly wasn’t expecting you to continue with, “Makes my day when you give me a hug or kiss my cheek or give me a loving headlock, even if your hair does tickle my face when you do it.”
You chuckle a little at the end of your sentence which leads Matty to do as well, at both your honesty and the comment about his hair. The way you’re smiling into your pillow is also impossible for Matty now to smile at.
“I love your hair, you know?” You tell him, still keeping your eyes closed.
Matt smiles at the fact your filter seems to be completely gone at this point. So Matty feels the need to compliment you back.
“I love your hair.” Matty tells you, tucking a strand of it that had fallen onto your face behind your ear. He tells you honestly, “I like messing with it”
“Mhhh” You hum with a smile. You add in a whisper, “I like it when you pull on it.”
Matty is once again taken aback by your statement and this time he can’t let it go. The teasing remarks that you’d been accidently letting slip all day had to have meant something, or you wouldn’t look so sheepish after you said them.
Like just now you were cuddling yourself into your pillow more than you already had been and Matty just couldn’t bring himself to let it go. Yeah it may not be the time for such a conversation at 1:48am but here you both were.
And Matty had to know.
So after a silent minute he said, “Y/N”
“What?” You ask softly.
“You know I can hear you whispering?”
“Maybe you were meant to.” You tiredly suggest, your voice barely above a whisper.
“Where’s this all coming from?” Matty asks, a little amused as you never gave out compliments unless it was about his music.
The music was something you never joked about but you always did with him and the rest of the band.
Matty watches as you internally battle with yourself on what to reply. But it seems the truth ends up being your easiest option despite you sighing before you start.
“I think I like you a lot Matty.” You tell him and it shocked the curly haired man to his soul. You carry on, your eyes still closed, “And once I slipped up I couldn’t stop myself from carrying on.”
Matty struggles to find words for a moment there. He didn’t know what he was expecting but it certainly wasn’t this.
“I think about you all the time when I’m not supposed to…” You trail off for a moment there leaving the room in silence. Something which then leads to you add in a sad tone, “And I get it if you leave... I wouldn’t like me either but I’m sick of hiding it now.”
Matty stumbles again but he just about manages to ask, “Ho- How long...? Have you liked me?”
“I think I noticed after George’s party” You say thinking back to three months ago.
“Why?” Matty asks, not remembering anything significantly different about that night compared to the others you’ve shared together.
“Because you’re you” You say simply.
Matty frowns a little then, not annoyed he doesn’t think, but maybe a little disappointed. He didn’t want people to like him because he was Matty Healy from The 1975 anymore.
Matty wanted that left behind in 2015. That’s why he’d had the long relationship with Gabby and that was why he’d only been out with very few people since her, Twigs being the only one that got a little serious. But all of them eventually fizzled out for different reasons.
Matty just didn’t want people to want him because of who he was on stage or who the media presented him as anymore. He was done with it... completely and utterly-
“You always make me laugh by pulling a face when I’ve had a bad day at work.” You carry on after those few seconds of silence, and you continue on to say, “You know my shit and you tease me about it but in a fun loving sorta way. You tuck your hair behind your ear when you're nervous which is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen and I get jealous when you do it to other girls and not me, but that’s fine. And my heart goes rapid when you tell me a cheesy joke because you decided to tell it me first. And I find myself wanting you to be around all the time even if it’s the middle of the night.”
You finish off your tired rambling leaving Matty on the opposite side of your bed completely stunned. So much so that the man who always has something to say is left speechless.
Nothing coming out of his mouth even if he could think of something to say. You have completely stunned him.
He is so desperately trying to think of a way to reply to you that he doesn’t realise how much time passes. The only thing that rips him out of his thoughts are your next soft words.
“Am I allowed to go to sleep now or do I have to stay awake?” You question in a whisper, your voice thick with tiredness.
Matty looks at your soft stunning features and just about manages to whisper back, “You can sleep... But don’t you want me to tell you how I’m feeling?”
You shake your head into your pillow and Matty listens intently when you say, “I’d rather have ten more minutes of us being friends without it being awkward and then I can wake up tomorrow and cry when you’re not there and don’t want to be my friend anymore.”
And just that sentence alone breaks Matty's heart. He assures you, “I’m never going to not be your friend”
Because no matter what happened tomorrow he didn’t want to lose you. You’d always been such a good friend, there was no way Matty was ever going to let that go.
“But you’re not going to be close with me anymore because you know I like you.” You say, your voice full of melancholy. But you for some reason feel the need to assure him, “And that’s okay. I wouldn’t like me either... But thank you for being my friend for as long as you have.”
“Y/N” Matty starts but you don’t let him finish.
“Goodnight Matty. Talk in the morning.” You say, “But if you go, I understand. I won’t bother you anymore.”
“I’m n-” Matty tired again but your tired voice interrupts once more.
“Thanks for everything Matty.” You say giving him a smile, your eyes still closed but you must have known he was watching you.
That night Matty didn’t sleep a wink. You were all he could think about. He lay on the other side of your bed for hours trying to process everything you said.
He couldn’t believe it. He was really shocked by your honesty just before you went to sleep but as you spoke he could physically see your body relax. As if it was a weight of your shoulders which he guessed it must have been.
Matty took the hours he lay awake and processed everything about yours and his friendship through his mind. And there were so many happy memories.
Matty didn't even get through the first year before his 2 hour alarm went off on his apple watch and he stirred you a bit to make sure you were still alive. He of course knew you were but when you hummed a little in response to him calling your name that was enough for Matty to let you rest again.
Matty went over every single thing he could remember in his mind. The highs and the lows of the last 3 years in your presence and he was smiling throughout most of it.
Sometimes his thoughts got away with him so much he had to put the TV you had in your room on to distract him. The volume stayed on low but he had to distract himself because not getting a chance to talk to you left him wanting to wake you up and talk everything through.
But he knew you’d had a shit night’s sleep the previous day and the bump on your head had left you really tired. So he couldn’t deprive you the rest you definitely needed.
But now it was 7:36 and Matty couldn’t just lie in bed next to you anymore. He had to go do something.
~*~*~*~
You woke up the next morning afraid to open your eyes. You were petrified.
Of course you remembered everything that had been said the night before and you knew if you opened your eyes and saw the guy you fancied beside you that your friendship at the very least would be okay. But if you opened your eyes to see an empty bed, you know you fucked it completely.
So that was why you kept your eyes closed for 5 minutes once you woke up. You could hear your TV playing music from the other side of the room so you never heard Matty breathing. But there was a reason for that.
Because when you opened your eyes, you found an empty bed.
Your heart sank and immediately tears came to your eyes. You knew you shouldn’t have done it. You shouldn’t have told him anything.
Now you’d lost your good friend and probably the rest of the band on the way. By the time you sat up and walked into your bathroom, the tears were freely streaming down your face.
You didn’t even try to stop them. You just let them fall and got in the shower so you could cry to your heart’s content.
Your chest hurt. It hurt in a way it hadn’t for a long time because you’d not let anyone in like you’d accidentally let Matty in.
And of course he wasn’t interested in you. Why would he be?
You were no Halsey or Gabby or FKA Twigs. You were no one’s love of their life, but you thought Matty might have been yours.
It was so stupid of you to think like that.
You hoped the 20 minute shower would have been enough time to settle your heartache but apparently it wasn’t. You were still crying long after you turned the water off and you got yourself dry.
You cried as you blow dried your hair, you cried as you changed into your comfort pair of joggers (the ones you’d loaned Matty last night) and your massively baggy hoodie. You couldn’t stop the tears from flowing which meant that the pressure behind your eyes started to hurt your head.
You turned the TV off but that didn’t help. So you went downstairs to get yourself a drink and some painkillers as your injury from yesterday wasn’t helping either.
But when you opened your kitchen door the bang of something hitting the worktop didn’t help either. You push the door open fully and we’re shocked to see your kitchen in an absolute state with Matty standing there in his clothes from yesterday with a tray full of unbaked cookies in his hand.
“What are you doing?” The words come out of your mouth as you look at the state that your kitchen was in.
There’s baking goods everywhere and from the things that were out you couldn’t tell if he was making bread or some sort of cake. You were very confused but your curly haired friend also looked confused.
He didn’t turn to look at you as he was trying to make sure the cookies that were on the tray didn’t roll off as he put them in the oven. He opened up the now very hot contraption and once they were in and the door was shut he quickly put a timer on his phone to check them after a while.
“I’m trying to make you some cookies. But you know yours are always going to be better than mine because the first batch I tried I put icing sugar instead of cast- what’s wrong?” Matty asks, finally turning to look at you.
When he did, he saw that your eyes were swollen and your cheeks were puffy and your eyes were all bloodshot. He threw the oven glove to the side not caring where it went and walked over to you, “Why are you crying?”
You withdraw then and look down away from him. The ball immediately rises back to your throat and the tears that had just briefly stopped are threatening to flow again.
“Y/N/N” Matty takes your hand so you can’t move away again.
You shake your head and look down to the ground. You just about managed to get out, “Doesn’t matter”
“Course it matters, you’re upset” Matty says but you just shake your head and don’t look at him.
But that doesn’t mean he can see the tears rolling down your cheeks.
“Come here” He says, pulling you into a hug and you truly didn’t realise how much you needed it.
You inhale a very shaky breath which hurts Matty’s heart so he asks again, running a hand up and down your back, “What’s wrong? Why are you upset?”
You don’t have the energy to make up a lie so you just tell him the truth.
“You weren’t there when I woke up. I thought I lost you” You whisper but your voice comes out in a much higher octave than usual as you’re trying not to fully sob again.
Matty pulls away from the hug but keeps you close. Both his hands come up to cup your face and his thumbs brush away your tears and he says softly, “Don’t cry”
“Matty I’ve been crying for the better part of an hour, you telling me to stop won’t just make it happen” You half laugh half whine.
Your emotions were everywhere. You couldn’t believe he was still here. You still weren’t to be fair, you were half sure you were dreaming.
“You really think I would just leave you?” Matty asks with a tiny frown as he again wipes another tear away.
“Well yeah.” You shrug a little pathetically before carrying on in a pained voice, ”You don’t owe me anything. I’m just some girl you know. I’m not one important, so why would you stay?”
“Because you’re so much more than that you’ve just said.” Matty tells you honestly. His heart hurting that you thought of yourself like that.
“You don’t have to pretend.” You shake your head, ”I’m a big girl, I can handle rejection.”
Matty can’t believe you don’t get it.
“Y/N/N I’m standing in your house trying to bake you cookies, comforting you, I always flirt with you and I have done for ages… And you still think I want someone else?” Matty asks, wiping your tears away.
”No.“ Matty confirms, ”Yeah, you shocked me last night because you’ve never ever given me the slightest inkling that you liked me but when you started, it all fits Y/N.”
Matty continues to shock you with, “Why do you think I said ‘really’ yesterday when you said ‘fuck me’? I didn’t mean to say that just like you didn’t mean to say ‘not right now’.”
Matty grins as he finishes explaining, “But your you. You never let me get a word in edgeways which most of the time I love, but yesterday you didn’t let me get a chance to say that I fancy the fuck out of you.”
Your eyes go wide and you immediately shake your head, “No you don’t”
“Believe me I do.” Matty assures you, but you still don’t look like you believe him, “I don’t think you understand just how much though.”
“Because you don’t fancy me Matty. Stop trying to be nice” You shake your head and go to turn around but Mattys hand finds your hip and stops you turning.
Matty tells you honestly, “I’d say I’ve fancied you since we were out at that bar months ago and The Sound came on and you were dancing to it singing it to us.”
Matty grins as he continues, “And you did that thing I do on stage for the playing with yourself lyrics and I fully gulped. And then you pulled me up to dance with you and I loved listening and watching you sing my song at me.”
“A little narcissistic of you that Matty” You can’t help but say as you wipe away the tears that had sneaked down your eyes.
“Well it's lucky you like me anyway so I don’t even have to pretend it’s not.” Matty grins tucking a strand of your messy bed hair behind your ear. “Plus you looked really fucking good in those leather pants and you had the cutest most excited look on your face when you got me up dancing”
You giggle a little then and you half smile at him trying to make the tears stop. Matty helps with that by gently brushing his thumb over the bow sensitive skin under your eyes.
“So my beautiful and wonderful Y/N…” Matty likes the way you smile when he says that, “You need to stop crying because today I planned on wooing my best friend with cookies in exchange for a kiss and later on I was gunna get on my knees and beg my best friend to go out with me.”
You grin as you joke, “George is a lucky boy, isn’t he?”
“Shut up” Matty giggles.
You whisper a little, with a grin on your face, “Especially lucky for the get on your knees part.”
He gives you a knowing look then, but he just grins and asks, “How’s the head injury? Still making you spill your secrets I see”
You smile a little but only answer his question, “My head hurts from crying so it’s not a lot better.”
“Please stop crying.” Matty begs, ”I’d never leave you especially after that. I’m sorry I didn’t stay in bed, I just wanted to do something for you because you never got to finish making the cookies yesterday”
“You’re cute” You smile.
Matty mirrors it, “So are you.”
You smile at him and your eyes flick between both of his. He looked so gorgeous, yet so sleep deprived.
You're about to ask him about his sleep but Matty gets a question in there before you. “Can I kiss you now?”
Your eyes go wide, “No.”
“I feel vile, I’m all disgusting” You add sniffling a bit because you were all bunged up.
“Y/N you know how disgusting I am, do you really think I care?” Matty chuckles a little, again wiping away a stray tier.
You look into those gorgeous eyes and tell him, “I care”
Matty just pouts, looking down to your lips, “I wanna kiss you.”
You smile at his eagerness but softly plead, “Please wait until I’ve stopped crying.”
“Fine.” Matty says, “You win this one” and then he kisses your forehead.
You smile at the contact and Matty pulls you into a hug which you greatly appreciate. You tightly hug him back and you sort of melt into his warm body.
You feel another kiss being placed to the top of your head and you smile feeling that. “Come on Darling, gotta give you more of that truth serum” Matty says, knowing you needed more painkillers.
You giggle then but you pause when you recognise a familiar smell. You pull out of the hug and say, “Matty the cookies”
Matty immediately smelled the burning batch then too. He rushed his way over to your oven then saying, “Shit shit shit”
~*~*~*~
After the burnt cookies made it out of the oven and you helped him with a normal batch, you spent the day together. Him still looking after you like he did yesterday but this time he was overtly flirting with you all day.
You had to admit that you did love it. The fact he actually liked you back was something you were still a little shocked by but by the time you were sitting down eating your lunch together you’d talked through things a lot.
Matty had told you that he wanted to take you out later to a bar for some quiet drinks, and he said he had every intention of kissing you when he brought you back. You tried not to show how that made you feel bit Matty knew how you hid things so when he cupped your cheeks and felt how hot they were he teased you about being silently on board with the idea.
But the more you thought about actually going out with him, the more you wished it didn’t happen whilst you had a head injury. The last thing you wanted was to go out to a bar and have noisy people around you.
Matty himself was a handful sometimes and if you were honest you didn’t really want to get yourself ready to go out in public. You’d rather just stay in with the man himself.
So you thought you’d ask if he’d put a pin in the idea for now.
“Matty” You say once you come back into the lounge. As you sit yourself down on the settee beside him you ask, “You know how you said you’d get on your knees and ask me out later?”
Matty gives you a little playful grin then and answers, “Yeah?”
“Can you do that maybe in a day or two?” You ask him a little hesitantly. You also explain, “I still don’t feel all that great and I’d like to enjoy our date when we go out.”
“Thought you’d like me on my knees for you?” Matty teases a bit, shuffling himself a little closer to you.
You’re both facing each other on the settee now. The side of your heads are resting against the back of the cushioned surface and you’re just smirking at each other.
You run your tongue over your bottom lip as his playful look continues. Despite the teasing remark though, you continue with your honesty.
“I’d probably love it a lot more when I don’t have a splitting headache and I’ve not been crying all morning.” You grin and Matty chuckles a little before resting a hand on your knee.
“That’s fine” Matty smiles, letting his hand rub your knee soothingly. “What would you like to do instead?”
You quite liked that he didn’t want to leave despite you postponing the date. It gave you more assurance that he was still interested, even though he’d assured you several times now that he was.
You suggest, “Netflix?”
“And chill?” Matty suggests with a teasing smirk.
You can’t help but laugh, “We will see.”
The rest of the day surprisingly goes pretty fast. That may have been yours and Matty’s weird thing around each other though because whenever you were together it seemed like time just flew by.
You both went on a walk around the park near where you lived as a way to break up the day. It was a walk filled with Matty now being very cheeky with you and he found every excuse to put his hands on you.
The most memorable time being when you were standing in the queue at the little cafe that was there so you could get yourselves a sandwich. His arms had snaked around your waist from behind and he pulled you into him for everyone to see.
His touchiness didn’t even die down when you got to the lady who was serving. If anything he was even more attentive to you as he called you ‘Darling’ and ‘Babe’ when he was asking what food and drink you wanted.
The lady serving you seemed amused by your first ‘lovers quarrel’ over who was paying for what. Something which Matty ended up doing because he wasn’t taking no for an answer. You’d be sure to buy him something at some point to make up for it though.
But before either of you knew it you were curled up together on your settee with the lights on low as you watched your films. They weren’t anything intense, they were just shitty comedies like Zoolander and Step Brothers. Just films that you could chat over but then also pay attention to if you wanted a break from the chatting.
You don’t really know how you got into the position but in this moment in time you were curled up against Matty with your legs over his and he had his head on your shoulder as you watched the film. It was needless to say you felt so much better than you did this morning.
Maybe you should have been honest from the get go and you could have been experiencing this for a lot longer. You certainly looked forward to the cute innocent cuddles you’d have in the future as Matty had made it clear he was interested.
You must have got lost in your head for a moment though, because Matty’s lips gently meeting your neck was something that brought you straight back to reality. It was just a gentle peck which made you smile towards the TV and you just carried on playing with his hair like he’d not done anything.
But then he did it again for a little longer and then again a little bit higher up your neck. It was only when Matty carried on his little adventure that your fingers laced into his hair to encourage him.
You felt him grin into your neck then and he slowly worked his way up your neck like a teenager exploring that section of skin for the first time. You of course tilted your head to the side to give him more room and you both had a little giggle at that both being fully aware of what the other was doing.
When Matty started nipping on your neck you let your eyes close to bask in the sensations he was bringing to you. You felt like it was ten times better than what anyone else had done before, but maybe that was because you really fancied him.
Whatever the reason though, you didn’t want his lips to stop. And thankfully they didn’t.
Matty teased your neck until he was itching to kiss your lips. So much so that he silently pleaded to himself that you’d let him now your tears had long dried up.
“Can I please kiss you properly now?” Matty asks against your neck after another minute of the sweet torture.
You pull on his hair so his lips detached from your neck and when he looked up at you and his sweet brown eyes met yours. You nodded a, “Yes please”
And Matty didn’t need to be told twice.
Matty’s pillowy lips meet yours and you instantly melt. The nervousness that you felt building before every first kiss you’d ever had was gone and you let yourself enjoy it.
For Matty it was everything he hoped it would be. Your soft lips meeting for kisses every single time and when you brought your hand up to cup his face it was indication that you liked it enough for it to continue.
Your lips moved against each other’s almost cautiously as you both softly go in for the kisses you’d been starving yourselves of all day. Even though they were sweet and innocent, you couldn’t help your heart beating erratically in your chest.
You think it meant more to you because you liked him and have done for a while. Kisses like this weren’t the same as the ones you get when you were after a quick pull at a club. These meant something and the fact you were both gentle and almost hesitant with them proved that.
After a minute you both pull away, Matty pressing his forehead against yours so you could feel his curls tickle your face but you didn’t mind in the slightest. Your hands had chosen to cup his cheek and his neck so you really weren’t that fussed about his curls, if anything you welcomed them now you knew he didn’t mind you being close.
In this pause to catch your breaths you never really lost, Matty decided to tell you with a grin, “You’ll be pleased to know I definitely like you”
You giggle at that and let your fingers lace back into his curls before saying, “You’re a cheesy fucker” before you pull him in to meet your lips again.
It was less hesitant from both of you this time as the joke caused you both to smile into it a little. But it gets a little more forward after that.
They were more confident kisses this time which was slowly setting your skin on fire. And you both got that into them that the next time you knew what was going on you were leaning backwards with Matty’s lips still meeting yours meaning he was slowly trapping you between him and the settee.
Thankfully there were definitely worse places to be trapped. You would choose this form of imprisonment every time.
When Matty deepened the kiss it caused the both of you to whimper a bit. Mostly because of the way you pulled on his curls to encourage it and the fact that Matty’s hand had found your hip and he held you against him tightly.
The kisses only got braver from then on. Both of you now fully getting off on your settee with absolutely no intention of stopping anytime soon.
The only time you pause is when it’s getting a little intense for you because the lump on the back of your head was pressed into the harder part of the arm of the settee. So the next time Matty’s lips trail down your neck to allow you both to get some air, you let him know in your own sarcastic way.
“Matty” You half whine, loving the way he was kissing your neck now.
“Yes baby?” Matty asks and the pet name causes your stomach to flip. Hearing that fall from his lips in the position you were both in definitely felt good.
“I know I'm a good kisser and everything so it's not a shock I’m clouding your mind, but I had a head injury yesterday and you kissing me the way you are is pushing my head into the settee and it’s starting to hurt again.” You ramble honestly keeping your fingers tightly laced into his curls.
Matty chuckles into your neck then before placing one last kiss there for now. He then leans up and pecks your lips once more.
“Sorry baby” Matty says, pulling you up into a different position. You're straddling his hips then and Matty leans back against the settee with a grin plastered onto his lips, “This better for you?”
“Cocky little shit, aren’t you?” You laugh shaking your head at him.
Matty laughs too but he backchats, “Says you… You’re the one that just said your kisses were that good they left me with no memory”
“Well” You grin, pecking his lips teasingly once more before saying, “I’m speaking from experience”
“Come here” Matty says shaking his head, pulling you back down to him with the hand that cups your neck and you note a playful grin on his lips, “We will see whos mind goes foggy”
You end up kissing him like that for a long while just enjoying this new dynamic with each other. You had to admit to yourself that he was a really good kisser, but that shouldn’t really have surprised you, his tongue was out a lot in the Love Me video and he had it out half the time when he teased the crowd when he was on stage.
He definitely knew how to use it.
After the both of you calmed yourselves down, you cuddled yourselves up against each other much like earlier on as you carried on watching another shitty comedy. You watched them into the night again and you only noticed you half dozed off when you felt a soft kiss being pressed to your neck again.
“Matty” You murmur after feeling another lone tired kiss against the skin on your neck.
He must pick up on what you’re about to suggest because he asks, “Can I stay again?”
You nod and say, “Course”
You wanted to kiss and cuddle him for a lot longer than you already had been doing.
“Let’s go to bed, love” Matty says, picking his head up out of your neck and pecks your lips once more.
It leaves a warm feeling in your chest as you turn everything off downstairs before heading to bed.
When you get up to your room Matty’s arm travels around your waist and he hugs you into him. You lean back against him and smile at the feeling of his curls against your skin as he nuzzles himself into your neck again.
“You smell really good” He tells you before placing a kiss to the place where your neck meets your shoulder.
You grin at that, “Thanks, I think it’s just you though. All I can smell is your aftershave”
“Don’t feed the narcissism Darling” Matty spins you around then, “Take the compliment.”
You giggle before you kiss him again, this time with no hesitation at all. Your fingers lace into his curly locks and you pull on it hungrily to keep him close as he continues to walk you back into your bedroom.
They are just playful kisses coming from the both of you. Nothing too intense at all.
You like the feeling of Matty’s arms wrapped around your lower back pulling you into his body. You like the fact that he wanted you close, because you wanted him just the same.
You both pull away giggling a little when Matty almost trips the both of you over from moving towards your bed a little too fast. But thankfully it just ends in a playful, “Need to slow down. I’d feel bad if I gave you another concussion”
“I get it… I’ve wanted to kiss you for ages
“Well you can kiss me whenever you want” Matty grins pulling you down to straddle his lap which you do.
“Good to know” You giggle before kissing his pillowy lips again.
After a few more kisses, you’re both very aware of the tiredness creeping its way into your systems despite the new sensations you’re both getting from your lips attacking the others.
“Y/N/N, Darling, you’ve got my joggers on” Matty grins knowing that they are what you gave him to wear last night.
You grin, “You’re right” and then you get up off his lap and grab yourself some new pyjamas from your drawer.
“I can only apologise mister Healy” You say with a smirk as you push them down your legs and step out of them.
Matty wasn’t exactly expecting you to strip in front of him tonight but the fact your gorgeous legs were on display to him for a minute he didn’t stop himself from looking. Your very oversized hoodie now acts as a dress as it hides your underwear from his gaze.
Matty just couldn't take his eyes away from your legs though. He didn’t think he’d ever seen you in a skirt or a dress so actually seeing you in front of him like that just led to new thoughts circling his mind. Or his mind was until you hastily picked them up and launched the scrunched up joggers at his head.
“Ey” Matty called back playfully, holding the joggers in his hands now.
You point to your eyes and silently tell him that is where they are with a knowing grin on your lips. Matty can only press his lips together as an apology before you head to your bathroom to change again like you did the night before.
He didn’t need to get everything on the first day.
After changing and doing your nightly routine you come back to your bedroom to find Matty changed into your joggers and no top like last night and you don’t shy your eyes away from his tattoos this time when he walks past you to use the bathroom himself. Matty catches you looking but he doesn’t comment on it and at this point you don’t really care.
When he gets in bed beside you and he pulls you in to cuddle him you bring him out of his thoughts, “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Course” Matty says, not having anything to hide from you. Especially if you were going to work out in the end, and he had every intention of you both working out.
“Do you really not try? Because I always thought you would be the opposite” You ask him curiously, more truths spilling from your lips thanks to your meds.
Matty asks curiously, “Not try what?” brushing your hair behind your ear so he could see your cute face.
But pout, a little embarrassed, “Don’t make me say it.”
“I genuinely don’t know what you’re talking about.” Matty chuckles, looking at how shy you’d all of a sudden become.
“In your song yesterday.” You say and it brings Matty a bit more clarity on what you were asking, “You said you lied and you’d never fucked in a car”
Matty grins knowing exactly what you were asking now, but he teases, “So what’s your question?”
“You know my question, why are you making me say it?” You chuckle, getting more flustered with each passing second.
Matty leans down and pecks your lips once before he tells you, “Because you’re cute when you get embarrassed.”
You sigh and whine into his neck, needing to hide when you ask, “Do you actually just lie down and not try?”
“See” Matty chuckles, “Wasn’t that hard to say, was it?”
“Just answer my question.” You whine embarrassed that your stupid fucking meds just let you ask anything under the sun.
“Why don’t you just wait and find out?” Matty giggles, pulling your out of his neck a little bit.
He found it very cute that that was the only thing you got out of his song when you were drugged up the previous day. At least you’d told him you liked it though.
“Because I’m nervous now. I thought you’d be the opposite.” You say honestly, “And after earlier I’m confused”
“Why are you nervous?” Matty asks looking into your gorgeous Y/E/C eyes, wanting you to feel comfortable with him, “We aren’t doing anything right now.”
“I know.” You say, and then shrug, “Guess you just spoil my fantasies by saying you haven’t fucked in a car.”
“We can fuck in a car if you like?” Matty teasingly offers before leaning in to kiss you again. He mumbles against your lips, “It won’t be a fantasy then.”
You giggle at that but don’t hesitate to kiss him back. When he pulls away you keep him close and as your nose brushes against his, you suggest, “One step at a time, ey?”
Matty loves the little eskimo kiss you’re giving him enough to carry it on for a few more seconds after he nods in response to your suggestion. God you were so cute, he was very lucky that you liked him.
“Can I keep you on these drugs?” Matty questions, “They make you very truthful.”
You roll your eyes when he says, “Quite like you complimenting me and asking me questions you wouldn’t usually. It feeds the ego more.”
You giggle at that.
“Don’t really have much to hide from you anymore.” You tell him truthfully.
Matty wants a little confirmation, surprised by you saying that, “No?”
“Nope” You grin.
“I’m quite glad you like me Darling” Matty says, tucking a loose piece of hair behind your ear.
“I’m glad you like me back Hun” You grin and kiss him again.
The sweet kiss lasts for a couple of seconds before Matty pulls away so you’re both cuddled against each other again now. You definitely liked being close to him and you were glad he was the cuddly type.
But then he makes a joke that makes you playfully smack his chest as you giggle. Of course, your Matty jokes, “Can’t wait to tell our kids you asked me to fuck you and then fainted”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
You can add yourself to my Taglists in my Masterlist x
#matty healy x reader#matty x reader#matty healy#Matty#Healy#the 1975#matty the 1975#matty 1975#1975 matty#matty healy one shot#matty healy drabble#the 1975 fanfic#matty healy fluff#matty healy blurb#matty healy x you#matty healy x y/n#matty healy fanfic#george the 1975#adam the 1975#ross the 1975#george 1975#adam 1975#ross 1975#i like it when you sleep for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it#I like it when you sleep#iliwysfyasbysuoi#iliwys#a brief inquiry into online relationships#a brief inquiry#abiior
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Paper Thin
Bede/Gloria (dressedinpinkshipping)
Bederia Week 2021: Day 6 - First Sleepover
Tags: Fluff, angst, grief/mourning
Words: 6,869
-
Bede took in the mix of Gym Leaders and League Staff with a sigh. The tension that had coiled tight in his stomach all day finally loosened and left him deflated. He’d worked himself up for nothing. Gloria, the Champion of Galar, the very reason why his nerves had been alight and dancing uneasily in his chest for hours, wasn't even here.
“It’s just like her to skip out on something like this,” Bede muttered beneath his breath. She never did well in crowds, especially when the media was involved. In the late afternoon light filtering in from outside, Bede could see the reporters clambering to get closer to the windows, the doors, of Motostoke’s Gym like a flock of hungry Wingull ready to swoop on an unsuspecting victim’s lunch. The frenzy of reporters was enough to put him off, so he could hardly blame Gloria for not wanting to show up.
However…
“But missing the opening ceremony rehearsal?” Another sigh. Even for Gloria, that was a new one. “She’s the Champion, for Arceus’ sake. What sort of reputation does she think this is going to give her?”
Bede tsked. Nervous energy that had pestered him until this moment turned to frustration. At himself, for getting so worked up over seeing Gloria in the first place, and at Gloria herself for skipping the rehearsal. The air between them had been constantly shifting, leaving him confused and hopeful and wanting, yet unable to tell what, exactly, they were to each other. He’d hoped to catch her here and at least have a brief conversation with her. Even an amicable greeting would’ve sufficed. He needed something to ground himself back to reality. To remind himself that they were friends.
Merely friends. Nothing more.
Friends who’d kissed three times-
No, no, no, no, no. He was not going to think about that again.
Bede flicked a hand through his hair with a huff. Sparks crackled through his chest, making his heart flutter and his cheeks begin to burn. Enough of that, he chastised himself. Now wasn’t the time to be recalling how soft and warm her lips had felt against his, how adorable she looked when she’d accidentally kissed him when he saw her last, her eyes widening and her faint gasp piercing his heart like a blazing arrow.
And oh, how she’d melted under his touch when he’d kissed her, when she’d let him kiss her, on that bench beside the lake. How it was everything he’d wanted and more, and how she’d wanted it too-
Bede tore out of his memories with a sharp shake of his head. He had to stop doing that. Gloria had made it clear that the kiss they’d shared hadn’t meant anything, hadn’t changed anything between them, and despite the steady thrum of longing in his heart, he’d said the same.
He’d sealed his fate.
Not only that, but he vividly recalled the look on her face when he’d tried to press her as to why she’d kissed him at the Gala, when she’d explicitly told him she’d never kiss anyone she wasn’t dating. Absolute terror had flashed behind her eyes. Her voice had broken. She had broken, and pleaded with him not to ask her that. Bede had never seen her like that before. As if a single word from him would have shattered her into pieces. He’d swallowed his question, let it drop, and knew he had to tread carefully from then on. He’d pushed her too far. Taken that first kiss, and the ones that had followed - accidental or not - as a sign that the cage around Gloria’s heart was beginning to crack.
But that cage, the walls that Gloria constructed around her heart, weren’t ready to fall just yet. If they came down too soon, then so would she.
And Bede would never forgive himself for doing that to her.
No, he needed to keep himself, and his feelings for Gloria, in check. She didn’t love him. If she realised how he felt towards her, he didn’t know how she would react, but that it would certainly drive a wedge between them. Would she grow to fear him, as she feared love?
There wasn’t any point to thinking about that now, not when he needed to focus on the task at hand. The rehearsal, from the order they were to walk out, to their positions on the pitch worked out to the nearest inch, and the expected interviews following. Bede sent a sardonic glance out the window.
“They’re in for a world of disappointment when they find out their Champion decided not to show up,” He said, a part of him relishing that moment.
“They already know.”
Bede turned to Marnie with a slight frown. He hadn’t noticed she was in earshot, and for the briefest second of panic, he wondered how much of his internal struggle she had seen. Marnie’s expression was unreadable, her teal-green eyes watching him.
“Gloria never attends the rehearsal,” she said. “Wasn’t here last year either.”
Bede hadn’t noticed. At this time last year, Gloria was nothing more than the Champion, a rival to beat, an inconsequential Trainer who had the title he longed for. Her non-appearance wouldn’t have phased him in the slightest.
“I see.” Bede folded his arms and skipped his gaze elsewhere. “I wasn’t aware of that.”
Marnie’s brows knit together. “She didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
There was a hint of something in Marnie’s tone. Surprise, confusion, disbelief, he couldn’t place it. Whatever it was, it made something twist in his gut, and that only worsened when Marnie didn’t respond immediately. As if it was something she couldn’t say.
“What is it?”
“Not sure if I should say,” Marnie eventually said, “I only heard about it ‘cause of Hop, ‘n’ even then he weren’t that keen on tellin’ me.”
She looked away, her words hanging uneasily in the air. Bede’s head spun.
“What happened? Is she okay?” He took a step towards Marnie, into her line of sight, and met the worry in her gaze. “Where’s Gloria?”
Marnie looked conflicted. “Can’t say. She’s not… well enough to be here,” she offered non-committedly, and folded her arms. “The rest you’ll hafta ask her yourself. If she’s able to talk to ya, that is.”
Bede’s heart plummeted into his stomach. Questions jumbled into knots on his tongue, his mind reeling, and before he could form a coherent sentence to try and coax more out of Marnie, a League Staff called her away, leaving him to deal with the implications of what she’d told him.
The conclusions his mind came to made him feel ill. He swallowed thickly, mouth going dry, and dug out his phone. There was only one way to put his mind at ease, only one person who could give him the answers, and reassurance, he needed. He dialed Gloria’s number and pressed the phone to his ear to drown out the thundering of his heart. Each ring seemed to ripple through his body. Seconds passed. Bede held his breath, vision going out of focus, the world blurring into a haze of colours.
A click.
“The number you have dialed is not available, please-”
Bede whirled on his heels, shoved his phone into his pocket, and made for the doors. He didn’t think, didn’t stop to respond to the calls following him as he stormed out of the Gym and hailed the nearest Sky Taxi. Reporters, League Staff, the rapidfire of cameras clicking, it was all background noise.
He shrugged everything off, slammed the Sky Taxi door shut, and told the driver to head to Postwick. He didn’t care what he looked like, fleeing the Gym part-way through rehearsal, the blood having drained from his face. He didn’t care what rumours would start, nor about the pictures that would surely circulate across the internet in a flash. He didn’t care what damage, if any, this would do to his reputation as an upstanding, conscientious Gym Leader.
Right now, it didn’t matter. Nothing did. Not until he knew Gloria was safe, until he knew she was okay and confirmed that with his own eyes. The rest he would deal with later.
-
The sun had begun to set by the time Bede was met with silence at Gloria’s house. He tried her number again, receiving the same automatic message that told him her phone was off. His heart sank deeper and deeper into his churning gut and, despite knocking on the door a half-dozen times already, he rapped his knuckles firmly to the wood again, before checking the windows. All was still behind the glass. No one was home.
Where is she?
He didn’t want to think about what that meant, or to entertain any thoughts as to where else she could be. Bede marched down the path and made for Hop’s house. If she wasn’t there- He quickened his pace, leaving that thought behind. Images, memories, flooded his mind as a familiar fear gnawed away at his heart.
Peering through frosted glass, hands gripping the windowsill. Unbalanced on his toes, craning and teetering for a glimpse of the outside world. A small flame of hope flickering in his chest. Faint, growing smaller every day. The same thought playing again and again in his mind.
Where is she?
Laughter piercing the silence. His name, followed by taunts, jeers, insults. Shame washing over him, shame and something more, something darker and colder and dousing that final flicker of hope. Hands released the wood. Clenched into fists, clenched tight, nails biting into flesh. The cold burn of rage.
The words his mother left him with faded into silence.
“Be a good boy and wait for me, alright?"
He snuffed out that flame himself. The first crack of his fist against a jaw sent a ripple of agony down his arm. Then another. And another. Faster, faster, faster, a roar tearing from his throat. The pain was worth it, even when returned onto him three-fold, even when his vision swam and he tasted blood, and when that blood mingled with tears and he saw stars, he knew that this was it. This was reality.
And she was never coming back.
Bede clenched his jaw, forced the past from his mind. Cold dread filled the hollow of his chest as he recalled the fear he’d felt, how it had frozen him in place, when Gloria had left him in the Wild Area as she ran into a wildfire. The smile she’d given him, evoking memories of a face he could no longer recall. That same look. That same acceptance, forlorn yet warm.
No.
A burst of indignation flooded Bede’s veins as he rounded the stone wall by Hop’s house.
It’s not happening again.
He thumped his fist on the front door, heart in his throat.
I won’t let it happen again.
Movement inside. Bede swallowed thickly, his tongue twisting in his mouth, and couldn’t stop himself the second the door opened.
“Gloria-” her name fell from his lips as a gasp “-is Gloria here?”
Hop’s mother blinked for a moment, before recognition filled her eyes and she nodded, albeit confused.
“You’re Bede, right?” she said, pursing her lips. “One of Gloria’s friends?”
Bede straightened. Desperation had gotten the better of him, his mild a jumble of memories and fear, and he quickly collected himself so as to not repeat that mistake.
“Yes, I am,” he said, and cleared his throat. “I apologise for turning up unannounced. I’m looking for Glora.”
Hop’s mother shifted uneasily. “She’s here, but…” She looked away, glancing towards the stairs, and Bede’s stomach dropped. “Well, I suppose it’s better if you see for yourself. She’s upstairs with Hop.”
She stepped aside to let Bede in, and he nodded stiffly.
“Thank you,” he said, and made for the stairs. He took them two at a time, and when he’d reached the landing, voices met his ears. He turned towards them and threw the door open. The scene before him stole the air from his lungs.
Whatever he’d been expecting to find, it wasn’t this.
-
Gloria jolted her head up as the door to Hop’s room abruptly swung open. Bede, staring at her from the doorway with wide eyes, let out a heavy sigh. She stiffened in shock. Gloria quickly blinked to make sure no tears were left, though her red, puffy eyes were evidence enough that she’d been crying on and off all day, and managed a smile to mask her panic.
“Bede, what- what are you doing here?” she asked. Her heart clenched as tightly as her hands on her lap, threatening further tears. The breath she took shuddered. With Bede’s eyes on her, she felt vulnerable. Paper thin- no, even worse than that. As if a simple breeze, a simple word from Bede, would topple her over.
For it to be Bede who found her today, of all people, was the worst.
Bede studied her for a second, though it felt like a lifetime. As if he could see everything she was desperately trying to hide.
“You weren’t at the rehearsal,” Bede said quietly. His expression, having been one of surprise and then relief, dropped. He knew. He could see she’d been crying.
Gloria forced a sheepish laugh. Panic continued to rise like a creeping vine around her throat, and she couldn’t swallow it down. Not like this, not with him here.
“I didn’t think that’d be an issue,” she said quickly, shooting a glance at Hop. “I called ahead to let them know I wouldn’t be there.”
Hop noticed her silent cry for help, their eyes meeting briefly before he stood. “Come on, mate, there’s no reason for you to-”
“I thought-” Bede’s voice caught. Hop paused, about to usher Bede from the room. “I tried to call you,” he said, slower this time, and the unspoken hurt in his voice rippled through Gloria.
She’d worried him.
All because she was too weak to face the world.
“I… turned my phone off,” she admitted, staring into her lap. Her heart thrummed painfully. With guilt, for not saying anything to Bede, and with fear. With every second, she felt it build in her chest, pulsing like a deadly poison through her veins.
Why is he here? Why now?
Why Bede, of all people…?
Why today, of all days?
Her heart couldn’t bear it. As much as she longed to see him, as much as her heart betrayed her, grief overwhelmed it. Swallowed it. Crushed everything into dust, into pain, into fear.
“I thought something had happened to you,” Bede said. He wasn’t looking at her. “Marnie said… that you weren’t well.”
Gloria couldn’t stop herself from flinching with guilt. “I…” The words wouldn’t form. She couldn’t speak. Couldn’t explain. She met Hop’s gaze again.
“Look, we appreciate you coming to check up on her,” Hop began, “but as you can see, Gloria’s fine, so…” He gestured to the door.
“I see,” Bede said flatly. He glanced from Hop to Gloria, eyes landing on her for an infinitesimal moment, not even a second, and it sent an ache through her heart. He turned his back to her, and she broke.
“Wait-”
Tears blurred her vision. Her throat burned with everything she couldn’t say. She was crumbling. Above the fear, the panic, the shame and grief, she didn’t want him to leave.
“It’s alright,” Bede said. “I understand.”
No- her heart ached. You don’t.
He moved to go.
“Hop, please-” the hitch of her voice making Bede snap his head towards her, finally seeing her tears for the first time. “Tell him,” she said. “Please.”
“Are you sure?” Hop’s question was gentle. She palmed away her tears, pressing her hands to her eyes, and tried in vain to swallow her sniffle. All she could do was nod. “Alright.”
Hop gestured towards the door again, stopping Bede mid-step from moving any closer to Gloria. Bede paused, before allowing himself to be directed from the room. The door clicked shut, leaving Gloria in silence, and when she finally let out the breath she’d been holding, her whole body shuddered with it.
-
Bede whirled to face Hop as the door shut behind them.
“What happened?” he asked point-blank, the sight of Gloria failing to fight back tears all too fresh in his mind.
Hop folded his arms uncomfortably. “Nothing happened. Not today, at least. Gloria’s fine.”
“She didn’t look fine.”
Hop took a breath and sighed. “Yeah, I know.” He ran a hand through his hair restlessly before sending a glance back to his room. “This time of year is always difficult for her.”
“Why?” Bede had a feeling he knew, but asked anyway. He dreaded the confirmation of Hop’s answer when it came.
“Today’s the anniversary of her dad’s death.”
Every fibre in Bede’s body stiffened at once. He was painfully aware of what the expression on Glora’s face meant now, when he’d burst into Hop’s room. Anything he could say fled his mind. How could he respond to that? Gloria had experienced a loss he’d never had the chance of going through himself. He knew grief, but not like that. Not in such a tangible manner.
“She can’t really be around people at the moment,” Hop continued. “Sometimes she’ll be fine, but the next second it’ll hit her again and she’ll break down. The rehearsal’s always held on this date, so…”
Bede nodded slowly as Hop’s words fell into place. It made sense. Damnable, chilling sense. And all the while, at the rehearsal, he’d been frustrated and complaining about her nonappearance, and she’d been grieving the death of her father. A heavy wave of shame crashed over him.
“She’s alright, mate,” Hop said, nudging Bede with his elbow. “This is just how she gets through it. I distract her for as long as possible, and let her cry it out when she needs to. She’ll be alright.”
“I know.”
Except he didn’t. He didn’t know what she was going through, the level of pain and grief she was feeling, something he’d never understand.
“Um…”
Bede blinked at Gloria, as she poked her head through the doorway. Their eyes met, a stab of pain needling Bede’s heart, and Gloria quickly looked away.
“Hop and I were going to head to my house to watch some movies,” she said. She opened the door fully, and stepped out into the hall. “Since you’re already here, I was wondering if you wanted to join us?”
It took a moment for Bede to gather his thoughts enough to answer. “Are you sure?”
Gloria nodded, managing a slight smile, and met his eyes again. Her tears were long gone, but a ghost of them remained in the weariness of her face and the shadows beneath her eyes. “Of course. I was… going to ask Marnie to come as well, since the rehearsal’s finished.”
Bede stiffened sheepishly. “It’s not actually over yet.”
“What?” Gloria gaped. “But you…? How come you’re here then?”
Hop struggled to cover up his smirk, muffling his laugh into a cough. “Dude, seriously?”
Bede crossed his arms as a slash of heat burned across his cheeks, having been caught out by his own honesty. He fought back a scowl as Gloria stared at him.
“I… may have left early,” Bede managed to say without his voice cracking.
“What? Why? Was that- because of me?” Realisation hit Gloria all of a sudden, making her straighten. She stole a breath and Bede could have turned to cinders on the spot.
“We’d already gone through everything once,” he said quickly. “There was no point in me sticking around any longer.”
For a split second, Bede could have sworn Gloria’s expression fell. Then she laughed, and he wondered if he’d been mistaken.
“Yeah, those things tend to drag on endlessly, don’t they?” She nodded and dug out her phone. “I’ll see if Marnie wants to ditch too. Are you… going to join us?” Gloria tilted her head at Bede. “If you don’t have anything else on, that is?”
Bede swallowed. The way she cocked her head to the side made his heart swell, and he tore his eyes from her lest he begin to blush any harder than he already was. Any more blood rushing to his face and he’d surely get dizzy.
“I may as well,” he said, shrugging. As if his mind hadn’t latched onto joining them the second she’d asked. “Since I’m already here.”
“Great!”
Gloria lit up as he used the same phrase she had, and Bede coughed to clear his throat, keenly aware of the amused expression on Hop’s face as he watched this unfold. The way Gloria was acting, upbeat and smiling, if Bede hadn’t witnessed her tears moments earlier, he wouldn’t have suspected anything. Now, however, he could see how hard she was trying to hide her pain. It was there behind her eyes, in the second her laughter faded and her smile dropped. As they headed for Gloria’s house, he spotted the moments when her attention drifted. When memories played in her mind, her eyes glazed over. She quietened. Then, as if on cue, Hop would say something, make a joke or wisecrack, throw his arm over her shoulder, and she’d snap back to reality. Her smile would return.
Her smile, her laughter, was genuine and yet forced at the same time. Her enjoyment was real, and yet overdone. When Marnie arrived, Gloria embraced her for longer than usual, her smile brighter, her voice too upbeat. All signs of the grief Gloria wanted to forget.
Marnie met Hop’s eyes, and Bede witnessed a moment of understanding pass between them, and so Marnie acted as if nothing was up. As if Gloria was always this excitable, always this bubbly. She even let Gloria drag her by her hand into the lounge to dig through their movie collection, leaving Hop and Bede to get the snacks ready.
“If I’m in charge of snacks, they’ll all be gone before the movie stars,” Gloria said with a laugh.
“I think you mean you’ll burn the house down instead,” Hop threw back. “Remember what happens when you try to make popcorn?”
Gloria’s scoff was heard loud and clear from the lounge. “That was one time!”
“And it was spectacular!”
Bede raised an eyebrow as he set the pot of popcorn kernels onto the stove, deciding not to comment on that himself.
-
It wasn’t long before they were all crammed together on the couch, crisp packets open, popcorn in hand, passing a bag of sweets between them. Gloria curled her legs beneath her, wishing she could focus on the movie and not the press of Bede’s arm against hers. The contact between them dug a cold knife into her chest, spreading ice through her veins until she went numb, an acute and burning reminder of why she wanted to stamp out her growing feelings for him. She didn’t want to feel this pain ever again.
Gloria bit back tears, biting hard on her bottom lip as she refused to let herself cry. Not now, not here, not with Bede next to her. But, as always, the memories that flashed in her mind were all too clear, all too real.
Waiting, wondering, confused, as the afternoon turned into night and her father hadn’t returned. A knock at the door. Running excitedly to answer it, finding a stranger in her father’s place. The crack of her mother’s voice. Hearing, but not understanding, what the officer was saying.
And the sound that tore from her mother’s throat. The sound of a heart breaking.
The movie turned into a blur of colours behind tears, and Gloria hurriedly blinked them away again. When the credits ran, they ordered food in, and she took that opportunity to flee to her room for a moment of silence. A moment alone. She leant against the door, hands clenched into fists, and took a shuddering breath. She would get through this. She would. Bede’s presence here hadn’t changed anything, she tried to remind herself. It was just Bede. Just a friend, just a movie, just another, ordinary day.
Except it wasn’t.
And the heavy, gnawing ache in her heart reminded her that Bede was no longer just a friend. Not to her.
Gloria sucked in a deep breath and steeled herself. She wasn’t going to give in. These feelings were hers, and she would control them. She had to. It was just another challenge for her to overcome. Another battle to win. Like any Pokemon battle, she had to calculate every move, had to size up her opponent and not back down. If she lost, she’d try again. Harder, faster, until she finally came out on top. Avoiding Bede didn’t work - she’d already tried that, and it only made the longing in her heart worse. She had to find a different strategy. She had to adapt.
Failure wasn’t an option here.
Gloria risked a glance at the alarm clock beside her bed and winced. It was that time again. Another detail she couldn’t forget, sewn into her mind, her memories, from the day her world changed. As much as she wanted it, nothing could distract her from this. From reliving it again and again every year that passed. Tears came quickly. Her legs buckled, and she sank against the door as wave after wave of grief crashed over her and left her breathless. Through clenched teeth, she sobbed. Tears escaped around the palms of her hands that she pressed firmly to her eyes, blocking the world out. Grief and pain burned in her lungs. Holding her breath, forcing it down, to silence her wails. To stifle her cries.
And she crumbled into a heap on the floor.
It hadn’t worked. The company of her friends, a great movie, all the snacks she could want, and it hadn’t worked. It never did. Grief came after her like a vice, striking the second she let her guard down. Striking through her defences. It left her weak. Vulnerable. No matter how many years had passed, it always came for her.
A gentle knock on her bedroom door made Gloria stiffen.
“Gloria? Hun?” her mother’s soft voice filtered through the door. “Can I come in? I’ve brought your food.”
Gloria couldn’t respond beneath the crush of grief.
There was silence for a few seconds, before Gloria’s mother said quietly, “It’s that time, isn’t it?”
A sob escaped. Gloria curled into herself further. Doubling over. Pain reared up the hollow of her throat, but made no sound.
“Can I come in?” her mother asked again. “You don’t have to handle this by yourself. I’m here too.”
Somehow, Gloria managed to draw an affirmative noise from her throat, and shifted enough away from the door so her mother could come inside. She held a container of take-away Kantonian food, and carefully knelt beside her daughter, placing the food to the side. Gloria’s lips wobbled, her face caked in tears, and fell into her mother’s arms with a wail. All the grief she’d been holding in, the agony she’d buried, came forth at once in a torrent of heartache. She couldn’t stop it. Even knowing her cries could be heard throughout the house, she could no longer keep it in. In the arms of her mother, she let it all out.
The pain, the grief, her fear and her weakness, how it felt like it was tearing her in two, as though her world was crumbling once again, she let it all out.
She clung to her mother and cried until she had no tears left to shed and her food went cold.
-
When Gloria emerged from her room with her mother, she hurried over to the microwave with her cold Kantonian take-away meal, and sheepishly focused on that instead of the overwhelming feeling of being watched. She knew Hop, Bede and Marnie were waiting for her, that they’d heard her cries. She cleared her throat awkwardly. It was too quiet, and the gentle humming of the microwave made the silence coming from the lounge even more obvious.
“Is everyone staying the night?” Gloria’s mother asked.
“I… I haven’t asked yet.” Gloria tried to ignore the fluttering of her heart at the idea of Bede staying the night. Usually, after she and Hop binged a few movies, they’d fall asleep on the couch or on mattresses on the floor, having talked late into the night or early morning.
“Would you two like to stay the night as well?” Gloria’s mother called to the lounge, making Gloria flush. “We have more than enough mattresses, and we’d love to have you stay.”
“Mum!”
Her mother shrugged, grinning. “It’s easier for me to just ask them now, right?”
“That’s not the point!” Gloria hissed.
“I’ll hafta check with my brother, but I’m keen,” Marnie said from the lounge.
Gloria swallowed, waiting. Her heart thumped harder in her chest, and she yanked her food from the microwave with more force than necessary.
“Of course Bede’s going to say yes,” Hop called, vaulting over the back of the couch before Bede could protest. “I’ll grab the mattresses!”
“Looks like my decision has been made for me,” Bede said and rolled his eyes, “but… as long as I’m not imposing on you, then I'll take you up on that offer.”
Gloria’s mother smiled pointedly at her. “Of course you’re not imposing on us. You’re very welcome to stay the night!”
Gloria shot a dark look at her mother, and at Hop as he passed her with two rolled up mattresses in his arms. Hop stuck his tongue out at her in return. Soon enough, the mattresses were spread out on the floor, a bundle of blankets and pillows strewn across them, and the movie-binging resumed. No one mentioned Gloria’s prior absence. Everything carried on as if nothing had happened, and she silently thanked her friends for that. The heavy ache in her heart settled into its place once again, like a raging beast having exhausted itself, and finally calmed. It remained inside her, tempered for now. A pain she doubted she’d ever be free from. At least, at this moment, she felt at ease. She felt safe.
Grief remained in her memories, slowly retreating from the marrow of her bones, and as she curled up on the couch again, her friends by her side, Gloria smiled. As the night wore on, conversation took over the movies. The TV continued playing without an audience. Even as hours passed and they had to stifle their yawns, no one suggested going to sleep. Topics jumped from one to another, from Hop’s research to the upcoming League Challenge, and how they’d have less time to catch up once it began. At some point, Marnie moved to one of the mattresses on the floor. Hop sprawled across the now-free space, and was the first to fall asleep. Gloria clicked the TV off, plunging them into darkness.
“Oh, wow, that’s dark,” Gloria laughed. Their only source of light had been the TV once Gloria’s mother went to bed and switched off the lights in the rest of the house. “Do you guys want me to turn a light on?”
“Nah, ‘m good,” came from Marnie, somewhere on the floor. She sounded muffled, as if speaking through a pillow, and Gloria wondered if she was close to falling asleep.
“I haven’t stayed up this late in ages,” Gloria said. She toned her voice down to a near-whisper. “It always makes me feel like a kid again. There’s something special about staying up past midnight.”
“It’s not something I do regularly, I’ll admit.” Bede’s voice sounded louder and closer than Gloria had expected, and she stopped herself from jumping in shock. In the darkness, she couldn’t tell where he was. It made her heart skip, her pulse scattering.
She laughed, trying to hide her nerves. “Hop and I used to stay up late all the time when we were younger,” she said quickly, keenly aware of the warmth of Bede’s arm against hers, trying to keep the conversation flowing to distract herself. He hadn’t moved, but somehow, he felt closer. “Sometimes, we’d sneak out at night and find a paddock to stargaze in. We learnt very quickly to bring a blanket or two, the first night we almost froze to death!”
“That definitely sounds like something you would do,” Bede said.
She heard the smile in his voice, and was suddenly glad that he couldn’t see her as she flushed. Affronted by her own reaction to the sound of Bede’s voice, she curled up tighter on the couch in defiance. Her insides bubbled and crawled at the same time. Enjoying yet despising the feeling. The contrasting emotions swirling within her fought against each other for dominance in her mind, and it left her drained and sapped of energy. She didn’t know whether to relish or fear the way Bede managed to tug on her heart.
“Have you ever stayed up all night?” Gloria asked. She needed to fill the silence, to stop her mind, and heart, from wandering. All was quiet from the mattress on the floor, and she couldn’t tell if Marnie had fallen asleep, or was just listening.
“A few times,” Bede admitted. “Mostly after I’d just taken over the Fairy Gym. I’d work late into the night and before I’d realised it, the sun was rising.”
Gloria snorted. “You workaholic.”
“That’s rich, coming from a slugabed.” Amusement softened his voice.
“Says you! At least I don’t have grey hair!”
“It’s platinum-blond.”
Gloria suppressed a laugh. “Sure it is. That’s why you fit right in at the Fairy Gym.”
“I’m wise beyond my years, something you could learn from.”
“And go grey before my twenties? No thanks!”
“Who’s fault would that be, I wonder?” Bede said, his tone light. “I believe the greatest stressor in my life would be you at the moment. Haen’t you already taken the blame for that?”
“You’ll go grey and no one would even notice!” Gloria snickered. “How sad!”
“I’d rather overwork than put a Snorlax to shame. Or was it a rock?”
Gloria gave him a shove with her elbow. “A girl needs her beauty sleep!”
“Then I’m not sure you’re sleeping enough for that-”
“Hey!” Gloria scoffed.
Bede’s stifled laugh set her heart skittering away in her chest. “I had to, that was too good to pass up.”
Gloria pouted even though Bede couldn’t see her in the dark, her cheeks flushed hard enough to burn. His teasing always had this effect on her, stirring her blood and stealing the air from her lungs, leaving her mind blank.
“If I had one of those pillows, I’d throw it at you,” Gloria huffed.
“That sounds like a threat.”
“You’d better believe it’s a threat!”
“Wow, Gloria,” Bede feigned disbelief, mirth coating his words, “I never knew you could be so violent.”
“Just you wait until I get my hands on a pillow.”
“I’m not stopping you.”
Gloria narrowed her eyes towards Bede’s voice.
“Unless you’re too scared to lose…”
The insinuation, the challenge, in his words made Gloria bristle. “Oh, that’s it!” Instead of fumbling in the dark for a pillow, she yanked the couch cushion out from behind her and thwacked Bede with it. She got a satisfying, and muffled, gasp of shock from him, right before the cushion was snatched from her hands.
“Hey-”
A cushion to her face cut Gloria off. She swallowed her grumble, and wrenched out the cushion from behind Hop, using it as a shield before swinging it blindly at Bede. Hop made an incoherent noise that was lost under Gloria’s squawk as she struggled to keep her cushion out of Bede’s hands.
“That’s cheating!”
“There are no rules in pillow fights,” Bede said, before a loud thump followed, and his grip on Gloria’s cushion slackened. She tugged it back, barely making out a second figure in the dark.
“Marnie?!”
“I got your back!”
“Now that’s-” Bede was cut off by another thump “-definitely cheating!”
Gloria bit back her laugh. “There are no rules in pillow fights!” She lifted her cushion to swing again, and it was snatched from her. “What-?”
“Ha! Sneak attack!” Hop cried, smacking Gloria in the back with her cushion.
“It’s not a sneak attack if you announce it!” Gloria huffed at him. “Now give that back!”
“Never!”
Gloria raised her arms in time to block Hop’s blow, but the impact shoved her backwards enough for her to topple onto Bede. A split second later, a pillow whacked her in the face. Her cry was muffled by the pillow, and another blow came before she could right herself or pull herself off of Bede. He stiffened against her, a sharp gasp escaping him in the midst of the chaos.
“Wait-” A cushion thumped into her as she scrambled to protest. “Let me get up-!”
In the dark, she couldn’t tell how, exactly, she was positioned on top of Bede, except that his legs were definitely beneath her back. She tried and failed to push herself up in between blows, her hands fumbling to find purchase on something that wasn’t Bede’s thighs.
“Hop!” Gloria hissed. She tried to swat away his next blow and ended up hitting Bede’s face instead. “Sorry!”
With nothing left to lose, and receiving blows from multiple directions, Gloria struck out with her foot. Hop groaned, and she took her chance. Pushing up off Bede, she snatched back her cushion from Hop, and smacked him in the face with it.
“Low blow!” Hop wheezed. “Against the rules!”
“There are no rules in pillow fights!” Gloria, Marnie and Bede echoed each other.
“Alright, alright, alright!” he said hurriedly. “Truce! I’m calling a truce!”
A light clicked on, blinding them all and making Gloria wince.
“I was wondering what was going on in here,” Gloria’s mother said, staring at them by the lightswitch, dressed in pyjamas. “This looks like an unsanctioned pillow fight to me.”
“Oops.” Gloria grinned sheepishly, slowly lowering her cushion.
“Gloria started it!” Hop said quickly.
“Hey!”
Gloria’s mother shook her head, though a smile remained on her face. “I’m glad you’re all having fun, but you do realise what the time is, don’t you? I thought you’d at least try to get a few good hours of sleep.”
“I apologise for disturbing your sleep,” Bede said. Any amusement that might’ve been present on his face drained away and he slid the cushion in his arms back into place on the couch. “I wasn’t aware of how loud we were being.”
Marnie shrunk, holding her pillow to her chest.
“Oh, it’s no big deal,” Gloria’s mother said. “With Gloria and Hop, I’m well and truly used to disturbances like these.”
“Sorry, mum!” Gloria chimed. Despite taking multiple blows from cushions and pillows alike, she felt lighter. As if a weight had eased off her chest. When they settled into the darkness once more, cushions back in place on the couch, the slow pull of fatigue descended over Gloria, and the weight returned. All too quickly, the moment of laughter they’d had vanished from her mind.
Silence, and darkness, took hold. The night wasn’t over just yet. Not willing to give in to grief so easily, Gloria tried to fight it again. She led the conversation, keeping everyone talking until Hop’s steady breathing came from her left, and soon Marnie stopped replying. Gloria’s heart sank, threatening to drag her back into memories, into pain. She shifted to keep her mind occupied, and accidentally bumped the side of her head against Bede’s shoulder.
“Oh! Sorry,” Gloria said, shuffling away from him. She curled up into a more comfortable position with her back to Hop, and nestled into the couch cushions. Her eyes drifted shut as she tried to block out the hollow ache building in her chest.
Bede’s voice gently floated out of the darkness. “How are you feeling?”
She didn’t know how to answer that.
“You don’t need to say anything,” he continued. “Just… know that we’re here for you. I’m sure Marnie would agree with me when I say that you can rely on us too. If, for whatever reason, you can’t lean on Hop, you can always come to us.”
Gloria pressed her lips together to stop them trembling. Her throat tightened. Heat washed over her eyes. She wished to say something, to reply to Bede with more than just silence, but nothing came out. Instead, she reached for him. Fumbled in the dark for his arm, giving it the slightest squeeze, and without thinking, Gloria leant towards him and pressed her brow to his shoulder. Her heart clenched as Bede rested his hand over hers. She began to shake, to buckle, to break. Warmth enveloped her, an arm looped around her back to hold her close. In the silence, no words were needed. As Gloria shook, as her tears came without a sound, as she held Bede’s hand so tightly she feared hurting him, they remained together.
And finally, after what seemed like endless tears, endless hours, the night gave way to dawn.
It was over.
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Blooming Day, Part 1
You neve imagined that your engagement would fail, that you would move to Korea, or that by a series of coincidences you would meet your long-term celebrity crush, Byun Baekhyun. You most certainly never imagined that someone like him would take an interest in you either, but he did; and now you’re stuck because you don’t trust like you used to and you just aren’t quite sure if you have the courage to take a chance on him.
Wordcount: 4k
You let out a sigh as you dropped your spoon back into your tea. You wondered how long it would take for the cheap metal to turn the drink as bitter as you felt about the state of your life at the current moment. You flopped back onto the floor, still not having any actual furniture despite having been in Korea for just under a month now.
Who needed a sofa or a nice set of kitchen chairs when you had that homely camping chair you picked up for cheap at the street market? Sure, the arms were flimsy, the cup holder was too small, and it sagged very low when you sat in it, but, it was something and it was yours.
To be fair, you thought, you were never supposed to have been here.
You were supposed to have rejected the opportunity to study for a year in Korea in favor of finally marrying your fiancé in the Spring: transferring to a college just 15 minutes away from the job he was offered at some powerhouse music label.
That was what you had been planning ever since you got engaged 6 months ago. Even found a nice apartment with the view of a park filled to the brim with tall trees and dickhead geese that you liked to watch chase people. You spent so many Saturday mornings with Ethan on the balcony. Nothing sounded better than finally starting a life together with the man you loved more than yourself.
Well, at least until you came home early on your anniversary to surprise him with his favorite dessert and found him balls deep in your (former) best friend.
On the bed you paid for.
The bitch even had the nerve to be wearing the fancy set of lingerie that you had bought for yourself just a few months prior as a reward for acing a particularly brutal exam.
You remember dropping the sweets onto the floor, furiously yanking the diamond off your left hand, and throwing it somewhere in his general direction. You tightly clutched the purse that you never even got the chance to set down to your body and ran back out of the apartment. He rushed after you, yelling some bullshit about how it “didn’t mean anything”, “it isn’t what you think”, and “(Y/N), I love you! I’m sorry. Baby, please stop!”
You didn’t, though. Your brisk walked changed into a full sprint when curious neighbors opened their doors to take a peek at the commotion. They glanced repeatedly between the sobbing girl and the naked man yelling after her. It was by far the most humiliating experience of your life.
From there the details of that day get a little fuzzy, but you remember taking a taxi to the airport and buying a last-minute flight to Seoul. A child kicked the back of your seat for at least half the time you were in the air out of boredom, but you didn’t have the energy to tell him to stop. After a good five hours of doing nothing but staring blankly in front of you, you managed to drift off.
When you came to, a flight attendant was explaining to everyone that they needed to get ready to disembark. Her warm smile and friendly tone did nothing but annoy you. Who gave her the right to be so happy when your world just crumbled beneath your feet?
You knew you were being irrational, but still.
After making it to what appeared to be a small shopping center within the airport, you decided that you needed a drink. Preferably something warm and sugary to get you out of the daze you were in. Luckily, a Starbucks was nestled in between two shops: One being an overpriced gift shop and the other selling fast food that was far too greasy for the average customer. About 20 minutes later you were sitting alone on a barstool, with a half-full venti cup that was most definitely cold by now, but you didn’t mind.
With one more deep breath, you reached into your purse and slid out your phone. You had turned it off immediately after buying your plane tickets and you were scared of the notifications that you would receive. Part of you was even more scared that you wouldn’t receive any.
Was it possible for him to just toss five years together away so quickly? Could you? After all, he did say he was sorry. That it was all just a big mistake, and that he loved you and not her.
But how could he do something like that to you when he said he loved you? You loved him, and you most certainly never slept with another man. Especially not in the bed you shared with him and with his closest friend.
How many times had they done it? Was it truly a mistake? Maybe he had just gotten drunk and it was all one big accident. Your head started to hurt with all the possibilities floating through your mind.
You had shocked yourself with a quick, but firm smack to the center of your forehead. “You don’t accidentally stick your dick in someone else, idiot. Why would he be drunk at 2 pm? He knew what he was doing.”
With your thumb pressing into the power button you watched with bated breath as the welcome screen flashed on. You waited for the notifications to flood your phone; the flight to Seoul was long, surely, you’d have received many texts in that time, right? Your finger tapped anxiously on the screen as it refreshed.
Then, one after another a notification popped up in a bright banner at the top of the phone. There were several voicemails and even more texts. They started out apologetic, parroting the words he yelled after you in the hallway. However, they grew increasingly nasty. Ethan always did have a nasty temper, and it flared up when he was being ignored and when he was drunk.
Judging by how slurred his voice was in the last few messages, and how incoherent his texts became, it was safe to assume that he had downed the bottle of (far too expensive) whiskey he loved to always keep stocked at the house.
While you weren’t able to make out everything he said to you, the gist was that you were just some dumb little girl that he had settled for because you were safe. That he never loved you and that you needed to apologize to him for the scene you created when you left the apartment.
“The neighbors were staring.” Because that was your fault, just like the reason he cheated was your fault too, apparently.
He ended his drunken tirade by saying that you would never find a man like him again and that sooner or later you would come crawling back to him. After all, you were dating up by dating him, he claimed. "What other man would want you?"
Though, you did not go crawling back to him. Not even after he sobered up and the second round of “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any of it”s started back up again.
It was clear that he didn’t respect you. The only thing your father ever made you promise about how you would date is that you would not tolerate staying with a person who treated you with less dignity than you deserved. You knew that you would never be happy marrying a man that looked down on you. How would your life be anything but constant paranoia with a person that could run around with other women without even acting guilty about it?
It definitely was not easy, and there were times where you did consider that maybe you had overreacted. Admittedly, moving across the globe did seem rather dramatic at times, but going to Korea was something that you wanted to do long before you ever met Ethan. When you tried to look at things in a positive light, you saw that: you got to move on in your life, continue your education, and cross an item off of your bucket list all in one go. Despite trying your hardest to stay optimistic, most days you simply did not have the energy to do anything other than wallow in your own self-pity.
Today was one of those days.
You brought your hands to your chest and rolled over a few times to get on the sleeping mat you wanted to snuggle up in. While it was no Tempurpedic, it was surprisingly comfortable; especially when you wrapped yourself in the soft and bulky you crocheted the week prior.
You slipped off your glasses and placed them a few feet above the mat. Light was still pouring in through the window, so you brought your blanket up and over your head. It covered your eyes while the edge curved down around the side of your face and rested under your chin. You loved the darkness and all-around cozy feeling it provided without having your mouth covered by the blanket. You hated having your mouth covered by the blanket. It never felt like you could get enough air when it was.
Unfortunately for you, the sleep was not as comforting as you assumed it would be. The happy dreams where everything you could have ever wanted and hoped for were nowhere to be found that night, neither were the strange ones that left you with a feeling of confusion that you couldn’t quite shake when you woke up. Instead, you were plagued with watching a replay of your anniversary on loop.
After a few hours, you managed to pry your eyes open. Your skin felt uncomfortably sticky due to the cold sweat you had broken out in. You felt warm tears welling up in your eyes and threatening to spill over. You blinked them away, angry at yourself for still crying over him.
You felt pathetic.
You pressed the heels of your hands against your temples in a sad attempt to get the thump, thump, thumping in your head to stop. You raked your fingernails down your face, wincing at the slight burn you felt. You snatched the glasses from the ground and hastily shoved them onto your face.
You picked up your phone and tapped on it harder than you probably needed to. You didn’t know what you were expecting to find on your phone, but you hoped that there would be something there that stop the lonely feeling you felt in your chest from consuming you entirely.
Your salvation came in the form of a text from Minji. “CALL ME!!!” It read, several emojis following the exclamation points. It brought a smile to your lips. That was something Minji had always been good at.
You had first met her back in high school when she was taking part in her own foreign exchange program. The two of you became fast friends, staying in contact with one another even after she went back home to Korea. Her personality was bright and warm, and she had a knack for making even the most socially awkward people feel comfortable in her presence.
Despite your history, you had to admit that you were a bit shocked to hear from her. Seven months ago she became a trainee for SM entertainment, and your communication with her went from nearly daily to radio silence. It stung, but you understood. Becoming an idol had always been her dream, and you didn’t think it would be fair to try to distract her from that.
You had let her know when you first arrived in Korea, and while she seemed excited over the phone, she hadn’t seen you yet. You pressed the phone icon next to her name, opting to put the call on speaker because your earbuds were nowhere to be found.
“(Y/N)! You got my message.”
“Yeah, what’s up Minji?” You replied, lightly digging your fingers into your thumb. You couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous. You wondered what exactly it was that she needed.
“Look, I know I’ve been a bad friend. I have been distant lately, and this isn’t fair. Especially not to you. I mean, you’re the one who encouraged me to even go to the audition in the first place. If you hadn’t of yelled at me until I got off my ass and went…. Well, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”
She paused for a moment to take a breath.
“So, I want to make it up to you. I don’t exactly have the money to take you out for dinner or anything, but SM is having a party on Friday. All the trainees that are close to debuting will be there, and so will the established artists. It is supposed to help us build “inter-company relationships”; whatever that means. We are all allowed to bring a plus one, and I want that to be you. There will be expensive catering, and that fancy booze that is so easy to get drunk on since it doesn’t taste like alcohol. The perfect venue for catching up. So, what do you say?”
She sounded slightly awkward, but hopeful as well. Before you could answer she started speaking.
"I know it isn't exactly your scene, but I really want to see you."
"What's the dress code, Min? I wouldn't want to look totally out of place." You replied. You closed your eyes tightly. Minji was right, big parties were not your thing. However, you reasoned, maybe you needed something out of your comfort zone.
Minji squealed so loudly that you recoiled slightly. "Does that mean you're coming? Yes! Nothing too fancy, but not casual either. Remember, simple is sexy, baby."
You snorted and shook your head. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."
"I'll text you the address.” You heard her name get called in the background. “Sorry, I have to get back to practice now. I’ll see you in a few days. Bye!” The line went dead, and you rolled back over. You felt a contentedness that you hadn’t felt since the breakup wash over you. It was nice to know that you still mattered to someone.
The days leading up to Friday flew by quickly. You had bought yourself a fitted black dress for the party. You wanted to look nice, but you didn’t exactly want to draw any unwanted attention to yourself either. You paired the dress with some flats and kept your makeup minimal as well.
You grinned at yourself and gave a little twirl when you did your final once over in the mirror. You rarely got to wear dresses; Ethan had always gotten upset with you when you tried. He thought they brought on too much male attention, and in the interests of keeping the peace you just gave them up.
You felt pretty.
You felt happy. Truly happy.
A pleasant warmth bloomed in your chest, and you could feel it spread throughout your body. You eyed the perfume you had bought and saved for a special occasion. This occasion, you decided, was special enough.
In 20 minutes time you found yourself in front of the doors to SM Entertainment. They seemed big, and mildly intimidating, but you pushed through them regardless. You sent Minji a text that you had arrived and you moved to stand by some chairs in the lobby.
You dug your fingers into your thumb while you waited. It stung a bit, but the feeling kept you grounded. You took in the architecture of the building, staring in awe at how sleek the whole place looked.
A hand on your shoulder startled you and you turned to see Minji’s smiling face. You smiled back at her, and you were quickly brought into a hug. It was slightly awkward, as a hug was a greeting she reserved for her foreign friends only. Nevertheless, you appreciated the gesture.
When she pulled away you finally got a good look at her. The first thing you noticed was that she was significantly slimmer. You felt a flash of self-consciousness hit you, but you quickly dismissed it.
“Come on, the party’s this way.”
After a few hallways, and a short elevator ride you found yourself in the reception room. It was loud, and lively. Minji led you closer to one of the walls by the back of the room. It was in close enough proximity to the dancefloor that you two could join in without too much trouble, but just quite enough that you two could talk comfortably. Minji spoke first.
She went on and on about all the funny things that happened in practice, and how she was so excited to have been placed in a group she knew would debut sometime in the near future. She hadn’t been given an exact date yet, but they had started to shoot promotional content. Minji explained that she had done three photoshoots in the past week, and cringed when she talked about how awkward she felt doing her solo shots.
She giggled and grabbed a glass of something pink and pretty from a waiter that was carrying them by. “I felt like I was doing school pictures again. Hopefully these ones turn out a little bit better.” She took a gulp of her drink and then nodded toward you.
“Enough about me. How have you been? How’s the wedding planning going?”
Ah, right. You hadn’t told her about the breakup yet.
You coughed awkwardly and brought your left hand up to show it off. “It’s…” you hesitated “It isn’t anymore. Ethan and I are over.” You averted your eyes, grabbing your own alcohol and downing it. When you looked back at Minji, her eyes were wide and she sputtered out a quick apology. Her cheeks were stained an embarrassed pink.
“What happened?” She questioned before she could stop herself. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.”
“I caught him and Rachel in bed together.” You answered simply, not wanting to go into too much detail. You didn’t want to ruin the night that had been so fun so far.
Minji’s face hardened. She had never liked Rachel, or Ethan for that matter. You knew that, and you were hoping to escape an “I told you so”. Minji scoffed. “What an asshole.” She muttered quietly. “Who needs him anyway?”
You smiled at her. “Not me; but what I do need is some more of this.” You held up your empty glass and shook it slightly.
After a few more drinks and reminisced memories you found yourself on the dancefloor with Minji. You felt the heat radiating off of you, and you weren’t sure if it was from the alcohol or from the dancing, but it was nearly too much for you. You made a mental note to just drink water for the rest of the night, but your head was fuzzy and you weren’t quite sure if you’d be able to resist a pina colada if one became accessible.
You weren’t the best dancer, especially compared to the trainees and idols surrounding you, but you were enjoying yourself. You felt a fresh rush of adrenaline hit you when Exo’s Wolf came on. You were sure you and Minji looked ridiculous when you made wolf ears with your hands at the “awoo” parts, but the two of you were laughing to hard to truly care.
“I haven’t heard this song in so long!” You shouted to her.
She looked at you in surprise. “What? But you love Exo.”
You nodded back to her. “I do, but Ethan didn’t like me listening to them.”
“Why not?”
You shrugged. “I don’t know, he never really gave me a good reason.” Minji rolled her eyes once again.
“Just another reason to be glad he’s out of your life.” You giggled at her statement. She was right. The more you thought back on your relationship the more you realized that maybe he wasn’t really the prince charming you thought he was. You couldn’t just be you when you were with him. You were the you he wanted you to be. The only thing that you left the relationship with was a monthly payment to a landlord for an apartment you weren’t even living in. Ethan had refused to allow you to take your name off of the lease. So, fuck Ethan.
“Have you met them?” You asked. Her eyes brightened, and she nodded her head rapidly.
“Yes, and god. They are so much hotter in person.” You noticed a shift in her expression then. Something mischievous made its way onto her features. “Are you ever going to tell me who your bias is?”
You laughed. “Fuck no, Minji. Definitely not now. You know them! That would be weird.” You whined. You knew that if you admitted to holding a fondness for Baekhyun that you would never hear the end of it. She pouted at you. Her lip stuck out and it wobbled slightly.
You walked backwards a few steps and she followed. “Puppy dog eyes won’t work on me, Minji.”
“Oh, come on. I don’t know Exo that well. Just tell me.”
“Nope, too weird.” You laughed again. The room was spinning, and everything seemed far more funny to you than it should have. However, your laughter was cut short when you backed into the firm chest of someone behind you.
You felt the warm exhale of breath against your face as a voice you only recognized from interviews and fancams whispered in your ear. “What’s so weird about us?” You froze. A feeling of terror shot down your spine and your face became far hotter than you thought was humanly possible. That voice definitely belonged to a one Byun Baekhyun, and his tone was teasing. “Huh?” He questioned again. After the initial shock wore away, you realized that your body was completely pressed against his.
You shot away from him like you had been scalded. He had a Cheshire-cat grin plastered on his face. “N-nothing.” You stammered. Your eyes were so wide they nearly popped right out of your skull, and you were sure Minji’s were doing the same.
His eyes slowly glanced down the length of your body before his gaze found Minji’s. “Friend of yours?” He asked. She merely nodded in response. He turned his attention back to you and bowed slightly. “I’m Baekhyun, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” You didn’t respond until you felt Minji elbow you in the side.
You bowed back, slightly lower than what he had given to you. “(Y/N).”
He grinned at you once again. He ran a hand through his neatly styled hair, causing a few strands to fall back over his forehead. His cheeks were flushed red, and you wondered if he was as tipsy as you were. “Minji, we are having a bit of an afterparty at the dorms later. Well, technically it’s supposed to be a mentorship meeting, but we want to make it fun, you know? The rest of your members have already been invited. Feel free to bring your friend along.”
He winked at the two of you, and then he was gone.
You stood there for a moment, not quite sure how to process what had just happened. You glanced over at Minji to find that she was already staring at you. “What the fuck was that?” You whispered to her. You felt a sudden need for secrecy, and it seemed she felt the same way.
“I think Baekhyun just hit on you.” You shook your head violently.
“And I think you’re crazy.” You stated, though conviction was nowhere to be found in your voice.
“You are coming with me to that afterparty.”
“I most certainly am not! You heard him. It is supposed to be a mentorship thing.”
“And you heard him when he said he wanted something more fun that that.” She hissed back.
“Minji.” You warned.
“(Y/N).” She shot back as she raised her eyebrows at you. “If nothing else, come for me. Tonight is our night to catch up, remember?” Your fingers went to your thumb, and you nodded your head. Butterflies bloomed in your stomach and you tried to expel them with a sigh.
“Okay, I’ll go.”
#baekhyun#baekhyun fluff#baekhyun scenario#baekhyun angst#baekhyun x reader#baekhyun x oc#baekhyun x you#baekhyun fan#baekhyun fanfic#baekhyun fanfiction#byun baekhyun#byun baekhyun x reader#byun beakhyun scenario#byun baekhyun fluff#byun baekhyun angst#exo#byun baekhyun x oc#byun baekhyun x you#exo fanfic#exo fanfiction#exo x reader#exo x you#exo x oc#byun baek#exo fluff#exo angst
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To Love An Indian | Tony Stark x Desi!Reader
Summary: The reader is a desi woman who was appointed as an assistant by Tony Stark. How will your relationship with the billionaire genius go?
Warnings: All fluff, used Hindi language! Translations are available.
Word Count: 2,914
The special fact about you was, being an Indian was something common about when you live in a western country.
Mostly migrate to other places for finding a job, same as you. Never believed once in your life, you're going to get a job of an assistant. For a billionaire genius, and a superhero.
Everyone in your family was so happy about it, at least they have expectations that their daughter will finally make her name and earn. Maybe find someone special that you find to be perfect in your life?
Your mom and dad always worked hard for you for a better future and lifestyle. They never been so happier when they found out you were being appointed for a job in America. They felt so successful and proud for making their daughter educated enough to send her further.
Your flight was tomorrow, but the nervousness just kicks inside that how would your interview go. It was actually Tony Stark, the genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist. You can't even mess up with him. But, there was one thing which bugged you about, a tingly feeling.
You remember him since the day when the world was saved from the Chitauri invasion, and everyone was celebrating about the victory of heroes. It filled throughout the Indian media, about the new superheroes, named as the Avengers, who fight the inside and outside evils. The moment Iron Man showed on the screen, you were left surprised. You kept staring at the hero saving others and making sure if they're secure.
Mostly! When he opened his mask, and revealed his face, everyone held such shocked faces, like they never knew Iron Man was basically a human inside controlling the suit.
"Lo, hum joh isse robot samaj rahe the, yeh toh insaan nikala!" Your grandmother exclaimed. (Wow, we thought he was robot, but he turned out to be a human?)
"Chodo na, dadi. Hai toh hero, na?" You replied, turning back to the television. (Leave, grandma. At least he's a hero, right?)
But, you kept looking at his face. The way he spoke, the way he actions, and everything. You were lost into the man, that suddenly you revealed your smile, your sister noticing it.
"Didi, kya hogaya?" Your sister broke your contact, making you jerk in an instant. (What's wrong, sis?)
"O-oh, k-kuch nahi. Bas me usse dekh rahi thi, baat karte hue." You stammered, looking back. (Oh, it's nothing. I was just looking at him, talking.)
"Oho, pyaar me toh nahi pad gaye na?" Your sister teased, making you blush. (Oh, are you falling in love, huh?)
"Aree! Pagal toh nahi ho? Of course nahi! Hero hai, respect karti hu." (Hey! Are you crazy? Of course no! He's a hero, and I respect him.)
You did appreciate him, but this kind of respect leading to somewhere else.
It was morning, and the time for your flight. Bidding everyone a heartwarming farewell, hoping to see your family soon again.
"Beta araam se jaana. Maine tere liye bahut saari kheer banayi hai. Kha lena agar bhuk lagi toh, thik hai?" (Dear, go easy while you leave. I made lots of pudding for you, so eat it if you feel hungry, alright?)
"Haa maa, ghabrao nahi. Me araam se jaaungi. Ashirvad do bas." You kneeled down to take blessing from your mom and dad, them giving it back. (Yes, mom don't worry. I'll go easy, just give me your blessing.)
"Khush raho, beti. Kaam karna aur naam roshan karna." Your father removed his spectacles, crying tears for her daughter leaving. (Be happy, my daughter. Work hard and make your name bright.)
You hugged your dad, weeping because he wasn't ready to accept the fact you were now leaving him for a long time. After breaking the hug, you wiped his tears, giving him confidence.
Stepping in the taxi, you bid them goodbye, waving your hand and leaving for the airport.
Your new life now began, the moment you entered America. Landing, you then stayed in the hotel for the night, tired and exhausted. But, along that you wanted to remember your lines, so you quickly revise and go to sleep. In the morning, you hurriedly reach Stark Tower for the interview, since the time was running a bit fast.
Entering in the huge interior, looking at a lot of people working in. It did made your nervousness kick in again, but behaved like a strong woman, just wanting to complete the interview as a badass.
You reached the receptionist. "Excuse me, can you tell me where will Mr. Stark take the interview?"
"Oh, on the 15th floor, meeting rooms."
"Thank you." You smiled, reaching the elevator and waiting for the floor to arrive. Checking your watch, you were two minutes late, but hoping they'll just manage. Entering the room, feeling the slight cold air hitting your skin. It seemed empty, but hoped he was waiting for a while.
"Uhm, Mr. Stark?" You called out.
"Come in, Miss (L/N)." A deep, masculine voice filled through the room, knowing someone was actually in. Stepping inside, and closing the door, you seat yourself, trying to hide away your nervousness. It seemed you were slowly forgetting your lines but, being a strong woman is your passion right? Who even can—
The moment the chair turned around towards your direction, you lost it. It looks like you totally forgot the lines now.
Because Tony Stark just faced in front of you.
Did you just, blush? No, it might be embarassment. But, he too stared at you for a while. It was like an awkward staring contest, but remembering you were here for an interview, you brought yourself back.
"Good morning, Mr. Stark. Sorry for being so late." You wipe off the flick of hair on your face.
"It's okay. At least you were on time." He replied, giving a smile. Damn, it was cute.
"So, Miss (L/N). You're from, India right?" He asked, looking at your documents.
"Y-yes! I'm from India, also fully graduated from college."
"What really made you accept this assistant job?" He started asking questions.
"I just don't want to work for money, but I want to find what better I can do while I'm by myself."
"That's everyone's expectations. We should really try something new, and it's a fact of finding your true self."
"Right." You nodded.
"Alright, I have appointed you, congrats." He closed the document and gave a grin.
You widen your eyes. "What? I-I thought you were going to ask more questions..?"
"I don't ask many of them, I know you're capable for everything so, no need." He shrugged.
"W-wow.. I mean, it's way different back there.. haha. What a prick I am." You chuckled.
"You shouldn't actually be uncomfortable or nervous around me, okay? I'll always be available for your problems." He stood up from his chair, and you also too. Offering his hand for a handshake, and you happily accept it.
"Congratulations for the job, Miss (L/N)."
"Aapka bahut, bahut dhanyawad." You accidentally speak in your language, making you cover your mouth in surprise. (Thank you very much.)
He raised his eyebrow in confusion, not sure what you really meant. "Excuse me?" He tilts his head, smirking.
"I-I meant, thank you for accepting me as your assistant, Mr. Stark.. I'm sorry about that." You replied, trying not to fluster from embarassment. But, it didn't seem to make him feel weird, he was like.. more interested?
"No no, it's fine. Accidents happen, but your language is just beautiful. Just tell me whenever you're about to speak Hindi, JARVIS, my AI will help me translate it." He chuckled, and you laugh back.
"Mr. Stark you're so funny." You shook your head and continued to laugh. He sees you smile, which somehow warmed his heart. You might not notice it, but something was being created in between.
And time actually told that, when you both worked together for a long time.
"Please, call me Tony."
✧
Years while working with Stark, you really enjoyed the job. He was a sweet, generous person who will look after you, hoping nothing worse happens. It kind of made you both like good friends, later on. Everytime you looked at him, some strange feelings always attacked you. You can't even guess what it means, but maybe because you really appreciate him.
One day came, when you even noticed about his weaknesses. It made you worry when he never came upstairs to sleep, so after a lot of convincing, he accepted your plead and slept. Even it became more forward, when Tony faced nightmares, and wanted to sleep with someone by his side.
He had been lonely, and it hurts.
His tired face made you want to rub it gently, and relax him to sleep. But, it looks like, you weren't friends anymore.
The way he became more protective and caring throughout your job in his mansion. Like a boyfriend.
But, the question came, does he even love you back, that you're feeling it all?
In the morning, Tony woke up to see the side of the bed empty. Maybe you were up early and started working. He got up and rubbed his hair, went downstairs to get some coffee. While drinking, he suddenly heard someone.. singing?
It didn't seem like an English song. It was foreign.
He could even hear the feminine sound softly, coming from the othe room.
Main tainu samjhawan ki, na tere bina lagda ji,
Main tainu samjhawan ki, na tere bina lagda ji,
Tu ki jaane pyaar mera, me karu intezaar tera,
Tu dil tuhiyo jaan meri
Main tainu samjhawan ki, na tere bina lagda ji,
When he slowly entered the room, you were the one singing while cleaning up the documents. Seriously, he never knew you sang so well. It literally made him feel so surprised, by seeing your other talent. He leaned on the door ledge, hearing you sing beautifully without noticing, like he was lost into it.
Everyday, whenever you used to sing this song while working, he secretly saw you and always adored your voice. It just made him fall in love.
On a particular day, he heard you sing the same song again. He stepped in the room, seeing your beautiful face and voice again.
In midway of your song, you turn around and see him on the doorway, and you gasped. "O-oh, Mr. Stark! G-good morning!"
"Good morning." He replied in his groggy, morning voice. "I never knew you sang so well. You never told me you even sing." He chuckled.
"Really..? I uhm, used to sing but, I had different plans.." You rub your hair, looking embarassed.
"But you sing so well.. I'm amazed." He smiled. "Problem is, I didn't understand because, that's a different language. God, I need to take Hindi classes from you, dang. What does it mean?"
You both laughed. "This song.. uhm actually is about, a lover, explaining his.. other lover that, he can't live without her, because they're deeply attached to each other. It's my favorite song, by the way."
"Oh really? You're into romantic songs, it seems." He raised his eyebrow and smirked, finding a seat.
"Yeah but, uhm.. because they show a lot meaning, even after I'm just a single-pringle, haha. Weird isn't it?"
He stared at you for sometime, it wasn't serious, but gentle. "It's not."
You blushed, don't know why but the tone of his voice dragged into it. Both kept staring at each, and had no idea about the surroundings.
You were the one to break through, coming back to reality. "Oh! S-sorry I just got lost.. a while back."
He got up from his chair, and went closer to your direction. Looking at each other's eyes, he found yours the most beautiful. Felt like he can swim in it. Caressing your cheek and rubbing it with his thumb, you started to panic inside, not able to notice what's happening now.
"Y/N.." He said, in a soft voice. "I.. wanted to ask about something."
You gulped, still flustered. "W-what is it?"
He realised something else, and then cleared his throat. ".. can you, teach me Hindi?"
"Huh?" You looked surprised.
"Yeah, I told a very while back, that I will once ask you to teach me Hindi. I'm very interested, can you please?" He flashed a grin. Like, there was no problem for you to teach him your language. It's good to make others know about your culture.
You gave him a nod as a reply, and he became excited. "Thank you, I'll gladly be your student, Miss Y/N."
✧
For weeks, Tony had been taking Hindi classes from you. I swear, it could have been tough for him, but he was just so interested to learn the language. All you know he was just keen so you were teaching him all that. Giving him assignments and worksheets with grammar, you helped him through everything.
"Maine khana khaya.." You said the words, and waited for him to recite back. (I ate my food.)
"Maine khana.. khaya? Did I say it right?" He replied, in a weird way because his American accent was also mixing in between.
"No no, you're going correctly! Now say it again."
"Maine khana khaya." Tony said it properly.
"Good! I'm proud of you. Damn, Tony. You're going good in this language."
"For you, I can do anything, even learning a tough language."
The moment which left you blank again. He still fixed his soft eyes with yours, clearing your throat to break the tension.
"Okay so, do you have any doubts so far?
"Well, uh. I have a doubt, many of them." He rubbed his nose.
"Ask me."
He first rubs his hands nervously, then looks back at you. "How do you say.. love in Hindi?"
"Oh, well.. pyaar." You replied, being straightforward.
"Okay.. now how do we say, you're beautiful in it?"
You felt a tingly feel in your stomach, but still continued. "Tum khoobsurat ho."
He chuckles. "Alright. Now, if I ask my final doubt.. how do I say.. I love you?"
You gasped. Did he really mean it? Clenching your pen, you became nervous.
"Tell me, my love. I want to know about it."
".. me tumse pyaar karta hu."
"Yes, that is what I wanted to hear." He skids closer to you, growing close to your face.
"Mujhe tumse pyaar hai." He said, properly in Hindi. You felt like to explode. Tony Stark.. loves you?
Suddenly, he gets up from the couch, offering his hand. You grab it and get up, till a familiar song plays in the room.
Tony grabbed your waist from one arm and your hand from the other, swifting to the movements as if they're dancing.
He started singing the song, when the verse began.
- play it now! -
youtube
"Main tainu samjhawan ki, na tere bina lagda ji.." He sang the line so perfectly. You were just shocked and surprised. Both were dancing like a couple on stage.
Main tainu samjhawan ki, na tere bina lagda ji..
Tu ki jaane pyaar mera, me karu intezaar tera,
Tu dil tuhiyo jaan meri
Main tainu samjhawan ki, na tere bina lagda ji..
While he was singing your favorite song, you were about to burst in tears. You never believed it. The billionaire genius, actually loved you this whole time. Happily resting your head on his chest, he continued to dance while holding you close. When the song finished, he still saw the tears in your eyes.
"D-did you wanted to learn Hindi.. b-because of all this?" Your voice cracked.
"Yes, my love. Just for you. I have to tell this but.. I fell in love the moment I saw you for the first time. Your smile, laugh, voice, behavior, eyes.. and your.."
"And your.. what?"
He sighed, and then leaned to close the gap between your lips. The kiss was sweet yet passionate, like he waited for this moment.
He pulled off for air, both of your gazes neutrally looking. "I'm surprised that I fell in love with an Indian, like you. But, you're pretty, no matter what nationality you belong to. You changed my life Y/N. Trust me, the way you took care of, pampered, and worried for me.. I can never forget that. I really love you for that, my love. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.. d-do you accept me as your boyfriend?"
You started to sob, clenching his shirt tight. Maybe she wasn't happy about it. "L-look, if you don't accept, it's okay.. you deserve. Alot better than—"
"Yes, yes and a million times yes!" You said excitedly, and he sighs in relief. "Did you like.. learn the entire song?"
"Yeah, I even did take help from JARVIS for the translation, also from your teachings, never forgetting that." He winked.
"Oh god.." You laughed.
"But come on, you didn't like it? Tell me!"
"I did, Tony. And I want to thank you for it, a lot."
He gently wipes off your tears, and kisses your forehead. "Now, do you want to celebrate for our engagement?"
"Like where, Mr. Stark?" You said, flirtatiously.
He darkens his eyes, and picks you in the bridal style. "Right in our shared bedroom, sweetheart." He takes you in the room while giggling, shutting the door from inside.
#tony stark x reader#tony stark x y/n#tony stark x you#tony stark x desi!reader#desi reader#tony stark fanfiction#marvel#marvel india#marvel x reader#avengers x reader
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CW: Past child death.
Meeting Cahir had been quite accidental but it was something neither Lambert nor Eskel regretted in the slightest. They were at a party, not quite sure whose though, there were a lot of people there. The invitation had come from Yennefer who'd heard about it from Fringilla who was friends with Letho. It was possibly Letho's birthday but it didn't much matter in a way. A party was a party, that particular one was quite rambunctious, enough so that Lambert and Eskel needed a quick breather. What better way to get away from the noise than to discover Gaetan had brought his husky along and was chilling in the kitchen with someone else. That someone turned out to be Cahir who wasn't really much for parties but had lost a bet against Letho so had to come along and at least pretend to be sociable for a little while.
The first meeting turned into a second and a third hangout session. Over the course of spending time together, Lambert and Eskel learned so much about Cahir yet nothing at all. He didn't drive, had an old as the earth mobile that was near enough indestructible. Technology as a whole seemed to be something Cahir didn't seek out. He worked as an accountant, still preferring to use pen and paper for most situations rather than the computer programs favoured by most accountants. Oddly, it made him quite popular so he had no shortage of clients. However, aside from that all the two knew of Cahir was how he took his coffee (black, four sugars), that he had a preference for sweet things over savoury and that he lived in a house at the edge of town.
As time went on the meeting up became dates which turned into Cahir going over for dinner. Eventually it became Cahir going over for lazy making out session. All too soon Lambert and Eskel knew exactly what Cahir sounded like in bed and also how best to draw those sweet noises from him.
It was all well and good but it felt like Cahir was holding something back, shying away from inviting Lambert and Eskel back to his home. In a way it felt like Cahir keeping them at an arm's length and it hurt. But neither Lambert nor Eskel were very good at words, they didn't know how to ask without it either sounding like they were angry or disappointed. In the end they didn't have to ask. They'd had rough plans to meet up in the evening, Cahir going over to theirs again to probably spend the night in a tangle of limbs. However, he called to say that he couldn't book a taxi because there was some event or other on in town so everyone was already full. Almost shyly, he tacked on, "If you don't mind a bit of a mess, you could come over."
Which was how Lambert and Eskel finally knew his address and eagerly made their way across town, curious to see Cahir's home. Weirdly it was quite anticlimactic. There was nothing strange or unusual about Cahir's home. The tour of the bungalow was quite boring.
"Shoes and coats can be left here." Cahir pointed to the hooks in the hallway. "Bathroom's through that door. That's the kitchen and diner, living room. Door on the left is the bedroom the right it's the spare room." Most doors they could peer through except the spare room, that one Cahir very deliberately didn't open.
"What did you end up doing with the spare room?" Lambert asked curiously.
Sheepish, Cahir ushered them away from the door to the room in question. "What pretty much everyone I know does with a spare room. Filled it up with things."
Not a very satisfactory answer but Lambert let it drop. They had a wonderful evening together, all thoughts of the mysterious spare room gone from his mind. It wasn't the last time Lambert and Eskel visited. In fact, now that they had been once, Cahir seemed to be a bit more brave about inviting them over. Always keen to see their boyfriend, they went whenever invited, even if sometimes weird things seemed to happen in the house. Lambert thought it was some kind of weird practical joke. He knew Cahir had an odd sense of humour from time to time. So finding all the cupboard doors in the kitchen wide open one morning was chalked up to their boyfriend trying to be playful. It didn't stop there though. They stayed over enough times that they ended up with toothbrushes by the sink, a few changes of clothes in the wardrobe and their favourite snacks in the fridge. However, sometimes Eskel would find his clothes and toothbrush near the door. Which was odd because he didn't wake up to either Cahir or Lambert leaving the bed at night which was something he usually would do.
The other strange thing was that, despite being repeatedly told that the spare room wasn't exciting at all, Cahir sure seemed to spend a fair amount of time in there, sometimes even talking by the sounds of it, maybe even singing on one occasion. But it was brushed off. So Lambert and Eskel ignored the odd little things that happened around Cahir's house, misplacing phones, keys and remotes seemed to be the norm. His kitchen doors seemed determined to open at inopportune times despite there being magnets to hold them in place.
"Maybe he's got a lodger?" The various ideas Lambert and Eskel had were starting to get a little more outlandish as time went on.
Eskel shook his head. "I still think a secret child. It would explain the little girl's laughter I swear I heard."
"And the music box playing randomly on his mantlepiece in the middle of the night."
They had no firm ideas about what Cahir could be hiding or why but they agreed it wasn't worth the risk of barging into the spare room to find answers for themselves. If their boyfriend wanted to have his secrets, he was entitled to them.
Answers had a way of coming about in the least expected of ways. The phone call from Geralt was a surprising start.
"We fucked up." He sounded beyond tired and stressed. "Could you come over?"
Of course Lambert and Eskel hopped in the car and race round. Geralt was a lifelong friend and he'd had so much shit thrown at him throughout the years. The worst was probably the death of his and Yennefer's daughter, Ciri. They had taken it hard, quite understandably. She had been the light of their lives, cruelly taken at the age of five. It just wasn't fair. Arriving at their house, Lambert and Eskel knocked. An exhausted looking Yennefer opened the door.
The house was a tip, like a small hurricane had gone through it, things strewn on the ground, broken and ruined. In the living room Geralt sat on the sofa, head in his hands, looking no better than Yennefer.
"What the fuck happened?" Lambert was never one to beat around the bush.
Sad eyes turned to him as Geralt looked up. "We just missed her so much."
Which was no explanation until Geralt gestured to the bookshelf. There sat a doll, like a miniature version of Ciri, obviously custom made.
"You got a doll?"
"She's haunting us." Matter of fact, Yennefer didn't mince her words. "We couldn't let her go and now she won't leave."
Scoffing, Lambert shook his head. He'd heard of many stupid things, knew that Yennefer had frequently explored some occult things but this was taking it too far. A haunted doll? Ridiculous. Even more stupid to think that it was Ciri. Even if the mess left behind did look like one of her more infamous temper tantrums.
"It's okay," Geralt said. "Someone's coming to look at the doll, possibly to buy it."
That was something Lambert had to see, who in their right mind would buy an allegedly haunted doll? He settled on the sofa with Eskel and they took in the destruction around the room. It was quite extensive, whatever Geralt and Yennefer had done, it was a thoroughly done job. They didn't have to wait long before the doorbell went. Yennefer went to answer and an oddly familiar voice struck up conversation with her. Sure enough, Cahir rounded the door in Yennefer's wake. He froze when he saw Lambert and Eskel.
"Is this a joke?" he asked, taking a step back.
At the same time Eskel asked, "Cahir, what are you doing here?"
An awkward silence descended on the room until Geralt cleared his throat. "You still want the doll?"
Hesitant, Cahir cast Lambert and Eskel a glance, cheeks rapidly flushing. However, he gave a tight nod at Geralt's question. Immediately Yennefer was handing the doll over and Cahir looked at it with a small frown. His eyes looked a little unfocused for a moment before he smiled.
"Hello Ciri," he murmured.
"How the fuck did you know her name?" Yennefer growled. "Did you search for us before you came here? Look up the tragedy of our lives just to play some sick game?"
Cahir held a hand up to placate, eyes wide. "No! The doll's haunted, like you said. She's been struggling to let go for some reason." At that Yennefer looked guilty. Thankfully, Cahir didn't let her dwell on it, "I'm happy to take her off your hands. She won't cause you any more trouble."
A frankly ridiculous amount of cash was passed over for what was a porcelain doll that looked somewhat like Ciri. Lambert wanted to ridicule and mock but somehow couldn't find it in himself, too stunned by this revelation.
"Did you get a taxi here?" Eskel asked in the end and Cahir nodded, lips pressed into a thin line. "We'll give you a lift home."
It was obvious that Cahir thought he was going to be interrogated and maybe even dumped. His shoulders sagged, even as he held the doll in one arm like it was a baby.
"Thank you," he murmured. Goodbyes were exchanged with Geralt and Yennefer before they trooped out of the house and piled into the car.
Silence stretched for more than half the ride until Lambert couldn't contain himself anymore. "So, haunted dolls?" When Cahir didn't reply with anything other than a shrug, Lambert pressed on. "What do you get out of them? Is it a weird fetish?"
At least that drew a look of offended horror to Cahir's face. "No! They just need some love, space and understanding. Most people don't care for them properly, so someone needs to."
Which was weird as hell, if Lambert had to give an opinion. Dolls, haunted or not, were still dolls that could be played with or disfigured or binned as the owner saw fit. The haunted aspect was something only idiots tended to believe. And his boyfriend. But it was best not to think about it.
"You might as well come in," Cahir said softly when they pulled up outside his home.
Finally, Lambert and Eskel were allowed into the spare room. Despite their expectations and theories, nothing could compare to the reality. The walls were lined with shelves, on them sat who knew how many dolls, each one with a little card next to it with a name, date and a few notes such as "doesn't like biscuits" and "needs daily brushing".
"What the-?!" Lambert stared, Eskel was similarly astounded.
Looking at them, Cahir shrugged. "As I said, someone needs to care for them as needed."
The door slammed shut to the room, making Lambert jump. Cahir only chuffed out a soft laugh and settled the Ciri doll on a gap in the shelf. He pulled a card and pen from the draw, jotting down the name and date. As the card was put next to the doll, Cahir quietly spoke. "You'll be welcome here, Isobel is your neighbour, she'll help you get settled in."
A saucer crashed to the ground, the plastic clattering. Clicking his tongue in displeasure, Cahir only moved to pick it up. "Honestly, Dara. That's no way to greet a new arrival. We'll be out of your space soon. But Lambert and Eskel wanted to meet you all."
An exaggeration by far but the warning glance Cahir shot them stilled Lambert's tongue. Even if he thought this was all a crock of shit, there was no denying that Cahir took it seriously. Given the way Eskel was staring around, he was having doubts as well. Leaving the room, they settled in the kitchen while Cahir boiled some water for a tea.
"Do you really think they're haunted?" Eskel finally asked, incredulous.
"Yes." Cahir shrugged. "Not all dolls are haunted, some people just say they are for the wow and the money factor. But I don't take those, they don't need me."
"How can you tell which ones are haunted?"
With great simplicity, Cahir said, "I see them."
Which was beyond any rational argument but Lambert didn't know how to refute it without it descending into name calling. In the end, he let out a long breath through his nose and pinched the bridge of it.
"Okay." It was easier than arguing. "I'm glad you have such conviction in your beliefs."
Right on cue the television came on without anyone near it. It cycled through the channels before turning off again. There was an indulgent look on Cahir's face.
"Sometimes Sasha likes to explore."
Determined to prove him wrong, Lambert vowed to check the wirings in the whole house and have a long look at the TV. And fix the cupboard doors so they didn't pop open anymore. And install cameras to prove that the clothes, toothbrushes, and shoes moving around was either done purposefully or through sleep walking. In the end, Lambert didn't know what was worse, that he found nothing wrong with the TV, the cupboard doors were beyond fixing and there was nothing wrong with the wiring or the TV. Or that Cahir gave him a knowing look before his eyes seemed to go a little unfocused and to the left of Lambert before the sound of a child's laughter rang through the air.
#lambert/eskel/cahir#lambert/eskel#lambskel#lambert#eskel#cahir mawr dyffryn aep ceallach#geralt of rivia#yennefer of vengerberg#modern au#haunted dolls au#cw: past child death#tldr: cahir has a secret hobby
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Love On Tour
Summary: Your parents are coming to meet him but you chose to keep it a secret.
Genre(s): fluff, a little smut
Word Count: 2.3k
Warning(s): this made me very soft, read at your own risk, peeps + mentions of sexual intercourse
You tossed and turned throughout the whole night, not being able to focus on sleep. The man next to you was desperately holding onto your body, making it hard for you to change the position you were in.
You were waiting for your mom to text you, saying that she and dad landed safely in Rome. They’d never been in Italy before. Harry was here touring with Fine Line. He’d never met your parents.
You put two and two together and thought that this was an amazing opportunity for you to finally introduce your boyfriend to your parents.
He, obviously, knew nothing about it. You knew that if you told him, he would freak out, and you wanted him to keep it together for the show and didn’t want him to get anxious for nothing. They already loved him from hearing stories you’ve told them about him.
Taking a glance at the screen of your phone, you saw bright numbers on it. 4:35 A.M.
They were supposed to land soon, so your tried your best to keep your eyes open.
“A glass of water would be great right now.” You thought to yourself, looking over to your side. Harry’s cheek was smushed into your side, and he kept subconsciously tightening his hold around you.
You carefully pulled your arm, which was squeezed between your warm bodies, and placed in on his back. Bringing your hand to his head, you started slowly playing with his curls, making sure not to accidentally wake him up.
“He seems fast asleep. If I get out slowly, he wouldn’t notice, right?” Debating, whether you should risk waking him up or just wait until he wakes up to get water, your dry mouth decides for you.
After grabbing a pillow that was laying next to your boyfriend, you started sliding out of his tight hold, gradually replacing your body with the pillow.
The bed creaked after losing contact with your body. Your eyes moved back to the bed, checking if your boyfriend noticed you missing.
As a little frown found its way on Harry’s face, wrinkles grazed the spot right between his eyebrows. You noticed his cheek being squished deeper into the pillow, and his hold around it tighten once again.
Standing by your bed in silence, you made sure to wait for a couple of minutes, to be certain that he was not woken up by you.
Turning around, taking a last glance at him peacefully cuddled in the pillows and blankets on the bed, you made your way out of your bedroom, down the stairs and into the kitchen to get yourself that long hoped-for glass of water.
Your tranquil walk back to the bedroom, now with a glass of water in your hand, was hindered by your phone ringing, echoing though the hall.
“Shit.” You muttered to yourself.
Running into the room, you hoped to be right on time to pick up the call before it wakes your previously peacefully sleeping boyfriend.
Unfortunately, you weren’t that lucky.
As you walked into your now-sunlit bedroom, the sight of your grumpy shirtless boyfriend caught your eye. He was holding your phone in one hand as it rang and rubbed the sleep out of his eye with the other.
“Mom’s callin’.” He managed to utter with a rasp in his voice.
Harry held out your phone to you, as his eyes grew heavy.
Taking your phone out of his hold, you picked up the call and heard your mom on the other side of the line.
“We landed, Y/N. Taking a taxi to your hotel in 10 minutes. People here are so nice.” She giggled in the end.
You would’ve too if you weren’t so exhausted from staying up all night to get a text from her. You started walking out of the room, to make sure Harry doesn’t hear her as well. Through your peripheral vision you could see the sleepy man fall back onto the pile of pillows.
“My poor baby.” You thought, as your mom went on about the flight and how excited she was to finally meet Harry.
“If he only knew.”
After your parents got on their taxi, they ended the call, telling you to get back in bed. To you it meant that you can finally cuddle your grumpy boyfriend.
Walking into your bedroom, you expected Harry to be sleeping. What surprised you was not only the fact that he was wide awake, but also the fact that he was standing by the window, looking outside.
“Baby, I’m so sorry for waking you up. Why don’t you go back to sleep?” Making your way to him, you watched as he slowly turned to face you. You walked right up to him and circled your arms around his waist. Positioning your chin on his chest, you looked up into his eyes. He lazily smiled down at you.
“Is mom okay? It’s quite early for her t’call, innit?”
He looked genuinely concerned, and suddenly you felt so guilty for keeping the truth away from him. It just seemed like the right thing to do in the moment.
“She’s okay, precious. Probably got confused in the time zones. We’re in a new place every week, after all.” You tried your best to brush it off. He seemed convinced.
“Oh, okay, lovey. ‘M glad she’s alright.”
You stood by the window for some time holding each other. Moments like these were the ones you longed for when he left touring with his debut album. They were the reason you were ready to study online, just to be by his side.
“He deserves to know.” You thought. He was going to meet them today anyways. “He won’t have time to get too nervous, right?” You kept debating on whether or not you should tell him the truth.
Your brows furrowed and your lips were pressed tight together. Harry took a look down at you, and his brows creased as well.
“What’s the matter with m’angel?” He gently cooed and moved closer to your face.
You were taken aback from your mental debates and smiled up at him.
“Nothing, nothing, baby. Everything’s okay.” You tried to quickly explain yourself. He didn’t seem convinced this time.
“Oh, come on. I know y’better than I know m’self. You’re in deep though, sweetie. Something’s botherin’ you. What is it?” He pushed your head into his chest and stroked your hair.
After being together for almost a year, Harry knew that you needed to be close to him to be able to speak your heart without feeling judged. So that’s exactly what he gave you.
“I won’t judge you. I promise, my love. Tell me what’s botherin’ you. Maybe I could help in some way?”
“God, I feel like a piece of shit. Why did I lie to him in the first place? He’s gonna be so mad.” Your mind swirled full of all the awful things that could happen after you told him you’ve been lying to him for two weeks. However, before your brain could stop you, your body made a sound.
“Parents.” You carefully start.
Harry focuses his eyes on you, to hear your soft voice.
“They’re here.”
Harry’s facial expression turns to a confused one. “Why are they here?” He thought.
“I wanted them to meet you.” You explain, as if reading his mind.
“What?” Harry is full-on shocked now, wondering why on Earth you hadn’t told him before.
You were afraid to let your eyes see him full of anger, so you pressed your face deeper into his naked chest.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why am I finding out just now?” Harry wasn’t angry at you. He was just shocked and confused, but in your head you thought he was in a rage with you.
“I-I didn’t want you to worry for nothing. I knew yo-you’d get anxious about meeting them for no reason.”
“What do you mean ‘for no reason’? They’re your parents. What if they don’t like me? Then you’ll leave. I can’t fucking be without you, Y/N. How do you expect me to be calm about meeting your parents?” He was now getting frustrated at you for thinking that lying to him was an answer. He was frustrated, but even now he wouldn’t raise his voice at you. You made an agreement after your first fight to figure out your disagreements in a civil way. No yelling. No throwing shit. You weren’t kids having fits. You were two mature people figuring out their shit without getting aggressive about it. That’s what made you respect Harry so much. No matter how mad he was, he always kept himself together.
“That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. You’d get anxious, when, in reality, they already love you. You’d get nervous for nothing. I wanted you to enjoy the tour without constantly worrying about meeting them.” You tried your best to get your point across, while still being pressed against his chest.
Harry didn’t say anything for a while, probably thinking it through. His hands found its way back into your hair and started playing with it.
“What if they won’t like me when they get to know me better?” You could feel the notes of insecurity and genuine fear in his voice. You finally ripped yourself from his body and took his face in your hands, making him look at you.
“They will only love you more, Harry. You’re the kindest, sweetest, the most loving and caring person I’ve ever met. You love me so dearly, and you always put me first. What else could they ask for in their daughter’s boyfriend?”
“Could you also add the fact that I fuck you well to the list?” Harry slowly spoke up, as his lips found their way to your neck. You were relieved to hear him joking. You laughed through a moan and pressed his head deeper into your neck.
“Do you? Sorry, I think you’ll have to freshen the memories for me to add it to the list.” You tease him, knowing exactly what follows.
Harry lets out a growl and picks you up immediately, swapping your places and pressing you against the wall.
“Let’s freshen the memories then.”
Throughout the whole day, while Harry was fidgeting around, getting ready for the concert, you were texting your mom, telling her exactly how and when to get into the concert hall.
Harry was now in his make-up chair getting his hair styled one last time. He looked at one particular spot through the mirror, while you stood next to him.
“Baby.” You mentally scolded yourself for telling him anything about parents coming to the show.
Harry kept staring at the spot, until you called out for him two more times, coming closer to his face with each time.
“Yes, love?” He asked in such a way, that made you look psychotic.
“Harry, you’re stressing out again, I’m not blind, okay?” You fold your arms and sit across his lap after the hair stylist leaves you two in the room alone.
His arms automatically find their way around your waist, just as your head does in the crook of his neck.
“You’re right. ‘M stressin’ out. Can’t help it. Want everything t’go well. It’s very important t’me. It’s our future, princess.” He spoke with such adoration that it made your heart flutter.
“They will love you. Wanna know why?” You asked.
“Why, angel?” He pressed a kiss on the crown of your head and breathed in the smell of your shampoo, closing his eyes in pleasure.
“Because I’ve never been happier.”
After sending Harry to the stage, you joined your parents in the balcony. Before doing so, you made sure to give him a good luck kiss and tell him that he shouldn’t feel like he has to act differently on stage. You gave him the old just-be-yourself speech and watched him walk onto the stage.
“Y/N, you’re finally here, we’ve missed you so much, love.”
Your mom hugged you, before letting your dad to do the same.
“Yes, dear. We took it for granted when you were back home. It’s so empty without you.” Dad kissed the top of your head and smiled at you.
“The music is so nice. Makes me want to dance.”
Your heart was full of pride in your boyfriend, who was now jamming to Golden on the stage.
Throughout the whole concert, your parents only shared a couple of words, fully mesmerized by the music playing and the young man dancing and jumping around the stage.
“What a wonderful young man that is.” Your mom said.
Your mind couldn’t find any other reason to why your mother referred to Harry as “a wonderful young man” other than the factthat she had no idea who on Earth was prancing around in front of them.
“With a great sense of humor, I must add.” Your dad mentioned.
You were so close to laughing out loud at their nescience.
When the concert was over, you made sure to text Harry straight away.
You: They love you.
Harry: It’s probably just because they know we’re already dating. They just don’t want to hurt your feelings.
You: Oh, trust me. They love you.
“Dear, the concert is over and Harry still hasn’t shown up. I know he’s a sweet boy, but it’s not polite to be so late to a meeting with your girlfriend’s parents.” Your father nagged, folding his arms.
“I have to agree with your dad.” Your mother seemed just as disappointed in your boyfriend.
“I’m sure he was busy.” You didn’t want to explain further, trying your best to keep a straight face on. It was extremely hard, especially when you were passing a huge sign with ‘HARRY STYLES: LOVE ON TOUR’ written across it.
Let’s just say, your parents’ faces were priceless when they saw you go up to the ‘wonderful young man’ they were gushing about and gave him a peck on the lips.
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#harry styles#harry styles fluff#harry styles imagine#harry styles imagines#harry styles one shot#harry styles fanfiction#harry styles x reader#harry styles masterlist#harry styles blurbs
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Eda becomes some kind of flying taxi service
Amity: So I told Malphas he needed to have a talk with Gary about our coffee break space.
Emira: Mhmm.
Amity: I mean, for one, Gary never cleans after himself. Like, I once saw him leaving his mug dirty for over a week. A WEEK. It was disgusting. It was just sitting dare on the table for days. I didn’t want to clean it, I’m not a doormate. But it was dire and I had no choice. And don’t get me started on the fridge situation. My lunch has been getting smaller by the day and I can’t seem to figure out the culprit.
Emira: That’s nice, Mittens. Isn’t it nice, Edric?
Edric: What?
Amity: Will you guys pay attention? I need some advice on...
*Windows cracking”
Edric: What the...
Hooty: AMITY FELICITY BLIGHT! IT IS I, HOOTCIFER, HARBINGER OF THY DESTINY. COME WITH ME AND I SHALL REVEAL WHAT JOYS THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THEE.
Amity: I... What?
Hooty: DOTH THOU DARE DEFY FATE? *Swallows Amity*
Emira: ... What just happened? Wasn’t that Eda’s house demon? You know, the one we met before Grom?
Edric: I think it was. I’m not sure though, he sounded more... ominous...
SEVERAL EMOTIONAL MOMENTS LATER
Luz: It’s early... Do you really have to go already?
Amity: Yeah... I still have to finish homework, and I have work tomorrow. But I’ll come back here tomorrow... If you’re okay with it, that is...
Luz: YES! I mean... yeah, I’d love that...
Amity: Anyway... I guess I should get going, we’re not exactly neighbors after all. See you tomorrow then.
Luz: Wait, I have an idea. *Turns around* EDA!
Eda: *Not stopping her flight practice* What?
Luz: Do you think you could give Amity a lift back to her place?
Eda: Oh? Not walking your girlfriend home? Thought you’d be more chivalrous.
Luz: *Showing that Amity’s tomato like properties are infectious* EDAAA!
Eda: Sorry, sorry. But yeah, sure. *Picks up Amity and flies away at neckbreaking speeds. She soon slows down to a more reasonable pace* So... Amity, before I give you that whole “What are your intentions?” scare there’s something I’ve been itching to ask you. What made you chose to dye your hair of all colors, and how did Odd-alia react?
Amity: Luz... Me... Girlfriend...
Eda: Ugh... Don’t make me regret making harmless fun of young love, kiddo.
ONE AWKWARD TAXI EDA FLYING SESSION LATER.
Eda: *Placing Amity on the Blight Manor’s front porch and looking at the two bewildered faces watching her* Sup. *Turns to fly away* Oh right, I guess purple here is in not in the mental state to give any explanations.
Amity: Small ceremony... Human realm... Only friends and family... Boscha is not invited...
Emira: Are you... Edalyn Clawthorne?
Eda: Last I checked I was.
Emira: You look different.
Eda: Oh right... Look, it was a very eventful night so let me start with the simpler one. King, you remember him, right? Tiny, angry, looks like a cat, was the MC at the last Grom along with Goops.
Emira and Edirc: Yeah...?
Eda: He’s harnessing all the powers of yelling. I guess all children his age kinda do that but he went above and beyond and actually learned how to make things go boom with his voice alone, and that’s why both Luz and your sister are still alive. And now I’m realizing I should probably go hide all those Death Metal records I got in human realm. Can’t risk turning my son into a weapon of mass destruction. Not yet.
Edric: That’s... nice... I guess?
Emira: How about Mittens?
Eda: Right. She and Luz are an item now. It was adorable, I called her Luz’s girlfriend then I think it finally really hit her and that made her go all catatonic on me. Sorry about that.
Edric: WHAT?
Emira: Okay, okay... So came out with it? Ed and I have some scores to settle.
Eda: I... Both, I guess? I don’t know, it was sort of at the same time. But I don’t want to spoil it for when she recovers. So I guess us three are kinda family now, huh? Tangentially at least, like you’re my nephew and niece-in-law or something like that, I don’t know.
Eda: The important thing is: there’s a huge waterway under my house and I think it is actually part of my property. Now I need to figure out a way to find out how big that place actually is without letting town hall know so my taxes won’t go up. Can’t push my tax evasion skills. I mean, can you imagine it? The Owl Lady, the most successful outlaw in Boiling Isles history: arrested for fiscal crimes.
Emira: Okay... That’s... cool.
Edric: Yeah... Not to pry though, but what happened to you?
Eda: Oh... Me? I got very high. Not on purpose. Then I became a Harpy. Also not on purpose.
Emira: ... I’m sorry but I’m not following the cause and effect relation between those thing.
Eda: Neither am I. All I remember is: Hooty spiked some cookies; I revisited that time I gauged out my dad’s eye, also not on purpose; then when I push my ex away (You know, Raine Whispers, current head of the Bard Coven, lead a small revolutionary guerrilla, now under mind control. Oh, yeah, guess they’d make to sure to keep it under wraps, anyway...)
Eda: Then it got pretty weird. I got trapped by this tall hooded sun and moon figure and I’m not sure whether that was an actual memory (I did get arrested a few time after all) or if it was just a hallucinogenics induced manifestation of the subconscious trauma of being persecuted for years by the state. Anyone’s guess to which was it.
Eda: And then I became Icarus, fell into the sea, and became a piece of paper. Then I was at the beach, the piece of paper was also there, but that’s not important... I hope... Anyway, so, my curse was there too an for a moment there I thought we were gonna play some chess, but nah.
Eda: I did have an epiphany though. The sky changed colors and now I’m a Harpy. Gotta a lot of stuff to process right.
Edric: *Wide eyed and mouth agape* Mother of Titan...
Emira: *Same as her brother* Do you... need a hug or something?
Eda: Ehh... Don’t worry, I’ll get through. I mean, I’m a badass Harpy woman now, what else could I want? I appreciate the thought though. Anyway, I’ll get going, Luz has probably been stuck in the same place ever since I left. Was nice seeing you guys. *Turns around*
Edric: WAIT, EDA.
Eda: Yeah? What is it?
Edric: Can you take me flying a little bit like you did Mittens? Pretty please?
Emira: *Elbowing her brother* EDRIC!
Edric: What? There’s a tall and friendly winged lady standing in our front porch and calling us family...
Eda: Kinda family.
Edric: Kinda family. And we only went flying, on dad’s staff mind you, like twice. And I mean, look at her. That’s clearly a person with next to no regard for speed limits or any form of flying safety. *Turns to Eda* I mean that as the highest of compliments, by the way.
Eda: *Nodding and smiling* Well, I’m not one to brag... But you’re on point there.
Edric: *Turning back to Emira* See? It will be fun. *Turns back to Eda while making puppy eyes* So, pretty pretty please?
Eda: Eh... What the heck, why not? I do need to get a better hold of this flying thing after all. Fair warning though, I only had these for about an hour, I’m not taking responsibility for any loss of limb or life. *Picks Edric up and place him on one of her shoulders and turns to Emira.* You sure you don’t wanna come with? There’s plenty of room.
Emira: ... I never said I didn’t want to...
Eda: *Placing Emira on her other shoulder* Alritty then, make sure to hold on tight to my hair, just don’t fall into it. Can’t promise I’ll find you if you do. And up we go. *Takes off at neckbreaking speed*
Eda: So... I tried that to Mittens herself, but she was too lost in elation to form coherent sentences. What’s the deal with her hair color change? Why did she pick that specific shade of... pink? Lavender? Purple? Whatever, I was a tad curious about that choice coming from one of Odd-alia’s offspring. So either of you can shed some light on it for me?
Emira: Eh, what can I say? Our little Mittens is growing up, coming out of her shell. I mean, if you told me a month that she’d have a girlfriend by now I’d call it bullshit. Though I would have guessed Luz as being the most likely candidate. In any case, I’m pretty proud of the steps our baby sister is taking, not gonna lie.
Edric: Yeah... Same. But I can’t shake the feeling that it is at least in part an act of rebellion against mom. She did always have that weird fixation with Amity’s hair after all...
Eda: Hum, I see. This actually takes me to my follow up question. How did your mom react when she saw it?
Edric: *chuckling* Oh, I thought she’d have a stroke right then and there.
Emira: Yup. Never saw mom that mad. You’d think the two of us would be the ones to cause it but nope, Mittens beat us to it. Again, I’m a proud big sister.
Eda: Hehehe Sounds about right. You two are the troublemaking type then huh?
Edric: That’s a way of putting.
Emira: We like thinking of ourselves as practical entertainers however. We are in the Illusions track so it comes with the territory. Buuut...
Edric: We indulge in some prankery every now and then, and there’s no one better at it than us.
Eda: Is that so? Ever get in trouble for it?
Edric: Sometimes... When we (kind of accidentally) cause more property damage than intended because SOMEONE botched their end of the spell and caused Bump’s office to almost go up in flames.
Emira: Awww. Ed, I told you already. Don’t beat yourself over it. Accidents happen. You’ll do better next time.
Edric: HEY!
Emira: Anyway, Eda. Why were you asking about Mittens’ hair?
Eda: Oh... You guys are going to love this. I think. Anyway, did you know that me and your parents attended Hexside at the same time?
Edric: Yeah, I remember mom seeing one of your wanted posters a while back and calling you “Ewdalyn Clownthorne” or something like that.
Eda: Ah, haven’t heard that in a minute, Titan those were the day. Anyway, as you might have guessed by now me and your mother we... had a bit of a rivalry. Unfortunately, I couldn’t top the nickname she gave me, best I could do was Odd-alia. No offense, but Blight doesn’t give much to work with in terms of puns, can’t get funnier than that. Especially when thrown at her.
Emira: None taken. And yeah. I mean, it is fun when people call us stuff like “The Blights of Hexside”. But it is kinda sad to know we’ll never get a nickname as cool as Owl Lady or Lord Calamity.
Eda: Oh, my fame still precedes me huh? You know, I think the three of us will get along just fine.
Edric and Emira: Yup, we sure will.
Eda: Anyway, flattery aside... Part of the reason why I love poking your mom with a short stick was, other than how aggravated she’d get and how surprisingly good at paying in kind she was, the fact that she was in the Oracle track. You see, that made her a challenge. And given how she would actually prank me back (successfully, mind you, I have no shame in admitting that) I feel like like we actually a weird sort of friends, or at least we reached some kind of agreement that we were fair game for each other. And trust me, she was ruthless, and very good at escalating things.
Emira: Wow...
Edric: That sounds nothing like the mom we know. Other than the ruthless or the escalation part, that is still true.
Eda: Yeah, anyway. Part of our little game was keeping it hidden. Neither your dad or my sister actually ever realized what was going on until... well, I’ll get to that.
Eda: Anyway, so some lovely day I notice how weirdly obsessed with her hair Odd-alia was. This gives me some ideas, but I know I have make this the mother of pranks, so I decided to just keep a watch, to figure out what the best way to go about it would be. And I was also making those smaller pranks, something to throw her Oracle powers off-balance, you know?
Eda: Well... Back in the day your mother wasn’t monochromatic as she is nowadays. She’d circle through all colors you can think off on her accessories (which she used an ungodly amount, and no judgement it just never seems physically possible). But I noticed that there was one very specific color that she never got anywhere near her.
Edric and Emira: No way...
Eda: And as I said, she was weirdly obsessed with her hair... And as top student of the Potions track making hair dye was child’s play for me... So... do the math... And guess what very specific color was? I may be bad at color names, but I won’t ever, EVER, forget that particular shade.
Edric and Emira: No... freaking... way...
Eda: Yes... freaking... way... I mean, seriously, the first time I saw Amity’s new hair I had to do a double take. The resemblance was just too uncanny.
Emira: And what did she do?
Eda: Well... For a couple weeks there I thought I’d have to place a restriction order on her or something like that. Ultimately the two of us, along with Lilith and Alador (they were our attorneys, no they were not qualified for the role.) sitting across from each other in a very formal looking table, signing a contract. An actual freaking contract setting clear limits to our mutual pranks, like what was off limits like her hair or my then partner, how long was the maximum period a prank could last, so on. Surprisingly enough that was Al’s idea.
Eda: And let me tell you, that was probably the toughest negotiation I ever been a part of. Shame it was not long before I dropped out so never could really put it to use. You know, sometime I think this actually made Odd-alia realize she wanted to be a business woman. I mean, before that she’d go off about how she’d join the Emperor’s Coven all the damn time.
Edric: Wow...
Emira: I second that. Really, wish I had brought something I could take notes on. You completely blown anything we ever did out of the water.
Edric: No wonder she never told us that. You know what? I think I’m dying my hair that color first thing tomorrow.
Emira: Can we tell Amity this story?
Eda: Are you two actually thinking of antagonizing her? Are you crazy? First off, she’s your mother, she holds power over you. All you’d accomplish is getting grounded. Not to mention that she has decades of experience on you, even if she wasn’t your mom, she’d demolish the two of you. No offense, you’re still young, naive, you lack guidance in the ways of the pranksters.
Edric and Emira: *Dejectedly* Ohh... You’re right...
Eda: Hey... Don’t look so gloomy. I see a lot of potential in you, in both of you. *Sighs* I can’t believe I’m gonna take more kids under my wing... But.... Have you guys ever heard of the Bad Girl Coven Initiative? We annoy our foes into submission.
Edric and Emira: WE’RE LISTENING.
Eda: Heh... We’ll get along just fine indeed.
#THE OWL HOUSE#the owl house hooty#Edric Blight#Emira Blight#amity blight#luz noceda#king clawthorne#the owl house boscha#raine whispers#I lost track of what was trying to accomplish halfway though writing this. read at your own discretion.
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