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therealcocoshady · 2 months

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Recovery - Chapter 20

Eminem x FemReader Fanfiction

Summary : Y/N gets back home from the hospital and Em comes for a sleepover.

Tags : Fluff - SMUT (P in V, foreplay)

Y/N’s POV

The whole incident had brought you and Marshall a lot closer than you already were. You took it to heart, when he said he was missing you, when you were talking in the studio that fateful night before you were assaulted. You had been so focused on your relationship with Josh, so eager to get Marshall out of your head (or rather, your heart), that you had probably neglected your friendship a little bit. Still, he had been absolutely amazing to you while you were in the hospital, basically acting like your personal guard-dog, pillow, assistant and dream catcher. It got to a point where it was annoying for other people. Josh didn’t complain about it, he never would, but he did make a few comments about Marshall “always being around”. Talia and Jamal even joked about Marshall moving in, because he would never leave you alone. You could tell that Talia was a bit pissed off. You knew she loved him, but she also wanted to care for you. So when you got out of the hospital, they were basically bickering at each other, fighting over who would get “custody” of you. Marshall offered for you to stay at his place and hang out, while Talia seemed to strongly disagree.

You’ve been with her nonstop for five days, Em, you’re not her only friend, you know ? She said as she rolled her eyes.

I know. I’m just saying she can chill at the house if she wants, he shrugged.

We have a house too, she said. She can chill there.

Or maybe she wants to enjoy the movie room or the pool, he replied.

Or maybe she wants her room, Talia insisted.

Or maybe she wants y’all to stop fighting like divorced parents ? Jamal chimed in.

You couldn’t help but giggle. You had been cleared by the doctor and were ready to leave the hospital. You’d been ready for about an hour and couldn’t wait to get out of that dreadful place but they wouldn’t stop arguing over small details, like who would drive you home. You didn’t tell them, but on top of that, you had Josh blowing up your phone, asking when he would actually get to see you. You were actually touched by all of this attention : not everyone had this many people they could count on. As annoying as it could get - because you just wanted to leave - it was a blessing.

We could just leave them here and grab food somewhere, you suggested to Jamal.

I like that, he said as he grabbed your bag.

I want to eat too, Talia said.

Me too, Marshall added.

Look who’s suddenly on the same page, Jamal grinned. So, what do you want to eat ?

Of course, that was enough for the bickering to start again. You offered to cook dinner, but obviously, none of your friends would let you lift a finger, even though you had basically spent five days sleeping and were more energized than ever. Thankfully, everyone ended up agreeing on the food, and you managed to display some excellent diplomatic skills when it came to organizing your schedule. You sent Marshall home after dinner so that he could actually get some rest and a full night of sleep and had a movie night with your roommates. As for Josh, you made plans to see him in a few days. Initially, you wanted to invite him to dinner on the night you got home, but your friends made a valid point that it would be wiser to wait for a few days, so that your first night home would be more chill. After the movie, you and Talia went to your room to do some pampering and she could not refrain from grilling you about “Em”.

So… First night without cerberus in a while, huh ? She playfully asked.

I guess, you giggled. He wasn’t that bad, though.

Oh he definitely was, she chuckled. You should have seen him when you were asleep. He was standing there like some sort of bouncer, making sure not too many people were in the room. And then, when it got too loud, he turned into a cranky old librarian like “Shhhhh”.

She imitated him, with his serious demeanor and frown. You couldn’t help but burst out in a fit of laughter.

It’s sweet, you said softly - you couldn’t help defending him.

He’s too much, she said. I swear, he is the most dramatic person I have ever met.

It’s part of the charm, I guess, you shrugged.

Oh, really… “Charm” ? She grinned. I thought we already had a prince charming…

You know what I mean, you said with a frown.

Actually, I don’t, she said. I mean, you’re wearing his clothes all the time, he spent five days in the hospital with you, you guys are always hanging out… I’m telling you : I wouldn’t enjoy being your boyfriend if I had to deal with Em being all over you.

I know, you sighed.

Especially when you enjoy it so much, she added.

You looked at her but said nothing. Had anyone else made that comment, you would have lied, but it was Talia, so there was no use.

I knew it !!! She almost screamed.

Yeah well, you can know it but not shout it, ok ? You said.

You like Em !!!

I do, you groaned. But believe me, it’s not fun.

Oh, boo-hoo, “my crush is all over me and it’s hard”, she giggled. Yeah, must suck to be you, Y/N. Especially when the crush in question is the wet dream of millions of people across the world. Remind me again, why are you bothering with Josh ?

You ended up explaining the whole story to her : how you had a chance with Marshall, that was ruined by the argument, how you had planned on confessing your feelings for him in NYC but didn’t because he ended up dating Nicole and how you ended up dating Josh.

Here’s the thing, you said : I love Marshall, but he doesn’t love me back. And I like Josh too, you know ? Like, actually like him. I want to give this relationship a chance, because he is so great.

I feel you, she said in a voice full of compassion. You deserve to be happy. Em is a fucking dumbass in my opinion…

He’s not. He doesn’t like me like this, it’s ok. He’s still my best friend.

Yeah, but I don’t understand, though. For someone who doesn’t like you like this, he is all over you. That doesn’t make sense, you know ? She said. Anyway, if Josh makes you happy, that’s what matters, right ?

He’s just nice, you replied. And Josh does make me happy. I can’t wait for you to meet him.

I can’t wait either, she said. But he’s no Em.

Promise me you’ll still be nice to him ?

Of course, she said.

A MONTH LATER

You had finally introduced Josh to Talia and Jamal and they seemed to like him. The four of you would go on double dates, even some triple dates with Hailie and Evan. You had lots of fun and it felt really nice to have your closest friends supporting your relationship. Talia’s birthday was coming up in a few days and she even invited him. Josh was being as amazing as ever, and you wished you could say everything was perfect but it wasn’t. You’d been together for more than three months at this point and you still hadn’t been able to seal the deal. You’d had plenty of opportunity and slept together a bunch of times but that was all it was : sleeping. Not that you didn’t want to do the deed, on the contrary, you were both up for it, but the attack had left its mark, so every time he tried to do more than kiss you or hold your hand, you ended up being triggered. He said he was fine with it but, obviously, you could tell he was a bit disappointed. At that point, you were a triggered, yet horny mess, which put you in quite a mood. You weren’t even sure you’d be able to have sex ever again. Thankfully, you also spent a lot of time with your friends, which helped you get your mind off things. You were either hanging out with Jamal and/or Talia, at the studio or with Marshall.

That night was your first night sleeping alone in a month. Ever since you got home, you were prone to nightmares. The doctors at the hospital had offered to give you some medication for anxiety and even some sleeping pills, but given your past, you refused to pick up the prescription. You’d been sober for a while now, which was great, but you still didn’t trust yourself. So your friends, being as amazing as they were, took turns having sleepovers in your room. The most frequent guests were either Talia or Josh, but sometimes, Marshall would come over too. It was the middle of the night and you were waking up from yet another nightmare and, normally, you would have someone by your side, but you had decided to try sleeping alone for the first time, since Talia and Jamal had a romantic weekend getaway planned and were spending a night in a hotel, and you weren’t too sure about wanting Josh coming over. Not that you wouldn’t enjoy his company or that he wouldn’t happily cuddle with you, but you felt like he might get his hopes up about finally having sex and you didn’t want to let him down yet again. You tried to pace yourself by using some breathing exercises, but to no avail. It was as if you could feel the attacker’s breath down your neck. Plus, it was a windy night and every noise from the outside was startling you. So much for putting on your big girl’s pants. You decided to call Marshall.

Hey honey, you heard his sleepy voice say. What’s up ?

Am I bothering you ? You asked in a little voice.

Never, he said softly. What’s up ?

I’m scared, you said on the verge of tears. I’m alone in the house and I feel like… He’s watching me or something.��

Oh. Isn’t Josh sleeping over ? He asked.

Not tonight…, you said sheepishly.

Want me to come over ?

Do you mind ? You asked.

You know I don’t, he said. Movie night ?

Sure.

Great. Be there in 30, ok ?

When he arrived, he gave you the biggest hug and you put on some random, crappy movie. You were both laying on your bed, watching the movie on your computer. He had an arm wrapped around your shoulder and was mindlessly playing with your hair. His presence was soothing, and his hilarious comments were keeping you distracted. At some point, a steamy sex scene came on, and it made you feel a bit awkward. It didn’t help that it reminded you of all the action you were definitely not getting. Marshall picked on it right away.

Are you blushing ?! He asked with a grin.

What ? No I’m not…, you replied awkwardly.

You’re so red. You’re blushing.

Shut up, please, you whispered.

Come on, it’s a movie, he chuckled.

It’s just… It’s so awkward, you know ? I hate love scenes in movies, you said.

Oh, believe me, actors usually hate filming them, he said. More awkward to film than to watch.

Have you ever filmed one of those for a music video ? You asked.

Sort of, he said. But the worst was the scene in 8 Mile. Didn’t take long, but I definitely didn’t have much fun.

Oh right, you said. I sort of forgot that you were in a movie.

What ?! You haven’t seen my movie ?! He asked in a fake offended voice.

I haven’t, you giggled. What’s it about ?

He proceeded to describe the movie for you, explaining the plot. You thought it was absolutely crazy that you were friends with someone who had a movie based on his life. Once again, it reminded you of the big deal that he was.

Can we watch it ? You asked. That sounds like something I’d enjoy.

Sure, he chuckled. Haven't seen that in a while.

You changed the movie and put on 8 Mile. It was both weird and fun to see Marshall twenty years ago.

God, you’re hot, you said before you could catch yourself.

He looked at you with a smirk.

Why thank you, he said with a smile.

No, I meant before, you said. I mean, in the movie… Uh, you look good in that.

Better than now ? He asked with a grin.

No, you said.

So I’m even hotter now ?

Yeah. I mean no, I-I…, you began to say as you felt your cheeks burning.

Relax, I’m just fucking with you, he giggled. God, you’re blushing so hard it’s hilarious.

You focused your intention on the movie and tried to ignore him. The movie was good and you enjoyed it. Marshall definitely had great acting skills. At some point, the love scene with Brittany Murphy came on and you found yourself biting your lip. It was just a movie scene, for sure, but it was a steamy one and you were lucky enough to know that Marshall was actually good in bed (or on a couch, or in a car…). In fact, he was the best you ever had. And the last. This thought had you hot and bothered, and equally frustrated.

Like what you see ? He teasingly whispered in your ear.

God, shut up, you groaned as you blushed. His voice in your ear wasn’t helping you.

Not a chance, he giggled.

It’s not funny, Marshall…

He chuckled and kissed your cheek. It was an innocent peck, as there had been thousands before, but it definitely made matters worse. And obviously, you had no poker face, so he picked on it right away.

Don’t tell me you’re horny, he chortled.

Don’t you ever shut up ?

What ? Isn’t the lobster up to the challenge ? He grinned.

Well, I guess we’ll never know, you groaned.

He looked at you in confusion and pressed pause. His eyebrows were furrowed.

What’s wrong ? He asked.

Nothing, you said. It’s just… Nevermind. Let’s watch the movie, ok ?

You can tell me anything, honey, he said softly. What’s up with Josh ? I thought he was great.

I can’t put out, you blurted out. So, yeah, he’s great, but he’s probably going to end up leaving me and I’m going to grow my hymen back and die a virgin.

He couldn’t refrain from chuckling and you shot him a death glare.

Sorry, he said as he caught himself. It’s not what you’re saying. It’s the way you’re saying it. I feel for you, though.

You do ? You asked with a pout.

Well, I mostly feel for him, but yeah…

He’s not the one panicking every time someone tries to touch him, you groaned. But yeah, whatever, let’s feel for Josh, I guess.

No, he chuckled. What I mean is that having you as a girlfriend and not getting any action must be really hard. Pun intended.

He managed to make you chuckle. He always had the silliest jokes.

Come on, you horndog, let’s watch the end of the movie, he said as he shook his head, trying not to laugh.

He wrapped an arm around your shoulder and pulled you to him and you went back to watching the movie.

Is that alright ? He asked with a smirk. Or am I too hot for you ?

Fuck you, Marshall, you whined.

Well, yeah, you wish, he chuckled. Just kidding, I’ll stop.

Thankfully, the movie was good and you managed to focus on it. Soon after the movie ended, you fell asleep.

MARSHALL’S POV

Showing 8 Mile to Y/N was pretty interesting. Marshall got to watch her reactions and it was a fun sight, especially when it came to the sex scene. He couldn’t help but notice her blushing and biting her lip and, obviously, he wasn’t going to miss that great of an opportunity to make fun of her. He didn’t mean to be an asshole, but learning she hadn’t actually slept with Josh made his day. Not that he didn’t want her to be fulfilled - he did - but the fucker didn’t deserve her anyway. He knew he shouldn’t rejoice in another man’s sexual misery, and karma made sure to remind him. As Y/N fell asleep, he kept on tossing and turning. For one, he wasn’t really tired anymore - somehow, being woken up at 2AM fucks up your sleep schedule. Secondly, seeing her all hot and bothered had him all hot and bothered. He could make fun of her all he wanted, but he hadn’t had any action in a while either. He probably would have if he hadn’t blown it up with Nicole, though.

Y/N encouraged him to patch things up with her, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. After realizing his feelings for Y/N were far too strong, dating Nicole seemed stupid. Years ago, he definitely would have used her to get over his feelings, but that wasn’t exactly the man he wanted to be. So he did the “right” thing to do : he sent flowers and apologized for lacking empathy being an ass, but decided not to see her anymore. Thankfully, none of his friends knew he was dating, so he didn’t have to explain his change of heart to anybody except Y/N. She didn’t understand at first but she ended up leaving him alone on the matter.

He took a look at her as he tried to fall asleep. She was really cute and the sight brought a smile to his face. She seemed to sleep peacefully - at least for now - and he hoped she wouldn’t have any nightmares. He kissed the top of her head and cuddled with her before closing his eyes. He almost went to sleep when he heard her moan. Not an unusual sound since she kept on having these awful dreams. He almost woke her up when he heard something unexpected : his name.

Marshall…, she moaned. Harder.

Was she having a dream… about him ? He was about to shake it off when she moaned again. He had absolutely no clue as to what he was supposed to do. Leave ? Wake her up ? He thought about letting her enjoy her dream but as her moans got deeper, he felt as if he was about to go crazy. To make matters worse, she was squirming. She always moved when she slept but now, he couldn’t take it anymore.

Honey, wake up, he whispered as he gently shook her arm and turned on the little lamp on the nightstand.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him, flustered. She sat up and he could see her nipples poking through her tee-shirt. This woman was going to be the death of him and he knew it.

Are you alright ? She asked in a small voice.

Are you ? He asked as he couldn’t keep himself from smirking.

At that point, it was second nature to him. He had to tease her about it. Anyone would do the same if they were laying in bed with a beautiful woman having a wet dream about them, right ? She looked at him and he could tell that she knew he heard her. She said absolutely nothing, though.

So… sweet dreams ? He chuckled.

She was biting her lip, looking away. She looked incredibly hot and it took everything he had not to jump on her this minute. Plus, he didn’t want to trigger her, obviously. Not to lie, he was having a huge fucking ego boost, knowing it was him who had her in this state. Not Josh. Not anyone else. Him. As seconds went by, the silence was starting to become heavy. They were both horny, it was painfully obvious. She was looking down, obviously uncomfortable.

Look at me, he said softly, coaxing her chin in his direction.

Her beautiful eyes seemed lost in a haze. Her pupils were dilated and her chest was heaving. She seemed to be in some state.

What did you dream about ? He asked.

Y-You, she whispered in a husky voice.

I didn’t ask who, I asked what, he said softly, his hand still on her cheek. Care to describe ?

She opened her mouth but no sound came out. He chuckled softly, amazed at the effect he was having on her. He could definitely get high on this feeling. He grazed her bottom lip with his thumb. It was swollen from the biting. All he wanted was to kiss her. He brought his face slightly closer to her. They were staring into each other’s eyes. He traced her features with his fingers : her cheekbones, her jaw, the curve of her neck…

Marshall, she whispered.

Tell me to stop, he said.

But she didn’t. Instead, she brought her hand to his face and cupped his cheek. It was soft, intimate and unexpectedly sexy. Her breathing was heavy and so was his. He couldn’t resist her anymore. He captured her lips in a soft kiss. His heart was pounding. For a quarter of a second, he feared that she would push him away, slap him or run away from him. But she kissed him back. Thank God. Their kisses were delicate and soft, but they could both feel the passion brewing in each other. He gently bit her lip, causing her to moan.

Tell me about your dream, baby, he said in a husky voice. Describe it for me.

Y-You were…behind me and… I was in your arms, she said. Spooning.

Her voice was breathy and her eyes were closed. He kissed her gently and grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers.

What else ? He asked.

You were hum… kissing my neck… and biting it, she whispered.

I know how much you love neck kisses baby, he whispered in her ear. Can I kiss your neck ?

Yes, she muttered, almost pleading.

He smiled and gently got her hair out of the way before planting soft kisses on her neck, in that soft spot he knew she had. This caused her to whimper, much to his satisfaction. She ran her fingers through his hair, maintaining his head where it was. He chuckled and gently bit her neck.

Tell me more about your dream, honey, he commanded.

You were pounding in me, she said hoarsely.

Was it good ? He asked.

So good.

He kissed her neck again. He was dying to make her his, but he didn’t want to rush her. He just wanted her to enjoy the moment. He could tell she needed some release.

How about you show me how good it was, baby ? He suggested.

W-What ? She asked shyly.

Touch yourself for me, honey, he said before kissing her shoulder.

He knew he probably shouldn’t ask her to do that. But in this instant he absolutely didn’t care. He was burning for her and he could feel her desire. They were looking at each other, as if they were high. She nodded and began running her hands on her body, on top of her clothes. She was wearing a tee-shirt and shorts. She closed her eyes, seemingly enjoying the sensations. One of her hands went to her breasts, stroking and pinching her nipples, while the other rubbed her thigh. Apparently, it was enough for her breathing to accelerate. This was the sexiest thing he had thing in a while. He was so hard it was almost painful. This view was both a blessing and a curse. He needed to touch her. He gently cupped her cheek and she leaned into his touch while she kept on touching herself, her hand going from her thigh to her pussy.

I want to hold you, he said softly. Can I ?

She nodded softly, her eyes still closed. He settled behind her. He took her in his arms while she rested between his legs, still busy with herself. Her head was resting on his shoulder as he traced the features of her angel face. Eventually,her hands got underneath her clothes.

You can just take them off, baby, he whispered.

Once again, she said nothing. Only sweet moans were escaping her lips. However, she seemed to agree, as she removed her tee-shirt and her shorts. She spread her legs a little and rubbed her clit, which made her whine. He kissed her temple while his fingers were gently tracing circles on her shoulder. Her moans got louder when she inserted a finger inside her pussy. He knew she was soaking wet and it was making him ever hornier. He knew how good it felt to be inside of her.

Does it feel good, baby ? He asked in her ear.

Yes, she moaned before inserting a second finger.

He spilled kisses in her neck while she fingered herself, determined to see how loud he could make her moan.

Come for me, babygirl, he whispered.

I can’t, she replied in a croaky voice.

Do you want me to help you ? He asked softly.

She stopped what she was doing and turned to him and looked at him in anticipation. She looked shy. He placed a tender kiss on her lips and stroked her cheek.

I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to, baby, I promise, he said.

Ok, she whispered.

Ok what ? He asked in order to make sure he wasn’t misunderstanding anything.

You can… help me.

He kissed her again. He felt so proud that she trusted him enough. All he wanted was for her to feel safe. He grabbed her hand and gently sucked her fingers, enjoying her taste. He removed his tee-shirt so that he could feel her skin against his.

Come here, he said as he put her in a spoon position. Take my hand and show me what you want, baby.

They were comfortably laying in bed, cuddling while he kissed her neck. She grabbed his hand and put it on her breast. He could feel her heart pounding. He gently pinched her nipple, causing her to moan and arch her back against him, no doubt feeling how hard he was through his sweatpants. He did it again, a bit harder, while he bit her neck. She started grinding her ass against him, still in the spoon position, driving him crazy with each one of her hip movements. He gently put his hand on her hip, stopping her.

Hold on, babygirl, he chuckled. You’re driving me crazy here. Let’s focus on you for a bit, alright ?

It was true : he wanted to focus his attention on her. She chuckled softly and grabbed his hand again. They interlaced their fingers.

Can you… touch me ? She whispered.

Anything you want, honey, he replied with a smile.

He gently cupped her sex, feeling how wet she was. His palm was against her clit, his fingers teasing her entrance.

Is this what you want, baby ? He asked in a husky voice.

Yes, she moaned. Please, Marshall.

He pressed his hand harder and inserted two fingers in her as she let out a gasp. She was squirming against him, rocking her hips in sync as he was moving his wrist. At first, his movements were slow. He wasn’t in a rush anyway. Plus, the last thing he wanted was to trigger her or hurt her.

Are you alright ? He asked carefully.

Yes, she moaned. It’s good.

He buried his face in her neck as he went a bit faster. Her moans became a lot deeper and he could tell she was about to come. He accelerated the movements of his head and she let out a small cry as he felt her walls clench on his fingers. Her whole body seemed to contract before relaxing altogether.

Oh God, she whispered.

Did you like it, honey ? He asked with a smile - already knowing the answer.

Yes, she softly giggled before burying her face in the pillow.

He gently turned her so that she could face him, so that he could see her beautiful face. She looked relaxed and happy, though still hazy.

You’re so beautiful, he said. I want to kiss you. May I ?

Instead of replying, she kissed him passionately. He wrapped his arms around her as their tongues found each other. It was a deep, ardent kiss. Their legs were tangled together, as their arms were clutching at each other’s body.

I think… I want you, she whispered shyly.

Are you sure baby ? He asked softly. You don’t have to.

I’m sure, she whispered. Just… be gentle ?

Of course, love, he said. How do you want it ?

Spoon ? She asked with a little smile.

He chuckled. She seemed to enjoy this position. It wasn’t particularly his favorite, but he was happy to indulge. There was something about it that was soft and intimate, which he had to admit was enjoyable. He removed his sweatpants and boxers and they resumed the spooning position. He slowly positioned himself at her entrance and he felt her tense up.

Are you sure, honey ? I swear we don’t have to…

Yes, she said hoarsely. I want you. And I trust you.

He kissed her temple and entered her. She let out a groan and he froze for a second. However, she relaxed and he took it as his cue to start moving. He was thrusting slowly while peppering her face with soft kisses, holding her in his arms. He started to gently explore her body with his hands, making sure she was ok with every move. He teased her nipples with one hand and stroked her clit with the other.

Faster, she begged. I’m… so close…

He happily obliged and started to thrust faster, going deeper as well. He felt her clench around him again, slightly jerking as they both reached climax. He buried his face in her neck while they were both panting, gasping for air. He grabbed her hand and held her close to his body.

Are you alright ? He asked after a few minutes.

Yes, she said softly. Are you ?

Absolutely, he said.

She turned to face him. She had such a pretty face and reaching orgasm definitely gave her a nice glow. He chuckled as he cupped her face with his hand.

God, I’m so in love with you, he said.

He didn’t even think twice before saying it. It felt natural to him. Before he could catch himself, he saw the soft smile of Y/N turn into an expression of shock.

#eminem #marshall mathers #slim shady #eminem fanfiction #eminem x reader #eminem fluff #eminem imagine #marshall mathers x reader #marshall mathers imagine #marshall mathers headcanons #recovery fanfiction

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tellthemeerkatsitsfine · 3 months

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Well that Champion of Champions episode was great. Ridiculously funny from start to finish, and all the tasks were top quality (maybe apart from the studio task, but even that wasn��t bad). I thought every contestant had at least a few really memorable moments.

I love the way the COC episodes get to be celebrations of Taskmaster as a whole. They can’t really do that in the regular episodes, because they’re playing to a studio audience that hasn’t seen the previous episodes from that season, so they try not to call back to too much stuff they haven’t seen. And they’re trying to appeal to casual TV viewers who might not have seen previous seasons, so there aren’t too many references to that either. But I guess they figure that anyone watching Champion of Champions has seen the preceding stuff, and they make it full of references.

I loved bringing back the bandstand from the early seasons, and this was the perfect time for it. I wouldn’t want them to do that in any of the regular episodes, for the same reason why I think Alex is right to say they won’t reuse old tasks – too easy to slip down the road to capitalizing on nostalgia and stop being original. Seeing the new, increasingly elaborate task location is a fun part of all the new seasons, I wouldn’t want to give that up. But bringing back the site of some of the greatest, establishing early Taskmaster moments for a one-off special was perfect.

And then they got in lots of ways to bring back old seasons. Kiell referencing the banana task. Dara’s outfit being a tribute to all of season 14. Ramsey’s name coming up on Sophie Duker’s signs. The comment about proposing to Alex Horne like in season 12. And obviously the constant mentions of Mae Martin. I like how they did that. That they didn’t try to be slick TV and pretend that everything had gone exactly according to plan and this is how the lineup was meant to be; roasting Kiell for an entire episode was much more fun than that.

I think I also agree with what Ed Gamble said on the podcast, that this may be the first time there’s been a Champion of Champions that makes total sense. Let’s be honest, Josh Widdicombe was quite good at Taskmaster but not the best player out of all 25 from the first five seasons (I think that might have been Noel Fielding, but then he chose to mess around and stop being competitive in COC1). And I also agree with Ed Gamble’s assessment that Richard Herring was competent in only one episode of Taskmaster, and it was COC2. That’s what happens when you only have one episode instead of taking the winner from an aggregate. And when you add a Golden Snitch studio task to it. But Dara O’Brien might be the most competent person to play in seasons 11-15, so that’s nice to see him as a Champion of Champions.

So there was a lot to enjoy about the episode for its place in the larger Taskmaster lore, but it was also just enormous fun as a one-off. That’s the other thing that’s fun about the COC episodes – it is cool to see an episode where everyone’s actually trying and no one’s particularly bad at it and everyone brings something interesting to the table.

Alex immediately going way too hard and way too personal when Sophie asked him to insult her. Sarah Kendall clapping for like half the episode and not realizing she was wearing a watch. Dara completing an entire task without even standing up by popping elastics off his head. Morgana remembering that season 12 task where she popped all those ice cubes in her offer and roundly outdoing herself with paint. Dragging the Greg statue across the ground. Sarah Kendall just being furious for the entire episode. Kiell not even bothering to try to find Alex. Kiell getting roasted all episode for the embarrassing flaw of not being Mae Martin. Sophie calling out Greg. Dara's wig montage. Sarah Kendall being absolutely furious. Did I mention that enough? God, I’d missed Sarah Kendall being furious.

Do Something Stupid was a brilliant task concept. I’m glad that stealing things from other versions is a loophole in Alex’s stance against reusing tasks, and I’m glad they found a way to make it broadcastable (though of course we all salute Guy and Urzilla for the lost task that the NZ producers are too cowardly to show us).

Hats off to the new champion. Hats, and wigs off to the new champion.

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hyperfixated-gvf · 2 years

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Pine-ing Fir Two (Part 1)

The schedule shifted with my inspiration - we're on "Pine-ing for You" Part 2, also known as "Pine-ing Fir Two" Part 1 (confusing, I know), and the schedule will show that.

Anyways, this contains some indirect Sanny, but is mostly Sam x Reader!

...

Pairing: Sam Kiszka x Reader ; Sam Kiszka x Danny Wagner ; talk of Danny Wagner x Reader

Warnings: Language, smut, lots of hickies, polyamorous relationship, sharing Sammy, discussion of threesomes, dirty talk

Words: 8.1k words

Rating: Explicit

...

What a horrible, no-good, awful, shitty day it had been.

With Josh out sick, you’d been assigned copious amounts of work - which was way out of your paygrade - all of your breaks were interrupted by your supervisor asking questions about the project you were starting, you hadn’t been aware the take-home soup bowl you had leftover from dinner the last night wasn’t microwave friendly, so the bowl melted and you had to clean cheesy broccoli soup out of the bottom of the microwave, and then your ‘check-engine’ light started flashing at you when you got on the road.

So, yeah. No-good, horrible, awful, shitty day and all you wanted was some skin-to-skin contact with your boyfriend.

The phone rang three times before Sam accepted the Facetime call, panting into the camera as his red, flushed cheeks appled in a grin. “Hey, Y/N!” he greeted happily, seemingly laying on his bed, from what you could see when most of the screen was taken up by his face. You suspected he just got back from a run, or the gym or something - Danny had been pushing him to join ever since Sam had breathed a word about wanting to go on a health kick at the New Year. “Whatcha doing?”

Seven months had passed by since you and Sam had first hooked up on Christmas, six since you’d both agreed on a vee polyamorous relationship - you knew Sam was still into Danny, and you had talked about maybe joining in at some point way back during your initial hookup with Sam, but you hadn’t found the right time to bring it up again. Danny lived in the town over - where Sam was - and while you were friends and all three regularly hung out with each other, it wasn’t like it was easy for you to look either of them in the eye and invite yourself into their bedroom activities. And Danny hadn’t made that leap, either - you weren’t the only option for change, after all.

“I just got off work,” you sighed. You chewed on your lip - you didn’t want to upset any plans Sam might have had, because it wasn’t a day he usually drove the half-hour to you to spend the night, but you were really needing him. “It was a bad day,” you admitted.

Sam’s brows furrowed in concern, and he sat up. “Oh no. What happened? It wasn’t my bonehead of a brother, was it?”

His jab at Josh made you chuckle, but you shook your head. “No. Although,” you altered, “he did unwittingly contribute to it by being sick, though, the fucker.” You went through the events of the day and Sam listened, although he seemed a little distracted at times (you didn’t blame him, his attention span was challenged even when he was trying to pay attention to something that he had sought out), and sighed again. “You wouldn’t happen to be free this evening, would you? Cause I could really use a good cuddle.”

The smile on Sam’s face was comforting, and his gaze strayed to something offscreen for a split second before returning to you. “Yeah. I can swing that - I can get ready and be there in 42.7 minutes flat,” he said with a wink. “Time it.”

Before you protest and offer to come to him instead of him making the drive alone, he hung up, and you were left in silence once again, starting your timer just for shits and giggles.

Except having a timer made waiting feel like a prison sentence. It was only five minutes in when you called Josh, just to have another ear to complain to that would actually know what you were talking about.

“I’m sorry, babe,” he apologized with a croaky voice and a violent cough, “but I really don’t think I’d contribute much to your morale even if I was there. I’m a baby when I’m sick.” There was beep in the background from his microwave. “Mama brought me homemade chicken noodle soup.”

You laughed and noted the grumble of your stomach as well - it was approaching dinner, and you hadn’t made anything, nor did you have anymore leftovers to heat up (stupid soup). “Did you beg her to stay and read you a bedtime story as well?” you teased. If you were sick and Mama Kiszka showed up at your door with some homemade soup, though, you wouldn’t turn her away either. Especially tonight.

“I did, actually,” he joked weakly, “she read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and it was delightful, thank you very much.”

The fridge fairy hadn’t visited you in the two minutes you’d been pillaging your own food, so you popped a packet of popcorn in, instead, praying that your microwave didn’t revolt and burn your food like the other had. “Well, you’re lucky that your little brother is coming over tonight, or I’d be calling your mom for some soup and a bedtime story, too.”

“Ewww,” Josh groaned. “I thought we had an agreement–”

“Oh, stop it,” you laughed. “I never said we were doing anything unsavory.” Josh let out a sigh of relief that you wouldn’t start going on about the intimate details of your relationship. “Although I suppose it’s not out of the question.”

Josh squawked in displeasure as you laughed, feeling a little bit better now, and definitely very thankful for the Kiszkas in your life. The popcorn decided to cooperate and came out perfectly popped, and you parked yourself on the couch with it, listening to Josh as he began a tale of he and his brothers when they were younger, spurred on by his desire to drive the subject away from your sex life.

Halfway through the story, though, you checked your phone and saw that Sam’s ETA would probably be in the next ten minutes - and knowing Josh, his story would lead into another, and you didn’t want him to make himself even sicker entertaining you. “Josh,” you interjected at the first chance, “should you really be talking this much when you’re sick?”

You could almost imagine the offended look on the man’s face as he tried to gasp, but only sent himself straight into another coughing fit. “You were the one who called me, Y/N,” he said once he regained the ability. “Am I going to be scolded for being a decent friend and picking up the phone when you call?”

“No,” you denied, gazing out the window and seeing Sam’s car pull into a guest spot, “but I am going to save you from yourself and hang up now.”

“Is my brother there? Let me talk to him - the bastard hasn’t called me about–”

The sound of a ‘call ended’ coincided with the knock at your door, and you threw your phone down to fly to the door, tugging Sam into your apartment and then into you before the lock was in place again. “Hey, Sam-a-lama-ding-dong.”

You felt his smile against your temple before he kissed you, and even with the small gesture from him, you felt the worries of the day start to melt away. “Hiya, sweetheart. Miss me?”

And you did miss him - the man had come to fit in your life like he’d always been there, and you loved the relationship you were fostering. You just hated that you weren’t right next door, or - fuck, right next to each other in bed - at any given moment. But the time would come, you supposed.

“Yes,” you said, pulling back to tug at his shirt, “now strip.”

“I thought we were cuddling!” Sam protested with a grin, still moving to push down his cotton shorts.

It was summer in Michigan, and while it didn’t get incredibly hot, Sam liked to take advantage of the weather when he wasn’t dressed up for work - and you reaped the benefits of it when he paraded around in little short shorts and tank tops.

You were certain Danny didn’t mind all that much, either.

“We are. Just, skin-to-skin, Sam. Come on, you need to know this by now,” you giggled, hurrying the process by shucking your own shirt off. Well, would have been hurrying the process if Sam didn’t stop to ogle you. “Sam, you can stare at me all you want - just get naked first. Or like, semi-naked. Boxers only.”

Sam winked. “Wouldn’t be able to control yourself if I was naked, huh?”

Despite your rolled eyes and snarked, “You wish,” his statement wasn’t that far off from the truth. It was a Pavlov’s Dog thing - you weren’t gonna look too much into it - if Sam was naked, and you were naked, it equaled sex. But all you wanted right now was a cuddle.

Strictly cuddling.

For now.

The rest of your clothes didn’t come off until you hit the bedroom, and when you finally finished stripping down and had gotten comfortable on the bed, Sam was right behind you, bare for you and yet covered…

In hickies.

The glint in Sam’s eyes told you everything you needed to know about his awareness of the marks - he knew they were there, and he wanted you to see them. And he knew that they were there because they looked fresh. New.

You blinked several times, and Sam said - in the most innocent voice he could muster, “What?”

The dark bruises would have looked painful if you didn’t know intimately what they really felt like littering your own skin. “I dunno, you tell me.”

He crawled to you and wrapped you in his arms - and hickies or not, this was what you really wanted. With a sigh of content, the ball was in his court, so you let the matter on your side lie and just let yourself be held.

You weren’t sure how much time passed when Sam broke the comfortable silence. “Was this what you needed?” he murmured, the room beginning to darken with the fading sun.

Just the closeness to another person - especially another person that you loved and had established both physical and emotional intimacy with - reminded you that not every day would be like this one, and that you had at least one person willing to take you in their arms and tell you that everything was going to be okay. That you didn’t have to shoulder your feelings alone.

You were extra grateful that Sam was doing this - you knew he didn’t like staying still, and that his mind was probably going a mile a minute, but then again…

“Yeah, exactly what I needed.” A small smile crept onto your lips. “Was it also what you needed?” you asked, a laugh tampered down.

“A cuddle?” Sam questioned, rubbing your back. “I’m always down for a cuddle.”

With a snort, you goaded him, “Only after sex.”

He laughed, finally looking down with a twinkle in his eye. “And what makes you think I’ve had sex today?” he teased, acting an innocence that he hadn’t had since the day he was born.

“Oh, shut it,” you giggled, pulling back and poking each hickey that sat on his skin like a target. “Unless you’ve contracted a case of ‘bullshititis’ that only manifested on your upperhalf, I think–”

“Nope, that’s it,” Sam sighed, flinging his hand onto his forehead. “The doc say it’s incurable.”

He was fighting a grin, but failed to hold it back when you sputtered out, “I know Danny’s technically a doctor, but I don’t think he’s that kind of doctor.”

Sam scoffed. “What are you talking about? He’s a physical therapist - my bullshititis had to be treated physically,” he saw with an eyebrow wiggle, “and it was better than therapy.”

You turned onto your back, knowing that your cuddle session was done. But now that you felt better, and you were already both half naked in your bed - well, could anyone blame you for a wanting a little physical relief yourself?

“I’m no PT, but how do you feel about a little more treatment?” you suggested demurely, lightly thumbing his cheekbone.

Sam snickered, and you couldn’t help but laugh with him. “I’m sorry,” he giggled, “but Danny refuses to play doctor with me because he feels like it’s morally wrong, but you work it, so maybe we can convince him, sometime.”

The mention of you all together in the same sentence as a reference to kinky roleplay made your breath, your heart, your brain, your movements all stutter to a halt for a moment. You knew Sam had been hinting at it recently, and while the idea was more than appealing to you, something in you was always stricken by anxiety.

You cleared your throat and shoved both the lust and fear that came with the idea back, continuing on in your quest to ‘seduce’ Sam. As if he needed anything more than the mention to be ready to go.

“But I am curious. I’ve never seen you so…blemished before,” you mused, still drinking in the marks and trying to put Danny’s face with them. The man was so nice, you couldn’t see him ever touching someone hard enough to leave a mark in any way - but you supposed that it was a detail Danny kept to himself, that only certain people were privy to. In a way, you kind of felt privy to that detail. After all, you got to see Sam, and by proxy, Danny. Or, at least, what Danny does in bed.

Sam smiled cheekily. “Let’s just say that I provided an appropriate distraction for us both to get out of something that I know neither of us really wanted to do.”

“Chores?” you guessed, but Sam shook his head. “Hmmm…work stuff?”

“You’re getting warmer.”

Remembering how Sam had picked up the phone, two thoughts occurred to you at the same time.

“You weren’t just getting back from the gym when I called you, were you.”

Sam laughed loudly and slowly shook his head. “Nope.”

“But Danny wanted you to go with him?” you laughed, trying to hide your flushed face at having caught Sam on the turnside of having been fucked. Or fucking, you weren’t entirely sure of their dynamic - although if how he was with you was any indication, you wouldn’t be surprised if there was a little bit of both, with a small penchant for lying back and letting you do what you wanted. Or, letting Danny do what he wanted, in this particular context.

And there was that damn blush again.

Sam groaned and turned into your neck, though, so you doubt he saw the coloring of your face. “He was trying to make me lift weights, Y/N - I had to do something! And I want to be healthy just as much as the next person, but I would rather just go on a run or something. Gyms smell and are expensive and crowded and I’m always getting hit on,” he pouted, rolling on top of you and looking up at you with his chin on your sternum and your breasts pressing into his neck.

“Oh, you poor baby,” you dramatized for him, raking your fingers through his hair as he let out a contented noise, “how awful. All those stinky, smelly gym-goers looking at you - I can’t imagine. You must feel like a piece of meat.” Your exaggerated simper was met with an unimpressed glare, and then a wet raspberry was blown into your skin.

You squealed and shoved at Sam’s head, but he fought to stay on top of you, giggling all the while. “Can we blame them? I mean, look at this perfection,” he boasted, and you laughed at his arrogance.

“I will say that I’m surprised you didn’t take the opportunity to see what a jealous Danny would do.”

Sam stopped short at that. The expression on his face was an amusing mixture of interest, arousal, and mischief. “Well, now isn’t that an idea.”

You traced a couple of the dark hickies that adorned his chest and shoulders. “It seems like he already loves to mark you up - I wonder where that comes from.” The silent nod and coy shrug was all you needed as confirmation that Sam was getting riled up and wanted to see where you’d take this particular line of thought. “Is Danny a little bit possessive of you, Sammy?”

Sam hummed and dipped his head to kiss the spot he’d just raspberry-ed. “Mmmm, nope,” he smiled, popping his ‘p’. “The only people allowed to touch me are you, and him. And I know for a fact that he isn’t possessive when it comes to you.” There was a level of suggestiveness in his tone that made you gulp and then guide Sam onto his back. His eyes sparkled with excitement and that trademark Kiszka playfulness that made everything fun.

“Is that so?” you asked lowly, thumbing over the unblemished skin in between the dark marks. “So he won’t mind if I…just…” Your sentence trailed off as your lips met the skin above Sam’s collarbone. “...sent you back with some marks of my own?”

The graze of your teeth and suction of his skin into your mouth made Sam exhale heavily. “Mind?” he breathed. “Nah. Not mind. But he - ah–” he cut himself off with a breathy moan as you moved up to the juncture of his neck and shoulder to map another one of your brands onto Sam’s skin. “--but I never said he wasn’t competitive,” he finished finally. “And he’ll definitely take this as a challenge.”

You chuckled and kissed him on the lips this time, and Sam tried to follow you when you pulled away. “Well, in that case, let me just…” You bit one more mark into him, right above his nipple, and smiled cutely at your work as Sam raised his brows at you.

“Are you sure you’re not the possessive one?”

With a wink and meandering finger down his chest, you palmed him over his boxers - fully hard and ready for you in any way you wanted him. “Sammy, baby - you wanna know what I’m possessive of?” you taunted, teasing the waistband of his tented underwear with your fingertips.

“Mmmhhhh. More than anything. What is it, Y/N?” he asked back, immersing himself into this game you were weaving around you both - even Danny, regardless of the fact that he wasn’t here. “What are you possessive of?”

“I’m possessive of the thought of you laid out for him,” you confessed, kissing your way down Sam’s body between syllables, “in a way that only he and I know now. And I’m possessive of the thought of you getting fucked six ways to Sunday by your boyfriend and then immediately coming to fuck me six ways to Sunday.”

Sam followed you down with those bedroom eyes of his, and grinned salaciously. “I’m not sure I’ll get to fuck you at all if you keep this up, doll.”

Once his dick had been freed from the confines of his boxers, you grasped him in your hand and watched his lashes flutter. “Not sure you’ll be able to fuck me? Why? Was Daniel a greedy boy today?”

The red flush on Sam’s cheeks flared at your words, and then at the kitten licks to the tip of his cock, Sam was rather distracted - too much so to really respond with his usual cheekiness. “A little,” he admitted. “But in his defense, neither of us knew I was coming to see you tonight, either.” Sam licked his lips and groaned when you took him into your mouth fully. “If he did, I think he’d love to share with you.”

“Oh yeah?” you asked, curiosity lacing your words. “Has he…has he said so? Like - does he want to?”

Sam cocked his head and shot you a confused look. “I mean, yeah. I thought that was, like, a given from the start.”

“A given between us, but I don’t know how Danny feels about it,” you explained, still slowly stroking Sam’s cock to keep him interested. “I mean, of course you’re gonna want it - you’re getting some from both ends - you know we want you. But…Danny’s a friend of mine, too. I don’t want to make it weird.”

Sam grinned - like he had a secret that he was definitely about to share with you - and flipped you over, successfully taking his dick from you in the process as well so that he could line himself up with your entrance and pause.

Just waiting there as your mind tried to wrap itself around what had just happened.

“Yeah,” he said softly, “maybe it is because I love you both, and the thought of us all together makes me splooge–” you giggled at his terminology, “--but I know you want it, and I know that Danny wants it, too.”

You arched your eyebrow and your back - conveying both your desire for answers and for him to just fuck you already in the same move. “And how do you know that I want it?” you asked cheekily. But you lost the cheek on an exhale and Sam pushed into you suddenly, bringing himself as close to you as possible.

“Because you’re a dirty girl, and I know it gets you wet to think about watching us together,” he whispered in your ear. With a few introductory thrusts, he kept the pace slow and steady, but reached down a hand to slip through the wetness at your center. “See? It’s getting you wet right now,” he grinned arrogantly, and you scoffed, fucking your hips up to throw him off balance.

“Fuck you.”

“Already on it,” he quipped, picking up the speed marginally. “But I feel like I haven’t - fuck, you’re tight - haven’t…ah, assuaged your fears, doll.”

In the months that you’d been together, your intimacy had been filed to an orgasmic precision that you both liked to offset with sloppy, messy sex every once in a while. You knew how to get each other off - you knew what got the other off - and you both never let the other get bored.

So when you slid Sam’s fingers - which had finally reappeared from where you were connected - into your mouth to suck clean, you relished in the feral grin Sam shot you. “Dirty girl,” he restated.

“Are you gonna tell me or are you gonna leave me hanging?” you panted, rolling your hips in time with his thrusts. “Verbal blue balls.”

Sam huffed out a laugh. “Gee, your pussy must be so good - I’ve forgotten what I was gonna say. Care to remind me?”

You bucked your hips once more, violent enough to throw Sam all the way out of you, and then rolled before he could line himself up again. “Fuck me like this and I’ll tell you anything you wanna know,” you goaded, hoping that the visual of your ass in the air was an enticing one.

There wasn’t a whole lot Sam could do that you wouldn’t think was sexy, and you could only assume that it was the same for him when it came to you.

A light slap on your cheek was your answer, and then the thick stretch of Sam filling you up from a different angle just drove it (and him) home. “Then ask me,” he demanded, gripping onto your hips for more purchase.

“How do you know?” you asked breathlessly.

It wasn’t good enough for Sam. “How do I know what?”

“How do you know that Danny wants us all together, too?”

Just to coerce more out of you, Sam followed up with, “Danny’s with us all the time, Y/N. I need specifics.”

With his cock hitting all the right spots inside of you, you rolled your eyes, but complied easily despite the small spark of exasperation that zinged through you for a second. “Dirty boy,” you teased, though, unable to help yourself. “How do you know that Danny wants us all together - fucking and taking and giving and moaning and having a grand ol’ time?” you questioned lasciviously, knowing that was the angle Sam was hoping for. “How do you know that Danny’s okay with me watching him fuck you into the mattress? How do you know that he’d be into watching you like this? Hitting it from the back when it’s not him?”

Sam wrapped an arm around your midsection and guided you down until you were flat on the bed and Sam was pinning you there with his pelvis. His breath tickled your ear as he whispered, “I know because he always comes harder when I talk about us all. And I know because he’s always staring at us when we’re together. He wants to, babe, trust me.”

The thought of Danny - beautiful, kind Danny - coming to the thought of you, regardless of if it was with Sam and him as well, sparked a deep-seeded flame of arousal you’d been too busy to explore since the option had come to light. You and Sam’s relationship was relatively new - you hadn’t had a whole lot of time to consider Danny.

But now that you were, you didn’t particularly want to stop.

“What’s he do, Sammy?” you gasped, rocking forward with his thrusts and fisting the pillow beneath your palms. “What’s Danny like?”

The arm Sam had wrapped around you forced its way down to your clit so that you could grind against his fingers, trapped between you and the mattress, and Sam moaned against your hair. “He’s so fucking beautiful, Y/N,” he said, clear adoration lacing his words. “The face he makes when you blow him is - fuck, it’s just pure pleasure. And he’s so damn good with his mouth, too.”

You groaned and bucked your hips harder, trying to ride the stimulation Sam was providing faster - more - to completion. “More. Tell me more,” you demanded. You wanted the details. You wanted to fucking blush the next time you saw the man.

“You might laugh at me,” Sam huffed, twitching inside of you, “but his stamina is out of this fucking world. Guy could go on for days.” He chuckled out a strained laugh. “I’m still getting there. And he had the day off today, so he was waiting for me when I got home early and - and–”

You finally understood what he was trying to say, and pushed your ass up into him. “Roll over - I’ll ride you.” Once you were settled in and straddling his hips, riding a comfortable rhythm, you put your hands on either side of his head and let your breasts sway in his face. “Come on, Sammy - if this is really what you want, tell me. Like he’s here.”

Sam whined underneath you and nodded. “God, Y/N, wait until you see his dick. It’s - I’ve never seen a prettier cock in my life, and - ah, shit, that’s good - it’s perfect, Y/N, you’re gonna love it.” The casual sincerity of the statement made you shudder atop of him, knowing that Sam was so confident in this potentiality. “I’m not lying - he stays so hard sometimes. I don’t know how. I don’t.”

“You’re doing so well for me, Sammy,” you praised, trying to target this newfound comparison between his stamina and Danny’s and also trying to convey just how hot his words were to you. “Come on, just a little bit more.” You continued to rock your hips on him, staying deep and aiming for all your sweet spots, knowing Sam would get there anyways with him already being close.

“One time,” he ground out, bucking his hips up into you and throwing his head to the side to wipe a bead of sweat off his temple, “he came first and he - and he just kept fucking me, Y/N - he’s a fucking beast.”

“What?” you asked, brain stuck on Sam’s exaltations. “I thought that was just porn bullshit - he didn’t actually fuck you though–”

“He did,” Sam insisted.

“No breaks?” you asked skeptically - well, as skeptically as you could when you were trying to ride your way to orgasm.

“Oh, god, baby,” he keened, warmth exploding deep inside of you. But with his next words, you weren’t sure if his exclamation was due his orgasm or his imagination. “You don’t believe me. But just wait. Just wait, and he’ll show you, I promise. And I know…”

He trailed off, and although it was difficult to focus on anything but your impending orgasm, you had the mind to be curious. You slowed your rocking to slip a hand down to your clit and get yourself off that way, so that you didn’t cause Sam any unintentional overstimulated pain. He’d already apparently had quite a day. “What? You know what?”

You thought it would be another dirty secret - another filthy series of words intended to get you off, but Sam made sure you were looking him in the eyes when he said, “I know you wanna watch Danny take me apart, but I also know you and him, and watching isn’t gonna cut it.”

The images came full force to your mind - Danny looming over you - over Sam - and under, his dark eyes blown wide with lust, that expression that Sam described and along with it the phantom weight of a dick in your mouth. “Sam,” you whimpered, fingers flying against your clit while your boyfriend watched greedily.

“Say his name.”

The request came soft, but clear. Your eyelids had fluttered closed while imagining what it would be like with Danny, if you ever got that opportunity, but at Sam’s words, they flew open once again. Sam’s chest heaved with arousal; he was too spent to participate again, but it was obvious that he was finding just as much pleasure in this as you were.

“Whose?” you asked, wanting to hear him say it again, too.

Sam licked his lips and met your eyes, letting his mouth stay parted as he gave you the heaviest bedroom eyes you’d ever seen on him. “Danny’s. Say Danny’s name for me, Y/N. Let me hear how much you want him, too. Say his name when you come.”

With dual faces flashing behind your eyelids, you let go - Sam still nestled inside you and feeling the contractions as you came and moaning all the while - as you let out jagged gasps and let your hips jerk you through. “Danny!” you cried, much to Sam’s enjoyment if the way he groaned and pinched his eyes shut was any indicator. “Danny, fuck - fuck fuck - oh, shit,” you panted, each curse decreasing in volume as you came down from your high. “Sammy.”

Sam’s name was the final one on your lips as you leaned down to kiss him and continue your interrupted snuggle. “God, Y/N, that was hot,” Sam chuckled.

“Yeah,” you agreed, trying to wrap your head around just how hot it really had been. Because it was. And that scared you a little bit, because regardless of what Sam said - were you really allowed to want that? It had been a joke at the beginning to get the ball rolling with you and Sam, but now, you were in a relationship. Sam was in a relationship with both of you - of course he’d get the strings twisted sometimes, and you just didn’t want Danny’s feelings to get rolled over in how hot it all was.

“You’re still worried about it, aren’t you?”

Sam’s voice brought you out of your musings, and you turned to find a softness in his eyes that you knew he reserved for you and Danny.

You shrugged, pecking him on the lips. “I can’t help the worrying. I don’t want to end up ruining what you and I have, what you and he have, or even what friendship he and I have.”

The phone in Sam’s hand didn’t even register in your brain until it started burbling in the tone of a FaceTime call. “Babe, he doesn’t want to be friends with you,” he said suggestively, winking at you as the phone rang. “You can ask him for yourself.”

“Samuel!” you gasped, making sure you were covered by the blankets as the ringing stopped and Danny’s face appeared on the screen.

Sam didn’t bother covering himself off - in fact, he seemed to be preening and purposefully showcasing his new markings. “Hey, Sam. Is Y/N in the shower?” you heard Danny say distractedly.

They must spend more time shirtless together than you imagined…er, well, guessed. Not imagined (definitely imagined), because if Sam showed up covered in hickies on your screen, you’d melt into a puddle.

“Nope. She’s right here, actually. Wanna say hi?”

“...right there?” Danny asked hesitantly, and you could only imagine what picture Sam painted - naked, marked up, and in your bed.

It was an entirely accurate picture, whatever it was, but still. This was just so…abrupt. You thought the incorporation of Danny into the equation would be handled with more care and subtlety - but when Sam was involved, and moreover, when Sam wanted something - subtlety was not a strong suit of his.

“Naked and asking about you,” Sam said with a wink, and you groaned, dragging your hands down your face and readjusting the cover over your breasts as Sam turned the camera toward you.

“He’s a liar, Danny. Kinda,” you groaned at the screen, peeking out of your fingers to see Danny with his eyes bashfully cast down respectfully. At your tacked on little spark of potential, he chanced a glance up at you, and his eyes stayed once they were there.

You’d never tell if the way he lingered on certain parts of the screen made you shiver a little.

“A liar?” he ventured, cocking his head. You noted that his curls looked very defined, and thought to ask Sam if he had anything to do with it, being so into hair care himself. “How has our Sammy been a liar, then?”

Our. Just the plural had your heart kicking up a notch and your brain comprehending that this was really the first time the ‘our’-ness of your situation had been acknowledged when you were all interacting.

It threw you for a bit of a loop, if you were being honest. “Uh…” you scrambled for a coherent answer, and tried to remember your train of thought. “He was - I mean, we were both kinda - Sam, I’m gonna kill you,” you ended up saying, abandoning the attempt to cover your own ass when confronted with the real thing that had just made you come only a few minutes before.

Sam laughed boisterously and turned the phone away from you so that your lobster-red face would be shielded from Danny’s amusement. “Sammy,” Danny chided, “don’t torture her.”

He winked into the camera and then grinned at you. “She likes being tortured.”

“Shut up,” you warned threateningly.

Sam just stuck his tongue out and arched his neck for the camera. “You like my new digs, Daniel?” he asked coyly, and Danny hummed through the screen.

“We’ll talk about that later, Sam,” Danny said, the hint of a smile in his voice - Sam’s peacock primping was endearing to those who loved him, and infuriating to those who didn’t. “Could you give the phone back to Y/N for a minute, actually?”

Sam stopped his flaunting and cocked his head. “Oh. Uh, yeah, sure.”

It wasn’t often that Sam dropped his playfulness, but Danny’s sudden request must have stunned him, because he had an unreadable light in his eye as he handed you the phone. The ghost of a smile still graced his lips as he did so, just muted and mixed with an expression of guarded curiosity.

You knew he wasn’t against the idea of you together, that was the point of this call, but this lack of emotional communication had you strung out. It must have shown on your face, because Danny blinked and let out a loud chuckle once he was in your line of sight and you, his. “God, Y/N - why do you look like I’ve been…fucking beating you or something?”

Danny’s light-hearted humor made you smile through the worry, and you shrugged. “I’m in a very new situation, here, Daniel - you’ll have to forgive me if I wear my heart on my sleeve when I’m nervous,” you joked, eyes flicking to Sam every so often just as a physical assurance that you weren’t dealing with this alone. “So what’s up?”

“I know we’ve been…skirting around this for a while.”

This being a sexual relationship that wasn’t separated by walls and ‘Sam and you’ and ‘Sam and Danny.’

“Yeah,” you huffed, taking the opportunity to appreciate the man on the screen, and just how sweet he was.

Danny seemed just fine taking on the responsibility of addressing the questions that needed to be asked, since you were too cowardly to and Sam would draw it out for his own pleasure and amusement. “What I want to know is if you’re comfortable, like…watching? Or being watched.”

“Both, ideally,” Sam chimed in, now more invested and engaged in the conversation even though Danny had asked for you specifically. You didn’t doubt that he and Sam had talked about it together, already, to some extent.

“Shh,” Danny shushed him, “I’m asking Y/N, nosy.”

You smiled at Sam’s face when he was scolded through the screen. “Yeah, Sam. The adults are talking.”

Sam sputtered indignantly, and pushed his face into the camera frame. “Hey! Am I not important anymore? Do I mean nothing to you both?”

With a great roll of both of your eyes, you pushed at him, and Danny brought the attention back to you. “Alright, Sam. You know that we both love you, and we both adore you, and you have hickeys and love notes from us both to prove it. Now butt out, I really would like to talk to Y/N.”

But of course, Sam just couldn’t not have the last word. “And we would all like it if we just met up and fucked finally–”

“Sam, I’m serious, shut up.” Danny’s tone was still lovingly exasperated, but it was much more serious than before, and Sam stuck his tongue out, but settled back in to let you talk. “Now, Y/N. I just want to get this all out there. It’ll be better once we talk.”

You nodded. “I know. I just - I can barely tell Sam what I want,” you admitted bashfully.

“Well, Sam’s a basket case and loves watching people squirm,” Danny said with a smirk, and Sam huffed haughtily.

“I didn’t hear you complaining about that particular proclivity of mine earlier today.”

Danny grinned. “Never said it was a bad thing.” And then back to you - it was a very discombobulated series of exchanges, and yet, so natural. It was uncomfortable, but not nearly as humiliating as you’d imagined this going. “So…watching. You - I mean, it’s not like a - a tolerance thing, is it?” Danny asked you, his gentle tone lulling you into the safety of where you were - one lover by your side, and a friend on the other side of the screen. “Like, you like it - me and Sam? You don’t just–”

“Yes, Danny,” you interrupted, putting the poor guy out of his misery. You knew you wouldn’t have been able to articulate it any better, and it was like you had thought before - you understood. “Yeah, I like the idea - quite a lot, actually,” you tittered shyly. “Maybe even more than I should. And…what about you?”

His swallow was audible across the phone, and you bit back a smile. “Me?”

“Yeah, how do you feel about watching, and being watched?” you asked, carefully keeping track of his expressions.

His cheeks reddened, and he nodded. “I think I’d like - yeah, I mean, to be in the same room for that. Or…you in our room. To share him,” Danny said lowly, his obvious arousal not visible but almost tangible even in different towns, “with you - directly. Together.”

Fuck. If this was how it was gonna be between the three of you when you all weren’t even together, you were a little afraid that physically being in the same place with this extended boundary would shake more than just your world.

The tension was cut by Sam, once again, laying wet kisses onto your neck in view of the camera and saying, “Don’t keep him in the dark, Y/N. Tell him what we talked about earlier. When you were on top of me, remember?” He pretended to think while you flushed. “Or was it when you were on your hands and knees for me?” He shrugged. “Either way, don’t you remember what you demanded I tell you?”

“Sam!” you gasped, both at his nip and his words, your embarrassment flaring up again when Danny looked away and broke the spell you’d been under. He grinned against your skin and lazily turned toward the camera.

“No? You don’t wanna tell him?” You didn’t get the chance to answer him before he let a wolfish grin overtake his features and kissed you deeply - a little bit of a show for Danny, you knew. What surprised you was how much more of a show you wanted to put on for him. Sam’s words were teasing and playful - he was toeing the line, speaking just loud enough for Danny to hear. “It’s okay - I can do it for you,” he crooned, “because I just know he’d love to hear whose name–”

Before you could slap your hand over his mouth, Danny’s voice was cutting into your space again. “Sam, that’s enough.” The sweet, gentle, caring Danny that had just been stumbling over his words and desires was still there, but there was an edge to his tone. A sharpness that didn’t allow for argument. “Stop teasing her. That’s not what we’re doing, here.” Your attention was drawn to and kept by the way Sam immediately backed off at Danny’s words. Interesting, indeed. “I don’t want to know anything she doesn’t want me to.”

Seeing Sam frozen and still for a second before his brain seemed to reboot made something deep inside you squirm deliciously and rear up. If it had been anyone other than Danny, the results would have been near catastrophic with Sam’s pride. But here he was, continuing on as if nothing had happened, except toned down a little.

“So are we good? All settled?” he asked you both, eagerness splashed onto every surface of his body - grabby hands, restless feet, shifting facial expression, and that hand constantly pushing his hair back.

“I mean…” you said coyly, winking at Danny through the camera, “there’s other things to discuss, but that’ll have to wait until the time comes.”

Sam groaned, his impatience getting the best of him. “But I’ve been waiting for so long. Danny - can’t you just hop into your car and make the drive?”

If Sam thought his whiny plea would change anything for the night, he was sorely mistaken. Danny just laughed and got up from wherever he’d been sitting, a flash of patterned boxers gracing the screen before it was back on his face. “Sam, after the day you’ve had, you couldn’t handle us both.”

While Sam might not have had the stamina that he was lauding Danny for having, the man had resiliency. Not even your college flings could get it up as often as Sam could - in fact, it was probably good that your relationship with him was polygomous, because he’d probably fuck you raw without someone else taking a bit of his libido into their hands. His hands.

Dammit, you were thinking about Danny’s hands, now.

“You’d like to see me try, though, right?” he asked coquettishly, fluttering his lashes at you both. Danny stopped moving to wherever he was going and managed to tear his gaze away from Sam’s devilish attempts at seduction and to you, the heaviness keeping you pinned.

His gaze was loaded, electric, and brimming with silent, erotic promise. It took your breath away, and you had to force yourself to bring in a deep inhale when he said, “You know I would. But when the moment comes, we all owe it to ourselves to be rested and ready - not some patch-job meetup at,” he swiped at his screen to look at the time, “10:56 pm when you’ve already gone four rounds today. Assumedly.”

Your eyes widened and you swung your face to Sam. Four rounds? “Damn, boy.”

Sam shrugged and yawned, belying his actual energy level when he wasn’t hopped up on the thought of all you three together, and pointed to the screen and then to himself. “Long time, lots of times.”

The effects of the long day, the emotional turmoil working through this initial stage, and your previous orgasm having sapped you, a shower and sleep sounded like a good plan, for now. “I’m gonna say goodnight, too, Sam, so why don’t you head to bed, too, cause this isn’t happening tonight,” Danny said, dashing a teensy little sliver of hope you’d shared with Sam as he was lit up by his bathroom lights. “I’ll see you guys soon, okay? Have a good night.”

Danny reached towards the propped up phone, assumedly to hit the end call button, but Sam crowded the camera towards his face and placed a kiss on it. “I kinda like you,” he said quietly and with a warm smile. “A lot.”

Even when it wasn’t directed towards you, it made your heart clench with love. Just seeing Sam happy and in love with Danny as well - you didn’t feel the need to examine why no feelings of jealousy or insecurity arose - it was just…right.

And Danny felt the same way, according to the soft, pleased face he gave back. “I love you, too. Now go to sleep, you have work in the morning.”

You laughed and Sam groaned, “Don’t remind me. I have to get up even earlier.”

“My fault,” you admitted. Not seriously, though, because you knew Sam was more than happy to be there with you.

Just as you expected, Sam wrapped you up in his long arms and kissed your cheek. “Maybe,” he teased, and you shook your head affectionately, “but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Well, actually, I would rather have it one other way,” he amended, wiggling his eyebrows in the direction of the phone, where Danny had been watching you both fondly.

At Sam’s last ditch effort to get him to you guys, he rolled his eyes and picked up the phone with finality. “Soon, Sammy. Bye for now, though.”

He didn’t allow any more space for added comments before he hung up the phone, knowing Sam would keep him there as long as possible - you’d been on the receiving end of that treatment yourself, and saying goodbye to Sam was like trying to pry the tentacles of an octopus off: he just kept latching on from another direction.

Once Danny’s presence had faded from the room, you turned to face Sam again, rethinking the shower but knowing once you got in you wouldn’t want to get out. “Well, that went well. Although I wasn’t a fan of the sneak attack,” you said with an accusing brow.

Sam was not on the same wavelength - he threw the blankets off, much to your complaint, and took your hand to lead you to the bathroom. You followed reluctantly, but only a little bit. “A sneak attack was the only way I was gonna speed this up. If it were up to you two worrywarts, it would be another 10 years before I got you both in the same bed together.”

He started the shower while, for about the thousandth time just that night, you sighed in fond exasperation. “I see where your priorities lie,” you teased. “Sacrificing our comfort for your own perverse pleasure.”

You didn’t mean a word you said - Sam was blunt, but he was intelligent and he loved you and Danny both, and you knew that he only acted in everyone’s best interest. Still, as you stepped under the warm spray, Sam tilted your face up to his and planted a gentle kiss to your lips. “No. Well, kinda,” he corrected to both of your amusement, “but no.” He ran a wet finger down the bridge of your nose and made sure you were both under the showerhead. “My priority is making you two as happy as I can, and I really think that you and Danny can make each other happy, too.”

You smiled at his sincerity, and hugged his wet torso to you. “I know you do. And I hope we can, too.” In all honesty, you believed Sam wholeheartedly.

It was all just a matter of time, now.

...

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amatchinwater · 2 years

Text

When Trust is Earned

Warnings: violence, blood, injury, character death (just happens a different way), jealousy, possessive behavior, sexual content

Ch 9/14 (Ch 8)

a/n: it's pure laziness and Eddie brain rot that has made editing this chapter take a million years, I'm so sorry. This one is also twice the length of the other chapters if that helps...

Damnatio Memoriae (ao3)

---

Stiles met Theo and the rest of the pack at Sinema about a half hour ago and he’s wishing that he remembered the fake ID Danny made for him so he could have a fucking drink. Corey, the sweetheart, has been trying to cheer Stiles up. But every single time he looks in Theo’s direction, Tracy has been too fucking close. Theo doesn’t really entertain her, but he also doesn’t really do anything to stop her. The chimera really wants to punch her in the nose; or Theo. Maybe both. That was the first half hour at least when Stiles was sitting in the armchair beside Corey’s and Theo was on the couch with Tracy.

It probably wouldn’t even bother Stiles this badly if he wasn’t constantly thinking about what he saw at the hospital. What he heard. Theo offering- the exact same way he did for Stiles- to kill the man instead of Tracy. It makes his blood boil every time Stiles thinks about it. Now it’s making him second guess everything that Theo has said to him all over again. No matter how much the Alpha is trying to reach over the edge of the couch to touch Stiles in any way possible.

Josh finally showed up shortly after and fake ID or not, Stiles is really wanting something to take the edge off. Even though he’s technically only at this stupid club to make sure that’s not what Josh plans on doing. And Stiles really should keep a sharp mind right now. Fine! He’ll get a fucking coke and go sit back down to keep an eye on the Beta. So long as another Beta keeps her fucking hands to herself.

Sitting down at the bar, Hayden walks up to his side to grab a tray of drinks, smiling softly when she sees him. “Hey, Stiles.”

“Hey, Hayden, how’s your shift?” Stiles tries his best to make small talk. Scott still doesn’t know that he’s in Theo’s pack now and they really need it to stay that way for now. Theo knows she’s been sneaking around with Liam and had it not been for Stiles' request the night of the super moon to spare those actually innocent, the Alpha probably would have flipped on her by now.

“Not too bad,” she taps her thumb on the side of the tray, “they can wait a minute.” Hayden gestures to a table of dudes who are still nursing drinks. “Did you want something?”

“Uh, yeah, a coke would be great.” Stiles nods, “thanks.”

She smiles again, walks around the bar and grabs a glass. Stiles watches the nozzle fill it over halfway and Hayden slides it to him. Waving him off when he tries to grab his wallet, “please, I think I’m good for a coke, Stiles.”

With a smile of his own, "consider it a tip," the chimera nods his thanks again, sliding her a five dollar bill and heads back to the pack. Apparently Mason decided to show up and has taken Stiles’ spot leaving the only open seat next to Tracy. This is just not his fucking night.

As Stiles gets closer and Theo sees him, he barely looks at the kanima before ordering, “move.” Tracy looks pleased with herself, staring at Mason, waiting for him to get up. The Alpha chimera turns a dangerous glare her way, “don’t make me repeat myself.”

The kanima looks ready to plead, given her pout, but takes one glance in Stiles’ direction and shifts over on the couch with a growl. In her defense, she did move. But the bitch only moved enough so that Stiles literally has to wedge himself between the two of them. He’s entertaining the idea of snapping her neck all over again as he sits down. Stiles has to cross his legs to make sure he’s not touching either of them. It’s as infuriating as it is uncomfortable.

Bitch.

Theo just chuckles, reaching over to scoop the chimera into his lap, managing not to spill his drink. The Alpha’s arms wrap around his middle and any other time Stiles would love it and the look on Tracy’s face. But not right now. He can’t shake the hospital off and it’s killing him. Thankfully Mason is too busy with Corey to notice the development.

Doesn’t stop Tracy from adjusting herself and trying to rub her foot along the Alpha’s shin like Theo isn’t literally scenting Stiles’ neck. This chick seriously can’t take a hint. Without thinking, Stiles snarls and flashes his eyes at her. "Back. Off." The wolf and coyote inside of him are ridiculously territorial and trying to tell them that Theo isn’t technically theirs is like trying to stop the sun from rising. They don’t give a shit and if the kanima isn’t careful, she’s going to get herself hurt whether Stiles wants to or not.

“Ignore it,” Theo whispers in his ear, biting the lobe, eliciting a shiver from the chimera.

Tracy crosses her arms and huffs, her permanent state it seems, “aren’t we supposed to be watching Josh? Not flirting?”

The chimera in question is dancing with some pretty blonde on the dance floor, smiling and having fun. Nothing shady or drug related. Yet at least.

“Speak for yourself,” Stiles growls as her leg yet again tries to rub against Theo’s. This is so much more than trying to simply scent your pack member. Anger bubbles in his chest and Stiles slams his drink on the table beside the couch, startling Mason. Pushing himself off the Alpha’s lap, “I’m going to the bathroom,” he declares, storming off. He needs to cool off before he does something he regrets.

Shoving the bathroom door open, he’s thankful for the relatively dim lights and that it’s empty. Why is it that most interactions he has with Theo, Stiles needs to go to the bathroom and splash water on his face before he does something stupid? He does just that, barely noticing the door opening over the sound of water coming from the faucet.

“You’re cute when you’re jealous,” Theo coos, locking the door. Of course he followed him. Stiles really shouldn’t be surprised.

Yanking a paper towel from the dispenser, Stiles dries his face, as the Alpha puts a hand on his waist. “Yeah, well, it’s not like I can really enjoy being in your lap. Too many people could see.”

“I thought you wanted to be with me,” Theo’s face contorts to the point of almost looking hurt. Honest to god hurt and he backs away and Stiles barely prevents whining from the loss of contact.

“I do,” Stiles sighs, tossing the paper into the trash. He wants to be with Theo so fucking badly it hurts. “But you want me to mess with Scott. Hayden seeing me in your lap willingly is just a hop, skip, and a jump from Scott finding out about us.”

Theo smirks, “well, she can’t see us in here,” he says, stepping closer. “The music is too loud to hear us,” he flashes his eyes, telling him that not even supernatural ears will. Grabbing Stiles’ hips, the Alpha guides him until his back is against the tile wall. “How about I remind you who I want to be with. Let Tracy smell you all over me.”

Stiles cocks his head to the side, confused by what the Alpha means. It clicks when Theo winks at him and drops to his knees. “Fucking hell,” he rasps. The chimera forgets what fucking air is at the sight before him. His head thunks against the wall when Theo starts unbuttoning his pants, Stiles doesn’t think he’ll survive watching this. Already painfully hard at the idea alone. Watching Theo suck his dick might quite literally kill him.

He should really know better that Theo doesn’t give a damn about his anxieties. At least not in this sense, because he taps Stiles' hip after curling his fingers in the chimera’s waistband. “Eyes on me, Kitten,” Theo rumbles.

Taking a shaky breath, Stiles does as told, finding lust blown red eyes and a sinful smirk painting his Alpha’s face while he pulls both the chimera’s pants and boxers down to his knees. His angry cock bobs, dripping precum that Theo is quick to catch with his tongue. The Alpha looks at his cock and back up at him, silently asking for confirmation. “Theo,” Stiles whispers, wanting to reach out, but if his hands don’t stay on the wall, his knees will buckle for sure.

The Alpha takes that as enough approval necessary, which honestly, he didn’t even need to ask in the first place. Theo sticks his tongue out, licking a long stripe up the bottom of the chimera’s shaft, smiling through his groan at the taste. Stiles’ moan starts deep and low, quickly rising in tone and volume when Theo takes him to the back of his throat. Stiles isn’t huge, but he certainly isn’t small. And the Alpha’s just bobbing his head, deep throating him with ease.

Stiles can’t think. Can’t breathe. Can do nothing but moan and cry out for his Alpha. Trusting Theo’s hold on him, Stiles curls his fingers in the other chimera’s hair, fisting the strands. Earning himself a growl and the Alpha doubling his effort. Stiles’ breath hitches in his chest when one of Theo’s hands drops to gather the dripping saliva on his balls and tease at his ass. Red eyes flick up to him and Stiles nods wildly, letting out a guttural moan when the digit presses inside.

His eyes flutter closed, head falling slack again. Theo growls, ceasing all movement. Stiles whines, snapping his gaze back to the Alpha who smirks around his dick, resuming like he’d never stopped. Heat pools in his gut when a second finger joins the first and Theo growls with every bob of his head, thrusting his fingers in sync.

All thought processing is gone, a whined, “Daddy,” falling from Stiles’ lips. A warning? A plea? Stiles can’t really tell, but he’s moaning wantonly, his hips bucking against his will. Judging by the thin ring of red in Theo’s eyes, he’s loving every second of it and has no intentions of stopping. The Alpha’s fingers curl just so, hitting the bundle of nerves deep inside of him and Stiles’ explodes, barely keeping his eyes open as the other chimera greedily swallows every drop.

Theo moans as he sucks him clean. “Good boy, Kitten,” he growls, gently pulling his fingers out and licking those too while Stiles stares with hooded eyes. The Alpha tucks him back into his pants, securing the button and zipping them back up. Rushing up, Theo claims his mouth in a bruising kiss, ensuring Stiles can taste himself on the other chimera’s tongue. He moans into Theo’s mouth, reaching his hands down to fumble with Theo’s belt, desperate to return the favor. “No, Kitten,” Theo brushes their noses together, stopping Stiles’ hands. “This was for you. I’ll take care of Josh, why don’t you go check on your dad?”

“Okay,” Stiles’ voice is hoarse and he doesn’t really want to leave. But he really should make sure his dad is alright.

“Call me later,” Theo kisses him one last time before shooing him out the door.

---

Stiles’ dad is passed out when he gets to the hospital. Understandably so, it’s ridiculously late- early? It was after midnight when he left the club. Stiles let himself sleep for a few hours, waking up before his dad at the ass crack of dawn. Unable to stop himself, the chimera grabs his father’s computer, booting it up to the security footage. His dad mentioned something about Clark being at the telecom station and seeing something there. He watched Hayden’s sister walk into the building and then not thirty seconds later, a massive smokey thing for lack of a better term bounds out.

“Holy fuck!”

“Language,” his dad groans. “Hey, give me my laptop. You shouldn’t be looking at that. How do you even have my password?”

“I have all of your passwords,” Stiles states, because duh. Does he forget that his kid is the one who has a key to practically anywhere? Of course he’s memorized every password possible as well. “I have to call Theo,” the chimera says, moving just out of his dad’s reach when he tries to take the computer. Grabbing his phone from the side table, Stiles dials his Alpha.

Theo answers after the first ring, “miss me already?” He teases.

“Always,” Stiles admits with a smile. “But I’ve got some bad news. I think the Doctors were successful with whatever they were trying to create. The Beast, you called it?”

The Alpha snarls, “are you sure?”

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Stiles says, staring at the giant creature on the screen. With a groan he continues, “if I’m supposed to be with Scott, he’s going to want me to look for this thing with him.”

“Can you stop by the operating theater before meeting him?”

Ignoring the warning from his dad to be careful and not to do anything stupid, Stiles answers, “of course, I’ll see you in fifteen.” He snaps a picture of the computer, sending it to Scott with a text asking if he wants to search the building with him.

“Make it ten,” Theo counters and the chimera can hear his smile, “I miss you, too.”

---

Opening the door to the theater, Stiles is half surprised to find Josh not only there, but smiling too. Corey is leaning against the metal railing with Mason. Tracy, of course, is as close to Theo as the Alpha will allow her. Which isn’t very. Theo’s sitting in a plush, rolling chair that Stiles doesn’t remember being here before. Closing the door behind him, Stiles smiles when with one finger, Theo beckons him over.

“Great, you’re here” the kanima snaps, “can we get on with this?”

Stiles crosses his arms tightly to his chest and Theo rolls his eyes. “While you and Scott are searching for the Beast- that’s what the Doctors always called it- we’re going to follow you.” Stiles pulls a face, not sure that’s the greatest idea. “We’ll show up and attack him. Get these puppies some action. He has to listen to reason if we force it on him. We’re all hunting this thing whether we like it or not.”

“How do you plan on doing that?” Stiles asks. “I’d like to be a part of this too, you know. I’m sick and tired of pretending like I’m with Scott and that I hate you.”

“That’s why I love your brain," Theo beams, reaching out for him, "you just made the plan that much better.”

On instinct, Stiles moves towards him, but he pauses, glancing at the only human in the room. Mason grins at him, “it’s okay, Stiles. Theo told me everything. And I kind of agree with Lydia,” his arm curls around his- boyfriend? Stiles isn’t sure. “Scott didn’t even think twice before doing that to Corey. From what I understand, he could’ve killed him. I trust your judgement, Stiles. If you’re with Theo, then so am I.”

His smile widens, nodding at the human, looking back at Theo who again, motions with his finger. Stiles bounds over to him, happily throwing himself into the Alpha’s lap who catches him easily with a laugh. A laugh the chimera smothers with his mouth, wrapping his arms around Theo’s neck.

“Can we talk about the plan now?” Tracy snarks.

Growling, Theo pulls back, fingers digging possessively into Stiles’ hips. “For fuck's sake. Tracy was going to paralyze you and then Scott. But now, she’s going to pretend to, with you at least.” The Alpha looks around him at the kanima, “if you actually nick him, I’ll declaw you myself. Am I clear?”

Tracy’s eyes widen with fear and she nods her agreement.

“Then?” Stiles asks, because surely he isn’t relying on the kanima alone.

“Then, the Betas will attack him while you’re pretending to be paralyzed. I’ll show up and when you’re ready,” his eyes flash red, making Stiles’ insides burn, “you come to me. Show Scott where you really stand.” The Alpha sighs, rubbing the chimera’s waist, “then, we’ll tell him we’re all trying to catch the Beast. Something tells me he’ll listen. How’s that sound, Kitten?” Theo asks, brushing their noses together.

Out of the corner of his eye, Stiles sees Tracy positively fuming. “Sounds good to me,” the chimera grins. “Someone should let Satomi know too. She deserves a heads up at the very least.”

“She’s the Alpha for the Buddhist wolves, right?” Stiles nods. “Okay, yeah. Dealing with the Beast should be an all hands on deck situation. Tell her everything you need to.” The Alpha brushes their noses together. Stiles groans when Theo’s mouth locks with his, tongue instantly sliding against his bottom lip. Good. He’s tired of having to hide how he feels about Theo.

He doesn’t care that he’s doing things he’d probably never do. Because even though he’s dangerous, Theo makes Stiles feel safe. Alive. Wanted. Besides, Stiles hasn’t done anything all that bad but lie. Maybe he can still hold onto some semblance of himself when this is all said and done. And keep Theo. A perfect world, right? Dream it, believe it and all that.

---

Honestly, Stiles shouldn’t have even gone to Scott’s first. He should’ve known he’d end up right back in the fucking tunnels after following the Beast’s trail at the telecom building. The real kick in the balls? They’re not that far from the operation theater. Unable to smell anything down here, Stiles is waving the UV light his dad shoved in his hands before leaving the hospital. Hoping that the Beast is leaving a trail of mercury to follow.

“What is that?” Scott asks, his head cocking to the side like a puppy.

Directing the purple beam towards where the former Alpha is looking, Stiles sees two words: Damnatio Memoriae. “Looks like Latin,” Stiles offers. Remembering Lydia trying to teach it to him once.

“Hold up that light,” Scott instructs. “I’m gonna try and get a pic.”

Stiles feels wind against his neck and then spots Tracy ducking into the shadows. She stuck to her word of pretending to touch him. Stiles is shocked, but follows through with the plan, his hand wobbling, dropping the light like he can no longer control it.

“Stiles?”

The chimera drops to the ground with a groan. Scott turns, confused, eyes falling to his crumpled body. The wolf makes it two steps towards him before the kanima lunges for him, Josh right behind her with his claws out. Stiles can’t see a thing, hearing only growls and occasional impacts. Suddenly Josh falls beside him, Tracy must’ve gotten him by mistake. “Sucks, doesn’t it?” His sarcasm was meant to lighten up the other chimera, but Josh fixes him with a look. Stiles mouths an apology while Scott is growling angrily.

“Okay,” Theo calls and all movement ceases. Stiles smiles at the sound of his voice. “Maybe they’re not ready to take on a former Alpha. Especially one that can smell fear.”

“He has fangs,” Corey whines.

Where the fuck did he come from? Stiles snorts at his comment.

“What did you do?” Scott asks.

Stiles is starting to get annoyed that he can’t see anything. But then his Alpha comes into view, “I don’t take rejection well,” he winks at Stiles while Tracy leans down to help Josh to his feet. The kanima supports him with her shoulder. “So, I found some new friends.”

“Hey, Theo,” Stiles smiles since he’s out of Scott’s view, he shakes his head. He’s not quite ready yet. He knows Theo’s speech and is waiting for the perfect moment.

“Stiles,” Theo nods, walking past him, but staying in his line of sight, which the chimera is grateful for. “You're going to leave here thinking you need to worry about me. But that thing,” he points at the ceiling, “that’s what we need to worry about. Your pack," the Alpha chuckles, "and mine.”

There it is. Stiles gets up to his feet with another chuckle from Theo seeing Scott’s eyes widen like saucers. Ignoring the wolf muttering his name, the chimera walks up to Theo, putting a hand on his chest and kissing him. The Alpha’s arm wraps around his waist, fingers curling possessively into the hem of his shirt. Stiles snorts, “a pink sweater, really?”

“Shut up,” Theo scoffs a laugh, “it was clean.” He pulls Stiles back in, pressing their mouths together until Stiles almost forgets where they are.

“I like it,” the chimera murmurs against his lips.

Turning back to Scott, Theo smirks, “during the day we’re going to pretend we’re normal teenagers. But at night, we’re going to be fighting for our lives.”

“But it’s just a kid,” Scott argues. “Stiles, please,” the wolf fumbles, trying to keep up with both major bits of information just handed to him. The chimera can’t really blame him, to be honest. That must have been a lot to take in.

“This thing is all of our problems now,” Stiles says over the Alpha’s eye roll. “But make no mistake, if I get the chance,” he flashes his gold eyes to prove his capability, “I will kill it.”

Laughing as the shock somehow grows on Scott’s face, Theo slams his foot against the ground, destroying the words on the concrete. “See ya around, Scotty,” he grins, slinging his arm around Stiles’ shoulder, kissing his temple as he pulls him away. Leaving the wolf alone as the Betas follow them out.

---

“I’m sorry, Stiles,” Josh’s head droops, his arms folded over the metal railing of the operating theater. Theo informed him that the dark haired boy is something called a raiju. It’s a wolf with electric powers. The Alpha said that was easier than explaining that he was spliced with an eel and a werewolf. “I just don’t have my powers under control yet.”

“Me either,” Corey mirrors his pack member, sulking in the corner like a wounded animal. Stiles’ heart bleeds for them. “It seems like all I’m good for is hiding and I can barely do that. Scott knew exactly where I was even though he couldn’t see me.”

Stiles pinches the bridge of his nose, “guys, stop apologizing,” he sighs, dropping his hands. “It was your first fight. When I was possessed by the Nogitsune, Derek came to fight me- us? I don’t know, it gets fuzzy. Anyway, he told me something I’ll never forget. That he may not be an Alpha anymore, but he could still fight like one,” the chimera explains to the other two giving him puppy dog eyes. “Just because Scott isn’t an Alpha anymore, doesn’t mean that he suddenly forgot how to fight. You did a lot better than I did my first time, let me tell you that.”

“Seriously?” Corey’s head perks up, a cautious smile pulling at his worried lips.

Josh snorts, “no way.”

He’s a little confused why the Betas are seeking approval from him and not Theo. He’s their Alpha. Stiles is merely a Beta just like them. Maybe that’s why? Kindred spirits or something like that. They shouldn’t be afraid to confide in their Alpha though, he’ll have to talk to Theo about that. Make sure he’s approachable. “Way,” Stiles chuckles. “I didn’t even do anything. I sank to the floor and crawled away while the werewolves fought.” Movement from the other side of the room catches his attention.

The whole time he’d been trying to talk Josh and Corey out of a spiral, Theo’s been leaning against a concrete pillar, watching them. But now, and honestly Stiles shouldn’t be surprised at this point, Tracy has made her way over. Whimpering and making herself seem small for the Alpha, “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him.” The kanima bats her long eyelashes, putting her hand on Theo’s chest, “I’ll do anything to make it up to you, Theo, anything.”

Stiles growls deep in his chest causing the Alpha to smirk, blue eyes never leaving him. The chimera can smell her arousal and he rumbles again as an arm drapes over his shoulder, “she’s doing it on purpose,” Josh tries to reason with him.

Logically, Stiles knows that’s the case. Ask his supernatural creatures if they give a shit. Spoiler alert? They don’t.

The kanima chuckles, getting close enough to whisper in Theo’s ear, “I can give you what he won’t.” God, she sounds like she’s purring, it’s infuriating. “You could fuck me anytime you want.”

“It’s not worth it,” Corey comes up on his other side and Stiles can all but feel steam coming out of his ears. “Even if I hadn’t seen the way you two interact with one another, you each smell way too much like the other for someone to not think you’re together.”

Much appreciated, Corey, truly. But logic has long since left the building when the sight before him isn’t going away.

He’s growling uncontrollably at this point, then the kanima might as well have slapped him in the face. Because her mouth is on Theo’s and she’s moaning into the kiss. He notices the way that Theo’s eyes never leave him and the distinct lack of arousal coming from the Alpha. It also doesn’t escape him that he doesn’t even really return the kiss either. But Stiles has never been good at controlling his anger. And the kanima has no intentions of making this easy on him.

Moaning again, Tracy murmurs, “please, Daddy,” as she tries to deepen their kiss.

Stiles snarls at the name, ripping free from the raiju’s grip. He may not be the biggest fan of the name, but if anyone is going to call Theo ‘Daddy’, it’s going to be him dammit. Fangs elongate as Stiles stalks across the room, the Alpha’s eyes flashing red at him as he grins. Tracy mistakes that as approval and goes to moan again, but Stiles’ fingers wrap in her dark brown hair making her cry out before yanking hard and throwing her across the room.

“Oh shit,” Josh laughs under his breath.

“Kitten,” Theo rumbles in his chest, smirking as he reaches out for him.

“I’m not finished,” Stiles seethes, turning around to find the kanima getting up and wiping blood from her lip. He advances and jabs a finger at her, “it’s about time someone put you in your place,” watching as she flicks her dripping claws out. Stiles dodges her first swipe, careful to avoid the venom. This fight will be over quickly if she manages to paralyze him.

“Face it, Stiles,” Tracy spits his name like it’s an insult. Fighting with her mouth more than her hands, “I mean, you won’t even fuck him, so what good are for?” The kanima swipes and Stiles almost doesn’t move in time, “you’re just not enough for him.” He outright punches Tracy in the face while she’s still too close, thriving from the sound of the bones crunching and her blood splattering his knuckles.

Theo chuckles from somewhere behind him, but Stiles refuses to take his eyes off the kanima. Never turn your back on your enemy. “I’m not so sure about that,” the Alpha says, sounding all too pleased with himself.

Stiles fights the eye roll, of course the Alpha’s enjoying being fought over. Or maybe he just wants to antagonize Tracy enough that she does something stupid and gives Stiles the upper hand. Stiles honestly can’t tell. Ducking under her second swipe, the chimera counters with one of his own, claws distended and ripping open her forearm. Tracy yells in pain, blood darkening her now shredded green long sleeve. Growling, she taunts more, “Theo doesn’t want you like he wants me. I bet I even kiss better than you do,” Tracy spits residual blood on the floor from Stiles’ earlier punch.

“That kiss wasn’t much,” Theo supplies and the two both whip their heads at him. “Not the kind of desperation I go for,” he smirks, winking at Stiles.

“See Tracy?” Stiles turns back to see her brows knit together, hurt by the Alpha’s words. “He doesn’t want you. So either paralyze me and get it over with.” The chimera whips his clawed hands at his sides, setting his feet in a defensive stance; one that with a simple adjustment in footing can be offensive very quickly. He roars, eyes burning golden as he crouches, “or stand the fuck down before you get hurt,” the words become slurred around his fangs, but no less menacing.

Theo chuckles at the dark glint in Stiles’ eyes, “I think I’m falling in love,” he whispers to the Betas at his side. More like hiding behind him. Can’t blame them really. If Theo’s even a halfway decent Alpha, he’ll protect them from the fight occurring.

“Don’t you think you’re making it worse?” Corey whispers.

Josh snickers, “something tells me Stiles can handle himself.”

“But-”

“Corey, he’s warned her plenty of times to back off and she hasn’t,” Theo explains. Crossing his arms and shrugging, the Alpha continues, “considering traditional pack dynamics, he’s made a claim and she’s challenged him. Stiles is well within his rights.”

“Don’t worry Stiles,” Tracy snaps, her eyes betraying how fearless her voice sounds, “I won’t paralyze you. I want you to feel it when I kill you.”

Stiles cocks his head to the side, “try me, bitch.” His mouth pulls into a wicked grin seeing Theo behind the kanima, smiling. His arousal towards Stiles eggs the chimera on. “He’s mine,” Stiles growls dangerously.

Snake eyes glowing, Tracy lunges, claws out and oozing. But Stiles is ready, always will be. The chimera has been through too much the last few years to not be. He catches her by the throat, his claws piercing the flesh, the force cracking the bones under his fingers. Tracy’s eyes go from orange slits, to wide brown, clawless hands frantically trying to make him let go, her feet scrambling to find purchase on the floor. Staring at Theo, Stiles snarls, ripping her throat out.

Her body isn’t even fully on the ground before Theo’s lips are on him, kissing him hard and needy. Pushing Stiles until his back is against the wall and the Alpha’s knee grinds against his groin. Rumbling in his chest, Theo lifts his wrist, exposing his bloodied hand to the light. “Such a pretty color on you,” the other chimera says with something akin to wonder.

“Why am I not surprised you like blood?” Stiles scoffs as he comes down from the adrenaline high. He just killed Tracy. Holy shit. Stiles actually just killed someone. Not self defense. Not protecting someone else. He killed someone in a fit of jealousy. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“Only when you kill someone for me,” Theo smirks. So not helping. “It’s hot,” his eyes flicker red.

Stiles looks at him incredulously, “you’re not mad I killed part of your pack?”

“First of all, our pack,” Theo corrects him, “you’re just as in charge around here as I am. The puppies know it too.” Flicking his gaze at Josh and Corey, the Betas nod in agreement before slipping out of the room. “Second,” Theo claims his attention again, “you said you wanted to snap her in half for what she did to Lydia. I brought her back so you could, I meant it when I said you were within your rights.” The Alpha nips at his neck and Stiles shudders, “I knew you were jealous at the club. But I didn’t know you’d be that jealous.”

“Neither did I,” Stiles’ whispers, his words trying to catch in his throat along with his breath.

Theo trails kisses along his pulse, licking under his ear, “no escaping it now. You’re mine, Kitten. Completely.” The Alpha pulls back with a smirk, “isn’t that right?” Stiles nods, blinking rapidly, his hands pawing at the other chimera’s shoulders, trying to get a normal goddamn breath. “Want me to leave a mark to prove it?” Theo hums, tapping the crook of Stiles’ neck, “right here?” His hand wraps around the chimera’s throat in a gentle hold, “does that sound good to you, Kitten?”

Amber eyes blow wide with lust, “please.”

“There’s a cot in the back that I’ve used,” Theo cocks his head to the side, “but I’d rather the first time I fuck you not be down here.” The Alpha rumbles in his chest, “you deserve a bed.”

“Then take me home,” Stiles replies, breathless.

Theo all but snarls, clearly not wanting to stop what they’re doing either. But he does and tosses Stiles over his shoulder like his weight means nothing. His own wolf and coyote basically fawning over the Alpha’s strength. He doesn’t get set down until Theo puts him in the passenger seat, ducking his head in the car to kiss Stiles’ breath away with a gentle hold on his throat.

The Alpha chuckles through his growled, “you,” adding slight pressure before releasing the dazed chimera and rushing to the driver’s side. Not even close to messing around, Theo pulls up to his house in far too little time to be considered safe, offering the same treatment as before. Opening Stiles’ door for him and slinging him over his shoulder.

“I can walk, you know,” Stiles laughs, poking the Alpha’s butt for good measure.

“Don’t care,” Theo responds, slapping the chimera’s in retaliation. Keys jingle and then the door opens. Stiles has enough courtesy, though upside down and uncoordinated, to close it since the Alpha didn’t seem too keen on stopping. Carrying the chimera up the stairs, another door opens that must be to his bedroom because Stiles is flopped back onto the mattress.

He doesn’t even get the chance to properly squawk his indignation because Theo’s on him instantly, searing mouth silencing any noise but a moan with his tongue. Fucking hell, he’s not going to survive this if the way his heart is thundering in his chest right now is any indication. The Alpha’s hips dig into his, making Stiles’ legs fall open and then he grinds and the chimera grips Theo’s biceps. Panting, he pulls back, “off,” he demands, yanking at the other chimera’s shirt.

God, the husky chuckle that comes out of Theo’s mouth is nearly enough to kill him on the spot. But it seems like not even he can manage to properly tease right now. Too eager for this. Just like Stiles. So the Alpha lifts up just enough to reach behind his back and pull his shirt off. Not giving the chimera the chance to appreciate his body either, Theo dives back in to claim his mouth, one hand dropping to grab Stiles’ waist.

It’s hard, it’s rough, and he hopes there’s bruises left behind. Stiles lets his hands roam the firm muscles of his Alpha’s back, a pleased growl of his own vibrates his chest at the way Theo’s back ripples when he grinds again. There are still far too many articles of clothing on both of them. Stiles needs that fixed. Hours ago. So he tugs at the Alpha’s pants, trying to pull them down without even unbuttoning them. He’ll tear the fucking things if he has to.

“Theo,” he groans against the Alpha’s lips.

Getting off him completely, Theo gets out of bed, leaving the chimera painfully cold. “Take your clothes off, Kitten,” the Alpha huffs his breaths, his lips swollen and slick as he works to get his own pants off. Turning to dig in his nightstand when he’s in just his boxers.

Stiles certainly doesn’t need to be told twice, his clothes are torn off, the shreds flung on the floor. He has half a second’s worth of feeling embarrassed about being naked- actually naked, not just his dick out in a club bathroom- in front of Theo for the first time. Because when the Alpha looks at him, his eyes flash red and he growls, arousal floods the room.

Theo tosses a tube beside him on the mattress before dropping his own briefs to his ankles and toeing out of them. “You,” he slowly crawls back on the bed, “are stunning.” He says like Stiles’ jaw isn’t dislocated from how hard it fell seeing everything Theo has to offer. The abs he’s seen. But good god, his dick is a fucking masterpiece.

“You’re one to talk,” Stiles retorts, his hands running up the Alpha’s arms as he gets back on top of him. He groans at the friction of their cocks rubbing together, “have you seen yourself?”

Placing a kiss on the chimera’s hammering pulse, Theo looks up at him, “have you?” Stiles’ mouth clamps shut. “I won’t have you putting yourself down, Kitten,” the Alpha kisses his nose, the softness of the gesture adding a more gentle warmth alongside the fire blazing in his groin. Reaching between them, Theo grabs both of their dicks, listlessly stroking them both and Stiles outright moans, his head falling slack into the pillow. “See? Absolutely beautiful,” Theo remarks.

“Theo, please,” Stiles pants. He can’t wait any longer. Fumbling for a moment, the chimera pats the space beside him. His hand hits the lube and he puts it to the Alpha’s mouth when he tries to lean in to kiss him again.

“Someone’s impatient,” Theo smirks, grabbing the bottle. Looks like he’d found a little self control to tease a bit. The chimera growls, his eyes glowing and his Alpha smile softens. “Those are just as beautiful now,” he remarks, causing Stiles’ head to cock to the side.

Realization hits. He killed Tracy, who was technically an innocent. Stiles’ eyes are no longer gold. They’re, “blue,” he gasps quietly.

“Blue is very pretty,” Theo assures him, swiping his thumb over their leaking slits.

“Theo,” Stiles growls, eyes flashing at the other chimera again.

“Sorry, Kitten,” the Alpha kisses him, pulling at his bottom lip with blunt teeth, “I won’t tease you anymore.” Moving back on his ankles, Stiles can only stare at Theo’s naked body as the Alpha pops open the cap, squirting lube onto his fingers. Warming the liquid, his free hand lifts Stiles’ legs, exposing him even further.

Red eyes blaze when his first finger pushes past the tight ring of muscle, coaxing it to give way to the intrusion. Stiles moans, his hands fisting the sheets. Because it’s then he remembers the rest of what happened not twelve hours ago. Theo sucking him off while he fingered him in the bathroom. Meaning a second finger joins the first with ease and the Alpha groans. God, that does things to Stiles. Theo losing it from just fingering the chimera.

He watches the Alpha’s dick twitch as he scissors his fingers. The pads brush against a delicious spot inside of him and Stiles mewls. Theo, growling, pleased as to having found it, adds a third finger and rams the spot again. The chimera is seeing stars and he can feel his precum dripping down to his pelvis. His hole clenches on its own, making his moan rise in pitch and volume and he grinds his hips down.

“Fuck,” Theo gasps, twisting and spreading his fingers. But all too quickly and equally not fast enough, the Alpha is removing them. Stiles whines from the loss. The chimera is so dazed, he doesn’t even notice the cap popping open again, or the Alpha lining his cock with his entrance. One hand braced beside Stiles, Theo uses the other to guide himself. When his cockhead pushes past the stretched rim, he brackets the chimera, “shit,” Theo shudders, slowly sliding himself in.

Every inch forward has Stiles moaning, pawing at Theo to go faster. To move. Hell, snap forward all the way. Something. Stiles can’t handle the slowness. He can appreciate the consideration, but he fucking needs. “Daddy,” he whines and that mildly breaks whatever hold of himself Theo had.

Slamming his hips forward, Theo bottoms out and the chimera screams, blissfully full and not caring the least bit about the slight burn. If anything it fuels him. And Theo. The Alpha pulls back, his tip tugging at Stiles’ rim before he’s thrusting hard. “Fuck, Kitten,” he groans, keeping the punishing pace, forcing the chimera to moan with every breath.

He keeps a rough grip on the other chimera’s biceps, claws threatening to elongate and pinch into Theo’s arms. Stiles’ sight has bled red, his eyes glowing and showing no signs of stopping when the Alpha begins to thrust in earnest. Pounding into him until the chimera’s brain has turned to complete mush.

The Alpha leans down to tuck into Stiles’ neck, kissing and sucking pretty bruises on his skin. “Did you mean it?” Theo slurs, his fangs grazing the crook and the chimera shivers, sparks shooting down his spine. “Can I permanently mark you mine? And you’ll bite me too?”

Honestly, Stiles hadn’t even fully processed earlier that what Theo was suggesting was a possibility, he assumed the other chimera was being his usual possessive self. But he seems so sure that it’s true. And it isn’t really like Stiles can think much about anything other than the wonderful abuse on his prostate making his orgasm rise at a startling rate. And the fact that when he does think of Theo, it’s all the times he’s saved and cared for him. How could he not want that forever? Not needing to think twice or debate the offer, Stiles tilts his head to the side, exposing his throat for the alpha.

“Kitten,” Theo coos, the name a means of his thanks. Thrusting faster, his fangs sink into the crook of the chimera’s neck. Stiles cries out, his hand scrambling in the hair at the back of Theo’s head. His orgasm crashes through him as Theo growls around the bite, releasing him to gently lick the wound clean. “You gotta bite me too,” he slows his thrusts only just, helping Stiles- who still hasn’t quite come down from how hard he came- lift his head to return the favor. His own fangs dig into the Alpha’s flesh until he tastes blood. A feeling shifts inside of him, akin to a key finding its place in the perfect lock.

Stiles and Theo click together and become one. Two souls aligning the way they needed to. Were meant to. As if there could have been any other outcome of these two finding each other again.

Theo howls, his claws ripping the blanket beside Stiles’ head and with a few more jagged, but no less harsh thrusts, he comes. The Alpha slows to a stop, carefully pulling out, but making no more effort to get off of him. Which Stiles is extremely grateful for. There’s so many emotions running rampant inside of him and having his boyfriend- holy shit, his mate- on top of him is an immense comfort. He’s practically forgotten about the fact that his hand is still caked with Tracy’s blood and that Theo could give two shits about it either.

Lifting his head, “thank you,” the Alpha whispers, sealing their mouths in a firm, but lovingly gentle kiss. “Now you never have to second guess what I feel for you. How much I feel for you,” Theo keeps the same soft tone, his hands cupping the side of Stiles’ head as he brushes the matted hair away. “Because it’s all right here now,” the Alpha taps the chimera’s chest.

Stiles aimlessly runs his clean fingers along the mark on his neck, already having healed over but raised in texture. He can’t make a proper word come out, so all Stiles does is hum and smile, having just enough energy to tilt his chin to brush their noses together.

“Come on,” Theo gets up, scooping the chimera up into his arms, “let’s take a shower. Get you cleaned up and then we can go back to bed. Okay?”

The chimera sighs into his mate’s chest, “okay, Daddy.”

“That’s my Kitten,” Theo lets out an elated rumble that reverberates through Stiles.

Ch 10 (coming soon)

#teen wolf #steo #stiles stilinski #theo raeken #theo x stiles #stiles x theo #ao3 fic #Match Writes

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baetriots · 2 years

Note

Thoughts on Steve Belichick & Josh McDaniels?

i feel like Steve is good but he’s biting more than he can chew. He was fine in his role before but as defensive playcalling he has a loooong way to go. I wish we had a proper DC and Steve could go back to a less important job. I definitely think he’s in a position higher than he deserves and it’s purely out of nepotism but alas.

About Josh… i criticize him and specially this year i gave him crap for being too conservative with playcalling but now there’s rumors of him leaving to be HC somewhere and I don’t want him to leave🥺 (because I’m attached to him emotionally and also i think Mac needs to have consistency with his OC in his second year)

#josh is not actually that bad. if he was he wouldn’t be getting offers. also i feel like the players like him and he’s got a good rapport #i really want him to stay. like forever.#steve isn’t getting fired. i mean imagine your dad firing you no way #*succession theme in the background*#bill has huge logan roy energy #I’m getting off topic… anyways i want to hire an actual DC (bflo pls come back) & for Josh to stay #patriots #asks #thank you for indulging me #srsly love answering question

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glossyeon · 3 years

Text

I thought you hated me? || jww

*All credit goes to the creators of these images*

𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜: enemies to lovers?, Lawyer!Wonwoo x Journalist!Reader

𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: profanity, smut, public play, nipple play, oral (m recieving), pet names, protected sex, sexual themes, riding, low key mentions of a praise kink, oOf just a whole lot of filth, brb gonna go take a bath in holy water now-

𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩: 6.6k (idek if this is a oneshot anymore)

𝘼/𝙉: so sorry for how late this was, I was caught up with other works on this blog and my other one as well! Also, for some context: in Korea, we have karaoke rooms called noraebang. They are private places you can rent with your friends to sing karaoke, have drinks, and eat good snacks! This is the idea I was going for in this oneshot! Enjoy;)

𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: If you knew a friday evening of drinks and karaoke with your childhood friend’s co-workers would turn out to be this awkward, you would’ve sworn to stay back in bed, writing your next big article. But as the night trails on, the weather becoming colder, and the tension in the karaoke room becoming thicker, maybe keeping Jeon Wonwoo hostage(?) isn’t such bad idea...

It's embarrassing how fast your cheeks heated up the minute Joshua left you four alone in the room.

He may have assured you everything would be alright after leaving to find where his drunk co-worker, Dokyeom went, but you quickly realized it sure fucking wasn’t.

Unlike how you wanted, an uncomfortable silence washed over the room that was supposed to be filled with obnoxiously loud singing, and booming beats from your selected songs. To make it even worse, only a pair of annoying coloured lights flashed here and there, leaving the microphone to be unattended, and a desire to do anything but talk to these men coming over you.

You poured yourself a small shot from the emerald glass bottle, unbeknownst to the sigh you let out after downing the liquid in one go. You cringed more so at the awkwardness between you with these men than the burning sensation that was unfamiliar in your throat.

Catching the gaze of one of the said brooding individuals who stared at you intensely across the booth, fluorescent lights casting shadows against that sharp bone structure of his, you took it as a sign to suddenly invest yourself in the old karaoke catalog in front of you.

Being the only book you made yourself memorize, it was thanks to the amount of times you came here with Josh to sing your troubles and worries away. You remembered what karaoke was really supposed to be, and mentally begged your friend to come back and save you from this embarrassing situation.

To understand this unfavourable get together and how it all started, it would need to go back to when your hotshot lawyer and childhood best friend Joshua called you earlier that day.

Hearing his voice for the first time this week, you were even happier to hear the good news that his team resolved the brutal lawsuit they were in charge of handling for the past 6 months. Seeing that the office was released of such stress and tension made you very happy to think that your friend wouldn’t be living at the law firm anymore.

Knowing that a well deserved celebration and award was needed, he had invited you over for drinks and dinner with his colleagues, trying to officially introduce you to them as a whole group.

No, not that you were that idiot's girlfriend or anything, but you were perhaps the closest yet farthest thing he would ever have to one. Plus, you were just a friend who happens to be a girl.

But if you would've known it would be this agonizing trying to make small talk with a bunch of tipsy men, all which happened to be your best friends co-workers, you would’ve passed down the offer any day.

Don’t get anything wrong, you actually really liked Josh’s law school friends. You’ve heard all about how they were smart boys, most of them with class or born of far more wealth than you could even imagine. Most importantly though, they seemed to be nice to you as well.

There was Hoshi who you found to absolutely adore, irresistible to the cheeky grin he always seemed to have plastered on his face. There was also Dokyeom who you really thought should’ve become a singer instead of going into Commercial Law, seeing how he outshined you guys during Karaoke tonight. There was Jeonghan who always seemed to be smirking about something you didn’t quite know yet, and mystery man Wonwoo who just always sat in the corner, looking not quite depressed but also not quite happy.

Interesting people you could say.

You always seemed to be a bit intimidated with how much success they carried, but that didn’t stop you from remembering how they were all just the same as your dorky, childhood friend who you constantly teased growing up.

You would say most of them were like your older or younger brothers. All, except for one named Jeon Wonwoo. He just didn’t seem to like you at all, and you were just fine with sharing the mutual feeling.

“So y/n,” Jeonghan started, being the first to break the ice. He sat forward from the two other boys beside him, looking at your timid self that sat all alone on the opposite side of the booth.

“Josh had told us you worked as a Journalist for the Seoul Times” he poured a glass of beer for himself, motioning the bottle towards you if you wanted, to which you politely shook your head no.

“That must be interesting” he commented, placing the drink down and showing genuine interest in your field of work.

“Um, yeah, I work as a writer for the political and social columns'' you stated proudly, holding up a smile that Wonwoo noticed didn’t come up to reach your eyes. He could also tell you were avoiding his after looking at you with an unreadable expression.

You quietly noticed his tie was undone from the corners of your vision, leaving a few buttons of his shirt to reveal some skin. Before carrying that imagination of yours away, you shook your head of thoughts.

Hoshi already had one too many drinks, having a lower alcohol tolerance than you did (which was quite low considering how you didn’t drink all the time). That didn’t stop him however, from adding on to the conversation

“Does that mean you write for the front page as well?” he questioned eagerly.

The fellow attorney's words still slurred as he rested his head on Jeonghan’s shoulder, resisting his eyes from fluttering shut. Jeonghan simply laughed softly, turning back to look at you.

Meanwhile, you couldn't help but glance back at Wonwoo who seemed to have left the topic of discussion in the moment, looking out the window that presented the colorful lights and city view of Seoul in front of you all.

His expression was of no emotion, steel rimmed glasses starting to match his bland personality.

A shame you thought, thinking how cute he might have been if he actually acted like a human and talked a bit.

“N-not necessarily” you laughed shyly, looking down at your work pants and worn out heels. You looked up to face the two men. “My work just makes it to the third or fourth pages, maybe even second if I’m lucky” you grinned humbly.

You were on the more popular side at your gazette, and quite honestly, a strong key player in capturing the media's attention. It was more than likely Joshua and his co-workers had heard about you once or twice through the newspapers or blogs.

“So you must know a bit about the cases and work we do at the law firm, don’t you?” Hoshi realized, ears perking up a bit.

His gaze shifted slightly yet so quickly, that you wouldn’t have realized it if you weren’t as sober as you were. You nodded back.

“Still, quite an accomplishment seeing how you work for one of our country’s biggest newspaper corporations” Jeonghan praised you, meanwhile feeding Hoshi a grape that he accepted glady with his mouth open, still half drunk and half awake.

“Yeah, also one of our country's biggest propaganda feeding newspaper corporations” Wonwoo mumbled, shooting you a noticeable dirty look. This time he didn’t make any effort to conceal his emotions, catching you off guard with the sudden remark.

You said not a word as the tension grew by a mile in that karaoke room, Jeonghan being the only one sober and with quick enough wits to look back and forth at the electrifying connection you and Wonwoo made.

Wonwoo leaned closer, spreading his legs apart to rest his elbows on his knees. You swore that in the moment, if you had also leaned in further as well, you two might have even joined lips, but that must have been because you were drunk. An effect of the alcohol.

“Tell me” he smirked devilishly, putting on what Jeonghan realized to be his courtroom face.

“Weren’t there also times where you were sued for the lies you wrote, all under that lying boss of yours?” You clenched your fists, never once breaking eye contact with him. “Mr. Jung, was that not his name?” he questioned, already knowing it indeed was.

Wonwoo turned his head to the side, letting one arm drape on the booth, while another played with the soju bottle cap, flipping it around in his hand.

“Didn’t you go against him in court Hosh?” he shot his friend a look.

Hoshi swallowed his already dehydrated mouth, unsure of what to say in the situation.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, mumbling out a “I think so, I’m not sure-” before his friend cut him off.

“I bet there's a fortune of cash stacked behind that man with all the dirty deeds he does behind the public’s back, even more if you think about the connections he pulls with politicians and whatnot”

“If I remember correctly.. he also bailed with a 50 thousand won amount” Hoshi quietly added, unconsciously adding a bit of fuel to the fire. Jeonghan looked at the situation in worry.

You took a deep breath, your journalist expression never leaving your face no matter how harsh his words were.

Being a prosecutor whose job was to counter attack almost every single argument, and to question every single word of their opponent, clearly made you stand at a disadvantage.

It was Jeonghan’s turn to shoot Wonwoo a dirty look, warning him of not stepping too far. You were their friend/co-workers childhood best friend after all.

Hidden inside, he didn’t want to make you embarrassed or even hurt from Wonwoo’s harsh confrontation.

Little did Jeonghan know that you were completely different to how you looked. Two could play at that game you thought.

You laughed artificially, as fake as the jewellery and watch you wore right now, before you crossed your legs in your sitting position. You leaned forward just like Wonwoo had, not backing down for a moment before saying carefully.

“That's the life of journalism and reporting Mr. Jeon” you chuckled dryly, looking down to flatten out the materials of your work pants. His voice brought and correction brought looking back up again though.

“Please, call me Wonwoo” , his tone of voice contrasting to the politeness of his words.

“But that was ages ago... Wonwoo” you continued on, gritting your teeth with his name in your mouth.

“The Seoul Times are no longer the press hungry dogs you all thought we were back then” you laughed airyly, mentioning the infamous reputation your gazette was to be known for.

Truth be told, you didn’t love the industry of journalism and news. It was a constant headache that lingered in your mind, as sides and voices all fought obnoxiously loud with one another, and left you to be forced to write things that you didn’t always agree with.

But a writer nor journalist did not admit to such. At least a writer like yourself.

You nonchalantly poured a glass of soju, making sure to stop right at the tip of the glass before glaring back at Wonwoo. Even if you shivered at the horrid taste in your mouth after drinking, you made sure to put up a completely different face when it came to your work.

“Don’t dwell too much on past rumours Wonwoo” you whispered, grinning as you placed the empty shot glass down on the table while never breaking eye contact with him.

“I should say the same thing to your superiors as well y/n” the male joked, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Are they gonna kill each other?” Hoshi whispered into Jeonghan’s ear, now fully awake from the intense conversation happening in the karaoke room.

Jeonghan whispered back slowly. “Not today maybe, but I'm betting a twenty they will next time” he decided, excitedly examining the dominating situation like it was a tv show.

“Make it $30 and I’ll include a pack of cigarettes”

“Deal”

Quite odd for people of the law to gamble on such circumstances, but then again, why wouldn’t Josh’s friends mimic his own personal taste for breaking the rules.

A sudden burst of the door opening captures the attention of everyone except Wonwoo. The man simply smiled at your words that hung in the air, not even breaking his stare to see who it was.

A clearly struggling Joshua stood at the door, holding a very drunk Dokyeom by the arm, in which his tie was somehow wrapped around his head, and he was babbling all sorts of nonsense due to the many shots of alcohol from before.

“I think it’s time we go now guys, hope you all finished the last bit of your songs'' Joshua huffs, neatly styled hair now falling out in pieces that covered his forehead. It was a result of trying to carry Dokyeom’s heavy body on top of his after realizing his senior could not walk a proper distance without crashing into a wall beside him.

Jeonghan quickly stands up, running a hand through his hair while motioning Hoshi and Wonwoo to get up as well. He wanted his friend out of here before you two picked each other apart, so he picked up his jacket to fish out a few fifty dollar bills for the cost of tonight. A far larger amount than needed.

“Nice meeting ya y/n, so sorry it’s gotta end like this but y’know” he said through gritted teeth, pulling up Wonwoo so he would stop staring menacingly at you. “We’ve got a big day tomorrow, and we better pack it up”

Joshua shouts an apology and an “i’ll call you later” from the hallways, promising to buy you dinner with makgeolli next time. You brush him off, calling back a reply, but never breaking your intense stare with Wonwoo.

At the mention of the sweet rice drink, Dokyeom’s eyes light up and he happily, but drunkenly explains the best side dishes to eat with it. Your friend can’t help but laugh half heartedly, assuring his upperclassman that they would definitely not be having any more drinks that night.

Hoshi turned to his friend, eyebrows contorted in an expression of confusion. “Tomorrow's the weekend though hyung, we have the day off-” Jeonghan quickly turned to his intoxicated friend, shushing him with a finger and hurriedly trying to get out of the stuffy karaoke room.

Wonwoo finally broke his contact with you and stood up tiredly, as if the argument you two just had was a waste of his time. His lips were pursed in a tight line, and he had his hands shoved in his pockets.

“Not you”

Just as he was about to move out of the booth, Wonwoo turned to look at your appearance, eyebrows quirking up at your tone with him.

Sitting with your arms crossed in front of your work shirt, your cheeks hazy and pink, that determined look in your eyes never faltered.

You had wanted this to be a night of fun and laughter, a night of celebration, and because of some dickhead who acted like a fourteen year old teen mad at the world, it ended up becoming a shitty and awkward one for you.

You hated awkwardness, but maybe it was the adrenaline pumping through your veins, or the alcohol in your system, but you suddenly felt as if you hated this cocky yet unreadable stranger you had just met tonight even more.

So no, you weren’t gonna let Jeon Wonwoo prance out of these doors knowing that he had the first jab. Now you were gonna end this, and end it while showing his who the fuck you were.

“I’m sorry?” Wonwoo scoffed, making sure he didn’t mishear your words or that tone of yours directed at him.

“Nice try, but you’re not forgiven” you sneered, raising your sleeves higher - as if it would make you more intimidating or something, and looked to your side where Jeonghan and Hoshi stared gaping at your sudden change.

“It was fun meeting you tonight boys, maybe next time we could have lunch together! My friend owns a really good restaurant not far from here”

If it weren’t for that vengeful glare in your eyes at the man standing in front of you, Hoshi nor Jeonghan wouldn’t have even thought more about your words. While your tone was as sweet as honey, you didn’t seem to look or fit the description.

“o-okay. b-bye guys” Hoshi stuttered, quickly grabbing his friend's hand so that they wouldn’t get caught in between what was yet to come.

Was it betrayal? Sort of. Were they doing themselves a favour? Definitely.

Before he left, Jeonghan gave Wonwoo a look that held many different things he wanted to say to him. “You’re an idiot”, “don’t get your balls cut off”, and “this ones on you” were just a few of them. With the karaoke room door now shut closed, leaving a stoic tension and slightly uncomfortable privacy for you two, you finally gave up the act.

“God fucking damn it” you cursed under your breath, bending down to properly shrug your painful heals off.

First and foremost, you were gonna get comfortable if you were gonna fight some dickhead lawyer. You also didn’t care much about your profanity in front of Wonwoo, not when he clearly knew so much about your work life.

If he knew that much from reading your work in the newspaper and from working on the many lawsuits your company was held against, you decided that you weren’t gonna put up an innocent or weak facade for this man.

You undid your hair of it’s high bun, letting your hair fall down and take a deep breath. Wonwoo simply stared with a small smile on his face, glancing up and down your suited figure.

Sure, he knew that you would be different judging by the boring and unexciting things you wrote under your articles. Then again, he was in Law, so not much to say about that.

But what he hadn’t expected was such an out of character, determined, and incredibly charming and sexy woman to hold him hostage(?) in this karaoke room right here. He just wanted to get a reaction out of you tonight, but he may be getting just a bit more.

You looked oddly to the man still standing in front of you. “You can take a seat y’know. I won’t bite.” you motioned your head to the empty booth in front of you, smirking as you poured the two of you another drink.

“Listen Wonwoo, I think you're pretty mediocre.” you confessed bluntly, shrugging your shoulders. “I’ll admit, for someone who works with Josh, you sure are one lifeless, soulless prick” you scoffed, rolling your eyes before taking a shot.

Wonwoo sat still, not saying a word, and refusing to touch the soju glass you offered in front of him. Instead, he kept staring at you, not being able to take his eyes off of you. You were oddly enchanting, a bit annoying, but nevertheless made him want to know about you. He wanted to know more.

“But listen here big guy,” your words were now a little slurred from the frequent shots you now took. You gave him a point of your finger, eyes glaring at him drunkenly.

“In the karaoke room, we leave work out of here. I come here to sing a few songs, have a few drinks, and to take my mind off of the fact that I’ve got five deadlines due by next monday, and all the stuff I write is requested by my old and annoying seniors. Seniors that think they can order me around just cause I write shit for the papers.” you huffed loudly, taking a deep breath.

The becomes a little too silent, and without even realizing, you seemed to have confessed all the weight you were carrying with you that stressful week, exposing yourself even more to the handsome stranger in front of you.

Wonwoo sneered, replying back quickly. “And why does it look like I seem to care darling?” The nickname grew on your nerves, making you clutch your fists.

“I don’t want nor expect you to care asshole.” you immediately snap back. I’m just saying, having a bit of perspective or goddamn empathy for other people in their respective careers would make you even hotter than you think you were” you said, picking up and opening a water bottle that was on the table to calm yourself.

“You think I’m hot?” his tone held amusement.

You stopped midway, about to swallow the first sip. Frantically, you closed the bottle and retracted your words.

“I never said that,” you argued, shaking your head while laughing incredulously. You felt your cheeks get even warmer, and it wasn’t from the alcohol.

“I think you did. And I also think you’re just too embarrassed to admit so” Wonwoo smiled, leaning in closer.

“Oh please!” You judged, rolling your eyes at him. “If I did, I didn’t mean it. That wasn’t even the point of what I was saying!” you huffed, growing mad at him even more. “What I’m trying to say is that you shouldn’t be such a dickwad. You talked shit about my career, hardly even glanced my way this evening, and didn’t even try to make an effort to be even respectful” you state, summarizing your points.

“My eyes just didn’t seem to go near you” he shrugged. “Plus, I don’t see why I was obligated to be nice to you. You’re just Joshua’s childhood friend” he lied, his facial expressions looking uninterested.

You leaned closer, the closest you two have ever been since the beginning of the night.

“You sure? Seems like you couldn’t take your eyes off of me” you were getting cocky now, switching the topic on him and starting to play with him more.

By now, Wonwoo’s earthy cologne and the smell of your shampoo lingered off of one another, making each other somehow more intoxicated and high. You still were delusional, blaming on the soju and not the sexual tension that was growing bigger by the second.

Your lips fanned over his, staring into his deep, dark eyes. Wonwoo smirked once more, voice drawing you in.

“I have no interest in you y/n”

“I think you’re lying Wonwoo” you teased.

All of a sudden, a warm sensation filled your lips and mouth, your entrance being dominated by Wonwoo’s passionate kiss that you returned far too quickly and easily.

The foul taste and smell of cigarettes that you had always hated when Josh smoked were the same on Wonwoo, but for some reason, you just couldn’t pull away. His scent was even stronger, and he had a feeling that you didn’t know you would enjoy so much.

His hands cupped your cheeks, eyes closed as he savoured your taste that he wanted so badly tonight, while your hands wandered his broad chest, playing with the buttons that were opened on his collar. You two groped, and kissed, and sighed, and did all sorts of things during that long kiss.

But it was too good to last. You opened your eyes, realizing what you were doing, and quickly pushed yourself away from him, now you and Wonwoo against your seats, chests panting for air.

You wiped your lips with the back of your hand, cursing yourself for doing such a stupid thing. You knew you didn’t like him, but why was it that you didn’t want to leave him either?

You didn’t even make eye contact with Wonwoo who stared at you, desire filling both your hearts while only one dared to look at the other.

“This was a mistake” you mumbled, struggling to pick up your heels and bag as you tried to walk out the door. Planning on never turning back again, it was all before a hand gripped your wrist, forcing you to spin around.

Wonwoo’s eyes were no longer the same as before. They were a bit softer, watered down to what you possibly even thought was true wanting. They seemed to open doors for you to come into his feelings and his heart.

“Please.” He whispered softly, lips pink from kissing you. His steel rimmed glasses were almost at the tip of his nose bridge, making him all the more hard to leave as he pleaded for you to stay. “Don’t go” his tone gruff and low.

He didn’t want you to leave, not when he found you to be absolutely enchanting and magnificent. And you could tell this. He seemed almost... vulnerable?

You raised your head to look at him, quite shocked from his confession. His head was up but his eyes seemed to be shying away, possibly because he expected you to push him away like before, or for you to leave and never see him again.

But you didn’t. Desire mixed with something else had gotten the best of you this time, and you dropped both your heels and bag to the floor, not caring about anything else. You quietly grabbed Wonwoo, placing his lips on yours passionately once more as you embraced one another.

You wouldn’t have believed you two were making out in a private karaoke room based on the events of just a few seconds before, but here you were, wrapped in this familiar stranger’s arms as his hands wandered your body, and your fingers struggled to open his collar once again.

Wonwoo stopped to briefly look down at you, sending you a look that said “are you sure?”. You whined softly, nodding to him in reply as your large pupils looked up to him in lust.

“I want you Wonwoo. Right here”

Wonwoo’s eyes got bigger, realizing your tone and words. He didn’t hesitate any further, attacking your neck in a fury of kisses and love bites, marks that indicated to anyone that you were his. “God I fucking love your tits” he groaned, grabbing your clothed breast in his large hands and massaging the nipple harshly. “Couldn’t stop staring at them all night,” he continued.

You mewled, clinging onto to his arms, or any part of his body to prevent you from falling. Why was the fact that he’s been staring at you so goddamn hot?Wonwoo came close to your eye, hands snaking their way to your thighs.

“Jump”

You followed his words, letting him carry you to the seat, with you on his lap and himself underneath. You took it as a chance to grind your hips against the member that was hidden under his work pants, kissing him ferociously and hard.

You two moaned against each other’s lips, his hands coming to unbutton your white shirt. One by one, he hurriedly took it off of you while your tongues fought with one another, the taste of cigarettes and alcohol stronger than ever before.

And so there you were, chest exposed to your best friend's co-worker who you had just met today, your white bra soon coming off to reveal your perky tits that shivered at the touch of Wonwoo’s hands. Each one he kissed, sucking on them gently and massaging them as well. You threw your head back in relief, resting your hands around his neck as he worked his way through.

“Wonwoo” you sighed, biting your lip and yelping when he sucked a little too hard on your left breast. Your hands instinctively went for his crotch area, fumbling with the zipper and buttons. Wonwoo stopped to look down, smiling when your cheeks blushed even redder at your own doing.

“What do you want?” he teased, first taking your pants off. “We can go however way you want sweetheart”

If you thought about it now, it was quite spectacular how in such a situation he was able to take your clothes off so casually and comfortablely. In the moment however, all you could think of were Wonwoo’s words.

For the first time during sex, did a man ask you what you wanted. Your past partners and flings didn’t really care when it came to such questions and concerns about you, and you it made you never really expect much either.

It usually ended with you having a small, tiny feeling of being unsatisfied, which you never enjoyed.

But as Wonwoo looked up at you like you were some goddess who had him transfixed on you, you felt beautiful. No, you felt powerful, and you felt that someone cared about you more than just your body and it’s features.

“I want to go slow” you said surprisingly, kissing him on his neck. Wonwoo almost went ballistic at your touch, finally taking his white shirt and necktie off to reveal his toned upper body.

His pecs were covered with your hands, as you slowly bent down to reveal what was under. Wonwoo’s belt was opened by your nimble fingers, staring up at his dazed expression. As you opened the zipper of his work pants, he suddenly stopped your actions to bring your gaze to his eyes.

“Hey”

You looked up with big eyes, worried that he didn’t want this.

“You don’t have to you know. I don’t want to pressure you” he said sincerely. You laughed softly and attached your lips to his own. You realized you could love this man if you wanted too

You pulled away, reassuring him that you indeed wanted to do this, and finally pulled his pants all the way down.

There stood his thick, hard member, looking so painfully red, and aching to be touched. Wonwoo immediately went to hold your hair out of your face as you suck long and hard on his cock.

“God” he moaned. It sounded heavenly to your ears, and only made you want to do better for him. To bring him to his orgasm first.

Your tongue kitten licked the tip several times, before going back in to swallow him whole. While it wasn’t necessarily choking you, it definitely wasn’t easy.

Praises were muttered from the mans mouth, complimenting your form, your determination, and your beauty. You looked stunning in that moment for him, even if tears had reached the brim of your eyes.

“Fuck, just like that baby” Wonwoo panted harshly, letting you see the sweat on his forehead, the tighten grip on the seat, and the veins in his neck popping out. You closed your eyes, keeping that image in your head as you bobbed your head up and down, holding down his thighs.

Your pussy only tightened, pre cum almost dripping from your panties and staining you wet. You wanted this so badly, but before you were able to help him reach his release, Wonwoo gripped your wrist, removing you from his cock and letting you stand up as he sat in the booth with legs spread.

“I’m going to cum in you” he said sternly, his eyes staring at you through those steal rimmed glasses of his. His tone held promise, and a hint of possessiveness that had you almost stumble from your weak knees.

His thumb brushed over your own in his hands, and wonwoo grasped them tightly. “I’ve got a condom in the inner pocket of my jacket” he tells you, causing you to blush a bit.

You scoffed as you searched the piece of clothing beside you two. “This must be frequent for you then, isn’t it?” You didn’t think Wonwoo was like that.

“It was a present” he huffed, frustrated.

You looked down as he told you, stroking his member to prepare for it. “A present?” you laughed lightly in outrageous, half way through opening the said contraceptive.

He looked embarrassed, looking down as he smiled. “Just a joke that Hoshi gave, saying I needed to get some action. Never thought I’d actually need to use it” his tone got softer, and if you listened closely, maybe even a bit quieter.

You giggled as you helped him put it on, kissing him on the collar bones as you sat on top of him.

“Cute” you said smiling, pecking him on the lips once more. Wonwoo took that as a way to get friskier with you, pulling you closer than ever, and soon making the move you truthfully wanted him to do this entire evening.

The biggest relief of that night was Wonwoo’s thick head entering your aching pussy. It was warm and filling all the way through, stretching you out quite a bit.

“F-Fuck” you stuttered, clutching onto his bare back for support. Wonwoo cursed under his breath, saying “I got you, I got you” as you he adjusted the position with you on top.

When everything felt just right, you slowly started to move your hips, brushing up and down and sitting back down as well. It was agonizing how slow everything was, but it was perfect.

Having sex with a man you met not even seven hours ago was thrilling, especially when he was unbelievably hot while arguing just moments before.

“God, Wonwoo” you cried out, hiding your face in his hickey covered neck. It felt too good like anything else you’d ever had. Wonwoo grunted, pushing his own hips into you and letting your tits graze his hard chest welcomingly.

“Come on baby girl, you can do better that this” he teased, pushing his glasses up before gripping onto your waist again. He bit his lip in ecstasy, almost tasting blood.

“Fuck!” You exclaimed, throwing your head back and putting your perked nipples on display for him. He sucked and pulled on them like before, running his hands all over your figure. “Louder” he demanded, looking at you with a dark expression.

“I can’t” you protested, going at such a fast pace but still being mindful of the other karaoke rooms. The walls in this place probably weren’t sound proof. you whined embarrassingly, clutching your own tits for support.

Wonwoo stopped his movements, making you groan painfully. Believe him, it was hard for him as well but he needed you to do it for him.

“I want you to scream my name” he smirked, a sinister grin showing. You felt filthy, yet unbearable to ignore his commands.

“Wonwoo. Please” you begged, a stark contrast to your debate earlier that night.

Wonwoo slammed his hips back into you, causing your face to contort in pleasure, your finger nails to dig into his shoulders, and your mouth to let out a silent scream.

“Wonwoo!!”

Your moans were music to Wonwoo’s ears, and he couldn’t help himself but want to keep going. Soon, the pleasure was unbearable and only signalled the knot in your stomach becoming untied.

“I’m close” his voice croaked out, still it’s deep and low tone. Wonwoo wrapped his arms around you, keeping you close as his thrusts became sloppier and messier. You felt hazy, running your fingers through his once perfectly styled but now messy locks of hair.

“‘Me too baby” you moaned. He looked at you in the eyes and rested his forehead against yours, looking down to see his member going in and out of you.

“Cum with me darling” he whispered.

A wave of euphoria rushes over the two of you, gasps and moans heard in the room as you slowly came down from your high.

“Shit” Wonwoo said, catching his breath. You rested your head against his sweaty chest, not bothering at all at the wet feeling that was leaking your vagina. In fact, he was still inside you. “That was amazing” you sighed, eye lashes fluttering.

Wonwoo looks down at you, admiring the way your hair fell out of its bun, casting itself on your bare shoulders. suddenly, without knowing what washes over him, he presses a shy kiss to your temple. Your eyes widen at the action, and you raise your head to look at him. No words are exchanged between you two, bare from such a private event in public, as you simply wonder in your head.

“I thought you hate me” you blurt out. Wonwoo smiles, kissing you softly on the cheek that’s enough to make a crimson shade fall upon them.

“I did. Still don’t like you, but I’ve come to learn that you’re not that bad after all” he teases.

You smirk. “Are you just saying that just cause we had sex in public?”

Wonwoo shakes his head, smiling at you. “No. I just think I might fall in love with you, that’s all” his comfortable expression and gesture throw you off, and you playfully smack him on the chest in return.

You bend down to give him a kiss, still feeling the warmth in your core as you pull away smiling. In fact, you’re both smiling.

“Let’s get you cleaned up”

After a few minutes of rearranging clothes, letting the alcohol effect wear off, and styling your hair so it wasn’t obvious what had happened in that karaoke room, you find yourself walking out of the building with Wonwoo as if you hadn’t just rode his dick.

The bills are paid by Jeonghan himself, which leaves you offering to buy spicy rice cakes at a vendor nearby.

“I like spicy rice cakes. That’s all”

Is what you tell Wonwoo, standing in front of you with a grin on his face and his hands in his pockets. You stare at the ground, feet kicking a small pebble thats nearby to prevent seeing his expression. All you can seem to wonder is how amazing it is that Wonwoo’s hair is not absolutely ruined, considering how many times you gripped onto it that night.

His silence leaves you to feel embarrassed at offering such a thing, so you quickly retract your words with a red face. “Nevermind, it’s late and I’d better get going anyw-“

“Sure”

Your head shoots up to see his smile, causing you to mimic it. “Really?!” you exclaim, eyes lighting up.

The man steps closer to you, allowing you to see his features way more clearly than before. With the light of the flashy advertisement signs of different buildings and stores nearby, you only just realized how beautiful Wonwoo is when he smiles.

He takes your hand in his, pulling you closer. “Why not?” He smiles widely. “Then you can tell me more about your asshole supervisors who you hate”

And so you’re side by side with Wonwoo, once again together for the night. This time, fully clothed, with his coat jacket on top of your own shoulders to protect you against the chilly midnight weather. His hands are warm in your own, and you can tell that he doesn’t want to let go. Neither do you.

The sounds of the city are muted in the background, as all you can think about is getting spicy rice cakes with a man you only met that night in the karaoke room. There is no sign of that awkward silence you despise so much. In fact, the silence between only you two is comfortable, and true to the fact that words don’t always needed to be shared with one another.

“Please tell me you eat soondae with your tteokbokki as well” Wonwoo breaks it to you, his tone teasing.

You scoff, sending him a look. “I don’t eat it any other way” you giggle, laughing at the man who starts to open up beside you, telling you a hilarious story of that one time how Hoshi thought he accidentally married a bottle of soju.

Soon your cheeks hurt from smiling so much, and the tip of your nose turns pink from the cold Seoul weather, but you can’t help but think,

Who would’ve thought the beginning of your relationship would have started with an argument?

Seventeen’s Masterlist ��

Main Masterlist •

#glossyeon #svt #seventeen #wonwoo x reader #svt Wonwoo #svt fanfic #svt smut #seventeen smut #kpop smut #Wonwoo smut #Wonwoo fluff #carat #Wonwoo fanfic #jeon wonwoo

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hockeywhy · 3 years

Text

4 times you faked a relationship + 1 time you didn’t; m.tkachuk

WARNINGS: language. WORD COUNT: 17.2k. A/N: So, I didn’t want my effort for this fic to go to waste and I’ve decided to re-write it for Matty because he and the fake dating trope work so well together. I had to, so here it is.

one.

“I’d only be asking Matthew if I had no other options and needed a last resort,” you said. “Until then, I’m not even contemplating it.”

“Kind of sounds like you’ve just about reached the bottom of your list, right around where you’re keeping Matthew, Y/N,” your friend, Anna, responded and though her tone said sympathy, the look on her face reflected anything but sheer elation.

The invitation landed on your tabletop with a loud slap while you deposited yourself in a nearby chair unceremoniously, glaring at the decorative paper as if it offended you. Actually, scratch that. It did offend you. Greatly so. Honestly, it may as well have come in the form of one of those boxing gloves that sprung out of a box immediately upon opening and decked you square in the face. That’s how much it offended you.

The golden letters inked on the thick paper warmly requested the pleasure of your company to witness the love of Josh Reynolds to Louise Jones six weeks from now. The location stated was a hotel you knew only through word of mouth: one of those fancy establishments that served ridiculously priced plates that were more canapes than actual meals.

You doubted there would be much pleasure from your company.

You and Josh called it quits just over a year ago after a relationship that became increasing rockier, significantly more emotionally exhausting. The two of you started dating in high school and if the relationship started off with nothing but the sort of blinding fiery passion only teens could be capable of, well someone missed the memo on giving you the message that all fires eventually fizzle out. Gradually, it was the only way you could see your relationship heading and it seemed that Josh felt it too. It made the breakup easier: it was neat and mutual. Still, that couldn’t be considered an incentive for either of you to invite each other to such grand, deeply personal events. You couldn’t help but feel a little hurt that he found someone he wanted to tie the knot with so quickly but in retrospect, Josh had always wanted that while you were content as you were. That seemed to be the fork in your road with him.

On the one hand, you were angry at Josh for even considering jotting your name down on the list of attendees and on the other, you were angry at yourself for being angry about that. One moment you were dead set on declining the invite and the next, you considering that doing that would simply show you were bitter and unable to be civil about it. Besides, surely it was noted somewhere in the Rulebook of Ex’s that you just couldn’t do stuff like that. That seemed to just about do it. Like hell you’d given anyone the satisfaction of one-upping you.

You needed a plus one. Desperately.

“Ask your brother then. Pretty sure that’s bound to impress anyone there. It’s not often many will get to say they brushed shoulders with an up-and-coming professional athlete.”

“I don’t need that sort of plus one. If I did, I would’ve asked you—”

“Thanks,” Anna mumbled.”

“—but what I need,” you ploughed on ahead, “is, well, something that can come off a bit more serious looking.”

She rolled her eyes. “Saying the word boyfriend won’t jinx you into permanent silence, you know. You need a boyfriend.”

“A boyfriend for a day,” you agreed contemplatively.

She picked up the invitation to look through it carefully and after concluding her inspection, she slapped the papers back down on the table, grinning. “Matthew it will be then!”

Your younger brother, Jake, recently signed his entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames, in a way carrying forward the family tradition of starting a career in professional sports with them. Your grandfather did, your father did and now, here you were watching your little brother take on the mantle. Your family’s involvement in sport and, specifically, the team meant that you were somewhat familiar with the organization whether that meant attending home games or a few events arranged by the team. You couldn’t say you were the best of friends with them, certainly nowhere near the level your brother was, but generally speaking you were fond of the C of Red.

That couldn’t also be said about Matthew, however.

It seemed that from the get-go, there was a personality clash between you. At first, you thought it was just Matthew picking on you, joking around as he disagreed with virtually anything you’d say but progressively, you were pretty sure the two of you didn’t even have the compatibility to keep things civil. Matthew had a way with pushing your buttons and it bothered you he could do that with so much ease, though the more you thought of it, the more it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to you: you were all too familiar with his on-ice shenanigans, after all. Whenever you knew you had to be under the same roof as him, you’d tell yourself to not let him get under your skin but that resolve would last for all of ten minutes. Fifteen if you had a particularly good day.

Much to your chagrin, it seemed your brother was closest to Matthew. Though you offered the spare room in your apartment, your brother was so warmly welcomed by Matthew. It was no doubt even Jake found your annoyance with his teammate entertaining.

The thought alone was frustrating enough. If one day, by chance, you caught sight of a white strand of hair on your head, you were dead set on blaming Matthew for it. Matthew and his smarmy attitude; Matthew and his smartass retorts; Matthew and the smirks he threw your way whenever your brother took his side, outnumbering you.

You clenched your teeth, glaring at the invite. From the corner of your eye, you saw Anna’s outstretched hand holding your phone out to you. A groan formed in your throat and you wished you kept in contact with the handful of guys you tried dating after Josh. None really stayed. Or better said, none managed to draw you in. It was as if Josh had put a jinx on you. If that was the case, you hoped that this whammy would disappear if it meant watching him watch someone else walk down the aisle towards him.

Anna waved the device at you insistently. “Do it. Come on. Even you know nothing says fuck you like turning up there with Matthew. Scrappy when he wants to be and he’s not bad to look at either. You know it.”

You arched an eyebrow up at her. “More than Johnny?”

She flushed visibly. Johnny and Anna were still a relatively new thing, dancing around their relationship carefully as if they were both doing this rodeo for the first time. It was pretty cute. “Don’t change the subject.” She placed the device down on the table in front of you then patted your shoulder. “I have a feeling you won’t regret it. If he gets on your nerves too much, well…it can’t be worse than watching your ex get married, right?”

“Ouch,” you winced, but chuckled, knowing you were defeated. Matthew was the last resort, and you knew you were at the bottom of your list before you even started going through it. “You do realize if he declines, I’ll probably make a start on packing my bags and moving to Montana, right? The only time you’ll hear from me is when my handwritten letter goes through the nine circles of hell that is our postal service.”

Anna fixed you with a stare that could only read as ‘do it’. “I wouldn’t be so insistent on this if I knew Matthew would say no. I have a feeling he’ll surprise you.”

With a heavy sigh, you unlocked your phone and scrolled through your list of contacts, thumb hovering over his name when it came up. Anna wasn’t wrong: Matthew wasn’t bad to look at all, that much you could admit. But god, if he turned you down…. you knew you wouldn’t be able to ever show your face in front of him or the rest of the team ever again.

“I think I’ve had enough surprises from him to last a lifetime,” you mumbled but tapped the call symbol anyway.

He answered on the third ring. “Hel—

You didn’t let him finish. “I need your help,” you ground out, eyes closing while you rubbed at your forehead with the tips of your fingers.

There was silence on the other end of the line that had you biting your lip in anxiousness. You shouldn’t have done this. You really shouldn’t have done this. All it would take would be just hitting the ‘resume my account’ link on one of the dating apps you signed up for a while ago. Someone was bound to be attracted not only to you but the promise of an open bar—

“Music to my ears,” Matthew’s response came through. You could practically hear the smile in his voice and knew you’d regret it; you could easily tell from the tone of his voice.

You sighed quietly, leaning forward to rest your elbows on the table, eyes glued to the invitation. Fuck it, you could get someone else; easily, no doubt. The world of online dating was vast and there would always be takers.

“Uh, yeah actually, never mind—”

“No, no. Come on, Y/N. Pretty sure this is the first time you’re calling me first so can we take a moment to just let that sink in?” Silence again, then a chuckle. “Okay, now that we did. How can I help you?”

It wasn’t as if Josh had put you in the position to ask Matthew for a favor but still: fuck Josh, anyway. In a split second of sheer pettiness, you considered aiming to host the most extravagant, unforgettable weddings when your turn would come just to show him who does it better.

“Are you free the third weekend in June?” you asked tiredly.

“Don’t know. Depends what for and who you’re asking for.”

You should’ve asked him face-to-face. At least then, he would’ve had the chance to see you roll your eyes, turn on your heel and walk away. “I’m obviously asking for myself. Could you just be straightforward for once and answer yes or no? You’re making me hold the line for longer than I anticipated and I’m happy to ask someone else,” you lied.

“Let me get this right—” Here comes, you thought exhausted. “You’re calling me for the first time since you have my number to ask me if I’m free the third weekend in June? As a favor for yourself.”

“Matthew, I didn’t stutter—”

“What’s happening in June?”

You don’t know what it was about his words that downed you. It was nothing but a simple question yet the only thing you could think of was: the first boy I’ve dated and so far, the only one, seems to have moved on quicker than I anticipated and while I’m still trying to build myself back up, I’m sitting in my kitchen looking at a wedding invitation and wallowing in self-pity because regardless of how hard I try, of how much I’ve amended my standards, no one seems to do it so what if this is it for me? What if this is just the way it’ll be from now on? And now, I’m resorting to lying just to make myself feel better but also put a façade in front of someone who I know no longer cares about me like that. And really, nor do I about him but here we are. So, nothing much is happening in June, Matthew. Hopefully we get a lot more sunshine though!

What you responded with instead was, “just an old friend of mine getting married and I need a plus one. Nothing serious. Just go there for an hour or two, say some hellos and leave. It’s a quick in-and-out thing.”

More silence on the other end of the line other than the muffled shuffle of what sounded like bedsheets. “Why not ask your brother then?”

“Asked him already, said he’s got something lined up already. So, are you free or not?” you lied, quickly pressing on even if you knew that sounded a lot like desperation.

“For you, at a price.” He was smirking. You knew he was and more than ever, you wished 2021 was the year you could just reach through the phone and shake the person on the other end.

“Uh-huh. Right. No, just forget it. Forget I even—”

You were going to end the call when Matthew laughed, quickly calling out a “no, no! Nothing weird, I promise. Just owe me a favor in return, is all.”

“Do I get a choice?” you mumbled, more to yourself than towards him.

“I think we both know that you don’t. Text me the time and place,” he instructed and then, just as you were really about to end the call, he added, “hey, send me a photo of what you’re wearing also. I’ll match my tie to your dress, free of charge.”

“Can you maybe ditch the jacket while you’re at it? Just want to make sure your tie’s within reach so I can strangle you with it.”

Even after you cut the call, Matthew’s laughter rang in your ears.

Matthew matched his tie to your red dress. The color of the silk around his neck was so striking, you would swear it was made from the same material as your outfit. You sent him a photo of the material of the dress, more as a joke than having any expectations attached to it so you were pleasantly surprised to see he made the effort. For a moment, you allowed yourself to bask in sheer joy knowing that to any eye, the two of you could easily pass as a couple. At least, from looks alone if not from attitude. You were a proud person; fiercely so. Knowing you were now in debt to Matthew however he saw fit dealt a pretty impressive blow to your ego. You don’t let yourself linger too much on that thought, though. It was already difficult enough to loosen up and relax your stance as you climbed into Matthew’s car as soon as he texted you of his arrival.

“You look good,” he commented after you fixed the seatbelt on. He turned in his seat as much as space would allow so he could look at you properly and in return, you arched an eyebrow, refusing to give way to his stare. “Are you trying to one-up the bride?”

“Ha, ha. Funny. You didn’t even see the bride. I didn’t even see the bride.”

“Didn’t see her but I’m seeing you, so,” he shrugged, by way of explanation before correcting his position.

If asked, you wouldn’t deny that Matthew also looked good. Very good. But only if asked. It was impossible that someone with a face like that didn’t know they turned heads easily wherever they went. Matthew’s suit fit him as if it was sown on him. If the two of you had a better relationship, you would even dare ask him what it was he was putting in that hair of his that made it so shiny and gave those curls so much definition, taming them almost perfectly when he really put his mind to it. Whatever it was, you had a feeling he didn’t strain as much as you had earlier that morning to tame your hair and though you could give yourself credit for how well it turned out, your arms weren’t thanking you for it.

Thankfully, much of the drive was pleasant. Though you hated small talk, you decided to make an effort if only to ease your nerves as the navigation system indicated you were drawing closer and closer to that glitzy hotel. You learned that although the season was over, Matthew, Brady and the rest of the family would spend a few weeks in Canada before heading back home to St. Louis. In turn, you told him that some of the days off you booked from work would be spent somewhere just as sunny and warm but with more beaches. It was safe ground. That, you could do although progressively, you were becoming more and more distracted, and less focused on the conversation the two of you managed to keep.

“Want me to pull over?” Matthew asked suddenly.

“What,” you mumbled, turning your attention from the road ahead to Matthew who seemed amused by the situation. “Why would I want you to do that?”

“I’d want you to do that. You look pretty pale and honestly, I’ve just had the interior cleaned so—”

“Fuck you, Tkachuk, keep driving. I’m just a little…cold. How high do you have the AC on?”

He fixed you with a stare while waiting for the lights ahead to turn green, eyebrow arched. “It’s June, Y/N, and uncomfortably warm. If it makes you feel better, though, I could turn it off and we can roll down the windows instead?”

“No, sorry—you’re right. It’s fine. Just leave the AC as it is.”

The laugh he gave was nothing short of incredulous. “Repeat that back for me. Actually—hold on, do that when I can press record on my phone so I can have that on repeat. Did you admit I’m right?”

“God, you’re making me regret inviting you,” you muttered though without heat.

An uncomfortable silence slipped between the two of you or maybe, it was just your perspective on it. Matthew seemed perfectly at ease minding the road, only occasionally throwing a cursory glance towards the car’s navigation system whenever it announced a turn. Doing this seemed more and more like a bad idea. A terrible one. No one would’ve held it against you if you denied the invitation. In fact, you thought that was more expected than accepting it and turning up to the party as if you were seeing an old friend, not an ex-boyfriend. It wasn’t too late though. Matthew could still turn the car around.

“Listen, Matt—”

“You have now reached your destination. Your destination is on the right.”

You released a breath you weren’t even aware of holding, then threw a quick look towards the main entrance of the hotel. Already, a few guests whom you recognized were crossing into the lobby.

“You really don’t look okay at all,” Matthew repeated and there was less humor in his voice and more concern this time around. Even you weren’t ignorant to how much your mood kept fluctuating over the course of the drive: often, engaged in conversation but occasionally, withdrawn, barely just catching on to whatever it was Matthew was saying. Sure, he probably didn’t know you well enough to read you, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out something was amiss. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I felt like there’s more to this thing than you’re telling me. You could’ve asked your brother, yet you didn’t—”

Damn it. You made him swear to play along. You made a quick mental note to get back at him about it whenever you felt energized enough to do so.

“Matthew,” you said, your voice suddenly clear, tone neutral. You didn’t dare look him in the eyes so instead, you kept your stare fixed on the revolving doors ahead. “I’m only going to say this once and I hope that you won’t make me repeat it now or ever again. I’d prefer that you don’t mention it to anyone either. The person getting married today is my ex-boyfriend. Up until last year, we’ve been together since we were teenagers. I loved him. Since we broke up, I kept trying to look for parts of him in others, but I couldn’t find even a trace of who he was. I feel as I’ve been jinxed, and I felt that maybe if I come today, maybe if I see him with someone else, I can confidently say I’m fine with that. It hurt my pride when I received the invitation, so my first thought was to lie. If, for just a few hours, I can pretend I’ve also moved on and I’m not stuck in this…fucking weird limbo, then maybe it becomes true. A fucked up self-prophecy. So.” You pause, clearing your throat. Your mouth suddenly felt dry from your speech, yet you couldn’t feel a pang of regret in your chest or heat behind your eyes. “So. If you want out, that’s fine. After all, I’m asking you to pretend to be my date out of spite, I guess. And embarrassment. It’s childish and unfair and ridiculous but—”

You came to a halt when you felt a finger under your chin, and a gentle upward push forced you to raise your head up a little more. When you turned towards Matthew, you looked at him with a look of confusion on your face.

“Keep your head up. We have a wedding to go to.”

His encouragement sunk in faster than expected and as your expression relaxed, a smile formed on your face.

Yeah. The two of you had a wedding to go to.

The event hall was decorated minimally yet tastefully. It made everything seem even more personal and you received that impression from every detail: from the flower arrangements to the music, everything was a testament to a life united by love. Maybe your emotional outburst earlier accounted for it, but you felt lighter even as you watched the newlyweds glide along the floor for their first dance. Sure, you felt a desperate pang of want but it was distant. Muffled.

Despite your initial thoughts, having Matthew at your side felt very much like a safety cushion. It surprised you to watch him settle into his role with so much ease that eventually, even you didn’t have to remind yourself to not withdraw whenever his arm wrapped around your waist: sometimes loosely, sometimes a little tighter, reeling you in closer.

Fish, here is your bait, you thought wildly as you stood tucked at his side while he accepted flatteries from one of the guests who swore had been a fan of the Calgary Flames since before he could even talk.

“You must be so proud,” the man turned towards you. “Your family’s truly one of a kind to have all played for the team and now—” He gestures towards Matthew as if to say all of this. “Must be something about those Flames!”

You laughed tightly, just as Matthew squeezed your side. By that move alone, you could tell he was eating this up.

“Yeah, just can’t get enough of them,” you concluded, pitching your voice just a little higher towards the end. To the man, it was as genuine as could be, but Matthew cautioned you silently with the slightest narrowing of his eyes, effectively warning you to be more realistic. “Hey, I’ll get us some refills? Try to be a little more inconspicuous in the meantime. Remember this isn’t your day,” you joked.

“Only practicing for when our turn comes,” Matthew responded without missing a beat and released the hold he had on you.

Once at the bar, you allowed yourself some extra moments to catch your breath. Even off ice, Matthew was a force to be reckoned with. He struck conversation with others easily, drew their attention with seemingly little effort and easily set the mood for whatever situation or person the two of you would run into. A part of you thought his profession had a lot to do with his mannerism, but a bigger part knew different: mostly, it was really just Matthew.

He had a way with words and with people that you haven’t been witness to before and couldn’t help but wonder if it was all show. He was, after all, a face for the public: familiar with interviews, familiar with the attention, apparently not overwhelmed even by less conventional questions. Watching him play this role was fascinating to say the least. It certainly took your mind off the circumstances so credit where credit was due.

“Hey, it’s good to see you here.”

You turned from the bar and came face to face with Josh. His jacket was off, and his sleeves were neatly rolled up past his elbows; behind the knot of his tie, you could see he’d undone the top button of the collar. You’d seen him make countless rounds across the entire floor, greeting guests and ensuring everything was running smoothly. Occasionally, you watched him dance either with his wife, or family members, or even guests you recognized as work colleagues.

You smiled. “Thanks for the invite. It was a bit weird to receive it, I can’t lie about that, but I’m glad you sent it.” It surprised you to learn you weren’t even lying about that. Through the course of the evening, it dawned on you that maybe, it was more the thought of being here that made you anxious; the event itself, however, proved just how right you were. It felt…fine. You felt fine.

“Yeah—uh, I wasn’t… I wasn’t really sure but, well, before…” He trailed off into a sigh.

You chuckled softly. “Would you like to buy a vowel?”

That made him laugh. Truly, genuinely laugh. “Sorry. I guess it’s a bit weird for me also. But, well, before you and I were, well, you-and-I, we were friends. I would’ve hoped we’d still be friends even after…” He waved a hand in the air by way of explanation but that was sufficient for you.

“Won’t hurt to be friends. Whatever happened between us—well. Thing of the past. Build bridges and get over them, right?”

“Right. Function of a bridge and all.”

“Hey. Congratulations, by the way! I’m happy for you. Really. I wish the two of you all the best. She seems really great.”

“She is,” he agreed and cast a glance towards the room, eyes undoubtedly searching for her. “Are you—”

“Here you are.”

Saved by the bell. A weight fell around your waist that, by now, was warm and familiar. Unconsciously, you leaned into Matthew, flashing a wide smile at Josh. At first, he seemed surprised by the sudden appearance but then his features settled into something more comfortable; something so much like relief that for a moment, you wished you could just come clean about it. You and Matthew were less than meets the eye.

Before you could even introduce them, a kiss was pressed to your cheek, knocking all air from your lungs and almost making you choke because of it.

What the hell.

“You were gone for some time, so I thought to check on you,” Matthew informed you, all matter of fact. To Josh, he said, “congratulations on the wedding. Must be pretty great to finally get to this point. You two look great together.”

“Oh? Yeah. Yeah, thanks man. So glad you could come along today.” Josh turned to you, an eyebrow perked in interest. “I didn’t know you two were together.”

“Oh we’re just—”

You began but were promptly interrupted by Matthew. “We like to keep it lowkey. It hasn’t been that long for us but that’s not much of a problem when your gut tells you this is it. You know it well, right?”

You were entirely caught off guard. Instead of responding immediately, you bought yourself some time by taking a sip from your glass of—whatever it was. Strong though. Just perfect for the situation you suddenly found yourself in: ex-boyfriend ahead, fake boyfriend to the side, promising sweet nothings that you knew would come back to haunt you at some ungodly hour. You wished you could step on his shoe; pull on those shiny curls of his real quick, knock some sense back into him. There was a difference between play a role well and clearly, playing it too well.

Matthew pushed ahead. “It’s pretty good timing for us though. We could take some notes for when our turn comes, right babe?”

“I’ll let the two of you to it, then. Thanks again for coming.” Josh made a move to step away but before he did, he turned to you and caught your eyes. “I’m really happy for you, Y/N. You look good together. Just make sure you don’t take too many notes.”

“Wouldn’t dream to,” Matthew responded, and you could read the slight bite in his words. When Josh was out of earshot, he looked down at you. “You dated him? Just him?”

“Hey, what’d I say about not bringing that up again? And save your dick measuring contests for the locker room, Tkachuk. Now’s not the time nor place.”

“Now’s definitely the time and place,” he countered, making you roll your eyes but there was a smile on your face you couldn’t quite wipe off. “Come on. Let’s continue taking leaves out of their book.” In one swift motion, he took the glass from your hand and set it on the bar while above, the LED lights dimmed, and the playlist switched to a slower song.

You threw him a cautious look, easily reading where that was going. “I’m not dancing.”

“Sure, you are. You want to give the impression of being happily in love? You need to start pulling your weight in this thing.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Atlas. Do your shoulders hurt from carrying the burden of our relationship?” you mocked, yet still allowed him to lead you towards the dance floor. Right in the center of it given the bride and groom appeared to sit this one out; you expected nothing less from him. You weren’t even surprised when he made an entire show out of it, forcing you to do a pirouette when the two of you claimed your spot.

“You can’t even imagine the pain you put me through,” he sighed near your ear as the two of you began swaying to the music.

“Well, you’re still standing so clearly it can’t be that bad.”

“Baby, it’s torture.”

You were grateful the two of you weren’t exactly face to face or you were sure Matthew would never have let you live down the flush you felt rising to your cheeks. Sure, he didn’t use the pet name in a genuine manner, but just hearing it roll off his tongue like that… You stopped that thought before it grew into a whole new different monster.

After a few moments of silence passed, Matthew lowered his head closer to yours, his warm breath colliding with the skin on your throat. “Do you think now’s the right time to kiss? Are enough people watching?”

You stepped on his foot. Not hard, but just with the right amount of pressure to draw a wince from him. Satisfied, you leaned back just a little to look at him properly. “Don’t even think about it, Tkachuk—”

“Thought about it already.”

Through clenched teeth, you hissed, “you. Are. Incorrigible.”

He raised his eyebrows, surprised. “If only you could meet yourself.”

You snickered quietly then leaned back against him. “Thanks for doing this. I know it’s not the most convenient of things… and it wasn’t fair to tell you the full truth of it right on the day of. But—well, thanks.”

“That sounds like it was pretty difficult to let out. It’s very…. heartfelt.”

“Just fucking accept it as I gave it to you, Tkachuk,” you complained, more amused than annoyed.

More silence followed, filled in only by the general buzz of the room and the slow melody. “And now?” Matthew questioned a short while later. You allowed an extended silence to fill in for your confusion. He picked up on it within seconds. “Do you still feel jinxed? Stuck in the same place while he goes on ahead in life?”

You took some time to think through your answer, time during which the song faded into yet another slow one. Matthew didn’t give an indication of wanting to move away from the dancefloor, so you saw no purpose in you doing that.

“Not really,” you concluded. “Just seems like we’re both following different trajectories. Doesn’t mean I’m left behind if I’ve not yet met someone to settle down with like he did. Maybe I just need to be here to come to terms with it. Good for him though. I’m genuinely happy for him and his wife. I think lots of people imagine going through this very same moment.” You ended with a shrug but then, to lighten up the moment, you added, “don’t mock me for it. Between the two of us, I’m the one with the pointy shoes.”

Matthew laughed, a low, pleasant laugh right by your ear. “I’ll give you a free pass for what’s left of today.”

“Your generosity astounds me. Please could you also sign my jersey?”

“Is it my jersey?”

“Why would it be your jersey when I have my last name printed out on one at the expense of my brother being roughed up a little?”

“Don’t tempt me. That favor you now owe me? I might just use it to have you get my jersey so I can sign it since you so generously asked.”

“Your call,” you shrugged. “Just know it’s going straight in the wash right after you scribble on it.”

Matthew took a few small steps back, only to pull you back towards him. You played along and spun as you landed into his hold once again.

“You say that now, but when you’ll see yourself with it—”

“I’ll auction it on eBay.”

The laugh you got out of Matthew stayed with you through the rest of the night and like never before, his good disposition easily transferred to you.

two.

When the elevator doors slid open, your brother and Johnny weren’t the only ones to step into the hotel lobby. Matthew accompanied them, flashing a smug smile as the trio approached and his eyes landed on you. You cast a quizzical glance from your brother, to Johnny, to Matthew and then looked towards Anna as if to ask are you seeing this? She only shrugged at you in silent response, though she was grinning from ear to ear. At least someone was certainly enjoying this.

“Last I remember, there were only two of you,” you commented.

“Was that before or after your third drink?” your brother chirped back.

Instead of humoring him, you shift your gaze to Matthew. “What gives, Tkachuk? Can’t be left at home unsupervised during family vacations?”

“My house training has only gone so far,” he responded smartly, then nodded his head towards Anna and Johnny who were caught in a half-hug, apparently entertaining by watching you and Matthew bicker as if watching a tennis match. “They’re not family.”

Anna feigned a gasp on your behalf. “Y/N and I are part and parcel, Matt. Thought you’d know that by now.”

“Well, the three of us are part and parcel also, Anna. Thought you’d definitely know that by now,” he responded but you were already leading the way out of the hotel lobby and towards the busy square outside.

It was a hub of activity: from street vendors to dance and music performers, there was something to see regardless of which way you looked. Although you arrived at your holiday destination the previous day, the flight south coupled with the warm, sticky evening made you want to steer away from the busier parts of the town. Instead, you opted to lounge by the pool with Anna, having perhaps one too many cocktails to kickstart your vacation. Perhaps you missed Matthew’s arrival at some point then, though for the life of you, you couldn’t remember anyone mentioning he’d come along also. Not that it bothered you greatly.

Since the time you asked him to be your plus one some few weeks ago, the relationship between the two of you warmed slightly. Sure, he still knew which buttons to press to get a reaction out of you, but you saw it as being less ill-intended and more good-natured fun. You kept up with him easily and whenever it felt as if he was cornering you, you conceded with a roll of your eyes but never admitted defeat. You didn’t consider the two of you friends, but something changed on the day of the wedding right around the time you had spilled out your feelings about the entire deal to him. Looking back on it, you found it strange just how easily you did that, no second thoughts, no wishing for takebacks. You knew you owed him the truth given the position you put him in without plenty of heads-up, but you could’ve easily just simplified the entire thing.

It wasn’t difficult to stick together as a group but eventually, you wandered off towards a few stalls on your own that have caught your eye. Though you wanted some more time to have Anna to yourself, it was technically her first vacation with Johnny. You could catch up with her later in the room; surely, she’d have even more swooning to do over him by then. Not that you blamed her. Johnny was an incredible guy.

First, you stopped at a stall selling a range of baked goods that you simply couldn’t turn away from. And for good reason: the sour cherry churro you settled for was a dream come true. From there, you strolled towards a few small stores selling a range of products ranging from colorful graphic tees to earrings made from vibrant, colorful gemstones. You held a blue pair next to your ear, turning one way then another to watch as the light reflected off the gleaming gem.

“Those suit your complexion,” the attendant commented and when you looked towards him, he smiled bashfully.

A gentle heat crept up your neck, unable to keep the grin off your face but you couldn’t look away from him: his skin was lightly tanned, and a dusting of freckles covered the bridge of his nose and upper cheeks. His blond hair was messy in a way you could easily tell was styled to appear as such. He was cute in a sort of conventional way, but you liked the way he smiled at you, all shy but certainly genuine.

“Funny you say that. I always had a feeling blue was my color,” you responded, and his smile widened.

“Here for vacation?” he asked.

You nodded. “Yeah, I just got here yesterday, and I’ll be around for a few days,” you added, a little hopeful.

Hey, if you could score some good company while in the area, then you weren’t going to turn down the opportunity to flirt a little and make good with someone more local.

“Good. That’s really good to know.” He regarded you for a moment and you were certain that caused your blush to deepen though at the same time, it made you feel a little…exposed. “Hey, are you free—”

“The red ones are nicer.”

You squeezed your eyes shut, frustration quickly replacing the feeling of near euphoria. You could recognize that voice anywhere. Of all times he could have run into you, the universe fixed it so he popped up when you least needed that to happen.

“I prefer the blue,” you countered, then held them up against your ear again though you knew you didn’t need to double check if they suited you.

“No, trust me with the red,” Matthew insisted, and you saw him appear behind you in the small circular mirror you were looking into. He was so close. “Goes well with that little number I got you the other day.”

You sputtered. “W-what?! Stop messing—”

In the mirror Matthew’s eyes flicked from you to the attendant. “Yeah, you know the one. I left the box on the bed in our room, thought to surprise—”

“Tkachuk, just shut up. There isn’t an our room—”

This was so painfully uncomfortable. So frustratingly annoying, you felt the blood warm in your veins, that familiar wave of anger coursing through your body.

“I’ll ring those up for you,” the attendant said, his voice carefully polite while he accepted the red earrings from Matthew’s outstretched hand.

You hated him. Passionately hated him. It was easy for Matthew to play games like those because he could easily get just about anyone, but you? It wasn’t quite as easy to not be a pro-athlete who had pretty much everything lined up and going for them. You tried catching the store attendant’s eyes again but he was busy accepting the cash from Matthew after packing away the earrings in a small paper bag. You knew he wouldn’t catch sight of it, but it didn’t stop you from casting a longing, apologetic glance towards him before leaving the store.

It felt as if for every two steps you took, Matthew only needed one and despite the crowds, he caught up with you easily, holding out the bag towards you while you powered ahead.

“Come on, don’t be mad. The red ones are definitely better than the blue ones,” Matthew tried to reason with you while holding the hand stretched out to you, insistent on his offer. When you didn’t respond and instead, tried to rush further ahead, Matthew pressed on. Him managing to keep up with your pace only added fuel to the fire. “Don’t tell me you’re upset over Ron Jon back there.”

You came to a halt, turning to glare up at him. “I am, Matthew. You didn’t need to do what you did back there. There was no reason for it. It was shitty of you, and I need you to back off while I try to enjoy the rest of my night.” You clenched your jaw, trying to suppress the overwhelming feeling of anger that normally resulted in tears. “You could at least pretend to be sorry about it.”

With that, you turned on your heel and squeezed your way through the crowds, ignoring Matthew’s calls to stop and come back and that he was only joking.

Too late for that, you thought bitterly, making a turn towards a street popular for its dining and bar venues.

The part of the archipelago more popular with tourists was truly a sight to behold as the sun went down, coloring the sky in some of the warmest, most calming shades of orange, red and yellow you ever saw. It seemed as if everyone gathered on the promenade, phones at the ready while taking photos of the sky, selfies and group shots. Even you couldn’t resist it and after taking a few well-centered selfies, a passing couple offered to take your photo which you immediately posed for.

Later, once the sight sunk in, you moved towards a nearby bar, first attracted by the pink, purple and blue neon lights and then, the music. A good cocktail, good music and a gorgeous sunset were all it took for you to feel more relaxed, leaving behind the event from earlier. He wouldn’t be the first cute guy you’d see, nor the last and indeed, it was easy for you to settle in the more crowded area of the locale where people were dancing either solo, with a partner or as part of a group.

Not long after you weaved your way onto the dancefloor, you felt a pair of hands settle on your hips, drawing you in. You went easily, accepting the embrace, accepting the way you were being led into the dance, swaying your hips along with his. You didn’t even miss a beat when he spun you around, but you kept your hands pressed against his shoulders, rather than wrapping your arms around his neck. You were tipsy, no doubt, and admittedly felt touch-starved but you weren’t quite in the mood for anything more. You even dodged his mouth when he tipped his head down to your lips so instead, he landed a kiss on your cheek. Still, he was pretty relentless. The dance took a turn that was significantly more sensual, crossing a line into discomfort, and you felt that was your cue to try and remove yourself from him. It was easy initially. You threw him a small smile and when he caught hold of your hand, you simply motioned you were only going to get a drink, hoping that would keep him where he was with the knowledge you would return.

When you finally pulled away, you made a bee line towards the exit of the venue but again, you were a step too slow. The guy caught you just at the door.

“Where are you running off to, pretty?” he slurred, his voice louder above the thumping of the music.

“Oh—Um, just getting a breath of fresh air, is all,” you said quickly and immediately wished you didn’t venture off in a place like this alone. It was as if you suddenly forgot everything that was common sense, pushed towards it by earlier frustration.

“Doesn’t look like it to me.” He frowned, but there was no clarity in his eyes. He was entirely out of it and his fingers squeezed painfully around your wrist. You flinched visibly, squirming under his touch and even if you tried pulling your arm away, it was useless. He overpowered you even through the drunken haze. “Wanna go? Fine, then let’s go together.”

“No—uh, I’m actually here with my friends. I’ve just—I saw them so I’m going to catch up with them. They must be looking for—”

“Then we can go to them together, sweetheart. Here, point them out to me.”

“No, really. I’m going to them alone,” you emphasized and put all your force into trying to free your hand. It may have taken him by surprise that led to his loosened grip, but as soon as you turned on your heel, you found out there was more to it than just that.

You almost faceplanted right into Matthew’s chest when you tried making a run for it. He stood there, eyes flicking between you and the guy with an unreadable expression on his face. Your heart was hammering wildly in your chest and instinctively, you almost glued yourself to his side. It wasn’t the first time someone tried to force a move on you, but it was the first time it was done so in such a thoughtless, drunken manner. Perhaps your fear was also enhanced by being alone in an unfamiliar place. To see Matthew this time felt like a blessing.

“Babe,” Matthew said by way of greeting, pulling you to him when he wrapped an arm around your shoulders.

You didn’t realize you were trembling until you stood so close to him, legs suddenly feeling like jelly in front of your salvation. Matthew could easily overpower the guy; even if they were roughly the same height, there was a big difference between the body of an athlete and the swaying one of a drunk guy. Still, it didn’t mean you wanted Matthew to get caught up in anything he’d later regret or would affect him in any way, so you pressed a hand to his chest trying to put some pressure into guiding him away from the scene.

“She yours?” the drunk guy slurred, head tilting back, chin pointing towards your general direction.

“Yeah. So, guess that makes the situation even worse for you,” Matthew responded. His tone was light, seemingly non-threatening to someone who didn’t know him but you did. You knew him and you could read him crystal clear in this moment.

“Matthew, please,” you muttered, looking at him almost desperately while trying to put all your body weight into guiding him away.

The guy scoffed. “You’ve gotta do better than that, buddy.” He snickered. “You’ve gotta keep ‘em on a tighter leash unless you want them to go—”

Matthew made a move towards him, but you quickly stepped in front of him, essentially forcing him to halt. “Matt, please. Let’s go, okay? Please. I really want to leave. Right now.”

He glared at the guy for a moment longer but the hard look in his eyes softened as soon as his gaze fell on you. You took the liberty of placing most of your weight against Matthew, allowing him to remove both of you from the situation and towards a less crowded area. That was easy to find: with the sun having long set, most of the crowds cleared away from the promenade so there was plenty of space for you to collect yourself in peace.

He didn’t pry into the situation, didn’t even make any smartass comments. Instead, he let you slip away from under the safety of his arm while you pace around a small area, trying to work off the anxiety as much as you could. You had to count your breaths, remind yourself to breathe in then out slowly. You were okay. You were far from that guy, and he couldn’t hurt you. At least, no more than he already did. Your wrist felt a bit sore, but you’d take that over anything worse.

“You okay?” Matthew asked at last, tone careful. “I can go back there and pull him out, you know, get him to apologize.”

“No!” you said loudly, desperately, then cleared your throat and lowered your voice. “No, don’t go. Please. I just need a moment, that’s all. Just a little. Could you not leave? I’ll be fine in a moment. Just—just need to catch my breath—"

“Hey, hey—relax. It’s over. He can’t put a hand down on you now, or ever.” Matthew took a few steps closer to you as if apprehensive to approach you in the first place. You knew what you must’ve looked like: pale, still shaken by what happened. He held a hand towards you, palm up. “Can I touch you?”

You looked from it to his face, then said, “don’t get any funny ideas,” but it lacked your usual punch. You took his hand though, letting yourself be drawn to him. Matthew smelled like the sea. You couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he’d gone down to the beach earlier to take a dip. You wished you did that rather than try and drink your frustration over missing out on a random guy. God, you could sleep right here if sleeping while standing was a thing. “I’m sorry for reacting the way I did before—with, uh—what did you call him?”

Matthew chuckled, a low, deep chuckle. “Ron Jon.”

“You’re awful, Tkachuk.”

“And you have a funny way of expressing gratitude.”

“Sorry—”

He laughed louder. “I’m messing with you.” A pause, and then, “I’m sorry I rained on your parade earlier with the guy back then. If you really liked him…” He trailed off, as if to let you fill in the sentence for him.

You laughed weakly, waving a hand dismissively. “Thanks. Again. Seems like nowadays, I just keep having to thank you for one thing or the other.”

You felt him shrug. “Fine by me. You keep adding to these favors you owe me.”

“It’s only one. Well. Two if you want to be a dick and count this one too.”

You took a step back, detaching yourself from him to run both hands through your hair. You felt exhausted, drained of energy yet relieved. Who would’ve thought you’d be pleased to see Matthew pull another one of his appearing out of the blue acts?

“You give me no other choice but to be one,” he joked. “Come on, let’s go back to the hotel. Everyone’s wondering where you were, so you kind of lost your right to vote on dinner for tonight.”

You sighed heavily. “Let me guess: you all ganged up on me in my absence and settled on lobster?”

Matthew grinned. “Can’t vacation in a seaside town and skip out on that.”

“Ugh. Sea critters.” You pulled a face, drawing yet another laugh from Matthew. It made you feel oddly accomplished but you cut that train of thought there, forcing it to derail elsewhere, to place more familiar to you, more comfortable. “Matthew, I mean it when I said thank you. That was—it was scary,” you admitted as the two of you started walking back towards the hotel. You pulled your wrist into your hand, rubbing at the skin gently. Focused on the road ahead, you missed Matthew frowning down at the gesture. “I don’t know how that happened. It’s just—it’s not my thing to do. Go out alone, especially in a place like that. Good instincts by the way,” you tried to joke but it fell flat.

“Don’t mention it,” he said, voice tight. “I don’t want to think about it again if I can help it.”

You cast a confused stare in his direction but by then, it was his turn to look ahead, a frown marring his features. You didn’t push any further though.

Later that night, after you and Anna decided to call it a day and switch off the lights, you lay in bed glancing a look up at the ceiling above. You didn’t think back on the evening’s events but rather, thought back to how a familiar small brown paper bag was taped to your room’s door before dinner. Anna had fixed you with a knowing stare as you plucked it off the door, tipping its contents into the palm of your hand.

Then, you thought how during dinner, Matthew had claimed the seat next to yours and complimented the earrings you wore, remarking how awfully familiar they seemed though he could swear he didn’t know where from. For the first time, you had an inside joke to share with him and neither of you bothered to offer any clarifications to everyone else around the table as they tried to press for details.

three.

The Flames’ first game of the season was scheduled to take place in Las Vegas and with a few days left of vacation, you couldn’t skip on the opportunity to return to the city you were inexplicably fond of, as well as watching your brother play on the third line. The night promised to be unforgettable, and you wouldn’t miss it for the world. Although there were plenty of things to keep you busy throughout the day, your eyes would occasionally wander down to your watch, counting down the hours until the start of the game. It seemed like most of the city was doing the same.

Often, you’d spot handfuls of people donning Knights jerseys and occasionally, there would be a few Flames fans wandering the streets and locales. You’d only spotted one person wearing your brother’s jersey but that was more than enough for you – he was a fairly new face in the professional league, but he certainly pulled his weight during every shift he had on ice whenever given the opportunity. Luckily, you managed to take a quick photo of their back before they disappeared into the crowds, sending it to your brother along with a thumbs-up emoji.

He didn’t respond immediately, nor did you expect him to. You could only imagine how quickly he racked up pre-game nerves and he had a pretty strict routine, which included avoiding his phone until after the game. You couldn’t really make sense of superstitions even if each member of your family who played, whether professionally or otherwise, had their own. Naturally, you were surprised when your phone pinged, indicating a new message almost half an hour later. Except, it wasn’t quite who you were expecting.

Matthew is that your way of saying good luck?

You frowned, but all it took was a little more attention on your part to notice you hadn’t sent the message to your brother but rather, to Matthew. Lately, he was one of your top contacts for frequent messaging.

You wrong number

You good luck to you too though, i guess :/

Matthew busy?

You don’t you have practice to get to?

Matthew [attachment: photo of an ice rink where a few players were captured in motion]

Matthew [attachment: photo of his skates, taken from the players’ bench]

Matthew on break, where are you?

You hanging around

Matthew what are you wearing?

You [emoji: middle finger]

Matthew ice cold

Matthew nice, i can handle ice cold

You then go handle ice cold so you don’t get handled tonight

Matthew wish me luck too

You i already did

Matthew i need it twice, it’s my superstition

You that’s a bullshit superstition

Matthew if we lose tonight, it’s on you

You [emoji: angry face]

You good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matthew :)

You dropped your phone on the table with a low groan, slouching in your chair. From across the table, Anna shot you a confused stare which quickly morphed into understanding when you rolled your eyes, shooting your phone a look of frustration as if the device itself was to blame.

“Anything interesting?” she asked in a singsong tone.

“If you count Matthew being his usual self interesting, then that’s what’s up. Otherwise, nothing new.”

“By his usual self, do you mean engaging? Funny? Witty? So good with his words that he yet again takes your attention and keeps it while the rest of us, mere mortals, struggle to do that for longer than a few minutes tops?”

You arched an eyebrow, somewhat amused. “All that – just empty words.”

Anna leaned back in her seat, taking her glass with her while twirling the straw, looking ahead somewhat thoughtfully. “You know what the two of you remind me of? Those two kids in the playground who think love can only be expressed through pulling hair and making snide remarks.”

“First of all, that’s a shitty way of trying to get someone to realize you have feelings for them and second of all, love is a pretty big word. You managing to carry it okay?”

“Okay, maybe not love. But like? It has to be like. Say what you want to say but it looks different from the outside.”

“Okay, you keep staying out there and let me know what you’re seeing. I like your imagination. Very vivid,” you commented but there was no bite to your words and Anna threw her head back with laughter.

You didn’t think much of your exchange with Matthew throughout the rest of the day, nor did you try to linger too long on Anna’s interpretation of your relationship with Matthew. You let it wash over you, knowing it’d give her too much satisfaction if you fretted too much over it and anyway, many of your thoughts seemed to fly towards the evening’s game.

By the time the two of you made your way to the arena, however, you moved from anxiety to excitement within the space of mere moments, apparently. Even if this wasn’t your first rodeo and you’d been to countless games before, there was nothing quite like the thrill of an opening game. You and Anna had spaces reserved in the upper stands along with other family members and significant others but both of you chose to watch the warm-ups close-up, so you hung around by the glass at ice level.

The Vegas Knights and the Flames stepped on the ice to a combination of cheers and the thump of a loud electronic mix. You spotted your brother almost instantly. He did a quick lap around the team’s half of the ice before pulling a puck towards him with his stick, sliding it this way and that before shooting it over towards the net. Once sufficiently warmed up, he cast a searching look around the rink and you quickly waved both arms up in the air to try and get his attention. You knew he’d spotted you, but he made an entire show out of looking over you until you smacked a hand against the panel. You knew the sound wouldn’t be heard over the general noise of the arena, but he still laughed. When he skated over, you held your phone up, giving it a quick shake and mouthing “selfie?”.

He flashed a thumbs up and you quickly turned around to take the photo, but it wasn’t until you inspected it afterwards that you noticed you were photobombed by Matthew himself. You had every intention to look up from the screen and somehow try and get his attention only to glare at him, but he was a step ahead. You almost jumped out of your skin when you noticed Matthew standing right there by the glass, smirking at you.

“Asshole,” you mouthed, not daring to voice it out given you were surrounded by kids.

Matthew winked, skated to collect a stray puck then threw it up over the boards towards one of the kids standing right next to you. The kid was clearly thrilled by the gesture, bouncing up and down with the puck held over his head as if it were a trophy. You couldn’t help it: your heart melted at the sight, so you simply nodded once at Matthew, apparently just in time as the warm-up countdown reached zero.

You weren’t surprised the home team were putting on such a show for the opening night. There was a little bit of Vegas in every opening act: from the fireworks set off outside the arena to the showgirls and mind-blowing animations projected down on the ice, it felt more of a Stanley Cup playoff game than the start of a regular season game. This was Vegas and no one did it quite like Vegas did, you had to give that to them.

Both teams were almost evenly balanced throughout the first period but stepping out of intermissions and into the second, the Flames started powering ahead. It was as if something had clicked together even better and they functioned as a well-oiled machine, both in offence and defense. By the end of that period, they were leading the Knights 3-2 and you were more than elated your brother had earned himself an assist. Like all games, tensions formed quickly, and the third period saw both teams play aggressively. On several occasions, you caught sight of players clearly chirping each other even while heading towards their respective benches after the end of a shift. Once, Matthew seemed to be involved in a seemingly endless yelling match with a player on the opposing team. There were more checks against the panels, an impressive number of penalties drawn by both teams, and it felt as if the atmosphere was just tethering towards a fight.

It happened right after the Flames scored the fourth goal with just two minutes left of the game.

The moment the puck was dropped at center ice, you watched as Matthew charged ahead towards one of the Knights players who didn’t hesitate to drop the gloves. Between them, Matthew had the faster instinct, and he landed the first punch, effectively forcing both players to fall to the ice while the referees scrambled to try and split them apart. They were there a moment too late, just mere seconds after you caught sight of knuckles scraping along Matthew’s mouth on the big screens above. At first, it seemed to be nothing more than a graze but once he was separated and made his way towards the Flames bench, you noticed several spots of blood on his jersey on the screens above that made you almost jump out of your seat.

Sure, this was a familiar sight, but it didn’t alleviate the sheer shock and restlessness. Whatever had happened between them must’ve been a pretty big deal to set Matthew off the way it did. There was no way of sugarcoating it: the fight was vicious. More than ever, you wanted the period countdown to reach zero so you could go down to the lockers. It wasn’t just a few nagging feelings towards Matthew that led you to react the way you did. He was a friend, after all, so worrying for him was simply natural. An expected way of responding to a situation like that.

“He had it worse before, remember?” Anna reminded you as you followed the small stream of relatives and friends down towards the players’ rooms.

“Still looked pretty bad to me,” you responded, briefly pulling your lower lip between your teeth. Before she could continue being the voice of reason, you added in a light tone, “I just want to see if he had any teeth knocked out of his mouth this time around.”

It took some time before the players filed out and as you watched them come out one by one, you almost wished you saved this for somewhere less…well, public. Sure, you were just a friend checking on a friend, but you wished you could do that without an audience.

Your brother emerged first, beaming, no doubt pleased with the win, and you hugged him tightly, easily sharing his joy.

��He’s just getting ready to come out now,” he informed you, heading nodding back towards the locker.

You blinked. “What? Oh—no, I’m just. I was waiting for you to say congratulations. What are you even talking about,” you mumbled but inevitably, your eyes were drawn towards the locker room as the door swung open and Matthew stepped out.

His hair was still damp but already curling again. He was dressed in the same suit he probably arrived in, a simple light grey number that fit him perfectly. He had his backpack on also and in one hand, he carried an apparently ice-cold bottle of water while the other was pressing an ice pack to the corner of his mouth. When you made eye contact, he frowned lightly and for a moment, seemed almost hesitant to approach you. This time, you were a step ahead and cornered him before he decided to walk away.

You nodded your head once, indicating in his general direction. “What? You’re trying to add to the family’s hefty dentist bill by getting a few teeth knocked out already?”

Matthew shrugged. “It’s not hockey without a few scraps now and then.”

“For a guy who got a goal and an assist, you sure don’t look too pleased with that.”

At that comment, Matthew’s expression shifted, lightening up considerably. “Are you keeping track of my stats now?”

“What? No, Tkachuk. I was doing what everyone else in that arena was doing: paying attention generally speaking.”

Suddenly, his entire face scrunched up in pain and he almost doubled over as he groaned. Instinctively, you reached out for him, eyes widening a little when bending down a little to try and look at his face.

“Oh my god—Matthew. Are you okay? Do you need me to get a medic to check—”

You frowned as soon as you felt his shoulders tremble under your touch. Slowly, it dawned on you he was laughing. Laughing. You slapped his shoulder lightly, the gesture more a tap than anything else and you started walking down the corridor quickly, trying to catch up with everyone else as they filed out of the arena.

“Hey, hey, wait, Y/N! Come on, don’t be mad,” he called out after you and you heard him jog to catch up with you. When he did, he took a couple more steps ahead then stepped in your path, walking backwards to match your pace. “I was only messing around. I couldn’t not do that. You should’ve seen your face, honestly.”

“My face? Hope you’ve seen yours. I’m not mad. Me being mad would basically mean you managed to get to me which you really didn’t, so don’t give yourself any credit, Tkachuk,” you responded. “You just reminded me you’re still a dick so thanks for that.”

“Give me a free pass. I’m injured.”

“If you’re searching for sympathy, you’re looking for it in the wrong place,” you informed him, side stepping him so that he resumed walking at your side instead. After a few moments of silence, you conceded with a sigh. “Seriously speaking. How’s your mouth?”

“Don’t think I’ll need fillers, let’s just say.” He removed his hand from his mouth, and you looked over.

Thankfully, it seemed that putting ice on it quickly was paying off. The area was somewhat red, but no significant damage seemed to be visible to the untrained eye. He was certainly miles better than he was just months ago.

“Looks okay, I guess,” you shrugged. “What happened? Honestly, it looked pretty intense from the outside.”

Matthew didn’t respond and you didn’t press him for details even after you stepped out into the balmy Vegas night. If he chose to not share with you, then you guessed it must’ve been either pretty personal or pretty stupid. You leaned more towards the former. You didn’t even complain when he followed you to the car you hired, claiming the passenger seat. Before you also stepped inside, a message pinged in from Anna informed you she had taken off with Johnny for dinner but promised to be back in the room in a few to catch up.

You didn’t start the engine when you fixed your seatbelt and instead, leaned your head back against the rest, watching a few other vehicles pull out of the car park. In his seat, Matthew was looking out of the window to his left, heading resting against a loosely formed fist propped up against the door.

“He was talking shit about you,” he said at last, but didn’t turn to you when he spoke.

“Who was?”

“The guy on the other team. He made a comment about you towards your brother at the end of the shift. Something about… I don’t know, something crude, vulgar. Don’t really remember it.”

You didn’t quite believe him on the last part, but you allowed it anyway. “Okay… Well, I don’t know the guy anyway, so it didn’t matter, Matthew. You should have let it slip by or left my brother to deal with it.” Then, out of curiosity, you asked, “why didn’t you?”

More silence. Occasionally, the muffled sound of a passing car would cut through it but it, too, would be gone in seconds.

“Because I couldn’t.”

You pursed your lips and your fingers clenched then unclenched in your lap. You placed your hands on the steering wheel, then dropped them away before settling them back on it after starting the engine.

“Thanks, I guess. You just keep making me owe you favors.”

“You don’t owe me—”

“So, I’ll clear that now with dinner. Just please don’t tell me you’re going to need to be on a smoothie diet. I’ll feel bad eating something really good while you’re there with a strawberry and banana drink. Not that I’d stop eating though, just so you know. But it’s the thought that counts,” you said and finally, finally he chuckled quietly.

“No smoothie diets this time.”

You sighed dramatically. “Maybe no smoothie diets ever?”

Matthew shrugged. He was still not meeting your eyes but that was okay. “Can’t promise that. Kind of comes with the job. Just in case though, I like the sweeter stuff more. Triple chocolate, Oreo pieces, peanut butter.”

“Thanks, Matthew. I’ll file that under information I don’t care to know about.”

“I’m injured. Show some sympathy,” he demanded without heat, finally turning to you.

You cooed then reached out with one of your hands to pat his cheek lightly. “Aw, really searching for it in the wrong place.”

“I’ll make do with what I can get,” he allowed, and you could swear he leaned into your touch, but you tore your hand away before either of you got too comfortable.

four.

Matthew called in his favor after a few of his teammates agreed where to host their Halloween party.

“Kind of sounds like you’re the one asking for a favor,” you commented, planting yourself at your kitchen table while securing the phone between your ear and shoulder.

Matthew sighed on the other end. “Sort of. Who does a themed Halloween party anyway? The theme itself is Halloween.”

“You’re not wrong about that. Could be fun though, a bit more unique. So, what’s the theme for this year?”

“Couple outfits,” Matthew replied without hesitation.

You stilled and were grateful he wasn’t in the same room as you. It took you a great deal more energy over the course of the past few months to convince yourself that Matthew didn’t attract you in one way or another. His looks aside, it was rare you came across someone who could easily keep up with your snide remarks and the more you got to know him, the more you realized that there was more to Matthew than just being a typical athlete with his share of well-deserved fame. He was funny, dedicated and undoubtedly, caring. You had some first-hand experience with the latter. After all, he didn’t owe you anything to make him obligated to jump into whatever weird situation you found yourself in.

You warmed to him little by little. If you found him attractive, well that was for you alone to know though it made everything just that more difficult. Thankfully, Matthew seemed pretty oblivious to it or at least, he was doing a good job at pretending he didn’t catch you staring at him on several occasions or the few times you took a discrete step back if it felt like you were too close to him. Knowing he was asking you to go together as a couple (pretend couple, you corrected yourself) only added to the difficulty of coming to terms with your…crush.

Puppy love, you assured yourself. It’ll go as quickly as it came.

“Y/N?”

“Sorry, still here. Guess it sucks another year will go by without the opportunity to bring out your Fortnite costume.”

“Oh, come on. I wouldn’t dress like a game character!”

“Matthew,” you warned.

There was a pause, then, “okay, fine. Maybe I would. So, can you come?”

You shrugged, then remembered he couldn’t see it. “I owe it to you, don’t I?”

“Great! Hey, choose something good for us. There’s going to be a prize for best dressed and I have my eyes on it.”

“I think we can both agree my creativity will not let us down. I’ll text you my idea. You just make sure you actually stick to it, so I don’t end up looking stupid.”

“Don’t worry,” he started, “I won’t dump you on Halloween.”

“Good to know I won’t end up traumatized and have my favorite holiday ruined,” you said, by way of goodbye.

“Hey, spin around for me once. You look good. Blonde’s not bad on you.”

“No color’s bad on me,” you responded but refused to entertain Matthew by complying with his request. Instead, you rang the bell to Noah’s apartment after the door didn’t budge when Matthew tried the handle.

“Come on, just a spin,” Matthew insisted, nudging his elbow into your own then pressed the doorbell himself once again – hard, as if that would make it ring louder.

“Only if you dance for me and do the entire Greased Lightning choreography without missing a step.”

Matthew feigned a groan and you shot him an amused look. Before you could even comment on that, the door opened, and Noah stood at the threshold. The ruckus from inside spilled out into the corridor and from what you could see beyond him, it was a full house of all sorts of characters.

“Wow! Sandy and Danny! Finally, someone with really good taste,” Noah said by way of greeting and he looked towards you pointedly.

You flashed him a grin. “Always a pleasure to exceed expectations,” you responded and stepped into his open arms, a clear invitation for an embrace that was shortly broken apart by Matthew.

“Hey, none of that man,” he said, pulling you back and easily holding most of your weight as you broke into a laugh that had you stumbling into his side. “I didn’t even get to tell her she’s the one that I want.”

“Yeah, well, you better shape up ‘cause I need a man,” you responded, without missing a beat though you couldn’t help but replay his words in your mind. They sounded a lot like a broken record that you desperately wished to stop immediately before this…thing went way too far and spun out of control.

You were both led towards a photo wall and if you had any nerves about striking good poses without at least some liquid courage first, all that vanished. To your surprise, Matthew easily took the lead initially, falling to his knees in front of you in an attempt to recreate the part where a smitten Danny fell before Sandy, completely and utterly overwhelmed by her presence. Despite it being difficult to control your laughter, you played along with ease. At first, you were simply grinning down at him but you couldn’t let all his in-character effort go to waste, so you turned, casting a glance down towards him over your shoulder. To your side, Noah’s flash was going off every few seconds as he tried to capture the two of you from the best angle, together with cheers of encouragement. For your second pose, you rested your arms on Matthew’s shoulders once he rose back to his full height and his hands held on to either side of your torso. Again, the flash went off and again, the two of you changed pose into something more casual: him, standing behind you with his palms on your hips while you place a hand on his face, grinning at the camera. The flash went off again and he whooped loudly.

“I’m never inviting both of you to a party with this theme again,” Noah muttered, feigning disgruntlement. “You can’t come into my home and kill it like that.”

“Blame the one who came up with this idea in the first place,” Matthew defended, holding both hands up in the air in a gesture of innocence.

It was true. The idea to dress as Danny and Sandy from Grease came to you fairly quickly. You knew the two were a popular go-to, but you enjoyed the movie greatly. Plus, it was a great opportunity for you to pull out a pair of red heels you invested a hefty sum of money into. And, well, admittedly there was something about Matthew that made you think he’d suit the role just fine. When you shared your idea with him, he was on board from the start without complaining or suggesting alternatives. You were grateful for that: when Matthew picked you up earlier, dressed in an all-black outfit, leather jacket and hair styled to rival John Travolta’s, you gave yourself a mental pat on your shoulder. If any photos would go up on the internet, you were pretty sure Instagram would be grateful to you. Certainly, you knew Chantal and Keith would get a kick out of it for sure.

“Guilty as charged,” you acknowledged. “I’m going to look for Anna. Catch you later.” You gave a wave to the both of them before making your way towards the hub of activity where couple costumes ranged from peanut butter and jelly to superheroes.

She was fairly easy to locate, in part because she told you she and Johnny would dress as Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. The red, blue and gold of her outfit were unmissable even in a sea of costumes. As soon as she spotted you approaching, she made a beeline and wrapped an arm around yours.

“Tell me you and Matthew will recreate the entire You’re the One That I Want scene,” she pleaded. “Please tell me that at some point this evening, you’ll tell us to clear the dancefloor so the two of you can have your moment.”

You rolled your eyes, dragging her along towards a table hosting drinks and small bites. “There’s no moment we’re going to be having.”

“Because you don’t want to or because you want to so badly that you don’t know how to ask him? I’m pretty sure he’ll say yes.”

“Neither,” you muttered but even you’d be able to hear the lack of conviction in your tone from a mile away.

To take your mind off it, you poured yourself a glass of red wine, taking a tentative sip from it. Across the room, Matthew had deposited his black leather jacket away and started making rounds around the room. You took a longer sip from your wine and looked away.

Anna fixed you with a knowing stare which you refused to acknowledge, but she knew you like the back of her hand. “It’s okay to say you like him, you know,” she advised, and you hated the soothing tone she tried to take when saying that. It felt more pitying than anything, as if you hadn’t already had your share of disappointments in love—or, relationships better said.

“Who said anything about liking him? He’s not bad to look at I’ll admit, but that’s where it stops.” You frowned, looking out of the nearest nearby window that gave a broad view of the city below. “That’s where I want it to stop,” you admitted, this time quieter.

You were well aware that you were occasionally trying to look for a narrative that was most convenient for late night thoughts when you had the peace and privacy to think of him as you wished. The reality couldn’t be more different, though, and you knew that. Matthew was helpful to you before because he was good friends with your brother and eventually, you realized that it was just part of his nature. Beyond being successful, beyond his fame and recognition, Matthew was kind and funny and respectful. It was just that you didn’t give him the chance to before and now that you got to know him better, you suddenly realized that…what? You’d like the first man who gives you a helping hand? If that were the case, you should’ve gotten the memo sooner: it would’ve been easier liking the tech guy from work who once debugged your laptop.

It wasn’t doing you any good to try and look for a ‘but’ in every situation: Matthew is helpful because he’s good friends with my brother but it’s not like that should force him to act as if we’re romantically involved not once or twice or thrice but now, four times. Regardless of how you looked at it, that reeked of desperation. You were in that weird period in your life where it felt as if everyone around you was in a relationship, so maybe that mood translated to you.

That’s right, you settled. That’s what was possibly behind these thoughts of yours. You found Matthew attractive – and what? So did plenty of other people. You saw him surrounded by girls after practice, after matches, while out. What you felt was nothing special. It felt easier to think of it that way, even if for a few hours to truly enjoy the party without having that lurking at the back of your mind.

You mingled easily, danced with Anna, danced with other players’ girlfriends and wives, danced with your brother, even attempted a few traditional Russian dances taught by Nikita, Artyom and a few of their friends, that left you breathless by their rapid pace and intricate footwork.

“I’m done!” you declared, breathless and almost swaying on your feet when another Russian folk song came to an end but thankfully, you managed to hold steady before you could catch a ride on the hot mess express. “Absolutely wasted. Knocked out.” You stepped away, tired but euphoric and dropped rather unceremoniously on one of the available couches pushed against a wall.

“Having fun?” Matthew asked and there was a light flush on his cheeks you knew wasn’t from dancing. There was even just a slight slur to his speech.

“The most,” you replied, breathless, and accepted the drink he held out to you. You took a sip without questioning him what was in the glass, only to find out for yourself he was settling for harder stuff tonight. “But never let it be said that anyone can keep up with Russians because let me tell you,” you whistled quietly, “we’re a couple of steps behind. Plenty of steps behind, actually.”

Matthew flashed a lazy smile and you briefly spared a moment to envy him for how kept together he remained despite being evidently buzzed. “’s okay. At least we’re the better dressed ones so we lose in style.”

You took another sip from his glass, holding it out to him with a smirk. “Tell me about it, stud,” you said in what you hoped was a low, alluring tone of voice but no sooner did you think that, and you were reduced to embarrassed laughter. “Forget about that! Forget it, forget it! Where’s the delete button?”

“I didn’t come equipped with that,” he declared proudly, finishing off what was left of his drink. “C’mere, you can show me a couple of those steps you learned.”

He stood, a little unsteadily initially then held a hand to you. You knew he wouldn’t have the strength to pull you up properly, so you stood easily fully intent to actually lead him through some of the steps. Except, Matthew was definitely swaying more than you thought he would. There was something inexplicably amusing about the situation and instead of directing him towards the center of the room, you steered him away from it and towards a small bathroom you were shown to earlier that night when you needed some time to re-touch your makeup.

“Where’re we going?” he asked curiously, looking over his shoulder towards the living room with a look that could only be read as longing.

“To cool down a little and then you can learn as many folk dances as you want. Believe me, you need to be alert for them. Can’t miss a step,” you advised, trying to steady him by wrapping an arm around him though the difference in weight between the two of you couldn’t compare. Still, you managed to get him into the bathroom safely without either of you making a mess of yourselves or the room.

“Are you gonna cool down too?” he questioned.

“Sure thing, definitely need it.”

“Good, we’ll cool down together.” With that, he made a move to open the glass partition for the shower cubicle but thankfully, you were significantly more alert than he was and managed to prevent him from doing anything more than that.

“Not that sort of cool down. Here, sit here,” you encouraged, lowering the lid on the toilet so Matthew could drop down. You doubted you’d be able to hold much of his strength above the sink if you were to help him splash some cold water on his face.

“But I want that sort of cool down,” he slurred. “With you. Us two. You said you want to cool down too. Could be a couple activity.” He grinned, as if proud of himself.

Thankfully, Matthew was buzzed enough to miss the flush on your face, the slight shake of your hand as you arranged a towel around his neck to prevent too much overspill before turning the tap on.

“Can’t do that, Matthew. Here, this will be much better, I promise.”

“Wanna try though,” he mumbled but was still compliant as you pressed a wet, cool palm against his forehead, then either of his cheeks. “Not cool enough.” His complaint was accompanied by a frown which only morphed into a lazy smirk when he leaned back, trying to pull you with him. “C’mon, Y/N. It’s a couple’s Halloween night.”

“Matthew, we’re not a couple,” you said gently, pushing your palms against his shoulders in an attempt to free yourself from his hold. Before it was too late. Before you allowed yourself to get drawn into a drunk man’s ramblings.

“But I wanna be. A couple, with you.”

You put all your strength into breaking away from his hold and thankfully, managed to do so. Your heart was hammering in your chest as if desperately trying to release itself from the cage of your ribs.

“Matthew, you’re drunk. Here, splash some cold water on your face so you can come back to your senses.”

“But I’m not drunk,” he insisted and as if to demonstrate, he stood up quickly. He swayed on the spot, stretching out his arms a little and once he found his footing, he looked towards you with an expression that mixed pride with hopefulness. “See? Definitely okay—”

You frowned, feeling a little caged in. You should’ve left the door open at least. “Okay, then let’s go back out there, yeah? I can get an Uber and I’ll take you home if you prefer that?”

“Yes,” he said, then leaned back against the door. “Only if you come with me.”

You exhaled, suddenly tired as if the exchange was working every ounce of energy out of you. “I’ll come to make sure you’re okay and can make it to your bed okay.”

“I can though. I can definitely make it there even on my own and you know why? Because I’m not drunk,” Matthew insisted and when you shot him a look of disbelief, he peeled himself away from the door. “Look, look I can prove it to you I’m not drunk.”

Before you could even ask him to walk a straight line without stumbling his steps, Matthew’s arm wrapped around your waist while his other hand pressed on the back of your head, bringing you closer until your lips met. Kissing Matthew was like everything you imagined and more. He even did that with the same passion with which he skated on ice, chasing puck after puck. It left you breathless how well he worked his lips against your own as if all along, he knew how to do that in such way that it’d leave your legs feeling like jelly. Beyond that though, it felt comfortable. Not forceful despite him having not asked if he could do it in the first place, yet it still felt right. You tasted sweetness on his mouth and the sharp tang of whiskey. Vaguely, you knew nothing else could compare. It was that thought that made you push away from him with as much force as you could muster, ducking under his arm and towards the door.

“I’ll ask someone to take you home,” you said without even looking his way before leaving dashing out of the bathroom.

“You okay?” Anna asked you when you ran into her. Quite literally.

“Uh—yeah. No, actually. I think I feel a bit unwell so I’m going to head home, okay?”

You made a move to leave but her arm stopped you. “Hey. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Above her shoulder, you saw Matthew emerge from the bathroom, a little dazzled, eyes searching the room. Before he could even spot you, you quickly freed yourself from her hold and nodded. “Will be. I’ll text you when I get home. Don’t rush back, okay? Tell Alex I said thanks for the invite.”

You didn’t stumble a step in your heels as you jogged towards the door, making a swift exit before you attracted even more attention.

+ one.

Matthew left no calls and no messages, but that was fine. You didn’t spend time trying to build your expectations of anything like that happening because drunk words weren’t always sober thoughts. The event was just something you had to deal with and if you had to do it alone, then so be it. Reasonably speaking, you and Matthew went from nothing to friends and if you caught feelings along the way, then that was your mistake for letting yourself slip like that. You were left broken hearted once, you really didn’t want to go through that again especially over someone that wasn’t even really and truly yours to begin with.

So, the next morning, you woke up at a reasonably early hour despite the late night but felt energized enough to sweep through your apartment and collect the garments you tossed carelessly on your way to bed after arriving at home. You said a heartfelt goodbye to Sandy, apologizing that in this scenario, her and Danny didn’t end up driving off in a red convertible. After that, you showered and changed in a fresh set of clothes even if the day would most likely be spent indoors. It was a fitting conclusion to the Halloween weekend, and you could do with some downtime, really.

Anna must’ve stayed with Johnny because regardless of how much noise you made, she didn’t emerge from the room and after fixing a quick breakfast and brewing coffee to continued silence, you knew you were right. It didn’t bother you. You’d make full use of the couch and stretch out on it properly as you flicked through your Netflix account and for the sake of sticking to weekend morning traditions, you selected a lighthearted sitcom. You were halfway through the third episode when your doorbell rang. You could’ve sworn Anna had a spare key of her own unless she misplaced it or forgot it home. Not entirely out of question.

Except, it wasn’t Anna who greeted you when you opened the door.

“Oh.” You coughed lightly, crossing your arms then unfolding them, then leaning one against the doorway before dropping it to your side. “Hey—uh. Hey Tkachuk, isn’t it a bit early for you to be out and about? You were smashed the last time I saw you.”

Matthew looked over your shoulder into the apartment, as if checking to see if you were alone. “Can I come in?”

Defeated, you stepped to the side and cleared the way for him to step inside before pushing the door closed. Part of you wished you’d dressed up as if you were ready to head off somewhere. You weren’t quite ready nor willing to face whatever music Matthew had in mind for you.

In the aftermath of the party, out of the flashiness of the costume, Matthew seemed to be perfectly clear-headed despite the state you’d left him in. The curls atop his head seemed soft despite the natural frizz and as he passed by, you caught a whiff of sharp cologne and fresh bodywash.

“Is Anna here?”

“Are we playing twenty-one questions?”

“No?”

“Kind of sounds like it, though?” You laughed quietly, trying to lighten the mood. It was bad enough the weather outside was gloomy, autumn settling in full force. Now, you had to deal with a Matthew who looked as if he wasn’t sure he came to the right place. “Coffee?” you asked, already leading the way towards the kitchen. You heard him follow behind you just moments later. While you poured a full cup for him, he hovered by the table, making you frown at him. “What’s wrong with you? You need an invite to sit down and relax? Seriously, Matthew, you look like you should be in bed.”

“You left last night without saying anything,” he said instead.

“Uh—yeah. I was kind of tired and I wanted it to call it a night early so—”

“Was it because of what I said or what I did?”

You almost dropped the coffee cup, but fortunately only startled enough for the liquid to slosh over the rim and down the back of your hand, causing you to hiss in pain. You cursed quietly and, in an instant, Matthew crossed over the room and took the cup from you, setting it down on the table before leading you towards the sink. As if used to this, he placed your hand under ice cold water and once the sharp pain numbed, you pushed his hand away, taking a step to the side in an attempt to put more distance between you.

“It’s fine, I’ve got this,” you mumbled, holding your hand still under the jet for a few more seconds before closing it.

It was hardly worth the fuss, but it gave you a reason to make yourself busy with something other than freaking out. It couldn’t be that he remembered anything. It couldn’t be that he was standing in your kitchen, thinking that it was a good idea to just open up that subject when you were so ready to take a shovel to it and bury it six feet under.

“Didn’t you get tired of it at all?” he tried again.

“Tired of what?”

“Of pretending. Of only acting like we’re together for one reason or the other—”

“Matthew, I asked you only once and you know why. I apologized then but if it helps you sleep better at night, I’ll apologize again for dragging you into my mess. I don’t know what the point is of this discussion—”

“The point,” he said, raising his voice but only to cut through your speech. “The point is that I’m tired of it. I’m tired of having to be by your side and pretend. It got to a stage where I don’t even know what’s real and what isn’t, and I feel as if the only time I’ll know that for sure will be when you find someone, so you no longer need to turn to me to pretend.”

“Matthew, I’m not using you, if that’s what you’re thinking. You’re coming at me with this out of the blue and I don’t even understand what this is all about,” you argued, waving a hand between the two of you.

Matthew clenched his jaw. You watched as he flexed it and his eyebrows furrowed. “Do you need me to spell it out for you again? I thought I was pretty straightforward about what I want last night.”

“You were drunk last night, is what you were. You could hardly put a foot in front of the other.”

“You know that’s not true,” he retorts, lifting his arms then dropping them back down to his sides. “I was sober enough to know damn well what I said and why I said it. If you want to keep pretending even now, even at this point, then you go ahead and do that but let me be clear with you again and you take what you want from it: I don’t want to pretend with you anymore. I want to be with you. You want to know what that feels like? It feels a lot like being so close to something you want, literally having that thing dangled right in front of you only to have it snatched just when you think it’s yours. Me kissing you last night? I’m sorry I forced it on you, I could’ve gone about doing it differently but I’m not sorry for what I feel. That was all me and not the alcohol. So, you take this and do what you want with it.”

You stared at him, disbelieving your ears. It wouldn’t surprise you if that was the case: you did wake up surprisingly refreshed even after an emotionally charged night, so for all you knew, you could be dreaming this.

“Matthew, what are you—That’s, you’re kidding me with this right? You can’t. You can’t possibly think that.”

“And why not?”

“Because it doesn’t make sense. Are you even hearing yourself talk?”

“Why doesn’t it make sense? Want me to go about it differently? If you let me pull your hair, I’ll let you push me in the sandbox.”

You were suffering from a strange, ill-timed case of déjà vu. Part of you wanted to laugh at the situation but the bigger part of you triumphed, thankfully. You released a breath you had been holding, bringing both hands up to cover your face, taking some moments to yourself. Or perhaps, you’d lost track of time because eventually, you heard Matthew sigh and felt his fingers wrap around each wrist though he didn’t put pressure to tug your hands down from your face.

“Sorry. I’m just—I’m not doing this the right way. I don’t want it to seem like I’m forcing my feelings on you and that you should accept them. If I misread us—you at any point, then fine. Just, we can drop it here and I’ll deal with it but—”

You shook your head slowly. “No, I just need a moment. Sorry. You really caught me by surprise. I didn’t… I thought everything you said last night…what you did… I thought that was just, well, just the alcohol. So, I did the best thing I knew to do and, uh, left.”

“Drunk words, sober thoughts,” he reminded you quietly and this time, you dropped your hands away from your face so you could look up at him.

He was so handsome. Ridiculously handsome in his casual clothes. Briefly, you thought back to the time you first found safety in his arms and wondered if maybe… Well, why not. You closed the distance between the two of you, wrapping your arms around him, fingers clinging to the thick material of his hoodie while you faceplanted against his chest and breathed him in.

You liked Matthew. You liked Matthew so much that the admission overwhelmed you so much that you squeezed him to you, trying desperately to bring him closer. The gesture seemed to prompt him into action, and he returned the hug, pressing a kiss to the top of your head and then to the base of your throat once he’d lowered his head there.

“Me too. I want to be with you too. Really be with you. No more of this pretend stuff,” you told him, your voice muffled against his body, but you knew he caught every word.

He chuckled, the sound low and deep, sending shivers down your spine. “We won Noah’s competition last night.”

“Bet he did it because of your long face,” you commented, unable to help yourself. “What did we win?”

Matthew made a move to step back, but you clung to him, much to your embarrassment. It seemed as if your body acted out of sync with your mind, but who could blame it when Matthew stood right there, right before you. Turned out he only took a step back to lift you off your feet and instinctively, you wrapped your legs around his hips, arms resting loosely around his neck. You leaned in and pressed a fleeting kiss to his mouth as he stumbled away from the kitchen while you stole another kiss. And then, just because you could, a third.

“A voucher to a seafood restaurant,” he informed you, breaking into a laugh when you groaned, throwing your head back in sheer frustration even if you had a strong feeling he was only messing with you.

“Remind me to never put so much effort if that’s what the stake are.”

“Noted. Next time, I’ll tell you we could just stay home for Halloween and play by our rules. Outfits optional. Probably not recommended.”

“That’s…really not what I said.”

“I’m reading between the lines. See? We know each other so well.”

You laughed as he carried you all the way into your room without even as much as breaking a sweat. That was definitely some food for thought at a later point.

#matthew tkachuk #matthew tkachuk fic #matthew tkachuk imagine #nhl fic #nhl fanfic #nhl imagine #*

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godlygreta · 2 years

Text

all too well | j. m. kiszka

title | all too well

summary | josh cosplays at jake gyllenhaal

warnings | 18+. there is slight smut in this chapter (more so suggestive than descriptive) as well as depictions of heartbreak, not eating or taking care of one’s self.

word count | 1.7k+

author’s note | hello ! here’s the taylor swift ‘all too well’ fic with a slight happy twist at the end? maybe? sorry this is a short one my lovely people (also i really hope you love the summary bc i sure as hell do)

Oh, your sweet disposition and my wide-eyed gaze

We’re singing in the car, getting lost upstate

Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place

And I can picture it after all these days

The first vacation you ever went on with Josh was up in Northern Michigan, the leaves just beginning to fall as summer turned to autumn. It was serene - the drive. Nothing but trees stretched for miles, the occasional gas station and the very minimal small towns that had little to offer but memories that would last an entire lifetime.

The two of you laughed, air barely filling your lungs as the two of you sang incredibly off key. Mostly you, but Josh wouldn’t let you know that. He sang so terribly with you, nothing else had mattered. The familiar serenade of The Beatles was no match for the way the two of you felt for each other.

Album by album, song by song, the two of you kept butchering the lyrics and pitches until you had finally reached the little cabin he had brought you to. It was as beautiful as he was, you thought.

Trees lined the entire property, a fence - a wall - kept up for the utmost privacy for the two of you. The suitcases were left in the car as you walked around, touching the wooden porch with your fingertips, hoping to God you wouldn’t get any splinters. As you reach the porch in the backyard, you see there is a small little pond at the bottom of a hill, with a medium sized white oak tree next to it, casting the perfect shade from summertime’s blistering heat. You could imagine the rest of your life being spent here, summer’s with campfires and millions of little lamplights.

His strong arms wrap around your middle, pulling your back flush against his chest. His chin settled on your shoulder, lips pressing to your jaw, just below your ear. “You like it?”

“It’s beautiful here, Josh.” You turn around, allowing your arms to rest on his shoulders as you pull him closer. His hands rested on your lower back, slipping under the sweater you wore. You knew it was going to get chilly - especially in Michigan.

The sweater you wore was lost to the floor on the way inside. You didn’t get much of a chance to actually look at the furniture, too busy with the traveling lips on your skin, licking and biting. His hands pull you with him, walking the two of you backwards until he kicked the door closed with his feet.

The sheets were even softer than you had hoped.

After three months in the grave

And then you wondered where it went to as I reached for you

But all I felt was shame and you held my lifeless frame

Everyone had heard what happened to the two of you. The occasional “I’m sorry that your boyfriend was a dick, you were better off” flowers came to the door, to which your roommate, Indiana, brought them in every time. She always put them in a new vase, buying variously colored ones from a little boy down the street who was learning to blow glass. It took her almost three days to finally see you leave your room.

Every single night it was the exact same. Nightmare after nightmare. You couldn’t stand to sleep in your room, with those sheets. All you did was toss and turn; eyes dry from the excessive amounts of crying you had been doing. Kleenex littered your bedroom floor, as did photos of you and Josh. You didn’t have the heart to burn them, or tear them into pieces although you wanted to so fucking bad.

It took you two weeks to actually eat a full meal, and not just a granola bar or something small. Indiana sat you down, shoveling every single bite into your mouth despite your protests. “Y/N, I need to make sure you are actually eating this.”

“I will! I can do it myself.”

“Just.. fuckin’ finish your food then. You’re showering after and I will be helping you. Your hair is a mess, it needs to be detangled.”

You were thankful for her, though it didn’t always come across like that. Her heart was in the right place and yours had just been thoroughly stomped on.

You hated yourself. You gave in one night, fingers lingering over his contact. You knew it was a bad idea. You knew it wouldn’t lead you to anywhere good.

“Hello?”

“Josh..” Your voice was breathless, tears forming in your eyes before you even get the chance to mention that you miss him.

And he knows you do. You can barely hear his lamented sigh, but you knew it was there. He sat on the other end of the line, allowing you to cry to him until you had fallen asleep. You had no idea when that was, or who hung up your phone. The next morning, Indiana was not very kind towards you. She had every right to be mad.

“He’s done nothing but hurt you. Stop calling him.” She spoke, never once turning around from doing the dishes. “You come to me when you feel like calling him, okay? I don’t want you to hurt anymore than you already have.”

'Cause there we are again in the middle of the night

We're dancing 'round the kitchen in the refrigerator light

You knew this was a dream. You happily hummed along to the record that was playing, Josh putting it on since the two of you couldn’t go back to sleep. The thunder roared loud and strong. You could barely hear the record when the thunder cracked, but it didn’t bother you or Josh any.

Your arms wrapped around his neck, keeping him close as the two of you twirled around the kitchen. Your forehead pressed against his, eyes flickering down from his lips to his eyes. His eyes were closed, lips singing along to the lyrics of the song. The edges of your lips curled up into a smile, arms slipping from his shoulders, hands grabbing his face. You hummed against his lips, feeling his hands grip your waist a little tighter.

And there we are again when nobody had to know

You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath

It should have been a red flag that he didn’t tell anyone about you besides his family. And even then, he used the term ‘girlfriend’ very loosely. In fact, he didn’t even introduce you to them as his girlfriend. Said nothing other than the basic, “here she is, I brought a girl home, be nice”.

The first one to approach you was his twin, Jake. He welcomed you with open arms and offered you a small smile when you extended your hand out. He politely declined and told you he was more of a hugger than someone who liked a handshake anyway. His next brother, Sam, scooped you out of Jake’s arms and gave you the goofiest smile you had ever seen in your life.

Ronnie was the first one to let you breathe, almost. The two of you snuck outside, enjoying the brisk Michigan air as you held a glass of whatever Josh mixed up for you in the kitchen. The two of you giggled, her sharing stories of Jake and Josh when they were younger, the physical altercations they would get into. It was hard to not lose track of time when talking to her.

Karen was warm and inviting, although it always felt like she had something she was holding back. You only found out what that was after you and Josh had parted ways. Josh was never good about keeping girlfriends. Karen left a voicemail, telling you how sad she was to see you go, but that you could always reach out to her if you were ever in the area.

You hated Josh.

You hated him for introducing you to his mother, and then ripping her away from you within a month. You hated him for introducing you to Ronnie, and then making things awkward as soon as he told his family you two were no longer together. You hated him for giving you a taste at what it was like to be with him, completely and unabashed. Only to rip it away.

You fucking hated Josh.

Well, maybe we got lost in translation

Maybe I asked for too much

But maybe this thing was a masterpiece

'Til you tore it all up

It didn’t click in your brain that you were almost front row at their show until halfway through the opening act. One of your coworkers had dragged you out after five years since your devastating heartbreak. She figured, if anything, you might possibly find someone to go home with.

You had mended your broken heart the best way you knew how – music. You dove deep into it, throwing yourself into your university studies. Majoring in Music Production had a lot of perks – one of which was access to a studio. You and a few of the other students in your classes had spent many nights there, five of you sharing a few bottles of red wine, talking and singing about heartbreak.

You had gotten your name around campus that way, setting up performances around the campus in different dorm halls. Even after you graduated, people would beg you to come back and guest star in their performances. You did that a few times before you were eventually picked up by a few people to help them with their albums.

And now, he stood there in front of you, waving to the sea full of people in front of him. Everyone was smiling, laughing, jumping and singing along to all of the songs him and his brothers wrote. His eyes caught yours, stumbling over his words for a few seconds before shaking it away. Jake noticed you as well, as did Sam. The two of their smiles made you feel at home, but nothing could quite tear your gaze away from Josh. And you stood still, breath caught in your throat just like the first time. Maybe, just maybe, time has been kind to both of you.

taglist: @cal-a-bungaa @joshkiszkastea @screechesincoherently @weightofdreams-gvf @sarakay-gvf @ooswws-gvf @lupinevanfleet @kayle-e @gvfrry @miidnightcarlights @theweightofstardust @katie-gvf @kaylal15 @astro-place @idk-maddie @depressingdarlin @greta-flanveet @highladyofasgard @bumblebeeswrite @jakiszka @aureummel

#josh kiszka x reader #josh kiszka imagine #josh kiszka fanfic #josh kiszka fanfiction #josh kiszka angst #via writes josh #via writes angst #greta van fleet fanfic #greta van fleet imagine #greta van fleet angst

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jokersmeowmeow · 3 years

Text

Apex Legends - affection hcs <333

Yooo y'all, I'm sorry I've been absent for quite a looong time, BUT I've been busy and unfortunately I still am, so here I can offer You some hcs with our lovely legends to recompensate my inactivity :3

Mirage:

Soft. Softer. THE SOFTEST!!!

Mirage is the most touch-starved person You've ever seen, but how can You possibly mind? He is an angel <333

He may make an impression of a laid-back alvaro, but he's actually really anxious about what he can and can't do with You - You have to state Your boundaries clear.

After You do this, he is STILL unsure about everything and in need of constant reassurance if this is okay if he touches You like this or kisses like that, but that only adds to his cuteness.

Simple gestures are able to melt him completely, just cup his face and tell him You love him, kiss the tip of his nose, nuzzle against him, and he'll be all Yours, almost in tears.

He longs for such affection and reciprocates every single act of it; for instance, he adores hugging You from behind randomly and hide his face in the crook of Your neck to breathe in the smell of Yours and feel the velvet softness of Your skin.

His growth brushing against Your neck tickles You and hence causes You to giggle - listening to Your laugh soothes him totally.

He does his best to complement You, as he thinks You deserve it and he regards You as the most perfect person he's met, even more perfect than him ;DDD (seriously, because he really thinks that, he's gonna boast about You being his lady all the time so that the whole world shall know You're a couple)

B U T

He's bad with words, we know that. Stuttering ruins and at the same time makes everything more adorable when it comes to Mirage

"Oooh sweety, You look so so extrard-ext-extraordrin... Just amazing, You look amazing..."

His face turns blood red in seconds, but to be honest with You, that's the moment in which You want to spread kisses all over his face the most.

After a long day apart, prepare for being trapped in a makeahift cage of his arms and arms of his decoys.

He just runs to You excitedly with his arms spread widely, wraps them around You, and then You feel more and more of them snaking here and there. He missed You and can't imagine not exposing his longing for You to You.

He tries to do his best in Your relationship, he really does, but his anxiety hidden under the veneer of pride tells him he isn't enough for You, so talk to him about that, learn him how to cope with feelings and not be ashamed of them; he'll be more than thankful, nothing solves problems better than honest conversation.

Moreover, after a hard "psychology session", he enjoys sharing a hot, steamy shower with You.

He rests his forehead against Yours and closes his eyes; now You can see him as himself, no pretending, no fake confidence, no armor, just his bare body, naked mind and boiling water streaming down Your chests and backs.

Bangalore:

This woman. She is tough. She has no weak spots... Apart from You.

She casually looks as if she was ready for murder, but when she looks at You, she immediately softens.

You're like pain killers to her; You calm her down in split seconds and it's amazing to watch her features soothe, one of the corners of her lips travel up in a delicate, hardly noticeable smile.

She isn't an affectionate kind of person, especially in front of the others, but she is more than glad to receive affection from You.

She gives the best bear hugs and let me tell You, the feeling of the warmth of her muscular, womanly body, the plush of her breasts and hard abdomen... It's irreplacable.

She doesn't say it out loud then, but You can perfectly sense how devoted to Your relationship she is, she confesses her loyalty to You with her whole form embracing Your own.

One of her favourite moments during the day are early mornings; she usually wakes up just before dawn while You're still deeply asleep. Then, she can adore Your peaceful face looming up from under the duvet and graced with first golden rays of sunlight finding their way to Your bedroom through the window.

Before she leaves, careful not to wake You up, she watches You for a while and tries to picture this beautiful view in her mind precisely and keep there for the rest of the day.

She kisses Your forehead gently and silently gets out of the room, one last time glancing at You behind her back from above her shoulder before shutting the door.

She's keen to talk to You about everything and she's beyond recognition then; You can talk to her about everything and nothing, starting from Your own serious issues and ending on exchanging some girlish gossips.

Whatever topic You throw on her, she's always willing to not only listen to You, but also actively partakes in the conversation.

During such talks, she really does enjoy having her arm wrapped around You whilst You're resting against her on the couch.

She'll most probably be caressing Your shoulder with her thumb without even realizing it.

Your laugh causes her to laugh widely, which is a wonderful chain reaction as she rarely smiles on her own.

I must mention jealousy here; Bang hates seeing someone flirting with You.

Her face lines turn even sharper, she grits her teeth not to let herself lose control over her emotions.

But if she has enough, she'll most certainly approach You two steadily, pull You to her side and glare deadly at the motherfucker daring to flirt with You as if she was looking at a pathetic pile of horseshit.

It's likely she'll warn them to fuck off before she shoves a granade up their ass.

I know this is amusing and boosts Your ego, but spare her nerves, she just can't lose You and wants to be the best version of herself for You.

Pathinder:

Cinnamon roll made of metal.

He loves everyone as friends and because, unlike the most of the others, You actually reciprocate his affection, he WORSHIPS You in particular.

He's a hug-person, that's why often he forgots how painful it is when he wraps his arms a little too tightly around You.

When You politely tell him to let You go and state why, he's a trembling mess.

He asks You questions whether he harmed You, made You uncomfortable and if You're okay. Reassure him everything's okay, please, all he wants is to make You feel loved and appreciated.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry, friend... Can I get a second chance? I promise I won't be uncomfortable anymore" 👉👈

You can't say "no" to him; he hugs You much more tenderly, he's calculating his every move when he slowly embraces You again.

He may be boxy and angular, but the metal he's build of is pleasantly warm, or at least it seems like it because of Path in general.

You press Your hands to his back and cheek to his chest, and when You open Your eyes, pink light radiating from the screen on his torso blinds You as a large, smiley face with heart-eyes appears on it.

This causes You to giggle, and then him; You two could stay like this for eons, him resting his head on the tip of Yours and just, laughing innocently like little children.

He's the number one comforter, this needs to be said. Whenever You feel blue, Path emerges near You out of nowhere and is ready to give his best to You.

His arm is instantly around You; he takes You somewhere peaceful and quiet, probably to Your bedroom, and sits You gently on the edge of Your bed.

He kneels in front of You, palming Your hands on Your knees and looking up at Your sorrow face.

"Hey, I don't like it when You're sad, it makes me sad, too. Path is here for You, and will be even when they break me apart. That'd be even better! There would be more of me to listen to You!"

His positivity, even in the darkest of times, is able to lift anyone's spirits in a flash.

While venting Your disappointment, anger, helplessness and other damaging emotions on him, he listens to You letting Your words sink in his mind and brushes single tears flowing down Your swollen cheeks every now and then with his thumb.

Surprisingly, he's more gentle than any man build of flesh, You wouldn't recognize whether it's the touch of his robotic fingers or soft human hands if You didn't know him.

He a l w a y s manages to make You laugh somehow, You actually don't even notice when Your mood changes from gloomy and suicidal to amused and happy.

"Low-five?" he asks, still crouching and showing his flat hand to You, so that You can give him low "high-five" and begin Your day again, but better.

Octane:

Speedy boi only You are able to slow down.

There's a significant spark of rivarly burning between You and keeping Your relationship sufficiently heated.

And that's why You enjoy competitive video games; You sit on the couch next to each other and follow the flying controllers in Your hands.

At some point You begin to interrupt each other's playing not only virtually, but in real life as well.

He nudges You with his elbow and You give it back by shoving Your smaller form towards him with the maximal strength.

Finally, You put the game aside and You start wrestling; it looks a little brutal, but You both know it's just fun.

You roll down from the sofa and fall on the floor, Your limbs tangled together, You two laughing and screaming at each other; an adorable picture of the pair of energetic fireballs.

You don't even care whether anybody remarks on Your playful joshing, at most You just stop for few seconds and simultaneously snap at them.

Then, You continue what You've started and what I must state here is the fact that Octane isn't merciful. He comes up with an idea of tickling.

You can't even attempt to grab his hand and stop him, he is already faster than You and he knows EXACTLY where to touch You to make You double up with laughter.

Only when he pins You to the ground by Your wrists and You officially give up, he lets You go, proud of his success.

He loves sneaking behind You and picking You up randomly during the day, making You shriek and swear in surprise.

He loves it when You swear at him in spanish, especially if it's him who taught You his native language.

You sometimes do this on purpose just to see him staring at You blankly.

He's also more than glad to give You piggyback; having You pressed against his back and giggle in his ear is pure bliss, what man wouldn't love that?

He may start spinning around or run with You on his back so be prepared, he's unpredictable, especially when excited, even without drugs.

Last, but not least, if You manage to somehow calm him down and sit him still, when You're snuggling against his side, he gets flustered by the view of Your leg caressingly sliding up and down his prosthesis.

"Ah, hermosa, eres mi mejor droga."

Fuse:

The daddiest daddy among all the daddies in the world. Lucky You!

He's the type of man loyal to You to the grave and he's more than pleased to show it; he rarely leaves Your side, places his hand on Your hip or loosely embraces Your shoulders with his arm.

He subtly establishes the boundaries of reciprocal contact between You and someone who might be potentially interested in You, but he's not possessive. This man doesn't lack finesse if he wants.

You kindle the flame of artistic creativity within him, thus he writes songs for You; he loves singing them and playing his guitar for You later.

He may forget to go on with the lyrics if You start swaying to the rhythm of his music. He knows You do this to purposely tease him and test his patience, but he's prepared for losing all of his attention divisibilty.

Focusing his gaze on Your effortless, wanton moves is enough to make his day.

When he's done playing, he expects appreciation with words ("Aaand? How was it, m'lady, eeh?") and with actions (he usually pokes his cheek and awaits well-deserved kiss).

For the first time, You fell for his little trick he pulled on You; when You were going to place a kiss on his cheek in rewarding gesture, he lightly grabs You by Your chin and makes You kiss him on his lips.

After that incident, every time You reward him, You intentionally "fall" for these tricks of his or it's You who pulls him for the kiss first.

You two giggle into each other's mouths and wordlessly swear to make that little game Your own ritual.

Often, when the situation gets heated, he finds his way to Your neck and the touch of his rough mustache on Your delicate skin sends shivers down Your spine - he loves it when Your throat vibrates because of Your sirenic chuckle.

You adore joking together; he's the master of pun and dad jokes, hence You two sometimes get trapped in a vicious circle of laughter.

Then, You just lean against each other and laugh so hard tears start flowing down Your cheeks, especially when each of You tell new jokes, funnier and funnier than previous ones.

Of course, You two enjoy a good, old game of poker, too; You sit opposite each other on the bed, legs crossed, and try so hard not to snort while glancing at each other's pokerfaces.

He attempts to distract You, make You laugh, cheat and make this card game the most ridiculous it only can be and You hit back, obviously.

If he wins, You throw cards in the air and make him pay for it; You jump on him, but he's quick to incapacitate You by lying his bulky body on Yours so that You have to haul Yourself up from under him to catch a breath.

If You win, it pretty much ends in the same way.

#apex legends #apex mirage #apex octane #apex bangalore #apex fuse #apex pathfinder #apex headcanon #apex hcs #apex game #apex fandom

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joshstambourine · 3 years

Text

What Friends Do pt. 1

Warning: Cursing

Word count: 2854

Synopsis: Josh and Jake are surprised when an old friend stumbles back into their lives, taking their world by storm with old feelings, new feelings, and problems they never would have expected.

Josh Kiszka x Fem!Reader x Jake Kiszka

“And that looks like time.” Danny sighs, eyes having glanced from the clock to the sound board that Josh and Jake were still fiddling with. “Let’s pack it up.” He tells the room with folded arms.

Josh began to shake his head, fingers pushing through his curls. “Am I gonna have to re-record that again?” He inquires looking at Jake with an annoyance in his eyes, seeming to have ignored Danny. Josh could really get into the zone when it came to his own portion in a song, nitpicking even the smallest thing he did wrong; this perfectionism of course came from a good place, Josh just wanted everything to be as he envisioned it.

Jake rubbed his chin, “I’m not sure… I don't know if it's you or maybe if Danny just started a touch too early there.” He mutters, “Maybe if we move this back a little?” He lightly asks, starting to fiddle with a few of the slides.

Sam chimed in as he stood up, “I think Josh will have to re-record it, I think it's just the inflection he used.” He simply points out, patting Jake on the back, “Anyways, we do actually have to leave on time today, guys…” Sam reminds them as he throws his jacket on, knowing that his brothers would stay hours over time if no one was behind them for recording.

“Oh shit… yeah I forgot that they have someone coming in today.” Jake muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’ll leave it for now. Maybe we’ll see if we can re-record that line again when we come in next.” He shrugs, it was frustrating but unfortunately all part of the job. Revisions were almost always going to need to be made, a track rarely came together on the first few tries of mixing.

Josh lays his head back over the back of his chair, letting out a loud sigh, “God I just want this one to be done.” He groans loudly, his hand rubbing his eyes briefly before moving to get to his feet. “I feel like we’ve been stuck on it forever.”

Danny slipped his hands into his pockets starting towards the door, “I honestly think it’s fine, I don’t know if we really need to change it.” He admits, “I think you’ve just listened to it so much you’re getting in your own head about it.” As any artist could, when reading, staring, or in this case listening to something you’ve made for a long time you’ll always be on the lookout for something to correct… even if it's fine to begin with.

Josh shakes his head, “No we gotta change it.” He mutters, tucking his phone into his back pocket, “Sam’s right, it’s the inflection... it just doesn’t feel right there.” Josh simply admitted, unhappy that he would have to record this second yet again, but it had to be done.

Jake nodded as he began to put things back into their places, and grab their things they needed to bring with them. “We’ll fix it.” He simply sighs,

Josh had begun toward the door still shaking his head in disappointment, “God I just wish we didn’t have to fuck around with it more.”

Sam held the door open as the rest of the guys shuffled out of the room, “Just wait Josh we’ll have to screw around with the next one a lot more.” He informs with an exasperated laugh, knowing just how much of a mess the original takes were. The track was bad enough that they continuously pushed off working on it, not ready to take on the head ache quite yet.

“Don’t!” Josh sternly says, “I really don't want to even think about that one yet.” He laughs weakly, a slight pain shown in his eyes just from the mention of the track. Josh’s fingers pulled back his curls loosely once again as he and the others stepped out of the room.

“I better go and talk to Mark to make sure we’re still booked to come in Wednesday.” Jake tells the others, as they had begun down the hallway.

Mark was a partial owner of the studio and was also in charge of bookings, it became a ritual to make sure things hadn’t changed or been moved around for their next session. The others nodded, seeming to have expected as much, making their way to the office area of the building. They didn’t have to look for long as Mark, an older gentleman with a cleanly trimmed greying beard and a rather laid back style of dress, was standing in the main area chatting with his secretary.

“Uh, tell him I’ll call him in an hour, I have to head down to studio three and check and make sure things are running smoothly.” Mark says, before looking to the group of men and giving a warm smile. “Ah, I’ll be back in a little bit Angela, I gotta chat with these fellas.” He says respectfully. The woman simply nodded and returned to her desk, after giving the boys a friendly smile.

“Hello gentlemen!” Mark happily called, as he began over to them offering a handshake to each of them. “How are things going? Getting things figured out?”

Sam was one of the first to take the hand shake, “Not yet, this guy can’t quite get his bit right.” He laughed with a head nod to Josh,

Josh shook his head rather aggressively, “I dunno what it is man, I’ve tried it a million times and it just isn't fitting.”

Mark nods seeming to understand, “Eh, you guys will get it soon. You always do.” He muses, “I assume you guys need to be booked back in?”

Jake nods, “Yeah we’re supposed to be in on Wednesday, does that still work?” He asks,

Mark seems to think about it, “Hm… I’m not sure. I’d have to check the log,” he mutters, honestly not quite sure if he remembered to book them in the last time with things being so hectic. “Actually if you guys have a minute I’ve gotta head down to studio three anyways, I can check the log while I’m there for ya?”

Everyone seems to agree, they begin back down the hallways again. “Whose recording in there right now?” Josh asks curiously, knowing that they had recently signed a few more artists on at the studio.

“Oh yeah, is it that new guy? Uh… Kenneth?” Danny inquired, “He showed us a bit of what he was working on --- really talented guy.” He continued, Jake nodded in agreement knowing that Kenneth was also an excellent guitar player.

Mark quickly shook his head, “Nope, someone new, think she’s only been here a couple weeks now, she’s been working on her first EP.” Mark explains, turning another corner before stopping at the said studio room.

Mark gives a small knock as he led the group into the room, as soon as they stepped in they could see a man sitting at the sound board with a headset on, he held a button, turning on the overhead mic for the studio room, “And you’re good to start again in three, two--” He lightly pointed toward the glass ahead of him, a cue to tell the artist to begin whatever section they were at.

It was surprising, but the voice coming in overhead felt all too familiar to Josh. His brows furrowing as he looked to Jake, lightly pointing up as if to ask if he recognized it at all. The woman singing had an absolutely gorgeous voice, one anyone would envy upon hearing it. It was almost hypnotizing just how beautiful it was.

Mark smiled in a proud way as he looked into the studio room, “Clearly things are going smoothly in here.” He says to the man at the soundboard, the man nodded in agreement.

“You were right, she’s a natural.” He says with a smile, clearly making his job a lot easier.

The rest of the group carefully stepped into the room more, trying to peek into the studio room. As soon as Josh was able to see through the glass his eyes began to narrow; Jake too had a strong reaction as he looked wide eyed through the glass, he could only let out a small laugh in disbelief.

Mark waited a couple more seconds until the woman had finished the line to wave her to come out of the studio room. It only took a moment for the door to open and reveal a beautiful young woman, she was dressed in a business-like top with loose flowing pants. She didn’t seem to hold as much of a strong reaction to seeing Josh or Jake, just maintaining an almost cocky grin.

Mark pointed to her from across the room, he beginning to look through the log book, “Boys this is---”

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N).” Josh says, eyes still narrowed.

The woman’s eyes were slightly hooded, adding to the air of cockiness she had, “It’s good to see you again, Kiszka.” (Y/N) cooed, in a slightly condescending tone. She clearly knew that her presence would get this kind of reaction from him. “Been a long time~” She continues.

“Oh?” Mark says with furrowed brows, “You two know each other?” He asks lightly,

Sam couldn’t help but start laughing, "They went to high school together.” he says with a clearly amused smile.

(Y/N) clearly had changed a fair amount since they were in high school, as most people tend to do, but one very prominent thing that Jake could see was that she was much thinner than he remembered… but just as beautiful. Josh and (Y/N) were in many of the same classes during high school, and in every single one they shared they found something to be rivals over. Though they often bickered and called each other names they were really good friends and had been all throughout their time together.

“I wasn’t aware they accepted sirens at this label.” Josh says with a serious expression,

“Why wouldn’t they? They accepted a hobbit.” (Y/N) responds calmly, this making Josh smile rather widely and roll his eyes.

“It’s been too long, (Y/N).” He coos, moving to wrap an arm around her in a friendly way.

(Y/N) returned the small hug as she glanced at the others, “It definitely has!” She softly responds, “Man, Sam you’ve certainly changed since I saw you last!” She quickly says after having pulled back from the hug. (Y/N) not long after graduation had moved away to go to college, which meant the last time she had seen Sam he would have been fifteen.

Sam laughed a little, “Yeah… puberty does pretty wild things.” He mused, (Y/N) laughed at the response as she came to give him a small hug as well. It was strange but as soon as she came close Sam recognized her smell, it immediately brought back little memories. (Y/N) hung out at the Kiszka home rather regularly when she was still in Frankenmuth, Sam could clearly remember her helping him with his homework, playing card games with him and his brothers, and just her singing along to the music his parents would have playing in the home all the time.

(Y/N) looked to Danny and smiled politely, to which she soon offered him a hand to shake, “I don’t think we ever met. Danny right?” She inquires.

Danny smiled as he gently took her hand, giving it a small shake. “Yeah, it’s nice to meet you.” He tells her in a warm tone of voice.

“The pleasure is mine!” (Y/N) hums, she finally looks at Jake in a gentle way. “You can’t escape it!” She tells him as she simply opens her arms for one last hug, Jake smiles a touch as he moves to hug her back. “Good to see you Jake.” She utters lightly to him. Like Sam, her smell brought back memories, some good… and some bad. Unfortunately it also brought up certain feelings, feelings that he was certain he buried in high school.

“It’s good to see you too, (Y/N). You look…” Jake starts, seeming a little unsure how to finish the sentence, “...well?” He weakly finishes, with a crooked smile.

(Y/N) pulls back with a warm look in her eyes, “I would have accepted anything except fatter.” She muses lightly, seemingly able to tell that he had struggled to find a way to end the sentence. “Well from you at least.” She continued glancing back over at Josh in a knowing way,

“Hey, you know our mom taught us better than to make fun of a woman's weight!” Josh responds, before grinning, “Which is why it's perfectly fine, seeing as you aren’t a woman at all; rather you are nothing more than a she-devil!” Josh says pointing in something of an accusatory way.

(Y/N) snickered a little, suddenly remembering just how much she missed his antics. “Sounds sexy~” She hums, as she pushes her hand through her hair lightly, “Anyways! I should get back to it! But um… hey leave your numbers behind if you want. I’d love to get together and hang out again sometime. Catch up a bit?” (Y/N) said in a sure way.

Even Josh could tell that since her time away (Y/N) had become far more confident, it showed in the way she held herself and how her eyes looked over everyone. This fact made Josh smile a little, ‘Good for her.’ He thinks lightly to himself, knowing how much she had struggled with her self-confidence when they were young. “Can do!” He tells her, “I’ll make sure they use as much auto-tune as they can to keep your voice sounding so top notch.” He continues with a thumbs up as she opens the door leading back to the studio.

(Y/N) just shakes her head with a smile, “See you guys!” She waved lightly.

Jake lightly lifted his hand to wave back but the door was already shutting behind her. Mark soon was at his side, “Well that certainly worked out nicely! I guess it is a small world.” He mused, “Anyways, you guys are booked in for Wednesday, the time is a little later than usual though, hopefully that's alright.”

Jake wasn’t really paying attention, he in the back of his mind was still pushing back the feelings he had done so well locking away. Josh chimed in on his twins behalf, “Yeah that's fine.” Josh tells him, “You got a pen? I’m gonna do as that harlot asks so she doesn’t burn my house down later.”

Mark nods, handing one over as he walks back to the door. “I’ll see you boys later I’ve gotta check on a few more things still.” He says as he waved and exited swiftly.

Josh had already begun to scribble his number onto a napkin that had been sitting on one of the side tables in the room. As he finished he held up the pen to his brothers, though Danny took it before either of the other two could. “Hey now, what are you doing? She wanted our numbers?!” Sam laughed, “She has no idea who you are.”

Danny simply raised his brows, “Perhaps… mine was the only number she actually wanted.” He says as he raised his brow in a teasing way, Sam knew full well that Danny was only giving his number as a friendly gesture. Sam quickly took the pen from him not long after.

Jake stayed watching as she returned to the mic, returning her headset to its place on her head, not really noticing as Josh came and wrapped an arm over his brother's shoulder, “Definitely still pretty, huh?” Josh mused quietly. Josh had always known that Jake had a crush on (Y/N), and felt it was his job to tease him as much as he could about it.

Jake quickly looked to Josh with furrowed brows and a small smile, “Yeah I guess so.” He lightly laughs, seeming surprised by the question.

“I guess so?” Josh asked quizzically, “I was expecting a resounding yes from you.” He mutters, giving him a small squeeze, as he pretends to look saddened by his answer.

Jake lightly shrugged his arm off, “What can I say? Maybe she isn’t my type.” Jake says quietly, before going to take the pen from Sam. He considered not giving her his number, though it was brief as Jake didn’t want to make it seem like she had offended him or anything. With a small sigh, Jake wrote out his number and placed the napkin back on the table.

“Hey let her know where it is, would ya?” Josh asks the man on the soundboard who simply nodded.

With that the boys began to exit the room, Jake was the last to leave, he wanted to take one more look at her, taking this brief moment to give a small sad smile. ‘...I missed you.’ Jake thinks, before leaving the room.

#greta van fleet #greta van fic #josh kiszka x reader #jake kiszka #josh kiszka #sam kiszka #danny wagner #jake gvf #sam gvf #josh gvf #danny gvf #gvf fanfiction #gvf imagine #greta van fleet fan fiction #greta van fleet roleplay #gvf rp #gvf roleplay #jake kiszka x reader #what friends do

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tomboyneedshercoffee · 4 years

Text

Lovedust Pt.4 || Peter Parker x Stark Reader

Summary: As Josh and Y/N get closer, so does her relationship with Peter but when Peter’s health is on the line, it forces them to look at their relationship in a new light.

Word Count: 2.3k

Author’s Note: It’s literally 5 in the morning wow my sleep schedule is fucked up! Thank you for being patient and thanks for the feedback on how you guys view the idea of Y/N in fanfiction in general! Also let me know if you guys like it, it really helps to know you guys actually like my stuff!

Warnings: mild language, mentions of pain

part one || part two || part three || part four || part five || part six ||

part seven || part eight || epilogue

Once you were in Anatomy class, you dropped your head down onto the table and closed your eyes. You had spent all of last night studying for a math test and by the time you felt like you had everything down, it was already time to leave for school.

You didn’t know how you were going to make it through the day, especially since you were the type of person to be grumpy without a full eight hours of sleep.

“ Do my eyes deceive me or is Y/N sleeping in class?” Josh’s voice whispered from behind you as you straightened your back and turned around to face him,” I didn’t realize you were such a rebel.”

“ Josh is actually on time for class? I didn’t realize you were such a goodie-two-shoes,” You teased back as Josh smirked.

“ What can I say, I was extra motivated to show up to class today,” Josh said as he smiled wide at you.

You turned back around to hide how flushed your face was and tried to think about anything else. You weren’t sure how you truly felt about Josh but there was a small part of you that wouldn’t mind if you did have a small crush on him.

Everyone knew Josh to be a genuinely sweet guy and nobody ever had anything negative to say about him which only made you more attracted to him. Josh was the perfect student and the golden samaritan and it was about time you liked someone who wasn’t a complete asshole.

Class went on and you were thankful that Josh remained silent as he sat behind you for your own sake. It wasn’t until the end of class when your teacher introduced a new project that made Josh sit up a bit taller.

Once your teacher announced that you were able to pick your own partners Josh tapped your shoulder with his pencil and greeted you with a warm smile.

“ I think the universe is telling us that we should be partners,” Josh suggested as you tried to not act impressed,” would you want to work on this together? It’s cool if you don’t but I just thought since I already have your number, it would be easier.”

“ You have my number? ” You asked as you tried to remember if you did give it to him but you knew you definitely would’ve.

Josh pulled out his phone as he furrowed his eyebrows,” Huh, you’re right. Well in that case, gimme your number so I can call you sometime.”

Damn, he really was smooth.

You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh as you took his phone and started to enter your number,” Do you mean you’ll call me about the project?”

Josh playfully shrugged as you handed back his phone,” Well sure, that too. I actually wanted to ask if you needed a ride to the party on Saturday. I was going to go with my band but there isn’t enough room for all the equipment so we’re taking two cars. It’ll just be me, you, and a few speakers in the car if that’s okay?”

You didn’t think twice before accepting his offer,” Yeah that sounds great actually, thank you.”

“ Of course, it’s my pleasure, I’ll pick you up at nine,” Josh smiled as the bell rung,” do you mind if I walk you to class? I don’t want you to sleepwalk on the way there or anything.”

“ I wouldn’t mind at all,” You said sweetly as the two of you walked out of the classroom side by side.

---------

You took another look at your deck before placing one of your cards face down into the pile. You readjusted your body to lay stomach-down on your bed and eyed Peter suspiciously.

For the last hour and a half, you and Peter had been playing various card games after he had claimed to be better than you and since you both had competitive spirits, you knew you couldn’t’ let him spew lies.

Peter sat up on your bed with his legs crossed as his eyes darted from his cards to the movie playing in the background.

You and Peter had been hanging out more and more lately and you never realized how much fun it was to spend time with him. You couldn’t believe you two had gone from yelling and screaming insults at each other to playfully bantering as you hung out in your room.

“ What do I get if I win this round?” You ask as Peter let out a low chuckle.

“ Darling, you’re never going to beat me, I promise you that,” Peter said as he put down another card,” but if you win, maybe I could give you a kiss-from the store! Like those chocolate kisses, the Hershey ones!”

You clicked your tongue against the roof of your mouth and shook your head,” Nice save Parker, you were so close! But lets just say when I win...you owe me a favor. Nothing bad but maybe one day you’ll have to do my laundry or make me breakfast.”

“ You know I could do those things for you without having it be a favor,” Peter said as you took another look at your deck,” if anything, now would be the best time to ask me to do favors for you.”

You looked up at Peter for a moment before turning back to your deck of cards. You weren’t sure why his answer had made you feel a certain type of way but you felt guilty nonetheless.

The idea that because of Peter’s state, you could literally ask him to do anything for you and he would do it without a second guess made you feel gross. You never would want to take advantage of him when you knew he wasn’t in the right state of mind and you would hope that if it were the other way around, he would give you the same respect.

“ We can wait until after you’re cured,” You assured him as you showed Peter your winning deck with a smirk,” what were you saying about how I would never beat you?”

Before Peter could answer, the complex shook from underneath the foundation and the lights throughout the building shut off.

You hardly paid any attention to it since things were always going on around the complex to mess with the power and after a few seconds of waiting, the power came back on and you moved your attention to the cards on the bed.

“ What do you think it is this time?” Peter asked as you handed him the rest of the cards so he could reshuffle them.

You shrugged as you sat up from the bed and looked out towards your window that looked out to the landing pad,” Well there’s not some spaceship outside so I’m guessing it came from the labs, speaking of which, my dad said they've been working extra hard and they think they found something.”

“ That’s good news,” Peter said as he felt a bit of relief,” I want everything to go back to normal...I won’t lie, I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

As each day passed, Peter’s mental and physical health declined drastically. From agonizing insomnia to tight chest pains, Peter felt like his body was turning on him and he had never felt this type of pain before.

Peter knew that this lovedust wasn’t temporary and the only way his pain would stop would be when a cure was found. In the beginning, he found himself to mostly be embarrassed around you and what would accidentally spill out of his mouth but now, he found so much comfort in being near you because that was the only way his pain would stop.

“ I’m sorry I can’t do anything to help. If there was a way to take all of your pain for myself, you know I would,” You said as Peter shook his head.

“ No, absolutely not. The way this dust messes with my mind and my body… I would never want you to go through something like this. You know how I was with my spidey senes? This is a hundred times stronger than that and your whole existence is underneath a microscope that I physically can’t pry away from but at the same time, I don’t want to look away,” Peter said as you grabbed one of your pillows and hugged it against your chest,” When I think about you, -which is all the time- I can feel myself getting more anxious-but in a good way- and then when I finally see you, it literally takes my breath away.”

You couldn’t help but let out a burst of laughter as Peter awkwardly laughed with you,“ God Parker, you’re so cheesy. Are you saying the lovedust made me pretty?”

Peter’s cheeks flushed as he sunk into his seat shyly,” You were always pretty. Even before the lovedust, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I ever saw.”

Now it was your turn to stop laughing as your smile dropped into a ‘seriously?’ look. The idea of Peter ever thinking you were pretty had never even crossed your mind but now that he was confessing that he did even before the lovedust made your heart skip a beat.

You weren’t sure why you were nervous all of a sudden but you couldn’t even bring yourself to respond.

Luckily, you didn’t have to because not even a moment later, a loud knock came from the other side of the door and you could hear your dad’s voice.

“ Y/N, can I come in?” Tony asked as you and Peter’s eyes opened wide, silently panicking.

Your dad had specifically told you almost every day that you were meant to stay away from Peter and you knew that if he found out, you would be grounded for the rest of your life. Your dad was a great parent but the reason that your relationship with him worked was because of trust and honesty.

The rule was that he would always be honest with you if you were honest with him and you knew how much it would hurt him if he found out you were seeing Peter behind his back.

You pushed Peter off the bed in a panic as he looked back at you confused. You pointed underneath your bed as Peter shimmied under it without a second thought.

You quickly went to the door and opened it wide to see your dad standing there in his lab coat.

“ Have you seen your boyfriend? He needs to do another round of tests before bed and I can’t find him anywhere,” Your dad said as he walked past you and sat right on the edge of your bed.

“ Um, excuse me, don’t contaminate my bed with your lab coat! And nope, not since you explicitly told me not to,” You said as you sat across from him at your desk,” Also, wow boyfriend? I thought I wasn’t supposed to have one until I’m forty? ”

You purposely tried to keep your eyes away from the bottom of the bed but you knew how easy it would be to lock eyes with Peter who was looking up at you.

“ And I still stand by that. All boys are dumb and immature with the exception of any who live in this complex,” Tony looked over at the neatly stacked cards and started to shuffle them.

“ Uncle Scott doesn’t live here,” you pointed out as your dad nodded,” and Uncle Steve just visits.”

“ Did I stutter?” He said as you let out a small laugh,” But now that I’m here, I wanted to talk to you about Peter and what we discovered so far. I don’t want to scare you but his condition is getting severe and I feel like you should know what’s going on.”

You darted your eyes towards the bottom of your bed but quickly looked back at your dad.

“ Um, does Peter know what’s going on?” You asked as your dad shook his head.

If there was any chance that whatever your dad was about to say could mentally or physically break down Peter, you didn’t want it to be from Peter listening in underneath your bed.

“ No and he can’t know,” your dad sighed as you shifted in your seat,” I think it would mess with his head and we need his morale to be high. You cannot tell him but we discovered-”

“Dad um, I’m really tired and I have school in the morning. Can we talk about this another time?” You interrupted as your throat suddenly felt dry,” school has me drained and I don’t think I’m emotionally ready for any other curveballs.”

Your dad only nodded as he got up from the bed and pressed a kiss onto your forehead,“ Alright kiddo, don’t stay up too late. After school, I want you up in the lab with Banner and I, we could use your help,” Tony said casually as you gave him a small smile.

“ Okay, no problem, goodnight,” You said as your dad closed your bedroom door behind him.

You waited a second and thought things over as Peter scooted out from underneath your bed.

You turned your head to look at Peter and as you two locked eyes for a moment, it was as if you two were both apologizing by just one glance. You wanted to tell him that everything would be okay and that no matter what, Peter would be able to be back to normal yet you knew you shouldn’t promise things you couldn’t keep.

Peter knew that you wanted to spare his feelings but he would’ve given anything to find out what his mentor was keeping from him. For the first time since he made contact with the lovedust, he felt defeated and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

You didn’t want to lie to him but it was hard to do that when you knew you should comfort and console him.

The idea that something was really wrong with Peter besides a few embarrassing word vomits terrified you and you never thought that it would ever get so serious.

“ Peter, I will always be here if you need anything...No matter what, you’ll always have me,” You said as Peter’s jaw clenched.

You knew those weren’t the best things to hear at a time like this but you couldn’t bring yourself to lie and tell him that everything will work out when you didn’t have all of the information.

Peter got up from the ground and stood over you, his dull eyes felt like they were looking through you instead of at you,” Just...don’t give up on me, okay?”

You bit the inside of your cheek and nodded as Peter gave you one final look before exiting your room.

As soon as the door closed behind Peter, he felt his knees buckle in as he slid down on the other side of the door and did his best not to cry.

Every time Peter exhaled, he felt like his throat was on fire and the only way he could describe the feeling in his chest was imagining loose telegraph wires electrocuting a swimming pool. As his breathing became more rapid and shallow, all he could think about was how to stop the pain.

He didn’t know that being in love could ever feel this painful but Peter hated it. He hated the feeling of being so helpless and he hated himself for always thinking of you.

Every thought of him holding you close to his chest, him pressing his lips against yours, and him telling you over and over again how much he loved you felt corrupted and only brought more pain.

But if Peter really thought about it, he would never take any of it back. If being in love with you meant that there was a chance he could literally die, then that was a risk he was willing to take.

@eridanuswave @juliet-winterson @akacalumtrash @ilovepeterparker13

@parkerboop @juliebean247 @multi-fan-lover @ffffan-----girlll @lukesbabylon

@danicarosaline @parkeret @marvel4geeks @hollander69 @spideyyeet @spn-assemble-seven @vibraniumdaisies @spaghetittiesbcimgay @vi-bi-bye

@lemonsnips @aduky @faithfullcompanion @stopthemotherfuckingmusic

@satellitespidey @foreverpark @marvelobsessedteenager @deadpoetsbackup

@zalladane @starcourt-s @parkersinfinitywar @stargazingcarol @littlesugarb

@itsteph13 @jennasmmith @liljennyx3 @harryspet @todaynotseen @oh-whatabeautiful-parker @tiny-friggin-human @popluckbih niiight-dreamerrrr sovereignparker marie-is-in-the-dark buckyboy-soldier maia030 parkershoco wolverinesbeer cherrysruin sunkissdes kiainspace songofcosplay spideylovin write-from-the-heart thatcrazywhovian09 eternallyvenus thollandx msrawog idiosadeoro imawkwardandhereweare foundwolves thequeen-oni silverwolf-sama inspiring-bea multiversegalaxygirl lastupidebitchette idekwho1am

silverwolf-sama wishing-wanting annoyinglyloudcomputer faithful-music akacalumtrash agusdoti panickedbrain serendipitous-amor shannonthewriter-blog darth-andy farfromtom xroselights murdermornings dorbiksbitch baby-unidorn yes-multi-fandom-girl multiversegalaxygirl a-disappointing-teen-author

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alphabet-blues · 3 years

Photo

Here it is, chapter one of my baby, my magnum opus. This fic is going to be so long so I hope you guys are buckled up and ready. Each chapter also is accompanied by a literature/media excerpt and five song mini-mix as a YouTube playlist. - Venom

Read on Ao3

Title: drowning lessons

Pairing: Harley Keener/Peter Parker

Fandom: Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and MCU

Chapter: One

Rating: Explicit

Content Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Tags: Angst, Depression, References to Depression, References to Drugs, Graphic Drug usage, Addiction, Graphic Usage of Opioids, Dubious Consent, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, brief mentions of forced prostitution, Suicidal Ideation, Suicidal Thoughts, drug overdose, Graphic Depiction of a Drug Overdose, Getting Together, Fluff, Banter, The Euphoria Fic, Blowjobs, Alternate Universe - College/University, Drug Addict Harley, Aged-Up Harley Keener, Aged-Up Peter Parker, Drowning Lessons, Falling In Love, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags Are Hard, Tony Stark Acting as Harley Keener's Parental Figure, Harley Keener Needs a Hug, Underage Drinking, Partying, Purchasing of Drugs, Harley's Nirvana Hoodie is a character

Summary: It all started with a house party and a bad idea, like most things in Harley’s life.

In which Harley takes pills, listens to Nirvana, and doesn't want to be alive anymore.

Falling for Peter is easier than breathing, and also the least of his problems.

(Also known as the Parkner Euphoria Fic)

Mini-Mix 1 for Chapter 1

The Pool Players. Seven at the Golden Shovel.

We real cool. We Left school. We

Lurk late. We Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We Die soon.

- Gwendolyn Brooks

It all started with a house party and a bad idea, like most things in Harley’s life.

He was 14, and it was his first party. Well, not his first party, but his first party with actual high schoolers that involved booze that wasn’t snuck out from a parent’s meticulous liquor cabinet. Harley though, didn’t have much of a taste for alcohol.

The smell of beer on people’s clothes was tainted by memories of his Father. He’d had his first beer when he was 10, given to him by his Uncle with strict orders not to tell his Mother. It was bitter, rancid, and burned as it went down and Harley couldn’t understand how people loved this stuff. Or how his Father had chosen this over their family.

The party was a little ways out from the main road and tucked behind a line of trees that led to a few rolling fields of corn. It was October, and there was a slight chill in the air. The corn had been combined at the end of summer, leaving a desecrated patch of land in its wake. By the time next summer rolled around, there would be stalks nearly as tall as Harley. He was fascinated by the cycle of it all.

Technically, there wasn’t supposed to be any freshman at the party, but he had weaseled an invite from his friend Joey’s older brother, Mike, as long as he followed his strict orders to “be cool.” Harley could do that.

When Harley made his way into the house he watched the different crowds of upperclassmen interact. Some were dancing to the loud thumping of the music playing from the speakers by the TV in the living room, while others were huddled into tight groups, either drinking, or passing a joint around. An ache settled inside Harley’s chest.

Harley committed to his role of being a wallflower and held back from all of the groups as he made his way through the house. He had sat on the couch for close to a half-hour when someone passed him a joint and told him to take a hit. Harley did, and was careful not to choke so he didn’t look green at his first-ever real party.

The joint in question got passed around their circle a few more times until someone put it out. At that point, Harley had taken several puffs and was starting to feel light-headed and fuzzy, but in a good way.

The ache in his chest morphed - it spread warmth over Harley’s ribs and clavicle, but it still burned.

Harley floated through the house afterwards, giggling at nothing, and took whatever was offered. He drank something bitter and sour that made him want to hurl before he was passed something sickly sweet but felt like acid as it washed down. When he finally stumbled out of the house he felt a happy buzz wash over him. He could barely feel the cold nip of the air, and goosebumps raised all up along his arms.

He found his bike where he had discarded it on the grass lawn when he arrived. It was hard to see in the dark, especially with his head swimming, but he managed to pull his bike onto the road. The wind of the night air blew through his shaggy overgrown hair as it fell in his eyes. He biked down the eerily quiet streets of his hometown as the persistent aching in his chest eventually subsided, for the first time since it had arrived. No one was around, and his ears were filled with static due to the lack of sound - a sharp contrast from the thudding bass of the party.

He fell off his bike twice before he got home, and winced as his elbow got scratched up from the gravel. But instead of being frightened, he was elated, he couldn't really feel it. He snuck back into his room through the window he kept unlocked for that exact purpose, and made sure to be as quiet as possible, even though the motor functions in his hand were failing him and it took him multiple tries to get his window up.

He changed his clothes, noting how they smelled, and buried them deep into the bottom of his hamper so his Mom wouldn’t get suspicious. When he finally collapsed onto his bed he felt sated. He was warm, and the rocking of his bed from his head spinning as he closed his eyes lulled him to sleep.

It was probably the best sleep he’d gotten in years.

That was the start, but it wasn’t the beginning.

The beginning was not quite a year later, at the start of summer break. He was invited to a pool party by Mike’s friends. As soon as the sun went down they all changed out of their bathing suits and into t-shirts, and shorts. They relocated to Maddy’s basement - the girl who had been throwing the party. Harley was expecting the alcohol, and the weed. He’d gotten used to it by now, and even knew how to roll one of the best joints in town. He kept a stash in a sealed bag buried deep inside his nightstand that he would pull out and smoke in the backyard by the shed whenever things got overwhelming. Or, for when that well-known emptiness crept into his veins, that instead of making him angry, just made him sad, and desolate.

He was used to the weed, but the pills were something new. He was halfway through a joint that he had matched with a girl he vaguely recognized. She had introduced herself as “Tasha” when one of Mike’s friends stumbled over and sat down next to him. Harley passed the joint over to Tasha. His head was swimming pleasantly, and he grinned over at the guy who he was pretty sure was named Toby.

“Look what Jessica’s sister brought,” Toby said excitedly as he held up a baggy with a bunch of tiny perfectly round blue pills. “She’s like the fucking tooth fairy, I swear to God,” He crowed as he handed a pill to Harley and one to Tasha. Tasha glanced over at Harley nervously, and Harley didn’t say anything until Toby left, probably to go distribute the pills to the other partygoers.

Harley looked down at the pill he had clutched in his palm. It had a ‘5’ etched big in the center, with a smaller ‘325’ carved under it. Harley recognized the pills from health class. It was percocet.

Tasha finished the joint and then stubbed it out on a spare plate that everyone had been using as a makeshift ashtray. “I’m gonna go see what Josh is up to,” She told Harley in a small voice before handing him the pill she had been given. “I’m good with just weed.”

Harley nodded dumbly as he watched her scamper off. He took in the scene of the party going on around him as he stared at the now two pills in his hand. It felt like an old cartoon where there was an angel and devil sitting on his shoulder arguing over what he should do. He stared at it for entirely too long before he said, “Fuck it,” and swallowed one down dry. He tucked the other one into his weed grinder for safekeeping, figuring that even if he hated how it made him feel he could probably sell it to someone at school for a couple of dollars.

The next twenty minutes passed slowly as he waited anxiously for it to kick in, to see how it would feel. He didn’t feel anything for the first while and was gonna accuse Jessica’s sister of being an idiot and buying counterfeit pills when it started washing over him in waves. He went out to the back deck where the pool was, and where it was relatively empty. He sat down on the edge as his eyes went half-massed, and the ribbons of euphoria made their way through his bloodstream.

For a blissful while he didn’t feel anything. Nothing at all. He laid out flat, head facing the water, and started swirling circles in it with his pointer finger. He watched for what felt like hours as his finger caused ripples in the pool.

It wasn’t until later, much later, when Joey was helping him into his house quietly, because he was too fucked up to stand, that he pulled the grinder out of his pocket. He opened it once Joey had gone home and looked at the little pill inside of it. Harley didn’t understand alcohol, but he understood this. He would do anything to feel nothing again.

It wasn’t an all-or-nothing type beat, at least in the beginning. It was more gradual. As the low simmer of Harley’s misery built so did his coping mechanisms. It wasn’t until right after he turned 16 that he was sneaking out to parties every single weekend, coming back high, drunk, or sometimes something worse.

He bought from Jessica’s sister for a while until she left town. Then, he bounced around various dealers getting wildly different qualities. He tried a little bit of everything, and never turned down a pill if it was offered. He passed out in so many different basements he lost track. He could tell that his Mom was catching on to his worsening attitude and sunken eyes. Hell, even he had noticed the weight he had lost and how he was able to count most of his ribs without sucking in anymore. None of that mattered. All that mattered was how he could get rid of the emptiness inside of him, even if it was just for a night, or however long the drugs in his system lasted.

He got a job bagging groceries at the mini-mart downtown. Most of the people that he worked with were college burnouts who sold and did drugs whenever they weren’t showing up for a shift. He bought baggies of pills in the parking lot whenever he got off work with the money he made from his minimum wage. He knew that he couldn’t keep up the delicate balance forever, and eventually there would be a tipping of the scales.

It was a month before his 17th birthday when he ran out of money.

He needed a fix so bad that his hands were shaking and he could barely see straight. He had nearly crashed his bike 10 times on his way over to Tyler’s apartment. He wasn’t the best of dudes, but his shit was always pure, and Harley knew he could deliver.

Once Harley climbed up the steps he walked along the railing until he got to the door that led to Tyler’s apartment. He rang the doorbell as he fidgeted with his hoodie and dug his fingers into his palm so hard he nearly drew blood. When Tyler opened the door he followed him inside, chewing on his lip.

Tyler went back to his room as Harley waited anxiously in the foyer. He didn’t have any money, and he didn’t know what he was going to do. All he knew was that he needed another pill. He needed everything to stop. He bit his thumb as he waited for Tyler to come back out. After a few tense moments, Tyler came back out with a baggy full of familiar pills. He sat them down on the coffee table and glanced at Harley expectantly.

“I can pay you back next Friday. That’s when I get paid,” Harley told him, his tongue feeling thick in his mouth.

Tyler sucked on his teeth and grabbed the pills back up, before Harley had a chance to reach for them. “You still owe me for last time.”

Harley’s stomach dropped. “Right. I know that. Just- ... I can pay you back next week.”

Tyler shook his head. “And what’s in it for me?”

Harley’s eyes widened as he took in the setting of what was going on. “W-what do you mean?”

Tyler shrugged. “How bad do you want ‘em, kid?”

Harley bristled, and brought the sleeves of his hoodie down to hide his hands. He wanted to hide from the situation completely, but knew he’d be right back here tomorrow if he didn’t leave with the pills that he needed. “What do you want?”

“I heard you gave Colson head at the bonfire party a few months ago,” Tyler said, as Harley’s face burned. “You any good?”

Harley counted to 10 in his head. He thought about a lot of things in the time it took for him to count. He thought about his Mom, his Dad, and his sister. He thought about his one English teacher from the previous year who always had an absurd amount of faith in him and told him that he was capable of great things if he just put his mind to it. He thought briefly about Tony and his billions of dollars while here he was broke as shit and questioning his morals. He thought about Colson, who he’d had a crush on for a couple of months, who let him blow him at a party and then told him afterwards that he wasn’t gay, and that they probably shouldn’t do it again. Lastly, he thought about how shaky his hands were and how all of this would be over as soon as he got his hand on the pills. There were five in the baggy. If he paced himself he could last until next Friday when he got paid and he would never have to do this again.

With that resolve in mind, he closed his eyes and dropped to his knees.

| | |

When he left Tyler’s apartment he couldn’t stop wiping at his mouth, and how it felt dirty and raw. He got halfway down the street before he let his bike fall to the ground and bent over to wretch into the grass on the side of the road. He didn’t have much in his system so it was mostly just bile, but anything, literally anything, was better than the lingering taste of Tyler’s cum in his mouth that only served to remind him what he had let him do.

Once he gathered his wits back up, he was able to make it to the 7-Eleven that was only a few blocks away from his house. He parked his bike in the bike rack outside half in a daze, feeling like he was no longer inside his body. He went into the bathroom with his hood up, and made sure nobody else was inside. He wiped down the edge of the sink with soap, and dried it meticulously with the thin paper towels from the machine. He took one of the pills out of the baggie and smashed it until it was basically powder. He spread it with his finger into a line on the edge of the sink and snorted all of it in one go.

As soon as he did he felt the immediate head rush and stinging pain in his nasal cavity that made his eyes burn and well up with tears. He grabbed onto the sink for dear life as he took several deep breaths. He looked up and finally made eye contact with himself in the mirror. His hair was a messy tangle, and greasy, on top of his head. His eyes were bloodshot, and his nose was red, as well as his mouth, which looked rubbed raw. In a certain light, it could have been enticing, but Harley knew that he just really looked wrung out.

He glared at his reflection in the mirror until someone else walked into the bathroom. Harley froze in place and waited till the guy took his position at one of the far down urinals. “Whatever,” he whispered to his reflection as he turned around and left the bathroom, wiping at his nose with the bottom of his hoodie sleeve. The moment he reached his bike he felt it start to kick in and he breathed out a sigh of relief as the telltale rush he had gotten used to spread from his head down his shoulders, all the way to his toes as his chest flooded with warmth.

He just had to make it until next Friday, and then everything was going to be okay.

| | |

The thing was, Harley was a pretty angry person. He wasn’t angry all the time, but the slightest thing could set him off. He had a temper like his Dad, and it was always hard to stop himself from doing something rash, or impulsive. His Mom liked to say that he thought with his fists before his head. His anger was more like a low simmer, on a backburner constantly until something set him off and he snapped. It had only gotten worse since he started the pills, but so had everything in his life. He knew he had a problem, but that didn’t mean he wanted to stop.

Harley had been getting into fights at school for almost as long as he could remember. There was a day in elementary school where he had to wait outside the principal's office with a split lip and torn-up knuckles. He could hear his Mom crying through the door, he could hear her saying how tough it had been since Harley’s Dad had left and it made him feel awful. But, it also kind of just made him want to punch stuff more.

Kids at school were mean, but all kids who are growing are mean, and seem to have endless bouts of nasty shit to say. They picked on Harley because he was weird, and nerdy, and his Dad had left. There wasn’t even a divorce like some of the other kids in his class. He didn’t have elusive tales of two Christmases, or weekends at his Dad’s - all he eventually got was Tony Stark showing up in his garage when he was 9, before he fucked off just like everybody else. Sure, he had decked out his garage, but that didn’t mean much. Tony was a fucking billionaire, it was probably the equivalent of him giving a homeless kid on the street a 5 dollar bill.

Harley got better at learning how to deal with his anger. He also got better at not getting punched, and throwing his own. He learned how to hide bloody knuckles, or bloody noses, and only got pulled into the office a handful of times. They made him go to the school counselor and she said it was a coping mechanism; that the violence was a way for him to act out and ask for attention. Harley thought she was mostly a quack who didn’t actually give a shit about the kids she was supposed to be helping. The fighting had been self-defense, but the pills? He could admit that those were probably the coping mechanism.

Harley thought about his school counselor as he locked the door to his room and threw the baggy of pills that he had worked so hard for into his nightstand, under a pile of books he was supposed to be reading for class and knew he never would. He wondered what she would think of him now, or what he had done. He laughed mirthlessly at the picture of her horrified face as he told her that the school system had failed him, just like his Dad, and just like everybody fucking else.

Despite everything, his grades were good. Harley was smart. He knew he was smart, and that was half of his problem. He stopped having to try in school after the second week of 6th grade. He always showed up, and always finished his work though, even if he was working on his projects high out of his fucking mind. He usually wrote his best papers that way.

Sometimes, not often, but sometimes, he thought about his Dad. He thought about what his Dad would say to him and his pills. Maybe an outsider would draw parallels to him and his Father, from one addict to another. He wasn’t anything like his Father, though. Yeah, Harley had a problem, but he was still here, still doing the shit he was supposed to be doing. He was still a functioning member of society as far as he was concerned and hadn’t ran away as soon as things had gotten tough. His Father was a coward and that’s all he’d ever be.

Sometimes though, sometimes, in the dead of night when he was shaking and sweating from either a comedown, or withdrawal, he would try to discern if his Dad would be sad, if he even gave a shit at all. He wondered if he would be disappointed.

Whenever those thoughts took hold he would just text one of his friends to see if a party was going on, and there usually was. He’d smoke a joint, or take a pill that was offered and suddenly he’d forget all about the thoughts that had previously been consuming him.

But the thing about all of his anger is that he would gladly take it over the sadness. There was a hole inside of him. He wasn’t quite sure when it formed, but it was there. It threatened to consume him whole on nights he was alone and could only stare at the popcorn ceiling of his bedroom. The only time when he didn’t feel empty was when he had some chemical pumping through his veins. So that became his thing.

He couldn’t ignore though, how it was hurting everyone he loved. Abbie and his Mom never said anything, but sometimes it was like they knew. They would give him a look with their sad eyes like they wanted to help him, like they somehow had the capability to heal him. When he came home on certain nights, pupils blown and speech slurred, his Mom would look at him like he was his Father.

Maybe he was slowly becoming his Father.

Either way, it hurt, and he couldn’t stop. The only thing that didn’t hurt anymore was the dizzying rush he got whenever he snorted the pills that he had come to love so much.

There was one night that Harley could remember. He had slammed his bike on the front porch a little hard, and had made a little too much noise coming in through the window of his bedroom. He was high as shit and the world was thick, but buzzing around him. He changed out of his jeans into an undershirt, his hands fumbling and not working right, like they were no longer connected to his brain. When he finally finished his task he stumbled out into the hallway to go to the bathroom before he could pass out for school in the morning.

As soon as he got to the door of the bathroom he could hear his Mom talking in the living room, and he froze. Her voice was muffled, but he could still make out what she was saying. It sounded like she was on the phone with someone, which wouldn’t be an unusual occurrence for her, especially at this time of the night. It always made Harley smile whenever he would come home and she would be gabbing excitedly with one of her girlfriends, or spilling town gossip. This time, however, Harley could tell she wasn’t chatting with her friends.

“He’s just been so withdrawn. I know he sneaks out of the house almost every night and I don’t know if I should let him have his freedom or be concerned.” Harley heard her say, her voice sapped, and weary. “He’s so bright. You know that. I’m worried that’s going to be what gets him.” She paused for a while, so someone else on the phone must have said something. Harley took that time to let his head fall against the door of the bathroom.

Harley had a feeling the conversation was about him and it made him sick. His fuzzy brain was taking in all the words she was saying and knew that he didn’t want her to feel that way. He didn’t want her to worry. But he also couldn’t stop. His brain was whirring all the time and the only thing that ever gave him peace; a fucking reprieve, stopped the voice in his head - the one that sounded like his Father, the one that told him he was a waste of space, that he was nothing - were the pills that he took, or snorted, whichever was easier, or quicker, really. At least when he was high he was a good nothing.

“No, I know. And he’s so good sometimes. He’ll be happy and chatty, and he’s always been so good with Abbie...it could just be a teenager thing. Sometimes I’m just at a loss. I know he needs something, but I don’t know what that is.”

The world to stop turning, Harley thought, with a sudden flash of vengeance. If there was one thing he could write on his Christmas list it would be for the world to stop turning, and for him to stop breathing. But that would definitely cause his Mom more concern and he didn’t want that.

He didn’t want to listen to the conversation anymore, so he made sure to open the bathroom door obviously, and took a few stomping steps inside, hitting his hand on the counter in the process, that way she would be alerted to his presence in the hallway.

He couldn’t make out her voice after that.

Harley stared at his face in the mirror. He took in his red eyes, pupils swallowing his irises, skin pale and sickly. At one point he might have been something to look at, with sweeping blonde hair, and a crooked grin that his Mom used to always pinch and say was her favorite.

He didn’t look like that anymore.

He didn’t even look like himself anymore. His outside finally matched his inside - a hollow shell of someone pretending to be a person.

When he got out of the bathroom his Mom was no longer on the phone, and he couldn’t pretend to be anything other than absolutely exhausted, so he shuffled into his room and fell back onto his bed. He played the words she had said on the phone call over and over again in his head until he fell asleep.

| | |

Harley was smart, brilliant, actually, that was the thing. School was a breeze, but he knew that even though he kept his grades up, every time he snuck back in through his bedroom window his Mom was disappointed in him. He knew that she had no idea what he was doing, but she also wasn’t stupid, and somehow knew he was close to doing something that would throw his life away.

If only she knew that this was the only way he could keep on living. If only she knew he probably would have slit his wrists in the bathroom if those tiny little blue pills hadn’t kept him company, and drove away all the malicious clawing thoughts that flickered through his brain constantly.

Harley had an affinity for building things. He also had an affinity for hacking, which would have been worrisome if he wasn’t good enough to hardly ever get caught. After he burned his bridges with Tyler he started exploring his other options. Hacking into the local hospital’s database was so easy it was almost laughable.

He quickly learned it was going to be a dead-end because they kept all their opioids in a Pill-O-Matix which was an automatic drug dispenser that used doctors’ credentials to unlock it. Even if Harley could somehow bypass it he would have to disable the security cams, and it wasn’t something he could do on a regular basis. It wasn’t worth it.

After that, he did some digging into his local pharmacy, but that was mostly a dead end as well. Their computer systems were out of date, but most of their pill tracking was manual, as it was a tiny small-town pharmacy. If any of their opioids went missing they would surely be noticed.

So Harley started bouncing around dealers again. He knew it was dangerous. But the hole inside of him was just as, if not more dangerous, so he knew what he had to do. He got shitty pills from freshmen with older siblings that dealt; who didn’t know the worth of what they were selling. On one occasion he got a set of pills of oxy that were cut with speed that made his heart race and he felt like he was having a low-grade heart attack for hours.

He didn’t want to be this way - a junkie. But he found something that worked when nothing else had. He could feel himself getting worse and worse and knew rock bottom was just around the corner. But he couldn’t stop. He didn’t know if it was a sick desire to actually hit rock bottom and to see what that felt like, or if his own self-control had finally waned to a point of no return.

It all came to a head a week before his high school graduation.

Graduation parties were popping up all over the place, and Harley wasn’t about to miss any of them. It wasn’t so much that he wanted to see his friends (friends that he could barely even call friends anymore because he didn’t really talk to anyone who wasn’t going to eventually sell him drugs).

It wasn’t even that he wanted to have a nostalgic cry fest with all the people who had tortured him his entire adolescence. He just wanted to get as smashed as possible so he could forget everything. Then he wouldn’t have to think about college, which he couldn’t afford, or all of the stress that came with being on the cusp of adulthood.

He could tell that something was off as soon as he took the first pill. He got high quicker than usual, and he also felt higher than what was normal. He relished the buzz, every second of it, and used his impairment as an excuse as to why he took another one, and another one once it was offered. He was never one to turn down free drugs. By the time the third one kicked in he could barely walk outside. He must have fallen on the grass lawn because one minute he was looking at the driveway that led to the house, and the next minute he was blinking up at the night sky.

He didn’t even realize that he was puking until someone was rolling him over with a bruising grip on his arms and back. The bile that had been clogging his throat rose and fell out of his mouth as he heaved and heaved. He puked into the grass for what felt like ages until he tried to focus his eyes and could only make out a vague blob of a person standing over him.

“Fuck, Harley,” he could hear the voice saying, but it was distant. It sounded like they were crying, but he couldn’t figure out why they would be crying. Harley opened his mouth to speak but when he did he only choked on bile once again until he was forced to spit it out in the grass.

A loud ringing was in his ears and all the talking he could hear was muffled and unintelligible. He started shivering violently and couldn’t stop. The hand that was holding him reached for something in the pocket of his jeans but Harley could barely feel it. He came back to himself enough to glance over with glassy eyes and recognized the person as Joey. Fuck. He shouldn’t be seeing him like this.

Joey had a phone pressed to his ear, and Harley tried to piece all the details together to figure out what was going on but it was hard to think. All he could feel was the sudden pounding in his head and how his whole body ached in a way that made him feel like he had just been run over by a semi.

It could’ve been hours later, or only a few minutes, time was passing weird for Harley. But suddenly he was seeing his Mom. She was pale as a ghost as her face floated in front of him, blocking his view of the night sky. “Mom?” Harley said, not quite believing what was in front of him. Just saying those words scratched against his raw throat and suddenly Harley was so, so tired. All he wanted to do was go to sleep and never wake up.

“Harley, baby.” His Mom said, her cool hands pressed against his face. He was burning up. When did that happen? “What did you take? We need to know what you took.”

“I didn’t take anything,” Harley mumbled out, his words barely coming out as sounds or words. His Mom must have understood because her face turned thunderous.

“What did you take!” She yelled, her voice turning shrill as she screamed. Harley winced and his eyes fell shut until someone was shaking him, causing him to blearily open his eyes again. His Mom and Joey were like little pale-faced moons over his head as he could hardly make out the details of their faces, or why they were looking at him like that, or why they were so concerned. Couldn’t Harley just go to sleep?

“...hospital,” He heard his Mom say distantly. Then jerkily he was being pulled up by two pairs of hands until he was upright. The movement jostled him and his head fell back painfully like a rag doll. The sudden motion caused him to start puking again, and he bent over and heaved on an empty stomach which only made his throat feel like it had been hacked at with razor blades. Every inch of his body hurt.

He didn’t realize he had been put into a car until he was laying in the backseat while Joey held his head, probably to make sure he didn’t choke on his own vomit again. This was one of his worst nightmares. He could hardly think but suddenly he was stuck in a spiral of guilt so strong that it choked him even further. He could taste the bile he had been throwing up all over his mouth and tongue, and could hear his Mom crying from the front seat.

He was so sorry.

Nobody should be seeing him like this. All he wanted was to go home and pretend like none of this was even happening.

“I’m sorry,” Harley said, even though it was hard for him to talk. He wasn’t sure if he was talking to his Mom, Joey, or possibly both. “I’m sorry,” he kept saying in between the tears that were rolling down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry.”

That was the last thing he remembered before he fell asleep.

| | |

When Harley woke up he was in a brightly lit hospital, and was lying in a bed. He had various wires hooked to his arms and he felt like death warmed over. Once he was able to blink through the blinding lights and focus on the room he noticed Abbie and Mom, both sound asleep in their own respective guest chairs. A lump formed in his throat as it settled in his bones what had happened.

| | |

After his Mom woke up they fought for what felt like hours. Eventually, it led to her crying as she said she didn’t know what to do. The pills Harley had taken at the party had been laced with fentanyl, and they had caused him to OD. The doctors had told her that he showed signs of having a long-term opioid addiction and would have to go through detox before he would be released. Harley had denied it vehemently until his Mom had told him to cut the bullshit.

In the time that it had taken him to recover he had missed graduation, and hadn’t been able to walk across the stage like the rest of his classmates. Harley pretended that it didn’t sting.

It was clear that his Mother didn’t know what to do with him, and Harley didn’t know what hurt worse, the fact that she looked at him differently now, or the fact that he had hurt her so deeply. It wasn’t until he went through the detox with gritted teeth and false promises that he would stay clean that he knew nobody really believed, that he was able to go home.

When Harley got to his room, he stopped short in the doorway and stared. All of his stuff had been packed up into bags that were sitting on his bed. He turned to look at his Mom, who was only a few feet behind him, with betrayal and fear. Was she kicking him out?

Instead of answering him right away, her eyes trained on a picture that was hung up in the hallway, just a little ways down from the entryway to Harley’s bedroom. It was a baby picture of him. His blonde hair was platinum then, but still tangled at the top of his head like a bird's nest, and he had a wide smile on his face that was completely toothless and all gums. He could see the tears welling in his Mom’s eyes as she turned back to face him.

“When you first mentioned that you wanted to take a gap year I got in touch with Tony. He gave me his number years ago and said to call if we ever needed him. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if the number was still going to work. I thought it might do you good to go and see him.” Her voice trembled then, “Lord knows he has more resources than I do.” A tear trickled down her cheek, but she continued. “I know you’re not happy here, baby. You haven’t been happy for a while, and I don’t...I don’t know what to do.”

Harley tried to let her words sink in, but they weren’t making any sense. “Since when does Tony give a shit about me?”

“Oh sweetie,” His Mom said, eyes sad. “He’s always been keeping tabs on you. He wants what’s best for you.” She seemed to gather herself together then, and her voice was less wobbly when she said, “I think a change of scenery will do you good. You have a flight to New York tomorrow morning, so you should probably get some rest.”

Harley balled his hands into fists at his sides and glared at the bags that had been packed for him. He was a problem who was being shipped off to New York because his Mom no longer knew how to handle him. He wasn’t sure what Tony fucking Stark was going to be able to do for him. The fact that he had been keeping up with Harley and how he was doing hit him as a shock because he genuinely thought that the man had forgotten about him, or at least, didn’t care for him anymore. He didn’t know how to handle the information that not only did Tony in fact care about him, but cared about him enough to open his home to him and want to help him.

“And what if I don’t want to go to New York?” Harley tested, because he always had to push.

His Mom only pursed her lips sadly. “It’s not negotiable.” She closed his door then, he guessed to give him a semblance of privacy. Not like it mattered, he was sure his room had been cleaned of all his stashes, and all his shit was packed up anyway.

Harley punched his pillow repeatedly, and screamed into it a few times before he ended up curled up in his bed and staring unblinkingly at the wall. If he was miserable in Tennessee he doubted New York was going to be much better.

Thanks for reading! This fic means so much to me and I can’t wait to hear the response to it, and post more :)

#Parkner #Drowning Lessons #Fic #Chapter One #Parkner Euphoria Fic #Graphic Drug Usage #Harley Keener #Peter Parker #Keenker #Parley #Harley/Peter #Harley Keener/Peter Parker

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dreamsmp-au-ideas · 3 years

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Once again I am bored and putting off updating so I’m coming at y'all with a brand new au idea.

Blood God Deo.

The idea of Tommy accidentally befriending gods is hilarious to me for some reason, especially a Tommy who starts out as just some random kid. He has two reflexes whenever he meets a god, friend or fight. So far only Josh and Dream have both triggered the fight reflex.

Deo isn’t particularly open about being the Blood God. He doesn’t even particularly enjoy the job. Sure, he’s ferocious in a battle, but he holds back a lot and he’s no where near as blood thirsty as half of his Acolytes. The voices acting how they do wasn’t even his idea, it was actually a curse from another God placed onto all of his followers. The Original Chat was designed to essentially be a helper. They would help moderate the bloodlust of his followers (who were renown for loosing pieces of themselves to the slaughter) and in addition they’d know things that his followers wouldn’t like the position of enemies and special details about weapons and armor like durability or quality. Original Chat was able to see everything going on around the Acolyte and offer advice in case the Acolyte lost one of their senses or something else happened.

Deo stopped blessing people after Chat was corrupted (probably by Dream. I don’t think Dream should be a Chaos god like a lot of people decide he should be. He should rule over something like Control, Manipulation, or Betrayal, it makes more sense with his current character arc.) Deo starts only blessing people who have enough sense of strength, morality, and self to actually ignore Corrupted Chat, though sometimes if Deo interacts with someone they can become accidentally blessed without him even knowing (read as Techno). Deo kind of closes himself off at some point, hiding himself away on hypixel.

Then he meets Tommy. This little brat who manages to all but force his way into Deo’s good graces and eventually a role of friendship. The first friend Deo’s had in centuries if not longer. Gods have two marks they can give to people. Marks they actively or subconsciously give to their Acolytes and marks that they only subconsciously give to people they care about and want to protect. Their friends. Tommy gets the later and neither notice since the powers associated with the later don’t make themselves readily apparently unlike with a typical Acolyte. (Spoilers, Tommy gets a version of Original Chat that he doesn’t realize is there because Original Chat is way easier to block out and shut up than Corrupted Chat. Still annoying and playful while the marked actually pays attention to it but nowhere near as bad as Techno’s chat. I’m thinking that Tommy probably doesn’t even realize they’re there till exile when he’s so desperate for anything to speak with he’d even settle for talking to himself and accidentally opens the door for Chat.)

I’m thinking that maybe we can make the rest of Business Bay(Wisp Included) + Clara, Clementine, and maybe even Boffy into gods that Tommy accidentally befriended along the way. I don’t have any idea what kind of gods Bitzel or Luke should be but I like the idea of Wisp having something to do with death, rebirth, and second chances. Boffy has to have some kind of link with lightning and destruction because it’s Boffy and we all know what he’s done with that blaze rod. Clara is obviously the god of space and the void. Clementine I actually had a really cool idea for. She’s a flaming moth god and one of the two gods who holds the most control of the nether (Deo being the other.) Clara is the main god of the end and the overworld is in a constant state of fluxing control since there are significantly more gods who want to be associated with rulership of it. Very few gods want control over the void so few challenge Clara and the few who do leave terrified. There are a couple war gods who live in the nether but since Deo and Clementine work together nothing can really overthrow them. Dream is younger than the group of gods associated with Tommy but older than a lot of other gods. He’s working his way up to control of the overworld but that currently still belongs to an unknown gods simply named Prime who never shows itself.

And of course because it’s my brand, at one point all of the gods became so worried over the idea of Tommy dying they made him a phoenix. That way he wouldn’t die unless he chose to, decides he’s ready for his next life. They were still worried though. Sure they were Tommy’s friends, but he had other friends and family that he’d lose being immortal. They realized that one day he’d eventually chose to make his current life the last one. None of them could handle the thought though, they didn’t want to loose him. So then they went the extra mile to ensure that Tommy’s soul would always be semi bound to them and he’d be a phoenix in all of his reincarnations (with the ability to access the memories of his prior reincarnation if and only if he so chooses, which he usually does when he crosses paths with his god friends again). The important thing to remember is that they know Tommy doesn’t “belong” to them. He isn’t a pet, isn’t theirs, he belongs to himself alone. The bond isn’t an ownership thing. It’s more akin to a divine version of Tubbo and Tommy’s compasses. It’s just a way for him to always find his way back to them and vice versa.

Speaking of which, at one point the gods gave him the ability to do something similar. Marking the souls of people he became specifically fond of so he could find them in future lifetimes. So far Tommy has only done this to four people. Techno, Phil, Wilbur, and obviously Tubbo. Tubbo was the first, that was a bond that was made in Tommy’s very first lifetime and the reason the other gods gave him the power in the first place. Techno, Phil, and Wilbur were all done in one go during the Antarctic Empire era because he decided he just really liked this family and would love to be apart of it again some day. Tubbo is someone he always remembers in every lifetime without fail and seeks out regardless. The kids are platonic soulmates, fight me.

Okay. This is evolving way past Blood God Deo. But dang it, we’re rolling with it.

Maybe each SMP/server is a different reincarnation of Tommy. That’s also why the sbi family dynamic is murky. Phil and Techno are immortals, not gods or even phoenixes per se but they can’t died under normal circumstances. Wilbur and presumably Tommy in their eyes were not. During the Antarctic Empire era it was easy to tell that Wilbur hadn’t inherited the same immortality that his twin brother had from their father. They couldn’t tell when Tommy was born and it was a deeply ingrained part of his nature to hide his phoenix traits, so eventually they just assumed he wasn’t. Wilbur and Tommy eventually started their own countries (Tommy recruiting three other gods to help him kill god) and both eventually passed away while Techno and Phil continued on. Technically, the death of Wilbur and Tommy is what slowly started turning Techno from emperor to Anarchist. He blamed the countries his brothers ran both for killing them as well as shortening the amount of time he had with them.

Phil later adopted Tommy and Wilbur during the current Dream SMP because both were orphans and reminded Phil a startling degree of the first Tommy and Wilbur (hence why he even named them after the two.) Techno refused the dynamic because he was bitter over the fact that Phil was trying to “replace his brothers”.

Wilbur is a rare case where he reincarnated almost just the same and has some scant memories of his life as a prince of the Antarctic Empire. Tommy early on decided to recover all of his memories associated with his Antarctic family and treats Techno and Phil as such. Techno continued to reject “new” Tommy and “new” Wilbur as members of his family which caused a lot tension. Phil kept trying to repair his relationship with Techno while raising Wilbur and Tommy but Techno kept making him feel bad which led to the whole “Techno is the favorite situation”. Since Tommy decided to recover his memories he kind of gets why Techno feels the way he does but is also bitter since he is Techno’s Tommy, he just doesn’t know how to put that into words. It’s made worse by Corrupted Chat which being a creation of Dream that is actively trying to pin Tommy and Techno against one another. Lotta room in this AU for sbi hurt comfort. Don’t worry, eventually there’s a reveal. It just takes a while since Tommy has to be the one to do it or Dream has to out him as a phoenix first.

Maybe the whole Ghostbur situation is because as a phoenix Tommy has some control over the people around him who die. He can return lost lives using his feathers and considering the nature of the gods who adore him he can bring people back from the dead. Unfortunately Dream intercepted this and we got Ghostbur. Maybe later down the road as a plot point, Ghostbur existing somewhere between death and life could have access the memories locked in the deeper part of his soul that are associated with his past lives (as well as the Antarctic Empire) and he could be the one to do the reveal.

Then Dream goes overboard at some point (maybe he threatens to chop off Tommy’s wings or hurt one of his family members) and suddenly we end up with Protective God Deo kicking down Dream’s door.

#mcyt #dream smp #dream smp au #blood god deo #timedeo #dream #dreamwastaken #tommyinnit #wilbur soot #philza #ph1lza #technoblade #submission #snapdragon & firefly

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deluweil · 3 years

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This is my 4x12 review - skip if you haven’t watched yet.💖

In my opinion the whole Treasure Hunt thing, had a S2 bank mystery vibe about it. Like the silly calm before the storm, again in parallel to right before when Buck was hurt.

I knew the Author jerk is alive the second I saw the actor who played it, the was not one show where he guest starred and wasn’t a jerk 😂😂

So since I did my own version of live writing, I apologize if this is a bit disorganized.

We got so much buddie bread crumbs, that eventually felt like a meal at the end of the episode so let’s start with: Both boys in sunglasses - oh WOW! 🔥🔥

Bobby sending Eddie with Chimney and Buck looking thoroughly unhappy to be separated from Eddie. They nod at each other and while Buck frowns at Chimney, Eddie crosses himself before going to get geared up.

It was a small gesture but very significant because Eddie has already crashed in a chopper (in 3x15 and watched Hen and Strand crash in the crossover) he knows what could go wrong.

Chimney’s “cheer up you can go next time” doesn’t really reassure Buck. I think a “we’ll be fine” or “I’ll keep him safe” would have calmed Buck’s nerves a lot more.

Can we discuss for a second how HOT!! Eddie looked doing the aerial rescue? I mean WOW, I watched it several times. 🥵🥵🥵

The 118 sitting together trying to figure out the riddle was funny, everyone thinking how it’s a bad idea to even consider this to be a real thing, except for Buck, of course. 😂

And while the others are already considering how freaking horrible the rest of their shift is going to be like, because it’s all over the news thanks to Taylor Kelly’s story.

Eddie called Taylor - Buck’s “girlfriend”, but we don’t see his face, we do get to see it, when Buck stresses (for what feels like the millionth time from the sigh and tone of his voice) that she is his friend not his girlfriend.

Eddie’s “Yeah, sure, right.” face is priceless!!😂😂

Buck and Taylor plotting together again, is always hilarious, those two are disaster magnets, it makes for good fun. What bothered me was that Buck offered Taylor to pair up, but re-watching, everybody’s reaction didn’t exactly originally encouraged a teaming up vibe.

However the problem with human nature is - everyone love to obsess over riddles. 😉😉

Eddie jumping through the window into the fire truck? epic!

Eddie did suggest to team up to Buck and I love that even after Buck told him he’s working with Taylor, the look on Eddie’s face melted Buck almost immediately and had him suggesting Eddie joins the two of them. 🥰🥰

The scene in Buck’s apartment, with the three of them Eddie is right between Taylor and Buck in the shot and kind of “talking to himself” was so funny. - Gave me a BBC Sherlock scene between Irene Adler, Sherlock and John.

The way Martin Freeman stole the scene just by dropping small comments. I gotta give it to Eddie, out of all of everything in that scene, Ryan performance is what I’m going to remember. - Acting choices were made all throughout this episode by both Oliver and Ryan.

Also can we talk about the fact that Eddie is now stating little bits of knowledge like Buck now - “I can know weird stuff too” from 4x03 is so haunting me, these boys have totally rubbed off each other. (get your minds out of the gutters... for now anyway 😉)

I love how Eddie and Buck sit down and scratch, just thinking about the fire ants 😂😂

Buck being lowered into the septic tank - notice, Eddie is the one handling the rope, again, his expression worried while Buck is still down there, especially after having to drop him into the water.

I have noticed that Bobby sent Eddie up in the chopper, but is reluctant to send him under ground still 😉🙃

Buck’s “come on” when Eddie and Bobby made a face and walked away from the stench was so funny. Also super adorable on Buck’s part.

I love how Taylor keeps shutting Buck down, it’s amusing to watch now that I know how the episode ends.

Athena being done with idiots the entire episode was hilarious! Angela is a queen!

I loved that 9-1-1 dispatchers were running a bet of places where the treasure may be. (Josh’s “Who thought that was a good idea?” and someone shouting “not it!” had me in stitches 😂😂)

Let’s take a break from buddie for a second:

Hen and Chimney joining the race and Bobby trying to hide his research from Athena was so funny, I mean, she is a police sergeant, there was no way she wouldn’t figure him out.

Bobby planning a future together, a life after the job, and Athena shutting him down. I do think this is what will come between them eventually. Athena making a unilateral decision, without considering even talking about a future with Bobby that doesn’t revolve around them working until they’re either forced out or buried six feet under ground.

I find it interesting because it’s usually the other way around, my mom has been working on my dad to retire for years now so they can travel before both of them are too old to do it. So I kinda get where Bobby’s coming from.

In parallel though, Athena making the unilateral decision like Eddie did when he re-enlisted in 3x15. I do hope Bobby and Athena manage to work things out, I love them together.

Back to the hunt:

Of course Athena worked out where the treasure is, Karen built an algorithm, and Taylor apparently helping Buck and Eddie figure it out bringing all three teams together.

Athena looking to Buck and Eddie asking them if they seriously brought their gear with them and Eddie pointing at Hen and Chimney to divert the attention from them about their med-kits. - like children trying to justify themselves to their parents. 😂😂😂

Wasting time negotiating about the money was hilarious, especially with Taylor in the chopper hovering over them lmao.

And then there was probie - Jesus! I laughed so much. 😂🤦‍♂️

Also Buck’s “I’m not doing anymore math”, as a reference to “she taught me math”, Buck’s not doing that shit. He calculated enough for one day and he is done! 😂

I do like that Oli and Ryan’s marks are closer together again ❣❣❣

Eddie: “We didn’t kill him” Buck: “We just wanted to” Bobby’s “Shut up” face killed me.

Probie selling them out “I don’t know these ppl.” You don’t say shit like this as a probie 😂😂😂

Also Rick saying “I didn’t actually think it was” and I'm just enjoying the moment, was awesome. I like it when he shows up in episodes, he and Athena make a good and amusing team.

Back to buddie bread crumbs:

Everyone in Bathena’s house, including Taylor, who took the place next to buck, leaving Eddie to sit directly in front of Taylor and next to Chimney. - The “At this point I don’t trust anyone.” cuts to Eddie’s face, that looked as if he’s saying “Seriously dude? hurtful” - The fact that Buck stopped and met Eddie’s reproachful gaze even though they are not directly in front of each other says so much!

Also the “Stop for a second and think about what you said.” looks from Chimney and the others are very meaningful. (#everybody knows 😉) Buck sticking his foot in his mouth and him backtracking are shot directly from Eddie’s perspective. - hmm, I wonder why…? 🧐🧐

And to complete the meal:

Taylor placing Buck directly in the Friend-Zone category, was genius. And while Buck and Taylor have a fun energy together it never really felt romantically oriented. Also I have a certain feeling that seeing Buck and Eddie interact, at Buck’s place and at Bathena’s house and not for the first time either, she knows it will not work between her and Buck.

Buck, trying to feel something more for her, even if in a gentler and way sweeter way than the cursed ship I will not name, it feels forced on his end too - and Taylor lets him off the hook in a gentle way too, I like her for that even more.

I really hope we keep seeing Taylor in a friend capacity for Buck, I think it’s good for him to have support and someone to talk to outside the 118. And I will absolutely worship Taylor if she will be the buddie catalyst, I mean Megan does ship buddie too, it will only be appropriate 😉💖

The episode in itself was pretty nice, I would have probably enjoyed it more if I watched it before LS who absolutely kicked me in the feels today. But I do know that just like 9-1-1 2x15 I’ll go back and watch it like a million times because it is a fun episode to pass the time, and the buddie crumbs were delicious.

The promo kicked me in the feels too, I will not discuss it here right now, but I do hope that that last part won’t be a cliff hanger and we’ll have to wait an entire week for the rest, two weeks of frayed nerves are a LOT to suffer through 🙈

Sending big hugs out there to whomever needs it 🤗🤗🤗

#9-1-1 4x12 #118 firefam #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buddie #the buddie crumbs were yummi #i want more of those #everybody knows #bathena #Henrietta Wilson #chimney han #taylor kelly #love her for friend zoning buck #now somebody get rid of the other pesky LI #i don't usually say this but #jealous!eddie #was everything #can't wait for the next episode #someone sedate me

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prettyboybarzal · 4 years

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Dancing with Our Hands Tied (5)

A/N: I’m sorry for this being late, and thank y’all for being okay with that and not wanting to kill me. Come chat to me about this chapter after you read! I wanna hear what y’all think.

Word Count: 2.9k

Warnings: Smut, some ass slappin’, lots of cursing, bad attitudes... So, the usual.

Previous Chapter // Masterlist // Next Chapter

Pierre swore that you were full of shit when you said you wouldn’t fuck him again. But, it’d been two weeks since that little rendezvous in the bathroom and you hadn’t so much as looked at him since. In fact, you stopped showing up whenever the boys hung out which was a red flag all on its own.

Each night that he inevitably ended up going home alone, he passed Charlie’s door wondering if you were in there with him, tangled in the sheets, faking another orgasm. His mind wandered to you and the sounds you made as he fucked you. How sweet they were and how clear it was that you didn’t have to fake with him. Admittedly, he thought about that a bit too much and he wondered if you thought about it too. He hoped you did. The idea of that night living rent free in your head was too good not to fantasize about.

After a weekend of away games, Pierre returned home on Sunday night and found himself slowing as he passed Charlie’s door once again.

His dogs greeted him as he entered the apartment and he fed them before slipping down the hall to wash the weekend away in his own shower. Again, his mind wandered to thoughts of you as he massaged shampoo and conditioner into his scalp. And, despite his growing erection, he tried to drown the thoughts with the suds until, finally, he had to make the water temperature colder to shock it out of his system.

When he finally stepped out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist to continue through his routine. He was in the middle of brushing his teeth when an unusual sound floated through his apartment. He peaked out the door to check if it was the dogs, but they were both already laying in bed waiting for him. He turned the faucet off and stood still.

“Pierre, fuck.”

His eyes went wide and he listened to the moans as reality crashed over him. He couldn’t believe it. You’d been so cocky, so clear that this would never happen again, but it was your voice that he heard moaning his name through the vents of his apartment building.

Check mate.

---

You truly didn’t want Charlie past the sex, but still you stayed in bed with him overnight and snuck out in the early morning. You never planned on it, and you really never cared for it to happen, but it always did. The moment his arms wound around you and tugged you against his chest, you were done for simply because it filled a void. It’d been a long time since you’d been held intimately in a way that didn’t involve your legs being wide open. So, you just let it happen.

You knew you had to draw the line, though. Because why would you settled for post-sex cuddles when you could hardly stand the guy? Why did you stay over when you found yourself sneaking off to his bathroom to finger yourself to the thought of his neighbor fucking you over a bathroom sink?

You couldn’t believe you actually stooped that low and you were thankful Charlie didn’t wake up to hear Pierre’s name fall from your lips. It was a shock even to yourself when you said it because in the two weeks since the bathroom, you hadn’t thought about it. Then again, you were avoiding the topic completely and now you were just a wall apart from him.

You didn’t stop yourself after you said it, though. You let your mind wander to the way his hands felt on your skin and the dirty words he grunted in your ear, and the way you felt with his cum dripping down your thighs. After your orgasm subsided and you came crashing down to Earth, you realized that even the thought of Pierre could make you cum when Charlie couldn’t at all.

When you slipped from Charlie’s apartment that morning, you were determined to put it behind you once again. But then you ran into Pierre in the elevator. Again.

You felt your stomach plummet at the sight of him.

“Morning,” he greeted as you entered and hit the lobby button that was already illuminated. He gave you the once over, eyes fixed on the men's sweatshirt draped over your body. He repeated, “Good morning.” “It’s too early for you to be smiling at me like that. What do you want?”

“I knew these walls are paper thin, but apparently so are the vents,” he murmured. Your body ran cold. “Next time you find yourself having to sneak off to his bathroom to get yourself off to the thought of me, just come next door. I can take care of you, you know that.”

“Oh, fuck me.”

“That’s exactly what I’m offering.”

“Pierre, just drop it,” you grumbled, fingers pressing the bridge of your nose as if to relieve a headache before it even came on. You looked back up at him when you were met with silence and glared. “Don’t you ever fantasize about shit you shouldn’t? It’s not a big deal.”

“Nope,” he answered, popping the ‘p’. “And if you’re referring to us having sex in a bar bathroom, I haven’t thought about it even for a minute. Until I heard you moaning my name and I thought, ‘I should be a good friend and offer her my services again’.”

“We’re not friends.”

“No, we’re not,” he spoke. “I’ll correct myself.” He faced you, all cocky and smiling, shoulder leaned up against the wall beside you. “If she can’t stop thinking about my cock, I might as well offer her my services again.”

The elevator dinged, signaling that it’d reached the lobby, and Pierre stepped away.

“I already told you it’s never going to happen again.”

“Let me know when you change your mind.”

---

“Hands off!” you yelped as soon as you turned into the kitchen. Seth and Josh were standing at the counter, fingers picking at the meal you’d been slaving over for the last hour. You shooed them away with the dish towel that was resting over your shoulder and they jumped away, giggling. “You two are awful.”

“We’re starving, YN.”

“And you won’t be in about fifteen minutes,” you said. “Now, move.”

Seth made himself scarce with one more lunge towards the food and though you whacked him with the towel once more, he still got away with another string bean.

“Thanks for making dinner,” Josh said, leaning back against the counter as you shuffled about the kitchen with more seasonings. “The boys were all out of groceries, me included.”

“Well, you’re leaving for a roadie, so I was honestly kind of expecting you all to show up at my door,” you murmured. “Grab some plates for me?”

There was a rhythm to your make-shift team dinners, so he knew where everything went for serving purposes. The boys raiding your kitchen the day before a long road trip was a common occurrence.

Josh started grabbing plates from the cabinet and as soon as they were stacked neatly on the counter, his phone began to ring. He stepped away slightly and answered. Pierre’s voice ripped through the kitchen.

“Yo, do you wanna grab sushi?”

His voice sent a chill down your spine, so you busied yourself with the dishes.

“Oh, sorry, bro,” he murmured. “I just ate at YN’s.”

He groaned loudly and as Josh turned the camera to show you, you flipped it off. He smiled when he saw you, “YLN, spare me a plate, would you?”

“You can starve, Dubois.”

Pierre laughed it off, and Josh spoke to him a few moments more until you signaled for the boys to come in and he said goodbye. They served themselves and shuffled out to the dining room table that was only ever used when they came by.

When you finally settled down with them at the table, they were already talking over each other, laughing at a story that one of them was telling.

“What are you all laughing about like pre-teen boys?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Boone teased, “It’s about PL.”

You resisted a heavy roll of the eyes.

“You’ve piqued my interest, do tell.”

The sarcasm was evident in your tone but Boone launched into the story regardless of the face it was clear you didn’t care about the story involving Pierre. At least, outwardly.

“We’re just ragging on him, taking bets on whether or not he’s going to get a free show tonight,” Boone laughed. Your blood ran cold and you snapped your head up from where you were looking at your plate.

“What?” It took everything in you to keep your voice even as you furrowed your brows, attempting to mask the panic in your expression.

“Apparently the vents at Pierre’s place are as thin as the walls because he heard some girl’s moans coming into his bathroom a few nights ago,” Seth said, speaking through laughter.

“He said she sounded like she was enjoying herself,” Boone added, only making your jaw clench tighter. Josh snickered to himself, “And he enjoyed himself.”

“What does that mean?”

“Oh, come on, YN,” Seth sighed, like she was stupid or something, but when he saw she was serious, he laughed. “He jerked off after.”

You weren’t sure if you responded to that revelation, maybe a soft ‘oh’ before one of the other guys jumped in to comment on it, but you couldn’t remember. It felt like you blacked out the moment it was said.

All week, you were embarrassed that Pierre heard you, and it was made worse when he said he wasn’t also thinking of you. But he was lying, because of course he would be, and now you wanted to kill him for making you feel so… vulnerable.

---

As soon as everyone was gone, you marched out to your car and began driving in the direction of Charlie’s apartment building. Except this time, you weren’t going to see him. You marched into the building, up to their floor, and all the way to Pierre’s front door. You didn’t hesitate once before knocking at his door, and he didn’t hesitate in pulling it open.

“Why did I know you were going to come over?”

“You fucking lied to me,” you said, jabbing a finger into his chest. He took a step back and you followed as you spoke. “You made me think I was crazy.”

“You are.”

“No, fuck you,” you barked. “You were all ‘I don’t think about you’ and ‘You gotta get over it’, but you jerked it to my moans the other night, you asshole.”

“Care to come inside so we don’t alert your boy toy?”

Pierre stepped aside and let you into his apartment. You glared at him as he locked the front door and headed into the kitchen, assuming you’d just follow him, and of course, you did. He noticed the tupperware in your hand then and smirked.

“You brought me dinner, too, sweetheart?”

“I poisoned it,” you growled, deadpan. He laughed and took the leftovers from your hand to slide them into the fridge before returning to the pulled out stool at the counter. There was a plate resting in front of him with some sushi rolls, and he continued eating happily while you stood in the doorway watching.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” You snapped, arms crossed over your chest as you watched him all too contently eating his dinner.

“What is there to say?”

“What is there to say?” you repeated, voice lowering as you glared fixed on him. His hands faltered as he brought another sushi roll to his lips and you could tell you had him right where you wanted him. “Admit that you haven’t been able to stop thinking about fucking me in the bathroom either.”

He turned on the stool to face you with a look of confidence and threw your words from the elevator right back at you, “Don’t you ever fantasize about shit you shouldn’t? It’s not a big deal. Right, YN?”

You rolled your eyes and tossed a curse his way before turning out of the kitchen to match towards the door. Pierre was hot on your heels, discarding his dinner plate with a clatter in the sink before he wrapped his fingers around your wrist and pulled you back to him.

“Be honest about what you want,” he spoke, voice low, eyes dark. His free hand curled around the base of your throat and he nudged your chin up with his thumb. “You want me to fuck you? We don’t have to like each other to fuck, angel.” He paused. “Is that what you want? Say it and we can both get what we want.”

“Pierre.”

“Say the words and I’m yours.”

“Fuck me.”

“Good girl.”

His lips met yours in a kiss that was all teeth and tongue, his hands all over your body, and he lifted you to wrap your legs around his waist so he could carry you down the hall. Your back hit his mattress moments later, hair fanned out below your head as he kissed your neck, only detaching his lips from your neck as he peeled your shirt from your body and took his with it. He didn’t spend much time on foreplay, both of you already feeling revved up from weeks without touching each other.

After stripping you of the rest of your clothes, Pierre flipped you onto your stomach and placed his hand on the back of your neck to press you down against the mattress. It trailed along your spine until it finally curled around your hip, the other gripped the other side and he tugged your ass up to pull it flush against the sweats he was wearing.

Goosebumps rose along your skin beneath his fingertips and he smiled to himself, shaking his head in awe as he admired your naked body in front of him. He was thankful he’d flipped you so you couldn’t see the way he looked at you. It felt like he couldn’t get enough and he desperately didn’t want you to know.

You wiggled your ass, beckoning him to do something, and his palm came down hard on it. You lurched forward with a filthy moan.

“Oh, fuck,” you sighed out, fingers gripping the sheets beneath you. He ran his knuckles along the mark he left on your ass.

“You like that?”

You hummed an affirmative sound and he leaned down to leave a trail of kisses from your tailbone to your shoulders. He shuffled behind you and you heard the sound of his pants hitting the floor, then felt him hard against your ass.

“Spread your legs,” he spoke. You did as you were told and he shifted closer to you, head of his cock brushing along your pussy lips. The sound of a condom wrapper tearing filled the room and he let out a deep breath as he rolled it over his member.

He wrapped his hand around his cock and slid it along your folds. He watched the tension in your back as your muscles constricted and your hands gripped the sheets again in preparation for his entrance. And then, finally, he was sliding into you with a groan.

It didn’t take long for him to start railing you into the mattress. As he fucked you, he pressed you onto the bed and listened to you moan and scream as you took his cock. When he finally relieved that pressure on your back, you regained your composure enough to roll yourself back onto his cock and match his thrusts with a desperation of your own. His hands gripped your hips tightly as your ass bounced in front of him and he watched with wide eyes, mesmerized.

“Taking my cock so well, sweetheart,” he praised.

“You fuck me so good.”

“Better than him?” he asked, pounding into you as he awaited your answer. You nodded, teeth biting into your bottom lip as you stifled more moans. His tone of voice held an animosity you’d never heard from him before, but his cock felt so good that the question was forgotten within seconds.

As he approached his orgasm, he curled around you, hand dropping to your clit to help you catch up to him. His thrusts were erratic and uncontrollable, and he huffed onto your breath as he moaned.

“Come on,” he coached. “Cum with me.”

You chanted his name as he cursed into your skin. Your legs shook as your own orgasm washed over you and when you both finally came down, he eased himself out of you and rolled onto his back.

There was a long moment of silence. A looooooong moment. And then you sat up and walked off to the bathroom to pee before gathering yourself in the mirror and retrieving your clothes from the floors of his apartment.

Pierre was sitting at the edge of his bed with boxers on when you emerged from his bathroom. His head shot up at the sound of you re-entering the room and he watched as you approached the side of his bed to grab your clothes.

“Can you stop staring at me?” you snapped as you slipped into your thong.

He cracked a smile and looked away, shaking his head in disbelief of your quick switch-up in attitude. He muttered, “You’re fucking crazy.”

“Yeah, and you’re fucking stupid.”

“Yeah, I really am,” he grunted as he stood. “I’ll be in the living room. Let me know when you’re leaving, I’ll lock up after.”

#pierre luc dubois fic #pierre luc dubois imagine #pierre luc dubois story #pld imagine #columbus blue jackets fic #columbus blue jackets imagine #nhl story #hockey imagine #hockey rpf #pierre luc dubois x reader

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lesbianlotties · 3 years

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five times Deena and Sam met in secret (and one time they didn’t) - Final Chapter

Chapters: 6/6 Fandom: Fear Street Trilogy (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Fraser/Deena Johnson Characters: Deena Johnson, Samantha "Sam" Fraser (Fear Street) Additional Tags: Pre-Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Canon, High School, Cheerleaders, Band, Teenagers, Teen Romance, First Meetings, First Love, First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst Words: 14470

Secrets.

Deena and Sam met by accident. They fell in love in secret.

But how long can they last together like that?

Chapter 6: no more secrets:

There were dreams. Afterward. When everything was over. Almost every night, all the survivors of the latest, and hopefully last, Shadyside tragedy, were plagued by dreams. Very often, the dreams were nightmares. Deena can’t wake Sam up after drowning her. Josh waits for Deena at the mall and his sister never returns. Sam kills her girlfriend, again and again. Simon takes Ruby Lane’s razorblade and kills himself. Kate’s stab wound doesn’t heal, something worse comes for her. Ziggy refuses to help and her sister haunts her decisions. Martin arrives at the mall in the morning and finds his new friends all dead.

Nightmares. All of them. Terrible and cruel nightmares, but only dreams after all. It’s not easy to live with it, with all the trauma that this experience left them, but at least they get to live. It isn’t a comfortable title to carry, being a survivor. But, all things considered, they are all pretty fucking happy to be still alive.

However, it wasn’t just nightmares.

After killing Nick Goode and ending the curse, everyone went back home so exhausted that nobody had any dreams at all. But, on the second night, Deena was blessed by dreams that were far from being nightmares. Sarah Fier’s reward to her, she guessed. And those dreams, those gifts from the girl that wasn’t a witch and put her entire story in Deena’s hand, they were as common as the nightmares, thankfully. Those dreams were blissful, sweet, comfortable, and just confusing enough. In those dreams, Deena was back in Sarah Fier’s story, sharing a simple meal with her brother, running through a field with her dog, dancing with her friends, sometimes doing nothing but staring at the love of her life, Hannah Miller. Or was that Sam’s face? When Deena woke up, it was never clear who was who. But the feeling of peace and safety and love remained, and often lasted throughout the day.

One night in particular, Deena was having the sweetest dream. It must have been summer, the woods were alive and the sun was a clear blue color, the breeze was gentle and the soft red moss under her feet made her feel like she was running on top of clouds. There was nobody chasing her, no dangers, no threats. Only Hannah Miller, holding her hand, running beside her, smiling the entire time and calling her name…

Sarah.

Sarah…

“Deena!”

“What?!” Deena gasped, suddenly awake. Maybe her dreams weren’t always so bad, but the instinct to fight something evil at all times was sort of always there.

“Well, good morning,” Sam chuckled. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Deena sighed and fell back on her pillows. She covered her face with her hands and worked on slowing down her racing heart. “I’m okay, just…” she rubbed her eyes, and finally the image in front of her registered. “Sam? What are you doing here? What time is it?”

Sam’s grin only widened. She was sitting in Deena’s bed, dressed in some of her best clothes and looking a little too happy if such a thing was possible. “I was done a little early, so I decided to come help you get ready,” she said, “Wouldn’t want you to be late to your own graduation.”

“Right,” Deena smirked at her. She didn’t make any move to get up from her bed though, even less so considering now she had the perfect company.

Sam sent an unimpressed look her way and offered her a hand. “Come on, hurry up! Your dad’s making breakfast.”

“Wait, what?” Deena blurted out. That last sentence still sounded so wrong to her, even if it was true that she and Josh were seeing more and more of their father lately. “Hold on a minute,” Deena frowned at her girlfriend, “How did you get here? Did your…”

“My mom drove me,” Sam smiled, knowing exactly what was going through Deena’s mind.

The two girls couldn’t help but laugh at how absurd a little bit of happiness and normalcy felt after everything they had gone through. “This is messed up,” Deena chuckled.

“I know,” Sam agreed. “Don’t overthink it. Just… go get dressed so we can, you know, graduate.”

“I could… I guess I could do that,” Deena said slowly. She sat up in bed and moved closer to Sam. “Or… you know, we could do something else…” Deena whispered. She brushed Sam’s blonde hair off her shoulder and then simply rested her hand there. She didn’t miss the way Sam’s lips parted slightly, and the way those pretty blue eyes glanced at her lips.

“Deena…” Sam whispered her name in what probably was supposed to be a warning tone. But just as their lips brushed, she seemed to remember herself and she pulled back quickly. “Nope. No, no, no. I said I was going to help so you wouldn’t be late!”

“Come on!” Deena laughed and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. “We can be late together,” she added. She noticed Sam rolling her eyes at her, but she also knew exactly how to look and talk to her to get exactly what she wanted. “Just one kiss,” Deena whispered.

Inevitably, Sam leaned in. Perhaps she knew right from the start that this was a losing battle. Perhaps it had been her plan all along that both of them would arrive late to their graduation.

The two girls sat in the back of the car, while Deena’s father and brother were in the front. When they arrived at the school Deena’s father walked away quickly to find their seats, but Josh waited a moment longer beside the two girls.

“Hey, so, uh, congratulations, I guess,” he told them.

“Thanks, Josh,” Sam smiled brightly at him, delighted to receive one of his shy smiles in return.

Deena lightly hit his shoulder. “Just make sure to hurry up and get out of here soon too.”

Although her younger brother chuckled at her joke, Josh suddenly looked a little nervous too. “So, you guys… I mean, you don’t plan to, um, leave right away, do you?”

It was safe to say both girls were taken aback by his question. Deena exchanged a discreet look with her girlfriend and slowly replied. “No… We don’t have any concrete plans yet, I guess.” She paused, and studied the way Josh nodded, satisfied but still visibly uncomfortable. After being reassured by Sam’s hand in hers, Deena smiled and opted for lightening the mood. “What?” she asked him, “Are you saying you’ll miss me?”

“What? No!” Josh scoffed. The outraged look on his face nearly made Sam laugh affectionately at how similar the Johnson siblings could be. “Maybe I’d miss Sam a little, at least she can cook.”

“Hey! Shut up!” Deena shoved him with just a little more force this time. The three of them were laughing though. Sam actually threw her head back laughing.

“I’m just saying,” Josh raised his hands in defense, “There might be more evil stuff to fight in Shadyside, so…”

“Oh, that’d be so cool,” Sam said. Her blue eyes somehow managed to perfectly combine terror and curiosity.

“Hey, no, stop it, both of you,” Deena frowned, holding back her smile. “No more supernatural shit for any of us, okay? Josh go get your seat, we’ll be there in a minute.” She affectionately pushed her younger brother away, her heart warmed by the things he didn’t say out loud but she managed to hear loud and clear from his heart.

Afterward, Deena and Sam hesitated for one more moment outside the car.

“Are you ready?” Deena asked her girlfriend.

Sam replied with a perfect smile. For a second, she looked down, then she took Deena’s hand in hers, intertwining their fingers. “I’m ready,” she said at last.

Deena felt almost bashful as the two of them entered the school grounds hand in hand. There were frowns here and there, whispers in almost every corner, some surprised faces, and even the occasional smile. She’d dreamt of this moment pretty much since she first met Sam. Still, she reassured the blonde girl about a hundred times that they didn’t have to be public about their relationship at all. The only thing that mattered is that the two of them were together again. Seeing Sam fight against her possession using just the strength of her love for her, well, that helped Deena pretty much get over all her insecurities over their relationship. Still, Sam had made the choice to move in with her father, return to Shadyside, graduate in the old high school, return to the place she belonged to, and to the people she belonged with. However, seeing Sam walk the busy hallways with her head held high and her proud smile unwavering, Deena realized that this wasn’t just about her, or them as a couple, it was also about Sam. Sam coming to terms with every part of herself, being proud of herself and her heart, because it was her love one of the reasons that saved her life, Deena’s life, and maybe the entire town.

Their cinematic moment of pride and bliss was abruptly interrupted by a head of messy blonde hair appearing between them and a pair of arms falling around them.

“My girls!” Simon exclaimed, hugging them tightly. “You’re late, ladies! I missed you!”

Deena shrugged his arm off her, but Simon only took that as an opportunity to wrap his arms around Sam’s waist and lift her up in a strong hug as he grunted happily.

“Hi!” Sam laughed openly and ruffled his already wild hair as he gently sent her back down on the floor. Neither of them could’ve looked happier if they tried.

“Now, Deena…” Simon smirked and extended his arms while his friend took a careful step back.

“Simon, don’t you fucking dare,” Deena warned him, “I’ll kick in the balls, I swear…”

While the two friends handled that sweet combination of an embrace and a fight, Kate showed up beside Sam.

“Looks like Shadyside’s hottest couple finally decided to join us,” she smirked, sharing a hug with Sam. “I’m not even going to ask why you guys are late. Because at least Sam looks gorgeous, and Deena… you’re here.” She playfully raised her eyebrows.

“Nice,” Deena rolled her eyes. She was fixing her clothes and in between lightly pushing Simon away from her, as he continued to laugh.

“You guys almost missed my valedictorian speech!” Kate complained.

“Yeah, and it’s going to be awesome,” Simon jumped in, “I’ll put on my witch costume one last time and perform a musical number in the middle of it.”

His words were cut short when Kate tugged on the neck of his shirt to pull him down so she could look him in the eyes and say, “I would literally kill you on stage.” But it was undeniable that both of them were smiling the entire time. The four of them started walking together, with a brief pause for Kate to check on Sam’s makeup and the girls to convince Simon to tie his shoes for once.

Then there was the final ceremony. Kate’s speech was a success, Simon wasn’t completely joking about making one last appearance as the school’s mascot, and Sam was sitting right beside Deena the entire time. Deena, halfway through, realized she couldn’t stop smiling. It felt strange, and upon realizing it, she tried to fight against it, on instinct. But quickly realized there was no reason to fight it. Wherever she looked there was a good reason to smile. Her girlfriend was sitting beside her, sending lovely looks her way every couple of minutes. Her best friends were close by, alive and on their well-earned roads to a better life. Somewhere behind them was Josh, just like his sister, trying and failing to suppress a smile at the joyful occasion. Her father appeared to be sober for a day at least, and Sam’s father was there, awkwardly supportive if only to be better than his ex-wife, it all counted. Deena had affectionately rolled her eyes when Josh informed her that even Martin and Ziggy had made it to the ceremony as spectators, not wanting to miss a chance to celebrate a win for Shadyside, and their young friends. Even the rest of her school, her peers, people that were merely acquaintances, Deena found herself happy for them too. The curse was over. These people were safe from possessed killers. They were free to improve their lives and their town and be free. So, Deena didn’t care if some people were surprised to see that peaceful smile glued on her face the entire day. She had countless reasons to be happy, and she planned to cherish every single one of them.

When it was all over, the crowd exploded in cheers. It was official. They were Shadyside graduates. They were free. They could go anywhere, be anyone, do anything they wanted to. Some people would run away from the town as soon as possible, and some of them would stay and put in the work to change the town. Some others were content to take their time to figure out what would come next. Taking life slowly and living their days one at a time was something especially valuable to kids that only narrowly avoided death just a few months ago.

While their peers cheered and celebrated around them, Deena and Sam threw their arms around each other and held on tightly. Even under the thunderous noise of the crowd, Deena distinctly heard Sam’s sweet voice whisper against her ear, “Can I kiss you?”

Deena tightened her arms around her girlfriend for a moment before happily chuckling out, “Of course!”

A moment later, Sam’s lips were on her.

It was perfect. It was joyful. It was everything they had been waiting for. They were right there in the middle of the crowd, and neither of them could’ve cared less. The rest of the world didn’t matter, it didn’t even exist. Deena felt invincible, but she also felt unburdened from the weight she’d grown accustomed to always carrying on her shoulders. She felt love. Sam sighed into the kiss, tasting freedom, love, and the relief of letting go of a lifetime of holding back, now it was time for her to get to enjoy her life, and she knew she had earned it.

They were only forced to pull away when they heard an amused, “Get a room!” Kate was standing beside them, profusely rolling her eyes.

“Ready for tonight?” Simon proceeded to slap Deena’s back and earn a roll of her eyes.

“Full moon, witchy, drugs of the land, bonfire party, you know?” Kate added with a wicked smile.

Deena thought that she was almost getting tired of fondly rolling her eyes at her friends, but she didn’t mind it that much. “We’ll be there,” she said, taking Sam’s hand.

There were several graduation parties going around in Shadyside and Sunnyvale. A bonfire in the middle of the woods, close to a rock engraved with the words “Sarah Fier the first Shadysider,” wasn’t exactly the most popular spot, but that made it even better. In a town of outsiders, these were the worst, meaning the best, of them. The greatest thing about Shadyside was that even the strangest of their kids came from unexpected corners and fit in together surprisingly well. The perfect example was the group formed by the valedictorian and cheerleader captain, the school’s mascot and Grab n’ Bag employee of the month, Shadyside’s moodiest teenager and possible Sarah Fier’s reincarnation, and the previously possessed and recovering Sunnyvaler. In some ways, they couldn’t be more different from each other. But, if they had been best friends before, now they were something even stronger. It was the reward for fighting a three hundred years old curse together and making it out alive. They were free to dance, laugh, sing, and be as happy as possible, surrounded by friends all around a bonfire.

Deena took her time, as she promised herself, to appreciate the glory of celebrating among friends. However, after an entire day of Sam passionately proving time and time again that she was beyond ready to openly embrace who they really were, Deena was craving a moment of privacy with her girlfriend. There was no doubt that half of Shadyside at least was now aware of their relationship. It was a small town after all. Deena would be lying if she said she was a hundred percent comfortable with it, something she once confessed to Sam. But after practically facing the devil and coming out winners, there was little they were afraid of, especially as long as they were together.

So, when enough dancing and laughing with their friends was done, Deena took Sam’s hand in hers and led her away from the group as discreetly as possible. The music followed them, as well as the light from the bonfire that, in addition to the full moon shining above them, lit a path for them. It was almost a dance, moving around the woods together. Holding on to each other’s hands until it was only their fingertips brushing, rounding a tree, and coming back together in an embrace. They were all giddy laughs, secret touches, and wide smiles.

Eventually, Deena rested her back against a familiar rock. She was out of breath, and her smile was taking over her face. Sam had been following her closely behind. When she was just one step away from Deena, she stumbled a little, and Deena had to reach out to hold her so she wouldn’t fall facedown on the red moss covering the ground under their feet.

“Are you okay?” Deena asked, equal parts concerned and amused.

“Yeah, sorry,” Sam replied. She blew a strand of hair off her face and straightened her posture. When she looked at Deena though, she burst out laughing, and hid her face in the crook of Deena’s neck.

Deena was happy to hold her girlfriend, but she tried to pull away enough to look at Sam’s face. “Sam…” she said, “Sam, did you take any of the shit Kate sells?”

“What?!” Sam exclaimed, just loud and high-pitched enough to expose herself. “No!” she insisted. She pulled back from Deena and attempted a serious expression while pushing her hair behind her ear. A second later she was back into a fit of giggles.

“Oh my God,” Deena looked away, biting her lip to keep herself from smiling too big. She was feeling a little dazed too.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Sam shook her head and took a deep breath. When she received an incredulous look from her girlfriend, she insisted, “Really!” She lightly pushed Deena’s shoulder. But all she earned was Deena’s hand on her waist pulling her closer. Not that she was complaining.

Sam placed her hands on Deena’s cheeks, and pulled her in for a kiss. She got easily distracted, and moved to place kisses along Deena’s jaw and down her neck. Deena’s curls tickled her face and the feeling once again made her laugh softly.

“Well, I’m glad you’re having fun there,” Deena teased her.

Sam was nearly resting all her weight against Deena. But she was trying to compose herself enough for a conversation. She pulled back and this time looked just a little more serious as she asked, “Are you happy?”

The question took Deena by surprise. The earnest quality of Sam’s blue eyes let her know it was a real question, and her girlfriend expected an answer. “I am, yes,” Deena nodded, “Happier than I thought possible, really.”

“Hm, good,” Sam mumbled, leaning in closer to brush her nose against Deena. “Me too.” Then they simply rested their forehead together, basking in the blissful moment together. After a short while, Sam spoke up again. “I’m sorry.”

“What?” Deena opened her eyes, confused.

Sam leaned back to stare at her. She licked her lips nervously and explained. “I’ve just been thinking… I realized I never apologized,” she said, “You know, for everything.” It was slightly unclear what everything meant anymore. Deena had a feeling that stabbing her while possessed and their breakup were the two prominent things on Sam’s mind.

“Hey, you have nothing to apologize for,” Deena replied softly. She moved a hand to Sam’s face, and caressed her cheek with the pad of her thumb. She waited until Sam smiled at her again to add, “And, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry too. For the other half of ‘everything’, you know?” Having to kill Sam even if it was to save her life and still, their breakup, were the main things on Deena’s mind.

As if they could read each other’s thoughts, they understood at once. Just as they forgave each other instantly. They didn’t necessarily forget, because if this experience taught them anything, it was the value and wisdom and peace that’s found in the past. But there was nothing they could use against each other. The only thing left after their extraordinary experience was gratitude and a love big enough to fill centuries.

“I love you,” Sam said, staring deeply into perfect brown eyes.

“I love you too,” Deena replied with that easy smile of hers, waiting for the moment Sam would pull her face in for a kiss.

Afterward, all they had to worry about was coming up for air in between their kisses. Their hands were leisurely exploring each other’s bodies, and their kisses were reverent and unhurried, as they focused on nothing but enjoying each other’s company and love.

At one point, they thought they heard a rustle of leaves from somewhere behind them. Sam pulled back from the kiss with a small frown on her face, “Did you hear-”

“No, I didn’t,” Deena quickly replied with a chuckle. Then she dove back into a kiss, stealing Sam’s sweet laugh right off her lips. There was no reason to worry. It could be the actual Devil, it could be Sarah Fier and Hannah Miller themselves, it could be just the summer breeze. Nothing would break them apart ever again.

#the end ✨✨✨#i'm going to miss this so much 😭❤#fear street #deena x sam #sameena #sam x deena #fear street fanfic #fear street fanfiction #deena and sam #sam and deena #deena johnson #sam fraser #samantha fraser #my fic

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