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spidernerdsblog · 3 years

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Wedding Shenanigans

A/N : Not me using my cousin's wedding as a plot for my fic. This has been sitting in my drafts for a while really didn’t have the nerve to post it. I’m still nervous tbh. Please don’t hate me if it’s bad my over dramatic ass just went a little overboard.

Pairing : Tom Holland x Indian! Reader

Summary : you are back home for your best friend’s wedding and Tom decides to accompany you.

Warnings : just over dramatic crap, sexual innuendos

Mini Playlist : Aa toh sahi, First kiss

(Note- As our country has a vast diversity of languages the italicized dialogues represents whatever native language you speak. I didn’t want to emphasize on a particular language.)

"You sure you wanna tag along?" you try to confirm with him again.

"Yeah I have never attended an Indian wedding before. Moreover I should have an experience you know for future just like Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra our grand wedding" he chirped.

"We will be staying at my parent’s house so no room sharing with me"

"What? Not again! But why can't I share a room? I mean your parents do know that we live together"

"Yeah but that's India honey, no sleeping together before marriage"

"I have to sleep all alone at night without you that's not fair" He whined.

"You can share a room with my dad then" you suggested.

"What? No not your dad" he gave a mortified look.

"Why what’s wrong?'' you let out an airy laugh.

"I’m really scared of him" you chuckled at his confession

"What? Don’t laugh at me, he really intimidates me"

"Well he is the only person who will decide to give my hand to you or not, so man up baby"

"And it's just for one night then we will go to the resort where the wedding will take place. And there hopefully we can share a room or you can share a room with Rahul or the other guys. I'll talk to them about it.

"Not that chump!" he immediately protested.

"What is with you and him?" you chuckle.

"When the person is a potential candidate to steal your girl you have to be a little defensive"

"God how many times do I need to tell you that we never had anything between us, he’s just my childhood friend."

"You may not have but I have noticed the last time we went to visit your parents he is always trying to woo you and moreover you parents like him too" he grumbled.

"Aww someone is jealous"

"I’m spiderman. Why would I be jealous? He says defensively, you smirk.

"Ok spiderman pack your things quickly"

You flew back to India the next day, you stayed the night at your parents house before leaving for the resort to attend your best friend’s wedding.

''Y/N!!" Your best friend squealed in excitement as she eagerly hugged you.

"Missed you so much.

"Me too babe. Can’t believe you’re getting married. When did we grow so big?" you pout.

"Hey Y/N"

"Hi Rahul. Missed you so much bro" you hugged him.

"Hey darling let's go to our room shall we? You must be tired" Tom eavesdropped in your conversation.

''Yeah I'm a little"

"Hey man how are you?" Rahul asked.

"I’m good, mate. Will talk to you later."

"Yeah sure, go take some rest" Tom literally dragged you away from him.

"What was that?" you frowned.

"Nothing" He said. You chuckled, shaking your head at your boyfriend’s possessive attitude.

After settling down in your room you went to freshen up. You stepped out of the bathroom drying your with a towel as you informed Tom.

"Okay so tomorrow is haldi"

"What’s that?"

"Well it's a ritual where we apply turmeric paste to both bride and groom, it is said turmeric improves your skin tone. I know it sounds stupid but age old custom so can’t be changed" you continued.

"So don’t wear something expensive as the turmeric stain will be hard to remove. You will be with the guys I have told Rahul everything so you will not have any problem'' he rolls his eyes.

"And please don't end up killing him''

The next morning after the puja was completed your best friend was made to sit on a seat decorated with flowers. As all the married women applied turmeric to her blessing her for a happy married life. Then came all of your turn. And you guys didn't leave a spot, painting her completely yellow.

"Y/N come here let me apply some turmeric so that next will be your turn" a woman offered.

"No thanks I'm fine" you dodged her somehow.

You went back to your room to change, Tom returned as well.

"You guys played quite a holi I see" you comment seeing his face and kurta painted yellow.

"Yeah but why didn’t you put that?

"I'll only apply only when it has been touched by my husband on my wedding day"

"Well I can help you with that" he backed you up against the wall caging you and slowly leaned down. You felt butterflies in your stomach as his face inched closer to yours, you thought he was going for a kiss as you parted your lips instead he tilted to the side brushing his cheek to yours and he did the same thing with your other cheek.

"There you go" he maneuvered you to face the mirror and you saw turmeric paste on your cheeks.

"Tom! Seriously? I thought-" you huff

"What did you think darling?" He whispers with a sultry voice.

"Nothing!"

"Someone is horny" He chuckles.

"Shut up you dickhead!" you snapped.

"But weren't you thinking about my dick in the first place?" He teases to annoy you even more.

"Ugh!! you know what Rahul is much better than you!" saying so you ran inside the bathroom shutting the door.

"What? What did you say?" he heard your giggles from inside.

Later in the day you were in the community hall of the resort with your friends discussing your dance performances.

"Guys we can’t let the groom’s side win do you get that?" you state.

"Chill Y/N we are gonna set the stage on fire"

"So what songs are we gonna perform? And please no bole chudiyan" you quip.

"Dilli wali girlfriend?" one of them suggested.

"Yeah that will definitely be kept for the end other than that?"

"Cutipie?"

"Nah"

"Deedar de? Odhani? Sawan mein lag gayi aag?" Everyone suggested in a chorus, someone even suggested ooh la la.” you facepalmed at the chaos.

"Guys are you planning to seduce those pot bellied bald uncles and middle aged judgemental aunties over there?" everyone went silent as you continued

"No right? So please something sober and fun. These songs can be played in the after party when the main event is over"

"Morni banke?" someone suggested.

"See now you’re getting it" After a lot of discussion finally you all agreed on some songs and started to choreograph the dance steps. Your eyes went to your boyfriend whom you had completely forgotten in the middle of this.

"You’re getting bored right? I’m so sorry babe this why I said you should pass this one out"

"Hey no I’m fine plus I kind of figured out a little of your conversation, you are talking of some kind of dance competition"

"Wow you are improving I’m so proud of you. And yes you’re right tomorrow we have sangeet at night and it’s a dance off bride vs groom and we are gonna smash them"

"Oh you will, darling. How much of an aggressive competitor you’re no one knows better than me" He chuckles.

"Hey! I’m not aggressive" you protest.

"Do I need to remind you of the one time you were literally about to throw the controller at the tv screen after you lost a match of fortnite?"

"Okay in my defense you cheated" you narrowed your eyes.

"No I didn't," He says haughtily.

"Yes you did, you distracted me-" you argue back.

"What did I do baby?" His voice was low as you remembered about the distraction he caused.

"Uh never mind" you stutter all flustered.

"Hey Y/N c’mon let’s practise" Rahul called you.

"What’s he gonna do?" Tom frowned.

"He’s my dance partner, I would have asked you but you don’t understand the lyrics well so"

"Yeah yeah I get it, now go" He said rolling his eyes.

You began to practice the dance for the sangeet it went on for sometime. But later everyone got bored to dancing to the same song so random songs were played

Sun baby deadly hai teri walk ni

Tere thumke bhi karte hai talk ni

Ho dil kare dekhi jaun teri ore

Tu nazre mila toh sahi

Dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe denge

Tu ik vaari aa toh sahi

Dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe denge

Tu nazre mila toh sahi

Tu ik vari aa to sahi

You started to move your hips sensually as Rahul joined you too. His hands went to wrap around your waist which made Tom uncomfortable as his face tensed up. You were laughing and giggling unaware of Tom watching you with a pointed look as you both were getting too close to his liking. You looked over your shoulder to find a very displeased Tom. An idea crossed your mind as you waltzed your way to him.

Kab mummy daddy mere tu patayega

Leke band baja ghar mere aayegaKab tak mujhe aise hi ghumayega

Tu baat badha to sahi

Dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe denge

Tu ik vaari aa toh sahi

Dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe denge

Tu nazre mila toh sahi

Tu ik vari aa to sahi

Grabbing his hand you pulled him to the center your friends hooted and whistled. You began to dance around him and nudge his shoulder playfully before lacing your hands around his neck pulling him closer to you. You turn around your back pressed against his broad chest as you take his hands and place them around your waist and continue to sway against each other.

............

Next day your best friend was sitting in the courtyard surrounded by all the ladies. The mehendi artist drew beautiful and intricate patterns on her hand with the henna.

You and your girl gang got ready to perform for the occasion as the song ‘mehndi hai rachne wali’ started to play in the background. You all danced to the song gracefully. After the performance you all also got your mehendi done.

"Tom! Tom! Where is my food?!" You yell sitting on your bed with wet henna on your hands.

"Wait a minute my hungry devil" Tom comes with your plate of food.

"Seriously you just can’t wait for a few minutes" He huffs sitting next to you.

"I’m so lucky to have such a sweet and caring boyfriend" you gush.

"Yeah yeah, now open your mouth" You do as he says. He brings the spoon near your mouth to pull it away immediately and eat the food himself.

"Tom!" You protest, he stifles a laugh. This is a nice punishment for you now cannot work your hands.

"Yeah very funny, don’t talk to me" You turn your face away from him annoyed.

"Hey I’m sorry, here take" He holds the spoon in front of you as you open your mouth to eat but that little fucker does it again going into a fit of laughter.

"You!!" You lift your hands to hit him.

"Ah, ah love don’t think of it or your artwork will only get ruined" He chuckles as you huff in defeat.

"Okay now c’mon, this time no pranks I promise" You frowned at him still dubious but this time he finally fed you.

"You know they write the name or initial of your husband in this. I made the lady write your initial, think you can find it?" you looked at him with a playful expression.

"Is that a challenge, love?"

"Well maybe" you shrug.

"Then I fucking accept it!" He gets on to search through the intricate patterns drawn on your hand but soon he realized it was hard than he thought as he frowned.

"Don’t worry baby you have the whole day, you’ll find it eventually I suppose" You snicker.

Later in the evening the sangeet ceremony took place and as expected you guys won the dance off. After all the elders and children were done having their dinner and retreated to their rooms, the younger lot of you as decided earlier had your own kind of mini bachelor’s party with everyone ending up drunk. The boys were dancing on to some peppy bollywood item number, later you and your girlfriends took the stage as the music continued to play.

Ae Yo, Ae Yo

Seene Se Laga Ke Baahon Mein

Mujhe Le Lo

Jaldi Hai Kaisi

I Like It Nice And Slow

Your body swayed sensually as the guys hollered and cheered you girls with a few whistles.

Meri Heart Beat Fast

Aur Sab Lage Mujhe Slo-mo

Mujhe Slow-mo

I Want You Right Now

I Need You Right Now Come

You stretched your hand pointing your finger directly to your boyfriend motioning him to get up and come to you. He obliged with a smirk plastered on his face and strided towards you.

Hassa Hassa Ke Gaya Fasa

Tu Toh Dil Mera

Nasha Nasha Tera Chadha Nasha

Jab Dekha Chehra Tera

Meri Life Mein Yun Kar Gaya Kyun

Har Din Love Wala Season Tu

What You Gonna Do?

Jo Main Keh Du

Meri Heart Beat Ka Reason Tu

His hands rested on your hips as he knelt down to ear and whispered

"You really do like it nice and slow don’t you love?" you elbowed him playfully.

‘‘Fuck off!!’’

‘‘Ow!’’ He groaned chuckling.

…….

It was your bestie's big day as you were getting ready for it putting on your saree.

"Tom can you help me with the pleats of my saree please"

"Sure darling" He squats down to gather the silky material of your saree, you smoothen the pleats as he holds them in place.

"Thanks hun" You tuck in the pleats inside your underskirt securing them with a pin.

"Anytime sweetheart" He stands up on his feet smiling.

You went on to do your makeup and were busy putting on your jhumkas when Tom’s eyes went to your reflection in the mirror. And boy he was mesmerised, you looked unearthly. He slowly walked to you resting his chin on your shoulder, his arms wrapping around your waist, the sweet scent of the jasmine flowers pinned to your hair intoxicating his senses.

"You look so gorgeous, darling."

"Well thank you, love. You look no less handsome either" And it was so true he actually looked like a snack in that designer kurta. You turned to face him gazing into his soft brown eyes. There was a certain kind of flicker in his eyes which you knew all too well though you were tempted to give in but attending your best friend’s wedding was also important so you brought your hands in front of his face and shook your bangles the jingling sound broke him out of his trance as he shook his head, blinking his eyes owlishly.

"Now who’s horny huh?" You teased.

"Shut up!" His face turned red all flustered.

"Aww it’s ok baby boy" You tease him even more.

"You’re so in for it later, Y/N" He warns playfully.

"Will see" You winked mischievously "Now c’mon let’s go" you walked out hand in hand towards the dias where the wedding nuptials were to be performed but had to stop on your tracks when you saw a group of aunties coming your way.

"Oh no! Aunties incoming just smile and greet them" You direct Tom warily.

"Do I need to touch their feet?" He asks nervously as you frown.

"No! That’s too much respect they deserve"

"Y/N how are you?" One of them asked. "You’ve grown so big! You remember me right?" Another lady badgered you with more questions.

"I’m fine, how are you all?" You gave a broad smile as you yourself were confused who the hell they are.

"Everything is going fine for us. So happy Y/F/N is finally going to happily settle in her life, so when is your turn huh?" You gave a tight lipped smile having no clue what to answer.

"You know my sister’s son is in the government sector, a really nice boy and earns a very handsome salary you know if you want-" you cut her off immediately.

"Umm aunty, meet my boyfriend Tom"

"Hello'' Tom greets them timidly.

"Oh hello-’’ she looked at him with a judgy face okay you kids enjoy then, let me see if anything is needed there or not"

"Yeah sure"

"What was she saying?" Tom asked curiously.

"Nothing just trying to set me up with one of her relative’s weird nerdy son"

"What the-!!"

"Relax she got her answer which is a clear no. Now let’s go and see the wedding" You went near the dais and observed all the rituals take place one by one. It was the time for walking around the fire for seven times as your best friend and her husband stood up and started revolving around the fire while you showered flowers on them along with everyone.

"Why are they circling around the fire?"

"It’s quite similar to exchanging vows you see, the bride and groom promise each other to be together for seven lifetimes with the sacred fire as witness" you explained, Tom nods his head in understanding when something went through his mind.

"Y/N let’s get married" Tom says out of nowhere taking you by surprise.

"What?" You chuckle lightly.

"I'm serious Y/N, let's just get married like right now. I mean everything is set, you are dressed no less than a bride and I’m looking handsome as hell and we have a priest right there"

"Ok Tom, I totally get what you’re saying. But honey, I don’t see a ring" you showed him your empty ring finger scrunching your face.

..............................................................................

Tagging some desi peeps I know here

@peaches-parker @parkerpeterparker2004 @lokibuckylove6 @calltothewild

@mischiefmanaged011 @parker--peter @starlight-starks

sorry if I bothered you.

#tom holland #tom holland imagine #tom holland imagines #tom holland x reader #tom holland one shot #desi tumblr

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air-in-words · 3 years

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Badger Snakes and The "Red-Stained Ledger"

Since my recent announcement identifying as a Badger Snake (don't @ me if I change my primary at some point lol still going back over that one,) I've looked up some characters that have been identified as Badger Snakes, and found two things:

1) There weren't very many in fiction and

2) most go through the same personal journey I had described in my previous post.

By that, I mean, a very similar feeling of self-loathing or feeling as though you have some dirty secret to hide, AKA the Red-Stained Ledger Natasha Romanoff refers to. The two main ones that have been agreed upon I'll be focusing on are Woody from Toy Story and the aforementioned Black Widow, but I'll also be bringing two new characters into the fray, one that's been sorted as such based on the portrayal, and one that I've discovered on my own. They are Selina Kyle AKA Catwoman and Dewey Finn from School of Rock.

It's interesting to find the similar plotlines that certain sortings are given consistently in media, and The Power Behind the Throne AKA Badger Snake seems to pretty much only have the one: They fight for the group that they are loyal to, but they can't seem to help but do so in a way that they aren't proud of, one that they're sure would lead said group to shun them.

I'm sure someone could point out a character I'm not referencing here that doesn't have that plot, but at the very least, this plot dominates the sorting.

Woody in the first movie goes through exactly that issue. He only wants to fight for Andy's toys, and in many ways, all toys he comes across. He makes choices that he believes will benefit everyone, and prides himself on being able to make the "tough choices." But, he ends up having to do so in a "duplicitous" way, when he seeks to manipulate Buzz Lightyear out of his group. This is a horrible, dirty secret to him, and he feels almost as if he could never return to them, never show his face again because of how he chooses to fight. In the end, he reaffirms that his actions come from a good place, a place of love for his group, and finds ways to use his crafty talents that are slightly more constructive and a little less "cloak and dagger."

Natasha Romanoff has given me the namesake for this Badger Snake element: the Red-Stained Ledger. She describes her desire to fight for her country, for her family, but struggles with what she knows she's good at. She believes she's inherently a bad person and is determined to remain a loner due to her "badness," due to the "monster" she is. Good people don't lie or manipulate. Good people... uh... I dunno, bake cakes or something? Work humble jobs? But, her contribution to the world, her ability to be clever and tricky, means that holding her group, her country, her family, the Avengers themselves, only in her heart and not in her hands. But, her true colors are shown in her never-ending dedication to the cause, down to her being willing to give her life so that no one else has to do it. In a way, it's sad, because she died believing she in some way deserved it. But, none of her teammates felt that way about her. She may have been crafty, a master manipulator, and a skillful liar, but she was the farthest thing from bad.

Now, onto the two newer additions. I've seen Selina Kyle sorted as Double Snake, and I would agree that there are many interpretations that could fit the bill. But, if you ask me, the truest interpretation of her is as The Power Behind the Throne, the Robin Hood with no loud cause to shout from the rooftops; only a desire to help the people of Gotham. She uses her skills as a thief to act as a sort of "guardian angel" to the poorest in Gotham, but she has no grand statement to make. She sees people hurting, her group, the underdogs of Gotham, and came to their aid. But she does so quietly, secretly, because she believes in her heart that the way she has done so is not worthy of praise. She's a con and a thief, but, she places people above all else. She, in some interpretations, is one of the main people to open Bruce's eyes to the fact that not all criminals are necessarily bad people. Some of them are just in terrible situations they can't get out of. And yet, she won't afford that benefit of the doubt to herself, believing she is simply a broken toy not worth fixing. Her occasionally lackadaisical attitude towards killing may seem to make Badger primary unlikely, but Badgers are not always loyal to ALL humans. Her group is the poor and downtrodden, and those who act against them are less than human in her eyes.

Now, we come to my personal favorite, my own personal discovery: Dewey Finn from one of my favorite movies, School of Rock.

Dewey is a fabulous example of a Badger Snake, in my personal opinion. His chosen group is Rock with a Capital R and "the band," whichever band that may currently be. He may have some sort of Burnt Snake primary performance/model going on, wanting to play the part of a "rock star" that truly only cares about himself, but his true loyalty is very clear. He is worried about doing his chosen group justice in every way, making sure that Rock is being well-represented and that he's serving his current band the very best he has to offer. Being kicked out of his band at the very beginning is earth-shattering to him, not because he has a Snake primary style devotion to only them, but because they told him he let them down, and implying that he wasn't representing Rock the way he should. His Snake primary performance/model melts away as he bonds to his new band, the kids he teaches. He brings them into his chosen group of Rock and creates a new bonded group with them in particular as they form a band. He actually finds himself liberated by taking a backseat to the children (a very Badger primary thing to enjoy,) allowing Zack to play his song, guiding Freddie away from making bad choices, helping Tamika find her voice, encouraging fellow Snake secondary Summer how to use her shrewdness, and, using a method I believe is best utilized by Badger Snakes, helping Principal Mullins find her chill. Lol.

Badger Snakes, more than any other Snake secondary type, will rely on the "we aren't so different you and I" approach to get what they want. He finds out Mullins also enjoys Rock. This is something they have in common! Let's create a situation where we "naturally" find out we have this thing in common, placing us both in the same group. Although other primaries don't glorify groups as much as Badger primaries do, all people are more likely to listen to or help out someone they feel is like them in some way. So, Dewey puts some Stevie Nicks on the jukebox and gets Mullins on his side.

In a similar fashion to the characters listed above, Dewey believes he is truly a loser and has nothing of any actual value or goodness to provide. But, the children help him see he's wrong, and he finds a way to utilize his talents in a way that truly fulfills him.

In conclusion, although seemingly unrepresented, I think there actually may be quite a few more Badger Snakes hiding in media, and, perhaps, they can be outed by looking for the Red-Stained Ledger plotline. Badger primaries are more likely, in my opinion, to be disturbed by their actions than say a Lion primary, due to where their loyalties truly lie. Although Lions may fight for the right thing, and that right thing may involve people's rights or serving a group, they serve that right thing before any of the people they may steamroll over to achieve it. Badgers, by definition, serve things. And, usually, lying, cheating, or otherwise being crafty is viewed as the worst possible way to serve someone or something. They do care about the things they may hurt or damage through their actions, and how they use their talents does, in fact, matter to them immensely.

So, to my Badger Snakes out there struggling with their own so-called "Red-Stained Ledgers", just remember that Dewey Finn would think you're kick-ass.

EDIT: Sorry, was thinking about it, and had to put an edit. Another way to think of this plotline/character archetype is mentioned in School of Rock as well as in a musical I know very well. I wouldn't use this moniker as the name for this plotline, only because it describes a very specific Snake secondary, one that is playful and light-hearted, and not all Snake secondaries are like this.

Zack's song refers to Dewey as The Magic Man, a person that swoops in and, almost by magic (in actuality, manipulation) brings out the best in the people around them. In the aforementioned musical, this character is called The Music Man.

Harold Hill may very well be another Badger Snake, although one more heavily disguised than Dewey Finn. I won't go too deep into his characterization here, but know he's a conman who claims to be a band instructor, while he has no musical talent himself, planning on taking the money for the uniforms and instruments and running. Instead, almost without realizing it, he encourages and manipulates the people of the town he enters into becoming better versions of what they are now. And, the most tragic part of his character is revealed once another character, one of the children he's conned, points out that there isn't a band, and never has been one. Harold tells him "I always think there's a band, kid."

It's interesting that, in both of these cases, they are associated with music and an almost mystical ability to bring out the best in others. I might do a more in-depth look at Harold Hill at some point, since I've been planning on doing some musical characters for a bit.

If thinking about having a Red-Stained Ledger is too negative for your own self-image, think of yourself as The Music Man. Your friends and the people around you may actually see you as an almost mystical force for good, someone who always seems to know the right thing to say or do to bring out the best in them. :)

#badger snake #badger primary #snake secondary #sorting hat chats #sortinghatchats #harry potter #hogwarts housing #hufflepuff #slytherin #hogwarts #red-stained ledger #woody toy story #natasha romanoff #black widow #selina kyle #catwoman #dewey finn #school of rock

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fallout-drabbles-n-stuff · 3 years

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What kinda music genres do you think the companions(plus Maxson) would listen to in a modern AU(or at least songs that aren't in the fallout universe)? I feel like Paladin Danse would unironically listen to Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! and Hancock would listen to stuff like When Doves Cry by Prince.

Modern/Pre-War! Au stuff

Cait:

You bet your sweet ass her taste is whatever the local bar has playing. Just kidding. Cait strangely enough prefers stuff like The Beatles.

Curie:

She likes The Carpenters...

Danse:

As a man who has said he likes country- oh he loves country. George Straight, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash..and maybe if he's drunk enough, some Garth Brooks but it has to be "Friends In Low Places".

Deacon:

Catch him going stupid on the dance floor with old early 2000's club music. That, and 80's synth pop is just sublime.

Gage:

Disturbed, Slipknot, and Five Finger Death Punch. Enough said.

Hancock:

A true weird duck. A man of taste, as he would call it. Hancock likes music ranging from smooth jazz to 90's rap.

Macready:

Alt for sure. Mother Mother, 21 Pilots, and stuff like that are his vibe.

Maxson:

Arthur is sort of a weirdo when it comes to his music taste. He'll be a good refined young man and claim he appreciates classical music, make his parents proud, but in reality? He sort of likes it- but he vastly prefers the death metal he listens to when he works out. Bands like Cannibal Corpse and Dethklok are his favourites.

Nick:

As silly as it may seem, I genuinely feel that Nick would be into the whole 50's music like you hear in the game. Ella Fitzgerald just hits different when you're on your third cup of coffee half past eleven o'clock while reviewing files to present to court at a later date.

Piper:

Modern piper is a huge nerd (as well as Macready, but that's a discussion for another day) and you can't convince me otherwise. As such, m'lady prefers only the finest soundtrack music. Anything composed by Jeremy Soule makes her weak in the knees.

Preston:

He likes more upbeat things. I wouldn't necessarily say pop..but yeah, he likes pop. Specifically an unashamed fan of Dua Lipa and..and..Britney Spears..

X6-88:

Strictly into either classical pieces or piano style covers of songs. Big fan of Chopin.

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deathonyourtongue · 4 years

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August Walker after the crash/recovering on a village hospital hc?

For the purposes of this, I’m gonna retcon that burn, because disfigurement aside, the infection would be a mess and a half. Also, there’s a song that goes with this: Old Fashioned Morphine - Jolie Holland. Lastly, it turned into porn. Sorry not sorry. Enjoy!

~ August Walker is by far the most stubborn patient you’ve ever had, and in a hospital that regularly deals with the who’s who of European society when they get a boo-boo in a foreign country, that’s saying something.

~ On day one out of his coma, he’s already sitting up and trying to get out of bed. It’s a good thing he’s already cuffed to the bed rails or you’d have had a hell of a time trying to restrain him.

~ For a man who’s about to see multiple years on the inside of a prison cell, he seems to be oddly in a hurry to leave. You chalk it up to him already plotting an escape, and while the CIA is clear that you should report any suspicious activity, you can’t report what you don’t know, so you focus on your duty of care and leave the masterminding to him.

~ By day three post-coma, he’s ready for his first sponge bath and the moment you mention it, the scowl he’s been wearing nearly 24/7 disappears from his face, replaced by an almost pleading look, one you know all too well; patients hate feeling dirty, and Mr. Walker seems to be no exception.

~ You work from the top town, starting with a shampoo and condition of what turn out to be pretty luscious curls. You try your best to ignore the soft sounds of pleasure that escape him as you massage his scalp. After all, who doesn’t like having their head rubbed?

~ His beard and mustache get a good scrub next, and if you weren’t so focused on your task, you’d have noticed the mirth in his eyes.

~ With the room being private and the CIA staying outside the door, you have no qualms about pulling the sheets down for the next part, and if Walker’s confident expression is anything to go by…Neither does he.

~ Although you’ve been his sole nurse since his admittance, you’re nevertheless sidetracked for a moment as you take in the sum total of his injuries. His body is mottled black and blue and going over his chart in your head, you’re surprised he’s even able to stay awake, let alone play it cool. You’d be curled up, bawling your eyes out.

~ Washing his upper body is straightforward, with you being extra gentle over the bruises and abrasions and avoiding his stitches at all costs. You can’t help but secretly enjoy smoothing over the contours of his broad chest and toned stomach with the washcloth, wishing you had someone even half as buff waiting for you back home, let alone a man at all.

~ He’s at half mast by the time you reach his hips and in daring to look up, you’re surprised to find an impish, boyish look on his face. You were obviously not as subtle in your admiration as you thought you were, or he has a thing for a nurse’s uniform, especially the more antiquated variety the hospital forces all their staff to wear. Either way, it’s clear things are going south in a hurry, but for once, you don’t mind what you know will come next.

~ Handling him causes a predictable reaction, but the involuntary cant of Walker’s hips comes as a true surprise. How long had it been since he’d been touched? You’re just about to move on to his backside when his voice cuts through the soft music playing through the hospital speakers. You almost can’t believe your ears.

~ “Please?” The word is nearly a whisper and his face is almost pleading when you take another glance up. Debating for a moment, you decide to throw caution to the wind and give him what may very well be his last bit of fun before being thrown in lockup. If anyone asks, you’ll simply remind them of your duty of care.

~ After finding the lubricant, you give him a light coating just so that your glove slips and begin to stroke him slowly. He’s hard as granite in no time and not for the first time, you think to check the strength of the meds running through his IV, still unable to fathom how he can be responding so well to everything.

~ Though you’re content to keep stroking until release, Walker has other plans, and his hand slips as far up your thigh as he can manage in his current position and you know exactly what he actually needs.

~ “I really shouldn’t be doing this,” you whisper, kicking off your shoes and climbing onto the bed as quietly as possible, grateful that he got one of the newer models that has yet to start creaking.

~ “We all do things we shouldn’t, darling,” he answers with a grin, his voice low and smokey. Its effect goes right between your legs in a way no man has ever managed before. Foreplay isn’t in your vocabulary with him.

~ You’re careful as you slip him inside, but can’t clamp your mouth shut quick enough to muffle the sound of delight that escapes you as he fills you up in every possible way. Making sure to go easy on his bruised thighs, you start a slow and steady ride, watching as his blue eyes darken with arousal.

~ It’s clear he’d be in control if he weren’t cuffed, Walker’s hands gripping hard at what he can reach of your ass, kneading the skin and muscle as though he were playing with your breasts.

~ You bite your own knuckle to keep quiet as you pick up the pace, every thrust of his cock hitting your spot dead on the money. His face doesn’t help matters as every rock of your hips brings out more ecstasy in his features.

~ The gasp you let out can’t be helped when his hips buck up hard, sending stars into your vision and waves of orgasm rolling through your body.

~ He keeps you firmly in place as he cums, and you mewl helplessly as you feel him flood you, hot and thick and sure to leave a mess when you eventually get off him.

~ Walker’s eyes roll back for a moment and you’re just about to make a quip about life support when you hear the door open. Locking eyes in panic, the only thing you can think to do is pull the curtain, managing to do so in the nick of time.

~ “Everything alright in there?” One of his handlers calls out, the confusion clear in his voice.

~ “Never better!” You reply, eyes going wide when Walker purposely thrusts up one last time, his smirk unmissable.

#august walker #henry cavill #august/reader #smut #headcanons #deathonyourtongueoriginals

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catchyoulaterhotdog · 3 years

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Country boy, I love you AU

What’s up, i’m back on my bullshit with this self indulgent country boy!Willie and city boy!Alex au. The new tag is country boy I love you au because I finally came up with a name. Since I don’t really write I wanted to write out some head canons for this au as I pump out more drawings. Put under the cut for anyone who doesn’t want to read all my ramblings.

Willie

Last name is Thomson, lives with his family on a big farm, has an older brother and a younger sister, plus his cousin Flynn lives with him!

Absolutely loves animals and getting up early. My boy is up crowing with the Roosters.

Can cook and bake like a god, predominantly works in the bakery in the back of his parent’s market. You have to try his homemade donuts, they’re to die for.

His parents are Renee and Allen, his sister is Fivel, his brother Matthew. Y’all already know Flynn

Absolutely loves horses!!! Had a horse boy phase, probably still in it.

His parents and trainer try to get him to do horse shows but he’d much rather go on trail rides all day

His formal trainer is Caleb Covington, who wishes he’d use his skills for much more than just running around the woods and pretending to be Merida from Brave.

Absolute best friends with Reggie and Julie, who he’s known all of his life. Reggie works as a stable keep and Julie works at the market with him.

Flynn and him are tight-knit, and tease each other about their respective crushes on some cute but definitely out of place people on the farm.

Friendly as hell but super energetic a lot of the time, can take some time to get use to him.

Carries around stim toys for him and Reggie in his bag, even sometimes puts them in saddle bags when they go out for rides.

Assigned to help out Alex, a new boy to town who just needed a job and didn’t expect this.

Alex

Lives with Carrie and Trevor Wilson, Carrie being his cousin, since coming out to his parents didn’t go so well

Trevor decides to move out to the countryside to find some new inspiration for his music and get out of the stuffy city life.

Trevor becomes friends with Ray (cough cough) and Alex is introduced to his daughter Julie

They hit it off and when Alex mentions needing a job, Julie recommends him to the Thomsons.

Shows up to his first day of work in a nice shirt plus his fanny pack, along with some nice jeans he had patched and painted with Carrie.

Willie is enamored but is like, what the hell are you wearing? As Willie stands there in beat up overalls and a very loose flannel button up.

Alex is not amused, going through mud and hay and all this gunk to work with animals.

Low key terrified of the horses at first, the only animal he trusts is Willie’s beloved sheep dog, named Hot Dog for some reason???

Thinks Willie is hot way too energetic and kind of hates him at first.

Rants to Carrie, think Draco ranting about Harry to his dad, “You won’t believe what he made me do today!!! I almost slipped and ended up pig food! And He had the audacity to look so good in messy braids and overalls covered in filth!”

Low-key wishes he had a job in the market instead but is slowly coming around.

Does have one cow that he absolutely loves

Does absolutely 100% not have a crush on Willie shut the fuck up Carrie.

Julie

Absolute sweetheart and a half, we know this

Lives with her dad and brother in a nice house not too far from Willie’s, they grew up together and him and Flynn are her absolute best friends

Reggie she’s meant a few times but doesn’t really have a lot of time to check out the stables, he seems really nice though.

Works mostly in the bakery part with Willie, she can frost a cupcake like nobody’s business.

Absolutely adores music and she organizes a quarterly concert on the farm where anyone can sign up and help raise funds for cancer awareness (Started after her mom died)

One day a newcomer shows up and his name is Luke

She thinks he is absolutely obnoxious at first, wayyyy too flirty and wayyy too full of himself

Once he catches sight of her though he makes it his mission to go to the farmer’s market as much as possible without seeming to creepy

And maybe, maybe Julie’s starting to think he’s funny

No he’s not cute shut up Alex!!!

Reggie

Horse trainer and stable hand for the Thomsons

Willie loves going on long trail rides with him, they really get each other

Absolutely loves his job and the friends he’s made at the barn

Very common for him to stay with Willie when his parents are fighting

The first one to make friends with Alex on the farm (After Julie), they bond over a shared love of many 90s bands and he helps him come around to the horses

Thinks watching him and Willie in the beginning stages is absolutely hilarious

Takes Alex shopping for some actual appropriate clothing

Gets crushes really really easily, probably has had one on everybody on the farm at some point.

Absolutely loves Julie’s quarterly concerts and always plays the same song-Home is where my horse is

Sometimes on really busy days he’ll help out Willie and Julie in the market

Met Luke at the same concert Julie did and is now very happy to play matchmaker

He loves love!!!

Is trying to teach Luke horseback riding but it’s not going so well

May or may not be the reason the sheep dog is named Hot Dog

Luke

Lives with his friend, Nick, since he ran away from his parents.

Has dedicated himself to music, and found out about a concert that a local farm did

There he meets Julie and Reggie and he loves them both

Makes it his mission to try and court the lovable but sassy Julie with Reggie as his wingman

Meets Alex and they bond over being into music and a little less country oriented than everyone else.

Though Alex will tell him off if he’s holding up business

Constantly gets snuck onto the farm by Reggie

First to notice the insane tension between Willie and Alex

Flynn

Lives with Willie since her parents travel a lot

Loves the farm but not as much as Willie, she’s not as big into the animals

Always performs with Julie at the concerts

Works in the market but in the produce section

Does hijack the speakers to play modern music

Meets Alex’s sister(?), she thinks Carrie is his sister at first.

Everyone thinks they hate each other but Willie, who realizes Flynn has a big crush on Carrie and tries to get her a job

Flynn will absolutely not admit her crush though

Is very intrigued by whatever Luke and Julie have going on and teams up with Reggie to make it a thing

No one expects it but Reggie and her make a bomb ass team

They’re pretty close but they don’t hang out as often as they should

Carrie

Absolutely hates this move, even more than Alex

Goes to the farm with him a few times and almost cried when one of her dresses got ruined because a certain worker smashed into her with crates of produce

Though she couldn’t cry because the beautiful girl who smashed into her and was talking a mile a minute had absolutely enamored her.

Alex thinks it is hilarious since it’s finally reversed and she’s not teasing him about his crushes

Carrie is determined to get this girl to like her, but isn’t quite sure how.

Finds an in when she becomes friends with Julie and Julie knows right away what’s going on between her two friends

Just a lot of oblivious gay pining

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freebooter4ever · 3 years

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Mailbox peak!

My ass is so sore LOL that says how long it has been since I've hiked any real distance or elevation gain :/ it was... Hard to find a trail that sanjeev and i had not hiked... But mailbox will always be special cause it's more my dad and mines hike from when I was a kid, and i knew it'd be well traveled even on a weekday - so safer for alone hiking than some of my other favorites (also the north cascades are on fire so that ruined my first choice lol) (and by lol I mean omfg humans are disgusting what have we done to our natural environment)

Anyway i hate hiking alone - I'm not someone like say nick who last month finished up a two week backpack trip alone across the east coast mountains or some shit, like I don't go out to nature to escape from people, I actually really enjoy popular trails and chitchat between hikers and all the socialness that comes with running into random strangers who share a hobby. If I'm hiking alone my anxiety tends to go haywire.

bSO the first half of the hike was actually the hardest - which I know is like the opposite of most people, who find it harder to finish bc of getting more tired by the top. But for me it's harder to fight my brain to stop freaking out and shutting down, and making me think my heart is pounding out of my chest. When I was hiking mountains and trails every weekend while living here, this was not a problem, I could overcome the anxiety pretty easily, but this being my first serious hike in like... Ughhh two years in LA, I was a mess. The first ten switchbacks were the WORST, I convinced myself I was dying, I was stopping for water almost every switchback, one couple passed me (who were having a very loud conversation comparing nonbinary people who use they/them pronouns to dogs) but other than those unpleasant people, no one was on the trail.

BUT I remembered breathing techniques a friendly ranger once taught me on snoqualmie pass - how to acclimate ones lungs to higher elevations quickly if you come from an area of the country without much elevation change, and was thinking about some of nicole's videos on meditation/breath work, and just kept putting one foot in front of the other. Oh and I was humming 'Mr blue sky' a lot because that happened to be the song that was playing in the car when I pulled into the trailhead lol. About at the 2/3 point, when I hit the first Rocky field and north bend opened up below me, I started to calm down and feel normal. The rest of the hike was a joy, especially the boulder field - probably partially because once the trees open up you can see all the other people on the trail, and its less lonely. AND I MADE It!

I made some friends on the top, there were two girls from Chicago who were in the northwest for the first time in their lives, and there was a Woodinville high school teacher who said he grew up literally a few miles away from me. I spent probably an hr ish there, just chilling, talking to anyone interested in conversation, taking in the view, and then hiked down with the school teacher for a bit. AND finally reached the trailhead and my car successfully

I have hiked mailbox peak tons of times, there was no reason for me to believe I couldn't do it, with all my exercises and strengthening there was no way I didn't have the physical ability to march my way to the top, sure I cant run anymore but that doesn't mean I'm not in shape... It was ALL in my head. I've had people tell me that they admire me for being independent - and I guess that's a more positive spin on it - but the way I see it is that I'm... Not a popular person, or someone who is the type people want to be around... But if i do end up alone, im going to do whatever I want to do anyway even if I have to deal with my crazy to do it. (oh god i remember that one time alex introduced me to a cool group of music people in the burgh, and one of the group decided he had a crush on me without telling me, and then got mad when i turned him down and told me he didnt need any more friends so he didnt want anything to do with me now, and i was like wtf is this high school? and yet i sTiLL showed up to some of alex's friend groups events like some kind of loser hanger on, ugh why did i do that for so long). I DONT see this as a good thing haha, I would much rather be one of those easygoing popular people.

So yea. Stupid Bruno. Don't let him tell you what to do :P

#Journal shit

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terreisa · 3 years

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Love Down the Line: Chapter 2

The last thing Indie musician Emma Swan needs is a gigantic wrench thrown in the workings of her biggest tour to date weeks before its launch. When her backing guitarist that caused the problem says she has the perfect solution Emma is skeptical but left with little choice but to accept. Unfortunately she isn't really prepared for said solution to be former Rock Star and leading man of Emma's teenage fantasies, Killian Jones. With no other options and a month of performing across the country ahead of her Emma just hopes she doesn't come to regret letting Killian onto her stage and into her life.

Ch 1, AO3

~*CS*~

Portland, Maine- April 10th

Emma hadn’t intended to be late to rehearsal. In fact, she wanted to be early to get a step up on Jones. She figured just because she was doing Ruby a favor didn’t mean she couldn’t exert a little pressure on the guy at the same time. By the end of a tour she was usually ready to kick everyone off the bus and finish the damn shows herself and she was good friends with Ruby and the others in the backing band. Jones had to more than prove himself to her during the rehearsal turned audition. He had to blow it out of the water.

Of course, that had been before she was the one showing up almost forty minutes late.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,” she huffed under her breath as she ran across the parking lot, the guitar strapped across her back knocking her in the ass with every step.

“You’re late Miss Swan.”

Emma grimaced at the sound of her manager, Regina Mills’, voice. The woman was scary on a normal day with her custom designer suits, red soled stilettos, and three hundred dollar haircuts that made sure not a single dark hair was out of place, or grey. She was holding open the door for her with a look of extreme annoyance or impatience or disappointment. It could have been all three but Emma blew past her into the building and down the familiar hallways towards the space she and the others had been rehearsing in for years.

“I know, I know. Sorry-” she shrugged in apology and nearly dropped the three notebooks and handful of loose papers in her arms. Hugging them tighter into her chest she kept moving, “The bug wouldn’t start and I had to call Mary Margaret to borrow her car and then there was an accident on the highway.”

“And why couldn’t you have carpooled with Ruby?” Regina asked cooly as she followed, clearly unmoved by her tales of woe.

Emma stopped dead in the middle of the hallway and spun to face Regina, “Ruby can’t be here. She’s not supposed to drive with the pills she was given.”

“She is and she didn’t,” Regina said with a roll of her eyes, pushing at Emma’s elbow to get her moving again. “Some other woman who has the manners of a barn animal is here with her. If you keep inviting people to rehearsals I’m going to start charging for the privilege, maybe even turn it into a VIP package.”

“It must be Dorothy,” Emma smiled, her first real one since Ruby’s practically world ending phone call. “Good for her. And the only other person who should be here is that Jones guy Ruby swears is worthy of replacing her. She said he’s a session guitarist, do you not know him either?”

She’d opened the door that led to the rehearsal space, looking over her shoulder as she asked. Regina raised an impeccably plucked brow and settled her gaze behind her. Turning towards the room she immediately saw who the stranger was and promptly dropped everything in her arms in shock.

“Careful there, Swan, if you’re anything like every other songwriter I know those things are worth more than their weight in gold.”

Emma could do nothing more than stare as Killian Jones set his guitar aside and crossed the room to pick up the papers and notebooks at her feet. He gathered them all and tried to straighten them before handing them up to her, a crooked grin on his face. It faltered a little as she continued to stare at him before he chuckled and scratched behind his ear.

Killian Jones was definitely not the random guy off the street Emma had been imagining, he wasn’t even a vaguely familiar face she’d seen in the halls of their rehearsal space. He had been the lead guitarist and second vocalist for one of the biggest rock bands in the world almost fifteen years earlier. His band, Realm of Jewels' second album had gone multi platinum, they’d played arenas and headlined festivals across the globe. Rumor had it that their third album was supposed to be even bigger. Then there had been a terrible accident and half the band was gone in an instant. Killian Jones had survived but emerged from the wreck with one hell of a dragon, in the form of alcohol and pills, on his back.

As far as she’d known he was just another rock star that had gotten lost in the world because of his addictions. Apparently the story hadn’t ended there. No, it had seemingly kept going with him ending up in her goddamn rehearsal space looking bashful and hot as fuck.

“You’re Killian Jones.”

He blushed and it almost killed her, “Last time I checked.”

“Realm of Jewels,” she challenged, wondering if he’d shy away from his past.

“Once upon a time,” he shot back, a glint of humor in his eyes as his blush faded.

She hummed, “Rolling Stone called you a ‘not so hidden gem in the rock world, poised to be among the pantheon of rock gods’ if I’m remembering correctly.”

“Good memory,” he grinned, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “And that same illustrious publication said you were on the road to being the Stevie Nicks of your generation. A bit belittling but not far off the mark.”

“Belittling?” She asked sharply, her hackles rising.

He held up his hands in defense, “Not in the way you think, Swan. If I had written the article I would have perhaps said that you were a talent beyond compare.”

“Oh,” she said, deflating a bit but still on edge due to him being there at all, “um, okay.”

She glanced around the room, trying to find a way out of the suddenly awkward silence that had settled between them. Tink Greene and Will Scarlet, the other members of her backing band, were huddled by the drumset, watching them with barely hidden awe, clearly star struck at being in the same room with the Killian Jones. Ruby was sitting on the couch, whispering to the woman sitting next to her, who could only be Dorothy. Emma caught Ruby’s eye and not so subtly jerked her head back towards the hallway she’d just come from.

“Emma-” Regina snarled as she started backing out of the room.

“I’d like a minute with my guitarist if you don’t mind,” Emma said through gritted teeth, giving Jones an insincere smile that had his own widening in glee.

“Oh, do let them go, Your Majesty,” Jones said with a laugh. “I believe we still need to discuss certain terms and conditions of this little arrangement.”

Emma opened her mouth to argue that nothing was decided when Ruby pushed her fully into the hallway with surprising strength in her uninjured arm.

“Are you fucking kidding me Ruby?” She hissed as soon as the doors closed behind them. “Killian Jones?!”

“So you obviously know there’s no need for him to audition,” Ruby said with a sly smile. “I mean you have seen him in concert four, no fi-”

She covered Ruby’s mouth with her hand, shushing her as she pushed her further down the hallway. They only made it three steps before Ruby licked her palm, cackling with glee when she yanked her hand back, disgusted.

“It’s not gonna happen.”

“Come on. He can play, he’s available and he knows the songs. This is the best you’re going to get and you know it,” Ruby stated proudly, her grin smug.

“The best,” Emma muttered, shaking her head and trying to keep hold of her temper. “The best? Jesus Christ, Ruby, the second he steps out on stage it’s not my show anymore, it’s his. I have worked too fucking long and hard for that asshole to come in and take it all from me in some bid to reclaim his glory.”

“Oh, oh no, Emma, that’s totally not at all what this is,” Ruby whispered, her face pale and looking stricken. “He owed me, big time, and I obviously didn’t think about any of that when I called it in. Look, don’t repeat this to anyone. Like, anyone. But Killian hasn’t played in public since he got out of rehab. That he even agreed to do this is I think big enough for him. He’s not looking to steal the spotlight.”

“Then why is he here?” Emma asked, slightly mollified but still seething.

“He misses playing for an audience but I think he has a kind of block or something about going for it on his own,” Ruby said softly. She gave a half-hearted shrug, “I’m just trying to help out two friends in one go.”

The last of her anger drained away at the sincerity in Ruby’s voice. It wasn’t often that Ruby was the serious one in their friendship but when she was Emma always paid attention. If she hadn’t she’d have still been waiting tables at Granny’s Diner and only playing her guitar at barbeques and bonfires for their small group of friends at home. She also wouldn’t have been able to call Storybrooke home for that matter.

No longer angry but still infinitely annoyed she tipped her head back and let out a sigh, “Fine I’ll give him a chance on two conditions.”

“Excellent!” Ruby crowed. Emma dropped her gaze back down and raised a brow at her, “Whatever the conditions he’ll totally do it. He wants this, just doesn’t know how badly he does until you start making him jump through hoops to prove it to you.”

“Oh, only one of the conditions is for him,” Emma said with a smirk.

Ruby’s eyes widened, “What? Why do I have to prove myself?”

“You don’t. I just want to know how you can call Killian Jones, one of the most famous guitarists-”

“Who you had a poster of on your wall,” Ruby broke in with wiggling eyebrows and a giddy grin, “and a laminated photo in your-”

“Who had a very public and very destructive drug and alcohol problem, your friend,” Emma continued pointedly.

Ruby’s grin faded, “He was in the same rehab facility as my mom. Well, one of them. On one of her bad days I went for a walk around the gardens to cool my head a little and recognized him. Had a bit of a fangirl moment, if I’m being honest. Not exactly my finest moment since he was there to get his life back together and I go gushing about how great I thought he was before it all went to shit. I could tell he was humoring me until I started talking about gigs and asking him how to improve my playing, then his eyes kinda lit up and he started offering me advice and some tricks for the road. So whenever I went to visit my mom I would also stop by to talk to him about music.

“After my mom decided she was done being sober, again, I still went by to see him. He needed a friend and I guess I needed to believe that someone could actually follow through with getting clean. When he got out we stayed in touch. Just a ‘hi, how’re you doing’ text every so often. Until, of course, the arm thing happened.”

“And you never mentioned it because…?”

“I wanted to but it seemed-” Ruby shrugged, “like an invasion of privacy, somehow?”

Emma nodded, getting what Ruby meant but still a little hurt that she’d kept it from her. She’d only admit it on threat of death having met him but Jones had been her number one celebrity crush since she’d discovered Realm of Jewels in her senior year of high school. Ruby was a witness to it then and clearly still remembered that embarrassing fact. Then it occurred to her that there were dark parts of her life that she wouldn’t want shared with a fan no matter how close of a friend Ruby was with them. She nodded again, fully accepting the truth of what Ruby had told her.

“I’m not going to go easy on him,” she warned, spinning on her heel and walking back to the rehearsal room.

Ruby laughed, “I would have been suspicious if you did. So what are you going to make him do?”

“You’ll see,” she said cryptically with a grin before opening the door.

“Finally,” Regina muttered as they walked back in. She pointed a perfectly manicured finger at Emma, “You may be a favorite of the owners here but we’re still paying for every minute this room has people in it. So start playing or find somewhere else to work out your little grievances.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Emma apologized again, knowing that if there was something that pissed Regina off more than wasted time it was wasted money.

She felt Killian’s eyes on her as she greeted Tink and Will before moving to the piano. It was like a phantom pressure between her shoulder blades that she was trying her best to ignore. If he was trying to unsettle her she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction and if he was trying to figure her out she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. When she finally had all her things set up how she wanted and ignoring him was no longer an option she turned to face him, valiantly trying to hide that she was still slightly shocked and unnerved that he was there.

“Ruby said that you’re a session guitarist now,” she began without preamble, hoping to gain whatever upper hand she could.

“I may not be hurting for cash, love, but a man does like to keep busy,” his voice dipped low at the end of his statement. Paired with a raised brow and feral grin she had to hold back a snort of amusement at his innuendo.

“Not your love,” she shot back dismissively, “She also said that you’ve played on my albums?”

His grin faltered, “Aye.”

“And would you say you enjoyed the songs you recorded or were they just a forgettable few in a long set of recordings to… keep you busy?”

There was the sound of a violent snort and then a deep spluttering a cough that belonged to Will from behind her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ruby rolling her eyes at her and Regina throwing up her hands in exasperation. She kept her face impassive and gaze on Killian, pleased to see him fidget and scratch behind his ear in what had to be nervousness.

“Erm, well when I first recorded one of your songs I’ll admit I had no clue who you were and no interest in discovering more,” Killian admitted but instead of dropping his eyes he held her gaze. “Then I had the fortune of recording another one and found myself intrigued. I’ve listened to everything you’ve released up ‘til now and I’ve enjoyed all of it, not just what I was hired to play.”

“Okay then,” she said as cooly as she could, despite the giddiness and disbelief running through her knowing that he liked her music. “Now I hope you don’t mind but I’d like to hear you play something.”

“Play something?” He repeated, flabbergasted.

“Just a few different songs,” she said innocently, “so I know you’ll be a good fit.”

His mouth opened and closed several times before he shot an incredulous look at Ruby. Emma could barely hold in her laughter as Ruby shrugged and said nothing.

“Problem, Jones?”

He turned back to her, looking incredulous, “Let me get this straight, Swan, you can quote an article from Rolling Stone that was released well over a decade ago about my playing and you want me to audition?”

“Only if you want the gig,” she said with a shrug.

She could see the muscle in Killian’s jaw jumping, though she wasn’t sure if it was from annoyance or contemplation. Either way it gave her a little inspiration. While he continued to stew she pulled out her phone and did a quick internet search for what she needed.

“Fine, love,” he said, drawing her attention back to him. He picked up his guitar and slid the strap over his head. “What would you like to hear?”

“Can you read music?” She asked with honest curiosity.

“I can,” he said warily.

“Good-” she turned to Ruby, “I need your Ipad.”

Ruby gave her a calculating look before slowly extracting the tablet out of her purse and handing it over. Emma gave her what she hoped was a look of innocence before pulling up what she needed and handing it over to Killian.

“Layla? A classic-” he smirked and handed her back the Ipad, “and one I already know by heart.”

With that he started playing, amazingly, and Emma almost didn’t have the heart to stop him. Almost.

“Whoa there, Jones,” she said loudly, waving her hands for him to stop. He did with a discordant note and stared at her in confusion. She handed back the Ipad, “I wanted you to play this.”

He looked at it and then back at her, his brow furrowing even more, “But I was.”

“No, you didn’t read the music-” she wiggled the Ipad at him, “You were playing the lead. I want to hear you play the rhythm.”

“Ah,” he breathed, a look of bemusement and something that was too much like awe replacing his confusion, “I see.”

From there he played every unflashy guitar part she could throw at him. He didn’t complain and his annoyance didn’t make a reappearance. The others listened happily and even offered suggestions, though Regina had left with a disgusted huff after the fourth song. They passed the tablet back and forth several times before she decided to end the teasing with one of her favorites.

Killian snorted when he saw her choice, “You do know that two great guitarists play on this one right? Even playing rhythm on this one is an honor. Although, the same should have been said for Layla, but I have enjoyed this little challenge.”

“Good to know,” she said, smiling. “I don’t want you to play rhythm on this one though. If you don’t mind.”

“It would be my honor,” he hummed, handing her back the Ipad.

The chatter in the room fell silent as the familiar chords of While My Guitar Gently Weeps swept through the room. Emma closed her eyes and let the music wash over her. There was only one constant in her life and it was music, first listening, then playing, and finally creating. It had never sent her back, never sent her to prison, and never forced her to send her child away. As Killian played the last notes she felt the familiar pang of melancholy the song invoked in her but made sure the smile she gave him when she opened her eyes was genuine.

“Thanks.”

“Shouldn’t I be thanking you for giving me the opportunity? I’ve never had to audition before-”

“Lucky git,” Will grumbled as he ambled by them, heading toward the snack table on one side of the room.

“Will Scarlet, drums, constant pain in the ass but our pain in the ass,” Emma commented lightly, batting away the Red Vine Will had tossed at her. She hitched her thumb over her shoulder to where she’d last noticed Tink, “That’s Tink Greene, bassist, she’s small but she’ll knock you out if you mess with the current rotation of romance novels she’ll be bringing on the bus.”

Killian raised a brow at her, “I can’t quite tell by your tone but am I to believe I got the gig?”

“You had the gig as soon as she saw your pretty face and hot ass,” Ruby called out from her spot on the couch, causing Emma’s cheeks to heat up and Killian’s lip to curl.

“Yeah, well-” she cleared her throat, “We’ve, uh, already used up our reserved time for today and Regina won’t be happy if we stay late, even if we actually rehearse. We’ve got a couple more weeks of rehearsals on Mondays and Fridays and then it’ll be almost every day until the tour starts. If you need somewhere to stay just let Regina know and she’ll book the hotel room or whatever.”

“So I got the gig?” Killian pressed, his blue eyes glittering in mirth.

“You got the gig,” she sighed, rolling her eyes at his toothy grin. Then she let her features settle into what she hoped was a menacing look, “There’s some conditions.”

“Of course,” he said, nodding sagely.

“Your name isn’t going to be in any of the advertising, or brought up in interviews, and absolutely not on any of the damn marquees. You’re being hired as a guitarist in my backing band, not as the feature player.”

He nodded again but with understanding, “Of course, I have no desire to upstage you or hijack the tour for my own needs.”

“Good,” she said, slightly surprised he agreed so easily. “This is also temporary. Once Ruby gets the all clear from her doctor she’s back and you’re out.”

“As I wouldn’t want to keep a fellow musician, or friend, out of work I will happily step aside-” he gave a little bow that she refused to see as charming.

“And last, no groupies on the bus,” she added, fighting to keep her face impassive and the blush that threatened from pinkening her cheeks.

It had never been a set rule, in fact it was one they’d each bent a little one time or another, but a weird pressure built in the back of her neck at the thought of having to see and listen to Killian with some doe eyed fan. Not that she cared. She just didn’t want to get to know him that intimately, even if it was by proxy, when she barely knew him as anyone other than the rock star she’d had a crush in high school.

His jaw clenched almost imperceptibly before he laughed. It didn’t sound forced or off but somehow Emma knew it was fake all the same.

“Understood, love.”

“Still not your love-” she held out her hand and his hand was calloused and warm when he grasped it, “Welcome to the band.”

#captain swan #cs ff #captain swan ff #captain swan fanfiction #ouat ff #my writing

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champhangman · 4 years

Text

No Other - Part Four

Title: No Other Characters: Nick Jackson x OFC Part: Four of ? Summary: I don’t know the loneliness you’ve known. I don’t hear the frosty words echo inside. Word Count: 7,625 Warnings: Slight alcohol use A/N: Due to popular Ash’s demand, I’ve created a Spotify playlist for this fic, which you can check out here. (It means so much when people message me with song recs for any of my fics, y’all have no idea!)

@adampage / @cowboyshit / @lilmisswhiskeygypsy / @bigpixiefoot / @mindofasagittaruis / @kalliravenne / @sadlittlecountess / @baronsbelleevangeline / @brie-mode-activated / @xbreezymeadowsx / @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch / @wardl0w / @what-does-mine-say / @waywardwrestlewritingwaif / @drewshoneybadger / @merchfreak / @markostuntthesehoes / @mysteryoflovve / @knnyomega / @kploveswrestling / @snarkandsarcasmftw

Four

The bar was a sports bar, complete with blaring TVs, neon signs, a low hum of music playing, and flirty, giggly waitresses that all had to walk by the table. Jasmine slowly sipped her daiquiri as yet another waitress strolled casually by, conspicuously staring at Adam. He seemed to not notice, too focused on telling her about his match earlier, and when the waitress turned to walk by again, he glanced up and gave her a quick smile. Then asked for another drink.

Jasmine watched the woman sigh and giggle as she hurried away, shaking her head at his obliviousness when he continued his tale.

"What?" he asked with a chuckle when she laughed.

"Since we got here, five women have walked by to gawk at you," she pointed out.

"Nah," he drawled, shaking his head. "They're just working."

"Please," she snorted. "You can't be that unaware."

"Well, I can't say I'm used to it and sound like an asshole." Adam looked up when their waitress approached. His face lit into a smile, and he thanked her profusely for the quick service.

She made it two feet from the table before fanning herself.

"You're used to that?" Jasmine asked, taking another sip of her drink.

"Not really." He shrugged. "And you're not exactly being ignored."

"By the women I am," she retorted.

"Do you want their attention?" There was a light of interest in his eyes.

"Not if they're going to stare and giggle," she sighed. Then, grinning, she shook her head slightly. "I'm fully straight, Adam, and even if I was a goddess I doubt they'd notice me next to you."

"You're stroking my ego, Jazzy."

"At least I'm stroking something, right?"

His chuckle turned into a full-fledged laugh. Once he'd recovered, he took a sip of his drink and looked at her seriously. "So, what's wrong with dating someone you work with?"

"Are you about to interrogate me?" she asked, sitting back in her seat.

"Hey, I got a right. You asked me if I wore boxers or briefs."

"That wasn't my question!" Jasmine rolled her eyes. "And I didn't expect you to go into a lecture on how different types of underwear are better under different circumstances. But I'm sure your female fans appreciated it."

His cheeks darkened slightly, and his grin was almost one of embarrassment. "Did I take it too far?"

"No." She had the feeling that he wouldn't let his question go unanswered and sighed, toying with the zipper on her hoodie. "And I guess that really, there's nothing wrong with dating coworkers."

"Then why the rule?" he asked, tone and expression serious. "And don't give me some generic answer."

"I got burned." Jasmine unzipped the zipper partway, then zipped it back up. Then again, the noise annoying to her, but she was unable to stop. "Burned isn't the right term. I… I had to leave once we stopped seeing each other."

He barely glanced at her when she passed him, clutching the box of things from her eyes. His humorless chuckle reached her ears just as she reached the elevator, and she glanced back to see him smirking in triumph. She watched his lips move, forming the word that had been whispered throughout the offices for weeks.

Whore.

"That's why you left law?" Adam's voice was gentle.

She jerked her head up. "How did you know?"

"Matt and Cody were talking about it. They said you've got an impressive resumé." He lifted one shoulder in a faint shrug. "Is it?"

"Mostly, yes. I was also burned out. Law wasn't my dream job." She picked up her drink and wiggled the straw around.

"What's the dream?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "For a long time, it was performing. I did musical theater in high school and college."

"Yeah? Were you good?"

"Yes." She'd loved it, every bit. Working on scenery between rehearsals, trying on the wardrobe. Vibrant colors, swirling silks, and satins. Even the corsets had been fun. Elaborate hairstyles, wigs, and makeup. And her favorite part, stepping forward to sing her solos. At first alone with just the director, then with the rest of the cast, and then in front of audiences. The sheer joy of performing, of seeing faces in the crowd laugh and cry. The surge of adrenaline that came with learning a new part, the sweat and aches of learning choreography. The tears of euphoria stinging her eyes when a performance ended and there was echoing applause as the curtain fell.

"Why did you stop?"

"I wanted to have something to fall back on." She blinked, the lights and sounds and colors fading back into her memories. Looking at Adam, she saw his nod of understanding. "Once I got accepted into law school, I didn't have time for music or acting anymore."

"What about now?'

"I'm too old," she murmured, setting her drink down without taking a sip.

"Bullshit."

"I am," she insisted. "I haven't done any of that in years."

Stomach churning. Rehearsed lines and lyrics repeating in her brain. The familiar scent of the stage as she walked out for her audition. A bored voice asking for her name, then telling her to go ahead.

Then, nothing. Knees knocking, stomach violent, heart thudding dully. Eyes burning, mouth watering, breath catching. Lights swirling. A ripple of gasps as she bolted offstage, the darkness of backstage swallowing her, taunting her until she burst outside into blinding sunlight. A curious pigeon cooing at her while she vomited on the cracked asphalt.

"You could still do community theater stuff, couldn't you?"

Jasmine smiled weakly. "I don't think so."

"You'll find something," Adam reassured with a quick smile.

"Not to sound mean, but that's easy for you to say. You're living your dream."

"Everyone should be able to." His voice was emphatic. "If a dumb hick like me can do it, so can you."

"I have to find a dream first." A depressing thought. Her life had changed so drastically in the past three years. She was hardly the same person she had been that lifetime ago when she had had dreams. She did have dreams, but they didn't revolve around just her anymore. Frowning, she picked up her drink and took a sip. She didn't like the taste of it and, with a sigh, pushed it back onto the table and reached for her glass of soda instead.

"You'll find something, Jazzy," Adam promised. "You're pretty, you're talented—"

"Talented?" she cut in, lifting her eyebrows.

"Nick told me about you playing piano. Said you can hear a song once and play it." He shook his head as though in disbelief. "That's talent."

"Right," she murmured.

"More importantly, though, you're smart. It might take you a while to find that new dream, but when you do, I know you're smart enough to stick it through." He lifted his drink in a silent salute before taking a sip. "And you'll kick ass at whatever it is."

"I hope so." Jasmine sighed again.

"Stop frowning and sighing," he groaned. "You're gonna make me think I'm a shitty date."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not a date, Adam."

"Sure it is. You and I, both single – You are really single, aren't you?" he asked, eyes widening slightly. "I mean, you don't have some giant motherfucker of a boyfriend that's gonna come after me—"

"I'm single," she promised with a snort of laughter. "I wouldn't lie about that."

"Thank fuck," he muttered. "You and I, both single, came to the same place with the express reason to have a drink or two and get to know each other."

"That doesn't make this a date."

"Sure it does." He finished his drink and set the glass down with a smile. "And when we leave here, we're going back to the hotel, where I'll walk you to your room, and then—"

"And then I say thanks for the drink and the conversation, tell you good night, and go into my room. Alone," she added when he smirked.

"Not even a goodnight kiss, huh?"

"Maybe a handshake."

He looked at her, head tilted slightly, and gave a sigh. "I won't burn you, Jazzy."

"I'm not going to risk finding out."

"Can't blame me for trying," he said after a moment.

"I don't," she assured him. "If I'm allowed to be honest, it's a little flattering."

Adam flashed a smile. "But you've gotta let me do a little bragging."

"Excuse you?" She stared at him in horror. "Bragging?"

"You ain't stupid, you've got to know Nick's interested in you. And I'm nothing if not an asshole, so I gotta let him think this was more than just a couple drinks." He grinned, a charming, almost adorable grin that very nearly pulled her in.

"Did you ever get punished as a child?" she asked softly, not wanting to comment on what he'd said about Nick.

"Not really… Why?"

"Because I don't think anyone could punish you, really."

"That's what my mom would say," he admitted with an embarrassed grin. "I'd do something and she said I was too cute to be mad at."

"I can believe it," she sighed, shaking her head.

"She says I could get away with murder."

"Your country boy looks and charm, with the right lawyer? You probably could."

"Would you be my lawyer?"

"I don't practice anymore," she reminded him.

"You evade questions so well, though. And you change the subject like a pro."

"I haven't changed the subject—"

"Nick." He leaned in slightly, elbows resting on the table. "He's a subject."

"What do you want me to say? He's my boss."

"Oh," Adam breathed, nodding with understanding. "I got you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's okay. He's pretending he doesn't like you that way, too."

"He—"

"Which is just gonna make it even more fun for me."

"You really are an asshole," she groaned. "It doesn't matter if I like him—"

"So you do like him."

Jasmine scowled. "Are you sure you never studied law?"

"Naw, I'm just an asshole, remember?" He grinned. "Don't worry, Jazzy. I won't tell him."

"Tell him what?" she asked.

"That you like him."

"I never said—"

"You want another?" He turned his head, obviously looking for the waitress, and when one immediately came towards the table, he turned back with a grin.

"I can't even finish this one." Jasmine pushed her drink further away. When the gawking woman reached the table she opened her mouth to request something else but closed it as the woman giggled flirtatiously at Adam. She looked on in awe, wondering how she had missed out on the playful gene. Both her parents still teased and flirted, despite so many years of marriage, whereas she had never been good at it. She'd tried, many times, and had felt silly and awkward. Banter didn't come easily to her, except with—

"You want something else?" Adam asked her.

"No, I'm fine. Maybe some water," she decided. She was actually ready to go. The loud TVs were starting to give her a headache, and the constant giggling wasn't helping. She thought about leaving so Adam could be free to flirt and chose one of the women obviously willing to share his bed. And if she left, she wouldn't be subjected to more talk of Nick.

"Some water for my date, please?" Adam flashed a grin at the waitress.

Jasmine kept her face impassive when the woman slowly looked over at her as though only just noticing someone was with the man. "Please," she said sweetly.

"Yeah, okay, sure."

Adam watched her walk off and was turning back as the door opened and several people began to enter. She saw his face light with recognition, then he was waving. "Alright if some of the guys join us?"

"Of course."

Relieved, she watched the group approach the table. Greeting them, she rolled her eyes when Dax apologized for crashing their date. She slipped out of her chair, trying to catch Adam's attention, but he was already talking animatedly with Cash. But she couldn't leave without telling him. Self-professed asshole or no, she knew he would be, if not worried, at least a little bothered if she left without saying a word. The group around the table grew and she squeezed behind Cash, reaching around him to tug at Adam's sleeve.

"Hey," he said, chuckling. "Where you going?"

"I'm heading back to the hotel," she said, wincing when Dax hollered loudly for some service. She saw Adam start to stand and shook her head. "No, no, you stay. Drink a couple for me."

"You can't walk back alone," he said with a frown.

"It's barely a block away. I'll be fine," she promised. "Stay."

"I ain't a dog," he groused. Shaking his head when she sighed, he held up a hand. "Alright, alright. But text me so I know you got back, alright? If I don't hear from you, I'm coming to look for you."

"I will. Good night," she said. "And thanks."

Turning to leave, she caught herself before crashing into Mox and flashed him a quick, apologetic smile before slipping away. She noted that every waitress was hurrying to the table, and that the one she'd asked for water didn't have it on the tray she carried. With a roll of her eyes she stepped out into the night and breathed a sigh of relief.

Her walk to the hotel was uneventful, those she passed barely glancing in her direction. Fans were milling around outside the hotel, and a few in the lobby, but none paid her any attention as she headed for the elevators. While waiting she sent Adam a quick text assuring him she'd made it safely back, added that she hoped he had a good night, then switched her phone to silent as the elevator doors open.

"Jazzy!" Brandon greeted, holding the doors open for her. "How's it going?"

"Hey. Going great." She stepped onto the elevator and unzipped her hoodie. "How are you?"

"Doing good." He glanced around, then stepped onto the elevator and let the doors close. "Quick question."

"Okay?"

"You live near Jacksonville, right?" he asked, still smiling.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm bringing the family with me in a couple weeks. I was thinking we could get together, let the kids have a playdate?"

"At the venue?" she asked, eyes widening in horror.

"No, no, at the beach or something," he promised with a chuckle. "We're gonna stay a few days, do Disney and all that. What do you say?"

"I…" She knew one of Brandon's kids were close to Beatrice's age. "That sounds like a good idea. Bea hasn't really hung out with other kids, except at the park once in a while."

"Great. I'll get with you next week and we can plan something?" he suggested, punching the button to open the doors.

"Sure. Thanks," she said, smiling. "It means a lot to me, Brandon."

"Have a good night. See you next week, alright?"

"Bye," she laughed as the doors slid shut. Pressing the button for her floor, she checked her phone and saw a text from Adam.

Sure you don't want company tonight?

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. I'm sure. Ask the cute waitress.

She had reached her floor and was opening her door to get change from her bag when he replied. Holding the door open with her hip, she waited until she'd gotten enough money for a couple snacks and a drink before looking at the message.

They're all cute though.

Choking on a laugh, she tossed her phone into her bag and, making sure she had her key, pulled the door shut and headed for the vending machines. The hallway was quiet, though she could hear muffled TVs and music when she passed a few doors. She turned the corner, coins jangling in the pocket of her hoodie, and her steps slowed when she saw Nick coming from the opposite direction.

He looked up from his phone and looked surprised to see her. "Jasmine. Hey."

"Hey," she said softly, stepping into the small room that housed the vending machines. They glowed eerily, and she approached the drink machine first, swallowing when she sensed him entering behind her. She pushed coins through the slot, each metallic clang sounding overly loud to her. When the drink dropped she bent to get it, sidestepping awkwardly around Nick to reach the snack machine.

"Your date's over already?"

"My da—" Jasmine stopped feeding coins into the machine and stared at him. AN ache flared in her chest at the flash of…pain? Did the thought of her going out with someone else hurt him that much? Why? Because of what had happened between them already? She kept telling herself it had been just a kiss, one that wasn't supposed to occur. And sometimes she almost believed that it hadn't meant anything, because the alternative was too painful to bear. But she couldn't intentionally hurt him. No matter what Adam said, she doubted that letting Nick think they'd done more than just go out for a drink would be fun. "It wasn't a date, Nick."

"Wasn't it?"

"Nick," she whispered, shoving her hand into the pocket of her hoodie to find more change. She glanced down and it was only then that she noticed it was his hoodie. The one he'd tucked around her and insisted she keep. The one that, if she breathed deeply enough, she could still catch the scent of his cologne on. It was warmer and softer than any other hoodie she had ever own, and although she knew she should, she couldn't bring herself to give it back to him. Each time she pulled it on she thought of him, which was probably a very good reason to give it back to him. "It wasn't a date. I'm not interested in Adam. He's funny and charming, but he's not—"

She cut off the sentence and jammed the last of the change into the machine. He's not you.

"It wasn't a date," she insisted, punching buttons blindly until she felt the coils whir and something land with a thud in the well at the bottom of the machine. He bent to retrieve what she'd bought, and she frowned when she was it was a granola bar. Taking it, she stuffed it into the pocket of her jeans and began feeding more change into the machine.

"You don't like granola?"

"Not really. Bea loves it, so I'll just take it home for her."

"Your niece?" he asked.

"Yeah. Short for Beatrice." Who had fallen asleep before the end of the show, which meant it would be morning before she could talk to her again.

"You're a very dedicated aunt," Nick said with a smile. "I never think of bringing stuff back for my nieces and nephews."

"Does Matt?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Once in a while."

"Yeah, you better get on that if you want to be the favorite uncle. It doesn't take much, trust me. They'll be happy you thought of them while you were gone. Granola bars, or a funky keychain from the airport."

"I bow to your superior wisdom." His laugh was easy, and she could tell the tension between them was easing. "If I can't think of anything, can I ask for your input?"

"Of course." She smiled, and jumped when the machine clicked and she heard the change rattle into the coin return. Reaching to get it, she paused at the sight of the sleeve bunched up on her arm. With a groan, she began to shrug out of the hoodie, heart thudding as it slid off her shoulders. She immediately missed its warmth and its softness and the hint of Nick's cologne but held it out to him. "You should take this back."

"I told you to keep it."

Was the man ever anything but nice? "I don't need it."

"Obviously, you do," he pointed out.

She scowled. "I have three hoodies in my suitcase. I just grabbed this one because…"

Nick lifted his eyebrows when she faltered.

"Because…" Damn it, she was not going to tell him the reason she'd grabbed it and put it on. "Because it was on the top."

"Was it?" he asked casually.

"Yes, because I packed it last. So that I could give it back to you. Because it's yours."

"Jasmine," he sighed.

She glanced down and saw she was hugging it to her chest. "God," she groaned, tipping her head back and staring at the ceiling as though the recessed light above could explain why she was acting so stupidly. Unfolding her arms, she held it towards him, gulping as he closed the space between them again. "Thanks for letting me borrow it."

"Anytime," he murmured.

Watching his hand close around the garment, she knew it was time to let it go. But she was frozen. She could smell his cologne again and this time it was coming from him and it was so much nicer that way. Sandalwood and musk. Not overpowering, not obscene, just… Nice. Comforting, almost. Just like him.

"I can't take it if you're still holding onto it," he said, and there was a teasing quality to his voice that made her smile.

"It's a really, really nice hoodie," she commented. Remembering her change was in the pocket, she dug it out and pushed the hoodie towards him. "I'll have to buy one for myself."

"I only wore it a couple times, but yeah, it's a good one."

He tugged but still she held on. "Where'd you get it?"

"I can't remember. I'll look through my receipts when I get home and let you know."

"Please do." She looked up, smiling now, and saw he was smiling, too.

"Did you have fun? At the bar," he added.

"Honestly? No." Still holding onto the hoodie, she shrugged. "I'm not really a bar person anymore. But god, don't let him know I told you that. He's planning on being an asshole and letting you think we did more than have a couple drinks."

"Why?"

"He said because you're interested in me."

"Wow," he chuckled. "He is an asshole."

"A harmless one, though."

"But he's right."

"About what?" When had he moved closer? When had his hand moved from the hoodie to her arm? She shivered at the feel of his fingers sweeping over her skin and held her breath.

"I'm interested."

"You shouldn't be. I'm very boring. Just work and home and spending too much time listening to music and watching Disney movies. A houseplant is more interesting than I am. And I've made things awkward, right?" she asked, looking down. "And I hate it."

"Jasmine?"

"I hate that things are so awkward and weird now. I hate that I caused it. And I hate that I can't think of a way to make it end… I really fucking hate that I can't do what I really want."

"What do you want?" he asked softly.

She lifted her eyes to his, wetting her lips with her tongue when she felt his breath. It smelled of mint and she wondered if he'd already brushed his teeth for the night. Then she saw that he was moving closer. Or maybe she had moved. The hoodie slid from her grasp and she felt it fall between them.

"Jasmine?" His hand covered hers and she dropped several coins to the floor. She heard them clatter and roll but didn't look to see where they'd gone. Too busy trying to deny the frisson of warmth that rippled up her arm, she drew in a shaky breath. His brows pinched together faintly, and he leaned his head to one side. "What do you want?"

"You," she gasped. She wanted to smooth his brow, to be the one that made him smile instead of frown. God, she should have stayed at the bar with Adam and the others. Adam was safe. Her insides didn't turn into a trembling mess when she was around him. She felt on solid ground, her head not in a horrible jumble of warring thoughts. She knew she wouldn't be so tempted to take the risk that she couldn't allow herself to take. She could already feel herself leaning up, could feel his t-shirt beneath her hand. And, beneath that, his heartbeat, which seemed as unsteady as her own. "But—"

"Did you get murdered or something? It doesn't take twenty minutes to—"

Matt's voice dumped ice water over her and she snatched herself away from Nick, who pulled back as well. The space between them was comically large by the time Matt popped around the corner, and she tried her best to ignore his amused expression as he regarded her and Nick. She, studying the contents of the vending machine. He, picking up his hoodie and her scattered change.

"Oh. I see." Matt cleared his throat. "Hi, Jazzy."

"Hey," she said brightly. Too brightly. "What's up?"

"Did I interrupt something?"

"No," she and Nick said in tandem.

In the glass of the vending machine, she could see Matt turning his head to look from her to Nick rapidly. Seeing the candy bar she wanted, she reached for her money and realized it was still all over the floor. Still struggling to calm her jangling nerves and steady her thudding pulse, she squatted down to gather the coins that had rolled beneath the machine.

"Okay…" Matt dragged the word out and punctuated it with a chuckle. "You good?"

"Yeah," Nick said.

"Yep," Jasmine answered.

"Never better."

"Great, even," Jasmine added, choking back a snort of laughter.

"You're so weird," Matt said with a groan.

"Me? Or Jasmine?" Nick asked, and when she glanced at him she saw he was grinning.

"Both." Matt looked at them strangely as they both began to laugh.

Jasmine sank down until she was seated on the floor, giggling when Matt shook his head and walked away. She thought she heard him muttering as he went down the hall but didn't pay him much attention, too caught up in the absurdity of the moment. Nick's laugh subsided into giggles as well, and once the hilarity began to fade, she looked up to see him standing over her. He extended a hand and she grinned, letting him pull her to her feet.

"We shouldn't let what happened make things weird," he said, turning her hand and dropping the change he'd collected.

"I know." Pushing the coins into her pocket, she decided against buying candy and instead looked up at him. "I don't like weird."

"If we can't be something more, can we be friends?" he asked gently.

"I'd like that." And she would. Fluttering and twisting heart and chest aside, she liked Nick. She liked his deadpan humor, and she liked his quiet generosity. She liked that he was a happy person.

"Me, too." He smiled, that gentle, warm smile that, for some reason unknown to her, made her calm.

"I better get some sleep," she murmured. "Early flight in the morning."

"Do you really have three hoodies packed?"

She paused. Biting her lip, she thought of her suitcase, which didn't have the first hoodie packed into it. She had meant to get one from the merch stand during the show but hadn't gotten around to it and had only thought of it after she and Adam had left. "No, I don't," she admitted. "But—"

He was already handing the hoodie over. "Can't let my favorite Disney princess going without a jacket, can I?"

"Nick—" She cut off with a sigh and took the jacket. "Thanks."

"See you next week."

"Goodnight," she murmured.

"Night."

***

"Do you know if Jazzy's left yet?"

"Why would I know?" Nick asked with a grunt, looking up from his packing.

"You saw her last night," Matt pointed out with a roll of his eyes. "Do you?"

"Probably. She said she had an early flight. Why?"

"She keeps forgetting this, and Tony shoved it in my hands last night." Matt tossed a manila envelope onto Nick's bed. "I'm officially shoving it to you now."

He opened his mouth to suggest they just overnight it to her but thought better of it. A contract, even one for someone working in social media, was too sensitive to trust in anyone else's hands. Picking it up, he looked at Jazzy scrawled on the front in Matt's familiar handwriting. "I'm not gonna see her before you do."

"You see her more than me. We really need to get an assistant to do this shit." Matt slung his toiletry bag into his suitcase. "What were you doing with her last night, anyway?"

"We were just talking." Nick tucked the envelope in the inner pocket of his suitcase. And, seeing a bulge, he reached inside to see what he'd already stuffed in there. His fingers touched hard plastic and he tugged it out, turning the small dinosaur over in his hand.

"What about?"

"…Stuff." Nick pushed the toy back into the pocket and closed the lid.

"What kind of stuff? The stuff making stuff weird?"

"Yeah."

"Am I allowed to ask what was making stuff weird?"

"Sure, you can ask."

"Then—"

"But I'm not gonna tell you."

"Oh come on! This is driving me crazy," Matt groaned. "Why won't you tell me?"

"Because you'll blow it out of proportion, like you do everything." Nick pushed his suitcase to the floor and looked to all of Matt's things still scattered around. "It's nothing, Matt. We talked about stuff and things aren't weird anymore."

"Even though she went out with Adam last night?"

"How did you know that?"

"I ran into him when I went down for coffee." Matt began shoving things into his suitcase. He looked up with a grin. "He said they had a great time."

"Yeah, so great she came back to the hotel within an hour," Nick muttered with a roll of his eyes. "It wasn't a date."

"Is that what she said?"

"Why are you so obsessed with what she says?" Nick asked, leaning against the wall while he waited for Matt to finish packing. "She wasn't lying."

"She wasn't?"

"Just because she stopped practicing law a few years ago and didn't mention it to you, you think she's secretive and dishonest." He shook his head. "Don't you have other things to take up your time?"

"She is secretive. Who doesn't talk about having a degree in law?"

"Someone who doesn't want to brag about their smarts?"

"Has she talked to you about it?"

"No. It hasn't come up."

"Yeah, something else keeps coming up instead," Matt snorted.

"Oh, Jesus. I don't—"

"Have a boner for her, I know, I know." His brother grinned. "You're still telling yourself that lie?"

"It's not a lie."

"And it doesn't bother you that she went out with Adam?"

Nick groaned and pushed away from the wall. "No, it doesn't. Because it wasn't a date, and because me and her are just friends."

"She already friend-zoned you?" Matt looked horrified.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, yeah, lemme grab my charger. Did she?"

"No." Nick cringed. "I hate that term. It's not like two people can't have a platonic relationship. She doesn't owe me a date."

"But she won't go out with you?" Matt bent next to the desk to unplug his charger.

"I haven't asked her," Nick grunted.

"Why the hell not?" Matt popped up with a look of horror.

"Can we go?"

"You haven't asked her out?"

"Friends," Nick said slowly.

"Why?"

"I'm leaving," he announced, grabbing his backpack and the handle of his suitcase.

"Sonofa – I'm coming, I'm coming."

Matt caught up with him at the elevator, his face purposefully calm. He stared straight ahead, mouth twisting, and Nick could feel the question coming, even when his brother merely rocked back on his heels and sighed.

"We're in Chicago next week."

"I don't—" Nick cleared his throat when he caught his brother's smirk. "Yeah."

"And Jacksonville the week after?"

"Yep."

"Jazzy lives near there, doesn't she?"

"I think so," he said carefully.

"You should take an earlier flight," Matt said casually as they stepped onto the interview. "Week after next, I mean."

"Why?"

"Oh, you know…" Matt smiled sweetly.

"Pretend I don't know."

"So you can take her the contract."

"I can give it to her in Chicago."

"And risk her leaving it behind again?" Matt clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"I'm not gonna just show up to her place," Nick scoffed.

"Funny that she keeps forgetting it. Like she wants someone to bring it to her."

"I doubt it. It probably keeps slipping her mind. She's got a lot to do."

"Hmm." Matt smirked again. "So defensive over your social media lady."

"Jasmine is not my—"

"Sorry. The social media lady."

"That's better," Nick sighed.

"Who you totally have a boner for."

Nick rolled his eyes and reached for his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking up how to disown my brother."

Matt gasped. "You wouldn't."

"You know how we're planning to kick Hangy out of the Elite in a couple weeks? Maybe we should kick you out instead."

"You can't kick me out! I helped create it!"

"No? Watch me."

"You mother—" Matt snatched the phone from Nick's hands and scowled down at the screen. And, seeing what he'd been doing, he began to laugh. "You asshole."

Nick grinned and took his phone back, finishing the text he'd begun composing to Jasmine. I've got something that belongs to you. Please remind me to give it to you next week.

"Can I just ask one more question?" Matt began after they'd checked out and were heading outside to meet the Uber. Without waiting for an answer, he squinted at Nick. "Why the hell do you call her Jasmine?"

Nick looked at him, brow furrowing in confusion. "Because that's her name?"

"Everyone calls her Jazzy. She introduces herself as Jazzy. Even on the thing she did with Adam yesterday, she told everyone her name is Jazzy. You're the only one that calls her Jasmine."

"She said I could call her Jasmine."

"Oh, did she?"

Nick sighed. And waited.

"Was this before or after you let her friend-zone you?"

"Fuck off," he muttered as his phone alerted him their Uber was arriving.

"But—"

"Gonna kick you out of the Elite and go on a singles run," Nick called over his shoulder while walking away.

"No, you're not!"

"Then I'm gonna disown you and adopt Hangy as my brother."

Matt's gasp cracked with outrage. "Him?! The guy you call an asshole?!"

Nick stopped short and laughed when Matt slammed into his back. "You're such a dick."

"I'm your brother," Matt growled. "You love me."

"God help me," Nick muttered.

***

"We could have done this at the arena," Jasmine said while Nick double-checked the placement of the tripod on the desk. "Isn't this cutting into your free time?"

He chuckled, shaking his head as he stepped around her to go sit on the couch. "What's free time?"

"You're telling me you don't have any downtime?" She frowned, reaching for her phone and tablet so she'd have her notes ready. "At all?"

"I guess I do. But you know, we don't have a headquarters that we go to during the week to do stuff. So I'm working from home a lot. Then there's workouts, stuff for BTE, and me and Matt do things with local indy guys on the weekends. I don't mind, though, because I like being busy."

"What do you do in your downtime?" she asked. Then, remembering that had been one of the questions, she shook her head. "Wait, don't answer that yet."

"Okay," he laughed. "We ready?"

"Yeah, just a couple minutes." She snapped a quick picture of him and, after posting a reminder of the Q-and-A to Instagram and Twitter, leaned against the desk to wait.

"What do you do in your downtime?"

"Oh, this and that. I'll take Bea to the park or the museum, and if it's not too hot we'll go to the beach. I play music and watch trashy reality TV. And read."

"What do you like to read?"

"A little bit of everything," she admitted with a smile. "You know Bea's obsessed with dinosaurs, right? So I'm reading books about them so I'll know what we're looking at when we go to the museum. And I just finished a book about the Donner Party. Actually, not really everything, because I tend to stick to history or true crime. Sometimes I'll read a book that everyone's talking about to see what the big deal is. What about you?"

"Ah, sports stuff mostly. Biographies, if it's someone I find interesting. And once in a while I'll flip through some poetry," he muttered.

Jasmine looked up to see him ducking his head. As though he regretted the statement. "Really? That's cool, though. Like Shakespeare? Whitman?"

"Whitman, yeah. Maya Angelou, Robert Frost… Edgar Allan Poe if I'm feeling moody. I don't read a lot, just some here and there."

"Do you have a favorite—" Looking at her phone when the alarm started, she silenced it and leaned to start the stream. "Time to start."

She waited until the feed was live then stepped around to join him on the couch. She was nervous at first, as she had been the week before, but within moments felt herself relax. Nick was obviously comfortable in front of a camera, which made her relax further, and within three questions it became less an informal interview and more a conversation. She could tell the planned time was running out but didn't want it to end, enjoying learning more about him.

"Next question comes from JBerkowitz39…" Jasmine ducked her head in hopes of hiding her smile as she looked at her tablet screen. She hoped he wouldn't connect the username she had made up to her. She probably should have gone with something more innocuous, but it was too late now. She had thrown the question in on a whim, having seen many similar ones from female fans. "What is your idea of a perfect date?"

She lifted her head to see him grinning. He chuckled, shaking his head. "Why is that a question?"

"Because it ends with a question mark. Answer, please, the people are waiting."

"Oh, jeez," he sighed. "I don't know that a perfect date exists."

"Come on, Nick, you can do this," she encouraged, keen to hear his answer. "What would the perfect date for you include?"

He sighed again, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "It would depend on the woman, but for me… I like to do things outside the box."

"Not the dinner and a movie type, then?" she asked softly.

"No, not really. That's fine, but if I'm really into someone I'd want to make it special. I'm around people all the time so I'd like to do something like pack a picnic and drive out to a spot in the middle of nowhere so we can focus on each other. Then lay out and look at the stars or watch the sunset. I know it sounds corny, but have some music playing and dance under the stars."

As he spoke, Jasmine lowered her phone and stared at him, a smile tugging at her lips. It sounded so romantic. So beautiful. That he would want to make a date special instead of the usual cut-and-dried date ideas. And so like her own idea of the perfect date. Getting out of the city and breathing fresh air and being surrounded by nature while tentatively exploring a possible new love. So unlike all the dates she'd gone on in the past. Stuffy restaurants. Upscale clubs where it was more important to be seen than to spend time with someone. Caught up in the mental image of lying on a blanket next to him and talking about anything while the stars came out, she didn't notice he'd stopped speaking. She wasn't in the hotel room on a couch with a camera pointed at her and Nick, she was in some unknown place, wrapped in his arms and twirling in the grass while a love song serenaded the night air.

"Jasmine?"

"Yeah?" She smiled, admiring the backdrop of a starry sky and the glow of the moonlight on his face.

"Didn't you have more to ask?"

"I did?" What was he talking about?

"That's what I'm asking."

"You have questions?" Her smile began to fade.

"A lot, actually…" Nick laughed and she felt his hand on her knee. "But right now you're the one with all the questions, remember?"

"Oh." He nudged her knee and she looked down at it, the daydream scattering like dandelion seeds on a breeze when she saw his hand cupping her knee to nudge it again. She jerked upright, scrambling to keep from dropping her phone, and felt her face burn with mortification. "Shit – Oh! Sorry!"

She stumbled through the last of the questions, still embarrassed when they finished and she hopped up to end the feed. Making sure to share it so people could view it later, she idly bounced the toes of her foot against the floor while waiting for it to load, then went through the process of sharing the link on Twitter and Facebook, inwardly cringing and wishing she could edit the portion of her spacing out like a fool. Once finished, she switched off the tablet and began gathering everything to pack into her bag.

"I think it went well," Nick commented from the couch. He'd leaned forward, elbows on his knees while he looked at his phone. "I'll post it to my story."

"Great, I'll let you know what people are saying." Looking at the time, she started shoving things into her bag. She was running late, although technically she supposed she wasn't since she had been working. "Thanks so much for doing this, Nick. I know fans like learning more about their favorites."

"Don't know why, I'm really boring," he murmured, rubbing his chin. "But I'm not gonna argue with you."

"Good, because I'm a master at arguing." Jasmine began dismantling the tripod. Nick hummed in reply and she glanced over at him, surprised to see him watching her speculatively. "…What?"

He opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head. She waited while he glanced at his phone, and when he looked at her once more his expression was still puzzled. With a sigh, he shook his head again. "Nothing."

It had been something, she was sure. He had been about to ask a question about her arguing mastery, she knew it. She didn't know what her answer would have been – she probably would have said something along the lines of spending so much time with a toddler made one an expert in the art of quarrelling. Laying the tripod on the desk, she glanced to make sure she'd gotten everything. "I'm gonna head out. I'll see you at the arena?"

"Of course."

"Thanks again."

"No problem." He smiled as he walked her to the door. "Who are you doing next week?"

"Kenny. Then Matt, and Britt the week after. I'll have to put out a new poll this week. It's fun, reading through the questions. I mean yeah some are gross or offensive or downright stupid and rude, but I think a lot of them are thought-provoking."

"Oh, absolutely." He reached around her to open the door. "I'm sure everyone wants to know my perfect date."

"I did," she murmured without thinking. Then, realizing he hadn't heard her, and not wanting things to get awkward again, she turned to face him. "You'd be surprised, Nick. A lot of fans had that question."

"Did they have that question for Hangy?" he asked.

"Actually, yes, but I decided to go for the boxers versus briefs debate."

"God, I'm glad I didn't get asked that."

"Too personal?" she guessed.

"A little. It would be like someone asking you if you prefer…" He shrugged. "Whatever the women's alternatives are."

"Briefs, bikini briefs, hi-cuts, thongs, g-strings… The list goes on. It's ridiculous, because none of them are really comfortable but we have to suffer through or go commando." She shrugged. "And on that note, I'm gone."

"But you didn't answer the question," he teased.

"Neither did you," she fired back.

"Boxers around the house, boxer briefs the rest of the time."

She'd guessed the boxer briefs part, having seen him wearing nothing but a pair once when she'd gone into the EVP room to check with him and Matt about a video they'd wanted her to post. "You know, I think I'm gonna do an unofficial poll of everyone just to see which style is the most preferred. I don't know what I'll do with the results, but it will be interesting to know if there's a clear winner."

"I'm always happy to help with research," he said with a quick grin. "You?"

"Damn, do I have to answer?"

"I did."

"It's boring, but bikini briefs." She wasn't about to tell him she went commando sometimes.

His gaze dipped and she felt unexpectedly naked. Wondering if he could tell that she wasn't wearing anything beneath her jeans, she somehow kept from sliding her back in front to shield herself, and felt heat rise as his gaze slowly returned to her face. He pulled his lips in briefly, tongue darting between them.

And she felt a stab of lust.

"Good to know," he said softly.

***

#nick jackson fanfiction #aew fanfiction #my fics #multipart:NO #me dropping a fic in the middle of the night like nbd

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