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putellas11 · 2 years

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A/N: Secret relationship fic requested by a lovely anon. This fic is inspired by Notting Hill, one of my favorite movies. The beginning is pretty similar to the movie, but later on I pretty much make it my own. Keep in mind that Alexia is like 200x more famous in this fic. Hope you enjoy!

Just a Girl (Alexia Putellas x Reader)

Of course, you’ve seen her play and have always thought she was, well, incredible — but despite living in the same city, she’s a million miles from the small world you live in.

Carrer de la Riera Baixa is home to secondhand stores passed down from generation to generation, independent record stores with selections long forgotten, and a bar only sought out by those with something to forget. Tucked in between is your bookstore. Unlike the other stores, there is no storefront or windows to peak through. The only clue of what is sold is engraved on a plate, nailed to the door.

Llibres Rars FOR THOSE WHO SEEK THE PAST

Riera Baixa is gritty but honest, and most importantly, all you have ever known. From your apartment building, it takes exactly 80 steps to reach the shop. It’s a path you can take with your eyes closed if necessary.

And from this path you have not strayed.

Even when your girlfriend of five years asked you to take a detour and build a life together in a new city. The words ‘new’ and ‘different’ sparked feelings in you that greatly contrasted her own. Whereas she felt excitement, you felt fear. All you’ve ever known is Riera Baixa and all you’ve ever looked forward to are those 80 steps. You tried to explain this to her but your words were simply not enough. So, she packed her bags and sought out a new adventure. The morning after she left, you walked those 80 steps again, but it felt like you were walking for miles.

The pain of her leaving subsided with time, but she left a void in your heart you thought would be impossible for anything or anyone to ever fill — or so you thought.

On Saturdays something special happens on Riera Baixa street. The metal doors slide open and the stores spill out onto the streets for residents and tourists alike. The strum of an acoustic guitar fills the air, a beautiful melody mixed with the sound of excited chatter and intense bargains taking place.

Inside the bookshop, you’re hunched over the front desk, staring at numbers on a page that bring you no satisfaction. Your sole employee and close friend, Anna, stands by your side, her hand resting on your shoulder.

“A major sales push and all we have to show for it is 233 euros in profits,” you look at Anna, your voice, defeated.

“I think you need some coffee. You know, to ease the pain a little.”

You let out a deep sigh, “make it a café con leche and a chocolate croissant, please.”

With one small, comforting squeeze on your shoulder, Anna walks out of the bookshop in search of the only thing that can bring you a little bit of happiness.

You remain focused on the page, hoping that if you stare at it long enough the numbers will transform. The bookshop has never been the most profitable business on Riera Baixa street, seemingly always hanging by a thin thread— a very thin thread. And yet, it has remained a staple of the market, making just enough to survive year after year.

The little bell attached to the door rings out in the quiet, taking you out of your thoughts. You glance up casually, expecting to see just another customer with an unfamiliar face.

It’s like the air is sucked out of the room.

Despite the black cap and sunglasses, there’s no mistaking her. No matter where you are in the city, you see her. Her face is plastered on every newspaper, her name a constant sound on the radio, the city walls decorated with murals of her.

It’s Alexia Putellas, the greatest football player in the world, the pride and joy of Barcelona — here — in your store. She is the inspiration of many and the example of hard work and dedication. But also, the most heavenly, generous, beautiful woman on earth.

“Need some help?” you ask, the words almost getting stuck in your throat.

Alexia glances up from the book held gingerly in her hands, “No, thank you. Just looking around.”

“Ok.”

You feign interest in the scattered pieces of paper on the desk, flipping through the pages with no purpose.

From the corner of your eye, you can see Alexia wander from shelf to shelf, fingertips brushing against the spine of the books that intrigue her. Something does indeed catch her eye because she stops and picks out a book from the shelf. It’s a book you instantly recognize, even from a distance.

“Good choice, but uh, just a little bit depressing” you dare to say, hoping she won’t mind the interruption too much.

Alexia makes no effort to look in your direction, her attention on the cover of the book. “What’s it about?” she asks.

“Oh — well, long story short, all the main character knows is tragedy so to protect herself, she doesn’t let anyone get close. She thinks she’ll just inevitably lose them.”

“I see.” Alexia appears to give the novel some more thought but, in the end, decides to heed your warning and returns the book to its proper place.

Alexia continues her search — for what, you do not know. But whatever it is, you want to help her find it.

Eventually she plucks out another book, but this time doesn’t bother to look at the cover. Instead, she brings it up to your view, “and this one?”

“That one has too many men with insufferable egos.”

Alexia hides her smile behind the book, “not my thing,” she says, and puts it right back.

You lose sight of her when she wanders to the back of the shop, daring to explore the mess of books stacked up from floor to ceiling. Very rarely do customers visit that section and that only makes her far more intriguing.

After a few minutes, Alexia returns to the front of the shop with a book held delicately in her hands. “I think I found the one,” she says, resting the book on the desk.

Taking a peek at the cover, a smile tugs on your lips. “It’s one of my favorites, actually.”

Alexia tilts her head slightly to the side, removing her sunglasses and finally allowing you to see her eyes.

You wonder if she can tell your heart skipped a beat or two.

“If it’s your favorite, why do you have it all the way in the back?” she asks.

“I don’t know,” you pause for a moment to think, “I guess some novels are best stumbled upon y’know… found at just the right moment by the right person.”

“Am I the right person?”

“Definitely.”

Alexia looks at you with a slight smile and just like that, whatever worries you had before she walked in are no more. When you complete the transaction and hand her the bag, her fingers brush against your own for a brief, but electrifying second.

“Have a good day,” she says, bringing up the sunglasses to cover her eyes once again, much to your disappointment.

“Yeah… you too,” is all you can say, but the voice in your head is begging for her to stay.

Alexia opens the door to leave but hesitates, “I didn’t catch your name,” she says.

“Oh, it’s Y/N,” you manage to say, for a brief second forgetting your own name.

Alexia silently mouths your name and offers you a smile that warms your entire body. With that, she steps out onto the street and disappears from your view.

Once again, a quiet takes over the shop. You’re left in a daze, having to pinch yourself to prove that it was all real— that she was real.

Anna returns just a few minutes later with two cups in her hand and a flustered look on her face. “Café con leche as ordered,” she says, shuffling the papers out of the way and resting the hot, steaming cup of coffee on the front desk.

“You won’t believe who was just here,” you say, still in a state of disbelief.

“Alexia Putellas?”

You take a step back, shocked that she was able to guess so quickly. “Yes! Wait, did you see her when she walked out?”

Anna appears to be just as surprised as you, “hold on, I was right? That was a total guess, oh my god!” she exclaims, looking back at the door, hoping Alexia would just walk right back in. “But no, I saw her on the front page of a newspaper when I was at the pastry shop. That’s why she was my first guess.”

“It was a damn good guess.” You reach for the cup but go still when you realize something is missing, “no chocolate croissants today?”

“Oh shit!” she taps her forehead with her palm, “the new girl, Emma, was flirting with me again, and well, you know how I get,” she says, her cheeks red with a blush.

You let out a little snort, shaking your head. “Perfectly reasonable explanation,” you say, “I’ll go get it. I think some fresh air will do me good.”

Just as you’re about to step out onto the street, Anna calls out to you. “Wait! You mind getting me an orange juice? I meant to get one but-“

You give her a knowing look, “you looked into Emma’s beautiful eyes and forgot?”

“Yep!”

It’s usually a short walk to the pastry shop, but on Saturdays it takes a little longer with the crowd that gathers in search of antiques and other goods.

Emma smiles when you walk in and asks you about Anna to which you reply, “back at the shop, a flustered mess.”

While Emma works on your order, you can’t help but glance at the newspapers on display. Alexia’s face is on the cover of about half of them, and the headlines all attack her in one way or the other.

Alexia Putellas A Shell of Her Former Self, reads one of the headlines.

Another cover has Alexia crying on the pitch, her hands over her face and with the headline, Will Putellas Miss Again?

Ever since Alexia missed a penalty in last years Champions League final penalty shootout, the press have developed an obsession for attacking her. Only a few months prior to the final they were singing her praises, but as it turns out, highlighting her misfortunes brings in a whole lot more money and attention.

With a cup of orange juice, chocolate croissant, and some napkins in your hands, you swing out of the pastry shop with very little care. You’re about to turn a corner when you bump into-

“Alexia!” a rising panic in your voice.

“Shh!” she looks around to see if anybody heard, orange juice dripping from her shirt down onto the street.

“I’m so sorry! Here, let me help.” Without much of a thought, you attempt to pat dry her shirt but get a little too near to her breasts for someone Alexia just met.

“What are you doing?!”

You jump back, flustered, and so utterly embarrassed. “Sorry… again. Um, listen I live just right over there, please, you could get cleaned up and be good to go. I’d hate to ruin your day,” you pause, letting out an awkward chuckle, “If I haven’t already.”

The sunglasses shield her eyes, but you don’t need to see them to tell she’s annoyed. “Fine. But what do you mean, just right over there?”

You point in the direction of your apartment, “literally right over there, it's the one with the red curtains.”

Alexia looks down at her shirt, soaked and stained with orange juice. With a sigh, she nods and accepts your offer. __

Your apartment is an extension of the bookstore. Books everywhere and on everything; some closed, and some left open to your favorite passages.

“Something tells me you like to read,” she says, a hint of teasing in her words.

You give her a nervous smile, “just a little.”

Alexia takes off her sunglasses and places them on the nearest table alongside her bags. “It’s a good thing I decided to buy this top after all,” she says, taking out a black crop top, “Bathroom?”

“Right over there,” you reply, pointing to the bathroom door at the end of the hallway.

With Alexia out of sight, you take in a deep breath in hopes it will calm your nerves but it’s hard to ignore the butterflies fluttering in your stomach. Saturdays are usually pretty eventful, but this is something else entirely. It’s not the fact that’s she’s incredibly famous that has you feeling like this. While it’s true that there’s no lack of beautiful women in Barcelona, none have ever made your heart explode in your chest and your soul stand still in awe with just one look.

Alexia steps out of the bathroom and there goes your heart again, picking up its pace. The top rides up her stomach just enough for you to see the carved rigids of her abs, and tight enough for you tell she’s not wearing a bra.

It’s so incredibly obvious that you’re staring, but the sparkle in her eyes hints that she doesn’t mind.

“Cup of coffee before you go?” you ask, forcing yourself to maintain eye-contact.

“No, thank you.”

“Tea?”

Alexia tugs on her bottom lip for a moment then shakes her head, “no.”

“How about a croissant? Best in all of Barcelona.”

Her lips twitch in an effort to fight her smile, “really, no.”

“Will I always get a no from you?”

There’s a pause.

“No,” she says and gives you a look that means something, but you just don’t know what.

“I should go,” she says, “I want to say thank you for all your help, but you are the one that spilled orange juice all over me so…”

You look down at your feet, trying to muster up a little bit of courage, “Before you go… I realize I might never get another chance to tell you this, considering I’ve done nothing but make a fool of myself today but,” you meet her eyes, “you’ll forget all about me the second you step out of that door, but… I fear you’ll never leave my mind.”

She smiles, and you realize that’s all you’ll get in return.

“Right, well…,” you guide her towards the front door, “it was nice to meet you, Alexia.”

With a nod, she steps out of the apartment and you close the door behind her. Leaning against it, you tap your forehead again, and again on the door in embarrassment. “That literally couldn’t have gone worse,” you say with a heavy sigh.

You turn away from the door but suddenly, you hear a knock. You expect it to be Anna, tracking you down since you never made it back to the shop. But when you open the door, you see Alexia.

“Hi,” she says, “Sorry, I forgot my bags.”

You look back and see her bags still on the table where she left them, “oh, right. I’ll get them for you.”

When you return to the door with her bags in your hand, you notice Alexia has taken two steps inside the apartment. You go to hand her the bags but surprisingly, she doesn’t make a move a muscle to take them from you.

You’re confused, but in her eyes, you only see certainty.

That’s when she kisses you, without any warning but without haste, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world for her. It’s a gentle kiss, without passion but with a tenderness that has you feeling like you’re floating in the clouds.

Alexia pulls away and it takes a few seconds for you to open your eyes. You have so many questions, but it seems you’ve lost the ability to speak. In silence, Alexia reaches for the bags still in your hands and with one last look, walks out once again.

This time, however, she leaves you with a little hope in your heart that one day, maybe she’ll return.

___________________

“So let me get this straight,” Anna says, pacing back and forth on the balcony of your apartment, “five-time Balon D’or winner, Alexia Putellas, kissed you?”

“That is correct.” You don’t blame Anna for having trouble believing your encounter with Alexia. Hell, it’s hard for you to believe and you lived it.

“And she just walked out? Didn’t say anything, just kissed you and went on her merry way?”

That part of it all was also difficult for you to wrap your head around. “Kissed me and walked right out,” you reply, looking down at everyone going about their lives on Riera Baixa street, “I swear I’ve never been so confused in my life.”

Anna plops down on the chair next to you and lifts her legs up to rest on the railing, “No wonder you were acting so weird when you got back to the shop. Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t pass out — God knows I would have.”

“Well, I stood there like an idiot for like fifteen minutes after she left so… close enough.”

The two of you sit in silence for a few minutes, just trying to make sense out of something that makes absolutely no sense at all. The memory of the kiss is permanently engraved in your memory. No matter what you do to try and distract yourself from it, it’s impossible to not relive it in your mind.

“So what are you gonna do now?” Anna finally asks.

All you can do is shrug, “what can I do?” You’ve been asking yourself that very same question and have yet to come up with an answer. “She’s famous, Annie, it’s not like I can track her down or something. Let’s say I do somehow manage to get in contact with her, would she even want to talk to me? I mean, yes, she did kiss me but she also just walked out and left me standing there. I honestly don’t kno—”

“Oh my god!” Anna jumps out of the chair with her phone in her hands.

Her sudden outburst startles you, “what!?”

Anna starts gesturing wildly at the phone, “Alexia just followed the bookshop on Instagram!”

You jump out of your chair, just like Anna, and take the phone from her hands.

Alexia Putellas has followed you

“This is huge,” Anna says, peering over your shoulder at the screen, “not only for your love life but for the store too.”

Business is the last thing on your mind. The realization that Alexia hasn’t forgotten all about you has your head spinning, so much so that you need to sit back down. You’re staring at the notification with your heart ready to explode out of your chest, but then you get another one and this time, it’s a message.

Alexia: sorry couldn’t find you by your name 🙄 Alexia: it’s a little late notice but we have a game tomorrow. Can you make it? Alexia: I want to see you again

Each message sends you further into a state of panic, your hands trembling. All of the sudden everything feels really real. Your kiss with Alexia felt so surreal that you could almost trick yourself into believing it was all a figment of your imagination. But now, reality has smacked you right across the face and you’re terrified.

“You ok? You’re white as a ghost,” Anna says, reaching for your trembling hands.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” you say to her, feeling a pressure in your chest, “she’s Alexia Putellas, Anna. She’s all people talk about in this city and everyone wants to know everything about her. Remember her last relationship?”

Anna nods, a slight grimace on her face. “Yeah, the press wouldn’t leave them alone. I’ll admit, it was all a little extreme.”

Just the idea of being followed around everywhere you go by strangers with flashing cameras has you paralyzed with fear. You’re a creature of habit, finding comfort in routine and happiness in an ordinary life. Alexia’s life is anything but ordinary and you fear you’ll sink rather than float in her presence.

“I can’t do this,” you say, giving the phone back to Anna and running your fingers through your hair feeling overwhelmed. “We’re from two different worlds.”

Anna knows you better than anyone else and was there by your side, helping you pick up the broken pieces of your heart. Like you, she lives in her own little world on Riera Baixa street and has never desired a change of scenery or change of pace.

“Are you going to reply?” Anna asks you, softly.

You take a shuddering breath, your eyes starting to tear up. “It’s better that I don’t. Besides, she’ll forget all about me soon enough,” you say with a self-deprecating laugh, wiping away the single tear running down your cheek.

Anna gives your hand a little squeeze. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” she says, but knows better than to push the subject.

___________________

It’s the end of yet another slow day at the bookstore which only makes it all that more difficult to keep your mind off Alexia. Anytime the bell rings announcing a new customer your heart drops at the small possibility of it being her. But it’s never her and as much as you hate to admit it, you feel disappointed each time.

The bell rings and you look up to find a man with a rather bored look on his face.

“Welcome,” you greet him, “can I help you?”

The man stops a few feet away from you and looks around slowly, “do you have any travel books?”

“Uh,” you look around the store, the answer very clear to you, “no, sorry, we only sell novels.”

The man doesn’t seem satisfied by your answer. “Rick Stevens?”

You try to recall the name of the author, but nothing comes to mind. “I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with his work. Do you know the name of the novel?”

“Best of Europe Guidebook.”

Fighting the urge to scream, you give the man a tight smile. “That’s a travel book. We only sell novels, sir.”

“What about Fodor’s Essential Europe?”

You take a glance at the clock and breathe a sigh of relief when you see its almost closing time. “Nope, don’t have that either,” you say, stepping away from the counter and towards the door, “unfortunately it’s time for us to close. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you find what you need.”

The man takes an unbearably long time to walk out of the door and you try to hide your eagerness when you close the door behind him.

“Why is Anna never here to deal with the weird customers,” you mumble to yourself.

Shrugging off the annoyance, you start to pack up your belongings to head on home.

But once again, the bell rings and that same annoyance starts to creep up again, “We don’t sell travel books,” you say without even bothering to turn back and see who walked in.

“That’s good to know,” says a very familiar voice.

Your body goes still, a chill running down your spine. It’s the very same voice that’s been haunting your dreams for days. With your eyes closed, you take one deep breath before turning around and finally facing her.

“Alexia.”

Same as the first time she walked in, a black cap and sunglasses conceal her identity. When she takes off her sunglasses, a part of you wishes she would have kept them on. Her eyes pierce through you, making you feel weak in the knees.

“You left me on read,” Alexia says, taking a step closer to you.

“I did,” you say, taking a step back.

“Why?” She says, now a little bit closer.

You go to take another step but feel your back against the bookshelf. “I just don’t belong in your world, that’s all.” You want to be firm with your words, but your voice falters.

Now within arm’s reach, Alexia shakes her head. “You don’t know my world,” she says.

When you don’t answer, she closes the little bit of distance remaining between your two bodies. Your skin ignites when she brushes a finger along your cheek, your eyes flutter as you instinctively lean into her touch.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you,” her voice is quiet, almost a whisper against your ear. Alexia slides her hands down to your hips, her grip firm but gentle: making it clear she has no intention of letting you go.

Your pulse beats loudly in your ears, her scent invading your lungs and clouding your mind. Nothing good can came of this, you know it, and yet you’re incapable of pushing her away. Your eyes flick down to her lips, just for a quick second, but it’s all the confirmation Alexia needs.

She bows her head down warily, watching your reaction, almost as she’s scared you’re going to run away any second. She tests you by brushing her lips against yours, a jolt of electricity running between you. Her tongue runs across your bottom lip and you can’t take it anymore.

“Kiss me.”

And Alexia doesn’t hesitate. The kiss starts slow — deep but hesitant. Your hands trembling lightly as you reach up to cup her cheeks. Eventually, the whole world disappears and all you’re left with is the feeling of her lips.

___________________

You give in to temptation and agree to keep seeing Alexia in secret. After every game, she finds her way to your apartment, sneaking away from the press that wait for her outside of Camp Nou. The only one who knows of your relationship is Anna and you’ve sworn her to secrecy.

It turns out that what exists between the two of you is far deeper than just a physical attraction. More than just lust. There is a certain kind of comfort and peace you feel when she holds you in her arms. You’re certain Alexia feels the same way as you see the way her shoulders relax when she steps inside your apartment, and the sadness in her eyes when she has to sneak away in the morning.

You’ve also picked up on the ease with which Alexia has settled into your apartment. Her favorite Barça sweatshirt has found a home in the top left drawer of your dresser. Her toothbrush now keeps yours company in the bathroom. And every morning, without fail, she asks you to stop by the pastry shop for a coffee and chocolate croissants that, according to Alexia, are indeed the best in all of Barcelona.

Having been given a few days off to rest, you have the rare privilege of spending all day together. So, of course, the two of you decide to waste an entire day in bed.

There’s a full-length mirror in the corner of your bedroom. In its reflection, you see two bodies tangled up in messy white sheets, legs intertwined, Alexia’s fingers lightly grazing against your bare back. Goosebumps form on your skin and you don’t know if it’s from her touch or the cool breeze that’s coming through the balcony sliding door.

You turn around to face Alexia. Her hair is tousled; a small smile on her face, thoughts hidden behind her eyes.

“Everything ok?” you ask softly, tucking a loose strand behind her ear.

Alexia supports her head with her hand, looking at you with tenderness. “I haven’t felt like this in a long time,” she says, “I haven’t felt like myself in a long time.”

Little by little, Alexia has clued you in on her life as a professional athlete and all the pros and cons that come with it. At first it was a dream come true to be recognized as the best, but through the years, that title has become more of a burden than anything else.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

The media demands Alexia to secure the Champions League trophy in order to be deemed worthy of yet another Ballon D’or. They demand a player who can show up in important games: a player who can make that crucial penalty in a final. All her previous accomplishments be damned. All they remember is that penalty.

“You know I forgot my bags on purpose,” she says, tugging on the sheets draped over your body.

“What do you mean?”

Alexia let’s out a little chuckle at the memory that’s replying in her mind, “the day we first met” she says, “remember, you were rambling about how you would never forget me...”

You tug the sheets up to hide your face, a warmth on your cheeks.

“I thought it was so cute,” she says, sneaking her hand underneath the sheets to rest on your stomach, “I knew I had to get the bags before leaving but I decided to leave them behind.”

You peer out from under the sheets, “how come?”

“I wanted an excuse to come back and see you. I thought I’d let a few days go by but I don’t know, I wanted to kiss you so bad and just I couldn’t wait.”

Her confession comes to a surprise as you have always believed you made a complete, total fool of yourself that day.

“Hm, well I do have that effect on people,” you tease.

Alexia rolls her eyes and throws the sheet over the two of you. Underneath the covers, you share lingering kisses, giggles, and promises of forever.

___________________

You watched it happen live from the bookstore.

The game was tied and there was no sign of either team conceding a goal in the final minutes. But with only three minutes left in the game, Aitana was fouled inside the box and the referee immediately blew her whistle.

Penalty.

You were certain Alexia would be the one to take it and for that reason, you were on edge. Despite putting on a great performance all game, if Alexia missed the penalty, that’s all people would talk about. You knew that and most importantly, so did Alexia.

Everyone at the stadium, including you all the way at the bookstore, held their breath. You watched Alexia very carefully as she stood there, staring down the goalkeeper. What you saw sparked in you concern. There was an undeniable confidence in her posture, but in her eyes, you noticed something else entirely.

Your hands covered your face, but through the gaps, you watched the ball fly up and over the crossbar.

Alexia missed the penalty and the first leg of the champions league semifinal ended in a draw. While not the worst result, you had no doubt the media would attack her mercilessly for failing to secure the win.

Which is why you’re waiting for her at the bookshop, like you always do after a game— no matter the result. Right now, your number one priority is being there for her and to silence all the negative thoughts that are undoubtedly running through her mind.

Every tick of the clock feels like an eternity but the door does eventually open. The second Alexia’s eyes lock on you, her lips start to quiver. “I missed,” she manages to say before covering her mouth with her hands, shoulders shaking as she fights the sobs building in her chest.

You run and take her in your arms. “Oh, baby…” you say, tears welling up in your own eyes.

Alexia hugs you so fiercely, as if afraid you’ll disappear. All the disappointment, frustration, and pain rush out of her as she sobs in your arms. All you can do is stroke her back, whisper words of affection in her ear, and simply hold her in hopes that will be enough to ease a little of her pain.

But it’s hard to fight the pain when it shows up at the front door.

Strangers with flashing cameras overwhelm the entrance of the bookshop, shouting and begging for a glimpse of Alexia.

Hearing the disturbance outside, Alexia looks up from your shoulder with tear-stained cheeks. “Mierda,” she mumbles, “I rushed to get here and they must have followed me.”

Fear begins to creep on you but you try your best to hide it from her. This is exactly what you feared: your world being invaded by the press. Now that they know you and Alexia have some sort of connection, they won’t stop until they get to the bottom of it. In just one night, your little world is not so little anymore.

“It’s ok,” you assure her, running your fingers through her hair. “But we can’t stay here all night. When you’re ready, we’ll walk out and make a run for the apartment.”

Alexia, not wanting to face the press in her current state, takes a few minutes to gather her composure. She wipes the tears from her cheeks and takes a few good, deep breaths. It’s a ritual you imagine she’s had to do on more than one occasion, and it makes you hate those who are waiting outside with even more of a passion.

Hand in hand, you share one last look before walking out of the bookshop.

Nothing could have prepared you for this. All at once they all scream their questions at you and Alexia, forcing their cameras and microphones directly in front of your faces. They take no mercy despite your obvious fear and discomfort. The only one who notices is Alexia, who tightens her grip on your hand and forces her way through the crowd of reporters.

“Alexia is this your girlfriend!?” asks one of the reporters, following closely.

You put your head down, trying your best to hide your face from the cameras. Your silence does nothing to deter their never-ending onslaught of questions. All their voices mix into one, but your ears manage to catch some of the questions thrown at Alexia, and each one makes you rage more than the last.

“Do you deserve to win the Balon D’or!?”

“Why are you still taking the penalties!?”

“Alexia, how does it feel to let the team down again!?”

Little by little, the two of you manage to navigate through the crowded Riera Baixa street and make it to the front door of your apartment building. With a hand on your back, Alexia helps you get inside first as the reporters grow more and more aggressive. With force, Alexia closes the door behind her.

You can still hear their muffled voices coming from outside, but with the reporters now out of sight, you allow yourself to let out a sigh of relief. Feeling overwhelmed, you lean your back against the wall and slide down to the floor. Alexia kneels next to you and wraps her arms around you. It seems like it’s now her turn to comfort you.

“I’m so sorry, mi amor,” she whispers, softly kissing your temple, “it won’t always be like this, I promise.” Alexia tries her best to comfort you with her words, but you fear nothing will relieve the pressure you feel in your chest.

By some miracle, Alexia manages to fall asleep despite everything that happened, but you suspect it might have something to do with playing a full 90 minutes of intense professional football. You on the other hand, are still awake. The thoughts running through your mind make it difficult for you to find rest. That, and all the reporters still camped outside your front door. Some have given up and left, but others seem to be more persistent.

Glancing at Alexia, you feel a tug in your heart. The time you have spent together has been nothing but magical. Her presence in your life has reintroduced love and hope to a heart that feared it would never feel those things again. But, despite making you the happiest you’ve been in a very, very long time, you fear she might have also introduced you to something you never sought to experience.

Fame.

___________________

You haven’t been able to step a foot inside the bookshop in days. Every time you dare to step out of your apartment, reporters jump out of their hiding spots and hound you with questions about Alexia, and about your relationship with her.

Even though you have not spoken a single word to them, the press somehow managed to find out everything about you. Alexia has warned you not to go on social media for a little while, at least until everything calms down a little. You should have listened to her because it would have saved you a lot of stress and discomfort.

There are hundreds of articles written about you, diving deep into your personal and professional life. Some are even dedicated to comparing you to all of Alexia’s ex-girlfriends to see where you rank next to them. The article that affected you the most was the one that exposed your long-term relationship with your ex, and questioned if you ended it in pursuit of Alexia and her fame.

So many lies written about you and you feel powerless to them all.

You’re at the kitchen table, wrapped in a blanket with a newspaper in your hands when Alexia walks in. Interested in what you’re reading, she makes her way to you and sighs when she reads the headline.

All You Need to Know about Alexia Putellas’s New Love

“I told you to not read these things,” she says, taking the newspaper from your hands and throwing it to the side.

You don’t put up much of a fight since you already read the article a hundred times. “I know, baby, but I can’t help it,” you argue, “one day nobody knows my name and the next they know everything about me.”

Alexia sits down at the seat next to you and reaches for your hand, “I understand, mi amor” she says, her thumb caressing your knuckles. “But I promise things will get better. They’ll get bored eventually and move on to the next thing. We just need to give it a little time.”

Biting down on the inside of your cheek, you have to suppress the little bit of frustration you feel at her words. You want to go outside and point at all the reporters still there and ask her if things will truly, ever get better. But you don’t. You don’t because you know Alexia is not to blamed for any of this as she is just as much of a victim as you are.

“How was training,” you ask, trying to shift your focus to literally anything else.

Alexia lets go of your hand and runs her fingers through her hair in frustration. “Horrendous,” she says.

After her penalty miss, Alexia has been all over the place. She has no trouble falling asleep but has struggled to sleep through the night. You’ve lost count of how many times she wakes up through the night, gasping for air, her hand on her beating heart.

Every night in her dreams, Alexia steps up to take an important penalty and she misses. Every time.

“Jona tells me I’m playing with too many voices in my head,” she says, “that I should stop listening to what the media is saying about me and just play my game.”

“Kind of like how you tell me to stop reading these articles,” you counter, glancing at the newspaper Alexia threw to the side, “but we both know it’s easier said than done.”

Realizing that the both of you needed to take some time and relax, you asked Alexia to join you for a bath and she agreed without much convincing needed. When all the voices get too loud and the words printed on the pages hurt a little too much, the two of you find in each other arms a peace and quiet you so desperately need.

In the bathtub, Alexia is lying back, using your chest as a pillow. Lulled by the warmth of the water and the comfort of each other’s bodies, neither of you have said much.

“One day it will be just you and me,” she says softly, breaking the silence, “no reporters following us around, no more articles. Just you and me.”

You tighten your hold on her just a little bit and lean down to leave a kiss on her shoulder. “One day,” you reply, but your words are not said with the same amount of confidence.

Alexia gives you no indication that she picked up on the uncertainty in your voice, but she also doesn’t say anything else.

___________________

“I think it’s safe for me to go out.”

Alexia joins you by the window and takes a peek. When she doesn’t see any reporters, she smiles. “Chocolate croissants?”

“Coming right up,” you say, a little surprised to actually hear some excitement in your voice.

For the first time in what seems like forever, you dare to step out onto Riera Baixa street. The reporters camped outside your apartment appear to have taken a break and therefore, have allowed you to try and go back to your normal life. Things are different, however. Before you walked the street with no care in the world, now, you have to walk with caution and always be on the alert.

When you walk inside the pastry shop, however, you’re reminded that your life is anything but normal. Emma is working today and you hear her voice call out to you, but you can’t make our her words though the white noise and the muffled sound of your heart beating rapidly in your chest.

Your trembling hands reach for the newspaper and you read the headline to yourself.

“Dating a Football Player is Good for Business.”

The article goes into depth about the bookstore and its financials. How they managed to get this information, you don’t know. The article reveals that the bookshop barely makes a profit and clearly implies that you’re using Alexia to bring attention to the store. Their evidence? The insane number of followers the store has gotten since your relationship with Alexia was made public.

Crumbling the newspaper in your hands, you walk out of the pastry shop without even bothering to pay for it. While there are no reporters around, the familiar faces of Riera Baixa all give you a second glance and some don’t bother to lower their voices as they gossip.

“Maybe that girlfriend of hers will visit our shop and get us some attention,” someone says and it takes everything in you not to turn around and give them a piece of your mind.

The first thing Alexia notices when you walk inside is that there are no chocolate croissants in your hands. Then the newspaper and the look on your face. “What happened?” she asks, concern in her voice.

Without a word, you drop the crumbled newspaper on the kitchen table and then walk to the sofa, where you sit down with your knees tucked close to your chest.

Just like you, Alexia sees red when she reads the article. Instead of crumbling the newspaper, she shreds it to pieces with her hands.

Alexia joins you on the sofa, her hand reaches out to comfort you but you pull back from her touch. It breaks your heart to do so, but you’re just not sure you can keep going on living like this. No longer do you feel safe in your home. The street that you have grown up in and have dedicated your life to, no longer seems to welcome you. Everything you once held dear has turned its back on you.

“I can’t do this anymore,” you say, feeling that familiar lump forming in the back of your throat. “This is all too much for me, Ale,” Your words are directed at her, but you don’t have the strength to look her in the eye. “You make me so happy; you really do. But I can’t take another day of lies being written about me. Tired of not being able to work… of not being able to live.”

Alexia tries to reach out to you again but hesitates, “baby, please, look at me.”

The look in her eyes shatters your heart into a million little pieces. Alexia knows you have reached your breaking point and that means she’s on the verge of losing you — if she hasn’t lost you already.

“What they said about you is horrible, but mi amor, I know the truth. We know the truth and that’s all that matters.”

You shake your head slowly, “but it’s not enough.”

Alexia leans back, visibly hurt by your words. The realization that she has indeed lost you washes over her, and you force yourself to look away once again. Alexia doesn’t say anything else and gets up to walk to your bedroom.

From the sofa, you hear her open the drawers and pack up her belongings. You fight the tears for as long as you can, but it’s a fight you never had a chance at winning.

Her footsteps draw closer and then stop in front of you. Still, you can’t look her in the eyes.

“You pushed me away once and I came back for you,” she says, “if you let me walk out this door, don’t expect me to come back again.”

When you don’t say anything in return, she looks down and nods. “If you focus on the media and their lies, you’ll never see the truth. And the truth is that at the end of the day,” she sighs, her voice soft, “I’m just a girl, standing in front of another girl, asking you to love her. That’s all.”

With that said, Alexia slings the duffel bag over her shoulder and makes her way to the front door. She doesn’t open it right away, like she’s hoping you’ll stop her.

But you don’t.

You let her walk out of your life.

___________________

“Do you think I made the right decision?”

Anna takes a moment to think, having just been told about your breakup with Alexia. “Um, well,” she says, tilting her head to the side, “yeah… I mean, all the reporters and all that ugly stuff written about you, it had to stop, right?”

You nod your head, relieved your friend understands why you had to make such a difficult and heartbreaking decision. “It was never going to end,” you say with a sigh, finding a little happiness again in restocking the shelves with the new books that arrived while you were locked away in your apartment.

Anna hums in agreement, but you fail to notice the hint of doubt in her eyes. Behind your back, she pulls out her phone and sends a quick text to someone.

A little while later the bell announces a new visitor, and you don’t have to turn around to know who it is. The smell of coffee and of fresh baked pastries are big hints, but it’s the goofy smile on Anna’s face that confirms your suspicions.

Anna’s crush, Emma, walks to the desk with coffee and a bag with croissants in her hands. “I was told there was an emergency,” she says, a teasing smile on her lips.

You appreciate their effort to make you feel better, but they just doesn’t know that chocolate croissants will forever remind you of Alexia.

“Our girl is feeling a little down, that’s all,” Anna says, walking over to Emma and giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

Emma gives you a little pout, “did something happen?” she asks with genuine concern.

Taking a deep breath, you walk towards the counter and take the cup of coffee in your hand, feeling the warmth radiating from the cup. “I ended things with Alexia,” you tell her, taking a sip of the coffee.

Anna and Emma exchange a look, a conversation taking place between them with just their eyes.

“Bad breakup?” Emma asks but seems to immediately regret it, “sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”

“No, it’s alright,” you tell her, leaning against the very same bookshelf Alexia kissed you against that night. “I just told her I couldn’t take it anymore. You know, all the attention that comes with being with her.”

“How did she react?” Emma asks.

Your chest rises and falls with a deep sigh, “she packed her bag with what she had in my apartment and left.”

You’re about to take another sip when you remember what Alexia said before leaving, “she wanted me to know that if I just focused on the reporters and all that craziness, that I would fail to see that she was just a girl, standing in front of another girl… asking me to love her.”

Anna stops mid-bite into her croissant and looks at you with her eyes wide open, “You didn’t tell me that part.”

You look back and forth between Anna and Emma and quickly, very quickly, realize you’ve made the biggest mistake of your life.

“I fucked up, didn’t I?” you ask despite already knowing the answer.

They nod in unison.

With your coffee back on the desk, you start to pace the room with your hair in your hands. “How could I have been so stupid!?”

Once again, you allowed your fear of change to control your life. For so long you’ve lied to yourself, thinking that letting your ex walk away was ultimately for the best. But at the end of the day, all she wanted was a change of scenery. There was no doubt in her mind that the love you shared would flourish anywhere. And yet, you pushed her away. You tricked yourself into believing you were the victim but really, you were the one to break her heart. And now, you have made the same mistake with Alexia.

While you’re lost in your thoughts, Anna and Emma have their faces buried in their phones.

“Chicas, what do I do!?” you ask them, fearing that you just might be too late.

“We’re checking Twitter,” Anna says, scrolling through the app with a serious determination.

Emma looks up from the phone, “the team bus hasn’t left yet for the airport,” she announces, “it’s a little dramatic and will bring you more attention than you probably want, but I think desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“I don’t care about causing a scene,” you tell her, surprised by how confident you sound, “I’ll deal with the cameras. I just want her back.”

Anna and Emma both nod and spring to action.

“I’ll get the keys. Em, take her to the car,” Anna says, running to the backroom to get the car keys.

The three of you jump in Anna’s car with only one goal in mind: get to Alexia before it’s too late. It’s important you get to her before she leaves because one, you need to apologize for pushing her away. And two, you need to calm the thoughts that are more than likely driving her crazy.

“Buckle in everyone, today feels like a great day to lose my license,” Anna says, shifting the car in gear.

The car screeches out into the street and the engine revs as it speeds away. Maneuvering through the streets of Barcelona, your body gets thrown to the side with every turn Anna takes. You’re a little concerned at the speed, but you don’t dare to ask to her slow down.

The car comes to a halt in front of a red light and Anna taps the steering wheel in frustration. “come on… come on…” she says to herself.

As soon as the light turns green, Anna slams her foot on the pedal leaving clouds of rubber dust behind. She earns herself a few honks from the nearby drivers and when you glance back, a few middle fingers too.

In the back of the car, you’re lost in thought trying to figure out what you’re going to say to Alexia when you see her. So lost in thought that you failed to spot the familiar Bluagrana colors in the distance, moving further and further away from you by the second.

“There it is!” Emma screams out, pointing at the bus.

Staring at all the traffic up ahead, Anna grips the steering wheel and takes in a deep breath, “my time to shine.”

Emma glances back at you with a little fear in her eyes and there’s no doubt she sees the same in yours.

Anna expertly weaves the car in and out of the chocked line of traffic. A few cars swerve out of the way when they see Anna coming up behind them, earning her more honks and a few more offensive gestures. Miraculously, Anna manages to come up right up alongside the bus and repeatedly taps the horn to get the drivers attention. When the bus doesn’t slow down, Anna accelerates in an attempt to get in front of it.

“Anna, please remember that’s a bus full of professional athletes,” Emma warns her.

Anna nods, determined, “I got this.”

The bus driver, finally realizing there’s a maniac driving next to them, starts to slow down a little bit. This gives Anna the opportunity to pass the bus and get in front of it. The car starts slowing down and the bus driver has no choice but to also slow down and come to a stop.

“It’s go time, Y/N! Go get your girl,” Emma says, looking back at you and giving you two thumbs up.

You want to throw up. You’re not sure if it’s because of the nerves or because of Anna’s driving, but there’s a concerning feeling in the pit of you stomach. But, you know there’s no time to lose so push it out of your mind.

“Thank you, Annie,” you lean into the driver’s seat and give her a kiss on the cheek, “you’re the best!”

Just about you’re close the car door behind you, you hear Anna say, “and they say lesbians can’t drive.”

With the team bus stopped in the middle of a busy street, it’s no surprise a crowd has started to gather around it.

“Alexia!” you scream out, hoping she’ll hear you from the inside. If your face hadn’t been plastered all over the news these past few weeks, people would assume you’re a lunatic fan chasing after Alexia.

Instead, you’re just a girl fighting to win back the love of her life.

“Alexia! It’s me!”

You start to make your way around the bus, hoping you’ll see her sitting by one of the windows. Unfortunately, the glass is so tinted that you can barely see inside.

The sound of the bus door opening gets your attention, and you turn around to see Alexia peeking outside.

“Ale!” you say, running to her.

Alexia looks around, confused. “What’s going on?” she asks, “what are you doing here?” and you can hear the unmistakable hurt in her voice.

“I’m here for you.”

Now that you’re both standing outside, people have started to take out their cameras to capture the moment. You can see them from the corner of your eye, but you pay them no mind. You only have eyes for Alexia.

“Baby, I’m so, so sorry,” you plead, reaching for her hands but she keeps them tucked to her side, “I made a huge mistake. I was so scared, and I acted like a huge idiot. The day you walked into the bookshop; you changed my life. For so long I’ve been so afraid of change. I’ve resisted it like you wouldn’t believe. But I’m done being afraid, mi amor.”

You reach for her hand again and this time, she allows you to.

“I’ll take it all to be with you, the good and the bad. Let them write whatever they want, I don’t care,” you take a step closer, your other hand reaching up to caress her cheek, “you were right, baby, you were so right. All that matters is that we know the truth, that you know the truth,” you pause, a small smile tugging on your lips, “and the truth is that I’m so deeply and madly in love with you.”

Alexia looks around, seeing more and more people with phones in their hands all directly pointed at you. And yet, you don’t seem to care at all. There’s no doubt this little scene will be all over the news, but again, you don’t care.

“Are you sure you want all of this to be your life?” she asks, giving you one last chance to back out.

You nod without hesitation, “As long as you’re in it.”

Alexia looks deeply into your eyes, trying to find even a hint of doubt but she sees none. Out in the middle of the street, with the entire world watching, the two of you stand there. No words. No movement. No sound but a million words being said through locked eyes.

Alexia reaches up for your face with both hands and brings your lips to hers with urgency. She kisses you in front of everyone, as if though you are the only two people in the world and that’s exactly how it feels. It’s a kiss that takes your breath away and makes your heart soar.

Dazed, you open your eyes when Alexia reluctantly releases you. All around you, people clap and whistle.

“I hate to interrupt you two lovebirds,” a voice calls out, and you look behind Alexia to see her manager, Jona, outside the bus, “but we have a plane to catch.”

Alexia nods back at him but you have a feeling that if it were up to her, she wouldn’t be going anywhere.

You take her face in her your hands, “listen to me, Putellas,” a serious tone in your voice, “you are the best football player in the world, do you hear me? We all make mistakes but you should never let them define you. Those penalties mean nothing, Ale. Ballon D’or or no Ballon D’ D’or, it will not tarnish your legacy. So, I want you to walk out onto that pitch with your head held high, and kick some ass.”

Your words seem to resonate deeply with her because she pulls her shoulders back and nods her head with a new, fierce determination in her eyes.

“And you’ll be here when I come back?” she asks.

“No matter what.”

___________________

With Anna and Emma by your side, you watched Alexia take the free kick that guaranteed Barça’s spot in the final. While they jumped up and down in each other’s arms, your eyes remained glued to the screen. Alexia celebrated the goal with so much passion, unleashing all the frustration and anger that has plagued her for so long. But, as her teammates started to return to their positions, Alexia pointed at one of the cameras and formed a heart with her hands. A message for you.

Barça went on to win the final and you got to watch the love of your life, and the captain of the greatest football club in all of Europe, lift the Champions League trophy.

After the spectacle they witnessed when you proclaimed your love for Alexia to the entire world, reporters follow the two of you everywhere you go. While it certainly has not been easy to get used to, you find comfort in Alexia’s touch. When she senses you’re feeling overwhelmed, she whispers, I love you, in your ear and reminds you of what is really important.

Like now, you’re sitting in a limousine about to walk your first ever red carpet. Alexia is by your side, confident, with no hint of nerves on her features.

“You ready, mi amor?” she asks, her face illuminated by the flashing cameras that wait for her outside.

“I’m ready.”

The door opens and the fans explode in a roar when they get their first good look at Alexia. Winning the Champions League final only cemented her as the best football player in the world, and the entire world stands at attention in her presence.

Alexia leads you to the red carpet, not once ever letting go of your hand. You stand together, side by side, posing for pictures you know will be plastered on every newspaper and spread all over social media. And yet, you feel no fear or discomfort. All that matters to you is that light in Alexia’s eyes, and how it has continued to shine bright with you by her side.

“I’m happy you’re here,” she whispers in your ear, causing a blush to creep up on your cheeks.

“Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

When they call her name and announce her as the winner of the Ballon d'Or, you watch as the most prominent members of the football world all rise in her honor. The spotlight shines on her ethereal beauty and it makes your heart skip a beat. You fall in love with her all over again.

Right as she’s finishing up her speech, she looks down at where you are sitting and smiles at you with love in her eyes. “I love you,” she mouths, and blows a kiss in your direction.

A kiss you reach up to catch, and hold very dearly close to your heart.

#alexia putellas x reader #alexia putellas imagine #woso x imagine #woso x reader

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wheredafandomat · 2 years

Text

Am I interrupting?

Mob!Loki x female reader

18+ contains smut Mob!Loki Masterlist

Scrolling through your phone, you searched relentlessly for the perfect dress to wear to Saturdays event. Loki had said you’d be accompanying him to some sort of upstate gala and you didn’t want to disappoint. Considering it was going to be a black tie event, you looked for something that would go with Lokis tuxedo but you weren’t completely sure on the dress. Sighing to yourself, you stood up and began to search for Loki.

Walking through the hallway, you bumped into Eve who was one of the housekeepers. Unlike the other ones, she was only a few years older than you and mostly looked after the flower gardens on the grounds as opposed to doing much else. She smiled at you, quickly looking away as she passed you.

“Eve.” You called after her making her stop in her tracks

“How can I help?” She answered, turning around to face you.

“Have you seen Loki?” You asked her.

“I think he’s in his office.” She replied.

“Great, thanks.” You dismissed, turning around excitedly as you headed towards it. Once you reached it, you didn’t bother knocking before you opened the door and stepped inside only to be met by not only Loki but Tony stark. Instantly you felt abashed as both their eyes settled on you. “Sorry, am I interrupting?” You asked, taking a step backwards.

“What’s the matter darling?” Loki asked concerned, gesturing for you to come closer towards him. You did, stepping past Tony who’s eyes focused on your body as you walked towards Loki.

“I wanted your opinion on a dress but it can wait until later.” You spoke.

“Could you give me just one moment and then all my attention will be on you.” Loki smiled curtly before looking back at Tony who’s gaze quickly snapped to Lokis when he cleared his throat. “I suspect you’ll deal with our little problem?”

“S-sure.” Tony answered, offering Loki a chaste smile.

“Good, you can excuse yourself.” Loki answered before turning his attention to you, wrapping his arms around your torso as he pulled you on top of him so you were sitting across his lap. “Now, how can I help you?” He asked, pecking your cheek.

“So far I’ve managed to round it down to these five dresses.” You spoke, showing him the dresses on your phone. Loki pressed kisses to your neck as you scrolled through each one, talking about which one you thought would be the most comfortable as well as other phatic information to help narrow down the selection. “Are you even listening?” You huffed when Lokis light kisses turned to a more purposeful suck.

“You know you look beautiful in everything you wear.” He grinned, looking up at you.

“Loki I’m being serious. The Gucci or the Versace?”

“The Versace.” He answered.

“No! I can’t wear that one, it’s practically see through.” You whined.

“The Gucci one then.” He replied, rolling his eyes.

“But then I’d have to change the shoes I was gonna wear.” You complained as Loki began kissing your neck again.

“Or wear no shoes and I’ll carry you the entire night.” He joked, lips never straying far from your skin.

“I’m being serious.” You giggled as he turned you in his lap so you were straddling him. “I’ll have to go shopping before Saturday.”

“I’ll take you shopping tomorrow okay love.” He decided before he pressed his lips to yours, you deepening the kiss as you tilted your head. You pressed your body closer to his causing Loki to groan against your lips when you started moving your hips.

“What happened with you and Stark?” You asked, breaking the kiss for air.

“I don’t like talking business whilst I’m trying feel pleasured.” He answered, his hands resting flat against your thighs as he looked at you.

“Is everything okay though?” You questioned, slightly more seriously.

“Everything’s always okay is it not.” He smiled, kissing you again. The kiss quickly grew ravenous as Lokis hands skirted up and down your body. You moaned into the kiss slightly as he gently squeezed one of your breasts over the thin material of your shirt. The movement caused you to grind your hips further into Lokis, feeling him harden beneath you. Holding you tightly against him, Loki stood up, sitting you down on the desk in front of him as he stood between your open legs, running his hand across your inner thigh. Giggling, you opened your legs wider as his hand travelled up your shorts before his fingers pressed against your clit. “No panties?” He smirked, tapping it slightly causing your body to jolt.

“I need to let her breathe.” You smiled, biting your lip as his fingers started to move in agonisingly slow circles.

“Yeah?” He chuckled, leaning down to kiss you.

“Yeah.” You spoke against his lips, kissing him again as he increased his movements. Your hips began to lift as his other hand travelled up your shirt, his fingers squeezing your hardened nipple slightly. His name fell breathlessly from your lips as he fucked you with his hands, two of his fingers entering your pussy. Your eyes closed tightly as the pressure in your lower abdomen built. Using your own hands, you began running them over his erection, straining against the fabric of his trousers. “I wanna feel you.” You near whispered, eyes opening to meet his ones, burning with desire. Retracting his hands from you, Loki pushed yours away as he began undoing his belt as he freed his cock. He wrapped his hand around it, fisting himself slowly as you stood from the desk, pulling your shorts down before you sat back on top of it. With a devilish smirk, Loki watched as you played with your clit, moaning slightly as you widened your legs. Seemingly impossible, Loki grew even harder at the open view of your wet pussy, stroking himself faster. “What are you waiting for?” You grinned before he took a tiny step closer to you, closing the gap as he guided his cock towards your entrance before he thrusted inside.

“You’re so wet.” He spoke through gritted teeth as he slid inside, feeling your walls gripping him. Slowly at first, he began entering you, circling his hips as he looked down at where your bodies connected. Each calculated thrust was heaven. You wrapped your arms around the back of his neck, pulling his body against yours as you moaned into his chest. Loki began increasing his movements, soon slamming into you causing you to fall back against the desk as you screamed his name in pleasure.

“Yes Loki yes yes yesss.” You moaned, his fingers toying with your clit as you approached your orgasm. “Don’t stopp.” Entering you a few more times, Lokis hips shuddered before he came, ejaculating inside of you as he continued moving in and out of you sloppily. The feeling caused your own orgasm, your walls pulsating around his cock as you came. The sensation left Loki barrelling over, balancing above you as he rode you both through your highs. Your lips met in a fierce kiss before he stood back up, still inside you. You began to sit up as he pulled out again, a combination of both your arousal trickling out of you.

“I’ll take you shopping tomorrow and you can pick out whatever pretty dress and heels you want.” He smiled, kissing your hairline as you hopped off of his desk, your legs nearly giving out underneath you before he helped steady you, handing you your shorts. He sheathed himself, ensuring he looked presentable.

“Where are you going?” You asked, frowning as he put his blazer on.

��I have a quick errand I must run.” He answered with a sigh.

“So you’re leaving me all alone?” You pouted.

“Why don’t you invite your friends over, or you could have a girls night with Eve, I know how much you both get along.” He offered. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Promise?”

“Promise baby.” He assured, kissing you on the lips before the door knocked. “Come in.” He called.

“Sorry to bother you I—” Eve began, stepping inside before her eyes met yours. “My apologies.” She finished, looking at Loki.

“How about a girls night Eve?” You smiled widely as you walked towards her. Looking away from Loki, she looked at you before she smiled.

“Sure.”

“I’m just going to jump in the shower first, I’ll join you in a minute.” You spoke before leaving, not penning whether or not Eve was following you.

A/N: @lokisgoodgirl Clandestine fucks has inspired me to write my own series of onehsots that link slightly 🤣 hope you enjoy! - these will get better I promise 😂

Tags:

@mochie85 @lokisninerealms @lokiprompts @mischief2sarawr @lulubelle814 @vickie5446 @cabingrlandrandomcrap

#loki x reader #loki x female reader #tom hiddelston loki #loki fanfic #loki (marvel)#oc fiction #loki fanfiction #loki smut #loki x y/n #mob au #loki x female reader smut #loki laufeyson smut

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magdelanesingerin · 4 months

Text

Little Socks

Read on AO3

Jaskier could not get warm.

He was pretty sure he was fighting off a bug; there was always something circulating amongst the students he taught, and it was a miracle if he ever got through a winter without catching something wretched that would lay him out for a week. It was frustrating timing, though, since they both finally had a stretch of days off together for the holidays, and Jaskier had been looking forward to spending the two weeks’ break between semesters with his boyfriend, not laying in bed sniffling.

At any rate, he was currently wearing long flannel PJ pants and one of Geralt’s old t-shirts, curled up in their bed in a cozy, two-layer blanket burrito which he had pulled up around his ears, and he was still cold. He could hear Geralt puttering around, coming quietly in and out of the bedroom where Jaskier was napping their snowy Saturday afternoon away.

He wished that Geralt would come lay down and nap with him (he’d love having that big warm body to cuddle up to and steal all his warmth), but he knew getting the man to laze around was a lost cause, even on vacation. It was nearly impossible to bring his boyfriend to rest; Geralt was like a damn shark that had to be in motion at all times, cleaning, and doing chores, and working on projects around the house. Jaskier, who was an expert in relaxing, found the whole thing baffling.

Of course, if Geralt ever did sit down to do anything less active than playing a video game, he tended to fall asleep in minutes like the cranky old man he was at heart, head konked back against whatever chair he’d sat down in and snoring like a lumberjack. It was endearing.

Jaskier slitted his eyes open against the pale, wintry afternoon light just enough to see Geralt emerging from the closet with a laundry basket, and called out to him.

“Geraaaalt,” he whined sleepily into the blankets tucked around his face, and Geralt turned back from the doorway to peer down at him. “I’m cold.”

“D’you want another blanket?” Geralt asked like the wonderful, thoughtful boyfriend he was.

“No, that’ll make me too hot,” Jaskier groaned, sounding pitiful even to his own ears. He shoved his bare foot out the bottom of the blankets and waggled it in the chilly air. “Can you put some little socks on me?”

He could hear Geralt breathe a laugh at him, but he put the laundry basket down on the other side of the bed and headed to the dresser. Jaskier snuggled down further in his blankets as he listened to the dresser door slide open and closed, and sighed happily as Geralt caught his waving foot in his big warm hands and carefully pulled on one of the cheap, brightly-printed, thin cotton socks that Jaskier loved to wear around the house–- just thick enough to be a little warm, but not so fluffy they’d make him overheat. As soon as one foot was covered he pulled it back into the warmth of his blanket cocoon and stuck the other foot out in its place.

“You’re pretty cute, did you know that?” Geralt said fondly and squeezed newly sock-clad arch of Jaskier’s foot gently before he tucked it back under the blankets.

“Yep, I know,” said Jaskier with a happy wiggle and a smirk, already starting to warm up and rubbing his sock-covered feet together contentedly. “Thanks babe, that’s already better.” Geralt laid his hand over Jaskier’s blanket-wrapped ankles. The gentle weight was more comforting than it had any right to be for such a small thing.

“Yell if you need anything,” Geralt rumbled quietly. “I think I’m going to go scrub the oven, so just text me if I don’t hear you.”

“Of course you are, what else would you be doing to relax on a Saturday afternoon? Freak.” Jaskier murmured lovingly, starting to drift off with a soft little smile.

The low sound of Geralt’s chuckling faded down the hallway as Jaskier hummed and fell asleep.

#domestic fluff #sweet silly little moments #small acts of love #Geraskier #modern AU #geralt #jaskier #my fic

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sequinsmile-x · 9 months

Text

Eros

Emily wasn’t surprised that she’d started to sleep with one of her professors, but she was surprised that she’d fallen in love with him.

A Hotchniss AU.

-x-

Hi friends,

It's been a WHILE since I wrote this one but I recently got inspired, and @cloudlessly-light is always telling me we need more Hotchniss smut, so here we are.

Happy Saturday everyone, enjoy the professor hotch smut <3

-x-

Warnings: Smut, 18+

Words: 2.6k

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

She was mad at him.

She knows it’s unfair, that he hasn’t done anything wrong, but she can’t help it. Through nothing but chance, she’d been in the same building as his office and had spotted him talking to another student, someone Emily knew was called Kate Joyner.

She had stood back and watched as Kate flirted with her boyfriend, her smile wide and her hand on his arm as she laughed at whatever he had said. Aaron was funny, but he wasn’t that funny. It made jealousy burn in her belly, and she left before he saw her.

Later in the day, they’d met in the parking lot as planned, ready to go for dinner, and she’d seen Aaron waiting by his car as she left her last class of the day. She’d walked out with a guy from her class, Andrew, and she could feel Aaron staring at them. His gaze burning into her skin from where he was standing. She hates herself for it, but she feels a sense of pride rush through her at the thought that he is jealous too.

She makes excuses to not go to his after they have dinner together, something she regrets when she gets home. She changes into her pjyamas, made up of a pair of her underwear and one of his shirts, and mopes around her apartment, doing chores she’d neglected for days as she sips a large glass of wine.

She’s just about to call him, to ask him to come over when she hears a knock on her front door. She’d never be able to explain why, but she knows it’s him before she even looks through the peephole. She sighs as she pulls the door open.

She leans against the door, “You have a key-”

He’s on her in a second, his hands on her hips as he pushes her into her apartment, his lips over hers as he cuts her off. He swallows her surprised gasp, and she automatically kisses him back, her fingers tight in his hair, her body responding to him before her brain can catch up with what’s happening. She vaguely hears her front door slamming shut, the pictures on the walls shaking with the force of it, as he leads her further into her apartment. It’s only when her back collides with the kitchen counter that her brain comes back online.

She feels the cool marble countertop through the thin material of the shirt that she’s wearing, his shirt, and the heat of him pressing her to it and the contrast makes her pull away from him, breathless as she sucks in air she grasps his shoulders, unsure even when she’d held onto him that tightly, or when he’d pressed one of his thighs between hers, the rough material of his jeans pressing her underwear against her clit. The sensation makes her clench around nothing, anticipation warming her skin as she looks at him, nothing short of animalistic desire burning in his eyes, his pupils blown so wide she can see herself reflected in them. It makes her feel even more on edge. She can feel a damp spot already appearing on her underwear, the material firmly pressing into her, and she wonders if he can feel it through his jeans.

“Aaron-”

“You’re mine,” he says, growling at her, finally releasing the tension she’d seen in him as they ate dinner, his back straight and his jaw tense as they spoke about their days. She’s sure it should make her angry, the possessive way he says it, the way he holds her even tighter, the material of his shirt that she’d stolen bunched in his hands as he holds her in place, but it doesn’t. She feels her skin get warmer, her body thrumming with it, “Not Andrew Mendoza’s.”

She huffs out a breath, her laugh catching in her chest as his hand sneaks under her shirt, his thumb skimming the underside of her breast, “He’s just a friend.”

If she was honest, he was barely even that. Just a guy from one of her classes whom she’d spoken to a few times as they waited for their professor to arrive. He was nice enough and handsome, and he clearly had a crush on her. She knows he’s someone she’d probably go for if she wasn’t so absolutely in love with the man currently pressing her against her kitchen counter, his jealousy as obvious as his need for her, both of them written all over his face.

“You’re mine,” he repeats, pressing his leg firmer against her, smiling when she moans, her hips rolling against his thigh as she seeks out more pressure. He kisses her fiercely his tongue sweeping through her mouth and then he pulls back. She groans and chases his kiss, her eyes flicking up to his as he looks down at her, his eyebrows raised expectantly. She knows what he wants, want he wants to hear, and she cups his cheek making him look at her. She presses her thumb into his lower lip, enjoying the familiar plushness of it as she smiles at him.

“I’m yours,” she says, her voice thick with want, “I’m all yours.”

He’s on her again, just as much intensity as when he first showed up, his hands on her hips as he lifts her, depositing her onto the kitchen counter. Her heated skin hitting the cool marble makes her hiss and shiver, but she barely has time to think about it as he pushes her thighs apart, his fingers rubbing her through her underwear.

He groans at the damp material against his skin, “So wet for me already sweetheart,” he says, smirking as her hips stutter. He looks at her as she leans back, her palms flat on the kitchen counter. She was breathing heavily, her pale skin flushed pink, the blush disappearing down her chest and beneath the white material of the shirt she was wearing. He never failed to be taken aback by her beauty, by how responsive she was always. He leans in and kisses her throat, trailing his lips down to her chest, nipping at her collarbone with his teeth, smiling against her skin as her breath catches in her chest, “I bet no one else can make you feel like this.”

She gasps, her nails scratching the marble she was sitting on as he pushes her underwear aside, the feel of his skin directly against hers making her moan, “No, no one,” she chokes out, her hands in his hair as she guides him up for a kiss, her whine lost in it as he rubs circles over her clit at the same time, “Just you.”

At first, she was certain that the fire between them, how he’d make her fall apart in a way no one else ever had, how he seemed to just know her body from the start, was just because of the clandestine nature of it all. The fact he was her professor and she his student, all of their encounters in his office, on the same desk he marked her papers. It was only as they carried on, both lost in the incredible sex and the feelings that had grown around it, that she realised it was more than that.

If she was someone else, if she believed in such things, she’d think they were made for each other.

“It’s like you were made all for me,” he mumbles, unknowingly saying what she was thinking, and he kisses her as he presses two fingers into her, groaning as she clenches around him. His hips twitch at the feeling, impatience for the feeling of her wrapped around him flooding his veins. He suddenly feels the desperate need to see more of her, to feel more of her, and uses his spare hand to tug at one side of the shirt she’s wearing, the buttons skipping across the floor as he tears it.

“I liked that shirt,” she breathes out, rolling her hips as he pushes his fingers in and out of her, his thumb relentless against her clit.

“I’ll let you steal another one,” he replies, pressing his lips against her collarbone before he moves downwards, paying special attention to her breasts, licking at her nipple bar, smirking against her skin as she moans, her thighs twitching, “You can have them all.”

“Aaron,” she groans, warmth building in her belly, sparking in her blood as he builds her up, never quite touching her as he knew she needed to be touched, keeping her on the edge. “Please.”

He pulls her in for a kiss, fierce and possessive as he pulls his hand from her, smiling as she groans against him. He steps back and licks her from his fingers, groaning at the taste of her.

“Delicious,” he says, kissing her once more before he steps back, his eyes never leaving hers as he kneels down in front of her, “I think I’ll have some more.”

He dives in, his tongue against her clit. She moans as he pulls her closer, his hands under her thighs as they rest on his shoulders. She forgets about everything else but him, the way makes her feel, and she digs her fingers tight into his hair, holding him in place in case he dares to stop. If she could think of anything else, she’d worry she’d smother him, her thighs clamping around his head as he finally pushes her over the edge. She screams as she comes, half capturing it by placing her hand over her mouth, well aware her neighbours had complained about the noise before.

“Fuck,” she breathes out, watching as he stands up, his eyes darker than ever. She feels nothing short of empowered, even more desire for him overwhelming her, as she watches him wipe his mouth and chin on his shirt sleeve before he undoes his jeans, never stopping looking at her he approaches.

She lifts her hips just enough to take off her underwear, throwing them on the floor before she reaches for his, pulling him in close as she kisses him, tasting herself on his tongue. She reaches between them and pumps him, a punched-out groan his response as he grasps at her hips holding tight. She wraps a leg around him and groans as he pushes forward, the familiar stretch of him stealing the breath from her lungs.

“Mine,” he grunts, punctuating it with a thrust that makes her grasp his shoulders, her nails almost ripping his shirt.

“Yours,” she says in response, clenching around him, turning her head to capture his lips in a kiss. She pulls back just enough to speak again, her breath skipping over his lips, “All yours.”

They work up a familiar rhythm, both of them lost in each other, in the pleasure that was overtaking them. He feels her thighs shake, a sign that she was close again, and he removes a hand from her back to rub her clit, groaning as she gets tighter around him, her breathless moans echoing around them.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” he says, his lips against her ear, making her shiver, “Come for me.”

She comes, hard, her entire body giving out in a way that makes her slump forward, her forehead against his shoulder. He speeds up, his need for her increasing. Despite the fact she's here with him, that she’s wrapped around him in every conceivable way, he feels the spark of jealousy from earlier come back, the thought of another man wanting her making him hold her tighter.

“Fuck, Em,” he grunts out, his hips moving faster, “Fuck you feel so good.”

She wraps her legs tighter around him and lifts her head, her lips against his ear as she whispers, knowing what he needs, “Only you make me feel like this,” she says, hooking her leg higher around his hips, her heel digging into his lower back. The change of angle makes her gasp and she closes her eyes as he places his hand on her thigh, holding it so tightly she knows he’ll leave bruises, “No one else. Just you.”

He growls as he comes and the warmth of it inside of her makes her sigh, seeking him out for a gentle kiss. They share a smile and he kisses her once more before he pulls back just enough to look at her. He suddenly looks sheepish, like a different man to the one who had shown up here and pounced on her.

“I’m sorry,” he says, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

She breathes out a chuckle, “For what?” She asks, purposely clenching around him, smiling widely when he groans, “From where I’m sitting you have nothing to be sorry for.”

He shakes his head at her lovingly, “For being a jealous idiot. You were just talking to the guy.”

She bites her lower lip and she tilts her head, “Well if this is what just talking to the guy gets me, then maybe I’ll flirt with him next time,” she jokes, laughing again when he frowns, “I’m kidding, baby,” she says, kissing him, “You have nothing to be jealous about. But I get it…it’s hard, having to be… subtle about everything.”

They didn’t keep their relationship a secret anymore, now she was no longer one of his students, but they were careful. Never making it too obvious that they were together on campus. She was looking forward to graduating later this year, partially so the studying was behind her, but also so she no longer had to try and pretend she wasn’t completely in love with him.

Aaron frowns at her, “What do you have to be jealous about?” He asks as he steps back, lamenting the feeling as he slips out of her before he pulls his jeans back up.

“Are you kidding?” She asks, her hands on the kitchen counter as she stands up, smiling at Aaron as he steadies her, his hands on her hips, her legs still unsteady, “You’re the youngest and the hottest professor on campus by far. And you’re nice. And smart,” she scrunches her nose up as he pulls her closer, his hands on her lower back, “You’re a catch and every woman, and several men, on campus know it.”

“I’d never look at someone else, Em,” he says, stamping a kiss to her cheek, “Why would I when I have you?”

She hums, “Kate Joyner was flirting with you earlier,” she says, the words escaping her without her meaning them to, and she shakes her head at herself, “I saw you with her.”

“She come to my office hours,” he says, running his hand up and down her back, “She needed help with a paper.”

Emily scoffs, “Of course she did.”

“Emily-”

“She has a crush on you,” she says, cutting him off, “And I can’t blame her.”

“She’s my student, I’m not going to…” he drifts off and sighs as she raises her eyebrows at him, both of them realising he’s managed to latch onto her biggest insecurity in their relationship without meaning to.

She shrugs, “You have form for sleeping with your students, Aaron,” she says, smiling tightly at him before she looks down at the ground, “There are scratches on your desk that prove it.”

He cups her cheek and makes her look at him, “None of this happened because you were my student. It’s because you’re you,” he stamps a gentle kiss against her lips, “You’re mine.”

She chuckles, nodding, her cheeks warm with love and embarrassment. It feels absurd that he’s able to calm her down so quickly, that he’s able to squash concerns she’s had since the moment they started this, the moment it became clear to her that this had turned into more than sex.

“Yeah,” she says, holding the collar of his shirt as she pulls him in to kiss him again, “And you’re mine.”

-x-

Tag List:

@ssa-sparks, @lukeclvez, @lyds102, @glockleveledatyourcrotch, @hotchnissenthusiast, @danadeservesadrink, @ssamorganhotchner, @emilyprentissisgod, @notagentprentiss, @freesiasandfics, @emilyshotchniss, @thecharmingart, @paulitalblond, @hancydrewfan, @camille093, @whitecrossgirl, @moonlight-2-6, @rawr-jess, @florenceremingtonthethird, @jareauswife, @ms-black-a, @beebeelank, @aubreyprc, @zipzapboingg, @psychopath-at-heart, @criminalmindsgonewrong, @fionaloover, @kinqslcys, @prentissinred, @ccmattis-22, @denvivale317, @thrindis, @hotchsguccitie, @cmfouatslota77, @alexblakegf, @aliensaurusrex, @prentissxhotch, @emobabeyy, @victoiregranger, @stormyweatherth, @wanderingdreamer009, @ssablackbird, @luhwithah, @lex13cm, @prentiss-theorem, @dont-emily-me, @mrs-ssa-hotch, @jocyycreation, @itsmytimetoodream, @hotchnissgroupie, @controversialpooh, @capsshinyshield, @canuck-eh

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#aaron hotchner #emily prentiss #aaron hotchner fanfiction #emily prentiss fanfiction #hotchniss fan fic #aaron x emily #hotchniss fanfic #hotchniss fanfiction #aaron hotchner x emily prentiss #hotchniss #Aaron Hotchner Smut #Emily Prentiss Smut #Hotchniss Smut

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keyh0use · 7 months

Text

Kinktober Day 3: Thigh Riding

Choking, degrading names, and Rafe calls Barry daddy twice

Barry heard Rafe well before catching sight of him.

The sound of the kooks obnoxiously loud dirt bike revving down the straight road, going way faster than it should be before coming to an almost abrupt halt outside the shop.

It would be embarrassing how relieved the older man feels just knowing Rafe is here, if anyone was around to witness the way his shoulders sagged and a small smile pulled at the corners of his lips.

Then bright eyes and even brighter swim trunks turned the corner, and in strolled Rafe.

"Thought you were supposed to be miles out on the ocean by now," comments Barry, not glancing up from the bike he's currently rushing to finish working on, a tinge of pink dusting his high cheekbones.

Rafe counters, "Wasn't supposed to be alone today."

And yeah, that's fair. The last thing the mechanic wanted to do on a Saturday was go into the garage and do another man's job, but someone had to cover the shift and get all the shit done by Monday.

"Yeah, well, some of us got jobs instead of trust funds, country club." Barrys sitting on a misshapen wooden chair and it pleasantly surprised when it doesn't collapse as the boy drops down to straddle his thigh.

Two arms twine around the older man's neck and Rafe is leaning in to press a kiss to his handsome face, all while Barry's focus remains on the task at hand, all too used to this sort of behaviour from his easily bored boyfriend.

Rafe asks, "Thought your job was taking care of me?"

"Ain't that what I'm doin'?" retorts Barry, nodding at the bike like it's a physical embodiment of the career he keeps to contribute to their lifestyle.

"Not what I meant." Leaning forward, Rafe licks a broad stripe up Barry's tanned throat, salty with sweat. A oil-stained hand smacks against the boys thigh, smearing grease on the milky skin exposed there.

Barry snaps, "Watch yourself, boy. We're in public."

Only they're not—not really.

The shop is quiet except for a shitty radio playing some fuzzy country music station and the faint sound of birds chirping outside the open garage door, barren road in the near distance.

Barry's only supposed to be filling in until noon, giving them another thirty minutes or so before his scatterbrained coworker shows back up.

Still, it's a bad idea.

Ignoring the warning, Rafe nips at the older man's earlobe and whines, "But I've been waiting all day." The dramatics are accompanied by a peppering of kisses to heated flesh and Barry doesn't have to see Rafe's face to know he's pouting.

"Don't be a brat, country club, you can wait 'til we're home."

Or at least in the truck on a back road.

Rafe tucks his chin down to bite at Barry's collarbone, coveralls unzipped just enough to grant him access, and he shuffles back to give himself more space. With a slight tilt of his hips, Rafe's clothed erection is pressed firmly to the muscular thigh beneath him, material dragging against material.

"Rafe," scolds the older man, lips pressed firmly together and hand hovering in the air, midway between him and bike with a tool he suddenly forgets how to use.

The kook rolls his cock onto Barry's leg slowly, almost as if he's trying to be discreet, like he doesn't want to be caught. Like he wants to get away with going against Barry's direct orders.

Exhaling deeply through his nose, Barry repeats the boys name sternly and gets nothing in reply but a pathetic whine, the continuous rocking speeding up.

Rafe whispers, "Please, daddy."

And metal clatters to the floor, whatever tool previously held now skittering beneath the lifted bike. Barry scans the yard with frantic eyes before wrapping a strong arm around the boys trim waist, hauling him in closer.

"Needy little bitch, gettin' off on my dirty clothes," Barry spits, free hand curling around Rafe's thin throat and squeezing just a little too tight to watch him wince. "You need cock that bad? Came all the way down here just to piss me off enough to give it to you?"

Wide, desperate blue eyes hazily follow the motion of Barry's hand falling to yank his leg up, the side of his knee pressed flush to the mans bulge, large and warm and throbbing.

Rafe whimpers, "Oh." "Could strip you down right here, sit your pretty ass on my prick," suggests Barry in faux nonchalance, grinning when the boy cries out and bunches his own shirt up, guiding the older man's warm mouth to his nipple. Barry busies himself with licking and sucking the tiny bud, rejoicing in the needy sounds falling from the boys slack lips. It's a scene of depravity; the two rutting against one another like if they stop, they'll die. Rafe's slender fingers twisted in dark hair, dry humping his man's thigh while simultaneously getting Barry off with the constant rub of his knee against the big, fat dick obscured by the coveralls.

Lust drunk eyes peer up at the panting boy above him when Barry leans back against the chair, wood squeaking in protest with every jerky movement Rafe makes.

Barry asks, "Would you like that, baby? Get caught bouncin' in my lap?" Shaking his head like a broken doll, Rafe insists, "Just for you, daddy, please."

"Please what?" prompts the older man, brow cocked and eyes heavy-lidded. It's getting harder and harder to keep his composure, cock giving a violent twitch every time the kook whines.

"Fuck me, please," begs Rafe brokenly, fingers flexing at the base of Barry's skull.

"I can't," Barry grits out, jaw clicking shut tensely at the thought. "'Cause you couldn't just fuckin' wait."

Rafe doesn't have much time to be frustrated over being told no, glistening lips wet with drool trying to form a plea his fuzzy brain can't come up with. Then the thigh he's shamelessly riding bounces and it's too much, the boy sinking against Barry with a cry.

The boy whispers again, "Please, please, can I—please!"

"I wanna let you come, baby boy," confesses Barry with a mean tilt of his head. "It's just you sound so goddamn pretty when you beg."

Tires squealing in the distance has Barry's head snapping up to the road lying right outside, sharp gaze searching for the passing vehicle before realising there isn't one, whoever it is pulled into the shops parking lot.

The hand that isn't buried in his curls makes a grab for the white undershirt peeking through his semi-open coveralls and Rafe is rutting wildly, hips stuttering.

Barry takes pity on him, given the situation. At least one of them should get the chance to come.

"Aight, fine. Come, baby, go 'head," he whispers in the heated space between them, attention never straying from the look of relief Rafe wears, which melts into bliss in seconds.

Fusing their lips together in a bruising kiss, sloppy and messy and desperate, Barry effectively swallows every pathetic sound Rafe makes as he comes.

There's no time for the boy to ride out his high, glassy eyes blinking back into focus while big, rough hands make a grab of his hips.

It's a scramble then to right themselves, Barry manhandling Rafe into a less suggestive position on his lap just as a car door slams.

Rafe squirms in place and Barry grins. "Made a mess now you gotta sit in it, huh?"

"It's gross," mumbles the boy, but doesn't look too bothered about it when he leans in against Barry's chest.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, gon' take 'em off and shove them in your mouth in a few minutes, keep you real quiet while I use you," Barry says while wrapping his boy up in a tight embrace, chin resting atop Rafe's head.

Before Rafe can react in any way besides shuttering in excitement, Barry's flaky coworker is rounding the corner with a sour look on his long face, offering nothing but a wave in greeting on his way into the back.

Rafe asks quietly, "We can go now?"

"Yeah," answers Barry, tucking his chin down to press an affectionate kiss to blonde hair. "But you'll be lucky if I even let you make it to the truck."

#rafebarry #rafe x barry #rarry obx #kinktober

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hirayaaraw · 9 months

Text

Unbreakable Ties 7: The Waiting Game

idol!Jaehyun x OC

Genre: Childhood Friends to Lovers; slow burn; angst

Tags: @yincotton @26zcl @ahtisa02 @joepomonerof @painted-hills @ukiyoneo @ourbeautifulaffair @wintersoulwarrior @cryingforjae

Note: This is a filler chapter. Let me know if you want to join the taglist. 🫶

2020

Promises are meant to be broken. As much as they want to keep each other in arms length, it is impossible not to drift away. Jaehyun fly in and out of the country. When he stays in South Korea, it will be recording, practicing, attending a variety show, or attending a drama school. Eunhye sometimes only see him on TV or in twitter through the updates of his fansites. She also started working in a bank as a Financial Analyst. Breaking her back just to prove her worth to the higher ups.

It was a Saturday evening. Eunhye is getting dolled up to celebrate her birthday. It has been a while since the last time she celebrated it with him. The tradition faded into thin air. Jaehyun celebrates his birthday with his group and goes online to have a live with his fans. She was about to put her lipstick when someone knocked to her door.

When she opened it, Jaehyun showed with a wine and paper bags on both of his hands.

"Took you long enough to let me it." Jaehyun said then hugged her tightly before going inside. "You changed your sofa?"

"Yeah 3 months ago." Eunhye said while looking at him like she couldn't believe that Jaehyun is here. Jaehyun just smiled to cover his regrets for losing that much time.

"Do you have plans tonight?"

"Don't you have a schedule for tonight?"

They laughed together. Jaehyun shaked his head.

"Cleared my schedule tonight until tomorrow afternoon." He said while shaking the wine in front of Eunhye. Jaehyun went to the kitchen to prepare the cake. He puts the candle and lit the wick.

"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, Dear Eun Hye Happy birthday to you." While Jaehyun is singing, Eunhye just looked at him with tears threatening to fall. She missed him so much. She missed being with him all the time.

Now, she can't just call him ask Jaehyun to come over or go to the new trending cafe. They tried to go outside once but a sasaeng and paparazzi spotted them. The next day a blind item was published. Since then, his company asked Jaehyun not to go outside with her much to his dismay.

"Blow your candle and make a wish." Jaehyun told her when he noticed that Eunhye is staring at her. She closed her eyes and blew the candle. "What did you wish?"

Eunhye's wish is now in front of her so she just shrugged.

"World peace?" Which he laughed, but the truth is she wished to have more time with Jaehyun. Eunhye is scared that he will slip away and forget her.

"Let's cut the cake." Jaehyun is about to cut it when Eunhye screamed 'No'. "Why? Cake should be eaten."

"We don't have a cake later for you." Eunhye said that made him laugh. He nodded and proceed to putting the cake inside the refridgerator.

Despite having plans that night, Eunhye cancelled the night out with her friends. She chose to stay with Jaehyun. They cooked together whatever is in her cupboard. Jaehyun gave her a paper bag full of random items he bought from different countries he visited for work.

When the clock hits 12 AM, they used the candle and cake. Eunhye sang happily and Jaehyun was so happy to hear her voice again. He missed celebrating his birthday with her. Jaehyun blew the candle and smiled to her.

"What's your wish?"

"More of this." Jaehyun whispered while looking at the cake.

"Ha? I didn't catch that." Eunhye frowned.

"I said you are not allowed to know because the wish will not come true." He said but Eunhye squinted at him.

"I'll believe that bullshit so we can now eat the cake. Cut it now, Mr. Prada." She demanded and he followed. It will be a sight for his fans to see Jaehyun being whipped.

They drank the wine empty and tell endless stories to update each other until they fell asleep in the living room. When Eunhye woke up, Jaehyun is gone and she wonders if last night was just a dream.

She walked to her kitchen and saw an envelope. It was the same envelope Jaehyun will give to him every birthday since middle school. Eunhye opened it carefully and read the content.

Dear Eunhye,

Look how we made it! Early 20s and we are doing it well. I've been to a lot of places these past few months. I thought of bringing you there. I am sure that you will enjoy it. Someday let's travel together.

Your one and only,

Jaehyun

The next time she heard a call from Jaehyun was he informed her that he is casted as a lead actor for a romcom. Jaehyun told her that he might not be able to visit her a lot during filming. Eunhye gave her support and told him not to worry.

Just like what she always do, Eunhye waits for him to come back and take of whatever Jaehyun can give. After all, he is her bestfriend.

Present

Eunhye went home without any NCT album much to disappointment of Yeri. Kim Yerim ranted for hours about how easy it is to drop by any music store and get a copy. Eunhye told her to buy online and she will cover all the fees.

Eunhye went to her room to get her sleeping pattern back but she keep on tossing and turning even with the help of melatonin. There's sadness inside that she does not like to acknowledge. Although she went back home, it felt like there was a big void in her life.

She keep a blissfull front to his son but once he goes to school, Eunhye will succomb to this pit of emptiness. Her son, Jeno reminds her everything about him. From the smile, eyes, and their humor. Eunhye returned all the memorabilia Jaehyun gave except for their son. Contrary to Jaehyun's belief that she erased him to her life, Eunhye will be reminded of him for the rest of her life.

Seoul, South Korea

"Holy sh-- wait are you serious? like serious serious?" Mark asked him after Jaehyun asked if it is possible to visit every city of Canada in a year. "Well, I think it's possible but wow I haven't even visited half of it."

Her words linger in his mind. Jaehyun couldn't under why she said 'One of the Best Decisions of her life'. He thinks it is absurd.

"Crazy how she thinks that staying with you will destroy you." Johnny said after sipping his Americano. "Or maybe she said that after your chaotic confession."

"Very helpful, Johnny." He groaned. Jaehyun told them everything to seek advise after they comforted him they proceeded on laughing at his failed confession.

"So the plan would be you will take hiatus for a year to find Eunhye?" Mark asked him.

"Yes, that's the plan."

"It's like finding a needle in the middle of haystack." Johnny said. He is supportive in the idea of finding Eunhye but he is pessimistic at Jaehyun's plan. "Don't you have any better ways?"

"Do you have any idea, Johnny?" Jaehyun bites back.

"Get her IP address."

"You think I haven't tried? She's using VPN and I confirmed it when Eunhye said she lives in Canada. First time I checked she was in Paris so I went there---"

"Wait so that's why you were in Paris when the year she was gone?" Jaehyun nodded. "When you went to Mexico is she the reason too? And all your yearly vacation is to find her?"

Jaehyun sadly nodded. Foolish attempts to find her.

"That's the definition of world tour." Johnny said clapped slowly then Mark did too. "I don't know what to say, man. You love so deep."

"Anyway, we will have a concert in Toronto and Vancouver in 3 weeks. We can start finding Eunhye from there." Mark said in positive tone.

"Yeah. At least we now have a definite country." Jaehyun is so positive of finding her.

Almost 2 decades in the career made him brave and reckless. When Eunhye runaway, his hands were tied. No one is willing to help him or he has no way. His teammates are willing but they were all scolded and restricted by the company.

Everything is different now. Jaehyun can do whatever he wants. He has more freedom than before. All he needs is to see Eunhye and ask for her explanation. Closure. That's what he wants. If Eunhye wants him gone after he got the closure he wants, Jaehyun will move on with his life and carry his love for the rest of his life.

Tables have turned. Eunhye isn't the one who waits anymore. It is Jaehyun's turn to wait.

#kpop scenarios #nct scenarios #nct angst #jaehyun angst #jaehyun fluff #jaehyun x oc #nct fluff #nct imagines

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themuse-if · 3 months

Note

How would the ROs react to a MC that been focusing on their major up to the point they been forgetting to take care of themselves?

This is a really good scenario! Very likely you'll see something like this in the IF. Ok so I'm gonna set this in the crush stage.

For context only the other freshmen and Silas (the RA) live on the same hall as the MC, so that's: Maxine, Roxanne/Robbie, Joleen/Johnny, Delphine/Desmond, Everly/Everett, Rina/Ren, and Silas of course.

Roxanne/Robbie: *knocks on MC's dorm, comes in and immediately starts pulling out MC's clothes* Oh yeah sorry. I was just looking for your fit for tonight. Of course we're going out. Wait...ARE YOU STUDYING!? nope. NOPE! Put. The. Book. Down. Looks like it's time for an intervention. So here it goes. Me you and the rest of the gang are going out. We're gonna listen to some good music and dance and rage and just have a fantastic night. I know for a fact that your grades are fine, no better than fine. A few nights of letting loose aren't gonna ruin that. So, get your ass up and put this on, then meet me in the common area in 15. *struts out*

Joleen/Johnny: *finds MC in the library* Hey MC. *smile* I haven't seen you around outside of here and classes. You look a little meh, still super cute, but just kinda down you know. When was the last time you got some fresh air? Mmm that long? *reaches over and grabs your hand* Do you want to go for a walk in the park with me? We can just walk around and find some open space to lay out and listen to some tunes. You're down? Ok lets head out. Maybe we should grab some snacks too. *rubs their stomach* I got hungry while looking for you. *sighs*

Delphine/Desmond: *cooking up a storm in the common room kitchen* *MC is drawn out by the intoxicating smell* Oh look who's here. *smirks* Yeah I'm making (MC's favorite food). Yeah I know. So what if you only told me once, I pay attention. *grins* Yeah everyone will probably be following the scent out here pretty soon. I noticed that you've been keeping to yourself a lot lately, so I wanted to try and incorporate you back into a normal social routine. No need to thank me. Just make sure to take time for yourself and your friends. We kind of like you. *chuckles*

Rina/Ren: *texts MC, hey could you come out to the common room* I Made some stuff for poke bowls but it's too much for me to eat alone. Do you want some? Yeah? Cool. *subtle smile* So how's it going? I haven't seen you around lately. Oh I see you've just been studying. Anything else? And going to your part time job. Well what about self care? You don't have time? Of course you do. You just need to get your schedule in proper order. You have classes, work studying, and club activities, just take a moment to look and see where there are gaps. Don't take up all of your free time with 6 hours of studying. Set aside some time each day for to rest, and when you have extra time try to do things you enjoy. *laughs to themself* Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like a self help book. We'll this was a good talk. Maybe we could hang out when you've got some extra free time.

Everly/Everett: *sees MC in the common room* Oh hey! Where are you heading? Oh back to your room to study. On a Friday night? Actually no. What do you mean, what do I mean? All I'm saying is that its Friday night and we are in the prime of our youth. You can't spend every spare second studying! There's this party later, you should come...with me... You're in ok cool. Meet me in the common room around 11. Yes P.M. *rolls there eyes and chuckles* Alright see you later.

Karla: *lightly taps on MC's door* So...I think we should have a chat. I know that your freshman year can be a bit overwhelming, it can be hard to organize your priorities. I just wanted to say that you shouldn't stretch yourself to thin. If you only focus on your studies then you're just gonna burn out super quick. And since your studying on a Saturday *gives you a pointed look of concern* I'd say you're in pretty deep. So cancel whatever you have planned for tomorrow *under their breath, "not much I assume"* We are going out for brunch and then we're gonna explore. Ok, I'll text you the details later.

Faye: *texts MC: Hey! meet me outside of your building. I've got a surprise! 🤗* Hey! *gives MC a big hug, pulls back and lifts up picnic basket* Look what I have! You've been holed up in your room or at the library, and it's feel like I haven't seen you outside in forever. So I took it upon my self to prepare a super special picnic just for you. *locks arms with MC* Let's get going! I want to show you one of my favorite spots while it's still light out!

Sebastien: *knocks on door* Hello! It's me, Sebastien! Can I com in! *opens door* I come with food! *sets down your new favorite Chinese takeout* Oh you look busy. Maybe you could take a quick break. We could have dinner and watch a show. Remember you said you would show me your favorite shows? Ok, you will, oh thank god. *relieved sigh* I don't know what I would have done with all this food if you said no. *starts laying everything out* Ok you go ahead and pick a show I'll set up the food.

Maxine: *storms into MC's room and snatches their book away* Ok, let's go. Me, you, and some extra buttery popcorn are gonna see (insert title movie here) then we're going to stuff our faces, and then we're gonna lounge around the dorm with some face masks on. You've been doing nothing but studying and now its time for some fun! I miss you! It's no fun having a bookish zombie for a best friend. Grades are important but you don't have to overwork yourself.

Silas: *knocks on MC's door, opens door and stays in doorway* Hey MC, I just wanted to check in. I haven't seen you at any hall events lately. I see your hitting the books pretty hard. *points to the ominous stack of books* When was the last time you went out with some friends? Wow. That long? Ok not to sound like your RA or anything *laughs at his own dry joke* but you need to get out more, actually enjoy your collegiate experience. We're having a game night later, I hope to see you there. *sends a cheeky grin MC's way*

#interactive fiction #interactive if #twine if #twine interactive fiction #if: themuse #themuse if #extras

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taintedsoul-if · 1 year

Text

Hello. It has been an hectic week for me.... 😧 sometimes I completely forget how hypocritical one can be behind others back. I really need to start learning.... 😂😂. How have y'all been this past week? (Please Note: my week starts on Thursdays. So Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my Saturday and Sunday). Any who I wanted to show you all what I have written for the reconstruction chapters so far.... so just a sneak peak and then I'll allow you all to also see a sneak peak of upcoming chapters. (And the winner of this sneak peak is Trysten/Trista!!!!)

Reconstruction Chappy1 Sneak Peak (Meet Faelyn/Fae)

"I know you hate my guts after what I did to you in the past, I would hate me too." He/she extends her/his hand towards you, wanting to touch but hesitating. It doesn't matter how many years has passed, a relationship foundation that is build solely on lies can never survive.

You shakily ran your fingers over your oily scalp. "Fae(lyn) I am tired." Try hard as you may seeing Fae(lyn) again opened up the wounds of the past. You thought you were over what had happened but you weren't. The arms that once gave you solace and comfort were the same ones that broke you.

*******

As I've said earlier (I think???) For this ex boyfriend/girlfriend the gender will be in your hands..... so don't worry.

Hardcore Revenge Route Trysten/Trista

When you reach $!{trysten} dormroom you politely knocked on the door. It didn't take long before it was wrenched open, revealing the athletic figure of a young ${try_boy}. $!{try_his} eyes crossed examined you. "Took you long enough."

*if (height = "5'4 and under")

You had to lift your head to look at ${try_his} looming figure with an unreadable look on your face.

*if (height = "5'5 - 5'9")

You had to slightly crane your neck to look at ${try_him} with an unreadable look on your face.

*if (height = "6'0 - 6'2")

You stared straight at ${try_him} with an unreadable look on your face.

*if (height = "6'3 - 6'5")

You towered over ${try_her}, with an unreadable look on your face.

"Are you going to let me in or, are we going to stand here looking at each other all day?"

$!{try_he} gave you a weak smile, moving to the side ${try_he} gestured at you. You stepped into the room with $!{trysten} closing the door behind you. "Do you want to go first your Royal Highness?" You asked, immediately cutting to the chase. $!{trysten} crossed ${try_his} arms across ${try_his} ${try_chest}. The robe that was loosely tied around ${try_his} thin waist, slips off ${try_his} shoulder exposing the flawless fair skin underneath. $!{trysten} calmly fixed ${try_his} robes, walking past you ${try_he} headed for the minibar in the corner of the room. "$!{lord} $!{name}, please go first the floor is all yours."

"You're the one who invited me up here. $!{trysten} I am in a good mood, so I'll allow you to go first."

$!{trysten} chuckled. "$!{lord} $!{name} should I pour you a drink?"

*fake_choice

#"No thank you. This $!{lord} has already learnt ${his} lesson,"

"No thank you. This $!{lord} has already learnt ${his} lesson to not drink or eat anything from others who has ill-intent."

"If I wanted to kill you, you wouldn't have woken from that coma."

You plastered on a fake smile on your face. "Thank you for your benevolence your Royal highness."

#"Most certainly, what are we having?"

"Most certainly what are we having?"

$!{trysten} lift a delicate pear-shaped bottle up in the air. "Tarragon Monsoon, this bottle of wine is over two centuries old. Father emperor gave this bottle of wine to me as a gift to celebrate my union with your sister. I saved this bottle just so you and I could enjoy it together." $!{try_he} said with a contemptuous smile. $!{trysten} uncorked the wine bottle, pouring a generous amount into each cup. $!{try_he} handed you a glass, your fingertips grazed the warmth of ${try_his} skin, which was still damp from ${try_his} shower earlier.

********

I am not bragging but guys I feel like this hardcore scene is.... just perfect. I set the tempo just right..... but I should warn y'all there will be a forced kiss of sort... 🙄 but is it really??? I mean look at that slag obnoxious behaviour. Treating the mc like they're a piece of gum underneath their face. Aaaaannnnd that's basically all I wanted to show for now... so I'll be going now have a good rest of day. (I'll be trying to do some coding on my mobile tomorrow) I still haven't decided on my update date yet but we'll get around to that soon.... so stay safe and I'll see you guys on the flip side!

#trysten/trista #progress update #chappy sneak peak #hardcore revenge route sneak peak

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boogiewrites · 2 years

Text

Seeing Stars Part 11 | Eddie Munson

Summary: We follow Star and Eddie through the entirety of their post-Halloween Saturday night. It starts with Star stunning Eddie with her costume, the always-present sexual tension and flirtatious energy between them undeniable. She drags him to a party where he's accosted by Robin for being a "moron". Her words. The house party ends abruptly, leading them to an unexpected detour that gives Eddie a glimpse into Star's mind for a fleeting moment. They drive home recklessly, and once they're cleaned up they can finally give in to the weeks' worth of pent-up need for each other. The sexual tension is out in the open, but the romantic tension is threatening to bring a gun to a knife fight.

Part 1 if you missed it!

CW: 18+ P in V sex. Kitchen sex. Usual dirty talk. Use of pet name, puppy. A little post orgasm sensitivity. Denial of falling in love. Smoking, drinking, dancing, etc. Bullying. Star ranting about Christians again. HEAVY on the fluff and flirtation. We see some inner child healing from both of them. Some role-playing without sex involved. They're falling in love dammit, it's beautiful.

A Halloween-themed mix tape played, the walls of the airstream trailer buzzing from Star’s speakers. Star had done her Samhain work, feeling particularly in tune and empowered. She tapped gold glitter to her face, trying to get it to stick to add a little something extra to her costume. A squealing of guitar from Eddie’s van radio cut through the walls of her sanctuary, overpowering her soft mood set with her candles and music. She turned the volume knob to silence it, her long black nails grazing the notches edges as she did so. The expected knock didn’t startle her, moving to pop the lock and open the small door. Her darkened eyes shifted around the quiet space, night having already fallen this late in the year. She was met with no one, Eddie’s van hissing and steaming in the cold night air her only greeting.

“Eddie?” she called, fingers extending to the edges of the doorway, her head now turning on a lengthened swan-like neck to search him out. She stepped out, clacking her boot's wooden soles onto the cracked pavement of the carport. “Your van is here, I know you’re here,” she stated obviously, a still not nervous huff of a laugh escaping her as she walked to the edges of the pavement, silent and waiting. She checked the kitchen door, thinking he might’ve gone inside the house instead, but it was locked. “Whenever you decide to stop acting like a ding dong I’ll be inside.” she lilted with a raised voice. “Strange little man,” she mumbled to herself as she stepped back into her safe space, clicking the door shut. She shifted to return to her vanity, both a location and a state of mind. She then jumped and stuttered, her hands finding the back of the kitchenette booth to steady herself, nails tapping noisily in her grip. “Jesus!” she grumbled out through clenched teeth.

There Eddie sat, skull mask over his face, eerily still in his perfect posture on her bed.

“Shit. That’s so much creepier than jumping out and scaring me.” she admitted, a hand lightly to her chest. He pushed the flimsy plastic mask off his face, pushing his hair back like an impromptu headband with the thin elastic band holding it to his head.

“I thought so.” he finished before the mask was fully raised. “Shit.” he babbled with barely moving lips, taking in the vision that was Star. He was never appalled by her appearance, but there were always stolen moments where the light hit her just right, or he caught her in a mental snapshot of a soft expression where he found her breathtaking. “You look…’ his brown cow eyes were big and shining in the shifting light of her pillar candles. “Woah.” he chooses as a reply, his brain short-circuiting as he processed the high fantasy-looking goddess in front of him. That wasn’t him being complimentary either, she was quite literally dressed as one.

“I was hoping you’d like it,” she admitted, her smile radiating a warmth Eddie could feel in his chest. “I wish I could wear this every day. Or something like it.” she spun, her hooded crushed velvet cape, not draped on her mess of braided and tightly curled hair. She’d made a headband and pinned it into her braid that sat across her head. The little gold leaves and filigree shine slightly metallic. “Except for the things I made and the cape, it’s completely 60s second-hand. I’ve been dying for a reason to wear this dress.” She let out a lustful sigh at the sight of it on her body, skimming her shape with precision as if it were made for her. An above-the-knee a-line in black with feathers around the hem and bell sleeves. Black knee-high boots covered what her blackened tights did not. It cut just enough to see a swell of her chest noticeably up in a bra, around her neck and waist were gold-colored leather strings, chains, and crystals in layers. Her hands presented herself, a kick up of her foot to show the boots, then a graceful pose to bring attention to her face.

“You look like some high fantasy elf royalty.” he said with sparkling eyes and a part in his full lips that his tongue was gently caressing.

“Ohhh, I like that.” her black painted lips formed a seductive smile that made poor Eddie gulp. A band of black lay across her face over her eyes and bridge of her nose and disappeared into her hairline. A crescent moon adorned her forehead, and the glimmer of gold glitter on her cheeks and eyes sent a luster of glamour to her already pleasant face.

“You look…” his eyelashes, batted, head shaking ever so slightly. “Gorgeous.” A better choice than last time he thought.

“I am Hecate, the goddess of the night, magic and necromancy, and more. I’d certainly hope so.” she bowed with an extended hand slightly before holding her hand out to him to stand. He did so without having to fully register it as a thought first. “So this is your Eddie?” she asked, looking him up and down.

“Yeah I feel like I’m way underdressed now.” he admitted with a scratch of his head.

“You look like you, Eddie. The mask was a good choice.”

“Since it’s after the 31st I saw them on sale and grabbed one.”

“Smart.” she nodded in approval.

“It’s exactly like the album cover. White shirt, dark jeans, sneakers.” He paused, holding the usual double layer of leather jacket and battle vest. “These are because it’s cold.” he shrugged, having no better excuse.

“You’re not wrong.” she pouted her lips in thought. “I did have an idea. If you’re open?”

“Always.” he dipped his head in earnest.

“You know how he’s got lighter hair, it’s all white and yellow?” Eddie nodded. “You open to putting baby powder in your hair?”

“Shit that’s a good idea.” his eyes started darting to her countertop to find it immediately.

“You can do it outside, it’ll get all over the place and I’m not about to dirty it up after I just deep cleaned. Or get it all over this dress.” Eddie held the bottle close to his chest, looking around and noticing she was right. The wood shined, neat stacks where piles once were. Her altar was glimmering, offering in abundance sat atop it. It looked festive with its pumpkins, gourds, and apples. The entire space smelled of clove and cinnamon he realized and took a deep inhale.

“It looks nice. Smells even better.”

“Oh I did a simmer pot!” she said excitedly. “Made a new oil for the harvest season.” she held out a bare wrist to his nose.

“You smell like a sexy apple pie.” he hummed in approval with half-lidded eyes. “I’d eat you.” his face shifted into a cheesy grin.

“I’d let you.” she beamed back, stepping out of his way in the narrow walking space and giving him a directing hand to exit.

“Would I-? I mean do…? Er- can I?” he stuttered out as he trotted out the door.

“The night’s young!” she took her tiny candle snuffer and switched on a lamp to negate the growing darkness of the dying candles.

“We never did discuss what I was getting out of doing this for you.” she heard him outside her door, various grunts and sounds of movement as he did so.

“You get the delight of my company, mortal.” she smiled to herself, the puffs of candle smoke billowing about as they were darkened. She heard a snort of a response.

“You begged me to come with you. I don’t think this is the time to get high and mighty.”

“Eddie, darling, you were awestruck at the sight of me, I think I could use you as furniture and you’d thank me.” she smirked as she leaned on the doorway, seeing him in the middle of the carport, head flipped over and puffing baby powder into his hair.

“All that aside. When you very literally begged me to do this with you I graciously agreed. I think a good deed should be rewarded.”

“Do you know what the word graciously means? Because you making me get on my knees was not that.” she rolled her eyes humorously.

“It was a power move, I admit that.”

“And now you're trying to get more out of me in return,” she stated with an egotistical raise of an eyebrow. “Bold of a mortal.” she smirked.

He flipped his hair back over, now dusted white, and let out a sneeze.

“How is it?”

“Much better.” she clapped in approval, holding her hand out to take the now mostly empty bottle from him.

“I owe you nothing more, and you owe me a new baby powder.” she raised her voice so he’d hear as she moved into the body of the trailer to sit it back down, returning to view with a can of hairspray. “Turn and I’ll spray.”

“Not if I have to buy more of that too.” he complained.

“Just do it.” she groaned and held it up. “Cover your face and spin slow.” he obeyed orders this time. A cloud of stickiness settled around him.

“Why do I need this?

“So you don’t get baby powder on everything you touch. Headbang a few times and one more round.”

“Ugh, jesus,” he mumbled as he stumbled on the uptake and spun again under the shower of chemicals.

“Perfect.” she declared, disappearing again, this time returning with a small black crossbody bag on. “Now maybe I can get close to you and won’t get covered in white.”

“Oh you know that’s gonna happen if you get near me sweetheart.” he wiggled his eyebrows at her and she shoved his shoulder. “Speaking of.” he reached for her waist and she swatted his hands.

“Are we bargaining?” she asked assertively with a tilted head. “If you’d just say you want me to fuck you in return for going to this party just man up and say it.” she added with a decisive hand to her hip, the other poised upward.

“But I won’t because that would be rude.” he grinned with deepening smile lines and a pointed finger. “But I don’t think I have to tell you it’s been a while.” he leaned with poor balance, hands in his pockets and shifting to one foot and then the other merrily.

“Believe me, you don’t,” she said reassuringly. “What offering do you bring me in exchange for such a gift from a goddess.” he wanted to grab her painted face and kiss her for being so delightfully weird with him.

“Uh… my dick?” he stated with a passive face and perfect comedic delivery. She sputtered out a laugh, breaking character.

“You’re not gonna play along? Fine.” she laughed.

“I bring you…” he began, leaning forward from his hips and back again as he thought. “My most beautiful and powerful goddess…” he began, finding his unscripted character, a hand to his chest. “Goddess of the night, of magic, of necromancy. I am but a humble undead servant to you. Who happens to have the rather unexpected upper hand, so I offer you myself, in totality in return for accompanying you to this… masquerade of the harvest. May you use my body and spirit in any way you see fit to serve the purposes of your work.” he bowed fully, his hair falling forward with an arm behind his back and the other outstretched in offering.

She took his hand, his face raising to look at her. With ash dipped fingers, black against his pale chin she raised him.

“This sacrifice pleases me.” she smiled, lifting his mesmerized face to hers. “What if I require a blood sacrifice? One not only of your flesh?” In his slumped posture, he exhaled and gazed up at her muted malachite eyes.

“I’d plead to your benevolence that it be your athame to do it.” he rose fully, imposing over her with the look in his eyes that gave away his desire to say something very foolish at her willingness to play in such a way with him that no other woman had. Her throat bobbed, and her lips parted ever so slightly as they moved seamlessly to follow his. “You’re into this aren’t you?” his brow creased with friendly judgment. A barely there nod and a shy glance away were his answer in the affirmative.

She lost her composure as he looked down at her, the cold air having penetrated her skin enough to feel the burn of his skin as it touched hers. She was caught by complete surprise at how the originally goofy role play had quickly turned into something that awakened a part of her she didn’t know existed. She liked this back and forth, the way she was getting a personal dose of Eddie’s Dungeon Master charisma targeted directly at her. She couldn’t deny it was something she thought about when alone at night.

“The more concerning factor is the mention of the athame is what did it for me.” she admitted with a smile.

“Of course, I would use all the knowledge available to please such a divine creature as yourself. I’ve seen yours, on your altar. And I would misspeak if I were to say I did not already know of your predilection of dark and bloody things. It would make sense such attention would stir something within you.” he leans in as he speaks, holding her apt attention.

“And you would wish to stir such things?”

“Only..” a thoughtful pose of pressed lips quickly grew into a smirk. “ always.” she felt victimized at the amount of appeal that poured over her when he shot her a full smile.

“But how many moons has it been since your last sacrifice?” she asked her tone accusing. Without any conscious thought, he had pulled her closer, a ringed hand guarded against the chill in the warm space between her cloak and dress.

“Too many. Shall I beg for your forgiveness for my neglect?” What started as an attempt to play, giving him the same high fantasy portrayal that he loved to give during D and D sessions was now making her cheeks burn. She became acutely aware of the way the wind snuck up her dress and tickled her skin through her stockings. He watched her face take on many emotions, waves of trembling lips and eyes, nomadic across his face as he bore down on her with admiration.

“If we were to, I'm afraid we wouldn’t make our engagement.” her head barely shook from side to side, her eyes not looking away from his lips. “And then I wouldn’t be of the perfect visage humans expect of me.” a smile sparked across her lips, finally breaking her stare to his mouth and looking up to his eyes. “Could I call on you after my societal expectations are met?” she whispered.

“As you wish.” He averts his eyes downward in an act of respect as if she were truly a goddess. She feels the hot spot of his hand on her body leave, the warmth between them fading as he does as she asked and refrains. Her turn to act on need and not her conscious want. Her hand found the edge of his vest, pins icy on her skin as she grasped it to stop him.

“Perhaps…” a breathy word with an audible need pulled him back to her. Her call was steel and he was but a magnet with no choice in the matter. “ just a taste?” Her eyes needlessly asked him. He would give her anything she wanted. Especially himself. The surge of feeling wanted, and being asked so softly by the object of his affections was enough to make his heart race. But when she looked like an ethereal goddess he’d gawk at in one of his sci Fi magazines, it added an extra layer of ache inside him.

“Your hunger knows no bounds, my lady.” He smiled before taking her into his arms.

“Sate me enough to get me through this party.” She requested with a smile as his hands found his favorite places on her body to hold her.

“What is a taste to a hungry goddess?” He asked with his face tilted, nose grazing hers.

“A kiss.” She sighed, her eyes fluttering shut, trusting he’d give her what she wanted. And she was right to trust Eddie.

Star felt she should feel shame or embarrassment for the banter and how it’d made her feel. But Eddie brought something out in her she thought she’d lost. She could play again. She could use her imagination and creativity and not be afraid of it being punished. So pretending to be a goddess, an undead servant, or a half-orc was once again allowed and her inner child was thriving for it. The healing woman who harbored her however had bigger issues at hand. Like currently having the willpower to break off the kiss Eddie had her enveloped in.

Eddie had pulled her tight against his body. He kept her head to his with a hand to her nape, the spiral curls she’d styled nuzzling against his fingers. Her foot popped up like a heroine in a movie, her hands clasped to the buttery leather sleeves of his jacket, feeling the flex of muscle beneath it as he supported her weight in a leaning, encompassing kiss.

She wasn’t sure if it was the heavy lifting work she’d done for Samhain or if she was just that desperate for touch but Star found herself struck dizzy from the kiss. She could always blame the moon, one night out from being full and still causing lunacy. It was as if she felt him pouring into her from his mouth, from the touch of her hands, like warm honey. She greedily soaked it up, finding herself gasping softly as his lips found her jaw and eventually her throat. Her necklaces were no deterrent for his devoted lips.

Simultaneously Eddie too felt the heightened effectiveness between them. He wanted to sink his teeth into her, leave watercolor splotches on her skin of ownership where he knew he had no right to leave them. Something as small and simple as a tone change of a whine told him she knew they needed to stop. He did her the favor of stopping, knowing she might not have the willpower to by the speed of her pulse under his lips and the charming way she’d melted freely in his arms.

“I missed this,” she said in a breathy exhale. “Why haven’t we made time for this again?” she softly laughed, using her cape to wipe the smudged lipstick from Eddie’s mouth.

“Halloween’s a busy time of year for a freak.” he grinned.

“That it is.” she sighed, returning to holding herself up on her own feet. “When I said I wanted to celebrate Halloween I didn’t mean joining the spirit world from being worked to death.” she had a tired smile, handing him the other corner of her cape, he intuitively knew what to do, cleaning up the lines around her lips. His painting of miniatures gave him an advantage when it came to makeup it turned out, he could do his eyeliner for shows now.

“I thought you were avoiding me for a while, to be honest.” her head tilted in question. “If I didn’t see you at the diner all the time I wouldn’t believe you.” his eyes moved across her face and neck, focused, leaving no proof of their little role play tryst.

“See me all the time? You stalking me now?” she gave him an accusatory look but did so with a smile. With a single eyebrow raise down at her she cracked and softened her expression. “This is what happens when you’re the only person without kids or a family at a job. They think you can work all the time just because you don’t have other people to take care of. They forget you can have a life outside of those things.”

“Aren’t there like, laws about working people in school too much?”

“Not if you’re 18.Yay.” she bobbed her head with fake celebration.

“Welcome to being an adult, go fuck yourself.” he chuckled, dropping her cape and pulling it back over her shoulders.

“BUT!” she said loudly with a big inhale, throwing her head back dramatically. “Tonight I am OFF!” she clapped her hands together.

“You are.” he threw his hand in the air enthusiastically. “AND tomorrow!”

“YES!” She grinned and nodded her head aggressively. “So I am going to get drunk!” she said with equal enthusiasm. “Sorry.” she smiled, her chin pushed back into her neck comedically.

“Eh.” he rolled his eyes and shrugged.

“And I’m - WE are gonna have fun.”

“Am I though?” he scrunched his nose at her.

“You better have fun,” she says, shoving his chest and putting space between them. “You will have no choice after I put on my…” her hand digs around her small purse. She mutters about finding something, ruining her momentum, and Eddie laughs. “Most Metal Halloween mix ever.” she holds up a cassette.

“Is it? Or is it Rhiannon on repeat?”

“You’re a dick.” she bent over slightly with a laugh and bright eyes. “It HAS that on there but there’s more than that.” she started towards the cars parked in the driveway. “Plus, my car, my tape.” she shook it with a rattle.

“Your car? We’re taking your car? You’re drinking, why would I let you drive?”

“I am bestowing the gift of driving my car upon you for tonight.” she tossed him her keychain heavy keys.

“Why? I’d rather drive my van.”

“Because! My car is less obvious, it doesn’t smell like weed and there isn’t a bong hidden inside it.” she chuckled. “Cops are out, it’s the weekend after Halloween. I’m not spending it in jail.”

“You know? I hate it when you’re right.”

“I know.” she says patronizingly.

They piled into the obnoxiously yellow car, Star was bopping and Eddie was critiquing all her choices on her mix tape. They drove out of town, a rich kid from school was having a party at his parent's Lake House. The road was dark and the moon fighting through the canopy of thick trees was a perfect setting.

“Alright slow down.” she leaned forward and turned the volume down.

“Why?” Eddie turned his head towards her with a swish of grey hair.

“Look there are cars all the way out in the road.” she rolled down her window and saw the party packed, you could hear music from the road. The small neighborhood around it didn’t have much parking room and it was spilling out into the main road. “Drive ahead and turn around.” she said confidently, rolling up the window.

“Are we bailing? PLEASE tell me we’re bailing.”

“No, there’s a trailhead not even a mile back, we’re parking there.”

“Again… why?”

“This is a lot of people, dude. It’s gonna get attention and piss some old fogey off once it gets late. If we are parked farther away, at a trailhead, they’ll think we aren’t part of the party and leave the car alone.”

“Star, what do you think is gonna happen if the cops break up the party?” Eddie gives her a weird smirk.

“They’ll tow cars and arrest people?” she stated obviously.

“Sweetheart, this isn’t Chicago.” he arrogantly explained. “They’ll chase everyone out yeah, if it’s too rowdy they might take some downtown, sure. But they won’t tow cars. They’ll pull their superiority shit and make everyone feel stupid they got busted and then have everyone leave.”

“Man.” she huffed. “Do the cops ever do their jobs here?”

“Only if you’re not white or poor.” he said certainly.

“Okay so it is like Chicago.” she snorted out a laugh.

“Yeah I think that’s a universal thing,” he grumbled. “So the trailhead?” he asked as he awkwardly turned his van around.

“Yes please.” she cheesy grinned.

“God damn I didn’t know there were this many people in Hawkins!” she said louder than she normally would over the thump from inside the house. She had taken Eddie by the hand without hesitation to lure him up the inclined driveway.

“What?” he asked, too preoccupied with the fact that people could see them and he knew they’d take notice of the hand holding. Those fuckers didn’t miss a thing.

“There are so many people!” she repeated, looking back to her tag along. “At least we know there’s booze.” her thumb pointing to a guy puking in the bushes.

“Please don't get that drunk tonight.” he asked with a slight frown.

“I won’t. Promise.” she squoze his hand and he was dragged with rushed, awkward feet to the front door. “I’d say we should knock but I don’t think there’s a point.” she chuckled and reached for the ornate handle.

“Are you okay with-?” he asked with uncertain eyes as he held up their clasped hands. Star’s head tilted, eyes now as uncertain as his at his concern.

“Are you?” Eddie considered it for a second.

“Yeah? I thought you might.”

She let out a chest heavy sound. “Of course, I don’t. I’m the one holding your hand, ya dingus.” she scrunched her nose, leaning forward and making his chest feel fuzzy at the attention. She secured her grip and dragged him into the bustle of the party. Eddie kept a dopey sort of smile on his face as she yanked him into the house.

“And one for you!” Star said with a hop as she handed Eddie a plastic cup of some surely tainted punch.

“Can’t I just get a beer?”

“You can get a little drunk at first then taper off so you can drive.” She pushes the cup up to his mouth as she brings hers up to her own. “I want us to have a little fun and I need you loosened up.” She knocks her cup against his for a cheer, then chugs its back. Eddie groans and follows her lead.

“Jesus Christ what's in that? Jet fuel?” He panted.

“Ever clear.” A guy dressed as a doctor said.

“Yeah, that’ll do it. Shit.” He smacked his lips. Star was pouring a second cup.

“Hey, hey, you’ll rot your stomach out with that shit, give it a minute. Eat a chip.” He grabbed the nearest snack on the island in the obnoxiously expensive kitchen. Planes of marble and chrome appliances with deeply stained cabinets mocked them with their higher tax bracket quality.

“Didn’t expect to see you here.” They hear a familiar voice come from the hallway. A sober Robin made her way through the thick crowd.

“Hey!” Star said cheerfully. Eddie noticed the uptick and relaxed, knowing Robin wasn’t a threat. “I could say the same for you?!”

“Bunch of people from band crashed. Much like yourselves.”

“It’s the season that brings people together.” Star chuckled.

“Hey, Eddie.” Robin nodded his way with a friendly smile. “I’ve never seen you at one of these.”

“Because I hate them.” He answered with raised brows. “I was forced to come.” He nodded toward Star who had already drank another cup of very unnaturally colored punch.

“Oh!” She jumped up and down. “Rick James! Who the hell is choosing this music? They’ve got good taste, holy shit.” Eddie watches as her cheeks flush and her eyes get wide and shiny. The alcohol was moving quickly tonight.

“Probably Josh, it’s his house. Or his sister?” Robin shrugged.

“You need another drink.” She said to Eddie, having snatched the cup away and ladle in hand.

“No, I’m gonna pace myself. Maybe you should too?” He takes ahold of her wrists lightly.

“I want you to dance with me though. You’re not going to unless you're drunk. Then you can enjoy yourself without being so damn paranoid.” It came out quickly in one big breath.

“I’m not dancing Star.” He groaned.

“Please?” She attempted.

His expression told her the answer was the same.

“Fine.” She said curtly, taking the mostly poured cup that was meant for Eddie and downing it before he could stop her. “Maybe you were right.” She shrugged. “Maybe I shouldn’t have begged you to come.” With that, she turned, shook off the annoyance, and blended into the dancing crowd.

“Dude,” Robin said, not afraid of Eddie, and staring him down. “No offense- no, you know, on behalf of girls everywhere full offense. You’re an idiot.”

“What?” He almost screeched from surprise and over the volume of the music.

“Dance with her, you moron!” She shoved her arm out towards the floor. “She had to BEG you to come with her?” She started to drill it into his head. “HER?” She blatantly pointed to Star, her curls falling quickly and hips moving much to the delight of any fan of the feminine form. “You should be thankful she even talks to you dude.”

“What the hell did I do?”

“Watch her for a second. I give it less than a minute.”

“For what?” Eddie demanded. Robin simply pointed again. Within a short time, a guy started dancing with Star. Eddie felt his throat tighten. Then he saw her frown and shake her head, dipping away. She put a few bodies between her and the guy before getting lost in her boozy bouncing.

“For THAT!” Robin clapped her hands together. “She asked you to come with her. Nay, BEGGED your dumbass. She asked you to dance. You told her no? YOU?”

“What am I chopped liver? Shit. I thought you were cool.” He declared defensively.

“I am. Which is why I’m being honest with you. Listen to what I’m saying. She didn’t ask anyone else to come. She didn’t ask anyone else to dance. She asked who?”

“Me?”

“Star, who is pretty, funny, and not an asshole. Not to people like us. Well, most of the time.” Robin chuckled. “You. The school freak, the weirdo, the asshole… told HER no? Are you catching on?”

“I think so?”

“If you were you'd be out there dancing.” Robin felt like she was talking to Steve for a moment. That same indignant stare back, the wordless how dare you. She was used to laying things out plainly when Steve got in his head, it seemed Eddie wasn’t much different.

“You’re saying I should be grateful she wants me around? That’s supposed to make me feel good?”

“I’m being realistic.” Her certainty seemed out of character and Eddie side-eyed her. “She loves to dance sure, she wiggles around her seat like she’s got ants in her pants during music class, but she’s not dancing with anyone else.” Robin raised her brows. “She could ask any guy to come with her to this stupid party.”

“But she asked me. She hates everyone else.”

Robin kept staring and hoping he’d get it.

“She wanted me.” He finally said, Robin mostly read his lips as his voice dropped. She held her hand out in display. “Did she… say something?”

“Her? Psh no. She’s sealed up like Fort Knox about anything personal. It could be best friends. I know I like doing stuff with Steve but… if Steve says no… I don’t beg. I find someone else.” Her grimace as she leaned forward was noticed by Eddie but he was mostly watching Star.

“I hate dancing.” He sighed after a pause.

“Can you?”

“Kinda. Enough to get by?” He shrugged.

“If you gave her only one dance you’d make her night. The poor girl's been begging you for crying out loud.”

“You are underestimating how much I hate dancing. This whole…” he waves his hands around to point out the party. “Situation is NOT me. This is her shit. Not mine. I hate people and I hate people fucking snickering and shit when I’m around and if I get out there I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Wow. You really think you’re important don’t you?” Robin scoffed.

“Fuckin- what?” Eddie said incredulously.

“Look around? Everyone’s drunk. Anyone who’s not doesn’t give a shit about what YOU are doing. You’re making yourself way too important, man. Sorry to burst your bubble but no one gives a shit.” Eddie blinks and stares. “Do you think people care if you dance? At a party? Do you hear yourself? Do you hear how dumb that sounds?”

“When you put it that way!” He squeaked out.

“You have the ability to make someone’s night. Whether it’s because she’s your best friend or not. And you’re turning her down every time she tries. That royally sucks you know”.

“I have certain morals and values and-“

“You’re anti-dancing?”

“Kinda yeah!”

“You didn’t seem to be when you were watching her at your show.” She called him out and his mouth formed a tight line. “Seemed to REALLY like it then.”

“You don’t get it.”

“You’re right! I don’t. I think it’s dumb.” She hit her hands on the countertop. “Have fun pushing her away.” She said as she turned and walked away.

“Hey! Did she-?“ he began but she waved her hand to dismiss him and show she wasn’t interested. Eddie had a personal Munson doctrine. It was a way he saw the world and understood his role in it. Thinking everyone was watching you and waiting for you to fuck up wasn't paranoia if it had been proven true time and time again. He thought dancing was pointless. The hips and the arms and moving in some mating ritual he found it all shallow. It wasn’t something he was interested in changing his view on.

But then he watched Star. Remembering her heartfelt talks about it. How it was her escape and her joy. How she loved moving her body to express herself. He remembered how she pulled him close and showed him how to dance in her trailer, and how he couldn’t admit that with her… he kinda liked it.

“God dammit.” He sighed, rubbing his face. His elbow hit the ladle of the punch bowl and it mocked him. “Fuck it.” He said to no one but himself, pouring a tall glass and drinking it down, feeling the burn into the pit of his stomach. With a clumsy wipe of the back of his hand, he stood up straight and headed into the sardine tight packed dance floor.

At first, he wasn’t sure what Star’s reaction was, she looked as if she might cry once she realized the hands grabbing her’s were Eddie’s. Her lips moved, but she didn’t make up her mind on what to say. Once he started moving his feet, a simple back and forth she mirrored him, her smile wide and sparkling. He didn’t do much, admittedly, but he showed up and he quickly realized that’s all it took. She hung around his neck, letting her use him as a balance and let her do her thing. She turned and put his hand on her hip, which was somehow easier and harder on him. Easier because she couldn’t see, but harder because her ass kept grinding against him. How was he supposed to concentrate on not tripping over his own feet when she was backing it up on him? It did give him a moment to realize that both girls who had been disappointed in him that night were right. No one was watching, everyone was so caught up in their own thing that he could've screamed at the top of his lungs and no one would even turn their head. Some people were doing exactly that. It gave him strange confidence he carried into the dreaded appearance of a slow dance.

If he’d thought people didn’t care before, now everyone around them was so busy sucking face and grabbing ass. Eddie only knew the artist of the song because of Star. He didn’t know the BeeGee’s made slow songs but he’d know that voice anywhere now. Star had her eyes shut, cheek mushed against him and getting black all over his shirt but he didn’t care. She didn’t throw her arms around his neck, she had her arms around his waist and he happily let her. He put his arms around her, more of a shifting hug than a dance. He smiled down at her, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. He looked around the party and saw Robin who did a slow clap when they met eyes. He laughed and shook his head, looking down at a soft-faced Star.

“You still mad at me?” he asked, lowering his mouth next to her ear. She shook her head no and squeezed him tighter.

Star got another dance out of him before he leaned in to tell her they should get a drink and some air. Her makeup was starting to run, her lipstick mostly gone and the black on her fingers now only a memory, most of it left on Eddie’s clothes. He took her hand this time, grabbing a bottle of water that she accepted with a frown. He snatched a full-size bag of chips as they exited out the kitchen door. He stepped out, the cool air making him take a languid inhale at its appearance. He shut his eyes and started in the direction of some patio furniture. He was tugged back like he was anchored. He startles and turns, seeing Star standing still with an expression on her face he hadn’t seen before. He was immediately worried.

“What it is?” he asked, turning on his heel and trotting back to her.

“That’s a… big, uh, fire.” she says slowly, the flames in question reflected in her eyes.

“Yeah? It’s a bonfire. Pretty normal stuff.” his brow lowers in thought.

“It’s… a big fire.” she said again, now looking at him and raising her scarred arm.

“Oh shit! Right, fuck. I’m sorry.” he stumbled over his words. “We need to go back inside?”

“Didn’t expect it.” she blinked and seemed to snap out of her fear. “Just need a minute.” she shook her head. “I’m fine it’s just… I don’t deal well with surprises in the form of fire.” she nervously chuckled.

“I don’t think anyone does.” he huffed out a soft laugh. “I was gonna sit over there by the retaining wall with that patio furniture? Does that sound alright? It’s farther from the fire.” She nodded and he saw her take a deep breath, shaking off the bad energy.

Eddie pushes the discarded cans and cups off the patio table. He pats it and helps steady Star as she sat. He takes the time to open her water for her, and pop the bag of chips. They watch the scattered groups and stragglers move around the backyard in silence for a moment.

“You know bonfires were used for divination originally? It’s why we have them during Halloween.” she broke the silence after a few chips.

“Is staring into a fire like staring into the sun?”

“No. You can stare into a fire and see things.”

“Do you see things in the fire?”

“I have before yeah. I used it just the other day for Samhain. Did some harvest rituals.”

“I saw all that stuff on your altar. Guess I shouldn’t eat it huh?”

“Yeah don’t eat my offerings.” She grinned.

“So you can see the future?”

“Yes and no. You can have visions sure but seeing shapes or having things come to mind over and over when you’re meditating on the fire is more realistic.”

“What’d you see?”

“If I told you I’d have to kill you.” she wiggled her eyebrows at him.

“Then please tell me, get me the hell out of here.” He cheesed. “Was it good?”

“I don’t know. I saw animals.”

“Animals?”

“Yeah, like forest animals?” She sounded unsure. “A bear, a deer, a cow, or a bull I’m not really sure, they look alike.”

“You gonna go live in the woods and be one of those witches people say haunt the forest?” He seemed excited at the prospect.

“Hell, maybe.” She shrugged.

“Is it like dreams? Where you dream about snakes and it means something?”

“I suppose the symbology is similar across different mediums. Bears are like, resurrection, cause they hibernate ya know. Deer are change. Bulls are masculine and cows are softer, fertility and nurturing, motherly.” She shrugged.

“So a man and a woman are gonna come back from the dead?”

“You figured it out. Modern Nostradamus over here.” She held her hands out his way.

“Being able to see the future seems scary. Badass. But terrifying.”

“Oh yeah. There’s a reason divination was seen as evil. This time of year there were lots of marriage predictors. Roasting hazelnuts did that, seeing which would pop. Bobbing for apples is based on an old ritual too.”

“Seriously?”

“Oh yeah, Christians stole everything from pagans. Christmas. Easter too.”

“That’s why I worship Satan.” He whispered and winked.

“Uh-huh. You have to believe in the Christian god to believe in the biblical Satan. So in a way, it weirdly makes you a Christian to worship Satan.” Eddie blinked at her, a bit dumbfounded.

“Fuckin- blowin' my mind over here dude. That’s fucked up!” He laughed. “Using that sort of logic you’d make a hell of a DM.”

“You think?” She humored the idea.

“Not as good as me.” He said smugly. “But I think you’ve got potential.”

“Maybe after we graduate we can make our own club? You could teach me your ways, Master Munson.” She said dramatically with her hands on her chest.

“I might make you start calling me that. I like the way it sounds when you say it.”

“Oh you do, huh?” She leaned forward, hands on the edge of the table. He took a step closer and blocked her view by taking up her line of sight.

“I do.” He nodded, his hands moving to her knees. “I know what a freak you are now with your little role-playing earlier. I bet you’d be into it too.” He was smug but she didn’t mind.

“I told you that in confidence. You don’t get to wield it against me now.” She insisted with a shake of her head, leaning back, letting him move between her legs.

“Oh, wield? Like I could wield my sword and split y-“

“Well look who showed up! First time I’ve ever seen your face out here!” An intoxicated Jason stood with a branch in his hand, the tips were covered in marshmallows.

Stars eyes watched Eddie’s face sink. His eyes shut and he took a deep breath.

“Hopefully it’s the last.” He turned swiftly, facing Jason with upward palms.

“You know you’re supposed to wear costumes right?” Jason snorted, looking at both of them now.

“You want me to borrow your letterman jacket? I could be you if ya want.” Eddie cleared his throat. “I have two brain cells and I use them to throw rubber balls into laundry baskets. It’s the only thing I’m good at. That and being a dick.” He stood up straight and put his hands on his hips. He heard Star groan behind him.

“You’re so damn weird, man.” Jason shook his head. He held his marshmallows out to roast. “What are you? A witch? I’ve heard you’re into that shit.”

“I’m the Greek goddess Hecate actually.” Star said with no inflection.

“Is that who you worship?”

“Greek gods?” She laughed. “Oh, you’re serious. No.” She grimaced on his behalf to make him feel dumb. “Do you even know any Greek gods and goddesses?”

“There’s Zeus.”

“You would remember the serial rapist.” Star sighed. Eddie choked back a laugh.

“Hey! You can’t say that shit!” His chest puffed out.

“I can and I did.” Star held her hands out, standing. “The dude doth protest too much, methinks.”

“Is that? Are you putting a fuckin spell on me?” He was entirely serious and both Eddie and Star bursts into a laugh.

“It’s too easy.” Eddie sighed.

“That shit's not funny!” He challenged, the stick in his hand coming from the fire. “They say this town is cursed man, you don’t play with that shit!”

“Christ dude, fucking chill out.” Eddie held his hands up as Jason took a few steps forward.

“He’s drunk.” Star muttered, her body stiffening against Eddie’s.

“Take it back!“ Jason shouted as he shook the stick, flames eating at the ends.

“It’s a line from Hamlet! Shakespeare? The play?”

“Yeah man, it wasn’t a spell. That’s not even how any of that works!”

“So you DO put spells on us!” As he got closer, the heat from the impromptu torch made Star gulp. His eyes were glassy and he was way farther gone than they expected.

“No!” She shouted back, her hands hitting her legs in exasperation.

“Are you why Chrissy is ignoring me?” He said quoted which somehow made it scarier. He jutted the torch out accusingly and Star's breath stuttered. Eddie stood between her and Jason.

“She’s probably ignoring you because you’re drunk as hell.” Eddie stated and stated him down.

“Stay out of this, freak.” Jason moved Eddie aside with a shove. “This is between me and your girlfriend. Did you tell Chrissy? Did you make her mad at me?” He looked over her, clueless as the fear on her face not being from him but from the torch now a foot from her face. Eddie saw her chest start rapidly rising and falling.

“No! I- I didn’t - I don’t know- why she’s mad. I didn’t- can you not? That’s… too close.” He saw her eyes moving back to the torch and he put two and two together.

“You’re afraid of this aren’t you?” He cackled. “It’s just a little fire, Freddy!”

Eddie saw her face her more angry than scared. He didn’t want to tackle a guy with a weapon.

“Why didn’t you go as Krueger for Halloween you freak! You wouldn’t have had to wear any makeup! You and your gross scars.” He moved the torch back and forth towards her face. Eddie called out for him to stop but he saw Star's chest steady. “I didn’t think there was any topping Munson. But you showed up. At least he’s not deformed.” He spits out, looking over her. Eddie saw her hands in fists and was ready to tag in once she made up her mind. Luckily they didn’t have to. A scream ripped through the party.

“COPS!”

Everyone’s head turned and the mass exodus of teens from a lake house was a dead ringer for rats from a sinking ship.

“Shit.” Jason shouted. Star wasted no time and kicked him in the balls as hard as she could manage. She looked to Eddie once Jason fell to his knees. They both had huge smiles at the small victory.

“C’mon!” Eddie grabbed her hand, “Let’s get the hell out of here!” He shone like the sun with excitement as she clutched her cape and they fled the scene into the woods. He hoisted her foot up to get her over the perimeter wall and hopped it himself quickly after with a grace she’d never seen before from him. They landed in thick fall leaves, a dark forest lay before them. The damp dirt cushioned their fall, not hurting them but leaving them with wet and soiled clothes. “Follow me.” He said, not giving her a choice in the matter as he took her hand again and barreled a path through the trees.

Sirens could be heard in the distance. Lights flashed from the road through the thick of trees, flashlight beams being dodged by not only them but others who had gone the same way. They were fast and free and felt alive with the burn of exertion in their lungs from the cold night air. They started to laugh at some point, they didn’t even know why. She yipped as she jumped and dodged, Eddie panting like a happy dog as he ducked under branches. Eddie recognized a trail and they took off down it, the noises of others fleeing partygoers died down, leaving nothing but the crickets and the padding of their feet on the dirt trail in the woods. “Little further.” He panted, hand still tight around hers.

He let go as they hit a clearing, letting her jog to a stop with him. They bent over, gasping for breath before Eddie stood and nodded. Star was wheezing and groaning at the way her lungs were on fire.

“Okay. Okay.” Edie nodded.

“Okay?” Star squeaked.

“I know where we’re at.” He stumbled as he quickly scooted and turned, checking out his surroundings.

“You’ve been out here before?” She seemed skeptical but the moon was bright enough to illuminate through the trees.

“Yeah a few times.” he started catching his breath. “I don’t think we need to run anymore.”

“No, I might die if I try that again. Fuck I need to not smoke so much.” She coughed. “How are you not hacking your head off? You smoke more than me?”

“I also run more than you.“

“So you’re on the track team now?” She puffed.

“No. I go to the woods a lot. Run around. Ya know?”

“I assure you I do not.” She stood and stretched. “But you did say you knew where we were so I guess I’m inclined to believe you.”

“Let’s go this way.”

“That’s even farther from the party?”

“I know. I can get us back to the car through the trails.”

“Oh, shit really?” she perked up.

“Should be able to.” He took her hand without the frantic grip this time as he started down a path. They walked in the darkness, Star's eyes wide and his oddly calm.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” He whispered for no reason except she was too. She stood closer, arm to arm before pulling herself to him and putting her other hand on his arm.

“You scared?” He teased.

“Cold.” She murmured.

“Oh shit, I bet you are. Here.” He pulled her hood up first, then put his battle vest on under her cape. He buttoned it up all the way and tugged the cape over her using his pins to secure the edges to the denim so it stayed around her. She watched with admiration as he took care of her. He then zipped up his leather jacket. “That should help.” He nodded and smacked his hands together with approval.

“Thanks.” Her voice was a bit sheepish but he couldn’t read her expression in the dark. She slipped her fingers back between his and snugged up to his arm again. She rest her cheek against the soft leather of his jacket, warm from his body heat. He put his arm around her, sliding it out of her grasp and letting her put hers around him. He rubbed her arm from time to time in an attempt to keep her warm. They finally reach the peak of the incline they’d been on, showing moonlight flooding in from the bottom of the hill. The sounds of crickets and some brave frogs grew as they kept walking towards the brightness.

“See? Here we are.” He announced, no longer whispering as the dirt turned into rock and sand.

“This isn’t my car.” She stated as he trotted ahead. “Did you take us farther from the car?”

“Yeah.” He grinned.

“Eddie.” She whined.

“I wanted to bring you here. I thought you’d like it. Come out.” He motions enthusiastically for her to join him as she leaves the tree line and sees what he’s going on about. A small alcove by the edge of a large lake. A worn government park sign and picnic table sat off to the side. The lake moved in a valley between rolling mountains. With the moon almost full and high, the lake was illuminated with a lovely deep blue.

“I do like it.” She says breaking the silence of their wide eyes, pupils large in the darkness taking in the sights. She moved slowly, looking around, and mindlessly made her way to the warped wooden table. “Doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in a while.” She looked to the almost illegible carved sign that tried to share the name of the location.

“It’s not popular. But that’s why I like it. It’s private.”

“You go run into the woods like a feral child often?” She asked with a smile.

“I used to a lot. Now not as much.” He kept his face turned to the lake view. The wind made the lake a bit choppy, waves breaking on the bank made a peaceful ambiance.

“Is this the make-out spot I’ve heard about?”

“Nah. This isn’t Lovers Lake exactly. The same body of water but it’s not the part that goes by that name.”

“Oh.” She sounded amused. “I thought you were bringing me out here to make out.” He turned to look at her, and leaned against the table with a smirk. “Shame.” She shook her head.

“We both know I don’t have to take you to some overhyped make-out point to make out.”

“You’re not always wrong.” She said supportively. “It might be busy tonight anyway. People pulling pranks.” She pointed out. “Don’t wanna be knocking on your uvula and have someone knock on your window.”

“Uvula? What part is that?”

“It’s the dangly thing in the back of your throat.”

“Ohhh.” He went from impressed to giggling. “Is that not your tonsils?”

“Nope.”

“Isn’t… that like.. uvula or something? Are you fucking with me?” He asked with narrowed eyes and it made her laugh. “I’m gonna call the thing a uvula and I’m gonna get laughed out of the room because I said I had pussy lips in my throat.” Star started cackling.

“That’s a vulva!” She giggled and put her hands on the table to brace herself.

“THAT'S the word!” He followed her lead and bent at the waist to laugh. “I really thought you were yanking my chain.”

“If I was gonna yank something it wouldn’t be your chain.” She snickered.

“Speaking of…” he wiggled his eyebrows and leaned towards her. “I have to piss so fuckin bad.” He grinned and Star once again fell into a laugh. He waddled to the tree line, comedically. “I won’t go far.” He shouted as she could still make out his silhouette. She looked down to the table sighing and relishing the tired feeling from a big laugh. With her cold fingertips, she reached out to notice the smattering of initials, dates, and names across its surface. “DON'T WATCH YA PERV!” Eddie shouted.

“I’m not!” She returned her focus to try to find the oldest one, smiling at the always-present dick graffiti. She became distracted and didn't pay much mind to Eddie as he jogged back towards her, seeing her caressing the table.

“I’m getting a little jealous of that table.” she snapped her head up towards him from her hunched position over it, nails carving into old love stories.

“Sorry.” She blinked and mumbled. “I was just thinking about all these.” He joined in, noticing what she was so distracted by.

“What about them?” It was a genuine question as he saw nothing much to their existence. As usual, when Star would be struck with inspiration, it would remind him to not be so cynical.

“Sometimes I wish I had powers. That I could touch things and know things about them.”

“Like… crystals?”

Her head moved noticeably fast by him as she popped to stare at him for a moment.

“Uh..” she’d caught him unprepared. “Like you hold a crystal and it tells you stuff? Like energy?” She studied him for a moment, brows shifting and curiosity for what he was saying obvious.

“How do you know that?”

“I know things!” He emphasized with a crack in his voice.

“Uh-huh.” She hummed. “I don’t mean like that though. I mean, who are R and W? Did they both carve it? Were they in love? Are they still? Was it unrequited? What year was this carved and do they still remember that this is here? Or are they dead?” she sighed but looked happy, Eddie watched her face focus. It was soft and a little sad. “If they’re dead… isn’t it nice for them to be remembered by us for just a second? Something so small like carving initials into a piece of wood could cause your very existence to be remembered in this world again. What if no one else alive remembers them, you know? They’re immortal as long as this is here. We let them live for just a little bit by seeing this small token of what we can assume is love.” Eddie couldn’t recall seeing many sad smiles but that was precisely what he’d call her expression. “It’s nice to think that something can make you immortal in some way. And how romantic.” Her smile turned, no longer sad but tugging back one corner of her mouth more than the other. She blinked, lashes fluttering a moment and it was as if she’d remembered he was also there. “Sorry.” She let out a nervous huff of a laugh. “I’m a total space cadet sometimes.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and ripped her gaze away. “I know it’s dumb.” Her reaction surprised him. She seemed like she’d been so into it just a moment ago. He reached out and put his hand on top of hers.

“It’s not dumb.” He sternly said. “ it’s beautiful.” He leaned his head towards hers, hair wagging with his insistence. She looked like he’d hit her with the wide eyes that darted to his, seeking comfort. “I love it when you go on tangents like that.” Her throat made a noticeable strain when she swallowed. The moon was shining in her eyes but he wondered if they were a bit wetter than they had been before he said that. “No one else says stuff like that.” He offered to give her some confidence. “If there was ever someone you didn’t have to apologize for saying weird stuff around? It’d be me.” He gave her a smile he knew she’d never admit to making her swoon a bit. “Plus that was really… poetic? Yeah. Look at you.” He gave her cheek a mix of a pinch and a caress, something affectionate but not suggestive. “Being all sweet and romantic.”

“Oh, hush.” she fumbled over her words and blushed.

“It’s cute!” He chuckled. “I like it.” he pushed his point until the worry left her eyes.

“You’re just being nice.” She excused his support.

“Well yeah?” He chuckled and tilted his head at her. “Why would I be mean about this?” She shrugged and avoided his question.

“I dunno.” She blurted out. “I’m gonna uh- my turn to go pee.” She pointed at the woods and he stuck his arm out to direct her.

“Milady.” He watched her small body language as she kept her arms in front of her to her chest. “Don’t go too far!” he cupped his hands and shouted.

“I won’t!” She called back.

He sat down at the bench, now contemplating what she’d said. She had been so soft and open for a moment. She was like him in the way that romanticizing life wasn’t something they made usual practice of. Too much optimism only meant you’d be let down in their experience. He knew she had a flare for being a romantic, he could see it in her work, how she danced, and the songs she sang when she was alone. He thought it was lovely. He wasn’t very good at being openly soft either. But she had some solid points in her little spiel. He chewed the inside of his cheek, considering them. He tapped the table, making a decision. He popped his pocket knife out of his jacket and flicked it open. The moon glinted off the blade with a dramatic flare, which felt suited after her dreamy monologue, seeing as he was about to make them immortal, and all.

“I didn’t realize how gross I got from jumping the wall.” she said dusting off her dress as she came back into view, Eddie was standing, leaning against the table with his arms crossed, waiting.

“Yeah I’m freezing.” he chuckled. “Landed right on my ass back there.”

“Would you mind if we headed back to the car? It’s probably getting late.”

“You’re right.” he held his arm out again for her. “I’ll escort you to your carriage.” he grinned.

The walk back wasn’t terrible, mostly downhill this time. They’d broken their snuggled hold and used their hands to balance as they let gravity move them down the path faster with a jog. By the time they reached the car, they were still wet, cold, and now tired.

“Can’t have us falling asleep on the way home.” Star said, digging through her cassette holder before popping one in. They’d gone quiet in the blasting heat of the car. Motorhead blared through the speakers and Eddie snapped his head her way.

“Thief! I’ve been looking for this!”

“Sorry.” she gave a big fake smile from the passenger seat. “It gets me pumped, I like listening to it in the mornings so I can wake up.”

“Buy your own!” he laughed, turning back to the road.

“Maybe if my dealer would cut me a deal on weed I could.” she giggled.

“And who’s that? It’s not me because you’re cutting into my profits.”

“I’m just teasin’.” she groaned. “Would you accept pussy instead of money?” she leaned in and laughed.

“Afraid not.”

“Damn? Way to shoot a girl down.” she held her chest as if she was in pain.

“Money talks, babe. I can’t pay back Rick with pussy.” he snorted. “Unless you wanna go ask him? Maybe he’ll accept it.”

“Ew, no.” she giggled and scrunched her nose. “What about sick solos?” she did a quick wiggle of her fingers.

“If I can’t pay in music you sure as hell can’t. You can’t play guitar, sweetheart. I tried to teach you and have accepted that utter failure.” he laughed from his chest, recalling Star fumbling and trying to stretch her much smaller hands to reach the right chords.

“I can’t help it that my hands are small and I refuse to cut my nails.” she shook her head defiantly. “What about sick air guitar though?” she turned up the music and put her whole body into it, Eddie was fully distracted in an eye-crinkling laugh at her goofy display.

“STILL NO!” he shouted over the music.

“What about now?” she put her feet on the ceiling, contorted up and pretending to play the guitar with her teeth now.

“NOPE!”

“Shit!” she wiggled in the bench seat. “What about-?” she shouted, rolling the window down with speed as she got her upper body out of the window bit by bit.

“STAR YOU CLUTZ, STOP!” he grabbed her dress and tugged, his face still lit up from laughter. He was afraid of her tendency to bruise herself when not paying attention was going to cause her to end up in the morgue. Even if what she was doing was some of the most adorable shit he'd ever seen.

“Oh you can do it but I can’t?”

“A branch is gonna decapitate your dumb ass!” he gave her another yank.

She ignored him, nailing her imaginary solo to the song, her head back and the wind whipping through her hair. The solo ended and she finally clambered back into the seat.

“Gonna give me a heart attack.” Eddie shouted, turning the music down slightly.

“I fuckin’ nailed it.” she grinned, her hair an absolute mess with leaves now deeply embedded in the wild, freestanding curls.

“Wait.” Eddie split his attention between her and the road. “Where’d your crown go?”

“Oh fuck!” she grabbed her head and they both dissolved into laughter. “Nature took it back!” she giggled.

“A sacrifice was made tonight.” he put his hands together as if in prayer, nodding his forehead to them as they rest on the top of the steering wheel.

“Mother nature took it back by force.” she rolled up the window and settled back into her seat.

“That’s what you get for making me worry. Karma.” he smacked her knee.

“Aw he was worried.” she patronized him, leaning into him.

“You try explaining a decapitated body in your passenger seat to the cops and see how well it goes.”

“I have to deal with your crazy ass jumping off shit and wrestling the guys all the time. Or your DRIVING? I mean, c’mon.” she dramatically bellowed.

“Not the same.” he wagged his finger.

“Double standard!” she shouted back, both still smiling.

“Agree to disagree!” he leaned back in before putting his palm on her forehead and pushing her back.

“Fine.” she fake pouted. “I won’t do anything that might decapitate me.”

“Thank you.”

“But all other grievous bodily harm is still on the table.” She laughed and he rolled his eyes.

They pulled into her driveway, still damp but at least they were warm.

“I’m taking this.” Eddie said curtly. An exaggerated movement to snatch the tape and snap the holder shut in Star's face before they got out of the car.

“I took it, I’ll put it back.” She plucked it from his fingers and went to the driver's side of the van. Eddie opened it and let her crawl in. She didn’t do it gracefully, bending over the seat sideways to dig and put the cassette back with the others.

“You better not be taking a different one.”

“I’m not! Look! Are you watchin'? You lookin'? I’m trying to dig through this mess.”

“Oh, I’m lookin', alright.” He pinched the back of her thigh that had become visible with her dress hem riding up. She squealed and kicked her feet.

“I didn’t mean at my ass!” She laughed and shook it at him.

“Don’t put it in my face and I won’t.” He put two hands on her cheeks and wobbled. “Not my fault you can’t sit in a seat like a normal person.” She crawled out and he held out his arm to help the process.

“It was bend sideways or bend over trying to put that shit back.”

“And you went with bend over. Logical.” His word agreed but his tone didn’t.

“You need to pat me down to make sure I didn’t take anything?” Eddie’s hand immediately went to Star's chest as he squeezed her boobs. “So smooth.” She cackled.

“Lemme just see here.” His to the stuck out and wormed its way around his lips. “Nothing here? Oh! Was that? No?“ he ran commentary, rubbing his hands down her curves, then reaching behind, his nose to hers as he double-handed her ass and squeezed. “There might be…” his fingers worked her dress up, and she jumped at the cold air. “Gotta check everywhere.”

“Thorough.” Star nodded and grinned.

“Just doin' my job ma’am.” He said his fingers snapping the hem of her panties and sneaky fingers diving between her cheeks. Then, a quick pull of her panties forcefully between her cheeks made her yip and squirm. “I think you’re clear.”

“You THINK? You should know for sure after checking my oil like that.” She picked out the wedgie and made her way into the trailer. As Eddie was smug and snorting behind her.

“Fuck it smells good in here.” He rubbed his stomach as he followed her inside.

“It makes me hungry.”

“Ugh, I’m starving.” Eddie groaned.

“I can make us something.” She offered, her bag being tossed into the kitchen booth after switching on the space heater.

“You don’t have to.”

“Does it make a difference if I say I’m hungry too?”

“Maybe.” He beamed playfully.

“I can throw us something together.” She nodded reassuringly. “But I’m gonna shower first. Get this junk off me.” She removed her cape and sighed at the mud on the velvet. “That’ll cost me at the dry cleaners.”

“Dry cleaner? Seriously?”

“You can't wash velvet like it’s just one of your cum socks, Eddie. It’s delicate.” He sputtered at her comparison.

“My what?” He leaned forward with his head leading the way.

“Don’t act like you don’t have some petrified sock you jerk off into so it doesn’t get everywhere.” He blinked in disbelief.

“How do y-“

“I have an older brother.” She stated flatly. “Also guys are gross.” She stuck out her tongue and giggled.

“I don’t use a sock, thank you very much.”

“You just cum in your mouth?” She asked with a straight face before cracking they both bent into a laugh.

“For the record, no!” He added as the laugh died down. She folded her cape and put it into a plastic bag from her groceries, sitting it by the door so she wouldn’t forget it.

“Take your shoes off and leave ‘em on the stoop. You’ll need a shower too. Your hair is worse than mine is.” He turned to look in her mirror on the wall and was shocked at his appearance. He couldn’t tell in the dark how messy they’d both gotten but now in the light, they looked like they’d had a mud fight.

“You don’t mind? I can always go back home.”

“No, I want you to stay.” She said it as if it was the most casual thing in the world. It wasn’t the first time she’d said it, or insinuated it. But every time it happened it still kicked him in the gut emotionally, making him feel warm, and a bit tingly. His childhood trauma was showing. Being reassured you’re wanted and not a burden or bother was a deeply ingrained feeling Eddie buried. Star was giving his inner child the attention it needed too.

She stood to take her boots off, then started removing her jewelry. Eddie followed suit and made a camp of his things on the table, down to his t-shirt and jeans quickly. She placed his vest next to his dirty clothes.

“Unzip me?” She asked, turning and staying in her spot having him come to her by her bed. Wordlessly he committed to the domestic task.

“Need me to hold it? Don’t want mud on the feathers.”

“Would you?” She perked up at his observation. There was mud on the floor where she’d stood. It was an intimate moment that Eddie, feeling typically touch starved caused his cheeks to warm again. The simple act of holding her hair up as she slipped her arms out of the billowy sleeves held his attention. It was the only thing about him wasn’t easily held. His nostrils flared and he took an audible gulp once she shimmied the dress over her hips to step out of it. She took the dress from his hands as his mouth opened and closed and stammered.

“You’re uh- you’ve got-“ he stammered. She turned and looked down before a mischievous smile overtook her face. “Holy shit.” His voice cracked as he shoved his hands into his jean pockets.

“Oh look I got my makeup all over your shirt.” She tutted and approached him, her hands to his chest. “I’ll get this out for you.” She promised. “I take it you like the rest of the costume?” She smirked, hands to her hips where black panties sat. A black bra added to the allure but the thigh highs were what really got him.

“You had those on the whole time?” His eyes were locked in on the soft flash of skin above the snug garters that held them up.

“I don’t care for tights. But thigh highs? Thigh highs I like.” She raised her foot to rest on the edge of her bed. Her long nails snapped under the elastic before rolling down the flimsy fabric.

“I like them too.” He stumbled back and sat down.

“The dress didn’t fit right without a bra.” She explained. “Not that you’re hearing a word I’m saying.” She chuckled as his head tilted, staring at her ass arched out.

“Uh sorry, huh?”

“Enjoy the show.” She giggled. “That’s mostly why I wore it anyway.”

“For me?” He rasped out.

“For part of a plan to get you to fuck me if we’re being perfectly honest.”

“We are.” He nodded fast. “And your plan worked. I wanna fuck you. I did before this and now I… shit.” He slumped over and watched her with a slack jaw.

“I love it when you go all gooey like this. Hard to not feel confident with a pretty boy drooling over you.” She tossed the stockings aside and grabbed a towel.

“You’re hot all the time.” He said completely serious as he somehow looked away from her body and into her eyes. “You never wear that stuff though. Like…” he gulped. "lingerie, I mean."

“Easier to get to all the good bits when you don’t have underwear on.” She grinned. “You know my shower's too small for us both to fit so don’t try it, bud.” She tapped the button of his nose. His hands reached out to touch her bare legs.

“I won’t. I’ll wait.” He rasped out.

“Good boy.” she leaned down to peck his lips. “Grab a pair of my boxers I sleep in for after you shower. You’ll like mine they’re really soft.”

“Everything about you is soft.” He exhaled, his hands kneading at her before she took away the contact.

“Not my nipples.” She gave a wink and moved away and he whined.

“Fuck I wanna see ‘em.” He whispered out without thinking.

“You can.” She shook her head and spoke sweetly. “I go, then you and I’ll make us something while you shower. You’ll be fueled up and fuckable in no time.” she cooed before slipping behind the small door.

“Fuck me.” He groaned and rubbed his face.

She reappeared to him sitting in the same spot with his elbows to his knees, legs in their usual spread position. With a towel around her body and hair, she bowed and directed her arm to the steaming box.

“I did it as fast as I could so you’d have hot water. You don’t have to, though, I’ve gotta settle and cook.”

“Sooner I’m out the sooner I’m in.” He wiggles his brows and she rolled her eyes.

“Corny and horny.” She lilted with an affectionate tease.

Once Eddie reappeared Star had the space its usual homey, smokey, cozy energy. She had her damp hair piled loosely on top of her head and an oversized sweater she’d made on. Incense billowed and music played quietly. She had various things out on her countertop with the oven already glowing warmly. She’d left one lamp on, candles on her altar lit.

“I don’t know what smells better the food or that incense.” He groaned, rubbing his hair with a towel. “What is it?”

“The food or the incense?” She smiled.

“Both.”

“Go ahead and grab that sweater if you want, you must be cold.” She directed first and he gave her a soft smile. “The incense is a new kind I picked up. It's mainly rose.”

“It’s very… sexy garden?” He offered as he shrugged on the very cozy black sweater. Eddie slinked up behind Star, his face hovering over her shoulder to see in front of her. “And the food?”

“Some improved pizzas. Had a baguette so I split it and put sauce and cheese on. Pepperoni on yours, olives on mine.”

“Fuck yes.” He kissed her cheek and it caught her off guard. She suppressed a bashful smile. “Mmmph.” He hesitated as he pulled away, he audibly sniffed her.

“Put on oil after my shower.” She explained, feeling his puffs of breath on her skin.

“How do you keep smelling better every time I get close to you?” His hands then caved and touched her. He innocently enough wrapped his arms around her waist. He mushed his nose into her skin and hummed.

“I work very hard to smell good.” She explained.

“What’s this one?” He muttered into her shoulder.

“Another mix I tried out. I think it’s got your approval.”

“If me wanting to eat you alive was the goal.”

“Isn’t it always?” She smiled. “I put my usual jasmine in with some ylang-ylang and bergamot. A little something extra was thrown in. My secret weapon.”

“Whatever it is, it's…. delicious.” He made a hungry sound before kissing her neck noisily. A single smooch before resting his chin on her shoulder again.

“Thank you.” She sounded sincere.

“Welcome.” He mumbled.

“I’m almost done. These need to go in the oven for a little bit but I thought it’d help warm up the place too.”

“It’s not bad with the heater on. Plus you’re supposed to get naked to stay warm right? We can always try that one out.” She could feel his smile even if she couldn’t see it as she focused on the tray in front of her. She pushed back her ass to get him to give her some space. He grunted as his hands moved instinctually to her.

“I need to put this in the oven.” she chuckled, enjoying his open neediness. He gave way and let her, hoping the sweater would raise high enough when she bent over to see what she had on underneath.

“How long does that take?"

“Not too long, 15-20 minutes.” she shrugged.

“I can work with that.” a wolfish grin appeared with his taller posture, raising his chin confidently to look at her from under a cover of dark lashes.

“You don’t want to eat first?” he was surprised she meant it.

“No.” a simple answer with a swish of his wet hair.

“Oh.” a small voice escaped her in surprise.

“You know… it’s funny.” he began, shoulders shifting and moving toward her with paced steps. “Earlier tonight you were talking about me being your servant. But here you are… making me food.” he was impish but it held a flirtatious edge with the way he kept raking his eyes over her and his slowly encroaching body language.

“I’m not being your servant.” she shook her head with a come-hither expression. “I’m a caregiver. Big difference. I’m making sure you eat.” she closed the space between them, her hands to his waist to emphasize his lean figure. “If you went home tonight, what would you have? A flat beer and some cigarettes for a meal?” she chuckled and rubbed her thumbs back and forth on his stomach as she held him. “Gotta keep you fed.” Their bodies rest lightly against one another, his damp curls separated and falling past his shoulders to his face as he kept his face down toward her. His expression was soft and warm, but his eyes remained dark.

“I’m in your debt either way then, huh?” he observed.

“Looks like it.” she chuckled.

“Who’s taking care of you then, huh?” he asked and it was meant to be coy but the way she bit her lip made him question his direction of play. He quickly distracted her with his hands, moving them across her torso to her ass where he got two handfuls to raise her onto the balls of her feet. It got his face level with hers to keep her attention where he wanted it. “If I can’t be a servant, I’ll be a caregiver too.” he asserts. “I can take care of you.” the hum in his deep voice moved from his chest to hers. What came to her mind first oddly enough, was that she shouldn’t have lit the romance incense. The way he sounded heartfelt, the smoothness of his tone to how his lips moved when he said it affected her. She tried to hide it, she knew he was playing, being the character he always was with her like this. But hearing someone say those words hit Star hard. All she outwardly gave away was a fluttering of lashes and a sudden rise in her chest. “How about we take care of each other?” his voice quieted, a whisper as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. He felt her melt in his hold, shoulders unclenching at the contact. Her eyes shut with a gentle exhale. “That sound good, sweetheart? Or am I still calling you a goddess?” it made her smile, lessening her anxiety over emotion and bringing her back into her body that was already responding to him being close.

“Call me whatever you want, Eddie.” she sighed, turning her head to give him her neck openly. “I don’t wanna wait either.” she confessed with a hushed tone. He seized the opportunity and planted his lips on her neck in the next heartbeat. The feeling of his fingers sinking into her body as he sandwiched her between him and the counter was all the reassurance she needed that he felt the same. His lips working away hurriedly at her neck now was simply a bonus. With no grace, he clumsily yanked up her sweater to find she had nothing on underneath. He clamored as his hands met the cold soft parts of her only he got to touch. The thought drove him a bit mad. “Here.” She moaned unintentionally, her fingers popping hidden buttons she’d sewn along the front of the now, thick cardigan.

“Ugh, Star, fuck.” Tumbled out of his mouth as he wrapped his arms around her naked body. He rubbed his face along her collar bones much like a cat, feeling the freshly washed softness against the sensitive skin of his face. An outpouring of kisses quickly followed, little pants and sounds escaping him as he forgot to act like a cool, in-charge guy and openly swooned over her. She allowed her body to relax, her hands on the countertop to hold herself up with her head hung back. He touched her like he’d forgotten how, all rambling and fumbling hands. When his mouth inevitably found its way to her nipple, she was instantly reminded that he did remember how to touch her. His hands were tight on the indent of her waist, holding her like she might float away. He groaned, an open mouth with his plush tongue to her sucked sensitive nipple. “Fuck I missed you.” his moan muted as he closed his mouth around her again. With his eyes shut tight, he didn’t see Star’s head knock forward to look down at him with bewildered eyes. Blissfully unaware of the consequences she was feeling from his words, he continued nursing away, lost in meeting his own needs for a moment. He missed her? Not ‘this’. Not ‘it’. But her? Surely he meant the sex. She moaned as he bit down against her. The pain made her eyes roll back and her hips shift.

“I-” she began her breath picking up and heart racing for multiple reasons. “I missed you too.” her heart had a knife to her brain, demanding it return the sentiment. She had missed the sex. Desperately. And sure, it was about the sex, her body, and its annoying high drive. But was that entirely true? She wasn’t given much time to have a crisis as Eddie popped away from her chest and finally, exhaustively kissed her.

From that point of contact, Star, the -unknowingly to her- romantic fell victim to her heart’s threats and let herself feel good. Her back pressed into the edge of the counter as she gave up on holding herself up and demanding skin-to-skin contact with her painted nails. In his hair she went, a mix of damp and fuzzy, smelling like her shampoo. She held his face, his hands fast to her hip and thigh, pulling her leg up around him. They clawed at one another, hands from head to ass frantically feeling what they’d missed. She whimpered, one rough tug of his sweater and he skinned it off of his body in the next breath. The moan she released when she felt his skin hot against her was worth the split second of broken contact. He wanted to touch and taste and feel and immerse himself in her first, but the throb in both of their lower extremities demanded attention sooner than later. His hand finally cupped the downy softness between her legs. His fingertip, barely to the first joint ran down the delicate column of her clit and found her wet. She whined at the barely there caress, her hips stuttering. He whimpered as she pulled away, but an indulgent sound was quick to follow as she turned, her hands on the countertop after pushing the ingredients of their snack away. She pulled up the back of her sweater and arched back at him, the heat coming from her as she pushed flat against him felt like fire.

“I don’t want to wait.” she gulped, tucking her fallen hair behind her ears so she could look back at him. “I need it too bad.” she admitted with doe eyes and kiss swollen lips, pouted in a plea for him. He wrenched the flannel boxers off so fast she barely saw him move. His hand was wrapped around his hard cock already, vehemently stroking away.

“Tell me you want it.” he panted out, eyes yearning.

“I want it.” she gave a coy smile. “You miss me talking dirty?” she paused and raised her leg, outstretched to display herself, resting her foot on the counter for support. His blown-out eyes and slack jaw were her answer. “I’ve been waiting for you to fuck me all night Eddie.” The sound of his name from her mouth made him so inept around her every time he heard it. He roughly tugged at himself, now running his tender, swollen head into the slickness of her. “I want you so bad. Don’t tease me.” she shook her head, looking away to brace herself on her arms. He didn’t make her wait. He broke through the surface tension, feeling a pop when he slid inside her. He heard the thump of her hand on the countertop. “Shit.” she yelped. “It’s fine! It’s good. It’s great.” she said quickly so he wouldn’t stop. “I’ve had nothing but my fingers for weeks, and you’re so big,” she explained in a light, strained voice. His hips involuntarily bucked at her praise, sinking him in farther and she gasped. “Slow, Eddie. Fuck I don’t remember you being this big.” she groaned. He held her hips and gave her what she asked, a torturously slow entry on his end, especially with the way she squeezed around him anytime it felt good. The pressure combined with the way she moaned made him want to cum already. She finally felt that push of fullness, the bump at the end that told her he had her stretched out. The warmth from his body against hers again made her posture slip, her head falling as she took a deep breath. “There he is.” she smiled. “That’s a good boy.” she sighed contently. Only a few thrusts had her keening. He stayed quiet, focused, watching the weight of her ass bounce against him.

“Feel better now, beautiful?” he asked, leaning forward.

“Ohmygod that’s good, yes.” she nodded and clencher her teeth. She raised herself, arms strained on the counter, trying to lock her elbows. The little quick moans as he thrust inside her had already started, he knew she wasn’t lying about wanting it as bad as he had.

“I”m so god damned hard because of you,” he grunted, leaning forward to speak into her ear, the waft of oils gracing his nose again. “You looked so good tonight,” he whined. She shuddered and reached back for him, her hand finding the back of his neck. It pulled him forward, his mouth finding her neck and noisily sucking. He nosed to her jaw, settling by her ear where she cried out the moment he let himself moan into it. His hands moved to her hip bone and under her thigh to help hold the weight of her leg. He held her bruisingly tight, his pace picked up, and her approval was loud in the form of her calling out his name. A quick snap started, skin-to-skin slapping and punctuation of each graze of her g spot. “Touch yourself for me.” His voice was still gentle but held authority in the command. “I’m not lasting long in this goddess pussy.” he confided with wet lips against her ear. An adorable squeal left her, he saw her cheeks rise from a smile as he leaned forward to kiss the almost dimple that appeared. She could feel his laugh before she heard it against the flushed skin of her face. He felt her hand struggling with a whimper before he splayed a hand to her chest, forgoing her leg support. He kept his pounding chest against her back, steadying her. Her cry when her fingers found her clit was his thanks. He slowed his pace, trying to hold out, to make her cum first. But she started moving her hips on her own against him.

“Don’t stop.” she begged, her voice cracking.

“I’m trying not to cum!” he blurted out quickly, letting out a rather light-hearted laugh and she couldn’t help but do the same at his honesty.

“Fuck me through it, Eddie, I’m close.” she turned her head as far to the side as she could to see him. They met eyes and she nodded enthusiastically. “Fuck me hard and I’ll cum quick. I’m close.” she reassured him with a sweet voice he shuddered at the sound of. He readjusted his grip, a grimace to his lips as he pounded back into her. “Yessss.” she had a wild, wide smile, biting her lip and humming. “It’s so good.” a deeper wanton moan escaped, her fingers furious against her clit. He knew she wasn’t lying about being close.

“Fuck.. Star…” he whined out a warning.

“You gonna cum, puppy?” she cooed and he cried out unexpectedly at the appearance of the pet name. His hand on her chest, feeling the thud of her heart against his palm moved to feel her pulse against his fingertips as he slid to hold her neck. He didn’t squeeze or choke, but held her steady as he groaned into her ear, his tongue falling out and lapping away at the shell.

“S’close.” he whimpered, his voice running hills and valleys in deepness and pitch. He was grunting like an animal one breath and the next calling out lightly and helplessly.

“I'm so fucking close, Eddie. Cum for me. Just keep pounding my pussy like this and I’ll cum with you. C’mon.” she urged him, feeling his pace faltering. He couldn’t handle her talking like that in his state. He came, and hard. Weeks' worth of pent-up energy was released in long moans and cries into her hair and shoulder. She held his hair tight, holding him close and praising him. “Fuck I feel you.” she mewled. “You’re so big, Eddie, puppy, please.” she started to shake as he shouted into her shoulder, his cock feeling every indentation of her insides clench around him in its overstimulated state. “Keep fucking me. I need to cum so fuckin bad.” it slipped out from clenched teeth as she started the rolling journey of her orgasm. Her fingers thrummed herself, yipping a “Yes!” with every hit inside her. Eddie felt himself drain out of her as she clenched around him. His brow was low, face buried in her shoulder, almost feminine moans as she held his body hostage with hers. He felt the tell-tell sign of her descending, her shoulders losing their tension as her weight settled back against him. Her hands shook, grabbing ahold of his forearms as he wrapped them around her, her leg shaking off the countertop. She mewled and he kissed her cheek through her aftershocks. She sounded so small and helpless in comparison to the goddess demanding he fuck her just moments ago. From hellcat to kitten in less than 30 seconds. “Oh fuck.” she gasped, breaking the surface of the brain fog. “I needed that so fucking bad.” she leaned against him, his mouth doting over her, into her hair, and onto her nape.

“So did I.” he nodded in agreement.

“If I’ve been a bitch I’m sorry,” she said earnestly. It caught Eddie off guard and he laughed with his chest, turning his head so he didn’t deafen her. “What?” she returned the bright smile, her body now fully relaxed. “When I don’t get all this pent-up energy out I get bitchy. You know that.”

“You’ve not been bitchy, sweetheart.” he noisily kissed her cheek with force. “Can you stand on your own?”

“You got somewhere to be?” she giggled, tightening her grip on his hands on her body.

“Just checking on you.” One hand was released as a hostage, used to turn her face to his and be kissed softly. “I made a mess,” he grumbled, grabbing a washcloth and leaning to run it under the tap. “Here.” She gasped at the cold at first, then a flush of heat to her face as he wiped up her legs where the combination of their efforts was running out of her. He was so gentle, lifting the weight of a cheek to clean her up. Star, swimming in oxytocin, the bastard known as the love hormone pushed back a sudden appearance of tears hot in her eyes. No one had ever cared to do that for her before. “Better?” he asked, tossing it into the hamper.

She nodded, afraid her voice might give her away if she tried to speak on it.

“I’m gonna-” she began to turn, managing that much as he slinked out of her way to the bathroom.

She pushed it down, as she did. Refusing to admit that what had happened had felt different.

With a calm air between them, they ate, and he teased her for her choice of music to play. He threatened her that if she told anyone he had sex while Fleetwood Mac was on he’d toss her in the quarry. She promised she’d never tell. She was never that strong of a swimmer anyway.

With full bellies and hearts that were much the same despite their brain's anger about the situation, they snuggled into Star’s small but plush bed. It was the usual tease and enthusiastic insistence that what they were talking about was important and demanding the other stop yawning. It didn’t matter if the complainee yawned while telling the other not to yawn, that was beside the point. The last sounds they emit are first, hushed laughter. Then, a content sigh against the other's skin as they crawled into each other as best they could. They snuggled under the layers of crochet on top of them, with barely a stitch on between them. Who needed clothes when you had someone to keep you warm, anyway?

Part 12

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falconcoast · 2 years

Text

thin ice | childe x reader | twenty-one.

twenty-one. you

masterlist

today is the big day for childe and the team: the national championship. but, you’re still pretty pissed at childe for what he did the week before. will it get in the way of securing the national championship?

a/n: hello thin ice folks !! sorry for such a delay, but this chapter is extra long, just for you !! i thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter. this chapter was one i always imagined from the start of thin ice, and it was originally supposed to be the conclusion ! but i still have some tricks (angst) up my sleeve, so don’t think thin ice is over just yet :D as always, i hope you guys enjoy this chapter, i’m not gonna lie, i shed a tear or two writing this :) my inbox is always open!

warnings; none i believe? emotional scenes. hockey mansplaining

you were pissed off.

it was a rarity for you to storm the front doors of the arena. you didn’t even greet katheryne a good morning. with a steeled jaw, you slammed the door to the arena backroom.

xiao immediately got out of the way, noticing the grumbled expression on your face. diluc almost seemed panicked as you passed by, hastily shoving his gross, green pre-workout shake into the fridge. chongyun got smacked in the face with a ball as you passed the windows by the personal gym from staring at you. and kaeya stumbled on his skates, hugging the wall as you barreled by.

your head swarmed with thoughts of saturday night. the way that childe wasn’t there to watch you skate, your argument, and the shameful tears you cried long after you had finished fighting. you clawed at your face, sighing deeply. why did things have to be like this?

as you mumbled into your palms, you crashed into one of the figures that you most definitely didn’t want to see. looking up, you put on the most neutral expression you could muster.

“morning, coach,” you smiled shakily, crossing your arms. “big day today, huh? what can i help with?”

“now, now, what’s gotten into you?” coach zhongli said, propping his hands on his hips. “i’ve never seen you so mad.”

“me? mad? never,” you lied through your teeth, smiling. “coach. i’m fine. now, if you’ll excuse me, i’ll be setting up some things with the arena crew.”

taking a deep breath, you side-stepped him and slapped open the arena door. there were things bigger than childe that you needed to deal with right now.

the national championship was underway tonight. the arena, although it was technically closed to the public, was full of people swarming by the glass doors of the arena. a lone helicopter swooped back and forth beyond the large, panoramic window. as you skated on the ice, gently dropping off the nets as you went about, you stared up at each of the individuals. the air was already tense, and nothing had even happened yet.

walking off the ice, you were quick to take off your skates. as you loosened the laces, you heard the arena door briefly open. xingqiu peered over, raising an eyebrow. “ah, there you are,” he said, smiling over at you. “thought i might find you around here. coach wants you to be in the backrooms.”

“i’m going, i’m going,” you mumbled, leaving your loosened skates on the bench. whistling loudly, you motioned for the crew to do a final check on the arena.

opening the backroom door, you watched as xingqiu shuffled in with the rest of the team. coach zhongli had them straight as a pin, like an elementary teacher: straight backs, arms to their sides, and silent. the main six were in front, with your beloathed captain standing tall up front.

your heart nearly stopped when he looked at you with blank, dead eyes. it was like the color in his eyes had been drained, leaving a void of beryl blue. his jaw was ground tight, biting the corner of his lip to suppress the need to bark an insult at you. you crossed your arms and walked right past him.

“what’s the occasion?” you asked.

“the opposing team is here,” coach replied. gently taking you by the shoulders, you got placed in front of the line. you, too, bit your lip tightly to stop an insult from coming out of your mouth. “you’ll lead them out there. coach ningguang is out there already, keeping the paparazzi busy. they’re probably going to pull childe back and forth for an interview, but you keep him in line, you hear?”

closing your eyes for a moment, you calmed all of the nerves inside of yourself. “i understand,” you replied blankly. “let’s head out, everyone. coach, i’m assuming you’re taking the back.”

bursting open the door, you haphazardly shed your tracksuit jacket and tossed it on a bench. smoothing down over your tank top and sweats, you motioned for the team to head out. striding forward, you hastily escorted your team to the front of the building. the security team stood diligent as you passed by, holding back the sea of fans.

the front doors opened themselves and you weren’t surprised to see even more fans. the first breath of spring air nipped your shoulders, but you brushed it off. coach ningguang turned to face you at the edge of the sidewalk, waving a hand. she was dressed classily, wearing a white button-down and pants that were a shade of gold. cameras, microphones, and chatter were everywhere. briefly looking back, the team didn’t falter, most likely because of coach’s death stare.

“afternoon, coach ningguang,” you stated as you turned to face her, the rest of the team doing the same. “this seems much different from every other time we’ve had to come out and greet the other team.”

“it’s a sacred tradition for the hockey folks,” she shrugged as she looked at the empty, arched road in front of the arena. “at a national championship game, there’s hardly any time to go and shake hands with the other team after a game. there's interviewers, screaming, and someone is running in with a shiny trophy to give to the captain. it’s essentially our show of sportsmanship.”

coach zhongli joined you and coach ningguang up front, smoothing down his suit coat. he watched with a plain expression as a slick, black bus rolled up front. snapping his fingers, the rest of the team got in line. your eyes widened with surprise as you read the flashy silver logo: abyss university.

“admittedly, i had hoped that we wouldn’t have to face the abyss in our final round,” coach zhongli sighed next to you, crossing his arms. “they’re our toughest opponent. and that wildcard freshman--aether, was it?--is as dangerous as when we last met him.”

the crowd swelled with a unifying cry as the front doors of the bus opened. a tall man with blond hair stepped out first, adjusting the cufflinks of his suit. he had crisp blue eyes, the color of a summer sky. players filed out in front of the bus, standing adjacent to your team’s line.

“ah, mr. zhongli,” the blond man greeted, firmly shaking his hand. the abyss’ coach, you assumed. “pleasure to see you after all season. let’s see if my team will break your three-year national championship streak.”

“you underestimate my team,” coach zhongli answered with a strained smile. “i believe i’ll solidify my spot in the hall of fame after this.”

“hey, you’re y/n, right?” a pleasant voice greeted happily. turning to face forward again, you locked eyes with a short girl with golden hair. she wore a black letterman jacket with white stripes. “nice to meet another hockey manager my age. i’m lumine.”

you were quick to shake her hand, not sensing any negative intentions from her. “nice to meet you too, lumine. how’d you get into the hockey business?”

“my brother,” she replied sheepishly, scratching the back of her neck. “we both got into abyss university, but he committed as a hockey player. i just tagged along.”

“oh, that’s great! who’s your brother?”

a small figure passed by, long, blond hair whipping in the air. you noticed the sound of the crowd got louder as the rest of the team members folded into the line. you watched as a delicate hand removed their headphones from their head. the head of blond hair shook away stray hairs and locked eyes with lumine. proudly placing her fists on her hips, she smiled at you. “my brother is aether. he got called the “prince” by the press. he’s pretty good, i think!”

pretty good? pretty good?! this aether kid was one you had been warned about by coach since the first time you met him. you always heard childe swear under his breath when he showed up in post-game interviews and switched channels. but, as he slid to the side of his sister, he looked as gentle as the spring breeze.

“oh, nice to meet you again. tartaglia, was it?” he shook hands amiably with a soft voice.

“yes. it’s nice to see you again, aether,” the captain smiled with a strained grin.

��aw, it’s great to see them get along. you know, aether’s got into a few scuffles with other captains, but he seems to get along with tartaglia.”

as you let go of her hand, you looked over with slight concern. if either one enabled the other, you’re sure that this show of sportsmanship would end with a fist fight.

“yeah, they sure do!” you cheerfully fake-laughed.

the abyss team abruptly turned and made their way to the front entrance. lumine’s brother whipped around quickly, golden eyes locking with your own very briefly. the rest of the team straightened out to face coach zhongli. he nodded at coach ningguang and led the rest of the team inside.

as usual, most of the questions were for childe. his face was set like stone: apathetic and cold. even among flashing lights, he didn’t even move to acknowledge the paparazzi.

“how do you feel about tonight?”

“what are your thoughts on aether, the abyss’ wildcard?”

“are you and your manager over there dating?”

he froze at the question. immediately sensing his panic, you gave him a slight nudge forward. childe walked in front of you, and coach diverted attention away from any thoughts about your relationship.

striding past the crowds and into the backrooms, you found yourself pursing your lips. what were you and childe?

five hours before the game began, coach approached you. dragged behind him was childe, who remained pouty in his golden and white teyvat university hoodie. “what do you want?” you scowled at him.

“as if i know! coach just dragged me off the ice and back here!” he whisper-screamed. you turned your face from him, not wanting to hear out whatever he wanted to say. you still weren’t ready to forgive him for what he did on saturday, no matter how petty it was.

“really, if there was a day where the two of you needed to get along, it would be today,” coach grumbled, making you revert into a neutral stance. “anyways, i have an errand for you two to run.”

“what do you mean ‘two’? thought i was made a manager for a reason, coach,” you coldly remarked. childe scoffed at your lackluster comments, but there was a small bite of sadness in it.

“actually,” another voice piped up. the freshmen were decked out in freshly washed jerseys, helmets tucked under their arms. xingqiu smiled, blissfully unaware of the situation at hand. “we were hoping you could run and get boba for us.”

chongyun shyly looked up with doe-like eyes and pleading lips. “and as our graduating seniors at their last game, we thought it would be cool if you guys got us some boba for us,” he said, poking his fingers together.

“fuck, he’s really good at persuading,” you sighed, dragging a hand down your face. “fine. fine! i’ll go get you boba drinks. but can someone please explain why childe has to come with me? i’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“and if all the seniors have to come, why isn’t diluc going with us?” childe piped up, to which you gritted your teeth.

“because he’s practicing with kaeya and xiao as the center,” coach zhongli said, making you instantly turn around. the air around the hallway dropped at least ten degrees, sweat trickling down your hands. your back felt prickly, and you aren’t even in trouble! chongyun cowered behind xingqiu, one eye peeking out behind the player’s lounge doorway.

“you’re joking,” childe spat out, exasperated. “you cannot make diluc the center tonight. he’s always been at his best when he’s the left-wing. i know thi--actually, you know this!”

“i’m not afraid to put him as our center if you continue doing what you’re doing right now. analyze yourself. are you really going to be caught up in personal problems that will inevitably end up affecting your performance on the ice tonight?” he countered. he tossed his ponytail over his shoulder, turning around. “you heard the freshies. boba. stat. and if i see that you don’t come back changed, you’ll be sitting on the bench.”

“ruthless,” you lowly whistled after coach slammed the door shut. quickly, you were yanked by the scruff of your neck by childe. “hey, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“we’re getting some damn boba,” he stated with finality.

the ride to the liyue district was silent, save for the strange finance bros podcast childe was insistent on playing. you rolled your eyes, instead choosing to focus on the weather outside. thick, heavy clouds rolled through the sky. you heard the brief crashes of thunder in steady intervals. you nearly rolled your eyes as you watched flashes of cars pass by; a simple boba run for a drink shop only fifteen minutes away was not a two-person job.

after exiting off the freeway, childe drove a few minutes more. the liyue district of teyvat city was fairly similar to what the actual liyue harbor looked like, according to xiao. many signs were written in liyuean script. the street lamps advertised for the local hockey team were brandished with coach zhongli’s image and name. there were various restaurants you passed by, some showing off your favorite matsutake meat rolls.

as you pulled in front of the boba shop, you watched as he parallel parked with a lithe hand. reaching for your seatbelt, your hand was covered by childe’s warm one. “i’ll do it,” he said plainly, before opening the door and walking away. you hit the lock button after he left. small droplets of water hit the windshield, pattering in a steady rhythm.

unlocking your seatbelt, you curled up into the leather seats of the car, leaning your head against the window. being stuck with your frenemy felt like the plot of a cheesy kids’ film. flashbacks of what happened last saturday repeated in your mind. you knew that it was inefficient to give one another cold shoulder, and coach was correct in that it would affect both of your performances if you didn’t get your acts together.

even still, you held onto every bit of anger you could. you knew that, deep down, you weren’t actually as mad at him as you thought you were. the icy feeling of betrayal ran deep through your veins. in your eyes, it was truly the bare minimum to show up to one of the biggest skates of your life when you had gone to every single one of his.

sitting up a little straighter, you hit your head against the window again. at least, for better or for worse, tonight was the last night that you had to be a manager. after this, it was your final exams, and then you would be done with college forever. you’d go skate for coach jean again. you’d finally tighten all those loose ends. and after you retired, maybe you would become like her and become a mondstadt arena coach yourself. and you’d do everything that twelve-year-old you always wanted to do. but now that you thought about it, it felt hollow. lonely, even. relaxing your legs down, you tried to see a future without childe.

it turned out there was no such thing as a future without childe. at least, not in your imagination.

in your daydreams about what was to come, he was always there. he was always standing and clapping after you practiced with coach jean. he was smiling with you and diluc as the hockey team celebrated your graduation. he was running up to you with his golden-retriever-like smile after you won another olympic medal. he was escorting you to morning flights at ungodly hours. he was embracing you up in his arms after he took home another cup win.

he was kissing you on the cheek as you washed dishes in your shared home.

snapping up, you stared at your palms with widened eyes and a slackened jaw. did you, who swore on childe’s demise a week ago, just think that? did you really just imagine a domestic scenario with one of the players who made your job hell and a half? fuck. fuck! why the hell did you just imagine that?!

the rain was louder and more consistent now, dotting the windshield and sliding down in round shapes. “disgusting,” you said aloud, trying to shake away any other thoughts.

you always saw childe as a menace. before becoming a manager, he was some dude who forgot to pick up after himself when you tried to get in some skate time. as a manager, you discovered he was a goofy, well-meaning but chaotic, captain of your team. even now, as someone who prayed for his downfall last week, you still considered him your friend. someone who had become a close confidant and companion.

you tried to determine what you felt of childe now. he was stupid and immature at times, but when it didn’t come to major events, you almost found it endearing. the ginger was the one who seamlessly welcomed you into the team with open arms and flashcards, and you were grateful for it. the line between coworkers, friends, and lovers was especially blurry.

lovers, you repeated to yourself, over and over again. each syllable fell off your tongue with smoothness. groaning, you kicked your feet out. you felt like a high schooler losing your mind over a silly crush. shaking your head again, you denied it again. your relationship was platonic. nothing more, nothing less.

thunder crackled nearby as if to make fun of your romance dilemma. it was soaking out there now. the wind made the store signs wave wildly. water ran down the windshield like it was purposefully getting soaked. curling up again, you sighed. you still cared for childe while you were mad and hoped he would come back soon. after all, it was inconvenient for the star player to get sick with the cold right before finals.

as if on cue childe knocked on the door window. you could only identify him with his peach-colored hair, as the rain made his figure incomprehensible. unlocking the car, you stared at his soaked hoodie and boba carrier in hand. you took the drinks off of him, placing them in your lap. counting, you nodded and saw everyone’s drinks there.

quickly, he took off his wet hoodie and threw it in the back seat. shaking his head, you winced as his wet hair dotted the car in small drops. he got in, slamming the door shut in the process. you both sat in silence, watching water run down the front of the car. you stared down at the shiny, smiling logo of the boba shop, trying to ignore him.

“i--” childe began before his voice trailed off. “i wanted to say sorry, again.”

there was a beat of silence. it was between getting out of the car and standing in the rain and not making it to the final game or hearing childe out. you chose the latter.

“it’s not fair that i left you hanging last saturday,” he started up again. “you’ve always been my biggest supporter. i still can’t believe that i chose a party over watching you skate. you know, in snezhnaya, there’s a saying that if you promise something and you break it, you get thrown on the ice.”

you dryly laughed, looking over at him briefly. he choked out a little laugh too, but he was on the verge of tears too.

“i think i deserve to get dunked in the ice too. i should’ve been there for the thing that makes you happiest,” he confessed. “i know i can’t change what’s already happened, but i can make sure it never happens again.”

“what are you getting at?”

he took your hands. they were still slightly damp from the rain but intertwined with your own nonetheless. “i’m going to be there for you as much as i can. and i don’t just mean your practices with coach jean. i mean your big tournaments, or if you decide to go to med school after retiring or something, or if you want to coach after you step back. my future is your future. i want to be in this together.”

“childe,” you whispered, but he shook his head. tears fell from his eyes earnestly and his lower lip trembled.

“i don’t--i don’t want to lose the person i care about most because i did something stupid,” he choked out. “i’m sorry. i really am.”

you took him into your arms immediately, gently rubbing his back. a few stray hiccups came from his throat as you combed through his hair with your fingers. you leaned your cheek against his cheek, feeling the warmth of his face.

“i have to admit, what you did was a real dick move,” you conceded. “and you’re right, there is going in the past and fixing it. but, i don’t want to lose you either. you mean too much to me. you always have.” pulling back, you wiped the tears from his eyes with a soft smile. he grinned back, weepy and dull eyes turning bright again.

there was a pause and the air in the car changed. as you continued looking at childe, your eyes flickered to and from his lips. he was close, so close that you could still feel the pulse on his wrist. he somehow looked more handsome now that his hair was soaked from the rain. your stomach felt like it had been flipped upside down.

you both leaned in closer, hands still holding one another. nervously, you searched your eyes to see if you were having the same thoughts that childe was. it felt like an eternity that you stared at each other, going back and forth on the idea of altering your relationship forever.

the cheery chime of an incoming call made the both of you jump up and pull away instantly. you fumbled with pulling your phone out of your pocket, hastily swiping to answer the call. pressing the speaker phone icon, coach’s voice echoed in the car.

“did you get the boba already?” he asked. “it’s been nearly an hour, but this rain is really starting to get heavy.”

“yeah, um, sorry, coach,” you apologized hastily. “we just got the boba. we’ll be heading back to the arena now. we would’ve gotten back sooner if childe didn’t get soaked in the rain.”

“i was running as quickly as i could! you know how xiao gets if there’s even a drop of his precious drink spilled,” childe whined.

“haha, glad to hear that you got the boba,” coach chuckled. “now, head back to the arena, would you? parking is already difficult to find.”

you felt somewhat hollow when childe’s hands left your own.

as you entered the arena backrooms with bright smiles, kaeya deadpanned at you two. “i don’t understand you two. one minute you’re at each other’s throats like ‘oh, childe! i hate your guts!’, and the next you’re all snuggled up like ‘y/n, i love you!’” he lamented, crossing his arms over his jersey. “you two are confusing as hell.”

“yeah, but we got your boba,” you countered, handing him over his winter melon boba tea. happily, he took it without question.

the rest of the afternoon was spent mostly away from childe. you did a sound and light check with the arena crew first. next, you were responsible for filling up water bottles in the player’s lounge. finally, you were tasked with escorting the VIPs to their seats.

opening the backdoor rooms, you were pleased to see that two of your guests were already there. “it’s nice to see you again, ganyu!” you greeted her. she wore a simple sweatshirt that was gold and white; the colors of the university. turning to the other figure, you were surprised to not recognize them at first. trying to think of who else could have snow-white hair and a cold gaze, you perked up. “would you happen to be coach shenhe? one of the junior league skating coaches?”

“that i am,” she replied. crossing her arms, you noted the little logo on her black vest. holding up her vip pass, she curtly nodded behind you. “chongyun is my nephew. since his family couldn’t make it in time, i’m going on their behalf.”

“and as always, i’m here to support my dad and xiao!” ganyu cheerfully chirped.

you walked through the backrooms, watching as their respective players chatted it up in the personal gym. inside the actual arena, you escorted them to a set of seats near the penalty box.

you repeated the process with the rest of the guests. a girl with long, brown ponytails flashed you her pass and said she was here for chongyun and xingqiu. another girl followed shortly after in her pretzel-like hair, echoing the other girl’s intent. the great mr. ragnvindr greeted you amiably, shaking your hand firmly and openly embracing coach zhongli. they reminisced on their experience as college champions on a night like tonight. and finally, barbara was still in her scrubs when she met up with you, asking how the team had been doing.

as you opened the doors for the final time, you were tackled to the floor. “teucer!” you exclaimed, hugging him back with equal fervor.

childe’s father wrangled him off with a heavy tug, much to the little boy’s discontent. “teucer,” he scolded, ruffling his hair and tucking him under his arm like a football.

getting off of the floor, you greeted childe’s parents. “hi again, mr. and mrs. childe’s parents,” you rushed out. looking at the children, you beamed even more. “and hello to you too, anton, tonia, and teucer.”

“sorry about our delay. it’s difficult to navigate an airport with three children under the age of ten,” childe’s mother sheepishly apologized.

you shook your head with a smile. “it’s not a problem at all. i just seated the rest of the team’s loved ones. you’re just on time.”

they all wore matching jerseys with the tartaglia label and bright 11 number. you admired their dedication to their superstar son and his hockey career. they watched him bloom into one of the fiercest hockey players in the country. and tonight, they would have the chance to see him win yet again.

after you had gotten childe’s family to their seats, you watched as the arena flooded to life. people flocked down the stairs, wearing either black and white or white and gold. the pa system flickered on, showing the pearly-toothed and slicked-haired overhead announcers. and outside, the sky was clearing up from the rain.

as you whistled for the zamboni to do another sweep on the ice, you paused and stared at the umpteen banners hanging on the ceiling. gold banners depicted national champions and the year they won.

tonight was the night where you’d add another flag to the collection.

as the heavy pop music blasted through the overhead system outside, there was dead silence outside of the locker room. the team was lined up by the trophy case. champions from decades ago stared at the new generation of the teyvat stars in photos. stacks of medals and trophies eagerly awaited their newest arrival.

the team was dressed in their cleanest jerseys, helmets that were so polished they shined like new, and skates that were razor sharp. coach zhongli was dressed for the part as well, wearing a black suit with a golden tie and white dress shirt. his hair was pulled up into a slick ponytail. coach ningguang wore a white and gold suit and skirt, with three-inch high skates. looking in the reflection of the mirror, you were dressed the part as well. you traded your usual sweatpants and sweatshirt for a nice blouse and white pants.

“you all are fully capable of winning tonight. it’s not you against the abyss. it’s not you against your arch-rival on the other team. it’s you against yourself,” coach zhongli began, rocking on his heels and putting his hands behind his back. “the only thing standing in the way between you and that national championship is yourself. i know that you are the finest, well-oiled machine team in all of the world.”

he continued, voice solemn. “no matter what happens tonight, just know that i’m forever proud of you,” coach zhongli reaffirmed. looking over to the captain himself, he smiled. “now, would you like to give your speech, childe?”

the bright-eyed boy stepped out of line, bouncing in his skates. his hockey stick hit the floor twice as you looked over. you gave him a quick nod, and he began.

“as a senior who’s been playing for the stars for four years, it’s surreal to end up at the national championship again,” he started. “never in my wildest dreams did i think i would also find my hockey team to be my family. as coach said, no matter what happens, i’m extremely proud of you all. i couldn’t have done it without you guys.”

“tonight is the night to put it all out on the line,” he continued. “i know we all want this more than anything. so, let’s go out there and get it, yeah?”

the sound of two dozen men incoherently yelling filled the air. smiling, you opened the door for the team as they waddled out. looking at coach zhongli, he only looked down at you with a neutral expression. “this is it. the last game,” he said solemnly.

in the darkened arena, spotlights swept over the crowds of people. there were tens of thousands of fans in the seats, watching the pa system with hushed whispers. coach ningguang strode forward to the entrance of the rink before setting foot on the ice. one of the tech crew members handed her a microphone.

“ladies and gentlemen, the master of ceremonies for tonight’s game is the general manager of the teyvat university rink, mrs. ningguang!” the announcer cried, to the abrupt applause of the crowd.

her elegant figure skated forward, waving a hand to the audience. a brief cry of “that’s my wife!” from coach beidou broke the silence, making her chuckle softly.

“good evening, and welcome one and all to the teyvat university arena,” she stated. “it is an honor to be your host for this year’s championship. now, let me introduce you to our competing teams tonight.”

a hush settled over the audience as the spotlight appeared over that other manager’s brother--aether, was it?--and gave him a dewy glow against his pure black jersey. raising a hand high, he skated forward from the other end of the ice rink, followed by the rest of the team. “from the other side of the continent, please welcome our visiting team: the abyss mages!”

cheers erupted from one side of the arena, while the other politely clapped. they swarmed like a hive, taking over the left side of the arena. aether stood with his helmet tucked under his arm, looking up at coach ningguang. she amiably greeted him.

turning to the right, she grinned up at him. “and of course, your host team tonight is the teyvat stars! give it up for our reigning champions!”

a deafening cry burst from your side of the arena. in the dark, a light swept onto childe’s face. briefly, he winked at you before racing out. you crossed your arms with a smile, chuckling into the palm of your hand.

the hockey game of all hockey games shortly began after a coin flip. the abyss won the toss, and the puck was in their possession. by the bench, you stood by coach zhongli. you couldn’t help but fiddle with your fingers, nervous on behalf of the group.

you watched as the referee threw the puck up in the air. in the split second, it was in the air, you watched as childe’s eyes narrowed sharply under the helmet. aether was quicker, stealing the puck away from the stars’ in an instant.

the little black disc was tossed around on the ice. both sides whizzed by, rustling your dress shirt and fumbling at coach zhongli’s hair. xingqiu chucked away some of the defensemen, only to check shoved back down. chongyun helped him up, affectionately knocking their helmets together in support.

looping around the corners of the rink, the lithe abyss captain took back the puck again. guarding the puck with his stick, he hastily made his way to the other side of the rink. in the blink of an eye, the goal board lamp lit up in favor of the abyss.

cooler than ever, coach clapped his hands. “bring it back, boys!”

the first third of the game continued with a downward trend. at first, the stars were evenly matched with the mages. diluc and kaeya assisted one another to tie up the score, much to their father’s delight. but by the time the third ended, the abyss racked up another point.

the whistle blew for intermission, and both teams headed out to their end of the ice. walking behind coach zhongli, you tossed each water bottle to their respective player. he lead them into the locker rooms, quick to shut the door on paparazzi.

“down one,” coach zhongli announced as everyone sat on the locker room benches. “but for us, that’s normal. even the best team in the country has its faults.”

you spoke up, looking into the eyes of each member of the team. “but that’s no reason to start giving up yet. we’ve gone to games where we’ll be up by five points. one point is nothing to us. all it takes is a little re-calibration.”

coach zhongli pushed one of the whiteboards from the player’s lounge into the locker room. biting the marker, he turned the board around and swiftly began drawing. “to compensate for the abyss’ speed, we have to change our rhythm to compete with theirs,” he started, outlining a mini rink. “to do that, we’ll use a couple of strategies. xingqiu and chongyun, when you notice that the other team is going for a point, your job is to completely shut them down by surrounding the person in possession of the puck. kaeya and diluc, keep yourselves open so that when it comes time for a turnover, you can break away to the other side of the rink quickly.”

looking at his clipboard, he noted some improvements that each player could make. after glancing at his watch, he clapped his hands. “let’s get out there again, yeah? tie it up by the end of the next third.”

the team walked out in clumps, discussing the previous third. as the rest of the team got escorted out, childe was last to leave the locker room. noticing his sullen look, you stood in front of him. “everything okay, captain?”

“yeah, no, everything’s fine,” he said, shaking his head. as he opened the door and put on his helmet, he stared at you. his mouth briefly opened to say something, but it abruptly shut. he strode off with the rest of the team as if nothing had happened.

as you watched from the bench, you were nervous on his behalf. childe was a loudmouth, but it was usually when he was winning. now that the team was down a point, you could see his persona falter. he shook out his arms, before crouching and getting in position again.

the second third was intense yet again. more often than not, both teams were at a stalemate. the abyss scored yet another point, but the stars’ tied it up. the first point was scored by childe, who, in signature childe-like fashion, howled on his knees in celebration. the second was through an assist from xingqiu to kaeya, who managed to get the puck so airborne it whizzed past the goalie’s shoulders. xiao was cutting it close as well; sometimes, the puck would be nearly in the goal zone when he stopped it with his mittens.

by the end of the third, nothing had changed. the score was 3-3, leaving everyone on the edge of their seats. you could see it on everyone’s faces that fatigue was beginning to settle in. you were especially worried about childe, as his eyes looked even less lively.

pulling him to the side as coach looked over his notes, you asked him again. “are you sure you’re okay?” you asked, crouching down beside his spot in the locker room.

“it’s just--” he started before pausing. “you should see teucer and anton and tonia out there. they might be all smiles, but they’re really afraid of their big brother losing when he’s won every other time. we’ve never cut it this close either. the past three years, we were able to shut out the opposing team by the time the third third started. it’s--”

“overwhelming?” you finished before bumping his shoulder. ‘while i’ve never competed in a national hockey league, i do understand what it’s like to have your biggest supporters watching you and worry about failing.

“but childe, those people--your fans, your friends, your family--they all love you so much. they’re not going to suddenly change their perception of you because you lose a hockey game. what they care about is you having the time of your life at your last collegiate game. and you and i both know that no game is ever the same, no matter how prepared you think you are for it.”

“y/n…” he said softly.

“chin up, childe,” you encouraged. “you’ve still got twenty minutes to go. no point in giving up just yet.”

the final third of the game was a pure stalemate. even when the abyss team was on the penalty kill, where they had one player down because of a penalty, the stars’ couldn’t manage to get past their iron wall of a goalie. and even when one more point was added to the board, it was matched.

besides you, coach zhongli began to get anxious. his assistant coaches were moving around in the same way a worker bee treats its hive’s queen. the mic attached to his ear was constantly being talked to, detailing ideas for the next play. eventually, all talk ceased in the last minute of the third. shaking his head, his hands folded in front of his torso.

if the abyss mages managed to get another puck into the net, they would practically be guaranteed the championship. but if your boys pulled through, they would have that shiny, 60-pound trophy cup in their hands in less than a minute.

there were ten seconds on the clock. the abyss owned the puck, but xingqiu and chongyun weren’t having it. shoving the other defensemen away, it was the perfect opportunity to turn over the puck. the wings of the other team shut away kaeya, and you watched as diluc and childe raced to the other end of the rink where aether was heading.

you watched in horror as he swept the puck, soaring it up into the air with one firm stroke. the buzzer already sounded, but since the puck was airborne, if it got in, it would be an automatic win. the abyss student section began their cheers only to stop. your jaw dropped and for the first time in your time at teyvat university, coach zhongli swore incredibly loudly. taking off his helmet, xiao had a ghost of a smile on his face.

“holy shit. holy shit!” you swore, jumping to your feet.

in his mittened hand was the puck, caught in one fell swoop.

looking over at coach, he had a fatherly expression on his face, clearly proud of his son. the assistant coaches were making a ruckus around the benches, dropping clipboards and making papers fly.

as the PA announcers described what would happen in overtime, the team slammed xiao down onto the ice in a crushing embrace. the puck got haphazardly tossed to the referee. aether glared, giving one glance to the opposing team before reconvening back with his own. the crowd screamed in both agony and relief, to the sound of pop songs and ice skates grating.

heading over to coach zhongli, the team was still coming off of their new euphoria. “well done, xiao. you never cease to amaze me,” he complimented, ruffling his hair.

he huffed out, “it was nothing.”

turning to face the team, his face hardened. “i, too, admire all of your hard work. but, we can’t celebrate yet. as you all know, when a playoff game ends in a tie, it goes into overtime as a 3-on-3. childe, diluc, and xiao? you’re on the ice. we need as much manpower as we can get. we also need a goalkeeper. go on out there. this five-minute overtime is all we have.”

“happy to watch from the side!” kaeya chirped, leaning against the dashboard. xingqiu and chongyun nodded, taking off their helmets and standing by the blue-haired forward.

the team stood by you as the teams rejoined at the center. aether was still in the front, as always, with only one forward at his side. a referee held a puck high in the air, before slamming it down on the ice.

both sides of the arena quieted, only watching with anxious eyes. aether stormed the puck, looping around the edge of the rink. diluc cornered him but was juked out with a swift push of the puck away from him. childe had it for a moment before getting body slammed into the dashboard.

coach beidou was leading a cheer in the student section. rallying support was barbara in a sea of stars’ fans. you spared a glance at teucer, who was watching with a giant grin. he clapped his hands together, jubilantly cheering his brother on. as childe and the other forward neared his edge of the rink, they locked eyes for a moment. childe winked at him, much to his younger brother’s delight. moving forward, the abyss right-wing was shouldered into the ground by diluc. “run it!” he hollered.

aether was parallel with the ground with how he glided forward. looking up, xiao loudly cried and pointed to the opposing net, “go!”

everything was just right. with one player on the ground and the other a few feet behind him, nothing was standing in the way of childe and the goal. with a few strong glides, he was already at the center of the rink. he spun around, lightly tossing the puck out of his radius. the blond swooped in for the turnover, but to everyone’s surprise, childe regained possession. the team bounced, shaking the dashboard in anticipation. coach zhongli was silent, fist clenched and clipboard on the ground. after a successful fake-out, childe made the puck fly.

as the buzzer chimed, everyone watched as the puck bounced off the back of the net.

“YES!” you screamed alongside the rest of the team. hopping the dashboard with coach and the team, you ran on the ice. you collided with xiao, diluc, and childe, happily sobbing into their jerseys. the crowd was wild but your eyes met teucer’s. he burst with excitement, sitting on his father’s shoulders with both of his arms up.

coach embraced each one of the players individually, tightly hugging them. the ever stony coach shed tears as the sterling silver cup was handed over to him. he rose it in the air, releasing a deafening roar. the team cheered again, blinded by the white and gold lights. outside, the sunset was a stunning mix of yellow, blush pink, and bright orange--the perfect setting for one of the best days of your life.

the cup was handed over to him, and he embraced it like his firstborn child. as the abyss team skated off, childe offered a curt wave and smile. only aether caught a glimpse of it, and he reciprocated with a friendly thumbs-up.

naturally, you and childe locked eyes with one another and made your way to one another. the crowd parted for you easily, making the two of you exposed up front. the cold of the arena was swept away as he took you by the waist with his open arm. laughing, you leaned your head onto his chest. “you did it,” you whispered, so quiet that even in a room full of cacophony, he could only hear. “everything you did tonight? that was all you, ajax.”

leaning closer, he laughed so closely that your foreheads touched. you placed a hand on his cheek, wiping away the joyful tears. while everyone else was moving to take a group picture, you and your captain stayed still.

pulling you tight, fingers pressed into your waist, he shook his head with a wide smile. “no, y/n,” he murmured, blue eyes staring into your own as the confetti finally rained down from the ceiling. “it was my manager who helped me through it all.”

you smacked his chest for his cheesiness, but neither of you pulled away. as the cameraman squinted to take a photo of the team, you both angled your heads against one another. he dipped you by your waist, the trophy still in his other hand. as if by instinct, your heart palpitated as he leaned closer, and closer, and closer. you didn’t care that there were millions of eyes watching. you knew that he didn’t care that his social media would be blown up tomorrow morning and coach would have to deal with the aftermath.

“it was you,” he whispered against your lips, to which you stared up with some surprise and euphoria and relief. “it was always you.”

the two of you messily slammed your lips against each other as the camera clicked, breathlessly getting lost in a long-awaited kiss.

tag list: @kawaiiloverpieclam @itadaklmasu @daninaninani @milkk-ttea @lowermoons @lilacshouko @rxsalinee @liyue-harbor @munchnuggle @dandelion-dreams @sunflower3216 @ttaechi @emanonwanderer @nonniechan @rockinaflock @dilucsz @ryuukero @lovingcupcakeavenue @duhsies @song-of-storms162 @furblrwurblr @cleopatera @marianadibenea @softlybeloved @noodleshark420 @maiiikoo @milktea-and-toast @hellokittykuroo @mikologys @elinushka-ka @lvcielz @thetwinkims @neonnian @lowoluwu @salamiwrites @omgmatiiii @feverish-dove @ (please let me know if i missed anyone!)

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #childe x reader #tartaglia x reader #genshin impact imagines #genshin x reader

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hirokari · 2 years

Text

ham sandwiches

wc: 0.9k | p: steve harrington x gn!reader | g: fluff, bff2more | w: single steve sadge

It's a pleasant surprise to see Steve Harrington striding into the hardware store with a small, cautious smile, looking almost bashful when his eyes can't seem to meet yours.

"Greetings," You say, leaning forward behind the cashier counter and resting your jaw on your open palm. "Looking for anything?"

"Just a companion," Answers Steve, shrugging as he nonchalantly slides over the flat surface that you'd just wiped— you couldn't care less, anyway— and faces you. He holds up two squares covered in a thin layer of plastic foil, "I brought two sandwiches... by total accident, of course. Thought I'd come 'n give one to you and maybe while I'm here spend some time with you while I'm on my break, hm?"

"Robin wouldn't want it?" You cock a brow up at him, but take the sandwich he'd offered nonetheless. "Nah," The boy brushes off. "Apparently she doesn't like ham."

That's a lie. A big fat lie. Robin loves ham sandwiches, as a matter of fact, but Steve had brought two sandwiches deliberately to spend time with you. It's a win for the both of you, though, because he knows very well you barely have any time to buy a snack for yourself given that you're the only employee working next door to the Family Video Store.

"Oh, thanks then." You beam as you unwrap the foil. Sliding down against the side of the counter, you pat on the floor next to you, emitting a content hum when you take the first bite into the meal and press your knee against his when he settles next to you.

“How’s business lately?” Your question is slightly muffled, courtesy of your mouthful of food, but Steve finds it a little funny and cute when you swipe a few crumbs off the corner of your mouth. “Eh, you know, it’s a normal deserted Monday. Quite the hoard of patrons last Saturday, though,”

You suppress a smile, “The hoard being another chick looking to rent out a movie to watch with a date?”

Your best friend groans, squishing the bread of his sandwich between his clenching fingers as he obnoxiously leans all his body weight against you, “Please, spare me the teasing. Robin is bad enough as it is. I don’t think I can handle yours.”

Truth be told, Steve couldn’t care less about said chicks and their dates. Ever since his epiphany and the lecture both Robin and Dustin had given him after he’d moped on about that date you’d gone out to, it was surprisingly easy to brush off everything else for the sake of doing anything related to you.

“Okay, okay. It’s not like I’d want you dating any other person you come across anyway.” You admit, pulling on a piece of lettuce that won’t seem to break off despite your efforts in bitting. It’s especially covered in the ‘secret sauce’ Steve had made, but you frankly wouldn’t care if any got onto your uniform.

“I don’t ask anyone out, L/N, I guess I’m just-” Steve stammers a little over his words, straining the air out of his throat in hopes that you wouldn’t hear although you sit next to him, leg swung over his as you watch him find the right words. “I guess I’ve just been lonely lately.”

Your lips are pursed a little as you adjust and sit up in your position. “I mean, if you put it that way…”

Steve watches (unintentionally hard) when you’re a little in thought, tapping your half-eaten sandwich against your chin. There are still crumbs on your cheek that you’d failed to scrub off, and he resists the urge to do it for you because god what he’d give to just hold you.

“Being lonely isn’t all that bad,” Your eyes cast up to the ceiling lights of the hardware store that flickers a little. “when you’ve got someone to be lonely with.”

Steve cracks out into a grin— a toothy, content one that only you can give him— and slowly brings up the ends of his fingers to swipe at the crumbed skin of your cheek. Seemingly startled (but not opposing), you turn to look at him, laying your sandwich on top of his that rests on your lap.

“How about this,” Steve’s breath tickles your skin and ignites shivers– good ones, like when you watch and enjoy an intense scene that’s reaching the climax of your favorite movie. “You and me, we’ll be lonely together around my place? Watch a movie? I swear I’ll pick out a good one,”

You chuckle, closing your eyes in pure disbelief that Steve Harrington could be potentially, possibly, probably, perhaps, feasibly be asking you out.

“I’m free tomorrow night,” You say in a nonchalant manner, though your chest beats in a racing pulse as you bring a slightly shaky hand up to take another bite out of that god-sent sandwich from a god-sent boy who’d just asked you out on a god-sent date.

Steve, inexplicably happy, stands up and leans down to take his sandwich from your lap, “I’ll pick you up at 8.” He plants his lips on your forehead, you can feel his smile smithered against your warm skin, and releases with the most obnoxious and loud smooch noise you’d ever heard, which earns another chuckle from you.

“Don’t be late,” He says, climbing over the cashier counter.

“I won’t,”

“I’ll see you!”

“Thank you for the ham sandwich, Steve.” And the date too, you suppose.

#♪ mari writes!#stranger things #stranger things x reader #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #stranger things imagines #steve harrington imagines #stranger things drabbles #stranger things scenarios #stranger things blurbs #steve harrington drabbles #steve harrington scenarios #steve harrington blurbs #stranger things fluff #steve harrington fluff

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connected-podcast · 24 days

Text

Chance Meetings

Two tales of fateful timing. Listen to the Podcast at Connected.

Esme & Lucia.

The A new beau for Mama. What will she think?.

By PennameWombat.

The Arrangement

"Out with it, daughter," the command delivered by a clearly amused voice.

The speaker's loose dark hair fluttered slightly with the air that pushed in through the half-open window as she twisted to glance at the younger woman in the El Camino's passenger seat. Then she faced the road as she pushed the accelerator and kicked up the speed as they chased their shadow up the slope onto the Fourth South Viaduct.

The passenger bit her lower lip as she held crossed arms below her breasts for a few heartbeats as she started to speak once, twice then a third time, before she sighed. Her mother's lack of a reaction likely due to the air rushing into her open window drowning it out. Fortunately. She let her arms fall to rest on the thin cloth of her summer-weight dress slacks, then rolled the window halfway up to let her think.

"Your dress, Mama, um, it's;"

"Oh, did I spill something on it?"

"Huh. That's not what I mean."

The driver grinned as she glanced again at her companion. "Is it too short? I know the wrap shows a bit of thigh when I walk, just above my knee. Noticed that when I bought it Saturday."

"Nnn," the younger woman said then simply huffed before she looked across at the driver and tilted her gaze slightly down, "your tits, Mama. They're, uh, a bit... out."

The driver looked down, then back at the road for a moment as she signaled and drifted right as they hit the downslope to ground level. She looked at her daughter, her mouth momentarily locked open.

"Oh, No! I hadn't noticed," she said before her expression morphed to a broad grin, "but they're pretty sweet for an old woman's, bit of cleavage, it's the current style."

"Bit of cleavage? I can, uh, they're half out."

"You need glasses. Besides, that first night you brought Jeremy home, yours were in neon."

"What?" Lucia's head snapped to her left, her mouth held open. "They... were not. I'd buttoned... uh."

The driver laughed. "Ah, finally. Years later, you admit it. Poor pool boy, you flashed him those stupendous tits you have thanks to my genes, he'd never had a chance after that. He is a great son-in-law, so at least you chose well. But, just because you're half my age, you can have yours out?"

Lucia closed her eyes and pressed fingers to her forehead, then sighed. "Ok, yeah. Then. But now, uh, mine aren't out."

"That is a boring blouse. You could've done better. First impressions. You usually have yours out, my turn," she said as she navigated the El Camino into the parking garage, "we'll see if Jeremy's judgement is still good."

Lucia stayed silent as her mother hummed something from the old country that she remembered from her childhood. It meant Mama might have been more nervous than she let on, but as she'd done on those past occasions, she'd not waver in what she'd set out to do..

"Over there," her mother said as she tapped the accelerator, "close enough to the door. Have you ever been to this place before?"

"Uh," Lucia took a moment to regain her focus, "no. Jeremías hasn't either. I don't know why he picked it. Didn't tell me."

"He didn't tell you anything," the driver said as she spun the car and smoothly backed it into the open space, "because you'd get all worried and screw it all up. It's MY night. I just agreed to let you come."

Lucia bit her lip and released a long, slow exhale through her nose. "This was my idea."

"You have introduced me to a few, uh, well, whatever they were."

"Men, Mama, they were men. Men your age, or, uh, more or less."

"If you insist that's what they were," the driver punctuated with a shrug, "you finally got smart, if you're going to do this, your husband chose well once before. We'll see if he handles this as well as he handles you."

Lucia stared at the laughing figure's back as she pulled the keys, grabbed her purse from the bench seat between them and stepped out of the car and spoke firmly just before she pushed the door closed.

"Come, daughter."

Two pairs of heels clicked along the mall's floor as Lucia listened to her mother's soft humming, another tune from those years that were fuzzy from Lucia's youth. Years that'd seen her plenty of doubts and hard work, not unlike relatives. But when Mama decided to push through, things got pushed through. The older woman had her purse over her right shoulder faced forward as they walked and seemed satisfied to not speak. Rehearsing? Or simply ignoring her daughter?

Whatever the case, the real air conditioning was a nice change from the El Camino's lack and the stuffy parking garage.

"There it is," Lucia said, "uh, how'd he set this up? This place has been packed since the drug and kidnapping thing a few months ago. Everyone wants to come here."

"Your husband has connections, daughter. Also, it's Wednesday. Not the busiest day."

"But, still. Connections? He's a junior architect."

They slowed as they entered through the open double doors. A slender woman with her brown hair in a flattened pony-tail and wearing black slacks and a white, button-down shirt held menus and stood alongside two couples. She smiled at the new arrivals.

"Welcome to the Broiler, I'm Valerie. Let me seat these folks and I'll be right back."

"Take your time," the older woman said, switching to accented English. Valerie smiled and led the two couples past curtains tied open. Sounds of conversation filtered through the opening.

"Do we even know what he looks like?" Lucia said in the Spanish they'd used since leaving her mother's house.

"Jeremy said he's tall, nice bod, and 'look for the nose,'" her mother responded in the same language and Lucia huffed.

"Nice bod?"

"What? I don't deserve one with as sweet an ass as your husband has?"

Lucia's mouth locked open as her mother grinned at her, then felt her face flush when someone cleared her throat to their side. She turned and saw the maître'd, Valerie, or whatever.

"Buenas noches, bienvenidos a la Parrilla," Valerie said in Spanish before switching and she paused for an instant and her eyebrow moved and her smile broadened, "I believe you're here to meet with another party."

"You read minds, Valeria. We're here for the Pearson party," the older woman again in her accented English.

"Ah, yes. I just sat the third member of your party a moment ago. I think you'll be pleased."

Lucia looked at Valerie, then at her mother, and back. The maitre'd's ethnicity wasn't clear, but her Spanish was smooth. She was something like a decade and a bit older, late-thirties, so halfway between her and Mama. But with her comment, she and Mana seemed to share something as they held eyes and smiled for a moment. Mama nodded.

"I already set your places," Valerie said, "this way."

"Te falta te hija," Valerie laughed at the older woman's chiding tone as she led the pair, having already proven she spoke their tongue, "this beautiful lady won't lead us astray."

The dining room was all but full, maybe only a single table unoccupied. Conversations continued, with only an occasional glance their way as Valerie led them on a winding path to a table along the windows.

The seated man seemed to sense their approach and looked up from the menu in his hands, then quickly set it down and stood and turned to face them, a clear if tentative smile on his face.

Lucia's right eyebrow popped up and down. His nose. It was... distinctive. Not natural, it'd been broken, but not once. A few times. But that said, he was tall, taller than her or Mama, taller than Jeremías but maybe a shade shorter than primo Miguel and broad but certainly not as broad as that husband of Concetta's. Bitch Concetta, who really DID want to fuck Jeremías, despite her masking her lust with teasing and jokes, talk about showing off tits every chance she could to Lucia's husband, and with skirts that barely covered her ass, and....

Her mother's soft hum, soft yes, but... thoughtful but happy, forced Lucia's thoughts away from her crazily curvy and beautiful frenemy. The here and now. This... man. He took a small step and extended his right hand as Valerie grinned and stepped aside.

"Señora Baca, very pleased to meet you, I'm James Pearson," he said and an eyebrow quirked up but settled as he was offered a right hand. But not in a position to be shaken. He accepted it, and guided it upwards as he bent slightly to kiss the back of the palm. He straightened and lowered it but held it softly when it wasn't pulled back.

"Pleased to meet you, Señor Pearson. I am Esmeralda Baca, but please call me Esme."

Esme let him pull her hand to a second soft kiss, then gazed at her as they maintained the contact.

"Please call me Jim, Esme."

She smiled and held his gaze for another moment. Lucia fought back the hard huff and Mama finally glanced at her.

"And this is my daughter, Lucia Danko. She's here because she's worried you'll not be a gentleman and dismember me or something."

"WHAT?" Lucia said as Esme laughed.

"You won't do that, will you, Jim Pearson?"

Lucia thought his smile was natural, he just wasn't used to using it.

"No, Esme Baca, I certainly won't," he said and used gentle pressure on her hand to lead her to the other side of the table and she kept her eyes on his, "please, let's all sit down."

"Siéntate, niña," Esme said firmly as Jim released her hand, stepped around the table and held the chair across from his out, and she sat before he sidled to the next chair, "deja de mirar con rudeza."

Lucia started at the tone. And Mama's choice of phrasing. She flashed a look at her mother and received one as sharp back. She squeezed behind her mother and into the offered chair.

"Thank you," she said.

She'd caught the slight confusion on the man's face. Unlike the maitre'd and her husband, he showed no sign he spoke Spanish. Esme spoke as he stepped around the table and sat down.

"I apologise for my daughter's rudeness, Jim," Lucia couldn't fight down her huffed exhale, Esme chuckled, "but, better things. Was this restaurant your choice? What's good here?"

"It was suggested to me," he said with a quick glance at the younger woman, "I have been here, but not to eat."

"There is a tale there," Esme said as a waiter approached, "but, first."

"Good evening, I'm Andy. Would you like something to drink?"

Jim looked at Esme and she smiled, then looked up at the waiter. "I'm a simple woman, Andy, I'll have the Modelo Especial."

Jim smiled. "Coors, please."

Andy nodded and everyone looked at Lucia. She blinked.

"Uh, just a Coke, please."

"Be right back," Andy said and spun to walk away.

"So, Jim Pearson," Esme said, "you've been here? For work?"

"I guess that's the way to put it."

Esme nodded. "Health department?"

Lucia noticed the flash across his face as he seemed to work through something.

"I am a public servant, but I'm on the Force. I'm a detective, a Senior Detective Lieutenant."

Lucia pulled her jaw shut so she didn't gape like a dead trout. Holy shit! Her... fucking husband had set Mama up with... a cop. No, not only a cop. A GRINGO cop! She glanced to her left. Her mother's expression hadn't hardened, but it'd gone serious and she nodded slightly, her arms in a vee with her hands meeting just below her chin.

How the fuck had her husband, an architect who drew things and had never ever been arrested, find this cop?

"That would've been the kidnapping about the drugs here a few months back," Esme said.

"Yes, we were brought in, as the gang had been on our radar. But, really, the ladies they kidnapped turned the table on their kidnappers. We just cleaned up."

Esme smiled before her expression went neutral and she sat back slightly. "Guillermo Villarreal, your people?"

Jim's expression went serious. "Ah, he an acquaintance?"

"I have many acquaintances," Esme said simply. Jim nodded.

"My condolences, a terrible crime. If you saw the news, it was two of my detectives who brought his killer in, that Michael Owen," Lucia's eyebrows tightened, his voice seemed to convey pride, if still soft.

"La negra," Esme said, "on the news."

"Detective Brenda desPlain, you saw," Jim's voice definitely conveyed pride in its firmness and it was clear he understood at least the odd Spanish word, "I chose her myself for the squad. Owen put her partner in the hospital in the fight but she kicked his ass and dragged it into court. Uh, um sorry."

Esme laughed. "No, Jim Pearson, do not apologize for describing the skill and bravery of those you send into danger. He was a gringo boy, that she kicked and dragged."

"And a killer, I don't care," Jim said with a firm tone. Esme smiled, and her posture relaxed.

Lucia's head bounced from Mama to this, this, gringo cop. And... her mother had leaned forward, just slightly, but with the dress's cut it offered, well, it offered a view to the taller man. Jim's glance and his smile made clear it'd been noticed, but not dwelt on. Mama's smile that she knew... and didn't move. Oh... shit. This was going... well?

"What do you do, Esme?" Jim asked.

"I, too, am an underpaid public servant," she said and both snorted, "I work for the library system, ESL and Meso-American collections."

"Ich spreche Deutsch," Jim said, "not so much use."

"You speak a second language," Esme said, "so much more than many."

"How long have you worked for the library?"

"A quarter century. Twenty-five years," sha said and stopped at his sudden smile and stiffer posture.

"Seriously? This is my twenty-fifth year on the city force here, although I guess it's not exactly twenty-five years I've been an officer," he said and tapped his nose, "spent a few years as a patrolman in Idaho before I moved here. This from my early days, arresting a few too many drunk and rowdy. I should get it fixed."

"No, Jim Pearson, you should not," Esme said and softened her posture and invited him to do likewise. "both of us, twenty-five years. The same year I arrived in this country and my daughter, who is beginning to seriously cramp my style here, was born."

"Uh, wha... Mama," Lucia said but Esme simply chuckled.

Everybody turned as Andy arrived with the drinks and a basket of sliced crusty bread and two small bowls, one of softened butter and one of olive oil.

"If you're not ready to order," he said in cheerful voice, "not a problem. We have all night. May I suggest our salt and pepper calamari, yes, I know, not an ocean nearby. Flown in, sorry it's not Friday, that's when we get our fresh fish. But the calamari and our onion rings."

"Drugs in the fish? Ow!" Lucia said as Esme kicked her ankle under the table. Jim chuckled.

Andy grinned. His voice had an amused tone but with an edge of steel to it. "Ah, no. We're just BORING around here ninety-nine percent of the time. That was a special evening and we do a more thorough job of interviewing our chefs now."

Jim and Esme traded looks and she gave a tiny nod. He looked at Andy. "We'll take your advice on the appetizers. And we promise to look at the menu."

"Like I said, no rush. I'll be back in a bit and we can discuss tonight's specials," he spun on his right heel and strode away.

"Cramp your style?" Lucia asked.

"Well, be friendly with our gentleman guest," Esme said and she turned to look across the table, "and, Jim. Would you be willing to help me write my name later? If the evening warrants it, but the signs are good."

Lucia went straight and stiff. She stared at her mother.

Jim's face had a puzzled, but pleased, expression. "I would certainly be willing."

"Mama, you... can't."

"Si mi hija puede hacerlo," Esme said softly, then turned to Jim, "my daughter has lost her sense of adventure, now that she is married to a lovely man."

Lucia knew she'd failed to avoid the trout look this time. "Excuse me, little girl's room." She shifted the chair and squeezed out. Jim nodded at her as she left. Esme shrugged and looked at him and encouraged him to speak.

"Twenty-five years... all around," he said, "where were you born, Esme? We're both immigrants to this city, but my journey can't compare to yours."

"Restroom?" Lucia asked a waitress, who pointed to an area between the bar and entrance. Valerie's path intersected hers halfway there. Lucia smiled at the woman, who gave a broad smile and asked in a Spanish that Lucia recognized as Old Country. Born? Or simply very diligent schooling, since the schools always used that.

"Is it going well?"

"Going well? You... know? Did my husband, Jeremías, talk to you?"

"Ah, no. His name was mentioned, but a bit more indirect than that. Last time I got involved in, ah, matchmaking, things turned out a bit more exciting than they had any right to."

Lucia took a moment to register the comment. "The kidnapping."

"Yes, the little brunette, Tracy. Had a thing for one of my former chefs. Not the drug smuggling one. A good one."

Lucia stared at the woman. "Tracy? Brunette? She's... my intern, just started for the summer today. Was she involved?"

"Nah, it was one of the other police officers, a lady detective I'd met during that bit of trouble."

Jeremías would be getting some direct questions later, Lucia thought, but she just nodded for the woman.

"So, going well?" Valerie asked.

"Uh, yeah. Maybe... too well. Says I'm cramping her style. Says she's going to have him write her name."

"That sounds romantic. Depending."

"I never should've told her... when I first met Jeremías I... uh," she felt the heat rise in her face, "held his, uh, prick and used his pee to write my name. Most of it. The 'a' was kinda only half, he hadn't had enough water to drink."

Valerie took a moment, then grinned. "And after that?"

Lucia held her tongue between her teeth as it poked just past her lips. Shook her head slightly. She was pretty sure her cheeks weren't just hot but also red. Her complexion meant that if it became noticeable, things were... extreme. Like this.

"Well, I'm going to tell my chefs to take special care with your meals and that Jim gets plenty to drink. And... your table won't be getting a check. THIS time it's all going to work out."

Lucia groaned, shook her head, but then she shrugged and smiled. Valerie squeezed her shoulder and walked toward the kitchen entrance with clear if soft laughter.

Saviour

Jeff runs into his dream-girl at just the right time.

By Wisheswerehorses.

"Nice car." Debbie really did like the dark green vintage GTO.

He glanced over, "Thanks," checked his mirror and pulled out. She remembered how shy he had been in high school. Sometimes she had felt his eyes on her in French class. If she turned to him he'd look down like he was caught doing something terrible.

That was three years ago, but his reaction to her hadn't changed much, even if his appearance had. In high school he was real nerdy, which Debbie liked. Now he was casually dressed but deliberately so; the jeans were brand new, and the plain black long sleeve jersey was handsome, and fit perfectly. It was a nice look, and he was cuter even than she remembered. He smelled pleasantly of good shampoo. There was also a faint peppermint scent but Debbie couldn't tell if it was coming off Jeff or something in the car. Thank God he wasn't wearing cologne.

-I didn't think to tell him-

He made a left off her block and a right onto Hempstead. He cleared his throat, paying extreme attention to traffic, checking his rear and side mirrors over and over. Debbie tried to set him at ease.

"Where are we going to eat?" He had said dinner and a movie.

"I reserved at Stephan's." He took a quick, nervous look at her. "I should have asked you. Is Italian okay?"

"I love Italian and Stephan's is the best."

"Well," he said.

Debbie chopped away at his restlessness. "I like your outfit. You look real nice." She shifted on her seat to half face him.

"Ehrgm, oh thanks." He smirked. "My suit was in the cleaners, so."

She laughed.

-That's better-

He cleared his throat again and stared straight ahead as he said,

"You look beautiful," nervous about saying it, she could tell.

"Thanks. That's nice of you. I didn't know what to wear. You should have seen me pulling out blouses and skirts, dresses. I finally gave up and put on what I felt comfortable in." She had on good jeans, a loose purple gauze blouse that covered her hips, and faux-leather cowboy boots. "When I get home I'll be hanging things up for an hour." She chuckled and rolled her eyes in self-mockery, hoping maybe he'd see it. He glanced over and tried on a smile. Oh well, he'll relax eventually.

"I was happy that you asked me." They pulled into the parking lot.

"Me too," he said. "I mean...I was glad you, you know...you..."

"Said yes?" She laughed.

They had run into each other at the mall. He had only nodded, even though he was obviously surprised to see her, and probably would have just walked on by but she stopped and said, "Wow! How are you?" So he stopped and chatted with her while his friends waited a few steps away.

Debbie remembered thinking he was sweet and cute, and had found his shyness a turn-on, so she just went on talking to him until he-finally-asked her out. It was like he had surprised himself, his body twitching a little as he asked, "Could I take you out sometime?"

"Absolutely, "she said, and fished in her purse for a pen and a something to write on. He waited until the next evening to call, and they set up this date.

He pulled into a spot and turned to her.

"Look, I'm a little nervous."

"So am I," she said. We're in this together, her look said. "Isn't everyone nervous on a first date, second date, third date?"

"You don't seem nervous."

"I was in drama club, remember."

"Yeah." He ran his hand through his hair, took a deep breath.

She held her hand out for him to see. It shook just a little. He looked at her and she smiled,

"Dead giveaway," she said.

He held his out also, just a tiny vibration. She took his hand in hers and pulled it down on the seat in between them, leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. His eyes were wide.

"Umm," he said.

"So we're both a little nervous. Let's try to relax and enjoy dinner."

He smiled, "the kiss helped."

Debbie snickered and leaned over for a deeper kiss, her hand on the back of his neck this time. He pulled away first and looked past her out toward the restaurant.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yes." She noticed as he got out, a quick adjustment of his package, she smiled to herself. Umm. She came around the car and took his hand in hers as they walked to the entrance.

The restaurant was tastefully decorated; the white walls had thin black and blue pinstripes every four feet, the tables were wood with white and blue pinstripes, the polished black lacquered chairs sat on white marble tile floors veined black and grey. Debbie ordered a glass of white wine but Jeff declined.

"I'll have a coke," he said to the waiter.

"I figure the wine will relax me."

"That's fine. You drink up." He jolted and looked up. She met his surprised look.

"I didn't mean...."

"That I should get drunk?" Her eyes sparkled with laughter.

"Yeah...that." He blushed.

"Don't worry. Wine doesn't turn my head." She took a sip. "You a Coca-Cola Man?"

"No I like wine, but I don't want to relax myself into a car accident." He took a sip of his soda. "And unlike you, wine does go to my head."

Debbie smiled at him. "What if I wanted to get you drunk?"

He laughed nervously. "Umm, don't worry about me. That kiss turned my head." He looked around for the waiter.

Dinner was great. Jeff tasted her fish like he was receiving a sacrament; Debbie tasted his veggies but declined the lasagna due to the meat sauce.

"Vegetarian?"

"I eat fish."

"Is it a health thing?"

"More of a personal thing. It started cause I didn't like the thought of eating animals that are as smart as my dog. It expanded from there. Now I'm down to fish."

"Using those guidelines, you could still eat some of the kids we went to school with." They chuckled.

Debbie asked him how school was going. He told her it was great, hesitated and looked at her.

"Don't worry." She told him, "I'm probably going to start next year."

"I was surprised to hear you hadn't gone. You were one of the best students"

"My heart just wasn't into it after my Dad died."

"I'm sorry about that."

"Thanks."

"I was shocked when I heard. I felt awful for you. Should we not talk about it?"

"It's okay. People avoid the subject out of courtesy and I wind up with no one to talk about it with; except Mom of course."

"Well stop me anytime, but I do have a question if you don't mind."

"Shoot."

"Were you close?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "He was wonderful, so sweet to my Mom, always doing things with me, making me feel special. I miss him all the time."

Jeff fiddled with the wrapper from his straw, nodded at her slowly.

"I hope this doesn't come out wrong." He looked down at his hands, which were ripping the wrapper apart, he put it down. "I really hope this is okay." Debbie nodded for him to continue.

"Well, I think you're very lucky to feel like that. I know it's horrible that he died so young, and I can't imagine losing someone who I felt like that about." He looked up, and she was nodding that she understood. Her eyes were wet.

"I just think you're so lucky to have had a Dad like that. That's all."

"I know I am, though I can see why you might hesitate to say it. It was crushing for both of us, out of the blue like that."

They looked at each other over the unspoken fact that had also been passed. She thought it wise to leave it that way and move on. She dabbed her eyes with the napkin.

"I'm sorry."

"No," she shook her head. "I appreciate what you said, really, it's okay." She smiled.

"Okay." He sipped his soda, thinking of what they had been talking about. "Oh, so what are you going to school for?"

"I don't know. Nothing practical interests me. I thought English would be fun."

"Nothing wrong with that. You could teach, reporter, editor."

"Mail room." She laughed. "I could always keep what I do now."

"What are you doing?"

"Sanitation."

"Like wrestling?"

"No really."

"Wow."

"It's smelly but I wear a dust mask. It keeps me in shape, and I made almost sixty this year."

"Grand?"

"Yeah, with overtime. Great benefits, retire in twenty."

The waiter came back, asked if they would like desert. Jeff looked at her, but she shook her head.

"So let's see, I've been in school, spending money while you've made, oh a hundred and fifty grand."

"Less; you start out at thirty five and it goes up every year. Next year I'll make more so I'll probably just stick with it, go to school at night."

The check came and she picked it up.

"No way," he said.

"I can afford it."

"So can I."

"What, add it to your loans."

"Please, I asked you out, I'll feel awful if you pay."

"Okay. But you have to let me pick it up next time."

He looked squarely at her. "There going to be a next time, really?"

Debbie smiled. "Yeah, if you have time before going back to school."

"I'm back home again for a while. Taking a semester off." He was afraid to tell her he had withdrawn from his classes and didn't have any plans to return.

"So maybe it won't be another three years."

Jeff started the car, which was a reward from his parents for going straight A's through high school. The bribe. He called it.

"Would you mind if we didn't see a movie?"

"Sure," he said. "Anything you like."

"How about the North Shore?"

"Yeah, that's cool."

Debbie asked if she could find some music, Jeff hit the power and held his hand out; Help yourself. They drove in silence for a while. Jeff's nerves were still apparent, but Debbie didn't feel like talking now anyway. She reached her hand across, asking for his, and held it as she sang along with the radio.

"Nice voice," he said.

"Thanks."

When they turned toward the beach she patted their joined hands on the seat, "I love it here."

"Yeah, it's nice out here." His voice cracked.

He was visibly relieved, seeing there were other people. A campfire burned brightly halfway to the water. A dozen or so teens gathered around. Acoustic guitars and singing reached them.

"Party going on." He said, cheerfully.

"Cool." Debbie turned to hide the laugh which threatened to escape her. She was still smiling when she came around the car. Little did he know he was just making it harder for her to keep her hands off him. "How about a walk?"

They walked the beach to the old pier, where Debbie turned and faced him, put her arms around him. He leaned down to kiss her, and she pressed against him. She felt him swell as their breathing intensified. He stopped and looked at her. "You're so beautiful."

She smiled. "Thanks, so are you."

He rolled his eyes. "I used to watch you in French class."

"Really? You should have said something. I always liked you."

"No."

"Never saw me look at you?"

"Thought you were annoyed I was staring."

"I was just peeking. I never knew how tell someone...you know?"

Jeff looked momentarily distraught. "You could've had anyone."

"I wanted you and got no one instead. That's why I didn't let you get away this time, at the mall."

"Oh," he laughed. "I thought you were just enthralled."

"With what? Your shopping list."

They both laughed. Debbie went on, "Metamorphic rock?"

That cracked him up.

"Weather patterns?"

"I didn't give you my metamorphic rock rap, did I?"

She took his hand and they walk back to the car.

On the way home they sing with the radio. Debbie is all a-tingle with good feelings. She has a buzz from the kissing and laughter. This is the best date she's ever had. Jeff seems better, but Debbie still senses something, some unrest behind his eyes. As they drive slowly up her block, she decides to act on the urge that's been growing in her all night.

"Do me a favor," she says. "Don't stop. I might pass by a friend's house." She doesn't want him to know in advance. The way he is, he might freak.

"Make a right."

"Okay."

"Left here." They are on a dark street. The park on the right is empty.

"Pull over."

Now he's nervous. He pulls over.

"You know," he starts to protest but she doesn't let him. She slides over and puts a finger to his lips, shuts the ignition.

"SHHHH." She reaches behind and unhooks her bra, leaving it floating under her blouse. She unbuttons his jeans. "Pull them down," she orders. He obeys. Debbie unzips her own and slides them down. She comes up and kisses him, taking his hand under her blouse to her breast.

He moans into her mouth. His erection is a marble statue against his belly. He massages her hard nipple, hefts her breast and she can't wait. She brings her legs up on the seat, knees facing the backrest. She slides down, rubbing herself as she takes him in her mouth. He gasps, rests a hand gently on her head, the other on her smooth hip.

He gets there quickly, warns her that he is coming. He calls out. The intensity of his orgasm makes Debbie delirious; her body floods with heat, then release as she comes, sucking hungrily, moaning over and over around his cock. He strokes her hair, her back; "Oh my God," he whispers. Debbie wants to stay there with her mouth around him, smelling his body and the faint peppermint.

After a while she pulls away and helps him get his pants up but doesn't pull up her own. Sliding next to him again, she looks around, takes his hand to her breast again and then down. She wants him to feel her wetness, wants him to remember being inside of her.

"Oh my god," he whispers again. She picks her hips up, slides onto his finger, kisses his neck as she rubs against him. Her little whimpers pierce his heart. They increase, and she holds his hand firmly against her as she comes again, stifling her cries against his neck, "Oh Jeff, oh my God, oh Jeff."

Debbie zips her jeans, re-clasps her bra and fluffs her blouse around her. Jeff watches her in disbelief. She smiles at him.

"I just had to have you," she says. He opens his mouth, closes it again. Debbie takes up the slack.

"That was beautiful. You're amazing." He only gazes into her eyes. She leans over and gives him a quick peck on the lips, sits back and takes his hand.

"Now you can take me home."

They pull up in front of her house. She fluffs her blouse again and reaches into her purse for her keys and a cigarette. She looks at him.

"Want to go out again?"

"Can I have one of those?"

"Oh, you smoke?" She pulls one out, hands it to him. He takes it with his left hand, takes her hand with his right.

"I don't actually, but I need something." He laughs uneasily. "Do I want to go out again? You're kidding, right? I'll call you...whenever you say."

"Maybe see me tomorrow night?"

"Absolutely."

"Great." She leans over and pecks him on the lips again, smiles gratefully into his eyes, making sure he sees. "Thanks for a wonderful night. Talk to you tomorrow." She gets out of the car and lights the cigarette, waving him to go ahead. He opens the window. "I want to make sure you're safe inside."

"I'm fine. I want to smoke on the porch and...think." Her smirk reaches him like a caress. "Call me in the morning, any time after nine. Now go." She waves him on.

"Okay," he says.

She waved to him, Bye. He waved back and left. Debbie was delighted with herself. She'd only had three other experiences, going all the way once. None of it had been satisfying. But her body simply purred for Jeff. She couldn't wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow I want it all. She had always had a feeling about him. She knew now that she had been correct. He was the one she wanted.

Jeff drove towards home but he knew already he wouldn't go there. He pulled into the empty grocery parking lot, got out and went around to the trunk and opened it. Feeling around under the spare he found and lifted a bag of fifty pills. He glanced around then strode quickly to the dumpster, lifted the lid enough to deposit the pills.

Next stop was the lake. He replayed the scene as he drove, still in shock, Debbie panting into his neck, coming, FOR HIM! Oh Jeff, she had cried. The girl of his dreams, who he didn't really know but had from afar loved-he swore it was love- wound up his first after all. The look in her eyes...for me. Thanks for a wonderful night. "My God Debbie. How is it possible that you came along now?"

He pulled into the deserted lot by the lake, fished around the trunk and came up with the revolver. He released the cylinder and loosed the bullets into his palm. One two three four five six. He pocketed them and walked calmly to the water's edge. He reared back and hurled the pistol as far as he could. "Fuck You," he shouted as he released it. He heard it splash far from shore. He repeated the act with each bullet. "Fuck You, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you. YOU LOSE MOTHERFUCKER," he screamed. He crouched down, breathing heavy but said again softly, "You lose motherfucker. You lose."

He climbed back into the car and left. He couldn't go home, wanted never to go there again. He checked the time, called Steve.

"Hey man. How was the date?"

"Oh, it was great. Listen, can I sleep over?"

"It didn't go well. What happened?"

"No really, it was great. She's an angel. I'm seeing her again tomorrow. I just don't want to go home."

"Come around back. We'll crash in the basement."

"Thanks man."

Jeff's Dad sat on the porch smoking, wondering about his son. Jeff had never shown anything was wrong with him until now. From straight As' to dropping out was a sign. When he asked Jeff what happened, he said he just needed a break from school. His father knew that was bullshit, and it terrified him. He thought of scenarios where he would be safe, even if Jeff was not. He wanted to survive.

By Wisheswerehorses for Literotica.

#story #audio #podcast #sensuality #coupling #romance #mating #connected

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