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#or she asks me to stop everything I’m doing to accommodate her
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vent post lol
#Love how my sister is like wow ur so autistic haha#until the second I get upset bc a plan changes or a routine breaks#or she asks me to stop everything I’m doing to accommodate her#and then she’s like what’s your problem? What’s wrong with you??#Frustrated that I can’t explain that I finished my plan of cleaning for four hours with an hour and a half left#so that I can finally practice piano before going to move furniture w my other sister#without sounding like I’m selfish w a martyr complex.#I know what she’ll say to it anyway which is that it isn’t her fault#so why am I mad at her#But I’m not! I’m not! I’m just upset. And I’m doing#literally everything she asked but she’s still asking what my problem is.#love how it’s wow ur such an autistic nerd#until I take smth too literally so they all make fun of me for not obviously makinf the correct inference#or need a schedule#or get pissy when I have everything set up and I just earned this time with hours of work for them#work that tbh I should’ve had more help with#and yeah yeah I don’t do everything and I do try to stay away from that mindset#but it also doesn’t change the fact that I cleaned 85% of the house by myself for smth that the whole family is going to be at#and also mowed the lawn and took care of the animals and put away the groceries#boy. I’ll get over it I guess#like I said I’m not mad at her I get why she asked and it’s more important for her to write an essay than for me to practice#it’s just upsetting. it’s just upsetting.
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i’m so fucking tired
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peachesofteal · 5 months
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Light On- single mom/neighbor fic Simon Riley/female reader Prompt: 1 of 2 for sickfics / requested by multiple
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I’m going to need a raincheck for dinner tonight. 
Simon frowns at his phone. You’re bailing? You seemed excited about it when he asked earlier in the week, offering to take you and Emmaline down the street to the little café on the corner for dinner. It had taken him days to work up the courage, needlessly pushed on by Johnny’s ‘encouragement’ relentless text messages filled with date ideas, and bad pick-up lines. 
Still, you had said yes. Had asked if meant Emma too, and he took secret pleasure in the way you seemed so relieved when he tilted his head and told you, of course.
Okay. Is everything alright? He fires back immediately, wondering if the crying that he’s been hearing on and off all morning has anything to do with you backing out. 
I’m not feeling great, and neither is Emma. I think we’re coming down with something. Coming down with something, like you’re sick? You’re sick? Anxiety twists in the pit of his stomach, worrying curling his fingers into a fist with a clench. 
Alright. Let me know if you need anything? He waits for a text back, an answer of some kind, an assurance that you’ll seek him out if you need help or need anything. 
It never comes. 
Six hours later, Simon is at your door. 
He has grit his teeth through the day, paced around his own flat endlessly, tried everything he could think of to distract himself. Every time he heard Emmaline wail, his stomach flipped, worry, fear, breaking down his logical sense, the analytical part of his brain until he was standing in front of your door, waiting for the inevitable click of the handle. 
When it comes, and you’re standing on the other side, his heart sinks. 
He should have come over soon. 
“Hey, sweetheart.” He says it as softly as he can, a newfound pitch of his voice that seems to only be reserved for you, trying to allay the panic that has started to form as ice inside his chest. 
“Sorry about the noise.” You croak, and he smothers his wince. You sound awful, voice nearly gone, like your throat has been rubbed raw with sandpaper. Emmaline is clad only in a diaper, and when he looks closer, he can see the stain of what he thinks must be her vomit on your shirt. Over your shoulder, dirty bottles, dishes lay stacked next to the sink, a laundry basket with a mountain of baby clothes piled high sits on the table. 
“Can I help-“ You sway, arm tightening around the baby, and he doesn’t think, doesn’t stop himself, he just moves.“Alright,” He murmurs, wrapping an arm around you, supporting both you and Emmaline by shifting you into his side, one hand against Emma’s back. She feels warm, but not nearly as hot as you, and panic tries to bubble up his throat again at the blaring heat that’s coming from your skin. “I’ve got you.” 
“Sorry, ‘m a little dizzy.” 
“It’s okay.” He keeps you close, turning you back through the door. Emma makes scratchy, unhappy noises, and he rubs his thumb against her skin. “Shhh. I know, I know. You’re okay.” You lean into him harder, and he accommodates it, moving the two of you towards the couch. “I know, you’re not feeling too good are you?” He says to Emma after he gets you down on the couch, hands now around her back, waiting for a sign of permission from you to lift her. 
“She can go down. If you-“ Your breath gets caught in your chest, and you curl forward, his hand going to your shoulder, your body shaking with a cough. “If you want to try.” You whisper once you recover, brows knitted together in misery, and he cradles her, rocking her back and forth, mimicking your usual movements. 
“You stay right here.” He nods to the couch, using a fraction of the voice he uses on Johnny, and you immediately nod, eyes shuttering closed with a slow blink. “Just rest.” 
Emmaline is still crying when he opens the door to her room, the first he’s seen it, pale green walls and dark wood crib, small rocker in the corner next to a changing table. It’s a comforting space, decorated and cared for with love, and for a moment, his mind wanders to an image of you, painting the walls with a swollen belly, or curled in the plush rocker, reading a book to Emmaline, still nestled inside you. He wasn’t there for it, but he just knows you were so beautiful, the kind of glow that would have stopped him in the street. You still stop him in the street. 
Emma wails, bringing him back to reality with a softer cry than earlier, and he keeps her close to his chest, murmuring low and soft. “Shhh. You’re alright, baby girl. You’re okay.” He continues the rocking side to side thing you usually do in a standing position, mumbling things to her, stroking his fingers down her cheek, her forehead, bouncing and swaying at the same. “Are you not feeling too good? Is that what’s got you all upset? Yeah. I get kind of grumpy when I don’t feel good either.” He coos, little lashes slowly blinking up at him, transfixed on his face during his stream of chatter until they begin to slip shut, her mouth still hanging half open. He holds his breath, staring in astonishment at her sleeping face, half shocked, half ridiculously pleased.
“Have you taken anything?” He barely sits on your ottoman, leaning over to get a better look at you, uncomfortable with the way your eyes seem glazed over, how slow they are to react. Maybe you need to go to the hospital? 
“Some naproxen, a bit ago.”  You look exhausted, eyelids heavy, and he can’t stop himself from pressing the back of his hand to your forehead. 
“You’re really warm, sweetheart. Do you need a doctor?” Tell me what to do, he wants to beg. Tell me how to help.
“No, jus’ sleep.” A confused look flickers across your face. “Oh my god, did you…” you swallow a cough, his hand sliding down to cup your shoulder, thumb soft against your dirty t shirt. “did you get her down?” He nods, slowly, fighting the small grin that tugs at his lips. 
“Wow.” You breathe, and your hand drags up your chest to where his still sits on your arm, fingers intertwining in his with a small squeeze. “You really are our hero.” He smiles at you, because how can he not, heart warm and full in his chest, the feeling something he hasn’t experienced in a long, long time. 
There’s a moment, a second extended into a minute, maybe an hour, he’s not sure, where you don’t look away from him. Where you look at him, really look at him, and see him, see his twice broken nose, the scar on his cheek, the one above his eyebrow. He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t try to hide or look away, just holds himself still, staring down at you on the couch, sweat dotting your forehead and neck, still beautiful with your fever parched skin and tired eyes. 
“Simon.” You whisper, and he thinks, maybe… he’s supposed to kiss you right now. That if he were braver, if Johnny were here to egg him on, if he felt like it wasn’t taking advantage of your weakened state… he might. But instead- 
“Why don’t you close your eyes, love. Try to get some rest. I’ll stay. See if I can get some of these dishes done. I can get her if she gets up.” 
“You don’t have-“ 
“I know.” He soothes. “I know I don’t, but I’m here. Let me help.” Let me help you. Let me be here. 
You take a deep breath, as deep as you can manage, and then your voice is light, but so sweet, and so, so trusting when you say;
“Okay, Simon.” 
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ddejavvu · 5 months
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hi mei! i absolutely love your stories! you’re a really great writer 🥰
i was wondering if u’d be interested in doing a hotch drabble about him with a s/o who seems really intimidating but is actually really soft and sweet?
like maybe it’s her appearance that makes the team intimidated by her—edgy clothing and dark makeup and stuff—when she shows up to hang out with hotch on his lunch breaks. and she’s like ‘i feel like your team doesn’t like me :(‘ and he’s like ‘honey, they’re borderline scared of you’ but it’s fluffy.
if you don’t wanna that’s totally okay! i did a bad job explaining but i’m sure you’d do an amazing job :)
love ya!! hope ur having a good day
Aaron loves when you visit him at the office for lunch, but you don't look like you're in high spirits yourself. When you sit down its with a huff and a hiss of the chair accommodating your weight, only adding to your dramatics.
"This might be my career in profiling speaking," Aaron begins, his voice soft in case something is terribly wrong, "But something tells me you're not having a good day, sweetheart."
"You're good," You tease him, and he wishes you could laugh about it together, "Aaron, I think Doctor Reid is afraid of me."
Aaron has to bite his tongue not to laugh. Doctor Reid is afraid of buffets, he thinks, but it's not an abundance of germs that unnerves Spencer about you, it's- well, it's everything he knows about you.
"Honey," Aaron calls upon that sweet tone again, "He doesn't know you very well."
"You didn't deny it!" You groan, falling back into your chair and abandoning your soup on his desk, "I knew it. What did I do?"
Aaron looks into your eyes, black-lined and sharp. He watches you chew on your cheek, your black-stained lips moved by the nervous quirk. Below your tense jaw is a chain that rests against your neck, not a full choker but not loose, either. It nearly disappears into the hem of your jacket, black leather that falls over a rather graphic old band tee.
"It's not what you've done," Aaron explains tentatively, "It's probably- well, how you look."
Your nose scrunches, and Aaron marvels the fact that you seem to have forgotten your appearance, "How do I look?"
"Like a doberman pinscher in human form," Aaron bites off a corner of his sandwich, chewing it in lieu of pressing the matter further.
"I like dobermans." You supply weakly, "Why is he afraid of me?"
"You're just not what he's used to," Aaron sighs, swallowing his mouthful and leaning across the desk, hand outstretched, "He probably thinks you could dismember him with those nails."
You place your palm in Aaron's own, and he flips your hand around to showcase the rather impressively sharp acrylics you're sporting.
"And your boots are heavier than he is, I guarantee it," Aaron nods down at your thick-soled black boots, ones that give away your entrance from a mile away by the sound of their rubber hitting the ground.
"He's just..." Aaron searches for the right word, trying not to disparage you or Reid, "Skittish. You should talk to him, though, honey. He likes science, and literature, and Star Trek. Pick something from one of those categories, and I promise he'll never stop talking to you for the rest of your life."
You're mostly satisfied, but you let your hand rest in Aaron's for a moment longer, and he'd be a fool to drop it.
"Am I scary, Aaron?" You ask earnestly, and his smile is warm as he brings your hand to his mouth to kiss at your knuckles.
"Not to me. And not to anyone who knows you," He promises, "But... it is nice to not have to worry about carrying a gun when we go out together."
"Aaron!" You laugh, "I'm not a weapon!"
"You could be!" Aaron insists, tugging your hand over to his lunch and dragging your fingernail across his sandwich, "Here, honey, cut it for me, would you? They forgot to give us knives."
"Stop!" You insist, but your laughter gives you away as you turn back to your soup with burning cheeks, "Just you wait, Aaron. As soon as Penelope stops running whenever I enter a room, we're gonna talk shit about you for this."
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dilemmaontwolegs · 9 months
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Not A Verstappen: Gridlocked {7}
Pairing: Charles Leclerc x fem!driver!reader x Lando Norris Summary: Your mother finally gets the truth out of you regarding Max. Warnings: 18+ only, swearing, angst WC: 2k F1 Masterlist NAV: Sibling Rivalry One || Two || Three NAV: Gridlocked One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six || Seven || Eight
The double bed was definitely not made to accommodate three people, even if you were all spooning, so you found yourself sneaking out at sunrise. You hadn’t been able to sleep with the thoughts running through your head, wondering why Max couldn’t have been more like your mother. You weren’t worried about waking Lando as you climbed out from between them, since you didn’t have an air horn on you, but you were careful not to jostle Charles who was a much lighter sleeper.
After changing into a pair of leggings and a sports bra, you found your airpods and shoved the Aura ring back on your finger before taking a lap of the village. You quickly settled into a good pace, feeling the rhythmic slap of your trainers on the pavement and timing your breathing to match. It cleared your mind and gave you a focus on something other than everything else that was happening around you. For those precious minutes you didn’t think about Max.
So far you had managed to avoid talking about him with your mum, though that was mostly thanks to being blindsided by your relationship status - it had been enough to distract her for the rest of the day. You weren’t so sure that luck would last another 24 hours but you would certainly try.
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“Just leave her be, she’ll come in when she’s ready.” Your mother had been watching you all morning from her spot on the window seat, a cup of tea in hand. After Charles had woken up he had joined her and watched curiously, wondering why you were in the garden. “Avoiding me,” she said with a knowing smile. “It’s funny that the only times she would willingly do her chores were when she was trying to hide. It was a dead giveaway, but I never said anything. It was just nice to not have to ask her to do them.”
Charles chuckled as you battled to trim the agapanthus with a pair of rusted and blunt shears. “Should I offer to help?”
She wrinkled her nose and shook her head, checking the time on her watch. “She’s nearly done.”
Charles quirked an eyebrow as he looked at the progress that had barely started to make a dent in the long drive.
“Fuck,” you hissed as you the slimy residue that leaked from every cut leaf made your hand slippery and the shears fell from your grasp, narrowly missing your foot. You went to wipe a wayward hair that fell onto your nose but the sun caught the shimmer of slime and you jerked back with a groan, instead trying to blow it out of your face. You grew more irritated as the hair remained where it was tickling your nose and the urge to sneeze built up. “Fuck this shit.”
Abandoning the garden, you marched up the path and kicked your filthy shoes off before storming through the house.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” your mother greeted jovially. “Lovely day for a spot of gardening.”
“I’m calling Mr Newberry,” you grumbled on your way to the bathroom. “He can sort that mess out.”
You felt slightly calmer after washing away the slime and the chlorophyll that stained your fingers green and that feeling only grew when you found Charles waiting with a coffee made just how you liked it. “Busy morning?” he asked after handing over your elixir of life and taking his payment with a quick kiss.
“I’m just trying to help out,” you said with an innocent shrug. “I made a list of things that need fixing around here and if I don’t make the phone calls they will never get done.”
Charles tried to hide his amusement but when you narrowed your eyes at him he couldn’t stop the smile from breaking through. “Your mother knows you so well,” he laughed as he leaned in to whisper, “She knows you are avoiding her.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
“Yes, she does,” he assured you, running his hands along your sides before he kissed your forehead. “Just talk to her, amour.”
A shirtless and sleepy Lando stumbled his way into the room, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he made a beeline for the two of you. You placed your mug on the table before he reached you and let him fall into the middle of the embrace as his eyes fluttered shut again. He must have been burrowed under the blankets because the heat radiating off him was almost hotter than the blistering shower you had taken.
“Why are you awake?” he mumbled against your neck.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“She’s being a coward and avoiding her mum.”
That made Lando battle his exhausted state and force his eyes to open as his forehead crinkled with a frown. “Why?”
“I’m not.”
“Because she wants to know why that person-we-can’t-mention-for-another-eight-days keeps calling her.”
“You can say his name,” you grumbled. “Max Verstappen, World Champion, Number One. Prodigal Son. Cunt.”
Your mother gasped as she entered the room with a fresh brew of tea. “I should wash your mouth out with soap, young lady.”
You winced at the reprimand. “Oops, turns out we can’t say his name.”
“This has gone on long enough, take a seat - family meeting,” she ordered as she pointed to the table. Lando and Charles took a step towards the door but your mum tutted. “You’re a part of this family now too, gentlemen.”
“Should I put a shirt on?” Lando asked as he looked down at himself. “Or shorts?”
“Please don’t.” “Please do.” You spoke at the same time as your mother, both of you sending each other slightly irritated looks. 
“Two Spitfires, Char, there’s two now,” he whispered under his breath as he went to get dressed. He obviously had been in a rush and blindly pulled clothes out because the tense atmosphere wasn’t enough to stop Charles from grinning at the sight of Lando in his Ferrari shirt.
Seated at one end of the table, you faced your mother while your poor boyfriends were the buffer between. Lacing her fingers together, she stared back at you and made that heavy sigh that every parent could which immediately induced waves of guilt. You didn’t even have anything to be guilty over, but it happened anyway.
“What happened with Max?”
You crossed your arms at the direct question. “This is why I don’t bring people home.”
“What happened with Max?”
“Nothing.” You dropped your head to the table with a thud as her penetrating stare became too much to look at.
“What happened with Max?”
“Fucksake,” you groaned as her persistence won over your impatience. “He called you a whore…well technically he called me one too, but it doesn’t matter. He disrespected you, mum, so instead of calling you what he can do is he can take his phone and go fuck himself with it.”
Lando covered his mouth as a quiet squeak slipped out behind his apologetic smile and you reached out with your foot, running it up and down his leg. You felt bad for subjecting him to this drama when he was as introverted as they come - not that anyone would guess after seeing him on tv. Charles seemed to just take everything on the chin and not a lot fazed him at all, but like you he was reaching out to soothe Lando under the table too. 
“I shouldn’t have come, I’m sorry,” you said as you started to push your chair out.
“Wait, please,” your mum asked quietly as her face softened. “He shouldn’t have said that, sweetheart, and I’m sorry that he did. I’m assuming it was after he found out about the three of you?”
You all nodded sullenly and she sighed. “It’s a shock, that’s no excuse, but it was a big shock. Maybe you should talk to him? It’s been a few days, he’s had time to think and reflect. You might be surprised.”
“Have you ever heard Max apologise?” you asked Lando and Charles. Both of their eyebrows furrowed in thought before they shook their heads. “See, Max doesn’t apologise, and I have no interest in hearing anything else from him.”
“As long as you’re doing it for yourself, honey, and not on my behalf. I have been called every name under the sun, but it's water off a duck's back. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to repair the relationship for some vindication for me. He’s your brother and you have missed so much of each other’s life already.” Your mother sighed again as she saw you had heard her words but they hadn’t broken the wall you had built. “Just think about it.”
She rose from the table, walking around it to rest her hand on your shoulder. “Just think about it,” she repeated before she left the room as you sagged in your chair like a puppet whose string had been cut.
Your phone vibrated in your pocket and you pulled it out to see your reflection broken on the screen. It still hadn’t been repaired from the last argument you had with Max when you accidentally cracked it. Perhaps it was a good reminder to keep.
Unlocking the device, you saw the notification from family share - alerting you that your location services were in use. 
“Fucking cunt,” you groaned before hearing your name from the other end of the house. “Sorry! Can I call him a prick?”
Lando laughed and this time Charles joined in as your mother ranted to herself about your language. You couldn’t help that you grew up around mechanics and drivers, they were the most foul mouthed bunch of people. 
Reaching across, Charles took a look at your phone before updating Lando. “He tracked her.”
“What do you want to do?”
Five minutes ago you would have ditched the phone and packed the car. Five minutes ago you might have threatened harassment. Five minutes of talking with your mother changed everything. 
“I don’t know,” you admitted as you dropped your head in your hands until they were pulled away. You could wear a blindfold and still know exactly who was holding your hand, recognising their touch and feel with the familiarity of intimacy. “What do you think I should do?”
“I’m not ready to forgive him for how he spoke to you, amour,” Charles shrugged. “If he was my brother, I honestly don’t know if that would change anything.”
“I’ll follow your lead, baby,” Lando said as he lifted your hand to his lips. “Whatever you decide. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking you look really good in that shirt,” you said as you looked at Charles for confirmation, his smirk evident. “Really, really good.”
“I always look good. Stay focused.”
“I am focused. I am going to call the gardener, and someone to fix that bloody pavement. Then, maybe, I’ll think about what to do next, it’s not like he’s going to be knocking down the door right this minute.”
Both of them turned to the door expecting to hear it knock and you rolled your eyes. “He’s not the bogeyman. He just likes to think he is.”
You took your phone back and opened the family share app, selecting Max’s phone and watched as it zeroed in on the pin drop. “Shit,” you sighed as the blue dot moved along the street. Leaning back in the chair, you craned your neck to see out the window and caught sight of an Audi SUV pulling in the driveway. “I take that back. Can we run?”
Click here for chapter eight.
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ewanmitchellcrumbs · 5 months
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Stuck On You
Pairing: Michael Gavey (Saltburn) x f!reader Warnings: Dark themes, slut shaming, obsessive behaviour, smut.
Word count: ~6k
Summary: When her email is hacked and racy photos she'd sent to her boyfriend find their way onto Myspace, she becomes the social pariah of Oxford University. She turns to the only person she believes is intelligent enough to be able to help; Michael Gavey. Could uncovering the truth of the situation make things worse than they already are?
Author's note: Written to celebrate one year of my blog existing. Sorry for the delay. Crumbageddon beat the shit out of me. No tag list. Follow @fics-by-ewanmitchellcrumbs and turn on post notifications. Community labels are for cops.
“Using a painting of that former duchess as a conversation piece, he describes what he saw as her unfaithfulness, frivolity, and stubbornness, and implies that he prefers her as a painting rather than as a…as a living woman,” her voice shakes, stumbling over her words, watching as her essay papers slip from her hands, fluttering towards the rug of the study.
“Sh-shit…I’m sorry,” she stammers, leaning down to snatch them back up, feeling her skin heat up with embarrassment as she attempts to rustle them back into order.
“Everything alright?” Professor Ware asks, shifting in his seat and clasping his hands in his lap.
“Distracted by her own portrait, I should imagine,” snarks Farleigh, cutting her off before she has a chance to reply. 
He smirks up at her, before returning his focus to the screen of his Macbook, fingers tapping quickly across the keys as he sits on the floor with it in his lap, leaning back against the armchair she currently sits in, his legs crossed at the ankle.
Of course he’d left it until the last minute to do his essay. Lazy prick.
“Stop it,” she hisses, knocking his shoulder with her knee.
“Why? It’s up again already anyway,” he retorts with a casual shrug, not bothering to look at her this time.
Her blood runs ice cold, dread gnawing a pit in her stomach. That would be the fourth time this week.
“Where?!” She demands, leaning down to snatch Farleigh’s Macbook from him, ignoring his protestation of “hey!” as she clicks on the minimised Internet Explorer window to see her Myspace profile already open.
Just as he’d said, there she is. Her profile picture depicts her in a lacy two piece lingerie set, laying on her bed, her cleavage, stomach and thighs on full display. She’d thought the angle flattering when she’d first held the digital camera above herself and snapped the picture, but now it’s splashed all over the internet for everyone to see. It makes her feel sick.
“I have to go,” she says hurriedly, shoving Farleigh’s Macbook back into his lap and stuffing her essay papers into her bag.
She almost trips over Farleigh’s long legs in her rush to escape the tutorial room, the air suddenly feeling too thick and difficult to breathe, as her heart hammers in her chest. Her feet carry her down the hallway in quick strides, no particular direction in mind, just eager to get away.
It had all seemed like innocent fun at first. She had felt excited on the second day of Fresher’s Week when a group of girls from the floor of her accommodation had invited her to go shopping with them
They had wrinkled their noses as she had beelined for the Ann Summers in Westgate Shopping Centre, lured by the big, red sale banner in the window.
“Oh darling,” India had cooed, “don’t buy that rubbish. We’ll get the train into London and take you to Rigby and Peller in Mayfair, if it’s lingerie you’re after.”
She had balked inwardly at the thought of how expensive that would be, but had simply smiled politely, stating “this is fine”, more than happy with the matching black lace set she’d picked from the sale rail.
Back in her room, she’d tried it on, loving the way the material hugged her curves and felt against her skin. Excitedly, she’d dug out her digital camera, contorting herself into various poses that she felt best displayed her assets, until she was satisfied she had several that looked good.
She hadn’t seen her boyfriend, Jake, since she had left for Oxford and he had gone to Brighton. Their reading weeks didn’t align, which meant they’d have to wait until the term came to an end to see each other at Christmas.
Emailing him the photos had felt like a nice way for them to maintain some sort of intimacy, despite the distance, and he’d certainly appreciated it, as a couple of hours later she’d gotten a text from him which simply said “wow!”
The high from that had left her with a smile on her face for days, until she’d stepped out of a tutorial a few days later to see a missed call and a text from him.
“What the fuck are you playing at?!” It had read.
She’d called him back straight away, the urge to vomit growing acrid in her throat as he’d told her what he’d seen, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder, she’d scrambled with shaking hands to free her laptop from her bag, to confirm what Jake was saying.
There it was. Her Myspace profile picture had been changed to one of the lingerie photos she’d sent to him. This one was a full length photo she’d taken, aiming the camera at the mirror in her room.
The hot prickle of tears had burned beneath her eyelids, as she’d drawn in a shaky breath. “Wh-why would you do that?” She’d whispered tearfully into the phone.
“It wasn’t me!” Jake had snapped angrily. “Perhaps if you hadn't taken those bloody photos in the first place then this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Are you seriously blaming me?!”
“It just looks bad. I think maybe we should cool things for a bit, I can’t with be someone that—”
Tears had rolled down her cheeks as she’d pulled the phone away from her ear, seeing the call had cut off. She’d run out of credit. In a way, she was grateful; she didn’t want to listen to Jake ending their relationship, to continue to blame her for something that wasn’t her fault.
She had taken the photo down, changed her profile picture back to what it was before, and changed the password for both Myspace and her email. However, the damage was done, the whispers of “slut” as she walked to lectures had already started.
Another two days later she had entered the IT lab to print out her essay, and saw a group huddled around a computer, laughing together. They had turned, immediately quietening down, their voices hushed whispers as they looked at her. 
She had pushed them apart, already knowing what it was they were all looking at, but wanting to confirm it. Just as she’d suspected, her Myspace profile was open. This time her photo had been changed to an over the shoulder shot. The side of her face and her buttocks visible as she’d arched her back.
Running back to her room, tears of humiliation blurring her vision, she’d taken the photo down again and changed all her passwords. But once again, it was too little, too late. A print out of the photo slipped beneath her door that same day, with the word “whore” scrawled across it.
Her friends were already starting to pull away, the invites to the pub had dried up into nothing. When another photo had been uploaded, Felix had pulled her to one side.
“Look, I think it’s incredibly daring of you to be doing what you’re doing, and I respect the fuck out of you for it, really I do,” he’d said, eyes filled with sympathy as he’d looked down at her. “But a few of us really aren’t comfortable with how you’re going about…getting attention, so I just think it’s for the best if we take some space until you’ve figured out whatever this is.”
She had been stunned by his words, her eyes going wide as her mouth had dropped open. “You think I’m doing this to myself?!”
“Well, what else are we supposed to think? We’re worried about you. There are better…healthier ways to make yourself stand out. Just come clean and all of this can stop.”
Turning away in disgust, anger and betrayal flaring white hot in her chest, she’d walked away. This was happening to her, she wasn’t complicit in it, and yet people continued to act like it was her fault. She had started to wonder if she really was to blame. Had she tempted fate by taking those photos in the first place?
Today was the fourth time a photo had been uploaded and having fled from the tutorial with Professor Ware and Farleigh, she finds herself in the Bodleian Library, having walked on instinct. 
It serves as a quiet refuge for her in moments when she feels overwhelmed, hiding among the shelves, admiring tomes that are older than she is. She’d come here on her first day, when the influx of new people, sights and sounds had become too much, and she had crouched between the stacks the first time one of her photos had been leaked. The smell of old books and the peace and quiet feels safe.
Walking silently between the study tables she spots him, alone, as he always is; Michael Gavey. He is hunched over a notebook, scribbling furious notes, stopping occasionally to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his index finger.
She had thoroughly embarrassed herself the first time she’d met him, the only time she had ever spoken to him. It had been the night of the fresher’s welcome dinner. She’d heard his outburst in the dining hall, heard how he had answered the subsequent multiplication sum flawlessly and been bowled over by how effortlessly brilliant he was. It was intimidating.
Yet, later that evening fuelled by the courage of five tropical watermelon flavoured Bacardi Breezers, she’d stumbled over to him in the rec room, ignoring how he’d recoiled slightly at her advancing towards him.
She’d wrapped an arm around his neck, taking no notice of the way he’d stiffened beneath her touch.
“Wha’s nine hundred and ninety nine divided by thirteen?” She’d slurred into his ear.
He had bristled slightly, before answering quietly. “Seventy six point eight five.”
She had giggled, patting his cheek, knocking his glasses askew. “Don’t even know how to check that, but I’ll take your word for it, genius.” 
Kissing his cheek, she’d stumbled away, leaving him to wipe away the sticky residue her lips had left behind, while Felix and Farleigh had fallen about themselves, laughing, finding it far funnier than she’d intended for it to be. She had ended up making him a laughing stock without even meaning to.
The memory fills her with shame. She really did find him impressive. He was precisely the type of person she had wanted to rub shoulders with when she arrived at Oxford, yet she had made a fool of herself instead.
She smiled at him whenever she caught his eye on the rare occasions they crossed paths, but he’d either look away or stare at her expressionless.
Perhaps now was her opportunity to make amends. She has no friends now anyway, so it’s not as though she has anything to lose.
Walking over to his table, before she has a chance to talk herself out of it, she sits down heavily in the seat next to him, depositing her bag onto the tabletop.
Michael’s pen pauses its movements, and slowly his head turns to the side, narrowing his eyes at her in silent question.
She suddenly has the urge to run, realising this was a terrible idea. She feels enormous discomfort beneath the scrutiny of his gaze yet, determined to push through it, she offers him a bright smile.
“You’re Michael, aren’t you?” She says, attempting to sound more cheerful than she feels.
“Yes,” he replies simply, placing his pen down and straightening in his seat.
“Thought so. I’m–”
“I know who you are,” he cuts her off. “What do you want?”
“Oh,” she swallows, shifting awkwardly in her seat. She hadn’t anticipated him being quite so blunt. “Well, I wanted to apologise for how I behaved on the first night. I thought maybe we could be friends?”
He scoffs, the corners of his mouth turning up into the faintest of smirks. “As if I’d be friends with someone who’s reading literature. Why pay all that money in tuition fees for a glorified book club?”
For a moment she doesn’t know what to say. Shock, offense and hurt swirl in a hot mixture in her chest. She fights the embarrassing urge to burst into tears. Her voice is small and weak when she finally asks “How do you know what I’m studying?”
Michael nods towards the desk. “There’s a book of Robert Browning poetry sticking out of your bag.”
“Right, yeah…” She feels her skin heat up, turning to slowly tuck the book further down inside, still able to feel his eyes upon her. It’s disconcerting to be observed so closely.
“Where’s that group of losers you usually hang around with anyway?”
The question takes her by surprise, and she laughs softly, though there is no real humour to it. “I don’t think they want to hang around with me anymore.”
“So you’re a Norman no mates too then?”
His expression has softened, a slight playfulness brightens his blue eyes as she looks back at him, and she can’t help but smile. “Yeah, I suppose I am.”
He leans forward, resting his elbow on the table and propping his chin up on his hand. “Hmmm. So they got bored of you then?”
“No…I–”
She sighs exasperatedly, running a hand through her hair, before digging through her bag to pull out her laptop. “It’s probably easier if I show you.”
Setting the laptop down on the table, she loads her Myspace page, the same picture she’d seen on Farleigh’s Macbook earlier still set as her profile photo. “Someone keeps changing my profile picture to this. I sent my boyfriend…ex-boyfriend…some photos and now someone has them and keeps doing this every time I change it back.”
Michael’s expression is impassive as he stares at the screen. “Have you changed your passwords?”
“Yes,” she sighs.
“So, you’ve been hacked.”
“Looks that way…I don’t suppose you know anything about computers? Maybe you could help me figure out who’s doing this?”
“Ah,” he clicks his tongue, staring intently at her, “so there it is, pretending to befriend the college nerd because you need computer help. Do you not think it’s a bit of a tired stereotype to assume that because I’m reading maths I’d be able to help you with your IT issues?”
“No, it’s not like that!” She protests, her eyes welling up with tears. She turns away, defeated, deciding this is a lost cause and closes her laptop. “I’m sorry, I’ll leave you alone.”
He sighs. “Well, there’s no need to cry about it. I can help you, just not right now. Are you free later this evening?”
She sniffles, her eyes going wide as she looks at him in surprise. “Really?”
He nods, closing his notebook and slipping his pen into his breast pocket. “I’ve got a tutorial in twenty minutes, but I can help trace the IP of whoever’s hacked you. I’m on the first floor of the Brasenose, second room left of the staircase. I’ll be back around five.”
Nodding, she immediately feels lighter, the possibility that this may finally come to an end instantly lifting her spirits. A chance to get her life back. “That’s perfect, I’ll see you then. Thank you so much.”
He rises, his gaze remaining fixed upon her. “See you later.” 
The way he addresses her, first and last name, sends a shiver down her spine as she watches him turn away and walk slowly out of the library. She wonders what she has gotten herself into, but with no friends and no other options there is little else to be done.
She is filled with restless energy for the rest of the day, unable to sit still or concentrate during the only other lecture she has that afternoon, until eventually she finds herself standing outside of Michael’s room at quarter past five, the hours leading up to that feeling as though they’ve lasted an eternity.
Where there is the faint sound of music or talking coming from the doors she’s passed already on her way here, she is struck by the eerie silence she is met with from his, and wonders for a moment if he’s even home.
Nervous excitement crackles like electricity through her body and her knock is louder than she intends for it to be. She hears shuffling from the other side, until the door swings slowly open. Michael stands poker straight on the threshold, staring down at her.
“Did you bring your laptop?” He asks.
Yet again she is taken aback by how forthright he is, but she nods, stepping in as he moves to the side to let her pass.
Looking around the room, she takes in the plainness of his bedspread, the shelves of mathematics and physics textbooks, the desk set up in the corner that has his laptop open on it. There is nothing that gives even the slightest indication as to who he is as a person.
The sound of him clearing his throat startles her attention back to him, and she turns with an apologetic smile to face him. “Sorry, always weird being in someone else’s room…”
“Right,” he replies, his gaze unwavering as he looks at her. “Laptop?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry,” embarrassment heats up her skin, as she rummages in her bag, taking it out and handing it to him.
He settles it next to his own on the desk, before taking a seat.
She stands awkwardly in the middle of the room, looking around, not quite knowing what to do with herself. “Um…where should I…?”
“Anywhere,” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand, not looking at her.
She settles on the edge of the bed, running her hands over the soft cotton of the duvet cover. It’s an odd sensation to sit so casually in the space that she knows he sleeps. It feels too familiar, too intimate.
Glancing to the side, she notices the shimmer of gold and purple in the bin. She smiles to herself, having learned something about him in spite of the lack of personal effects in his room. He has a sweet tooth, evidenced by the Crunchie bar wrappers in the bin.
“Password?” He asks, and her head snaps up towards him.
“Hmm?”
He turns in his chair, resting his arm on the back of it, glaring at her over his shoulder. “The password for your laptop, what is it?”
“Oh!” She exclaims. “Is it safe for me to tell you that?”
“It is if you want me to help you,” he sighs.
She squirms uncomfortably. He has the innate ability to make her feel small, foolish, but what’s most disconcerting is that she doesn’t dislike it, there is something about him that draws her to his condescension. 
“It’s Shakespeare,” she tells him sheepishly, “with a four in place of the first A.”
“What about the passwords for your email and Myspace accounts?”
“The same.”
“The same?!”
“I’ve changed the passwords each time a new photo has been posted, but it’s just easier to have the same one for everything.”
He groans, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “No wonder you’ve been hacked, typical fucking liberal arts student.”
She lowers her gaze, fingers plucking nervously at the bedspread. “Different passwords for every account, got it.”
“Well, that’s a start, yes,” he tells her, turning back to the screens. “Has anyone but you had access to your computer?”
“No, it stays in my bag when I’m not using it.”
She sits watching him tap away at the keyboards of both laptops alternately for a few moments before she speaks again. “I’m not stupid, you know,” she tells him, her voice sounding meeker than she means for it to. “English Language and Literature is no less of a respectable course than Mathematics. I wrote an essay on the Robert Browning poem, My Last Duchess, recently. It’s a fascinating piece, focusing on the Duke of Ferrara using a painting of his former wife as a conversation topic. The Duke speaks about his former wife's perceived inadequacies to a representative of the family of his bride-to-be, revealing his obsession with controlling others in the process. Browning uses this compelling psychological portrait of a despicable character to critique the objectification of women and abuses of power. It’s a compelling commentary on social status and elitism.”
“What would you know about either of those things?” He asks, continuing to type.
“More than I’d like to,” she says quietly, “I don’t fit in here, not really. I earned my place with a scholarship.”
He pauses, stiffening, glancing over his shoulder at her with a “hmm”.
“I’ve managed to get into the access logs for both your email and Myspace accounts,” he tells her. “There are two sets of IPs that have accessed both accounts in the last week, but both are eduroam IP addresses.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that whoever is uploading those photos is doing so from the university.”
The revelation hits her like a punch to the gut, she feels paralysed, unable to speak as his words sink in. A part of her had wanted to believe it was Jake. To think there is someone at the university who is doing this to her makes her feel nauseated. Her mind races with the possibilities of who it could be. Felix? India? Farleigh? What reason could any of them possibly have to want to do that to her?
“What should I do?” She asks worriedly, staring at Michael with her brows pinched together. “Do you think reporting it would help?”
He swivels his chair fully around to face her and shakes his head. “Not if you intend to keep your scholarship. Rocking the boat over leaked nudes won’t look good to the university board, they’ll take issue with the fact that you even took those photos in the first place.”
“So I just have to let this keep happening?” She feels her throat tighten, wetness rims her eyes.
“Change your passwords,” he says matter of factly. “A different one for every account.”
She nods, expelling a shaky breath, before standing. “I should probably get going. Thank you…for everything.”
Before she goes to bed that night, she changes her passwords - a different one for every account she owns, and deletes the newest uploaded photo, returning her profile picture to its original state.
As far as she is concerned, that should be the end of it. However, her breath hitches, icy cold fingers of fear gripping her heart when she logs on the following morning. Not only has her profile picture been changed to another photo from the set she’d taken for Jake, but the “about me” section now reads “vapid cunt”.
On autopilot, she dresses, taking her laptop and walking the six minutes from Christ Church Halls to Brasenose College.
As soon as Michael’s door opens, she flings her arms around his neck, sobbing into his chest. He stiffens, not returning the gesture, until she finally pulls away.
He straighens, adjusting his glasses. His hair is rumpled from sleep, clad in a t-shirt and plaid pyjama bottoms.
“God, I’m so sorry, I woke you up,” she says tearfully, “I should go. I didn’t think, I just–”
“It’s fine,” he says flatly, ushering her in.
She sits down on the bed. It’s unmade, still warm from where he’s been sleeping in it. The feeling sends a shiver down her spine, despite her emotional distress.
Gingerly he sits next to her, keeping a respectable distance as she removes her laptop from her bag and opens it. “It’s happened again. I did everything you said to do, but it’s happened again, and it’s worse this time. Look–”
Handing him the laptop she shuffles closer to him, her thigh pressed against his. She can feel the warmth of him through her leggings. It causes butterflies to flutter in her belly, it’s been so long since she’s been this close to anyone.
Michael doesn’t stiffen at her touch this time, whether it’s because he doesn’t mind it or is too distracted by what he sees on the screen, she’s unsure, but it’s progress.
“Hmm. And you’re sure you changed your passwords?”
“Yes, all of them. I don’t know what else to do. If I report it, I risk my scholarship, but if this carries on I’ll lose it anyway, because how can I concentrate when this keeps happening?”
He says nothing, closing her laptop and passing it back to her.
“I’ve worked my arse off to get here, to earn my place, this can’t be what ends it,” she says miserably, tucking her computer back into her bag.
“I’d suggest focusing on your studies and less on your peers,” Michael says matter of factly. “You haven’t made the best choice of friends since arriving here.”
“They’re not my friends,” she whispers, her hands fidgeting in her lap. “At least not anymore. Do you think it’s one of them doing this?”
“I wouldn’t put it past them,” he replies bitterly, “stay away from them. I’ve got a lecture this morning, but maybe when I’ve got some downtime, I can do a deeper dive, perhaps see if I can track the logins to a device type.”
“You’d do that for me?” She whispers, looking at him with eyes full of appreciation.
“That’s what mates are for, right?”
“Thank you…just…thank you,” she tells him with sincerity, holding his gaze.
She reaches for his hand and gives it a gentle squeeze, desperate to kiss his cheek as a gesture of her gratitude, but remembers the first time she’d done it and cringes inwardly. Though Michael’s hand doesn’t clutch back, he doesn’t move it away and, after a few moments, she realises they’re simply sitting holding hands, looking into each other's eyes.
He is beautiful in his own way. His stare, though intimidating, is piercingly blue, and his lips are soft and plump. She swallows, lashes fluttering in embarrassment when she realises she’s staring at his mouth.
Chancing her luck, she leans in, planting a lingering kiss to the corner of his lips. “I’ll be back at lunchtime, okay?” She whispers, before standing and moving towards the door.
He simply nods, fingers raising to brush over the spot where she’d kissed him. The sight puts a spring in her step for the rest of the morning, almost enough to forget about her being hacked. Almost.
She stops at a vending machine in the rec room on her way back to Brasenose at midday, deciding to buy Michael a Crunchie, an additional thank you for him going out of his way to help her.
As awful as having her privacy violated has been, she is grateful that it has brought her and Michael closer together. She had started the term wanting nothing more than to be his friend, and had royally fucked it up.
Now it seems they have mended their rift, and the prospect of being more than just friends is on the cards. Admittedly, he isn’t her usual type, but there is something about him that excites her. She hopes that once this is all over, this can be a fresh start for her at Oxford; her and Michael, just the caliber of intelligence she had wanted to associate with when she’d first applied.
She knocks at his door, hesitating when he doesn’t open it.
“Michael?” She calls out, brow furrowing in concern when he doesn’t answer.
They’d agreed upon lunchtime to meet, where was he? She tries the door handle and it’s unlocked, gingerly she pushes it open, peering slowly inside. He’s not there, but if he’d left it unlocked then he’d surely be back soon and wouldn’t mind her waiting inside for him.
She steps into the room, finding it much the same as before, only this time the bed is made. Walking over to the window by the desk, she stops to admire the view of the church, startling slightly when her bag knocks the computer chair, disturbing the mouse and taking Michael’s laptop out of sleep.
As she is about to turn back to the window, she notices her Myspace profile is open in edit mode in his browser. She frowns, a feeling of unease washing over her, as she steps towards the desk, her hand trembling as she reaches for the mouse.
She minimises Internet Explorer, gasping when she sees a folder open on his desktop, filled with the photos she had sent to Jake, all of them, even the ones that hadn’t yet been set as her profile picture.
Her heart pounds as she selects all of them, deleting them before clicking on the recycling bin to empty it.
“You didn’t think I’d be stupid enough to not create back ups, did you?”
Turning, she sees that Michael has returned, so quietly she hadn’t noticed. His fingers clutch at the USB stick that’s clipped to his cargo shorts, lips turned up into an expression of smugness.
Tears prickle her eyes, as her heart lurches, the only word that escapes her is “why?” as she looks at him with arched brows, her face pinched into an expression of emotional hurt.
“Why?” He repeats, cocking his head, advancing towards her as she shrinks back into the corner. “Because someone needed to take you down a peg or two.”
“You’ve ruined my life!” She cries, tears slipping down her cheeks, looking at him in disbelief.
This has to be a dream, it is too surreal. Any moment now, she’ll wake up and all of this will have been a terrible dream.
Only it’s not, it’s real, real as the heat of his breath that fans across her face as he looms over her, having backed her fully into the corner between the desk and the window. 
“What life? Pretending to play a part with people that don’t really like you? Using your pretentious choice in reading material to make yourself seem intelligent?”
“You don’t know anything about me!” She says defiantly.
“Oh, I know all about you. Hiding your scholarship from those vapid cunts, so they won’t sniff out your working class background and drop you. The variations of John Browning as your password - adding a different number to each variation doesn’t make it a different password, stupid girl.”
“I was nice to you…” She offers feebly, almost pleading with him.
He smirks, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, gripping harshly, forcing her to look at him. “You felt sorry for me. But it’s not me that needs pity, is it? It’s you. Poor little scholarship slut. You love that My Last Duchess poem so much because you see yourself in it, don’t you? Think you’re being objectified, treated unfairly. Well, let me tell you something, you are like that poem, but in the sense that you’re better in pictures than you are in real life.”
“Stop it,” she whispers, trying to pull away from him.
“Truth hurt, does it?” He asks, his grip on her face remaining tight. “That’s a pity. I enjoyed those pictures, really enjoyed them. It’s a shame the real life version is so whiny and pathetic.”
“I’ll report you,” she says quietly.
“Oh, I don’t think you will, somehow. You love the attention,” he tells her, dropping his hand from her chin to her shoulder, turning her and backing her up towards the bed. “I’ve seen how you look at me. If I wanted to fuck you right now, you’d let me.”
“I–I wouldn’t!” She stammers, feeling her face grow warm.
With a gentle shove from him, she topples back against the mattress, and he is quick to move over her, caging her in. “Liar,” he whispers in her ear.
She shudders at the sensation, despising the way her body betrays her, as heat pools between her legs. She shouldn’t be turned on by this, yet she can’t deny the way he sets her pulse racing.
“I haven’t ruined your life, but I could and you’d let me, wouldn’t you?” He hisses.
The weight of him on top of her, his warm breath fanning against her neck, it’s dizzying. She wants to tell him to get off of her, to push him away, yet she cannot find it in herself to do so. There is a part of her that’s curious to see how far he’ll push this.
When she doesn’t say anything, he carries on, nimble fingers moving to the waistband of her leggings, tugging them down. “I’m going to treat you like the desperate, little slut that you are, and you’re going to let me, aren’t you?”
She whines, lifting her hips as he rids her of the bottom half of her clothing.
“That’s what I thought,” he smirks.
His gaze falls between her legs, tentative fingers reaching out to brush through the wetness that has gathered there. She sees a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes and wonders if he has ever done this before.
She knows his moment of hesitation would be enough for her to push him away, grab her clothes and report him, yet she feels compelled to stay. If this is his first time, then she wants it to be her. She enjoys the dynamic of the power he has over her, while simultaneously being able to take something from him.
Wanting to bolster his confidence, urge him to continue, she sits up, eager hands unfastening his belt and unzipping his shorts. It flips a switch inside him, and he’s surging forward once more, pinning her beneath him as he pushes his boxers down just enough to free his cock.
“Tell me you want this,” he rasps against the shell of her ear.
“I want this,” she mewls desperately, feeling the head of him resting at her entrance.
“You’re going to keep letting me do this to you, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You’ll wear that tarty underwear from your photos for me, won’t you?”
“...yes.”
He presses forward and is met with resistance, not having fully prepared her. He draws back and pushes against her again, repeating the motion until he’s fully sheathed inside of her. It’s exquisite torture, a pleasurable hurt to be split apart by him, to feel so full.
Breathing heavily through his nose, he stills and she can feel his inexperience in the way that he tenses, but isn’t prepared to give up when they’ve already come this far. She rolls her hips against his, a breathy sigh escaping her as she feels her sweet spot rub up against the head of him.
He screws his eyes shut, jaw going slack, before beginning to move his own hips, pulling back to slam forward once more, quickly finding a rhythm that suits him. This isn’t careful, considered lovemaking, they rut against each other like animals, both of them allowing instinct to guide them as they seek out the movements that feel most pleasurable.
She clings tightly to him, meeting him thrust for thrust, their breaths coming in hot, shallow pants.
“Fucking knew this was all you needed,” he mutters, “someone to teach you a lesson, see you for what you really are.”
“Please,” she whimpers, her hands sliding down to his backside to push him in deeper, causing him to groan.
“F–fuck,” he stutters, picking up his pace when he feels her start to tighten around him. “Tell me you’re mine, you don’t need anyone else, just me.”
“‘M yours,” she gasps, pushing her hips against his, zeroing in on the precipice she is about to fall from.
A particularly harsh thrust is the final shove she needs, and white hot waves of euphoria wrack her body, as she cries out in ecstasy. Suddenly, Michael is withdrawing, leaving her to clench around nothing as he paints her inner thigh with sticky warmth.
He collapses beside her, and she stares into the lightly fogged lenses of his glasses, their noses bumping together.
“Are you still going to ruin my life?” She asks, hazy with pleasure.
For the first time, their lips meet, a messy clash of tongue and teeth, that’s sloppy and wet, their breaths still heavy and movements uncontrolled. 
“You’re going to let me,” he whispers when they finally break for air, “because you’re mine.” Resistance is futile, she will let him. She wants this, needs this. After all, Michael Gavey is the type of person she came to Oxford to associate with in the first place, and she’s gotten exactly what she asked for.
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nicohischierz · 10 months
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cruel summer: nico hischier x devs!player
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you loved spending your summers with nico in switzerland. this summer was no different.
except nico’s ex-girlfriend was in town and made it her mission to spend every waking moment with him.
you found out she was back one morning when you were seated outside his childhood home with his mother, katja, learning some swiss-german.
nico’s ex had spotted katja and shouted a greeting, running over to the older woman and embracing her in a hug.
katja returned the gesture, although she did furrow her eyebrows when she looked over to you. the woman was shocked to say the least at her arrival.
“andrea, i didn’t know you were back. how are you?” katja asked gesturing to take a seat next to you.
andrea smiled and took the seat, not even looking at your side. “well i missed this place so much, i thought i’d get on the next flight and come home,” she explained.
you weren’t sure whether to introduce yourself or to leave, so you sat in silence until luca came out and noticed andrea.
“y/n, nico and i are going on a hike do you want to - andrea?” the older hischier brother stopped and looked between you and andrea.
the woman in question got up and launched herself into luca’s arms “oh i’ve missed you luca! it has been far too long since we’ve hung out,” she cried.
whilst andrea was preoccupied with luca, katja leaned across to you and whispered “i don’t know why she is back but i would tell nico to watch out,”
and katja was right.
for the past two weeks, andrea would come over to the hischier house early in the morning and follow nico around like a puppy.
whenever nico was sitting next to you andrea would be on the other side of him. if he needed something andrea would hurry to get it for him.
you never actually got a chance to talk to her until tonight. two weeks after the girl had made her appearance, katja and rino were having a dinner to celebrate your extension with the team.
“i don’t think we’ve formally met, i’m y/n, nico’s girlfriend,” you introduced yourself, holding a hand out to her.
andrea shot you a smile, which you could tell was fake, and returned the gesture. “andrea. i thought you were his teammate?” she questioned.
luckily, nico was behind the two of you and answered her question. “she is my teammate and my girlfriend,”
the answer made you smile. so you leaned up and pecked his lips, leaving your boyfriend a blushing mess.
that night, andrea continued doting on nico which made you feel like a bad girlfriend. upon reflection, you realised nico spent most of his time taking care of you than you did taking care of him.
that night you texted jack.
it was almost immediate when he replied your plane ticket attached and the promise to pick you up. he also assured you that your doctors appointment had been booked.
there were only five people who knew about your secret. nina, katja, your mother, ellen and now jack.
with a sigh on your lips and a quick glance over your shoulder, you thanked the hischier family for accommodating you before luca drove you to the airport.
nico woke up to a cold bed and a pit in his stomach. he thought you might’ve joined his brother on a morning walk but when he saw luca trailing in without he worried.
“where is y/n?” he asked.
his family didn’t say anything. it didn’t help that andrea took that exact moment to walk in and place a kiss on nico’s cheek, despite him pushing her away.
“she’s gone,” nina replied, grabbing her plate and bumping into nico’s ex. she had enjoyed spending time with you and was excited for what you had planned for tonight.
nico was stunned. you wouldn’t leave him like that, not after everything you’ve been through.
“what a shame, she seemed like a nice girl. nico i wanted to tell you alex and hannah wanted us to join their date,” andrea butted in.
rino left the room to call you and katja just shook her head.
“stop it!” nico yelled.
“all you’ve done since you’ve been here is folllow me around and it’s annoying. now get out of my house, i don’t want to see you!” he continued.
andrea faltered suddenly before she made her way to the door, embarrassed of her actions.
“luca, please tell me where she is,” nico pleaded with his older brother.
“she went to michigan,”
nico booked the next flight out with only one thought in mind. he took a cab to jack’s house hoping his friend could help.
but luke answered the door and near slammed it in his face again.
“luke please, i just need to know if she’s okay,”
but luke left the door and called his oldest brother. quinn, being the more level headed brother walked out of the house to talk to nico.
but before quinn has the chance to close the door and drown the inside noise out nico can hear you yelling.
“luke hughes you did not just tell a pregnant woman to lie on the floor!”
those words made nico freeze but quinn just shook his head and told nico to follow him.
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1d1195 · 11 months
Text
Traditional II
Read the first part here
This part got a bit away from me. But I kinda like it. Hope you enjoy!
“Do men hold doors open for you, love?” He asked.
She blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“I will take that as a no, then,” he chuckled. “I would like t’hold doors open for y’whenever I can,” he explained.
“Oh,” she said in surprise. “Well, thank you.”
“M’pleasure.”
Niall was very accommodating when she arrived. “Hey darlin’,” he smiled holding his hand out. “Nice t’see you again. Did you find everything okay?” He asked.
At the same time, she was trying to take in the beautiful, shiny floors that clicked with heels and others shoes all the way down the long hall. There were glass rooms spaced out at regular intervals between the beautiful wooden doors that looked like they belonged to a vintage castle.
“Yes, thank you. So far so good,” she smiled nervously. In the back of her head, she was thinking about that introductory message Harry sent her. Harry Styles. Styles. Certainly, Styles Incorporated was not the same Harry. The world wasn’t that cruel. Right? Harry would have said something. Even some low-on-the-totem-pole intern would have sparked something in the boss of a successful company like this while perusing a website for a girl to spoil.
“Great,” he smiled. “Follow me, I’ll show you around.” Her phone vibrated in her bag’s front pocket. As Niall showed her the breakroom with a half kitchen and spacious table, she put her lunch in the fridge and checked the message. Have a great day, love. You’ll do great. Excited to meet you later and hear all about it. No, he didn’t know. She decided. He would have said ‘See you around’ or something like that.Sliding her phone back into its space she turned her attention back to Niall. “Nervous?” He asked with a grin.
She nodded then shrugged with a nervous chuckle escaping her lips. “Kind of,” she admitted. “You’re very nice. I’m worried I’ll mess up.”
“Then you’re going to do great,” he chuckled and tilted his head toward the hallway. “This whole floor is ours; your office is small—sorry about that. A makeshift attempt and you deserve better. If it’s any consolation, most days m’not even in the office so you can lounge around and do your work in my space. I tried convincing Harry that you’ll need more but—”
She blinked and felt her heart rate take off before she could stop. No. “Harry?” She questioned, interrupting quickly.
Niall smirked. “My best friend...and the boss. Don’t worry, he’s a softie at heart. Just don’t lie to him. He loves authenticity. M’sure you’ve heard rumors about past interns and—"
Her tongue felt dry; she wished she had taken her water bottle from her lunch bag. Her boss’s boss was...it couldn’t be that coincidental, right? If he knew there was a conflict of interest, she would either have lost her...outside position or this internship. Right? Niall was explaining the reputation of the rapid rotation of interns. She assumed one wrong look would leave Harry mad and Niall would have no choice but to let them go. “I have a good feeling about you though,” he smirked at her as he continued walking back toward his office...their office.
“Niall.”
“Speak of the devil,” Niall smirked as he muttered under his breath to her. Turning toward his name she spun on her heel at the same time to see Harry approaching. He was tall and beautiful. But she already knew that from his profile picture. He wore a collared button down and the collar was pressed firmly and stiffly against the dark green sweater he wore over it. With sleeves rolled up to his elbows, he displayed a multitude of tattoos and veiny forearms that she had to look away from quickly before she drooled. Adorned in a pair of slacks and dress shoes she thought that he knew exactly what he was doing: torturing any poor girl that looked at him as beautiful. She tried looking at his perfectly styled brown curls and his green eyes attached to eyelashes that seemed downright sinful with every blink. His face seemed a bit scruffy, like he forgot to shave this morning.
His gaze didn’t falter even a nanometer. It was perfectly normal to see the girl he had just paid a substantial sum of money to live in a beautiful, highly expensive apartment. She was going to see him tonight for a first date. And yet, here he was, at his company without so much as a flinch of surprise by the fact that she was interning here. “Harry, this is our new intern,” Niall explained introducing her to his best friend.
Harry held his hand out. “Pleasure t’meet you, beautiful. M’name’s Harry, Harry Styles. Make sure t’tell me if Niall is treating y’poorly.”
Her brain wasn’t processing the words. Maybe Harry hadn’t put two and two together yet. It would make sense to separate his personal life with his business. Or maybe she just wasn’t recognizable; she spent a good chunk of time getting ready this morning in hopes of looking pretty but felt she fell short.
Mostly, she couldn’t imagine Niall treating her anything less than perfectly and that quite baffled her. “Oh, thank you,” she managed to say taking his hand and noticing his grip was firm and warm just like a good handshake was supposed to be. Would they do this all again later when they met for dinner? “I’m excited to be here,” she said—that was the truth. She scoured for internships long before she thought of being a companion for someone with Harry’s kind of money.
Harry smiled and turned his attention back to Niall. “Tricked another one, I see,” he mumbled. “I wanted t’know if y’have the report for our first meeting this morning.”
Niall nodded and jerked his head toward the office. “I was just about to show her m’office,” he said opening the door to his home away from home. He held the door for her to follow him and she held the door for Harry, but he shook his head as Niall was already looking at the piles of messy paperwork on his desk. Her first order of business would be to organize that chaos.
“After you, love,” he said holding the door open for her to enter. She mumbled a quiet thank you and passed through the threshold. As she did, she heard him speak, just for her to hear, not Niall, “guess I should’ve asked where y’were interning, hmm?” He hummed quietly.
Her face warmed and she swallowed the lump in her throat as she did her best to maintain her composure. Fortunately, Niall was looking through his messy piles, so he didn’t notice her blushing face or her awkwardness.
“I can organize all this for you,” she decided to say to avoid the way her legs felt numb and shaky.
“I know where everything is,” Niall smirked at her with a grin that said the exact opposite of his words.
“I think you should let her,” Harry agreed. He rolled his eyes and produced a blue file folder with the document inside.
“Right where I left it,” he said passing it to Harry. She giggled quietly and Niall winked at her. As Harry and Niall discussed the file, she glanced around his spacious office with the pretty view. When they entered, she hadn’t noticed the tiny little room that seemed to attach inward through the door they entered. It seemed they went right through her little office. It wasn’t much, a space for a desk, a chair for a guest and a plant in the corner if she was lucky. There was a small window that looked like it belonged in a house, not an office that allowed her a view of the city that faced the nearby ocean.
It was perfect.
“Sorry we were interrupted,” Niall smirked at her. Harry was gone again, and she was slightly grateful, so she didn’t have to think about her strange predicament. “This is yours. I hope it’s not too cramped.”
“It’s perfect,” she promised. “Thank you.”
He logged into her computer. “You’ll have to reset your password, but this is my calendar,” he said clicking through several buttons. “I recommend having it open and whatnot, but it’s really up to you. I tend to need frequent reminders.”
“Like that you’re gonna be late to your 9:30?” She asked, pointing at the screen.
Niall checked his watch. “Yeah, exactly,” he chuckled. “I shouldn’t need anything during the meeting, but if I do, you just knock and enter to announce your presence, don’t be shy, people do it all the time. Just keep an eye on your phone for messages. Do you have any questions at the moment?”
“Do you drink tea or coffee?” She asked.
“Coffee, hot. Cream two sugars,” he said grabbing his laptop off his desk and throwing it haphazardly in his bag. She made a mental note of that.
“I’m going to organize this while you’re gone,” she said looking at the haphazard piles.
He ignored her comment with an eye roll and a shake of his head. “If Harry gets his way, meetings tend to run over the time they’re supposed to be—"
“I heard that,” Harry called fleetingly from outside the office. She giggled.
“—so please come get me if I’m being held against my will and late for another meeting,” he said ignoring his friend.
She nodded. “Will do.”
“Do you need anything at the moment? Otherwise, I’ll let you get settled.”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
He smiled. “Course you will. Welcome to Styles Incorporated.”
*
After organizing Niall’s messy desk, she sat at her own desk and worked her way through the different tabs and things. She was excited to work beside Niall and learn the ropes of his jobs.
She was thinking that if he had two jobs rolled into one, she would be able to take one of them at the end of her internship. But if Harry was her boss, she was thinking that wouldn’t happen. At least now she could learn both and apply to different companies, knowing the ins and outs of two jobs. Her phone vibrated and she hurried to open it, anticipating an SOS message from Niall. She received one halfway through his meeting to which she smirked and informed her he had no need to leave just yet, but asked if she would come get him solely because he was bored. (She did not, but she did ask if he was completely serious because she would have come up with some elaborate scheme if needed.)
Instead, this message was from Harry.
Enjoying your first day?
:)
She felt extremely nervous to be interning at Harry’s company knowing that outside these walls her life was still entangled with his. It seemed like a bad idea. But she was regrettably a bit desperate for money and for the internship. So, if Harry didn’t find fault in the predicament, she wasn’t going to say anything.
Niall was in and out for most of the morning. She sent him messages frequently updating him of his changing schedule.When her office phone rang, she bit her lip thinking of what she should say for a moment before answering. “Styles Incorporated, Niall Horan’s office. How can I help you?”
“That’s adorable,” Harry’s voice said softly. She nearly dropped the phone. Part of her wanted to hang up.
“Oh,” she replied. “Er...Niall’s not back yet.”
“I called to talk to you,” his voice was so deep she could feel it in her toes. “Are you okay?” He asked.
“Huh? I’m fine. Do...do you need something?”
“Jus’ wanted t’make sure you’re having a good day, love,” he chuckled.
She blinked and nodded silently. “Haven’t done much. I was going to go get Niall coffee just to feel useful.”
She obviously couldn’t see him, but she could almost hear him smiling. “He’d like that.”
“Can I get you anything, Mr. Styles?” She asked.
“Hmm?”
She pulled a sticky note off the pad from the corner of her desk. “Coffee? Tea? Anything?”
Harry was quiet for a long moment. “Black tea would be nice, thank you, kitten.” She didn’t really need to write it down, but she did anyway. Black tea would be ingrained in her mind forever. She tried not to think about how he called her kitten either. “Jus’ Harry is fine, love,” he murmured, “...in and out of the office.” She was glad she was alone in her office so no one could see her blush.
*
At the end of the day Niall said he had a good feeling about her. “Mondays are typically craziest. The week will get easier as it goes along. Tomorrow I’ll have more time to show you what I do. Do you have any questions?”
“Er...no, thank you. It was a pretty easy day. I feel like I didn’t do much.”
“Oh, you did great love! The catastrophe of my desk alone warrants a full-time bonus. Even Harry complimented your phone response, and it was nice you asked him for his coffee order. I’ve had several interns put through the ringer by him, and I think you’re the first to make a positive first-day impression. I think most people are scared of him, which I think is hilarious of course. As I said, he’s a big softie. But none of them ever asked for his coffee order, and he noticed that.”
She smiled nervously knowing there was an ulterior motive to his kindness. “I’d get the whole office coffee if it was feasible,” she smirked. “If I’m here long enough, I’ll suggest they build a shop in one of these offices.”
Niall laughed. “I’ve got a really good feeling about you, darlin’. I hope you enjoyed your first day.”
“I’ll be here bright and early tomorrow,” she promised.
“Sounds good, love. Thank you.”
*
Her new apartment was hardly unpacked. She wouldn’t have time until the weekend to get it remotely live-in ready either. But here she was, standing among unpacked clothing boxes, clothes strewn about her bed (mattress still wrapped in plastic) as she picked out a dress to wear to her second first meeting with Harry.
It still felt surreal and honestly, she felt a bit stupid for even agreeing. But what was she supposed to do now that there were thousands of dollars in her account that weren’t there the day before? Louis video chatted with her. “How was your first day?” He asked. Eleanor was peering into the camera at the same time as well.
“Oh, I love that dress on you,” she smiled. “You look stunning,” she promised.
“Yeah, yeah,” Louis rolled his eyes. “Tell us about the internship.”
She sat on the mattress, the plastic crinkling loudly and sticking to her thighs. “I’m interning at his company.”
“Whose?” Eleanor asked her eyebrows pinching together.
“Harry’s,” she mumbled quietly.
“No way.”
She sighed, putting a hand over her face. “This is so dumb.”
Louis was laughing. “That’s hysterical. What are the chances? What did you say?!”
So, she explained the whole day. Overall, the experience was positive. But again, it was about to feel awkward again since she was supposed to meet Harry in half an hour. “Aren’t sugar daddies supposed to be old?” Eleanor asked.
“I think they just have money,” Louis shrugged.
“He is not old,” she confirmed. “He’s like...29 I think.”
“Well good, maybe you’ll fall in love with a normal, functioning member of society,” Louis rolled his eyes.
She sighed. “Do you think this looks alright?” She asked Eleanor, ignoring Louis’ comment. She wasn’t going to fall in love with someone that was paying her both for her internship and simply for existing.
“Beautiful, love,” Eleanor promised.
She sure hoped it was.
*
The restaurant wasn’t far from her apartment. Half a mile. She walked there in ten minutes. Harry was waiting outside as she approached. She was much more nervous now than she was this morning for her first day. The internship she was prepared for, she knew how to do the math and marketing aspects entailed in the description when she applied. She was totally out of her element walking up to the same person who was willing to pay her massive amounts of money just to have dinner with him.
“Did you walk?” He asked in greeting.
“Yes,” she said softly.
He frowned and turned to the car parked next to the sidewalk. He gently hit the top of the car frame twice to gather the attention of the driver. “She doesn’t walk anymore,” he told him. The man saluted from his seat and winked in her direction.
“I don’t mind walking,” she said hurriedly. She didn’t want to be driven everywhere. Certainly, everyone would know. “I walk all the time,” she explained.
“You don’t walk late at night, anymore,” she didn’t love the way he was demanding it, but again, didn’t want to argue with someone that was paying her substantial amounts of money. So, she quietly observed that it wasn’t that late and said as much in a whisper of the air.
“It’s hardly late.”
He turned his gaze to her and stared for a moment. Taking a deep breath in, he exhaled slowly. She noticed the way his jawline flexed, and his eyes were bright despite the evening darkening before her eyes. She noticed he shaved since she last saw him. He replaced the sweater with a suitcoat and to sum up he looked utterly handsome and equally terrifying in that moment. His eyes burned with something a bit angry, and it was odd that the man she worried about while she was at Styles Inc. was much more amenable than what she thought her date was about to be like. “I understand,” he said flatly. “M’jus’ worried about your safety,” he murmured, and she saw the anger dissipate by the second and again was surprised by how different she expected him to be versus the horror stories she heard through the grapevine of the interns that didn’t last.
Obviously, Harry was a businessman, and she was an investment. She could be agreeable, too, though. She nodded in response. “I will keep an eye on the time in the future, but I like walking.”
Harry pursed his lips and looked at his driver for a moment. The man shrugged and Harry sighed. “Noted. Not late,” he amended.
“Not late,” she conceded.
Harry tapped the top of the car once more and headed toward the door of the restaurant. He held the door open and tilted his head in silent command. “Ladies first,” he said much softer now that he was done arguing.
*
“Do y’want t’order, or would y’like me to?” He asked. The restaurant was obviously gorgeous. Dimly lit and quietly busy. The tables were spread out far enough that she couldn’t hear anyone’s conversation nearby. Gentle instrumental music played in the background. It smelled delicious and she was sure if she wasn’t with Harry, she wouldn’t dream of setting foot in this place as long as she lived.
Harry looked at ease perusing the small, printed menu in his hands. He probably already knew what he wanted—he probably already told the chef when he walked in by merely glancing at the hostess with some secret signal that only someone making seven figures a week could make. While he was at home in this fine establishment, she wished she wore a sweater over her dress. There was a nearby vent causing a draft to chill her skin. Doing her best to ignore it, she desperately thought about asking for some soup. She glanced up from the menu situated on top of her place setting. Nearly terrified by the millisecond: it was too expensive and too fancy. Keeping her cool she nodded, grateful for Harry for intervening on her unfortunate behalf. There was no way he would like her after this catastrophe. “Please.”
He smirked. “What do y’like t’eat?”
“Um, anything really,” she bit her lip. “I had pasta for lunch.”
“So no pasta,” he said easily scanning over the menu.
She laughed lightly. “Actually, I don’t think there’s a limit to pasta for me,” she admitted.
His smile grew, she could see it dancing in his eyes, but he didn’t lift his eyes from the menu. “I see.”
“Mr. Styles. Always a pleasure,” the waiter greeted. “Merlot or Pinot tonight?” He asked.
“Merlot, please,” he said glancing briefly at the waiter before returning to the menu. “Thank you.”
“Would you like to see a wine list, miss?” The waiter asked, looking at the sweet girl across from Harry.
“I’m okay with water,” she said simply.
Harry’s eyebrows pinched together, and he finally lifted his head from the menu for longer than a second. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. Maybe it was the wrong thing to say. She really didn’t understand the etiquette of what she was supposed to do or say here. “I...I have to get to work...early tomorrow,” she said awkwardly. Of course, Harry knew that. A little glass of wine wouldn’t hurt anyone. He wouldn’t bat an eyelash at anyone working for him for merely having a glass at dinner. Especially at a place like this.
He nodded slowly, taking her answer in as the waiter watched to see if she’d change her mind. Clearly, he was used to Harry, but this was obviously a first and he waited almost expectantly for her to change her answer. “Can I convince you t’have a glass of pinot?”
“Um...”
“It’s very light, miss,” the poor waiter promised. Maybe he was more aware that she gave the wrong answer than she was. Harry was ogling her curiously. Like she was a true mystery.
“No thank you, I really like water,” she assured him. She wasn’t lying. She did like water. “Do you have lemon water, by chance?”
He glanced at Harry again. “Yes, of course, miss. I’ll bring it right out,” he nodded.
Harry was still staring at her curiously. She was nervous to look up, but she did. His eyes were gentle again. His lips quirked in a smirk that was making her insides melt and warm her up—thank God because she swore the vent was aimed purposefully at her. “I don’t breathalyze anyone on the way in, love. Y’could get a glass of wine if you’d like,” he told her.
She nodded. “I know...I...I just don’t really like t’drink during the week all that much. Especially with work and stuff. Wine...usually gives me a headache too. Thank you, though. I’m sorry if that was awkward or wrong.”
He nearly snorted. Quietly of course. This place was near silent. She wondered what they put in the air to make it so quiet. “Wrong?” He repeated.
“I don’t know. I’m...I’m really nervous,” she admitted. “I’m sorry.”
“Kitten, what are y’apologizing for?” He asked shaking his head. “You’ve got no reason t’be nervous. I invited you, remember? I want you here,” he reminded her.
Swallowing, she nodded. “Okay.”
“Really, love. It’s supposed t’be easy and light. Don’t be nervous,” he repeated.
She took a deep breath and looked at him head on. He looked...soft. Like this wasn’t some weird first date that would help figure out the rules of their...companionship. Objectively, he looked like he was her boyfriend...and why wouldn’t he look like her boyfriend? As Eleanor pointed out, he was young. So was she, even younger than Harry. It was obvious Harry was brilliant, but Louis would tell her to stop selling herself short because she was exceedingly intelligent (and on the days when she was willing to compliment herself, she kind of believed that too). The only reason it was unfathomable was the fact that he was twenty times handsomer than she was beautiful and he looked about twenty times as rich.
But still, he seemed to look at her as if she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. It made her warm. Which, of course, reminded her of how cold she was. “Do they have a soup you could recommend?”
A pause before a slight chuckle. “You are...full of surprises, love.” Of course. No one orders soup at a place like this. Ladies were supposed to order salad. “It’s...warm outside,” it almost sounded like a question. She thought he might even ask if she was feeling okay.
“Um...” she swallowed and gestured in front of herself to point discreetly toward the vent. “The vent is blowing directly at me, it’s...kinda cold.”
Harry’s eyes immediately followed the path of her finger as she pointed and muttered a quiet, “Oh, for God’s sake,” under his breath while she finished speaking. As he stood up from the table, she thought she really messed up now. Harry quickly found the hostess and muttered something before he hurried back to her side of the table. “They’re going to move us,” he told her.
“Oh, God. Harry, that’s not necessary. I just—”
“Love, it’s fine,” he promised, putting a hand on her upper back as he stood by her chair. “M’not gonna have y’freeze before the appetizers.”
“But—”
“Love, it’s fine,” he repeated.
Biting her lip. “I didn’t mean to make a fuss,” she murmured standing up as Harry guided her to a nearby table.
“Not at all, love,” he promised. “I jus’ don’t want you t’be cold. I wish y’said something sooner,” he gestured to the table nearby away from the vents Harry draped his suitcoat over her shoulders before pulling her seat out.
“I’m really okay, Harry. I don’t—”
Gently grabbing her chin between his thumb and finger, he turned her eyes to his. Her breath hitched in her throat. Without his suitcoat he was left in his button down, tie, and vest ensemble and she thought she might lose her mind. It was worse than the rolled-up sweater sleeves. “Kitten, jus’ relax,” he hummed gently. “S’okay. I’ll get y’some soup and a lovely pasta dish,” he promised. He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Okay, love?”
She nodded mutely and Harry smiled kindly at her. Coaxing her into her new seat and she waited for Harry to sit. “Sorry about the draft, miss,” the waiter returned settling her lemon water in front of her. “Here is your water. Can I get y’some hot tea?”
“She was wondering about the soup,” Harry interrupted. “Don’t usually get it myself here,” he told the waiter.
He nodded. “Of course,” Harry winked at her as he listed the different varieties they had for the evening, and she quietly chose the mixed vegetable. “Do you want to start with the prosciutto wrapped mango, Mr. Styles?” He asked.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she interrupted her face warming as she did. “I’m very allergic to mangoes. I know that’s odd.”
“Oh, well then never mind,” the waiter smiled easily. “I will bring the soup in the meantime.”
She bit her lip. “I’m sorry about—”
“You’re really going t’apologize for having an allergy?” He wondered.
Swallowing, she nodded. “Umm...”
He chuckled quietly shaking his head. “I think m’really going t’like having you around, love.”
*
After she apologized at least seventeen more times and thanked Harry profusely, they were finally in the car driving her back to her apartment. She was warm, full, and very happy with how the remainder of dinner went. Harry didn’t look at his phone once while they talked but was now scrolling through his missed messages while the driver was paused at a red light.
She kept her hands in her lap, folded neatly. “Did you miss a lot of calls during dinner?” She asked softly.
He shook his head. “Nothing important,” he smiled gently as he scanned. “Sorry, s’rude of me t’look when you’re beside me,” he slipped his phone back in his pocket.
“No, no. M’sure you have a lot more important messages than just asking me about my favorite color and stuff.”
That smirk of his graced his face again, melting her insides. He shook his head briefly and then tilted his head at her curiously. “What is your favorite color?”
“Blue.”
“Hmm...y’struck me as a red kind of girl.”
“I did like pink when I was younger but these boys in school made fun of girls that liked pink because it was so girly, so I decided to like blue instead. And I really do like blue. It’s much better for walls and decorations than pink,” he smiled brightly during her explanation, chuckling at her little feminist outcry.
They were parked outside her apartment. “Do you want me t’walk you in?” He asked as she unclipped her seatbelt.
“Oh...um...” the blood flooded her face thinking about Harry seeing the mess of the beautiful apartment Harry bought her and how she would die if he saw it. “I...I’m okay.”
“Hey love,” he said gently, stilling her hand by the wrist as she tried to gather her purse from the floor. “I had a lovely time tonight,” he promised. “I want t’do it again. If you’d like.”
Again, her breath caught in her throat. “Really?”
Chuckling, Harry nodded. “Yes. You’re very funny and sweet.”
“Can I ask you something, Harry?”
“Of course.”
“Am...do I need to worry about this internship? Because I really need it to get my degree and I don’t want to—”
Smiling, he shook his head. “You have nothing t’worry about, on that front, love. I don’t trust nearly anyone but Niall. He read your application and chose you because y’have the best qualifications and had glowing recommendations. I read them today after I realized I’d be seeing y’much more frequently,” he told her. “I think you’ll do really well,” he promised.
“Oh...good...it’s just...” she took a deep breath. “This is really hard for me to say, but I know interns don’t...typically last very long at Styles Inc. But I really want to...but I also have a very different...predicament,” she landed on after a moment.
He nodded. “You do. But you’re also the only one who shook m’hand, took m’coffee order, and seemed t’know what Niall needed before he did. All on the first day.”
“Tea,” she mumbled. Harry tilted his head in silent question toward her. “Black tea. Not coffee,” like she was reminding him of what he drank.
Harry nodded. “Exactly.”
“Okay,” she said.
“Are you sure y’don’t want me t’walk you up? See y’in safely?” He asked. She hesitated. She wondered if this was part of the...deal. But she really didn’t want him to see how bad it looked right now. Again, especially because he was paying for it.
“Can I be honest with you?” She said quickly.
Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise and nodded. “Of course, love.”
“I haven’t had time to unpack and it’s horrible in there right now and I don’t want to embarrass myself or you because I haven’t...unpacked. Especially when you’re paying for—”
He started to laugh a bit and it made the most beautiful face she had seen to date. His cheeks had a matching pair of indents with two beautiful dimples on either of his cheeks. Her body warmed at the beautiful sound of his laughter filling the car. “Kitten,” he shook his head. “I don’t care about any of that,” he rolled his eyes unclipping his belt and getting out of the car. She grabbed her purse and then tried to get out of the car except the handle was locked. She frowned. Harry opened it in the next instant before she had time to worry that she was trapped inside the back seat.
Smiling beautifully still, he shook his head at her. “Do men hold doors open for you, love?” He asked.
She blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“I will take that as a no, then,” he chuckled. “I would like t’hold doors open for y’whenever I can,” he explained.
“Oh,” she said in surprise. “Well, thank you.”
“M’pleasure.”
She got out carefully, worried she would trip and fall. Harry held his arm out for support, and they strolled up to her new apartment. She held her phone to the key reader and heard the lock click. On instinct, she reached for the door handle, touching Harry’s hand as of course he was ready to open it for her. “Thank you,” she said quietly hurrying through the door.
Harry followed behind her as they walked up one flight of stairs to the next floor. Turning to the left and then found themselves in front of the third door.
“It’s really a disaster,” she told him.
“Y’jus’ moved your stuff over a few days ago, love,” he reminded her. “S’okay.”
“I’m not a messy person. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about my habits and stuff—”
“Kitten, please open the door,” he rolled his eyes with a chuckle.
Shutting herself up, she took a deep breath and pushed the door open, flicked the light on, and gestured for Harry to enter.
“It’s not furnished?” He asked looking at the empty living room area. Just a TV, a few boxes, and a painting strewn on the floor. He moved toward the window, enjoying the view of the city night.
“Uh...no,” she kicked her shoes off and set her purse on the adjoining kitchen counter. “I...lived with my ex before. We rented from his aunt...she had all the furniture.”
“Oh. M’sorry. I didn’t realize, I would have made sure to furnish it for you—”
“Oh no, it’s okay. I just...ordered some yesterday. It’s supposed to be in by the end of next week.”
He turned from the window and stared at her. “You ordered some?” He asked.
Her blood felt cold and she was grateful she still had Harry’s suitcoat still wrapped around her because she was worried her teeth would start chattering. “Uh...yes. I figured you...you gave me a lot of money and of course I had some savings and stuff. And I needed a lot of furniture. I got a lot of tables, bookshelves, and my dressers from IKEA. That should actually be here sooner...and then I needed a couch and a TV stand, and I thought it might be worth having a desk. And I’ve always wanted a nice bed...one that had like a canopy option?” She started but then she realized she was over explaining. “I’m sorry...that was way more information than you needed. So—”
He raised his eyebrows at her in surprise. “You bought it yourself?”
“Uh...yes?”
“And you’re going t’put it all together...from IKEA...by yourself?”
“Well...my friends Eleanor and Louis will probably come over and help. Louis isn’t all that helpful—he’s usually too busy making jokes...but Eleanor and I can hold our own.”
He shook his head. “I’ve never met anyone like you, kitten,” she blushed and looked at her feet nervously. “I’ll...put more money in your account tonight, beautiful. Order as much furniture you want...but please don’t order stuff from IKEA.”
Biting her lip she nodded. “I don’t need you to put more—”
“Love,” he said gently and came across the room once more. Gently, he cupped his hands around her face. “S’what m’here for,” he reminded her. Carefully, he glanced at her eyes and then quickly pressed a kiss to her forehead. She thought she really might melt. She no longer needed his jacket. It was much too hot in the room, all from a little kiss on the forehead. “See you tomorrow?” He asked pulling away and heading toward the door.
“Um...Harry?” She asked.
“Yeah, kitten?”
“Can you just...text me when you’re home. So I know?”
She saw the way Harry’s eyes danced at her question. “Of course, love.”
--
taglist: @tpwkstiles
556 notes · View notes
ellethespaceunicorn · 3 months
Text
Something Old, Something New
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Title: Something Old, Something New
Rating: Explicit, 18+, Minors - DNI
Pairing: Nick Fowler x Reader
Fandom: The 355
Word Count: 9.5K (whoopsie)
Summary: Your childhood best friend invites you to your old vacation spot for her wedding, and you have been catching up with your first crush: her recently divorced big brother Nick.
Warnings: infidelity, divorce, recreational drug use (marijuana), drinking, mutual pining, pet names (Gumdrop, baby), praise kink, cunnilingus, unprotected p-in-v sex, mention of bodily fluids (creampie), public sex, if I forgot anything please tell me
A/N1: My tiles for @thebasementspouses VOTM Nick Fowler BINGO were: divorced, best friend’s brother, writer’s choice(prompt #802 from @creativepromptsforwriting), drunken confession, public sex. BINGO card at end of story.
A/N2: I have been working on this story for weeks and I really hope I have done the Nick Fowler fandom justice. It's my first time, and hopefully not the last time, writing for Nick. I thoroughly enjoyed writing him. Unbeta’d, we die like people who tried their best. 
Dividers by: @firefly-graphics
Support/Reblog banner by me
Cover Art by me
My Masterlist
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Three Months Ago
The cardstock was rigid in your hands, the envelope discarded seconds ago. The confetti in the envelope litters around your Chucks as you bring your attention to the words embossed upon the invitation. You had been waiting for this day ever since you received the Save the Date announcement.
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You ran your finger over the pretty lettering, its raised borders were a nice tactile touch. The peaceful pink, whispered white, and mellow merlot of the flowers against a hint of golden accents was a beautiful choice. Not too feminine, nor too masculine.
Turning the invitation over, you found more information. 
‘Accommodations will be completely covered for your 8-night stay at The Ocracoke Harbor Inn by the family of the Bride. You will be staying in the fully-furnished Treasure Chest Cottage. Amenities include full-service linens, complimentary wireless Internet, and guest boat docking. Guests have access to a sound-side beach. Password for WI-FI given upon check-in. Nonsmoking, no pets.’
Leave it to the Fowlers to go nuts and rent out the entire inn for their only daughter’s wedding, you thought to yourself. You were not surprised at all, growing up as a rich girl’s best friend had its perks.
As if on cue, your phone started to play the opening notes of Losing You by Solange to signal an incoming call. Pulling your phone out, you smiled seeing Deanne’s name. You clicked Accept and raised the phone to your ear.
“Hello to the future Mrs. Alexander!” Your cheery demeanor not letting on how jealous you were of your friend’s impending nuptials.
Euphonious laughter rings through the earpiece and you can’t help but join in.
“Girl, can you believe it? I am about to tie the knot, be off the market, and settle down. I’m only 12% nervous about everything so I’m doing great,” she snorted, and suddenly you were a bit less jealous if this kind of anxiety is what she had to deal with, “Anyway, um, I was giving you a call because I wanted to ask if you got your invitation and I also wanted to see if I could save myself time in waiting for your R.S.V.P. and bug and pester you until you agree to let my parents pay for you to come spend a week with us and come to my wedding and–”
“Deanne! Stop with the run-on sentence, doll. Did you think I was gonna pass up this opportunity? God, I love that you chose Ocracoke as your wedding destination. So many vacations were spent getting into all kinds of trouble,” you recalled, images of splashing in the water as kids and lounging on the beach as teens replayed in your mind.
“Yeah. Hey, when we were little girls planning our dream weddings, I was serious when I said I wanted it on the beach on Ocracoke Island. But not in the summer because of bugs and heat, but in the winter so we get that beautiful off-season fresh air,” Deanne mused.
“Dee, it’s gonna be gorgeous. I cannot wait to see you in your stunning dress walking down that aisle. Just know that since I am your oldest friend, you pretty much owe me the bouquet,” you laughed, only half-joking.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s already yours,” she bantered, clearing her throat before speaking again, “So, I also called because I wanted to vent a little, if that’s okay?”
“It’s always okay. You doing alright?” you asked, now worried that your friend was in trouble.
“Yeah, no, I’m fine. I have an update on Nick and Tori, though,” she paused, allowing your mind to wander.
The mention of your first crush’s name sent a shiver down your back. Many a moment had been wasted thinking about his pretty smile and grayish-blue eyes. You’d liked Nick before you knew you even liked boys. He was the heartthrob that trumped every teen dream of every other girl in America’s heart. In your mind, he was the closest to perfect you could imagine. 
You responded, “Oh?”
“So, their divorce is finalized. My big brother is officially a divorcé. I would have thought that a man who was with someone for so long might be partying it up right now. But he says he’s focusing on work and, I don’t know. I just want him to be happy. And like, he’s getting divorced as I’m getting married and it feels so weird. It doesn’t seem fair,” she lamented.
“Dee, come on. You know Nicky wouldn’t want you to think like that. He loves you. You’re his favorite sibling,” you jested, trying to lighten the mood.
“Ha ha. I’m his only sibling. I better be his favorite,” Dee chuckled, happy to be distracted, “So that brings me to you, Miss Missy. Last I heard, you were dating some engineer guy? Do I get to meet him soon?”
You inwardly cringed, hopes dashed of being able to avoid the topic of your relationship status. Things with Curtis kind of fizzled out when you found his tongue down an intern’s throat. You had been bringing him dinner since he’d complained about the late nights at the office.
Turns out he was hungry for more than your baked ziti. 
You explained all this to Dee, remembering the look on Curtis’ face when you poured the prepared food into his lap. He was so shook, it was beautiful.
“I didn’t want to waste all that food but he looked wonderful with my pasta all over his shirt and pants. He honestly deserved it. It was his favorite shirt too. I hope those stains never come out,” you huffed, feeling like you were right back in that office again.
“I have never been so proud of you. I wish I could put hot sauce in his underwear for hurting my girl. I’m sure if I just had a few minutes, I could come up with something more diabolical than that. But it’s what I have at a moment’s notice,” she retorted.
One thing you could always count on Dee for? Getting angry for you and using her beautiful and educated mind to come up with some way to make the person who slighted you pay for their misdeeds. It was both adorable and super embarrassing to have her tiny frame looking up into some bully’s face pointing her finger at them.
“Well, I appreciate your offer, but he is so not worth the energy. You have much better things to think about, like your wedding day. This is your cue to stop worrying about me, Dee,” you advised, a stern tone coloring your words.
“Fine, I will stop worrying about you out loud. You got it, girl. Anyway, I won’t hold you. Talk soon, ok? I miss you,” she said, and you could envision her getting bleary-eyed.
“I miss you too, Dee. We’ll get together soon, I promise,” you sighed, feeling guilty for letting your friendship dwindle over the years.
“I’ll hold you to it. Bye, babe,” she hummed.
“Bye.” You hang up the phone and close your eyes. Visions of what Dee will look like in her wedding dress cloud your thoughts. Little snippets of grayish-blue eyes and dark brown hair seep in and you can almost hear his laugh again. You open your eyes, blinking away the mental images that brought you joy for a moment.
‘This is fine,’ you thought to yourself. Yeah, totally. You’re only going to see your best friend from childhood get married, effectively ending your childhood with a pretty bow on top. You also were only going to be with the biggest crush you ever had for like, an entire week. 
And he’s single. 
And probably needy. 
And...you had better get your jaw up off the floor if you were going to get anything done.
Three months is enough time to get your brain, your body, and your emotions in check before you make a fool out of yourself in front of your second family.
Right?
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January 20th, 2024 – Day One
Standing on the deck of the Hatteras Ferry, you watch as Ocracoke Island comes into view. The sun is at its highest and you are thankful for your sunglasses shielding the the bright sunlight bouncing off the crystal clear waters. You can taste the salty air and you are instantly transported to memories of running around the decks of this ferry with Deanne and Nick while your mothers tried in vain to wrangle you all.
The island comes into view and you search the docks for a familiar face. Dee promised to meet you at the docks, but when you approach them she is nowhere to be found. You pull your luggage behind you as your shoulder bag decides to slide off.
Before it can hit the ground, it’s caught by the strap by a strong hand at the same time you reach out to grab it. You thank the kind stranger as you both stand to your full height and you are face-to-face with a grown-ass Nicholas Fowler. He says something and you don’t hear hide nor hair of what the hell he just said, you look at him and break into a smile and he chuckles and speaks again.
“I hope you don’t mind Dee got me to pick you up. She had some wedding stuff to do. I wasn’t listening,” he explains, adjusting his sunglasses and putting your bag on his shoulder. He gestures over to his black Lamborghini Urus. 
Once you walk over, he puts your shoulder bag in the back seat. You step closer to him to hand him your rolling luggage. You are mesmerized as his strong forearms flex when he puts everything in the SUV. 
You clear your throat and look around when he looks back at you, catching you watching him. He closes the back door and guides you to the passenger side, opening your door for you.
“Oh, you’re a full-service driver today, huh?” you joke, stepping past him. Your platform espadrilles clacking on the asphalt. Adjusting your strapless sundress, you climb in.
“Whatever service you require, Gumdrop,” he replies with a smile, making sure you are comfortable before closing your door.
That fucking nickname… He would call you gumdrop instead of your name more often than not. That’s all, he didn’t mean anything by it, right?
When you are both buckled in, you start the drive across the island. Comfortable conversation is easy between you two. It’s like you fall back into a safe space with him. You talk about old vacations, funny moments, and what you both are up to these days. Neither of you mentions either of your failed relationships and you can’t keep the smile off of your face.
“Hey, we still have an hour until check-in. You wanna grab a bite or go to the beach or something?” he suggests.
“Are you sure they’re not waiting for us?” you counter, wondering if it’s a good idea to have a little moment with Nick all to yourself.
“I’d rather ask for forgiveness than permission. No pressure, just a suggestion,” he presses, taking a second to look over at you and smile that smile that has had you in a chokehold most of your life.
After thinking about it for all of five seconds, you agree to have lunch at Plum Pointe Kitchen. You enjoy a generous helping of Drunken Chicken nachos while Nick gets the VooDoo Shrimp PO’Boy. You share half of your meal, and Nick refuses to let you pay for anything.
Making your way to the Ocracoke Harbor Inn after lunch, you finally meet up with everyone. Dee is in mid-conversation with someone when she sees you and Nick pull up into the parking lot. She walks over to you and pulls you into a very tight embrace. It’s like everything was chaos before you got here.
“Oh my goodness, I am so glad you are here. How was the trip? Did you eat? Did Nick bore you? I’m sorry that I couldn’t come and meet you, but we had a little mishap with the reservation for the hotel and then I thought I left my wedding dress at home, and then we–”
You cut off Dee before she can work herself into a frenzy again, “Dee! Breathe. You’re gonna be fine, I promise. And is that Matthew? Introduce me already, would you?” you encourage, trying to get your friend’s mind off of the previous debacle and onto the man walking over.
Dee introduces you to Matthew and he charms you with the way he dotes on Dee. He seems like the type to be able to handle her rambling and intense emotions. How he looks at her while she speaks makes you miss having someone look at you like that.
“Well, it’s just about 3 o’clock now. Let’s get checked in and settled, then we can get together later?” Matthew chimes in.
“Sounds good,” Nick agrees, turning to you, “Go ahead and leave your stuff in my car. I’ll take you to your cottage after we are all checked in.” You nod, trying to hide your excitement. 
Once you are done with the receptionist, you get your key and the wifi password to your cottage. While waiting for everyone else to get done, you fiddle on your phone until Nick’s shadow looms over you. Looking up, you are greeted with his eyes no longer shielded by his sunglasses in the dim lobby.
“You ready, Gumdrop? We still have some time before Mom and Dad show up. And I think I remember Dee saying she would call when she was ready to go out,” he concludes, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels.
If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was nervous about something. But you don’t push.
“All set,” you say, smiling up at him feeling bold enough to wrap your arm around his while you walk out of the lobby.
Dee shouts after you to behave yourselves and tense up a bit while Nick chuckles, seemingly amused by his sister’s thinly veiled comment on two single adults being close. Damn them.
Nick opens the passenger side door for you again, closing it once you are safely inside. He drives to the Margaritaville Cottage where he will stay with his parents during the trip. He instructs you to stay in the car while he just drops his bags off and is back outside in a few minutes.
The next stop is your cottage, called the Treasure Chest. You snicker at the name, thinking it sounded more like a pirate-themed strip joint. When Nick asks what you’re laughing about, you tell him your thoughts on the name of where you are staying. The slow smile that spreads on his face makes you involuntarily clench your thighs, wondering what his days-old stubble would feel like between your legs.
He tilts his head just slightly at you, then turns back to the road, smile still intact. Luckily the drive is short as the cottages are fairly close to one another. Nick parks in the driveway and you both get out and stretch your legs. He comes around and grabs your shoulder bag and luggage, motioning for you to lead the way.
Walking up the steps to the door, you unlock it and are welcomed by the scent of fresh linen. The central air of the cottage is just this side of perfect and you drop your purse on the dining room table. Turning around, you see Nick walking into a room off of the living room.
“Holy shit, you got a King-sized bed,” he shouts from the bedroom.
Walking in, you sit at the foot of the bed next to Nick and start to untie your shoes. He follows suit and turns to you biting his lip, a question at the tip of his tongue.
Facing him, you ask, “What? Do I have something on my face?” 
“No. I, uh...I’m surprised you haven’t asked yet,” he notes. At your confusion, he holds up his left ring finger. A band of untanned skin around the base clues you in that he’s talking about his divorce.
“Nicky, I would never make you talk about it. It can’t be easy in that situation. I mean, I only broke up with Curtis a few months ago and we were only together for six months. I couldn’t imagine how a divorce feels after how long you and Tori were together,” you insist, placing a hand on his knee.
He covers your hand with his and nods. “Mom and Dad are pretty good about it. They don’t ask me how I’m doing with that sad look in their eyes anymore. But Dee? Jesus, when I told her about the incident, she was out for blood. I had to end up calming her down. All because someone broke her big bro’s heart. Love her, but she can get a little carried away,” he finishes.
“This is not to make you feel like you need to share, but you mentioned “the incident” and now I’m curious. Feel free to tell me to shut the fuck up. But I caught Curtis with his tongue down another woman’s throat. I don’t know for sure how long it had been going on or if they had done anything else together, but I knew at that moment that I was done. I am worth more than that. And so are you, Nicky,” you encourage, feeling a bit of weight lift off your shoulders after finally talking about your breakup.
“My situation was similar. Tori had been cheating on me for the last two years of our marriage with her boss. I had a feeling something was up, just didn’t want to believe it was something like this,” he reveals, continuing, “But I am moving on, so to speak. I’m not holding out anymore for her to come crawling back to me with a sad story and all that. Even though I hope that she falls in a sinkhole.”
You both laugh and continue talking, taking your minds off of your breakups. You reminisce about all of the times you’ve stayed on the island during vacations. You giggle over dumb stories of you all as teens in high school, hiding weed from your parents and drinking on the beach til it was time to sneak back into the hotel.
You get an idea and you tell Nick to give you a minute before you go back into the living room to retrieve your purse. Coming back into the bedroom, you pull out a vape pen and wiggle it in front of Nick’s face, a devilish smirk on your lips.
“We’ll just take one hit each and we will be fine. Just a bit more mellow,” you offer, pulling him to the balcony off of the living room. You each occupy a wicker chair and you hand over the device.
“Gumdrop, you little devil,” he takes the pen from you and inhales, closing his eyes and holding the smoke in his lungs before letting it out. The smoke dissipates quickly and you can see the weight lift off of his shoulders. Handing it back to you, he exhales loudly and leans back in his chair.
Putting the tip in your mouth, you hit the button and inhale. Warm vapor fills you and you release the button, holding in the smoke for a beat and then letting it out toward the sky. You put the pen down on the table between you and fold your legs under you, letting your dress cascade down.
Sitting in companionable silence with Nick feels great. Neither of you feels the need to talk while you listen to the sounds of nature around you. People walking around the cottages, cars driving by, and the distant waves from Pamlico Sound make you wish you had gone to the beach earlier.
“Fuck, that was only one hit and I feel like my bones are made of jelly,” you remark, swaying to a song that isn’t playing with your eyes closed.
Nick looks over to you and smiles, “Must be jelly ‘cause jam don’t shake like that.”
You open your eyes and turn to him, your mouth twitches before you break out into uncontrollable laughter. Nick soon follows and you both are taken over by the giggles. You settle down soon enough, still feeling the buzzing calmness of being high.
“The world needs more people like you,” you beam.
“Nah, I like being unique,” he replies, his phone chiming. Picking up a video call from Dee, “Hey Sis.”
“Hey, me and Matt were gonna go for dinner and drinks, you in?” she asks.
“Yeah, that sounds...good,” Nick answers for himself while looking at you to get your answer.
“Ok, well get ready and meet us at Oyster Company. And tell my best friend that she is coming, no ifs, ands, or buts. See you both soon!” With that, she ends the call.
“So...our decision has been made for us. Do you need to change or anything?” Nick wonders, gesturing to your traveling attire.
“If I take this dress off, I am not going out. Besides, I like this dress. I think I look positively adorable. But I will change my shoes to something more comfortable,” you finish before Nick can comment on how he also likes your dress. You pick up the vape pen, make your way back to your luggage, and pull out some flat sandals.
Once you are ready, you make your way back outside and are surprised to see Dee and Matt parked on the street outside of your cottage. “We decided to pick you up. Matt is DD tonight, so we can all get a little loosey-goosey. Plus, I can always tell when Nick is high, so get in losers!”
Nick snorts, and you are mortified to be found out, but you quickly get over it once you are in the backseat of Matt’s Audi Q4. The short ride to the restaurant was spent with Nick’s left leg brushing against your right leg. He was either manspreading or he wanted to touch you and wanted to keep it under the radar.
Either way, you were excited to feel his warmth next to you.
When you make it to the restaurant, you sit at a high table and it almost feels like a double date. Especially when your waitress congratulates Dee and Matt on their wedding while remarking that you and Nick make a cute couple as well. Your face warms up and you suddenly feel like every eye is on you. 
Nick comes to your rescue, answering the waitress with a smile, “My girl’s a bit shy, is all. Can we get a pitcher of beer for the table to start? And also two shots of Crown Royal Vanilla for me and the little lady. Thanks.”
If it was possible, you would have melted through the floor and evaporated, but instead, you just hide behind the menu until Nick pokes his head in.
“That wasn’t to embarrass you, I swear. But I got nervous that she was gonna try and flirt with me, so I dragged you under the proverbial bus with me,” he admits, his lopsided smile only making you want him more.
“Fine. You’ll just have to make it up to me,” you warn, a devious grin appearing on your face. 
You put down your menu just as the waitress comes back with the drinks. Taking both shots, you hand one to Nick. Staring in each other’s eyes, you clink your shot glasses and then tap them on the table before taking the shot. The sweet burn of the liquor warms you from within while Nick’s eyes on you melt whatever nerves you had previously.
A cleared throat breaks your trance, your focus changing from Nick to Dee.
“I talked to Mom and Dad and they won’t get here ‘til Friday afternoon with the rest of the guests. Dad said he had a few things to take care of and not to worry. Of course, I worry tenfold because he told me not to,” Dee interjects, busying herself with pouring beer into her frosted glass.
“Baby, they’ll be here as soon as they can. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about anything,” Matt insists, moving a strand of hair away from Dee’s face before kissing her.
“Promise to keep me occupied?” she requests, a sinful smile on her face.
“I do,” he jokes, clearly proud of himself for making his fiancée blush.
“First of all, how dare you? Secondly, that was almost too cute so watch yourself,” she laughs.
You roll your eyes at the happy couple and smile, going back to looking over the menu. The waitress comes back to the table and takes your orders. Over the meal, you get to know Matt a bit more and you can see how Dee fell in love with him. He’s intelligent, funny, and charismatic. The way he talks about and to her makes you so happy to know your friend found love.
When they turn to talk to each other, you and Nick spark up a conversation about work. He tells you what he can about working for the government, keeping the specific details to himself. You regale him with stories of your time as a freelance writer. You’ve written for dozens of publications, but you just want to get your original works out there for people to enjoy. 
After mentioning a few pieces you wrote for GQ, Nick expressed interest in reading your articles. You try and downplay your skills, but he presses you for the links. Taking out your phone, you realize that you don’t have his number. 
While you exchange digits with Nick, you are too busy to notice Dee casting a sidelong glance and smiling to herself. You ramble on as you send him link after link of some of your favorites. With your face in your phone, you don’t notice the way Nick looks at you with a mix of pride and hunger.
“Well, I am ready to call it a night,” Dee yawns, getting everyone’s attention, “But I could use a nightcap. Who’s up for a trip to the ABC Store? We can make it before they close.”
Everyone agrees and after the check is paid, you all pile into Matt’s SUV for the quick drive to the liquor store. You browse the aisles for a bit by yourself. Filling up your basket with a bottle of wine, some whiskey, and a six-pack of hard seltzers, you surmise that this will sustain you for the week ahead and go in search of the others.
You find Nick in front of the beer cooler, hard at work trying to decide between a 12-pack of Sam Adams’ Cold Snap and Harpoon’s Long Thaw. You suggest he get both and he agrees.
Meeting Dee and Matt up at the front of the store, you stand next to Nick in line and he laughs at the contents of your shopping basket. He puts his beer up for the cashier to scan and has you do the same, paying for your items. 
A little piece of you feels taken care of and you thank him while continuing to tell him he doesn’t have to. He just shushes you and says you can make it up to him later. Before your mind can think about what that might entail, the sale is rung and bagged. Nick picks up the beer and you grab the bag of your things.
Nick asks Matt to just drop him off at your cottage since he left his car there. His cottage is literally next door, but you’re not exactly gonna deny yourself the company. Dee and Matt drive away and you turn back to Nick. You both laugh nervously and you surprise yourself by speaking up.
“So, um. I was gonna have a weed and whiskey moment to myself, but I’d be willing to share if you’re interested,” you hint, watching as he weighs his options. 
“Lead the way, Gumdrop,” he replies.
He follows you in, closing the door behind him. He puts his beer into the fridge along with your hard seltzer. You put the wine on the counter and take out the whiskey while Nick finds two short glasses in the cabinet. Pouring a generous amount in each one, he offers you a drink and you take a sip of the amber liquid. 
Letting the whiskey sit in your mouth, you savor the hints of vanilla and spice. You reach in your purse for your vape pen and take a hit of it before offering it to Nick. Taking a long pull off of the pen, he exhales and you watch as his shoulders relax. You both take another sip of whiskey and revel in the dual flavors of the weed and whiskey.
You take your glass and the bottle, moving onto the patio off of the living room, and sit down in one of the wicker chairs while Nick takes the other. The conversation comes easily enough. Mostly high thoughts and random memories come to mind. After a while, you put on some music and when 6 Underground by Sneaker Pimps comes on, you can’t help but dance in your chair.
Nick stares while you close your eyes and move your hands to the trip-hop classic. You spend the entire song moving to the downtempo beat and enjoying your crossfade. The trance you were under slowly dissipates as the song ends and Pendulum by FKA Twigs starts.
When you open your eyes, Nick is pulling you to stand up. You’re lost as to what he is doing until his hands go to yours, pulling them to rest around his neck while he holds your hips. As the song continues, you follow his slow lead and sway to the intimate and mesmerizing indie hit.
🎶
You're younger than I am broken
I dance feelings like they're spoken
So my conversation's not enough
So lonely trying to be yours
Running through sliding doors
So lonely trying to be yours
When you're looking for so much more
🎶
By the time the song ends, the heat between you is unmistakable. Your hand tangles in his hair when he pulls you impossibly closer. Mere centimeters separate your lips. All you would need is to lean just one step closer and you’d finally get to taste his kiss.
Nick beats you to it and his hands pull your face to his, crashing your lips together. You can’t hold back the moan that escapes your lips and he swallows it adding in his own grunts and groans. Kiss after kiss, you radiate carnality and passion. 
Breaking the kiss, you watch as he licks his puffy bottom lip. You take in a breath of air and prepare to dive back in but Nick voices his thoughts.
“You are gonna be the death of me, Gumdrop,” he sighs, and at your brows furrowing he continues, “You’ve only been back in my life for a day and I’m already thinking of ways to keep you in it. Don’t hate me, but I think we should chill out, just for tonight. I swear, if you still want this by tomorrow night, I am all yours. But you better be all mine. Please, tell me you can wait for me?”
“Tomorrow night and you’re all mine?” you plead, and he nods.
“Less than 24 hours, baby. Show me that these feelings aren’t just from the substances in our system,” he insists, and you wanna fuck him even more now after he says that.
You nod and he speaks up, “Need to hear your words, baby, like a big girl.”
“Fuck...yes, I can wait. I can wait for you, Nicky,” you whimper and he rests his forehead against yours. 
“That’s my good girl,” he praises, lifting his head from yours, “Now, why don’t we call it a night before I go back on my word? You look so good in this dress and I really wanna be good.”
Agreeing with him, you clean up your empty glasses and move the bottle to the counter next to the wine. Nick pulls you into him one last time, snaking a hand down to your ass and grabbing a hefty portion of it before a hardy slap lands on your left cheek. He only snickers at your yelp and nibbles on your bottom lip. 
“Keep that same energy for me because tomorrow I’m not holding back,” he vows, and if you weren’t leaning into him, your legs would’ve surely buckled. If he notices the tremble go through your body, he makes no mention of it and for that you are grateful.
“Goodnight, Nicky,” you hum.
“Sleep tight, Gumdrop. And do me a favor?” he challenges, at your nod he continues, “Save it for me. I’m gonna take care of you tomorrow, so no need to touch that kitty tonight, right?”
You let out the breath you didn’t know you were holding, “Right.”
He leaves and once the door is closed, you lean back against it, your hand going to your neck where your pulse is playing a sick beat against your skin.
Less than 24 hours, you think. You got this.
That night, you dream of grayish-blue eyes and large hands roaming your body.
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January 21st, 2024 – Day Two 
You wake just before 10:30 am and are greeted with a good morning text from Nick. He lets you know that he is taking you out, just the two of you. Since Dee and Matt are enjoying a couple’s spa package, he figures it would only be right to hit some of your favorite places on the island.
You are dressed and out the door by noon. Nick takes you to pick up lunch at Taqueria 504 Suazo’s and you drive out to rent a Jeep Gladiator at for a few hours to drive on the beach. One of the best things about this island is that everything is so close. After 5 minutes, you are at your destination. 
Nick drives out a ways past the other people enjoying the off-season and stops about a minute after the last two fishermen you see. Guess he wanted a secluded spot, you think to yourself. While you get the food, Nick grabs the beach chairs and umbrella that he rented. The ocean breeze is agreeable enough, but you are glad that you brought a thin sweater to keep the chill off.
Once you sit down, you hand over Nick’s food and he digs into his burrito while you munch on your fish tacos. When your meal is finished, Nick puts your leftovers in the Gladiator and lets down the truck bed. He beckons you over and helps you sit on the edge and he climbs up and sits next to you while you both look at the water.
“Ya know, the last time we came out here I was just finishing my third year at Virginia Tech. You and Dee were seniors. I remember hoping upon hope that you would apply to VT and I remember you telling me you were accepting a scholarship from Princeton. I just sucked it up and congratulated you. Even though I was hoping you would understand why I wanted you close, I was so proud of you for venturing off on your own. You were always one to go after what you wanted. I just couldn’t stop wanting to be what you wanted,” he confesses, looking off into the water.
“I wanted you, Nicky. Trust me, I did. But I was so afraid that I had a dumb little crush on someone who would never see me as someone other than his little sister’s best friend. The last time I saw you, I thought it was right to push away the idea of you ever having feelings for me. I also may have been afraid of what Dee would say. She’s kind of protective over both of us, ya know?” you finish.
“That girl can be a vicious little thing when she wants to,” he chuckles, shaking his head, “But don’t you think it’s kind of a sign that she had me pick you up from the ferry? And how suddenly today, we have a free schedule to do whatever we want together? I know my sister, and she’s done this before. She matched me up with my high school girlfriend, Beth.”
“Ugh, Beth with the braces and bangs. I used to call her Triple B behind your back. I hated her so much,” you mutter, trying to push the image of them kissing out of your mind.
“Yeah, well. I knew you hated her, but me being an idiot teenager didn’t exactly know that meant you liked me. I just thought you didn’t like her because she was kind of a bitch. She was plenty nice to me, but she could be...a little scary, at times,” he laughs, surprising himself.
“So...you think Dee would be ok with...this?” you say, gesturing between the two of you.
“I just think there is no way she would let us be alone together if she wasn’t halfway hoping it would work out,” he guesses, “Plus, honestly? We’re adults. We’re allowed to go after what makes us happy.”
A slow smile spreads across your face and you pull Nick in for a kiss. You don’t want to jinx it but he makes you happy too. The way he looks at you like you hung the moon, the way he listens to you and asks questions and the way he kisses you? 
It just has to be real.
Packing up your beach equipment, you head back to drop off everything. Getting back into his SUV, you head around the island and view some of the sights. You go shopping and pick up some new knick knacks to take home. Visiting the lighthouse, you take some photos and make sure to bring Dee and Matt here before you leave the island.
Since most of the island’s restaurants are closed on Sundays, you venture to Ocracoke Variety Store and opt for cooking dinner together. After you have all the ingredients you need for a simple fish fry, you head back to your cottage and you and Nick get your hands dirty.
You have him cutting up potatoes for steak fries while you are preparing the batter for the fish. When dinner is ready, you sit at the dining room table with soft music playing in the background. While Nick wanted to take you out for your first date, he could appreciate the quiet setting with just the two of you enjoying each other’s company.
Finishing your meal, Nick takes your hand and kisses your knuckles. You smile and warmth radiates in your cheeks. You hate to admit it, but you wish you had a little liquid courage right now. But the nerves you feel only cement that this is happening.
He pulls you up from your seat, the hunger in his eyes evident from his blown-wide pupils. Leading you into the bedroom, he stops just short of the end of the bed. Standing behind you as you face the bed, he runs his hands down your bare arms and whispers in your ear.
“I cannot wait to take you apart, Gumdrop. But,” he starts, turning you around to face him, “First, I just want to take my time and worship this beautiful body I know you’re hiding from me.”
If he wasn’t holding you up, you would have melted into the carpet. But he’s there with firm hands and a gentle grip. Helping you out of your dress, he lays it on the chair in the corner. Coming back, he admires the white lace bra and panty set that accentuates your body shape.
His lips come back to yours, tasting your desire and wantonness with every kiss. Wrapping an arm around you, he guides you to lay back on the bed while maintaining the liplock. He kisses down your neck and across your collarbone while his hand unclasps your bra and removes it from your body.
Laying a kiss between your breasts draws a quick inhale from you. You can tell he’s proud of himself when he looks up at you while he licks one pert nipple, the other between his thumb and forefinger. He sucks on it as if he could siphon gold from your tits. Switching to the other, he gives it the same attention. 
The noises that come from him as he plays with your breasts are enough to make you shiver. He whimpers when you moan and throw your head back. He groans when he kisses down your belly, stopping to look up at you before he plants a quick kiss upon your covered mound.
He pulls down your panties at such an agonizing speed. Nick has to squeeze his dick through his pants when a string of your wetness stretches from your pussy to your underwear. Spreading your legs apart, he feasts on the view of your lips opening like a flower before him.
He wanted to go slow, he really did. But once he flattens his tongue and licks up from your entrance to your swollen nub, he is mesmerized by the taste of you. He goes back and forth between sucking on your button and lapping up whatever nectar drips from you. You can feel yourself inching toward the finish line, and he is right there to talk you through it.
“Fuck...you taste like Heaven...that’s right, baby...let go and cum for me like a good girl,” he commands between licks and kisses.
You’re nothing if not a good listener and seconds later, your walls are clamping around his fingers. You’ve never cum like this before and it washes over you like a warm waterfall. He removes his fingers from your wet opening and sucks them clean before moving up the bed to kiss you.
Tasting yourself on his tongue, you are beyond turned on. You tug at the hem of his shirt and he sits up to pull it off. Running your hands over his chest, you pull at the button of his pants.
“Use your words,” he urges, his hands stopping yours from moving further.
“Need to feel you, Nick. Please fuck me,” you beg, all thoughts gone from your head.
“There’s my good girl,” he replies, standing up from the bed to undress fully. Climbing back on the bed, he kneels between your legs. He strokes himself slowly, eight inches of uncut cock staring you in the face. He squeezes the base and you can tell he is just as excited as you are.
You crook a finger at him and once again, he is on top of you. With nothing between you, you’re impossibly close and you only want to get closer. Your hand soon finds his erection and he hisses at the contact, groaning when you stroke him.
He leans on one forearm while his other hand guides his tip between your lips, gathering some of your slick before entering you. You both groan loudly once he is fully settled inside you. 
“You good, baby?” he asks, anxious to start moving his hips.
“God, yes. Fuck me, Nicky,” you plead, feeling so full when you arch your back.
Foregoing words, Nick retracts his hips and thrusts into you. The wet squelch as he fucks you is music to your ears, just like the way he tells you how beautiful you are in between kisses. He uses your breasts as handholds while he pummels your snatch.
The way he looks into your eyes while he plunges inside you excites you so much that you don’t even notice when a tear escapes your eye. He kisses it away, trailing his lips to your neck where he sucks at your pulse point. At this point, you couldn't care less about a hickey. You just want to be his.
Your next orgasm surprises you and you squeeze his cock from the inside, coating him in your cream. 
“Good girl, coming all over my fucking dick. Feels so fucking good when you tighten around me like that. You are taking me so well, Gumdrop. Yes. You. Are,” he grunts, punctuating the last three words with deep thrusts inside you.
Flipping you over so you are on top, Nick grabs your hips and you start to ride him. You bounce on his cock like it’s the last time you get to fuck. By the mewls coming from him, you are doing it just right.
You feel another climax on its way, slowly building up in your core. Nick swats your hand away when you go to rub your clit. He licks his thumb and massages your neglected pearl until you are unable to hold it in any longer. The dual stimulation is too much and you gush, soaking Nick’s abdomen and your thighs.
“Oh fuck, baby. Such a good fucking girl for me. You must want my cum inside you with the way you’re...riding my dick. Shit, baby, I’m gonna blow. Where do you want it, baby?” he asks, you reply by doubling down on your hip motions.
“Right there, Nicky. Cum inside me, please,” you implore breathlessly.
“Yes, baby. Gonna cum for you, gonna fill you up so good. Ugh, fuck, here it comes,” he whimpers, his hold on your hips so tight to keep you close to him. 
You feel every twitch of his cock, his muscles pulling taut across his arms and chest as he floods your canal. Your name on his lips as he comes down is a badge of honor. Yes, you did that shit.
He pulls you down to kiss him, shallow thrusts keeping him semi-hard before he pulls out. He lays you down next to him, cuddling you close and kissing your forehead. You start to fall asleep but you can feel Nick moving off the bed. Your hand shoots out to grab for him, but he shushes you.
He goes into the bathroom and you hear the faucet running before he comes out with a wet washcloth. Wiping down your sensitive folds, he takes care of you so well. Putting the washcloth back in the bathroom, he comes back and helps you get under the covers and he snuggles in with you.
With your arms and legs entangled in one another, you drift off peacefully.
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January 22nd – January 26th 2024 
The days before the wedding are spent enjoying the island with Nick, Dee, and Matt before the other guests arrive. More than once, Dee has cornered both you and Nick, asking embarrassing questions. You both say nothing, feigning ignorance even though Nick has moved into your cottage over the week, abandoning the cottage that he was supposed to share with his parents.
That being said, once his parents do finally make it to the island, he doesn’t even try and act like he isn’t staying with you. The smile on his father’s face says it all, he approves. His mother is far too preoccupied with getting everyone together for the wedding rehearsal to notice anything. 
That is until she catches you and Nick making heart eyes at each other as you stand in for the Bride and Groom in rehearsal. Yes, it was a bit too soon to be playing Wedding Day with a man whose divorce is less than 100 days old.
But when you know, you know.
At dinner, you excuse yourself to go to the bathroom and you don’t notice Nick following after you. Before you can enter the ladies’ room, a hand on your arm pulls you into the nearby gender-neutral bathroom.
You turn around and are met with hungry eyes before he descends upon you. Turning you around to face the mirror, he puts your hands on the sink and sinks to his knees, his hands roaming under your dress and up your legs until he pulls down your panties. He pulls out his already hard dick and pumps himself a few times before sliding inside you.
“Don’t fucking move, baby. Keep looking at yourself in the mirror, and your hands stay right where they are. You thought you could get away with teasing me in this tight fucking dress,” he breathes, “I want you to watch yourself while I fuck you til you’re dripping for me like the good girl I know you can be.”
When he places his hands on your hips, he begins a steady pace. He watches you in the mirror as your orgasm takes you over without warning. You squeeze him, your walls fluttering and coaxing him to follow you when you cover him in your juices.
But he surprises you when he pulls out and pulls your panties back up. When you turn around to ask why, he only kisses you and whispers in your ear, “I’ll get mine later, don’t you worry.” That only fills you with a little dread, your legs still wobbly as Nick tucks himself away and straightens his outfit. “Can’t have them knowing I just got my dick wet, right baby? See you back out there.” 
He exits the bathroom and leaves you with slick running down your legs and your brain falling out of your ears. And he’s worried about you being the death of him?
You straighten yourself and use the bathroom for its intended purpose. Once back in the banquet hall, you pray to any god who will listen that you don’t look like you just got some dick. You see Nick and Matt in a conversation like he’d been here the whole time. When Dee asks why you look flustered, you lie and say you’re just a bit tired.
Nick overhears you talking to Dee and interjects himself into the conversation, “Why don’t we go get some fresh air? Don’t worry, Sis, I’ll take care of her.” Helping you out of your chair, you both say goodnight to those at dinner.
Nick takes you back to the cottage, pulling you behind him as he walks out onto the balcony. Crashing his lips to yours, his hands scrunch up the fabric of your dress until you feel the night air chill your skin. 
“Hands on the railing, baby,” he says, peeling your soaked panties from you.
Nick’s pushing inside you in the next breath and it’s like he belonged there all along. Holding onto your hips, he begins his onslaught. All you can do is hold yourself up and be happy that no one is walking down this road because fuck they would be able to see you getting absolutely railed without abandon.
Your grip on the railing is faltering as he slams into you and he takes pity on you. He uses the grip on your hips to pull you back so you sit on his lap while he sits in the wicker chair. He moves you up and down on his dick while saying the filthiest things to you.
Once your climax hits, his pace falters and he thrusts up into you. His tip hits your cervix as he pumps you full. He holds you against him and kisses up your neck as you lay back on his chest. For a few moments, all you both can do is breathe and caress each other.
His dick slips free of you and you feel his load dripping from your thoroughly used hole. 
“Come with me back to Virginia,” he whispers, surprising both of you, “Don’t say no just yet. Think about it. We don’t leave for a couple of days. I have not been this happy in a very long while and I think I make you happy too. Just think about it, Gumdrop.”
A million things go through your head at the thought of giving up your life in New Jersey. This was a big step after only a week of playing house. Your brain comes up with so many what-ifs and reasons to not leap. But then one thought sticks, and you smile.
When you know, you know.
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January 27th, 2024 – Wedding Day
You were never a big crier, but you shed many tears watching your childhood best friend marry the love of her life. It fills you with hope that everything does happen for a reason. While listening to their vows, you wonder if you could ever make that type of commitment. At that moment, Nick squeezes your hand and you smile up at him. Like he could read your mind, he seems to always know what to do to give you comfort.
Then again, he has known you most of his life. And when you think about it, it has always been him. A distant memory replays in your head of him simply putting a band-aid on your skinned knee when you were nine and he was twelve. Even then, he was there for you with a smile and a friendly hug.
The wedding reception is an all-out party but you expect nothing less from the Fowlers. The music, the food, and the atmosphere are perfect. Dee enjoys herself and is just happy to be married to Matt. And you are so happy for her, to see her without a care in the world. 
Nick focuses on you the entire night, making sure you are comfortable and that you have everything you need. You sit in his lap, effectively confirming any rumors that may have spread about you two. His hand on your knee is warm and you want to sneak out of here and take him to the nearest closet. But he doesn’t let you move an inch once he has you in his clutches.
The wedding photographer snaps a pic of you squealing when Nick plants a sloppy kiss on your cheek. The guests around you simultaneously swoon and groan, depending on their relationship status. Not that you care, you had your man. That’s all that matters.
After the wedding, you and Nick sneak off to a secluded area of the beach to look up at the stars. Taking off your shoes, you don’t mind the sand between your toes. You spend most of the night on the beach, just enjoying each other’s company under the moon. 
You are lucky enough to see a few shooting stars, and you can’t stop yourself from making a wish or two. Wondering if Nick made a wish, you open your mouth to ask him but close it just as quickly. You know his wish already and only you could make it come true.
Coming back to the cottage is bittersweet. The last night of your vacation is spent lying naked with Nick. No sex, just intimate cuddling. You loved how safe you felt in his arms, and you couldn’t deny yourself this feeling.
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January 28th, 2024
You’re nervous all morning and Nick tries his best to keep your mind off leaving the island. But all you want to do is spend all day in bed with him.
Saying goodbye to Dee that day is full of teary-eyed hand-holding, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. You hug her mother and father and thank them for inviting you. 
Nick drives you to the ferry, thinking for all the world that this is the last time he will see you. But like you continue to do, you surprise him when he’s helping you with your bags.
“So, I have some things to clear up in Jersey, but I was thinking Valentine’s Day is just a couple of weeks away. You can come to my place and we can spend some time together. I may not be ready to move 7 hours away just yet. But I know that I am not ready to be without you. I want you to know that I want this, whatever this is,” you admit, gesturing between the two of you.
“I can be amenable to that. On one condition,” he offers, taking your hands in his.
“And what is that one condition, Nicky?” you press, wondering what else he could want or if your terms weren’t enough.
“When we are with each other again, I get to call you my girl. That’s it. Be mine, and all that?” he laughs, watching as the frown lines on your forehead disappear and a smile grows on your face.
“You had me for a second, Nicky. But, why wait? I’m all yours already. Plus, I’ve already planted my flag in your back pocket,” you tease, snaking your hand around to goose him.
“So that would make me your man, then? And you’re my girl. Makes me wanna ask what made you decide to try this with me?” he hesitates, half wanting an answer and the other half just happy that you said yes.
“Hey, like I always say,” you start, wrapping your arms around his neck, “When you know, you know.”
END…?
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A/N: All of the places in this story are real, this is not an advertisement for Ocracoke Island, NC btw. I just loved vacationing here so much, that I wanted to use it in a story lol.
**Tag List** (since I never wrote for Nick, I didn't know who else to tag)
@gummydummy19 @blackwood4stucky
Let me know if you wanna be added (or removed) 😁
My BINGO Card:
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124 notes · View notes
autisticlenaluthor · 7 months
Text
Maroon
“That’s what you’re wearing?” 
It’s the first thing Kara says when she opens the door. Her eyes go wide and her brows shoot up– an involuntary response to the sight in front of her. And immediately, Lena retracts. She smiles, the way she always does when uncomfortable, and lifts her hands in defense. 
“Shoot– I’m sorry, I don’t mean it like that,” Kara stammers.  “You look great– I mean, you always look great, really! I- I don’t know why I said that. Like– you could step on me, and I’d probably thank you.” 
She doesn’t know why that last bit slips out either. But it does. And for a solid five seconds, she freezes, beet-faced as she stares at Lena, who stares back, with brows raised so high her forehead creases to accommodate them. 
“I am… so sorry for that,” Kara murmurs after what feels like an eternity. 
She steps aside so her friend can enter the apartment and awkwardly adjusts her glasses, mentally kicking herself for, well, everything.
Because really, Lena doesn’t look bad. If anything, it’s the opposite. In a black button-down and plaid dress pants, Lena remains the most stunning woman Kara has ever seen. For embarrassing as they all were, not a word of Kara’s ramblings had been dishonest. 
“I just…” Kara shuts the door and fidgets uncomfortably as she approaches Lena. “It’s like a million degrees out, are you gonna be comfortable?” 
“I just came from work,” Lena responds. Her voice is flat, her posture stiff. 
“I- I know,” Kara says. “You do look very good.” 
Lena smiles. “Thank you.” 
She sucks in a breath and glances down at herself. She’d had a feeling this wasn’t the most appropriate attire. Kara had invited her to a baseball game at Aztec Stadium- not to a dinner party or board room. Now that she sees herself next to Kara, she does feel pretty ridiculous. 
“Could I…” Lena sucks in a breath. “Do you have something I could borrow?” 
“Oh– yeah, of course. Come with me!” 
They spend the next fifteen minutes in Kara’s bedroom, Lena perched on the edge of the bed while Kara digs through her closet. 
“I can’t wait to get nachos,” she says. “I know technically liquid cheese is kind of disgusting. But I feel like the rules don’t really apply at baseball games.” 
Lena hums and nods. 
“I’ve actually never been to one,” she says. 
Kara turns around, holding a few hangers and pairs of pants. 
“Any kind of sports, thing, really. Unless you count high school fencing.” Lena laughs as she says it. “But, I was the one doing the fencing.” 
“You fenced?”
“Yeah. For about three years.”
Kara pauses and folds the clothes over her arm. 
“Why’d you stop?” 
Lena shrugs. “I guess I got bored.” 
“You got bored sword fighting?” 
“Yeah, well…” Lena gives a teasing smile and raises an eyebrow. She’s going to make a remark about how she is a Luthor and after a while, the weaponry in fencing begins to feel a bit juvenile. But she keeps it in, unsure of how a joke like that will land. 
Thankfully, Kara doesn’t seem to notice the hesitation. She stays in the swing of things and holds up two pieces from her pile– a maroon tank top and jeans. 
“What about this?” She asks. 
“I don’t know…” Lena stretches out the words.
She tilts her head and scrunches up her nose as she says it. Kara can pull the look off. She’s nothing if not beautiful in her National City Warriors t-shirt and ripped denim shorts. But with her, it’s different. Because Kara’s muscular and tall. She’s got a sunshine smile and the softest golden waves. And as goofy as she may be, with her baseball cap and fanny pack slung across her body, she’s still her. She’s still perfect.
“Don’t you think I’ll look silly?” 
“No, I think you’ll look cute,” Kara answers without an ounce of hesitation. “But it’s up to you.”
Lena rises from the bed and steps forward to take the outfit from her friend. She wants to ask if Kara has another one of those big tees but the words escape her.
“Okay,” she says after a moment. “I’ll try it.” 
She strips and changes in front of her (with Kara, it’s never felt strange) while Kara talks to her about everything going on at CatCo. The new intern who Ms. Grant brought to tears on her first day (she brought her a mocha instead of a white mocha) and the techie who was fired for trying to steal one of the company tablets. 
“Lena!” Kara exclaims when she’s done. 
“What?”
Instinctive arms wrap themselves around Lena’s abdomen. She’s so exposed in this. Her stomach protrudes over the waistline of the jeans and the unfaded stretch marks she normally covers with concealer are visible. She’s too casual, she’s too sloppy, too–
“You look so good!”
Kara claps her hands together. She’s smiling so bright her eyes get all squinty and dimples appear on either side of her mouth.
“Wait- can I do something? Can I touch your hair?” She asks. 
Kara's s so happy Lena can’t help but oblige. She nods and smiles, letting her friend come over to her and carefully take the bobby pins out of her bun. She moves slowly with hands so gentle. It’s a welcome break from the nights when Lena gets home and rips them out fast enough that they take clumps of hair with them. 
“You look so nice,” Kara softly reiterates as she removes the first hair tie. “I don’t know what it is but you just… you feel so human, I guess.” 
The bun collapses into a ponytail and Kara carefully pulls out the second hair tie. She rakes smooth fingers through Lena’s hair, pulling it all back behind her shoulders. 
“Human?” Lena chuckles. 
“Yeah… I guess I’ve never really seen you outside of your work clothes. You’re always so put together but you just– I mean, you’re always beautiful. And now…” Kara hesitates. She needs something to do with her hands, so she goes back to combing out Lena’s hair. She can feel her face filling with heat, thankful Lena’s back is to her. “You feel less… less far away. Like, you’re less of an entity and more…” 
Lena turns around. Her expression is relaxed, save the knit in her brow, like she finally released the breath she’d been hanging onto. 
For a moment, she waits, clinging to Kara’s every last word, needing to know where she’ll land. But Kara falls quiet. She’s too focused on the inch of space between them. They’re so close she can smell Lena’s warm vanilla lotion and the faint scent of coffee on her breath, see the scab from where she chews her lip, and the freckles under faded foundation. 
“You…” She tries again but the word gets caught in her throat. 
“Kara?” 
“Yeah?” 
“Can I…”
Lena takes Kara’s hand in hers, intertwining their fingers as she steps forward and closes the gap between them. When their lips touch, she waits to feel the fireworks. The butterflies in her stomach, fluttering and pouncing with glee. But instead of an explosion that overtakes her, it’s a calm that washes over her body. Warmth that starts where Kara’s body meets hers, radiating all the way down to the tips of her toes.
It feels right. It feels safe. 
When she finally pulls away, Kara’s sunshine smile instantly returns. 
“You good?” She asks with a laugh, giving Lena’s hand a squeeze. 
“Yeah,” Lena says, smiling in a way that causes her nose to get all scrunchy and small. “I’m really good.”
228 notes · View notes
ashisgreedy · 10 months
Text
Garreth Weasley x F!MC
"Fulfilling A Fantasy"
Tags: Smut 18+🔞 MDNI | Established relationship | 1st f!anal | Anal prep w fingers/toys/mouth | Anal Penetration | Spanking | Praise | Garreth is a bit obsessed with this fantasy~ | Aged up 21+ | A|N at the end.
WC: 2,745
MC was laying naked on her stomach atop the bed. She had a pillow under her hips that made her ass stick up in the air. 
Garreth was pulling out several toys he’d collected for this very occasion along with a sizeable bottle of lubricant. He lined them up next to her legs and kept rubbing his hand over her backside and thighs. 
MC looks back at her boyfriend. “That’s a lot of plugs…” 
Her nervousness was made clear well before all of this started. Garreth promised to stop anytime for any reason, no questions asked if she wanted him to. 
“Well, I may have gone a bit overboard. Some of them are just for pleasure and not really prepping…” He picked two up and compared them. “This one,” He lifted a tapered egg-shaped plug. “It's more for stretching and… well it is also pleasurable.” He smiled. His cheeks were already pink from his flustered state. “This one,” He lifted the other. It was tapered and longer with three bulges. “This is a bit more for pleasure. I probably won't use all of them.” He raked his hand in his hair, visibly excited. 
He relaxed on one arm next to her legs. He was also already fully naked. 
“Well…” She wiggled her hips a little. Garreth’s gaze shot to her ass region in an instant. She smiled at the effect this was already having on him. “I’m ready when you are.” She finished. 
“We will take it slow.” He reassured her, “We go at your pace, little witch.” 
His lubed finger slid over her slit up to her ass. He rubs in a circular motion. It felt a bit chilly on her skin but warmed very quickly.
“Mm… No one has ever touched me there so.” She lets out a soft laugh. “It’s a bit… interesting.”
“I really like touching you there…” Garreth spoke in a low voice.
He’d brought this up to her more times than she could count during the course of their relationship. It wasn’t that she didn’t want it, it just felt a bit too taboo to her and made her nervous to try something out of the box. But she trusted her boyfriend. Plus, the way his face lit up when she agreed to it made her more happy than she dared to admit. 
He was already obsessed with grabbing her ass and keeping his hand on it when he could get away with it. She knew he was a bit obsessed with her body at this point and very much loved the effect it had on him. 
His finger gently pressed inside her.
“Whew…” she breathed. The lube made it easy for his finger to intrude. 
She jerked her hips when he moved his digit in and out. 
“You’re doing so well, just relax.” He rubbed her thigh comfortingly. “You will get used to the sensation after a bit.” He reassured her. 
She blushes when he starts to play more. He moves his finger all the way in, twisting and pulling out. He dripped more lube onto her ass as he did this, getting her insides nice and coated. 
Garreth was between her legs while her ass was propped up in the air like some kind of art piece on a pedestal. Her legs were spread to accommodate his width and he could see everything from his viewpoint. 
“It’s a bit… humiliating.” She tries to joke but her breath hitches when a second finger presses against her hole. 
“It’s just us. No need to feel embarrassed.” He kissed her inner thigh and slowly adds the second finger. 
His free hand moves up her waist and down to her knee. He caresses her skin, making her feel more comfortable and reassured. 
“Do you have to watch like that?” She laughs breathlessly. 
“Yep.” He sent her a smirk when she looked back at him.  
The intrusion didn’t feel normal for a while. It was nice, just strange. She could feel how relaxed her hole was getting and whimpered when he removed his fingers. 
“Shh, shh,” He was grinning. “I’m just getting a toy now, okay? I’ll put something inside you again, don’t worry.” He pats her thigh reassuringly, teasing her. His delight was obvious that she was enjoying herself too.
She buried her face in the pillow to hide her blush. Was she really starting to crave the sensation? 
A blunt object pressed against her asshole and she tensed. It was covered in lube, feeling a bit cold. 
“Relax, little witch.” He soothed. 
She relaxed and squeaked when he pressed harder. 
Garreth sighed, squeezing her ass cheek with his free hand. “I’ll take it slow. Let me know if you need to stop.”
It took a few minutes of him slowly pushing, but soon she was shuddering as the plug fit snugly all the way in. 
“Gods…” Garreth let go of the toy and let it sit inside her. He grabbed her cheeks and squeezed, spreading them wider, pushing them up, and kneading them. “How does it feel?” 
She looked back and noticed just how hard his cock was slowly getting. 
“Feels fine, it's good. I’m comfortable.” 
He nodded, working hard to fix a smile on his lust-filled face. “I’m going to move it a bit now.” 
She nodded and felt him start to pull on the plug. He pulled just enough to take it out halfway before pushing it back in.
“Woah…” She gasped.
“Good, bad? Need a break?” He stood still. 
“Good! It's fine. It just feels so… interesting. I’m kind of liking it…” She sends him a small smile. 
Garreth’s face lights up as he starts to tug on the plug again. He doesn’t remove it all the way and keeps pulling and pushing it back into her. 
She felt quite stretched at this point and told him so. “I think I'm ready for the next size up..” 
“I was about to say, I think you’re ready for a bigger one.” He agrees and slips the plug out. He sets it off in another pile away from the unused ones and looks at his pile. 
He seems to be thinking for a long moment and MC pipes up. “Everything okay?
Garreth gave her a small smile. “Yeah! I was just thinking. It’s just… you’re doing so well. I was thinking of skipping the medium and going up to a larger one. Would you want to try?” 
“I will try. I feel very ready…” 
Garreth swallows thickly at her words. This was most definitely his biggest fantasy come to life. 
He gets the larger plug, saturates it in extra lube then presses it to her ass.
“We’re going slow, okay? Tell me the second anything hurts and I’ll stop.” He reassures her, touching her leg lovingly. 
“Understood.” She agrees. 
She takes the plug slowly. It stretches her deliciously and she clenches her eyes shut. Okay, now it was starting to feel good.
Garreth is breathless as her hole accepts the larger plug so readily. 
She notices him give his cock a few pumps while her hole stretches much farther than it ever has before. 
She whimpers as the plug gets to the largest part, breathing through the stretching with her hands digging into the bedsheets. 
Garreth bites her thigh, kissing along the skin up to her cheek. He bites her ass cheek and groans when her hole finally sucks in the last bit of the plug.
“Ah… Woah…” 
She feels a light smack to her ass, then another one as Garreth spanks her. He squeezes the flesh and leans in, kissing around the plug. 
She moans at all the sensations, rubbing her chest into the bed. 
His tongue runs all along the rim eagerly. He pulls at the plug and keeps licking and stretching her. 
“Garreth!” She moans breathlessly. Little tremors of pleasure skittling through her body from the epicenter of her backside. 
His tongue slides all around, his saliva lubing the plug even more. 
He pulls the plug out and pushes it back in, over and over while MC mewls and twitches below. 
When she easily takes the toy with no resistance, Garreth removes it and tosses it in the ‘used’ pile.
He spanks her again and grips her cheeks. 
“The next size up is my cock,” He breathes heavily. “Do you want that? Do you want me?” He spanks her ass again and groans. 
“Yes… I want you… Please,” She begs, looking back at him as he adds lube to his cock. 
He strokes himself and lines himself up. He then folds himself over her body, pressing his chest to her back, arms on either side of her face, caging her in. 
“I’m going to stay still, and I want you to push back into me at your own pace, okay? Can you do that for me?” He moves her hair to one side and plants sweet kisses along her shoulder. 
She nods eagerly and pushes her hips back. He adjusts himself so he’s perfectly angled at her asshole then cages her in again. “Slow, little witch.” He teases. 
She goes slow, moving back against the blunt tip of his cock. She feels it stretch her as she presses harder. 
“Mm, that's it. Take your time.” He encourages her.
She does, pressing slowly as moments pass. Finally, the thick head of his cock pops passed the tight ring of her ass and they both gasp. 
“Yes!” She takes a breather. “Oh… The stretch feels so good.” She whimpers. 
“Fuck…” He pants. “Yes… That's my girl.” He praises her, nipping at her shoulder with gentle bites.
Neither of them expected to get this far tonight. The training was supposed to be a build-up over the course of the weekend, but he’d made her feel so relaxed and took his time, her body acclimated very quickly. 
Garreth panted as MC started pressing back again, taking more of him. 
“Take my cock in your ass,” Garreth moaned, losing himself in the moment. He always got chatty when things heated up. “I’ll make you feel so good,” His lips trailed over her shoulder along the back of her neck. 
She trembles as she dares to take in more of him. Her knees quake as she slowly presses back for more. 
She moans louder and Garreth starts breathing heavier. His fists shake as he holds his body weight up so as to not crush her. 
“Take more, take more of me. Go slower if you need to. I won’t move.” He promised, breathing harshly into the back of her hair. 
The sensation of his cock sliding into her felt never-ending. 
“Oh… it feels so deep.” She catches her breath for a moment. 
“I’m not even halfway,” He kisses her neck and ear. “All the toys were short… just to help prepare you for penetration… Is this okay?” 
“Yes, Garreth! Gods….” She allows her body to acclimate for a moment more before pressing back again to take more of his cock inside her. 
His chest presses down on her back and she can see just how much he's stopping himself from thrusting all the way to the hilt.
They both groan the farther he’s in. Finally, fucking, finally his hips press directly against her skin. He was all the way buried inside her. 
“I need a minute,” Garreth drops his head into the crook of her shoulder, breathing deeply. 
“It feels… feels a bit violating.”  She lets out a small breathy laugh. 
Garreth inhales deeply “In a good way?” 
“Oh, yes.” She reassures him with a smile on her lips. 
“I’ve been wanting to “violate” you for a while now.” He lets out a breathy chuckle and so does she. 
She pushes back a bit, trying to encourage him to move.
“Ah, fuck…” He groans. 
“You’re so deep,” She moans, gripping the sheets. “I feel so full.” She adds quietly.
“Say that again, MC. Tell me again,” Garreth pleads, forehead pressing into the back of her head. 
“I feel so full, Garreth. You’re so big…” 
Garreth lets out a burst of air, tickling the skin on her neck. 
“Mm, and I’m going to keep filling you up, nice and deep, over and over again, little witch.” His voice is sinfully low. “Do you want that? Hm? Tell me,” 
“Yes! I want you to keep filling me up,” 
“Oh, gods…” He groans and adjusts his position minutely. “Ready for me to move?” He scrapes his teeth over a sensitive spot on her neck. 
“Yes… start moving a little bit,” She braces herself for the foreign feeling. 
“Let’s see how well you take me,” He whispers in her ear and kisses it before he gently moves. 
“Oh, gods!” She yanks on the blanket. 
He rocks his hips slowly, filling her to the brink before pulling out again. 
“You’re doing so well,” He rocks a bit faster when she doesn’t protest. 
She moans and sucks in breaths. “I’m going to fall apart, fuck���” 
“I’m just getting started,” He uncurls himself from her and sits on his knees between her legs. He lets out a moan at the sight of his cock in her ass and starts thrusting. 
The absence of his body heat makes the air in the room feel cold on her back. She shivers as she whimpers little cries of pleasure. “So full…” 
“Yes,” Garreth drives his cock home, again and again. “Your ass takes my cock so well,” A quiet ‘fuck’ falls from his lips. “I’m going to fill you up even more with my cum, my little witch. Do you want that? Want me to cum deep inside you?” 
“Yes! Oh, Garreth…” She pants as he goes faster, fucking her at his normal stride. 
Garreth’s hands grip her ass. He sits back and spreads her cheeks, watching himself fuck into her. “Ah… MC…” 
“That angle! Yes!” She desperately pleads.
“I never want this to stop,” He huffs as he fucks her at the angle she requested. “You like this angle? Is it pressing against all the right spots?” 
She found her center of gravity again and started pushing back into each of his thrusts. The angle he was hitting her made her feel all kinds of good things inside. 
“It is, Yes! Oh, don’t stop,” They find a matching rhythm and speed up together. 
He spanked one of her ass cheeks and squeezed the other one, gripping and pulling her with each thrust.
“This is better than my fantasy,” He let out a breathless chuckle. 
Her neglected pussy was slick with desire. Garreth reached around and rubbed her little clit. 
She was yelling out ‘yes’ and ‘more’ as he touched her intimately. 
He used his other hand to smack her ass again and then she was falling, flying, shaking under him. Her orgasm hit her like a bus. 
“Gods, that feels good,” Garreth commented on how her walls squeezed his cock as she came. 
As her orgasm ended, she started to squirm and whimper. He removed his finger and went back to chasing his own release. 
His hands dug into her ass, thrusting faster and faster. His knees dug into the bed and each thrust sent her body jolting forward. The pillow below her hips gets pushed and pulled, almost becoming useless. 
“AH!” Garreth moans louder the closer he gets. “I’m close,” He alerts her. 
“I want it!” She mewls into the bed. “Cum inside me, please” She begs him. 
“Fuck…” His hips studders. “Tell me again!” He demands as he huffs air. 
“I want your cum! Please, fill me up!” 
Garreth thrusts into her deep one last time and his cock throbs hard as his eyes clench shut. 
He curls back down on top of her against her back, keeping their bodies locked. His moans fill her ears as his body pulses with pleasure. 
His chest is much warmer now against her back, sticky from sweat, but oh so comforting. His familiar musk fills her nose and her whole body relaxes in his embrace.
“Just gonna…” Garreth kisses her neck lazily. “...stay inside you until I get hard again.” 
She laughed and Garreth cracked a smile. 
“I have a feeling you’re going to want to do this more often.” She spoke quietly between them, resting her cheek on the bed and looking up at him. 
“Oh, you bet,” He chuckled. “If you’re up for it.” 
They relaxed like that, catching their breath and having some pillow talk before Garreth’s body inevitably reset. 
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Thanks for reading! ❤️-Ash
AN: I wasn’t sure what to call this. A fic? A HC? A drabble? A babble!? Regular fic writing has been making me feel too intimidated lately to do. I decided to write it like this. The story flowed easily and I really enjoyed it! Not sure if this will be a regular format going forward but I’m just happy I was finally able to write without feeling impending doom. lol
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ᵀʰᵉ ᵒⁿˡʸ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵍ ᵒⁿ ᵗʰᵉᵐᵉ ᶠᵒʳ "ᴴᵒᵗ" ᵂᵉᵃˢˡᵉʸ ᵂᵉᵈⁿᵉˢᵈᵃʸ ʷᵃˢ ʰᵒʷ ʰᵒᵗ ᵗʰᶦˢ ᶠᶦᶜ ᵐᵃᵈᵉ ᵐᵉ
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Imagine Mai and Ty lee teasing you for your crush on the Princess of the fire nation, not knowing Azula is more than aware of your crush and intends to have some fun with it.
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"You all follow the bison. I’ll take the Avatar" Azula commanded. Ty lee and Mai nodded, stepping away but you paused "Azula can i come with you?". When Azula paused looking annoyed you rushed to explain. "I’m just keen to learn more about survival and combat, already this trip has taught me more than the academy ever did and I don’t want it to stop so I want to accompany you". Azula’s frown turned into a light smirk "you may accompany me, keep up" she said sharply before taking off into a run. You smiled before chasing after her. 
The trip had certainly been interesting. You and Azula had faced a large group including the Avatar and Azula’s older brother Zuko but thanks to Azula you managed to escape. You made it back to your accommodation and once reunited with Mai and Ty lee they wasted no time in teasing you. "Please can I accompany you Azula. I can’t bear to be parted from you for a second!" Ty lee cried and you shushed her "stop it! Azula’s only in the next room". "I just learn so much from you because you're so talented and perfect please don’t ever leave my side" Mai added in and you rolled your eyes "I’m not that bad". "Ow please” Mai smirked "you’re so obvious! Just ask to sit in her lap next time or something". "Mai!" you cried going bright red and her smirk widened. "What we know you’d love to, your blush says it all". "Ow like you're one to talk, you used to blush anytime Zuko was around". "Yeah but atleast i dated him! I did something about my crush, you just stare after Azula longingly" Mai replied smugly. "I don’t stare at her" you cried and Ty lee frowned "you kind of do and your face gets all vague and expressionless". "We call it Azula-land" Mai grinned and you blushed. "Okay so I have a small crush....". "Huge crush" Mai corrected you and you sighed "huge crush on Azula but have mercy on me. I’m weak and she's just so...." you sighed and Mai and Ty lee smirked at one another before their expressions vanished. They stared behind you and you heard the door close. You turned to find Azula right behind you and gulped. "Don’t go quiet on my account....what were you talking about?" Azula asked. She walked into the centre of the room and perched on one of the chairs facing you. You blinked "I was erm....saying....". "She was talking about her mother" Mai improvised "Y/n was saying how her mother is just so annoying and possessive". You smiled at Mai gratefully and she nodded to you. "Is that true Y/n?" Azula asked and you looked at her. She was staring at you intently and you could’ve sworn there was a hint of a smile on her lips. "Yes it’s true" you said and Azula nodded standing up. "How interesting...i thought you were talking about someone else". You glanced from Azula to Mai and Ty lee frozen. "But i see i was mistaken" Azula smiled sweetly and you relaxed. Somehow you’d avoided a large bullet.
A week later you had made much progress on capturing the Avatar. There was a moment where you almost drilled into Ba Sing Sei and you thought everything would work out but then the Avatar defeated Azula and so you were back to square one, travelling the Fire Nation in the big clunky tanks. You were getting pretty bored of your routine when something happened to definitely keep you on your toes. 
You stumbled into your shared room with Mai and Ty lee still dazed at what had just happened to you. You knocked over a table you didn’t see causing both the girls to turn and look at you. “Gosh y/n could you be any louder?” Mai called. In reply you just shrugged and Ty lee got a good look at your face. "Y/n are you okay?” Ty lee called “you look like you’ve seen a ghost”. Mai turned and stood up “yeah you’re even paler than me” and she tugged you towards a chair making you sit down. “What happened?” Ty lee asked and you shook your head “I...it was nothing”. “Well clearly not I mean look at the state of you...no offence” Mai replied. You searched for the words for a while but couldn’t think of how to start so you just said the most important word. ”Azula” you finally managed to say but that wasn’t enough. “Azula what?” Mai asked and you sighed. “I was dropping off the reports in Azula’s room like I do every day but today she was in there. I didn’t realise at first because she was behind a screen but then she heard me and she called out and she came to see who it was and...her hair was down and wet because she’d just come out of the shower and she smelt so damn good. I nearly combusted on the spot! Especially when she came over to me to read my report, she was so close to me and in nothing but a towel!”. Mai and Ty lee shook their heads. “We thought you were in danger and you’re just in Azula-land again”. 
They both moved away from you and got back on with what they’d been doing. Meanwhile you were outraged. “I was in danger! Azula was right there and she looked amazing!”. Ty lee smiled “you know she probably did it on purpose”. “What?” you asked “why would she do that?”. Mai nodded “yeah you’re right Ty, I mean Azula’s routine is like clockwork and she also has everyone else’s memorised too. It seems a bit suspicious that she’d just forget she’d asked you to bring the stuff to her room while she happened to be in a towel”. “But what would Azula gain from that?” you asked. Ty lee smiled “well you are pretty obvious so maybe Azula just likes teasing you?”. “You think she knows I like her?” you asked panicked. Mai shrugged “it’s possible...”. You buried your head in your hands “Mai do you have your knives because I need you to stab me please”. Ty lee chuckled “ow come it’s not that bad!” and Mai nodded “yeah the fact she’s toying with you shows she’s interested in you”. “It does?” you asked and the girls nodded. “Let me put it this way. If Azula found you repulsive, there’s no way she’s make you flustered on purpose or encourage you in any way, right?” Mai asked. You shrugged “maybe...unless it was so she could brutally reject me to teach me the follies of romance”. Mai paused “okay I didn’t think of that, she could be doing that”. “No!” Ty lee cried “she’s not! Y/n Azula clearly likes you, or the fact you like her, but either way just relax! Azula’s having fun with this so maybe you should try to as well”. You nodded your head but there was no way you could let your guard down now, if anything your feelings became heightened around Azula.  
Finally your weeks of patrolling the earth kingdom wilderness paid off. You found and defeated the Kyoshi Warriors which would’ve been reason enough to celebrate but Azula came up with the brilliant idea to steal their disguises and use them to infiltrate Ba Sing Sei. It was a fantastic plan the only problem was you had to look the part exactly or you’d be discovered. You’d never worn makeup before so you weren’t good at putting it on and despite starting first you were taking the longest to get ready. Azula was in the same room as you and had done her hair and makeup while you were still busy sighing and wiping away your mistakes, eventually she took pity on you. 
"Here let me do it" Azula said and she spun you around to face her. "Azula i...". "Sit still and close your mouth" she ordered. You obeyed and sat as still as you could as Azula placed the makeup on your face only inches away from you. You stared at the floor worried a blush would show through the make-up. "Look up" Azula said suddenly and you paused "why?". "I can’t do your eyes properly, look up...i won’t bite" she smirked as she said that last part and you felt your heart speed up. 
Azula did your lips last and she has a small smile of her face as she delicately touched traced them with the brush. "You have such lovely lips" she said softly "they appear very soft and full...i wonder if they are". You jolted in surprise and pulled away “what?”. “I just wondered if they’re as nice as they look” Azula shrugged putting the brush down “does that offend you?”. “No of course not!” you cried and Azula smiled “good”. She looked right at you, gazing at you from head to toe and you erupted into another blush. Azula chuckled softly and a sigh escaped her lips. “All done” she touched your chin lightly and turned your face to different angles as if inspecting it. Finally she stopped “perfect” she breathed. You blushed and Azula’s smirk widened, so blushes did show through this make-up...great.
As soon as Azula was occupied you rushed to Mai and Ty lee. “So you were right...Azula totally knows I like her”. “Was there any doubt we weren’t right?” Mai asked as Ty lee nudged her “what made you change your mind?”. “Well long story short she was flirting with me! I know that might sound crazy but I promise you Azula was trying to embarrass me and blatantly flirting!”. Mai and Ty lee looked at one another before smiling. “What?” you asked “don’t just stand there! Help me!”. Ty lee laughed and Mai even managed a dry cough. “Y/n Azula’s been flirting with you for ages”. “WHAT!” you cried and Mai smirked  “yeah...pretty much since the academy. How haven’t you noticed?”. You paused “Are you sure? What you guys count as flirting might be different to what I class as”. Mai rolled her eyes “Azula always chooses you when we split off into pairs. She checks you out every time you walk in front of her, not to mention she loves when you adore her and go all red like you are right now”. Ty lee nodded and you frowned “I...don’t know what to say”. “You could say we were right again?” Mai offered “I liked hearing that”. You chuckled despite yourself and shook your head “what does she want with me though? Azula is literally perfect! She could have anyone in the world!”. “Yeah...but she’s known you since we were all kids” Ty lee pointed out “you’re the person she is softest around so she clearly feels more comfortable with you than other people. Not to mention you’re just as hot as Azula so you’d totally fit”. “We would?” you asked and Mai nodded “yes Y/n, plus you’re totally her type but do us a favour and don’t just roll over and do everything she says okay? Azula has power over you but you also have power over her! She cares about you way more than she does us so don’t underestimate yourself. Stand up for yourself and don’t let Azula act all...well Azula”. You laughed “I’ll do my best”. 
You infiltrated Ba Sing Sei and everything went exactly to plan, even down to the smallest detail. You were once again astounded by how good Azula was and watched her work in awe. She fooled Long Fen into “recruiting” her and tonight was the moment she revealed she’d been playing him all along. You were all so close you just had to carry out this evening perfectly and Azula had precautions to do that. 
"Y/n i want you with me when i face long fen" Azula called. Of course those words would make you go anywhere with her and so you nodded obediently "yes Princess Azula". Ty lee and Mai shot you a *this is one of those moments* look and you resisted the urge to roll your eyes. Surely the blush on your face proved you were aware of that. Regardless you accompanied Azula and stood to the side, in the wings in case she needed you as she destroyed the man who ruled Ba Sing Sei. 
"You were never even a player” Azula smiled and you felt a tingle go down your spine. Azula sat there on that throne so confident and beautiful....you looked away with a heavy sigh. She was flawless, you were convinced she had no faults and you’d never recover from your infatuation with her. Azula dismissed the dai li and smirked "Y/n come and stand in front of me". You stood at the bottom of her throne and she smiled "well aren’t you going to bow?". You got on one knee and bowed, Azula chuckled softly "i like seeing you do that". You blushed, wondering what she meant and jumped to hear her coming closer. She hadn’t told you to stand so you stayed kneeling. Azula circled you and smiled "there’s something just so....powerful about seeing people on their knees for you, utterly at your will, ready to do anything to please you....that is you isn’t it Y/n? You'd do anything to please me?". You looked up and nodded "of course Princess". "Stand!" she said suddenly and you did. You were slightly taller than her but Azula had a way of appearing bigger. "I have to leave to take care of my brother but you will stay here and keep my throne warm...then later, I want to see you on the ship when we’re on our way home. “I...have I done something wrong?” you asked and Azula chuckled “no...not at all, i’ll send word to you but I’m not sure what time so wait up for me. Can you manage that?”. You nodded “yes Princess”.
Azula somehow convinced Zuko to ally with her, captured her uncle and killed the Avatar all in one night. It was a glorious victory and everyone was in high spirits but you had one thing on your mind. The note from Azula arrived late like she’s said and told you to come to her room in exactly ten minutes. You did as she said and knocked on her door bang on time. Azula opened the door and smiled “I love how you’re always punctual” and she opened the door just wide enough for you to step inside. You stepped in and Azula didn’t step away. She closed the door sharply and you stood with your back against it.
“Well come inside then” Azula said suddenly smiling and you relaxed a little. She directed you to her sofas and poured you a drink. “To our victory” she said toasting you and you smiled lifting the glass “to your victory princess”. She seemed to like that and Azula nodded at you pleased. “So what are your plans when we reach home?” Azula asked. You paused “I’m not too sure...I guess I’ll have to return to my family”. “You don’t want to stay in my company?” Azula asked and you froze. “No of course I do! I just had no idea that was an option...I’d love to stay if you’ll have me”. Azula nodded “I can definitely live with the thought”. “Then I will stay” you nodded and Azula smiled. “You know I’ve rather enjoyed this trip” Azula told you and you nodded “me too, it’s rather annoying being a civilised lady all the time”. Azula nodded “I could tell you’ve been enjoying it and might I guess I’ve been a big part of that?”. You looked at her to find her smirking. “I erm...of course” you nodded “you’re a great leader”. “And you find me attractive too yes?” Azula asked making you crimson in seconds. “What?” you cried leaping to your feet but Azula just grinned. 
"I heard you in the drill" Azula said softly a smile on her lips "i heard you sigh just at the thought of me...I realised Mai and Ty lee were in on it when they came to your aid and supposed it had been going on for some time....am i correct?". You nodded your head unsure if you were even capable of speech at this moment. "I want you to finish your sentence” Azula said suddenly and you frowned “what?". "On the drill you sad and I quote “I’m weak and she’s just so” before you trailed off in a deep sigh. Since then I’ve been wondering what word you were going to say, what single word were you going to use to describe me? What word could be fitting?" Azula mused "so i ask you yYn what word were you going to say and choose wisely". 
You pondered Azula’s question and realised you truly had no idea. You tried to rack your brains for an answer but with Azula staring at you with that damned smile on her face you found it hard to think let alone plan an answer. Finally you just sighed "I don’t know what word I would’ve chosen as you see that was my problem there are so many good qualities to describe” you shrugged deciding flattery was always best. “You’re smart, the most cunning strategist i’ve ever met and your hunch is always correct. You are the best fire bender in the whole of the Fire Nation and watching you bend is an art form. You are strong and capable but also the most beautiful and stunning woman i have ever laid eyes on. From your muscular arms to your golden eyes and jet black waist-long hair...you are exquisite. So only one word comes to mind when I think of all that Azula so if i have to pick a word it would be this one....perfect". Azula’s smile told you that your answer pleased her. "Perfect?" she purred coming to stand right in front of you and you backed up without even meaning to "you think i’m perfect" she asked. You swallowed as you realised there was a wall behind you and Azula trapping you against it in front. "Yes, I can’t think of any other word to describe you, to me you are perfect in every single way". "That was the correct answer" Azula said before swiftly pressing you up against the wall and kissing you harshly. "And good answers deserve rewarding" Azula smiled "how do you wish to be rewarded?". You blinked utterly overwhelmed with the wonderful situation you’d found yourself “I...I don’t mind”. Azula tilted her head to the side. “There’s not one thing you can think of? Not one thing you want?”. “Well I want you” you replied blushing and Azula smiled “all you had to do this whole time Y/n...was ask”.
***
You returned to your room and bumped into Mai and Ty lee. “Y/n?” Mai asked spotting you “why are you still awake?”. You paused “I...why are you still up?”. “Because she’s a vampire” Ty lee replied and Mai rolled her eyes. “Ha ha now no dodging the question, where were you? We tried looking for you earlier and couldn’t find you anywhere”. You blushed “I was erm...with Azula”. Ty lee nodded “that’s nice” and went to walk away when Mai caught her arm “wait...at this time at night?”. You blushed and Ty lee gasped “Wait are you two...”. You blushed even more and Ty lee squealed jumping on you while Mai watched you mildly impressed “so you decided to do something about it huh? Only took you around 2 years”. “That’s rich coming from you” you replied and Mai shrugged “fairs”. “Omg this is so great! You can go on double dates together! You and Azula” she said pointing to you “and you and Zuko” she told Mai. You and Mai looked at one another before bursting out laughing. “Yeah that’s not gonna happen any time soon” Mai smiled widely “but thanks for the laugh Ty lee”. “Plus Azula and I...I’m not even sure if we’re dating”. Ty lee frowned “well even if you’re not you’re still the first person Azula’s ever shown an interest in. There’s no way she’s letting you get away easily. Mai nodded “I bet you will be seeing a lot more of her from now on...I just say about time”. You blushed and a yawn escaped you. “Ow she’s all tuckered out” Mai teased “I wonder why”. You threw your shoe at her making them both laugh. “I’m going to bed, goodnight!” you called and finally made it to your own room. 
Despite all their teasing you were happy, their words had pleased you and you were hopeful this would lead to something good. Azula had been happier lately than you’d ever seen her and you were determined to see that smile on her face again.
_________
I feel like Azula would get on with anyone who fuels her ego and I would happily volunteer for that role!
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luci-in-trenchcoats · 11 months
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If I Love You Too (Part 1)
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Summary: It’s been six months since the accident. Six months and Jensen can’t stand feeling helpless anymore. He knows he needs to start figuring out how to work again while being a single parent and juggling his concerned family. He absolutely doesn’t want it but he needs help in the form of a live-in nanny to help with the day to day. As much as he didn’t want that nanny or her help, she’s going to make him feel things he never dared to again and in the process, discover that some people in life get more than one soulmate...
Masterlist
Pairing: Jenssen x nanny!reader
Word Count: 9,500ish
Warnings: language, angst, death of a spouse, lying, mentions of injury/death of a spouse/death of a parent, internal turmoil
A/N: Please enjoy the first part of this Jensen POV series! I am SO excited to be sharing this story with you from Jensen’s side! 
______
“Hey buddy,” I heard as the door from the bedroom to the private balcony opened. I didn’t move from my seat, stayed still and quiet as the door shut behind me. A hand ruffled my hair and I turned away from the touch. “Want to come downstairs and watch Christmas Vacation with everyone? Kids are down for the count.”
“No thanks,” I said quietly, waiting for my brother to leave me alone again. The hand didn’t leave my hair and I closed my eyes. “I’m a little beat after a long couple days. You guys go ahead without me.”
“Thanks for the new toolset. I really like it,” he said. 
“You’re welcome.” I opened my eyes slowly, staring at the wood decking, Josh still playing with my hair. 
“Next year won’t be as hard. I promise.”
“Well it was a little hard to try and accommodate my children asking for their dead mother for Christmas,” I said. I held my breathing steady, pulling on all of those little acting strings tucked away in the back of my head to stop myself from saying more. “Maybe we can take all the kids ice skating tomorrow.”
“Sure. Mom and dad would like that,” I said. “Maybe get a real smile on that face.”
I stared dryly at the decking, overdue for a power wash but then again, what did it matter. A little bit of must and dirt didn’t bother me.
“I’m not saying six months is enough time to get over what happened. But find a better therapist for me. This one isn’t-”
“Josh I’m tired. I set up everything all by myself this year. I’m just tired is all. I had fun today. I promise,” I said. 
“Alright. Get some sleep then baby brother,” he said, ruffling my hair one last time.
“Not a baby,” I mumbled.
“Hey,” he said. I looked back and up at him. “You’re my baby brother no matter what, understand?” I nodded, Josh returning it. “Sleep in tomorrow. I’ll handle breakfast.”
“Maybe,” I said, turning away, glad for when the door slid open and shut once more. I looked back, Josh gone, before leaning forward in my seat. I looked up at the dark cloudy sky, rubbing my palms together. “Honey if you’re up there…”
I squeezed my eyes shut, quickly forcing them open, scrunching up my face.
“I don’t want to feel like this anymore. Nothing. Numb. But it’s been too long and everyone wants me to be better and...I can’t let ‘em down. It’s been six months. I should be better. But I just don’t...help me. Please. You have my back. I don’t know what to do except pretend the rest of my life and I’m scared what’ll happen if I do. It’s been six months and I can’t take it anymore. Tell me what to do. Please.”
A gentle breeze stirred through the air, a quiet rumble of thunder off in the distance.
“Dee?” I glanced up only to be hit in the face with hard droplets of rain, the sky opening up and pouring down. I blinked the water away, staring down at my lap. “You’re not up there. You’re just fucking gone.”
It took a moment for me to make myself rise, bringing water into the bedroom. I locked up and ditched my wet clothes in the bathroom, standing in front of the shower absently. I caught my reflection in the glass, turning to the floor length mirror, tracing a finger over the scar on my hip. I narrowed my eyes, breathing deeply. I caught my reflection, quickly looking away.
But I forced myself to look back, to meet the hard green eyes, meet the pink edges to them, to look down at the scar and then back up.
“The one fucking time you’re not driving…” I grit out, clenching my fists. “I fucking hate you. I fucking hate you you worthless son of a bitch. If you were driving you could have saved her. You could have stopped it.”
I slammed a fist against my thigh, hitting the scar again. I forced myself to stop, release my hand and instead step in the shower. I turned the water to warm and stepped under the stream, closing my eyes. My skin warmed after a few minutes and I got out, changing into a fresh pair of briefs after I was dry. I stood in the closet, almost reaching for a shirt to sleep in when I went to the other side, flipping on the light. It was mostly empty, a few boxes in there but most of it was given away to family and friends or donated. 
I stopped at the items still on hangers, grabbing a gray oversized fleece hoodie. I tugged it on, still too big for me even now. Definitely too big when I was a little twenty five year old. I grabbed the collar and tugged it up, taking a deep inhale, narrowing my eyes when all I smelled was a bit of dust. I hit off the light and went out to the bedroom, crawling into the middle. 
I hadn’t worn the sweatshirt in a decade, not long after I started dating Danneel. I pulled up the hood and plopped down, sliding under the covers, turning to face her old side of the bed. It wasn’t too long after that I heard the door crack and hushed whispers filled the room.
“I told you he said he was tired. I mean, he did prep for everyone by himself. I’m tired and all I had to do was drive down here,” said Josh quietly. “Let him sleep.”
I shut my eyes, feeling a blanket be pulled over top of me.
“Sleep good, sweetie,” I heard mom say softly. The door to the room shut a few seconds later and I glanced back at it, plopping back down. I was exhausted. That much was true. I’d been exhausted the past six months. First it was the accident but trying to keep up with different projects and the brewery and suddenly being a single dad was fucking hard.
I rolled over and grabbed my phone, typing into google.
“Ten easy steps to finding a nanny,” I mumbled to myself. “If it’s so easy why’s there’s ten fucking steps…”
I sighed and exited back out, scrolling down the page, finding a more promising one.
“I’m thinking of getting a nanny,” I said the next day while I finished a cup of coffee with my parents and siblings, getting a few stares. “Okay. I see y’all have opinions on that.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Jared, smiling as he walked in with some bags in his arms. “You could do with the help.”
“You’ve had nannies before. You have a nanny now,” I said, Jared setting the bags of gifts down by the tree.
“Yeah so I know how useful they can be,” said Jared, getting some quick hugs from everyone. “I need to steal him for like ten minutes. Be right back.”
“Coffee,” I whined, Jared grabbing my hand and dragging me after himself. He pulled me over to the front door, letting me slip into some sneakers before heading outside. “What?”
I was pulled into a bear crushing hug, waiting a beat before I returned it.
“How’d it go, Christmas eve and Christmas and all that,” asked Jared. 
“It was great.”
“We don’t lie to each other.” I rested my chin on Jared’s shoulder and closed my eyes.
“Hard,” I said quietly. “Dee’s parents are coming in today.”
“I know they are,” said Jared, rubbing my back.
“You’re supposed to be down at your parents place with your family.”
“I’m supposed to be with my brother. Don’t start your defensive shit. I thought you and your therapist were making some good progress on that.”
“I know,” I said. I hated that stupid lie I’d told. Hated every time someone brought it up. Especially hated when Jared did. 
A small piece of me wondered if Jared would leave me too if he ever found out. 
“Hey, hey,” said Jared, tugging me around the corner of the garage, holding me up when I started to cry. 
“Don’t tell them or anyone,” I said, wiping the tears away with the backs of my hands. Jared caught my arms, my bottom lip wobbling. “Please. They treat me...if they see me get upset…please.”
“I won’t tell,” he said, wiping off the rest of my face while I cleared my throat. 
“I good?” I asked, rubbing off my face. I blinked a few times, Jared nodding. He caught my shoulder, gnawing on his bottom lip. “Jared you promised.”
“I’m not gonna tell. I just hate that you’re afraid to let your family see you cry.”
“To be fair I hate to let anyone see me cry.”
“What makes me so special?”
“You’re you,” I said, a small smile on Jared’s face. “Our asses our stuck together forever whether we like it or not.”
“Oh I’m gonna annoy the shit out of you in the afterlife, don’t worry about that,” he chuckled. I nodded, glancing down. “I think the nanny idea is really good. You need help getting the kids to school and daycare and running errands. I mean your parents came up when you went out to LA for your suit being built but...you’ve got to be in Canada for The Boys in February. You’re gonna need help working full time again.”
“I know. I’m so tired all the time. I know that’s why I’m upset. I just need some sleep man.”
“How about tomorrow once everybody’s headed home, you guys come hang out at our place. We can help with the nanny stuff. We’ve been through it. We know the good agencies in town. Gen’s got a whole file on all that stuff.”
“I was thinking of a live-in nanny?” I said. “Is that weird? I feel weird enough having some stranger come in.”
“It’s not weird. I mean you got the guest suite near the garage. If anything you don’t have to stress so much. Someone’s right down the hall. It’s a great idea. I’m proud of you.” I raised an eyebrow, Jared rolling his eyes. “What, I can’t be proud of you?”
“Why? I have to hire a nanny because I can’t figure out how to do it alone when there’s only a gajillion other parents on the planet that don’t have a choice of-”
“You’ve been shitty at asking for help since I met you you know,” said Jared. I shrugged, Jared catching my arm. “I know this is the last thing in the world you want to do, admit you need help, but you’re the one that decided you need a nanny. No one talked you into that. You did that even though you don’t want to. That’s why I’m proud of you, jackass.”
“We were going to get one before…to help Dee out more. When I was away,” I said. I nodded, taking a deep breath. “Next year will be better. I’ll get back to acting, things’ll feel more normal.”
“Don’t go and turn into an optimist on me Jackles. I need my grumpy old man,” chuckled Jared.
“Old man my ass,” I said with a smirk. “You headed back?”
“Nope. Sadly your ass is stuck with me all day,” he said. I smiled, heading back around the front of the house with him. 
“Mind giving me some back up in there with all the nanny questions I’m about to get?”
“Duh,” he said. “But first let’s finish your coffee before you bite someone’s head off.”
It’d been three days and I had narrowed it down to three nanny agencies in town. I’d gotten about fifty applications to sort through for interviews, rubbing my hands over my face after reading through most of them.
“Dad! Can I have sugar cookies?” asked JJ, skipping into the office. I glanced at the clock on the wall, an hour past bedtime for all three of them. 
“Gettin’ kind of late kiddo. Why don’t you head up to bed and brush your teeth. I’ll be up to read in a minute, okay?” I said, forcing a smile. She stared me down, a look I recognized all too well. “JJ.”
“I know how to read,” she said with a huff.
“Well I guess you don’t need me for anything anymore huh?” I said without thinking, watching her face fall. “Honey-”
She took off running and I sighed as I sat back and stared up at the ceiling. I shook my head and got up, wandering upstairs, surprised to find the twins in bed asleep. JJ was in the middle of her bed, angrily holding her dog. She shot me a dirty look, a perfect match to my own.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out and tucking her hair behind her ear. 
“You put your brother and sister to bed for me?” I asked. 
“Yes,” she grit out. 
“You don’t have to do that, sweetie. That’s my job.”
“You have to do everything by yourself now. It’s not fair.” 
“No it’s not. You’re too young to learn that life isn’t fair, even if you do everything right.” She scooted over into my lap, burrowing herself into my arms. 
“We were good. Why didn’t Santa bring her back?” she asked. I tucked her head under my chin so she couldn’t look up, closing my eyes and scrunching up my face.
“Santa can do a lot. But he can’t do that. No one can,” I said. I stroked her hair, holding her tight. “It’s okay to miss mom still.”
“I know it is. I’m just scared.”
“Scared of what, munchkin.”
“I don’t want you to go.” I looked up, swallowing down the lump in my throat. 
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said. I kissed the top of her head, wrinkling my nose. “How about we save that cookie for a snack tomorrow, okay? I promise we can spend the day playing. I just have to do a little more work tonight.”
“Okay,” she said. She didn’t move and I didn’t have the heart to do it myself. It was one of the rare moments when one of the kids crawled in my lap, crawled all over me playing and poking and kicking, diving into my bed, waking up to one or all three of them having stolen my covers in the night...I could forget for a few seconds. Things were okay.
A few seconds later though she moved and I was biting the inside of my cheek. I put on a smile, tucking her in and turning on her light in the corner before hitting off the overhead one and shutting the door. I went back to my office, staring at the screen. I reached a hand over to my phone on the desk but stopped myself. Jared had spent the whole night before with me.
“You’re fine, you’re fine, you’re fine,” I breathed out quietly, clicking through to the next nanny profile.
Y/N Y/L/N. 29 Years Old. Home Pair Consultant 3 years. Nanny Core 2 years. Nanny Core Consultant 3 years. Independent Contractor Nanny Services 3 years.
“Certified in CPR and first aid. Homeschool certified K through 2nd grade. You sound like a little over achiever, don’t you,” I mumbled, reading through the rest of the page. “Specializes infants to age ten. Okay what do your ex-employers have to say…”
I found similar comments to some of the previous women, all nice things, got along with kids great, very easy going, etc. But one made my eyes go wide and chuckle.
She didn’t sleep with my skank of a an ex-husband when he pursued her. She brought this news to my attention discretely and regularly took on additional time with the kids while I met with divorce lawyers. It was unfortunate that I could no longer afford to employ her on a single income but she truly cares about the family she works for. My daughters cried for a week when we had to end our services with her but I was very grateful she didn’t brush the incident under the rug.
“Yeah, I think you’re getting an interview for that alone,” I said with a tiny smile. “But what the fuck is a consultant…”
It took a few days but eventually I had the eight prospective nannies lined up for interviews on Saturday. So far all seven were very nice ladies but I just could not stand the thought of occupying the same room for more than an hour let alone have them live in the house. The issue must have been with me if none of them seemed like a good fit. I really didn’t want to be doing this and I must have been putting off some strange vibe. 
“Maybe I don’t need a nanny. Maybe...maybe I just don’t need a nanny. I can do this. I can do this on my own. If I just manage work around the kids schedule...and mom and dad come down and watch the kids while I’m up filming and if I fly back and forth every week and mid week...I can do this. I can do this. I don’t need a nanny. I got this. I so got this.”
I sighed when I recalled the same pep talk two weeks ago I’d given myself. The one that led to contemplating quitting acting that night and then proceeding to lay in bed crying half the night.
“Nope. Nope. We just have to calm down. Calm down. It’s not you. Just didn’t find the right one yet. That’s all,” I said to myself, breathing quietly. I rubbed my eyes and yawned, looking over at the coffee maker. “Oh coffee. At least I’ll always have you.”
The doorbell rang and I sighed. 
“Great. You’re early,” I groaned. I threw my head back and went to the front door, tearing it open. A woman stood there in a pair of dark jeans and sneakers, a plain light gray t-shirt on, hair pulled back in a ponytail, a few strands falling loose and framing her face.
Oh well she was definitely the cutest by and far.
I realized I was staring and blinked, rubbing my face.
“Hi. You must be from Nanny Core,” I said. She smiled and cocked her head.
“I’m Y/N Y/L/N from Home Pair,” she said. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the side of the door, contemplating just slamming it right against it. 
“The last girl was from Nanny Core,” I said, opening my eyes, shaking my head. “I’m so sorry. Yes, Y/N. You’re the one that’s a consultant, not firmly associated with Home Pair, right?”
“Correct,” she said, stepping inside when I let her past. She looked around and smiled, seemingly used to a larger sort of home.
“May I ask what the distinction is?”
“Mostly it has to do with benefits,” she said. “Consultants pay out of pocket for their own or negotiate with their client for those to be covered.”
“Gotcha,” I said with a yawn. Great I looked like a fucking asshole. She looked ahead past the front hall towards the back of the house where the kitchen and family room was. I wiped a hand over my face, a pit already in my stomach, the poor girl already probably already waiting for the interview to end so she could leave. “I’m sorry. I must seem like an ass.”
“You seem tired is all Mr. Ackles. Not a crime,” she said with a smile. I wasn’t expecting such a genuine answer, not a bullshit I’ll pander to you cause I want this job, kind of answer. She was different than the other applicants for sure. Something warm and caring to her. I nodded and found myself smiling, probably the first genuine one I’d had in months.
“Mind if we do the interview in the kitchen over a cup of coffee?” I asked.
“Wherever you like, sir,” said Y/N. I started to head over to the table, pausing when she was trying to kick off her sneakers, one of them tied a bit too tightly to go off easily. She hopped once, nearly tripping and I looked away, chuckling quietly before she was by my side again. 
“Uh, for the record, call me Jensen. None of that sir stuff. They must teach that at nanny school or something huh?” I said. I led her over to the table, pulling out a chair. “I noticed all of you do it.”
“Something like that,” she said. She took a seat and I stifled another yawn, turning and blinking my eyes, heading to the coffee machine. I reached for the cap to put some grounds in, the thing falling and bouncing across the counter, straight into a dirty bowl in the sink. Naturally. I leaned over the counter, holding the edge tightly, squeezing my eyes shut. “How about I make the coffee and you take a seat, hm?”
“I’m okay,” I said, popping my head up and turning around with a smile. She looked me up and down, something gentle about her.
“Well making you coffee is probably going to come up in my job quite a bit so consider this part of the interview. It’s alright, really,” said Y/N. I stared at her, a little smile forming on her face. She wasn’t sucking up or trying to kiss my ass. There was a kindness to her that was incredibly attractive. Something in that little smile causing the tiniest little flutter. I blinked, slipping past her.
“Thank you,” I said. She started to make a cup, keeping my back to her. I put a hand on my chest, the flutter dissipating. After a moment I sat down, turning back just as the cup started to fill up. She watched it carefully but with an ease that said she was used to working with that kind of maker. Her hand slipped into her back pocket as she shifted on her feet, her ass rounding out amazingly in her jeans.
What the fuck was wrong with me? God she was only making a cup of coffee for fucks sake.
“I’m gonna ask you the same question I’ve asked all seven other women I’ve talked to today,” I said, forcing a smile when she picked up the mug. 
“Yes?”
“Why should I trust you to watch my children?”
“Honestly?” she asked. I nodded and she had that look on her face again. Soft. Slightly concerned. Still smiling. Beautiful. She set the cup down in front of me, a look to let it cool, the barest glimmer of a smirk when I reached for it anyways. There was another flutter in my chest and I took a long sip, burning the tip of my tongue. Part of me hated it, hated that it was possible to develop an attraction to anyone else. But that other part...it was so happy to be feeling something again, especially something good. “You shouldn’t.”
“I shouldn’t. That seems counterproductive.”
“I wouldn’t trust any stranger with my child. Trust is earned, not given. I think the real question is do you believe I’m capable of earning that trust with you and that’s something intrinsically only you know.”
“How so?”
“You meet a lot of different kinds of people with this job. My gut reaction to you is stressed, overwhelmed, sleep-deprived father who doesn’t really want any nanny at all but is forced into this situation. It’s going to be impossible for you to trust any of the seven woman from earlier or me off the bat, Jensen. You should be thinking of who will you come to trust. Who can you count on.”
“This is why my wife should have been the one doing this,” I said. I took a sip of coffee, biting back a small smile.
“We could always re-schedule for when she’s available.”
“Oh, we’d have to wait a very long time for that,” I chuckled. She looked lost and I realized it was time for that part of the interview again. I smiled, hoping she wouldn’t feel awkward. “She passed away unexpectedly six months ago. Car accident.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” said Y/N. I nodded, pursing my lips, catching her open her mouth after a beat. “My mom died kinda unexpectedly. I know it’s…harder.”
“You’re young. How old?” I asked. She shrugged, glancing down.
“Turned thirty today,” said Y/N. She was cute, still young but she was starting to click. Her kindness, that air about her. Maybe she could sense something going on but was too polite to ask. I let out a small laugh, shaking my head when she started to frown.
“Well Happy Birthday. I meant with your mother though. If that’s okay with you I mean.”
“It’s fine. I was sixteen,” she said. I dropped the smile and took a deep breath. No one deserved that. Especially not a kid. I was a grown man and I could barely handle a loss that close. But she seemed...okay. 
I just wanted to be okay again. It’d been too long though and I cleared my throat.
“That…fucking sucks doesn’t it?” I said.
“So does losing your wife,” said Y/N. I nodded and offered a soft smile.
“Yes it does. I’ve grieved. We all have. The kids are small. They’ll be okay.”
“Is dad okay?” she asked. Not really but that was far too much to put on anyone, especially a stranger.
“Yes. Ready to start moving on with life again,” I said, looking her up and down once. I hope she accepted the offer. She didn’t have to be perfect. She didn’t have the most certifications out of all of the applicants but she was the only one I genuinely enjoyed being around and that was the most important thing at the end of the day. “You’re kind. Not in a I’m trying to get this job kind of way. Just kind.”
“Well being cruel doesn’t sound like very much fun.”
“You’re not trying to impress me.”
“The first rule of nannying, Jensen. You think you’re interviewing us when in reality we’re interviewing you too.”
“How am I doing so far?” I asked, realizing after the words were out how flirty it sounded.
“Nice coffee choice,” she said with a smile. “You respect people. You’ll employ me but won’t treat me like I’m second class. You’re checking the boxes so far.”
“What if I don’t check all the boxes?” I asked.
“You don’t get to know the luxury of knowing the answer yet, Mr. Ackles,” said Y/N. “Interview isn’t over.” It wasn’t arrogance in her voice when she spoke though. Almost careful, protective.
“You got fucked over by somebody, didn’t you.”
“Also perceptive,” she said, rubbing her arm absentmindedly. “Like I said, I don’t tolerate being treated unkindly anymore. It’s why I left my last position.” 
“I have one more question. Would you treat my children like they’re your own?”
“Again, asking the wrong question,” she said. I sat back and crossed my arms, smirking at her. She gave it right back and I nodded.
“What exactly should I be asking?”
“Will you treat my children kindly and with respect but take charge when required?”
“What’s the difference?”
“One is me doing my job and the other is me doing yours.”
“How old did you say you were again?”
“Thirty today.”
“Right. Well I think I know where I stand. Do you have anything for me?” I asked. Hopefully she just accepted the pay offer without a fuss.
“Can you show me a picture of your kids?” she asked. I stared for a brief moment before reaching back and taking out my wallet. “You answered my question.”
“I didn’t show you anything yet.” 
“You’d be surprised how many fathers I’ve met don’t carry pictures of their children in their wallets. That one is just a me thing.”
“Your dad do that?” I asked, putting it back. She made a face, looking away.
“Maybe,” she said with a shrug. She didn’t look back for a long moment. Dead mom at 16 and distant dad. It wasn’t a stretch to see how a girl like that wound up nannying straight out of high school. “I think I know where I stand as well.”
“I’d like to hire you,” I said. She smiled and I instantly relaxed, aside from a few flutters stirring again.
“Assuming our negotiations go well, I accept,” she said. We shook hands, hers small and soft, but the grip was solid. Kind but she’d kick your ass if she had to. I smiled, flutters going off stronger now that the nerves of finding someone were dwindling.
“I did come up with what I thought was fair for salary and benefits. Let me go grab the paperwork and hopefully settle on something,” I said. I went down to the office, grabbing the pile of offer papers off the desk and a notebook. I froze when a pleasant chill ran down my spine. 
I was happy because I’d found a good fit. I was excited over a lot of stress being gone. 
That was it. That was it.
I swallowed and went back out to the kitchen with a smile.
“If I’m missing anything let me know. I-”
“This is my weekly rate?” she asked when she reviewed her pay sheet. 
“Oh no. That’s your daily,” I said as I sat down. I swallowed when she put the paper down. “So I think that’s-”
“Jensen. I have to ask, things like insurance, are those coming out of your pocket or mine?”
“I’ll cover the expenses of your health, dental, all of that. You just choose and I’ll subsize it as part of your paycheck.” 
“This is for a live in position. Um…can you just…explain what makes up that daily rate number?” she asked. I cocked my head. I thought I’d spelled it out in the paperwork but I probably missed something.
“It’s simply your base pay. Obviously I pay for housing, utilities, gas obviously. I will get you a credit card to make purchases with for the kids and all of that so it’s simple to keep track of. You’re free to any of the food in the kitchen. I’m guessing the salary is the sticking point here.”
“Jensen,” she said, scratching her head. 
“I can go up fifty more dollars a day,” I blurted out. 
“Jensen. This is way, way too much money. Way too much,” she said. “The average rate around here is about twenty five an hour or two hundred a day. Jensen this is double that. Are you factoring in like time and a half for additional nights and weekends?”
“No. That’d be on top of that. I thought that was a fair value based on the fact you are going to be taking care of the most valuable things in my life. It’s gonna get taxed too so it’s not like you see all of it.”
“You’re sweet, Jensen,” she said, writing down a number at the top of the page. “The average in Austin is twenty five an hour. I would be very happy with that.”
“You have to literally be the first person in existence to negotiate their salary down from the offer,” I said, shaking my head. She was watching my kids. She deserved to be paid well for doing her job well.
“Are you rejecting my offer?” she asked. She stared and I took the paper and crossed her number out, jotting down thirty five and spinning it back. “Jensen.”
“Y/N,” I said, crossing my arms. Why couldn’t she just accept? She scowled and I huffed. Of course she had a stubborn side. “I came down. Now it’s your turn. Do you accept?”
“I will accept on the condition that you get four hours of what we’d call evening or weekend at the normal rate every week.”
“I can agree to that,” I said with a smile, writing that down, happy when she signed the page. “So medical plan. Single, plus one, family?”
“Single for all that.”
“I should mention that there is an in-law suite off to the other side of the garage where you’ll be staying. It’s just down the hall but it has its own small living area and kitchenette. There is a separate entrance to it. If you have guests over I just ask you keep them to your area of the house.”
“Absolutely. I don’t tend to bring people over much anyways while I’m on the job,” she said. “Alright. Everything looks good to me.”
“Awesome. Are you available to start Monday?”
“Sure,” said Y/N. “It gives me plenty of time to move in things tomorrow so I can jump into the kids routine first thing Monday.”
“Perfect. I’ll show you around. We can start with your side of the house.” 
I got up and Y/N followed me down to the guest suite in the front corner of the house. I opened the door for her, Y/N slipping inside and looking around. It wasn’t large but it was decent enough for one person.
“Like I said, I know it’s small. Please like, seriously watch TV out in the family room at night if you want or hang out wherever or the yard or pool. This is just your own space when you want to be away from us.” I said. I got a hum out of her and showed her the rest of the space, Y/N running her hand over the bedding. “If there’s something obvious I’m missing please let me know. A cleaning service does come by every two weeks on Tuesdays at around ten in the morning. They’ll do in here too. Otherwise you can keep after yourself. Cleaning stuff is in the laundry room. Oh yeah. Um, this is probably the last time I’ll like, ever come in here unless you need help moving things in since this will be your space.”
“Thanks. I don’t have too much. I do have one request before we sign all the paperwork.”
“What’s that?”
“I’d like to meet the kids if that’s alright. There’s not much point in hiring me if they hate me.”
“Fair point. We’ll get ‘em over here and then get you all squared away,” I said. “One second.”
“Of course,” she said. I stepped out of the suite and ducked into the garage, Jared answering on the second ring.
“Get through all the interviews?” he asked. 
“Yeah. I uh, hired the last girl. She’s great. Super qualified, really get along with her,” I said.
“Good man. I’m glad you found one. When’s she start?”
“Monday. But she wants to meet the kids, says if they don’t like her there’s not much point in her doing this.”
“Smart lady,” chuckled Jared. “I’ll drop ‘em off in ten. You can tell me how it went when I get there.”
“Sounds good,” I said. I shoved my phone back in my pocket, smiling for a moment when I stepped back in the hall and caught a whiff of her perfume. I went back to the doorway, Y/N fumbling with the curtain in there. “Uh so is there anything I can get you? For your room?”
“No, this is great. Can I check out the rest of the house?” asked Y/N. I hummed and followed her as she wandered around the downstairs a bit, poking her head in the office and home gym, spotting the laundry room and humming. 
“The playroom is downstairs, kids and me are up,” I said. “There’s a loft and little reading room up here too if you like that sort of thing.”
“Your home is beautiful,” she said, walking up the stairs, following me down the hall. She smiled when she entered, looking at the bookcase. “You read these.”
“Hm?”
“Some people buy pretty books for their home libraries. But these are all random, a little messy. You read,” she said. She stopped at the sliding door out to the small balcony, looking out at the yard. “Your house feels homey for how large it is.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Anywhere besides my room is free to use.”
“Of course. I take it you do your own laundry then?” she asked. 
“I’m a big boy. I can do my own laundry,” I said. She hummed, spinning back with a soft smile. “Um. Y/N. Chores and things like that...those are my responsibility, not yours. You’re here to-”
“I have to do some chores. It’s part of taking care of kids. My job is to take care of them but also make dad’s life easier. If I have to wash a bedspread or go get juice from the store or whatever it is, I’m gonna do it. I’ll hang back but I’ll also do my job.”
“Understood. You’ll let me know if I’m stepping into your territory?” I asked. She shook her head and hummed, walking past me and out to the hall, going down to the kids rooms. “I miss the joke?”
“I’ve worked for one other single parent before and three divorced ones. They couldn’t do jack shit for their kids. They barely knew them. I don’t think I’ll have that problem with you Jensen,” she said.
“To be honest I’d rather not be doing this,” I said. She didn’t seem disappointed in that strangely, more, sad almost. “But I’ll get the hang of it.”
“Yes you will,” she said, stopping outside Arrow’s room. “Youngest daughter?” she said, pointing inside.
“I’m sorry. We were looking for what is youngest daughter,” I said. She rolled her eyes and smiled, following me inside. “This is Arrow’s room. She and my son Zeppelin are twins. He’s across the hall.”
“I’m going to guess four years old?” she said.
“How’d you know?” She smirked and pointed at a birthday card sticking out from the bookcase, a large 4 on it. “You’re very observational.”
“I’ve nannined a lot of 4 year olds. Their rooms tend to be organized chaos,” she said. She looked out the window, back to the room.
“Can I ask why you do that?”
“Fires,” she said with a shrug. I blinked, not even considering that for a second. “Never hurts to be over prepared. I’ll learn the house soon. This is your son’s room?”
“Yeah,” I said, following her across the hall, Y/N popping out after a moment. “My oldest is next door. The kids have a bathroom they all share across.”
“What grade is she?” asked Y/N, stepping into the room. 
“First. Second. Second,” I said. “She’s seven.”
“What’s her name?”
“JJ. Well, Justice Jay, but she’s always JJ.” 
“What was your wife’s name, if that’s okay.”
“Danneel,” I said with a quick swallow. She smiled, laughing to herself.
“Should have known with names like that mom had to have something unique too,” she said. “So JJ is in school. What about the little ones? They have daycare?”
“Yeah they go to daycare normally five days a week but sometimes if it’s a quiet day I don’t have them go. Or one goes and I spend some time with the other. They already know how to do shit I didn’t learn until first grade,” I said.
“This one’s a reader too,” she said, picking up a book from the nightstand. “She’s ahead for her age.”
“That’s what the school tells me. If only she was as good at her math,” I said.
“It’ll click for her eventually. She’s smart. Probably a visual learner. I used to draw problems out myself,” she said, setting the book down. “Any after school activities? Sports? Clubs?”
“I have a calendar I’ll show you. It’s the only way I keep it straight,” I said. She went past and to the hall, glancing down the long stretch of hallway, a pair of double doors on the other end. “That’s my room.”
“Okay then,” she said. 
“I mean...you can look if you want.”
“I’m going to give you the same courtesy as well. I won’t be going there unless there’s an emergency.” I nodded, turning to head back downstairs, accidentally bumping her. 
“I’m so sorry,” I said, Y/N giggling and shaking her head at me.
“Dude. Relax. My job is to make you more relaxed so get on that, okay?”
“Okay,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck.
“What am I gonna do with you Jensen,” she teased, heading back down the hall and her feet on the steps down after a moment. I glanced down and put a hand on my stomach, sliding it up to my chest. I shut my eyes, taking a deep breath.
I was nervous. Or excited. Or something. Happy to have found a nanny. That was all. That was really all.
“Y/N I’ll be down in a minute. The kids should be here soon,” I called, quickly ducking into my room and closing the door. I sat down against it, staring ahead blankly. “It’s a crush. S’just a crush.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my palms against my head.
“Jensen,” said Jared and I jumped, the door pushing open. I looked up, Jared quickly shutting the door and kneeling down. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Where’s Y/N?” I asked, blinking a few times.
“Playing with the kids in the yard. They kinda love her already. What is going on?” he asked. I held up a hand before shrugging. “No no. You’re not getting off the hook that easy. What happened?”
“She made me coffee,” I said, Jared making a face. 
“I don’t understand what you’re-”
“Do you remember when you met Gen? You couldn’t get her out of your head for weeks. That feeling when...some part of you knows something you don’t?” I said. 
“Jay. What are-”
“Do you remember?”
“Of course I do. Why?”
“I just had it for the second time in my life,” I said. Jared sat down on his bottom, crossing his legs. “I’m kinda freaking out.”
“Y/N?” he asked. I nodded, Jared sliding over next to me. “I mean she’s pretty. She’s beautiful. You might just have a crush. I mean you don’t go anywhere anymore except the store or work or doctors appointments. Maybe it’s just cause she’s new...and you know the difference between a crush and something else. You’re sure?”
“Not to be a complete fucking sap but I only ever felt like this once in my life and that was after that first real conversation with Dee I had when we carpooled. It took me a week to figure out what it was but I knew and it’s that same…” I said. Jared nodded, throwing his arm over my shoulders. “I barely know the girl. It’s a crush. It’s a crush. That’s it. That’s all it is. That is all that it is.”
“Not to be a complete fucking sap myself but when you know dude you fucking know. You’ve been through it once and you know what it feels like. Maybe...maybe it is just a crush. But maybe she’s the one that’s gonna get you to be fucking happy again. Maybe get you back out there at least. Maybe she’s just a jumpstart huh? Not saying you’re gonna marry the girl or she’s your soulmate but maybe she’s what you need right now, right?”
“Jared. I was never going to date again. Ever. Pretty women...I didn’t care about them. I don’t think I’ve even gotten off since the accident. I just wanted to be a good father and be good at my job and that was all that was left for me,” I said. Jared sat up and shook his head but I shook mine right back. “I know that’s not what I told you but you just wouldn’t shut the fuck up about that shit so I told you what you wanted to hear.”
“Ignoring that fucked up shit, which we’re gonna fucking talking about,” he said as I rolled my eyes, “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I swore off women forever and now my stomach is doing flips like it’s my first middle school dance but it’s…”
“It’s what?”
“I talked to her for half an hour. That’s the best fucking half hour of my life these past six months. Easily. I don’t feel like shit around her and right now, I don’t feel like shit and I forgot how fucking good it feels to not feel like shit. Do you understand?” I asked. Jared nodded, pulling me into a hug. “What do I do?”
“Not feel like shit,” he said. I groaned and he rested his chin on my shoulder. “Jared.”
“If she makes you feel good and happy when you actively were against those things, what do you think she’ll be able to do for you if you give her a real chance?”
“I’m her boss. And Dee-”
“Dee doesn’t want you to spend the rest of your life being a good father and good at your job and feeling like shit and nothing else. She wants you to fall in love again and fall as hard as the first time.”
“It’s just a stupid crush,” I said. I stood up, walking across the room, putting my back to him. Only a second passed before I felt him behind me, a hand on top of my head.
“Maybe it’s a stupid crush. Maybe she is the start of your life again too.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I said, his hand sliding down to my back.
“Remember the first time I helped you shower after the accident?” he said, curling his fingers around my waist. “Bit my fucking head off the entire time while I helped you stand up.”
“Yes I remember,” I grumbled. I crossed my arms, still not turning around. 
“That was the first day I saw you after the accident that you weren’t loaded up on pain killers and you were different. You’ve been different.”
“Gee golly Jared. I wonder why?”
“Past six months...you’re still that guy in the shower yelling at me that he doesn’t need help.”
“Just because I don’t want to date again doesn’t mean I’m fucked up. I’m forty two with three little kids. There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to fall in love again,” I snapped, spinning around. He nodded, smiling to himself. “What.”
“You make it sound like you’re gonna have a choice in whether you fall in love when you meet the right person.”
“I’m not gonna fucking fall in love with some girl I just met. There’s a million reasons why it won’t happen.”
“You’re not gonna have a fucking choice.”
“It’s all my choice,” I grit out. Jared shook his head and I clenched my fists.
“I’ve known you over sixteen years. Better than any other human being. I haven’t seen a real smile on your face in over half a year. Except when I came in here and you were sitting there with the stupidest grin on your face talking about Y/N. It works out, it doesn’t work out. Either way, you’re along for the fucking ride so you might as well enjoy it.”
I swallowed, glancing down.
“Have you ever lied to me in the past six months about how you’re doing? How’re you feeling? Anything?” asked Jared. The therapist lie shot to the front of my mind, logic coming in and screaming shut up, more logic coming in to say it’s Jared, it’s okay. “I’m guessing by the mental gymnastics you look like you’re going through, that’s a yes.”
“Jared-”
“I could have done a lot more to help you. I let you fester on your own and-”
“I don’t need you to take care of me. I’m an adult.” I frowned and walked in front of him, Jared pursing his lips. “Leave.”
“Jensen.”
“Leave.”
“No.” He shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I get to take care of you because I love you. If you don’t like that well tough shit.”
“Get the fuck out of my house and stay out,” I growled. Jared looked down, shaking his head and walking away. He was out of the room when my skin prickled, the happy flutter feelings gone, a pit opening up instead. “Jared. Jared.”
I went to the door, catching him halfway down the hall. 
“Jared.”
“I’m going.” He turned the corner, beanie out of view. Fuck. I ducked back in the room, sitting on the bed, toes curling into the fabric. My head was face down in my knees when the door opened softly. My eyes darted over, Jared walking back inside, pulling his beanie down over my head. “I wasn’t going anywhere. Just had to see if you’d ask for help.”
“I’m not very good at it. Obviously,” I said. 
“No. No you are not. But what’s in the past, we can’t change it. Just what’s in front. And for you that is the cute nanny that you may or may not end up falling in love with.”
“Jared I can’t love her.”
“Why not?”
“I love Dee. She was it.”
“I’m not saying to stop loving Dee. Shit she’d never want you to do that. But honestly, does she want you to be like this for the rest of your life? Or does she want you to laugh and smile and find a best friend again?”
“I know she wants me to be happy. I know what she wants. You don’t get it.”
“Then help me get it.”
“Say I fell in love again. Say I managed to find the right person and I fell in love. I gave her everything I have left and I’m happy. Then she gets in an accident one day or she has an aneurysm one day or she gets mugged one day or whatever it is. Say she doesn’t come home one day. I can’t put myself through that again. I just can’t. It would destroy me. I can’t do that again.”
“I won’t tell you what to do, Jay. I’d never say that. But you have a choice to make then from what I’m hearing you say.”
“What?”
“Stay single, be afraid of being hurt again and get by. Or risk being hurt again and maybe you get hurt, maybe you don’t, but you’ll be out there living again. Dude if you never want to date again that is completely your choice. But don’t not date because you’re afraid. It’s like I said before, like you were saying, if you find that girl, the right girl, you won’t have a choice at all.”
“She’s my employee,” I said, shifting my legs, sitting cross legged. “Not to mention I don’t even know if she’s single. You saw her. No way is a beautiful woman like that on her own. Then there’s the age difference and the kids thing and the whole I’m an actor thing and-”
“Didn’t say to propose to her. Just...put out some feelers. Maybe if the topic comes up and she’s single, mention you got a friend that’s like you, see if there’s interest.”
“God I hope she’s single,” I said. He smirked, bumping my shoulder. “Shut up.”
“Tell me about her,” he said.
“I don’t know a whole lot,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. 
“But you like her.” I nodded, getting another bump. “I think you’re gonna marry that girl.”
“What?” I laughed. “We don’t even know if she’s single!”
“Nah, you’re gonna marry her. I got a feeling.”
“Oh I see. A feeling.” 
“I’ve known you over sixteen years and haven’t been able to get through that thick head. She’s known you half an hour and she got in without even trying. I wonder where I got that idea from,” he said. I lifted my head, Jared’s face relaxed. A lump formed in my throat and he reached out, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Jensen. I heard it in your voice when you called me just now. Something’s different.”
“I don’t want to be in a relationship,” I said. “I honestly don’t.”
“Maybe she’ll be the one to make you change your mind on that.”
“She’s not even interested in me. I’m a widow with 3 small kids. I’m away from home a lot. I’m the worst person in the world to date.”
“Maybe. But you’re a pretty good person to love and be loved by. Might just be enough, even for a grumpy Ackles.”
“She did make me coffee,” I said quietly, lip twitching up.
“Coffee?”
“I know. But it’s...I don’t know. Something...changed. She was pretty when I opened the door but when she made me coffee, that’s when I noticed that feeling.”
“Maybe she’ll make you coffee again,” he said, smirking as he stood up. “Outside.”
“Hm?”
“Outside with the cute nanny. Let’s go,” he said, dragging me off the bed to my feet. He pulled off the beanie and pushed me out of the room, being a little shit and trying to pick me up. I kicked my feet up and we both went backwards, Jared grinning and giving me that look.
“Oh you’re on little shit,” I said, flipping my leg around, Jared yelping as he got pulled down to the side. I jumped on top of him, Jared rolling me back. A spark of pain shot down my hip, Jared instantly up and off. “I’m alright.”
“You stretching it out still like you’re supposed to?” he asked. I rolled my eyes and he helped me to my feet, waiting as I did a few wide circles with my leg. “Do your at home physical therapy ya idiot.”
“I”m perfectly fine. Just save the wrestling for the rug next time,” I said. “You want to say hey to Y/N?”
“No that’s cool. I’m sure I’ll properly meet her when you’re ready for me too,” he said. “Oh and Arrow and Zeppelin ate way too much candy at my house so have fun with that.”
“I hate you.” He grinned and let out a chuckle. “Hopefully they burn off some running around out there at least.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” he said. “Do you want to grab a drink later? Maybe hit up the brewery?”
“I don’t know,” I said, rubbing my arm for a moment. 
“Do you want to be on your own tonight?” I blinked, Jared shrugging. “Might as well be point blank about it. Since you’re never lying to me again, right?”
“Let me call up the neighbors, see if the girl next door can watch the kids tonight. I wouldn’t mind a little fun,” I said. 
“Shoot me a text and I’ll swing by around eight,” he said.
“Jared.” He stopped turning to leave and I sighed. “I’m sorry I lied to you. I’m...we rarely fight. Rarely. But this is kinda big and I want to tell you the truth but I’m scared if I do you’ll walk out that door and never look back.”
“We can fight, Jensen. I’m sure we’ll have more someday. We can get pissed as hell at each other. But your ass is stuck with me forever and I’m stuck with yours. I know you and I love you and you’re my big brother. We’re not supposed to agree all the time. We’re gonna hurt each other sometimes. That’s just part of being a family though. I’ll never walk out on you just like I know you won’t do that to me. It’s different right now. I know. I don’t want this to stress you out. You got enough of that going on. Tell me when you’re ready okay?”
“I never saw a therapist. I lied to get everyone off my back when I was still...like this after a few months. I thought I could handle it on my own. I’m sorry for lying, especially to you.” Jared nodded, biting his bottom lip for a moment. “You’re angry.”
“Angry at myself, not you. I know what it’s like to feel alone, that alone. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I’m sorry you’ve felt that alone Jensen. I didn’t realize you felt that badly and I should have. That’s why I’m upset. Not at you.”
“You’ve grown up more,” I said quietly.
“If we can get back to me being the one freaking out over shit and you being the adult I’d prefer that,” he chuckled. He put his hands on my shoulders and smiled. “I got your back. Always.”
“I don’t want to go to one.”
“You’re a big boy. You can decide on your own. Just...call me when you feel shitty next time?”
“I will. I promise.”
“Or to talk about Y/N,” he teased. I rolled my eyes, Jared giving me a quick hug. 
“Dick.”
“But I’m your dick. I’ll see you tonight.”
“See ya.”
______
A/N: Read Part 2 here!
264 notes · View notes
jihyocentric · 10 months
Note
for mohyo! Momo is super hung and is trying to fuck jihyo but she literally can’t fit herself all the way in and jihyo is determined but just takes as much as she can because if momo fully fucks her then she won’t be able to walk at all
momo whines, unable to stay still as jihyo pumps her shaft.
she’s been asking jihyo to stop, warning her she’d come if she didn’t, but jihyo keeps giving her the same answer.
“hold it. i’m getting it ready for me.”
there was nothing else jihyo could do, really. momo’s shaft was coated with lube, flushed from the stimulation, more than ready to be inside her girlfriend — but this time, jihyo wanted to make it really fit.
she has never been able to momo all the way in. they’ve been dating for months and it’s still a struggle to take all of momo inside. none of the toys she owned were as big as momo, making jihyo frustrated even when momo assured her that everything was alright.
momo could still feel pleasure, even if she wasn’t balls deep the way jihyo stubbornly wanted. jihyo’s hands, mouth, thighs when she was too sore to take momo in, even her tits when she was in a good mood — those were more than enough to make momo come, fully sated no matter which way jihyo managed to get her off.
“shit,” jihyo mutters, perched on momo’s lap, her wet core drenching momo’s length as she rubs herself on momo, shivering when the leaking tip brushes against her clit.
jihyo was prepared this time. she had tried out bigger toys throughout the week, telling momo she was busy, avoiding to meet her, wanting to keep momo needy until the weekend. and so jihyo played with herself, testing her own limits, learning to accommodate a bigger shaft like momo’s, wanting to surprise her girlfriend.
“enough,” momo flips her on the bed, a couple strands of hair glued to her sweaty face, shaft nestling over jihyo’s pussy. “you’re teasing me.”
“didn’t mean to,” jihyo laughs, arms wrapping around momo’s neck, legs spreading just enough to let momo settle between them. jihyo pulls momo’s head closer, slyly biting momo’s lower lip, pecking her lips then, wetly. “put it in.”
momo looks down, palming her own shaft, slippery with how coated with lube it was. they didn’t use it regularly, as jihyo was always wet enough to receive her, but momo doesn’t mind it, slipping the head in and then pushing her length slowly inside jihyo.
it feels easier than the other times. jihyo was still overwhelmingly tight, making momo hiss and grunt as she sheathes herself deeper. jihyo whimpers, a weak, unexpected sound that comes out naturally when momo clearly reaches the furthest that she’s ever been, a bump marking on jihyo’s tummy.
“fuck, sorry,” momo apologizes, worried, moving as if she wanted to pull out, afraid she’d hurt jihyo. “i-i’ll be careful.”
“don’t you dare,” jihyo all but growls, hooking her legs around momo’s waist. “i’m ready for it, momo. all. the way. in.”
momo throbs inside her and jihyo feels it, smiling smugly while momo blushes. momo doesn’t move, aware of their failed attempts to make her fit that only made jihyo get sore and hurt, but jihyo pushes her in devilishly, tightening her legs around momo to coax her to fill her to her utmost.
“don’t want to h-hurt you,” momo whimpers, looking down one more time, moaning when she realizes how far in she is already. “f-fuck, so pretty like this…”
jihyo hums, knowing momo was already giving up. “and you’re the only one who gets to fill this pussy like this,” she mumbles, pressing her lips against momo’s neck. “so fill me up. all of me.”
that’s all momo needs to keep pushing in.
jihyo claws at the sheets to release the tension, gasping as momo fits snugly inside her. she lets out a raw moan when she realizes momo was deep, probably the deepest she could with how stretched jihyo felt.
jihyo thinks momo might want to take it slow, but as soon as momo hilts she takes off, making jihyo scream with how fast she takes, surprised with the sudden greed.
“momo!” jihyo whines, momo rocking her hips with wild abandon, blinded with lust. “so d-deep, f-fuck!”
“too g-good,” momo replies, needy, never able to take someone that deep before. “c-can’t last.”
jihyo squirms under her, the sheets soaked beneath them, wet with slick. she rasps out something entirely unintelligible, clenching hard around momo, a strangled moan escaping when momo gets suddenly rougher, clearly nearing her edge.
“come inside me,” jihyo asks. while it’s not the first time she does it, it still makes momo grunt in surprise, thrusting faster, wanting to grant jihyo’s wishes.
jihyo comes first, walls fluttering around momo, grasping onto her cock hungrily. her entire body trembles as the orgasm pulses through her, moaning loud enough to make sure they’d get complaints from the neighbors — not that they weren’t used to hear her scream.
momo comes right after, lost in her own need as she fucks into jihyo, crying out helplessly as she plugs jihyo with more cum than jihyo could keep inside. she stays there for a while, lightheaded with the amount of cum she released inside jihyo, only pulling out because she’s curious, wanting to see what she’s done to jihyo.
she stares proudly at jihyo’s quivering body, stretched and absolutely fucked out, leaking with her cum as she regains her senses. it’s quite the sight, and momo is only aware that she had gotten hard again when jihyo palms her cock, pumping her slowly.
“m-more,” jihyo says, her voice barely coming out. “give it to me again. need to feel it.”
the both of them knew they shouldn’t give in to the temptation, because if jihyo already got sore when she took half of momo’s shaft, the aftermath would be even worse now that momo was fully in.
but it doesn’t matter — not for the time being, because jihyo couldn’t bear to feel empty again, not after having momo fully inside, and momo wasn’t strong enough to refuse indulging jihyo in.
151 notes · View notes
devilry-revelry · 5 months
Text
Untitled - Male Orc x Female Human (Part 6)
Dropping this section of the lemony bit because this thing is taking me a decade to finish.
Minors do not interact
TW: Light bondage, light pain play, smut
[Part 1] - [Part 5]
-
“Are you going to take everything I give you, and say thank you?”
-
“You.”
The word acted as the starting pistol at the beginning of a race. In one moment Arzok was at her side, holding her gently in an effort to bring Riley comfort in the midst of her embarrassment; in the next moment Arzok was on his knees and shoving the blankets down towards the end of the bed. The sudden cold of the air had all the potential in the world to be sobering, but it wasn’t given the opportunity. Riley had all of a second to register the chill before Arzok’s hands found her thighs and she was pulled towards him. She welcomed the body heat even as the bedsheet chafed at her back and the oversized shirt she wore rode upward towards her shoulders. 
“Say it again, Riley. Tell me what you want,” Arzok rasped. As he spoke he parted her legs to accommodate the space for his hips. He helped wrap her legs around his waist then gave an intimate press forward. 
A steely erection undulated pointedly against her sex. It dragged out a ragged, “You!” from Riley as she arched her back and sought more friction. 
The almost predatory look in Arzok’s eyes faltered as they fluttered closed. Riley had just a second to wonder if she was being too cocky when she thought him to look nearly blissful. Something in the way his eyes shuttered, the way his lips parted then gave way to an almost loopy grin made her feel almost powerful. A regular ol’ human like her could bring a creature like Arzok to this – but he didn’t let her remain in power for long. 
When Arzok opened his eyes, there was a softness in his gaze that knocked her world off of its axis. Before agreeing to spend the weekend at Arzok’s house, Riley knew that the event would be a turning point in their relationship; for better or worse. The weekend would either be the start of something life-altering, or it would be the beginning of the end. Looking up into Arzok’s eyes as he leaned in for a (searing, toe-curling, silky) kiss, it was hard not to imagine a future with him in it. 
A gentle tug at Riley’s shirt had her sitting up and raising her arms as he pulled the material over her head. She was about to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him back in for another embrace but the material suddenly twisted at her wrists and Riley’s arms became caught up in the fabric. It would seem as though she had been lulled into a false sense of security when soft eyes and even softer kisses. 
Riley’s ballooning expectation for a relaxed first time together popped when she was shoved back against the mattress, Arzok pinning her tangled limbs above her head. The tenderness was gone. Arzok’s smile was playful and wicked. 
“When we are ready to take that step, I’m going to take pleasure in making sure you’re good and ready to take me,” he had said. “And I’ll make damn sure that you enjoy every fucking second of it, baby.”
Riley’s mouth began to water. She gave her wrists a cursory tug and found them to be rather stuck. 
“Arzok–?”
“This okay?”
She was unable to keep the frantic enthusiasm out of her response. She nodded too quick, said “Yep!” just a bit too earnestly. Bondage wasn’t anything she had put too much consideration into trying with previous partners, but she found that she wasn’t at all opposed. Not with him.
She was learning all sorts of things about herself this weekend, it would seem. 
“If you want to stop just say so alright?”
Another far too eager nod. 
“Good. Now let me take a look at you, baby,” he murmured as he loomed above her, but he wasn’t just looking. His head dipped down to her chest and he nipped at one breast, licked and sucked at the other. “Can I mark you up? No where visible. Not unless you ask.”
She liked the sound of that. She liked the idea of looking down at herself and seeing the proof of their time together and feeling it hours afterward.
“Yes, please.”
“Please, huh? Are you going to be a good girl for me, Riley?” As he spoke he dipped his head down over her torso. His long hair fell forward, tickling her flesh. “Are you going to take everything I give you, and say thank you?” Before she answered, his hot mouth covered her left nipple. He drew the flesh into his mouth so roughly Riley cried out. Her pussy ached sympathetically. As he sucked, his tongue worked the puckered nipple, and he didn’t stop until well after the pressure in her breast started to hurt and she whimpered and begged for him to stop. Arzok pulled away, breaking the seal of his mouth from her flesh with an almost cartoonish pop!
Riley whined as the ache in her flesh intensified. She thought the built up pressure had hurt, but the absence of it introduced a whole new level of throbbing hurt. Arzok licked at the flesh lazily, crooning quiet encouragement. And, holy shit, she liked that. The build up of aching hurt, the release and the chase of stinging pain and the eager pulse of her nethers. When he finally pulled away, Riley finally got to see the damage. Her nipple was swollen, and the flesh that had been victim to the insistent sucking was puffy, violent with its redness. There were indentions on either side of her breast from the press of Arzok’s tusks. 
Arzok would indeed leave a mark, and Riley was sure she was going to be feeling it for days. 
A lazy trail of kisses crossed from one breast over to the other. Arzok stalled, mouth hovering over her flesh. 
Dark eyes flickered up to meet hers. He looked like every ounce of a predator toying with his prey as he said, “Your panties are fucking soaked, baby.” 
He was right. Her pussy was aching almost as badly as her breast. There was a painful, pulsing need in her core and she was sure if Arzok so much as looked at the poor thing she would come undone. 
Tusks pressed against the outer swell of her breast as he sucked her flesh into his mouth. He suckled, nibbled, and licked as the hand that wasn’t busy pinning her arms started to roam downward. It tweaked her aching nipple first, then slipped down over the expanse of her torso. Fingertips skirted the outer rim of Riley’s navel, then proceeded downward to slip under the elastic of her panties. 
The heady mixture of pleasure and pain blossoming in her breast was interrupted when a thick finger slipped down between her pleasure-slicked folds. The pressure of Arzok’s fingers slid down, then back up to properly expose Riley’s engorged clit – and then he set to work, tracing tight concentric circles.
Her body’s response was immediate, and eager. 
“Arzok–”  Riley’s sex contracted so tightly she choked. “Arzok I’m–” When the contraction eased it it gave way to bright, resonating pleasure.
Arzok pulled free from her breast, integrating further stinging pain with her pleasure, and pressed his thick finger into her fluttering sex. Riley keened in delight, not anticipating the intrusion but welcoming it all the same. He pumped slowly, letting her feel every inch of his finger before he withdrew. On the next press inward he added a second digit. It was in this manner that he dragged her through the remnants of her orgasm. 
When she was finished, when she had finally come down from her high, Arzok pulled his fingers from her pussy. His smile was downright wolfish as he presented her with the proof of her pleasure. Her essence coated his fingers, obscene in the way that its wetness stretched between his digits when he parted them. 
“What do you say, sweetling?”
“Whoa.”
Arzok snorted his laughter as he said, “Try again.”
“Thank you.”
“Good girl.” 
79 notes · View notes
waywardstation · 1 year
Text
Comfort Him
Akari often brings things back from space-time distortions to show to Ingo, in hopes that it will help him regain any of his lost memories. She just didn’t consider it might bring back a memory that’s so distressing.
I wrote this based off of the prompt for the title ‘To Comfort a Parent’ that was given to me by @mismefancy for my title ask game! I also incorporated another request for more Snacktime AU. This has some sadder content than I usually write, but it still has a good ending.
OR read here on AO3!
Enjoy!
————
“I found some new things today, maybe one of these will be different?”
The sound of crinkling reached Ingo’s ears, who was in the middle of scrubbing the last soup bowl clean in the nearby river. He glanced back at Akari to see exactly what he was expecting - from where she sat on a felled log, she was pulling a variety of things out of her satchel - he immediately recognized a few snack bags. Plastic packaging that only came from the space-time distortions.
“Miss Akari, I’m beginning to suspect you purposely hide those until after meals are finished.” Ingo brought the clean bowls back to the snuffed-out cooking fire he had set up, eyeing the various things for no longer than a moment. It seemed she could never stop eating, but that was to be expected from an active teenager’s metabolism… something he did not share.
But, she was doing it for him. He was well aware of that; she often brought him things she would find in the space-time distortions - things that were entirely foreign to the people of Hisui, but were usually very familiar to Akari, and oftentimes faintly so for Ingo. Things that had come from their own time.
Ingo’s recollection of his previous station had considerably improved since his initial interactions with Akari, and they only grew with time. However, such growth was beginning to plateau, and when new memories were knocked loose, they were often small, and insignificant - usually general things, nothing personal for him.
Had he recovered just about everything he could? Akari didn’t think so, and had resorted to more trips to space-time distortions, for more chances to find something that might be their big break - that might be Ingo’s lucky chance to remember something significant.
Nothing had come close to providing that yet - sometimes a few pages ripped out of a magazine would help him dimly recall a passing general event, or an empty pokeball of modern-day design would send faint feelings of familiarity through his hands, but that was it.
It was like picking up shattered glass in the dark - there were many more tiny pieces scattered about than large ones, and reaching out blindly would more likely result in feeling the smaller shards first.
It was… a tedious process. Especially lately, where it seemed things were slowing down considerably.
However, Akari was persistent, incessantly so. She had kept trying, kept finding new things to show him. And Ingo… Ingo appreciated it.
“It’s not a lot, and it’s just items this time!” Akari pulled out a few other items from the bag. “Mostly.”
“Let’s see the items first, then,” Ingo moved to drop down beside her on the log, the dry bark creaking to accommodate him. Let dinner settle a little, first.
“Alright, here’s something I found skewered on the back spikes of a rhydon,” Akari explained, pulling something soft out of the stash. “Hopefully some kid’s not missing it too much!”
Ingo blinked at the item. It was clearly a plush toy of a Pokémon, but he didn’t immediately recognize it as one from Hisui… it didn’t help that there was a large puncture in its face, with stuffing poking out of it.
“Do you recognize this Pokémon?” Akari handed the ruined toy to Ingo, and he held it in his lap, handling it carefully as he took his time looking it over.
It was quadruped, light grey and black. Big head, tiny legs. Small, natural holes decorated the armor on its face and back, as opposed to the unnatural puncture that had destroyed one of the plush’s two big blue eyes.
That one was more like the holes that littered Ingo’s mind.
(Aron). A Pokémon that was brought to the (Battle)(Subway) for fights (on)(the)(lines), and would (nibble) on the (Subway’s)(rails) if they were of the wild variety.
A Pokémon that was brought for fights, were they of the wild variety.
…That didn’t seem entirely right.
“I believe the memory of this Pokémon can’t quite reach the station, yet,” Ingo rubbed at the back of his scalp with a hand, where a small aching was beginning to bother him. “But it’s halfway there.”
“It’s an aron,” Akari tried to help the memory the other half of the way. “Likes to eat metal? Evolves into lairon, then aggron?”
Ingo’s frown only deepened at the remark; the characteristic and names were faint sparks in his mind, but nothing more - he could not get a visual image of the evolutions, or even remember the typing for them. It was the exact same feeling he got when he glanced at one of the many voltorb in the highlands… or even his own sneasel.
He handed the damaged toy back over to Akari. “Ah, still not quite there, I’m afraid.”
“No, it’s ok,” A consolatory phrase. One that Ingo had grown accustomed to hearing from her every time she showed him something, anymore. Akari took the plush, and set it back in the pile, before pulling out the next item, and holding it up to him. “What about this? I found this one hanging off a cliffside!”
It was a small, plain shirt; tattered and dirty, there was a print of what almost appeared to be a braviary on it - it was hard to tell with all of the rips littered across the black fabric, though.
Nothing came to mind with this article of clothing at all, aside from the fact that he had recognized shirt designs like this were common where he came from - a realization that was a couple months old at this point, but one that had been special to Akari. It only solidified the idea that they were from a similar, if not the same, time period - she had arrived to Hisui in a plain printed shirt as well, after all.
However, nothing new sprung up at the clothing. Not even the tell-tale aching in the back of his skull, flaring whenever he managed to touch a locked-up memory that was infected with holes.
And why would it?
Ingo suspected Akari knew that more than likely, the mundane article of clothing wouldn’t be familiar to him at all. But he knew she had since resorted to bringing him absolutely anything he hadn’t seen yet.
They had already gone through a lot - Akari had told him about Pokemon gyms, about contests, and competitions. About Pokemon native to her home that she couldn’t find here, as well as others from different regions. About Pokemon centers and Pokemarts, and TMs and HMs. Everything she could think of. And it did bring a considerable amount of information back.
Of the world he had left behind, at least.
But what of his friends? His family? His personal life? How could Akari help lead him back to that prior track, when she had never been a part of it?
Questions never worked, asking about his life or loved ones, no matter how specific they got.
He needed connections.
So what else could she do, besides hope a ruined toy would unlock a memory of a potential close companion of the same form? Or that a ripped shirt would remind him of a friend or family member that had possibly happened to wear the same article of clothing?
It was all she could do, and Ingo knew it just as well as she did. At this point, she could only show him random relics left behind by the distortions.
Hoping it would somehow click.
“Anything?” Akari’s arms began to lower, looking over the top of the shirt at Ingo with cautious hope in her eyes.
“Ah, nothing of significance, I am afraid.” Ingo locked his fingers together, regret in his own gaze; he hated to disappoint her.
“Hmm…” Akari turned to fold and stuff the shirt back into her satchel. “...It’s ok.”
The same consolatory remark again. It was hidden deep, hidden well, but Ingo noticed it sounded… not exactly sadder, but more… disheartened.
She was not obligated to subject herself to such disappointment.
“Miss Akari,” From under the brim of his hat, Ingo’s eyes watched Akari’s hands, putting the shirt away. She paused to glance at him. “My apologies if this is, well, a discouraging process. I am doubly appreciative for your efforts to assist me, but I am aware the tracks are unfortunately slow… and I apologize for that. If you would rather take a break from this, I would understand.”
“What? No, no!” The shirt was forgotten entirely as hands went up, emphasizing. “It’s not! …Something I want to take a break from, I mean! I don’t want to!”
Ingo must have shown a little of his surprise on his face at her enthusiasm, because Akari noticed it.
“I just… I really want to help you get your memories back.” The teenager relaxed a little. She confined her hands to her lap, so they would not fidget with her scarf as she focused on her words. “I think about my mom a lot, and my friends, and my home. I mean, yeah, it's hard sometimes to think about, but I’m really glad I have them. I want you to have that too.”
She knew Ingo wanted it very much; she could see it in his features whenever he listened to her talk about her memories. Not jealousy or envy, but a specific type of sadness. He was able to hide it well, but his eyes would always give him away.
“It doesn’t bother me, even if it takes a while.” She kept going. “It’s not your fault either, but… I don’t look at it like that anyways. I just want to help, any way I can. Even if it takes time.”
The things Ingo had done for her during her time in Hisui went through her mind. How he had led her, accompanied her through the mountains to his noble. How he encouraged her, and appreciated her company. How he taught her how to do certain things, and did his best to guide her when she felt confused. How he made her feel less lonely in a way her other friends couldn’t here in Hisui, the only other person in this world that had come from a previous one before, just like her.
But these things didn’t leave her mouth.
“You’ve done a lot for me.” She simply summed up, instead. “I’d be happy to do something back for you.”
She turned away, back to her pile before Ingo could possibly try and assure her that really, it was alright (but in doing so, she missed the look of appreciation that found its way into his eyes). The sound of shifting fabric was replaced with the crinkling he had first heard earlier.
“Ok, snacktime. Here, try this one first.” Akari held out a small bag to Ingo, wanting him to take it. “You haven’t had these before, right? It’s popcorn, I think.”
The bag was a bright blue, featuring a pair of Pokémon he couldn’t quite recall - small brown bodies, with large fluffy heads. One had a pair of curled green horns, the other blue.
Popping the bag open, Ingo could see the popcorn inside; white and yellow puffs that resembled the Pokémon’s fluffy cotton, and covered in an orange dust.
“You’re correct, as you oftentimes are with these,” Ingo offered the opened bag to Akari as he always did, and she grabbed a messy handful of the puffs to munch on. Ingo took a handful himself, popping them into his mouth one at a time as opposed to Akari, who shoved it all in at once.
Hmm…
Definitely stale.
Just like how they always were in the (vending)(machine) by the (Battle)(Subway). Stale. (Emmet) liked them, but he didn’t know anyone else who did.
Just like how they always were. Stale. Someone liked them, but he didn’t know anyone else who did.
Well, that was a lot of nothing, but he shouldn’t be surprised, seeing as how he apparently never really touched the stuff to begin with.
“I think this bag was a little old,” Akari commented with a full mouth, rubbing some of the cheese dust from off her face.
“I believe they’re just like that,” Ingo finished off the popcorn, before neatly flattening the empty bag and handing it back to Akari - he would have simply crumpled it, but he knew she liked to keep and collect some of the packaging to later show to Rei. “But unfortunately, that is the only memory that’s returned to the station; my apologies.”
Once again, Ingo could sense the modicum of disappointment that she couldn’t quite hide with the rest. She took the bag back and folded it neatly, slipping it into her satchel. “No! It’s ok, Ingo, really.”
The warden couldn’t help but feel bad again. Ingo was sort of hoping that was the last thing she had, so that he wouldn’t have to disappoint her for a fourth time tonight. But apparently, she wasn’t done.
“Alright, last thing, I promise,” Akari picked up a small, stocky jar. “I think it’s a drink. Maybe a protein shake, or something-“
She paused as she got a better look at the item in her hands. It was much easier to identify things when she wasn’t swiping things from off the ground, going thirty-something miles an hour from atop Lord Wyrdeer’s back.
“Wait no, nevermind, it’s not a drink. Well, for people, at least. It’s um, a jar of carbos,” slightly surprised, Akari took note of the matching blue cap and triangle symbol on the front - it had been hard to notice with all the dirt that covered it. “Vitamin mix for Pokemon. There are other types too, like Zinc, and Protein… I don’t think I’ve found any of them in a distortion yet, though. I know it’s a long shot, but maybe… see if it reminds you of anything?”
She held the jar out to Ingo. Another offer for him to try again. To try one more time. For her.
A deep breath. Scared to disappoint her again. Ingo reached out, taking the jar in his fingers. “Alright.”
The warden brushed some of the dirt off as he inspected the item more thoroughly. The plastic container was covered in little scratch marks, probably banged up from when it fell through the distortion. The blue triangle on the container stared back at him, a label that didn’t hold much meaning or significance to him. It stirred weak familiarity as a jar of vitamins though, riding off the words of explanation Akari had given.
Out of habit, Ingo turned the carbos over in his hands, his eyes following the label strip as he turned the jar, until-
There was a sticker on the back of the container, stamped over the labeling. Ingo squinted at it, reading over the words - The writing was not Hisuian, just like everything else Akari would fish from the distortions. It was thankfully Galarian, which he could read, but it still took a moment. The scuffed state of the sticker didn’t help either, but Ingo could eventually make out:
CARBOS - 1BP
THANK YOU FOR RIDING THE BATTLE SUBWAY. ENJOY YOUR PRIZE. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU RIDING THE LINES AGAIN SOON. FOLLOW THE RULES AND DRIVE SAFELY!
-INGO AND EMMET
Ingo blinked.
Emmet had come up with that message himself, believing the words of support on the prizes would be appreciated by the trainers. Emmet had run a few variations of the message by him when they were still adjusting to their top positions in the place.
This was a BP exchange item from the Battle Subway. It cost exactly 1BP, and would raise a pokemon’s speed. Valuable, but essential to trainers who wanted to help their Pokemon reach their full potential. Which is why Emmet wanted to lower its cost from 10BP to 1BP.
Emmet always told him he’d start putting this stuff in his coffee, to make him finally start moving faster in the mornings. And he actually did it, once.
There were no holes in these thoughts.
These disconnected, jumbled recollections simultaneously shot like an arrow through Ingo’s brain, a quick, sharp stab before all the pain - all the realization - caught up with it, and bloomed out. Ingo could barely process the memories flooding back.
Emmet. That’s who he was - that’s who the man in white was. Emmet. His brother, who he ran the Battle Subway with.
Emmet’s actual appearance was still just as murky, as were any experiences with him outside of the limited information that was attached to this jar of carbos. But Ingo had something.
His brother was encouraging, to think of putting messages like this onto prizes for trainers, and trusting to come to him for approval on it. His brother was considerate for making prizes like carbos more affordable for trainers, and he was, well… apparently a bit mischievous for putting the nasty stuff in his morning coffee.
He was a good brother though. A brother that he loved dearly, and a brother that loved him back just as much. Ingo knew it. Why else would such a surge of emotions be connected to these sparse memories? His mind could not explain his feelings with memories, but his heart could remember them all the same.
It reassured him, even if he didn’t understand it.
A confused sound left Ingo’s throat, a deep heave in his chest as he tried to keep his head above the rising waters. He looked up to Akari, who was watching him intently, in hopes that she would extend a branch and help him stay afloat.
She blinked at wide grey eyes. “Did you-?”
“My brother-” His fingers were loose around the plastic container, the carbos practically forgotten in his hands. “I have a brother. His… name is Emmet. He works in the Battle Subway, as did I.”
He held up the jar in his hands, now remembered, and turned it around for her to see the sticker - the confusion on her face had been immediate, wondering how he got all of that from a jar of carbos.
“This is a prize item that could be obtained from the Battle Subway, something that could be exchanged for BP. I can’t quite recall what BP stands for, but it was treated as currency for our system…”
As Ingo went on, Akari studied the scuffed sticker on the jar, still in his hands. When her eyes drifted over Ingo and Emmet’s names, her expression lit up, eyes bright as she smiled wide.
“Oh, Ingo! this is great!” Akari jumped up, hardly able to sit still with the excitement buzzing in her chest, making big gestures with her hands. “This is- this is a big thing! You remembered something! You have a brother! And you remember him! And your job, too!”
Akari’s infectious enthusiasm spread to Ingo, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards into a smile as she continued to talk. He did remember. He took another glance down at the worn sticker on the carbos, as if reading Emmet’s name again would bring back more memories.
“You work at the Battle Subway!” Akari kept going, talking a mile a minute. “Which means you’ve got to be from Unova! When I was really young, my mom and I would go there for contests she was in! We went on Gear Station’s subway lines too! I could have already met you and not even known it! Ingo, wouldn’t that be great? I mean, just-!”
Clearly, the prospect of not only living in the exact same timeframe, but also possibly having already met before, was exciting Akari beyond belief.
But as she went on, her words only turned to static in Ingo’s ears.
It was entirely unintentional - he would never purposely tune her out like that. But it was hard not to do it when the third line on the sticker had snagged his attention in its entirety, working its way through his mind as another set of gears started turning in his head.
FOLLOW THE RULES AND DRIVE SAFELY!
Ingo ran his thumb over the rough texture of the scuffed sticker, over the words.
A familiar phrase to him. That was what he always said. He always said that when initiating a battle at the training grounds. Because it always felt right to say so.
But, Emmet was the one who had written the message on this sticker.
These were Emmet’s words.
It was a deep feeling in his gut. They were not his own. They were his brother’s. His dear brother’s. Those were Emmet’s words that had stuck with him, and remained in his heart.
Had he always been saying Emmet’s phrases? No wonder they always filled him with such will. Such determination. They were the words of his brother. His encouraging, trusting, compassionate, mischievous brother.
Emmet’s words had left him with a will to keep going when he had been separated, even if he didn’t realize it until now. But what had he left Emmet with?
Did he leave him with anything at all? Did Emmet know where he was? That he was still alive?
Did he leave Emmet all alone, for all this time?
Ingo could not recall any of the answers, but a deep, nauseating bubble of grief filled his chest at the questions before it could go any deeper.
His heart could remember what his mind could not. He did not understand the intensity. And this time, it terrified him.
Grief only hurt like this when something you dearly cared about was wronged.
Something had happened before he had departed from his previous station, to this one in Hisui. Something terrible, and he knew it involved Emmet.
What if he couldn’t ever get back to him, and fix it? What if he was stuck here in Hisui permanently?
The new, upsetting wave of emotions in his heart welled up out of his chest, unable to be contained, forced down deep the way tried so hard to maintain sometimes. They filled his eyes, blurring his vision, until they began to stream down his face.
“...My mom said that on the first trip, when I was really little, I got lost at the station,” Akari continued on, oblivious. “And that staff helped her find me! What if you had talked to my mom? Or your brother did? Or even-”
Any further words died in Akari’s throat at the sound of a sniff, and her excitement followed her words as she turned to see Ingo. One hand still held on to the carbos jar, but he was rubbing his eyes with the other, catching tears with the heel of his palm.
…Was he crying?
“Ingo?” A foreign, novel anxiety sprang up in Akari’s chest, cold and uncomfortable.
Ingo does not cry.
“Are… you ok?”
A glance up from under the brim of his tattered hat, eyes heavy with tears.
“I am alright, Miss Akari,” Ingo sniffed, “It’s just that…Emmet, I don’t- I believe something happened, before… and I am afraid that I’ll be unable to-“
The confusing emotions kept pushing. The tears kept falling. Ingo shut his eyes tight, which only squeezed out a few more fresh ones. A deep breath around the swell in his throat.
He did not want to burden Akari with this. He was the adult, and she was a child, she shouldn’t have to-
“…Please excuse me,” Ingo sniffed again, wiping at the tears with his sleeve as he looked away. They wouldn’t stop coming. “I- I don’t wish to… I can’t seem to-“
It was all he could get out before his voice cracked. He stopped hopelessly attempting to form a sentence, and relented to simply choking back a sob. It was quiet, in a way. He suppressed himself so as not to openly weep, but each stutter of breath was still agonizing. Leaning forward to hide his eyes under the brim of his cap, the tears came down.
Akari was struck with a cold shock, unsure what to do. She had never seen Ingo like this. He had never cried, regardless of whether it was simply misty eyes, or relentless tears being shed. And the sound of him sobbing was so foreign to her; it felt so wrong. So sad.
At least, she had never seen him do such things.
Her heart clenched at the possibility that perhaps it was different when it came to times of solitary, when he was alone and no one was watching.
But what if it wasn’t like that either? He could have just as easily been bottling these feelings up inside, consciously or subconsciously, letting things grow tighter and tighter in a fragile heart, until the pressure shattered it.
Both thoughts made Akari all the more appreciative that they were out in the wilderness, away from any prying eyes and attentive ears of the Jubilife villagers. She was sure Ingo felt doubly grateful. Because either way, it was obvious he needed to get it out.
Ingo restrained a few more sobs before he slumped forward into his hands, elbows propped weakly against his knees. Perhaps it was out of grief weighing heavy on his shoulders, or it was simply to hide his face, and the tears that rolled down it. Either way, Akari’s heart ached, squeezing so hard in her chest that she almost felt nauseous.
She had never seen him like this.
Akari moved to sit back down on the log next to Ingo. She was still for a moment as his shoulders jolted with each stifled choke, before hesitantly reaching around his middle as best she could in a hug.
She said nothing as she leaned against him, embracing him - what could she possibly say? Ingo continued to sob. She knew he probably couldn’t stop now even if he wanted to - containing such strong and built-up emotions after letting them out was comparable to fitting a steelix into a pickling jar. But a heavy arm moved, shuddering, and he turned his torso to better accommodate her efforts, and embrace her back.
Akari readily took the opportunity, and buried herself into his warm front, securing her arms around his back. She felt his arms settle around her in turn, holding onto the comfort she was offering. The way his chest stuttered, bouts of sporadic breathing interrupting an otherwise-smooth cycle, only made Akari settle further against him, practically in an effort to ease it.
He was hurting.
And he probably had been for a long time, even if he didn’t realize it.
Akari had always assumed Ingo’s amnesia was a curse. All it had ever seemed to do was cause strife - Ingo would doubt himself on many things due to it. And he never spoke about it out loud, but Akari could tell he would occasionally question subjects pertaining to himself and his previous life that she didn’t want him to even entertain.
What was he like before Hisui - as a person? Were people as wary to trust him in his own time as they are here? Did they have reasons not to trust him? Was his morality previously… tarnished? Did he do something wrong - something wrong enough to land him here in Hisui?
It was a very slippery slope of bad thoughts that Akari always wanted him to dismiss. She hated the thought of them, but how could one not at least wonder about it from time to time, if they had no memories of the person they were before?
But now, Akari believed it had been a blessing. He couldn’t miss the things he terribly loved if he didn’t remember them. He couldn’t worry over loved ones he didn’t remember, or ache for home if he couldn’t recall what home felt like. He couldn’t torment himself over the events leading up to his demise, or think of what he could have done differently, if he didn’t recall what had happened before. He couldn’t lament his previous life progressing without him if he didn’t know how good he really had it. He couldn’t question if there was a plan for him like there were plans for Akari, if he didn’t realize their methods of arrival were vastly different.
He could not beg for a ticket back home if he didn’t know enough about what home actually was, and what unfinished business he left behind, to consider it terrifying that the trip might possibly be a one-way deal.
His amnesia had been protecting him from some terribly distressing feelings, and she had dug them back up.
All with a jar of carbos.
Akari felt her throat tighten uncomfortably as blurry stinging welled up in her eyes. Ingo’s tunic caught a tear as it fell; an infectious action in turn from a cold wetness spreading on her shoulder, his own continued tears.
She had never seen him like this.
“I’m so sorry,” Akari’s voice was muffled against his tunic. She continued to feel the sporadic heaves of Ingo’s lungs, stuttering around his sobs; he said nothing in his current state, as she didn’t think he even could. But the shakey, reassuring squeeze he gave her told her that he appreciated the gesture.
He had always been there to comfort and ease her. To tell her that things were ok, and that he would fix whatever was wrong to the best of his abilities. Several times, she had admittedly cried to him about her homesickness, and her mother, and her friends. And he always listened. Always reassured her. Always indulged in her good memories, and spoke well of her friends and family that he had never even met.
It felt almost jarring to be in such a position now, the other way around where she was the one comforting him over such things. She sometimes forgot that he was really only around twice her age, three times at the most. That he was not only just as lost in this world as she was, but even deeper in the thickets than her… and yet he was always trying to push her forward, closer to the clearing and out of the woods.
He was such a sturdy, supportive foundation in this unstable reality for her, that she oftentimes (and shamefully) forgot he was just as scared of the uncertain future, and his place within it, as she was… if not more.
A distressing recollection might have been the catalyst for the tears, but she knew more was pouring out than just that. Months of built up stress, and confusion, and worrying-
He needed someone to tell him it would be alright too.
He missed home, just like her.
She hugged him tighter, squeezing.
“You’ll get back home. To Emmet. And everyone else who cares about you. I’ll fulfill my purpose here, I’ll earn my way back, and, I-I‘ll take you with me.” Akari spoke against his chest. The wetness continued to spread over her shoulder. “I won’t leave you here. No matter what. You… you’re going to see them all again.”
The tears kept coming from above her. Akari’s unspoken words of appreciation from earlier welled up in her heart - why did she never say them to him?
“You’ve helped me so much,” she let the words flow. “You spend time with me, and you care about me, and listen to me, and… I miss my mom a lot, but I don’t feel so alone here when I’m with you. It would be… very different without you here. And I… I know Emmet is feeling that. I know he wants you back. I’m taking you back with me, and you’re going to see him again, and whatever happened will be fixed.”
Ingo had needed to hear that. A deep breath shuddered as he slumped forward. Another gentle squeeze in his arms as he continued to quietly cry. Broken heaves of breath through restrained sobs.
Akari remained leaned against him, head resting close to his aching heart.
She would not leave him in this place.
They sat like that for a while, the cold darkness of the wilderness surrounding them. Ingo continued to cry, and Akari let him.
She had never seen him like this, because he had always tried his hardest not to let anyone, especially her, see him like this. He did not want to burden her with his stressors. But she did not see it as a burden at all.
She was going to complete her purpose. She was going to earn her way back home. She was going to take Ingo with her.
She would not leave him in this place.
Things would be ok.
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