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bluebayousblog · 5 months

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RUMOR HAS IT (pt. 13)

(Drew Starkey one-shot)

This is not a full on story but if you want more l'll be happy to add on upon request

Plot: in which drew and isobel address a false rumor in the most abstract of ways

Setting: isobel and drew continue spending break with family

Disclaimer: Isobel is an OC, 18+

Table of Contents:

PART TWELVE

Drew hadn’t seen Isobel since the night of the winter cocktail. What had only been a day felt like an eternity to him, nothing felt logical when it came to the girl and time was no different.

If it were up to him he would have never left her side, not after the unforgettable night they spent together. The more of herself she gave to him, physically and emotionally, the more that sense of emptiness that had naturally burrowed in his chest from just trying to navigate through life didn’t feel so empty, like she’d made a home in the space. And it felt as if a part of his soul was tied to the entirety of her being. They’d been slowly building that connection, that inevitable tether that had him longing for her even when she was in the same room—even when he just simply had his back turned to her to leave.

He was beginning to feel like those obsessed women he’d been fending off all of these years, while Isobel seemed to be breezing through her emotions. He admired how gracefully she’d been handling their relationship. She couldn’t keep her hands off of him more times the none, but her feelings weren’t convoluting every thought that crossed her mind or action she chose to take.

It was hard for Drew to contain what he felt inside for Isobel, the emotions he felt were instilled so deep that they just bled out of him in longing stares, intimate caresses from his hands onto her smooth skin, and the sweet nothings he couldn’t help but to share when it was just them two in the room.

And when his lips met her soft ones, he swore he could feel himself slipping away into her oblivion—into a place where things would never be the same. A place where when he woke up and his first thought was her, where his body ached to be next to her, where everything clicked and the only thing that made sense was Isobel.

He’d never felt this flood of emotions before, he knew it could only be one thing but he buried the realization deep in his mind, too scared to accept it—or to even consider it. It was too early for that. Right?

In typical Charles fashion, his father called him out on his feelings, obviously privy to the way he’d been acting the moment he came home with Isobel a few days ago. Although he’d wanted to avoid his father’s opinion spoiling what he had with her and the idea of Isobel being his that he’d formed in his head, apart of him loved the fact that Charles saw straight through him and didn’t completely hate him for what he was doing with his business partner’s daughter.

And as much as he tried to seem against accepting it for what it was, Drew could see a glimpse of pride in his eyes that just made him want to have her even more because throughout the hesitancy, secrecy, and guilt with Isobel he finally felt like he’d done something right.

Charles promised to leave what little they’d discuss about his less than subtle implications in the car that night between the two men, but not before expressing his expectation of Drew to tell her father sooner than later.

“If you’re serious about her, telling Cooper should be the least of your worries, just come to him as man.”

Drew knew that Charles hated the soft spot Isobel’s father had for him, in Cooper’s eyes he could do no wrong, but it didn’t stop Drew from doing everything he could not to disappoint. And being with Isobel in any capacity was grounds for it. It was hard to assume that Richard Cooper would think he was right for his daughter when no one in their respective families had ever encouraged the relationship, and it scared him shitless that his father had basically put a time stamp on when Drew should tell him.

Especially when what he and Isobel weren’t supposed to be serious, and she had no interest in either of her parents knowing.

He knew she was figuring things out, testing out the waters after the tumultuous ending of her last relationship while also trying to wrap her head around what was going on between the two of them. She’d questioned him on his sudden attraction, but Drew didn’t need that same reassurance from her. Nothing about wanting Isobel on that random day all those weeks ago felt confusing for him, it was unexpected but there wasn’t a one part of him that needed answers because to him this time in his life, no matter how new it was, felt meant to be.

Drew spent the day packing his usual necessities he went with when preparing for a family trip, and zoning out about Isobel’s mouth on his body. The never ending thoughts and flashes of her pretty face in his mind causing him to take longer than necessary to throw a few things in his suitcase. The morning after the cocktail his parent’s surprised them with the news that Charles and Cooper had been able to take enough time off from the Cooper & Starkey for both families to spend time at the cabin they shared near the mountains.

His mind immediately went to Isobel and being able to spend his first Christmas with her whilst having so many tucked away emotions nesting away inside of him. Imagining her in their cozy vacation home enjoying the fire or smiling up at the falling snow made his chest fill with warmth at just the thought.

For the first time it slightly irritated him to have to pretend like she wasn’t his.

It felt so good to think to himself that she was his and even more satisfying to hear the words leave her lips just for that one night in her bedroom. If he was fortunate enough to listen to her say it to their family he’s not sure he would ever recover.

And slowly he was beginning to realize Isobel wasn’t the type of woman you could ever recover from—that he would ever recover from.

Drew wasn’t vocal when his parents explained their traveling plans to him and his brother, Chandler. He wanted so badly to suggest he drive so he could pick up Isobel on the way and have some alone time with her, he couldn’t help but smile at the memory of their road trip from school. Isobel making him promise to keep things platonic, but kissing him less than five minutes later as she leaned across the middle console of his truck. Objecting to his father driving up with in the family SUV when his mother could have an aneurysm at the change of a detail as simple as how they would all be getting to their destination wasn’t an option.

So he took what he could get, looking forward to the moments they would be spending together in the cabin they’d spent multiples holidays together in when they were younger. Drew’s head was on a swivel when they finally arrived at the less than modest family cabin after three long hours traveling north up the highway, hoping to see the Cooper’s truck parked in the driveway. To his dismay the obnoxiously long driveway was just as empty as the cabin when they stepped into it.

Two years had passed since they all had spent the holidays here, so there was some dust collecting on various surfaces. Most people hired services to keep their properties refreshed but Catherine Starkey and Lora Cooper deemed it completely unnecessary when they could just do it themselves. Drew remembered one year when Isobel insisted on helping with dusting and immediately began sneezing uncontrollably. He smiled to himself at the memory and the thought of her adorable nose turning red from allergies as his parents worked on turning all the lights on.

“You boys go get settled in your rooms, I’m going to get a head start on getting things straightened up.” His mother was already headed towards the kitchen where all the cleaning supplies was as she spoke.

Before he knew it Chandler had also left the living area leaving Drew standing in the middle of the empty room. Drew was in a constant daze, it seemed as if when he wasn’t around her his mind had him escaping in his head just to get a glimpse of Isobel.

Wheels scraping the floor across the entry way of the front of the cabin snapped him out of his thoughts as his father rolled the rest of the suitcases that belong to Catherine inside behind his tall frame.

“Everything alright with you, son?” Charles asked after shutting the door and pulling off his gloves.

Similar to his mother’s insistence on cleaning, Charles always brought in all the luggage from the car, the man always snuck off and did it so no one would try to help him. That was one of the minor ways that showed how much of a family man he was, a trait Drew hoped he inherited, “Yeah, I’m fine let me help you.”

Drew stalked over in three strides and had two handles to suitcases in each hand before his father could protest.

Charles sighed in defeat before stepping all the way in and kicking the door closed behind him with his boot covered foot. He dropped the bags he was holding on the floor while his eyes still remained on Drew. The look in his eyes was indifferent and concerned from what Drew could decipher as he stood across the room.

“This is going to be a good holiday, it always is when you’re spending it with the people you love.” Charles’ eyes twinkled when he finished that sentence.

Drew just cleared his throat and gave him a smile. They’d somehow reached a point where Charles was implying Isobel’s presence could lift his spirits and Drew didn’t know how they got there. He had never been the type to wear his emotions, but when it came to Isobel he couldn’t seem to contain everything he was feeling for her, “I’m gonna go take this stuff upstairs, I’ll be back down here in a minute.”

Charles just waved him off in response and walked out into the adjoining room as he followed the sound of his mother’s humming. Drew pondered his words as he made it up the stairs. His father was definitely implying something—he always means something behind his words.

Isobel had made so many things good for Drew, more than fucking good, and that feeling exceeded the few weeks they’d been involved with each other. She brought light into everyone’s lives. A blessing to have romantically but just as equally as a family friend. She wrote the sweetest letters to his parents each Christmas, and got her own the most thoughtful gifts.

And she listened. It was the simplest thing a person could do for someone, but when she presented a gift to you that happened to be something you loosely brought up months before with that wide smile on her face it was enough to make anyone blindly fall in love.

When he opened up the door to his room it looked the same as he left it two years ago, when he was twenty and Isobel was no more than a friend sleeping down the hall—such a contrast from this version of him who was acting like a sick puppy that hadn’t seen that same girl in a day.

Everything probably had a layer of dust settled on it, but he still dropped down on the bed after placing his bags on the ground next to the oak dresser that had been there since he was fourteen years old. He remembered the first year they spent at the cabin. Their families purchasing the property was a surprise, they just all packed up their cars on a cold Sunday afternoon and drove up until snow started to fall from the sky and the sight of a beautiful log cabin came into view. Drew, Isobel, and Chandler all being kids at the time immediately ran inside to stake claim on the rooms—he was a little faster than Isobel and of course picked the best looking one. He felt triumphant getting the coveted space until Isobel trudged in with a frown on her lips, and all she had to do was sigh and express to him how much she loved his window’s view of the mountains and cabins before he caved and let her have the room.

Drew blindly got off of his bed, walking towards the window as he looked down at his phone where an unread message from Isobel was sitting in his notifications. There in their message thread was a selfie of her with a fur lined hood swallowing her whole and a toothy smile brightening her pretty face as snow fell in the background. When he glanced up to look out the glass there she was looking up at his window with that same smile while her family unloaded their truck.

It was then he decided that this view could never compare to anything he had before.

Isobel loved spending the holidays at the cabin, but anywhere where family was in company could make any occasion special for her—and this year was different. She spent the last several holidays with Drew, but never while having feelings coursing through her mind and body for him. Isobel had brought a man home for the holidays before, but this didn’t feel the same. This felt like she was coming home to something—to someone. These little moments could never be replicated, there would never be a first holiday where she would be spending time with a boy she’d known for years that she now viewed in a romantic light.

“Seeing that smile makes me wish I could’ve brought you guys back here sooner.” Her father said as they walked in the door.

There it was, the feeling of her heart dropping to her stomach from having to keep what has been going on between her and Drew away from her family, but she wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready to tell everyone about this situation with Drew, and she was sure wasn’t even sure that she was ready for him. But when she peered up at the railing that overlooked the first floor of the house and saw him standing there with that hopeful look in his gorgeous blue eyes all of her trepidations seemed to fade.

Their eyes were only locked for a few seconds before the feeling of her mother’s hand on her shoulder stole her attention, “He looks handsome don’t you think?”

Her face instantly heated at the question, Lora complimenting Drew’s looks was nothing new, but it was first she’d done it since Isobel had also realized just how attractive he actually was. All she could do was hum in agreement before her eyes drifted off back to him.

“Tell me, does he have a girlfriend back at school?” Lora continued and she could tell by the the tone of her voice she was trying to get gossip for Catherine, but still hearing the word girlfriend in relation to Drew made her blood warm.

Isobel knew she was the closest he’d come to having a girlfriend in just the few weeks that had passed, and as pathetic as it was she reveled in the thought of it—that a simple make out on her couch had him doing everything different. Of course there was the possibility that he was only keeping her around because of their family’s ties, but it was that look in his eyes, the same one she’d been seeing since that week before exams that convinced her otherwise. “I don’t know, why don’t you get Catherine to ask him herself?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, honey.” Lora sighed before making her way into the kitchen where she was sure Drew’s mother was cleaning away. Isobel couldn’t help, but wonder if when they discussed Drew’s love life if she ever came up.

Without a second thought she grabbed the heavy suitcase she’d overpacked and her duffle and made her way to the stairs that Drew was now descending to help. She made it about half way up before he was taking pieces of luggage from her hands. They didn’t speak, he just turned and she followed as they eventually approached her bedroom door, and when she pushed it open with her free hand the sight made her smile. Her room at the cabin was just as girly and feminine as her room at home and it always took her coming back here to realize how much she loved her little space—especially the view that came with it.

“It looks so pretty out there, I can wait to see all the lights tonight.” Isobel mindlessly stated while gazing out of the window.

It was freezing cold outside and snow was still falling, the perfect setting for the holidays, and the fact that she had a warm place to spend them with family made her lips curve into a small smile at the thought, “Want to walk into town and go see them later?” Drew asked, his eyes already on her when she turned away from the frosted glass.

“It’s going to be freezing, Drew.” She groaned, a shiver rolling down her spine from just thinking about how cold it got at night. This place was beautiful, but below freezing temperatures were the enemy.

Drew just grinned down at her, and gave her a look as if she was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever seen. Isobel immediately frowned, for some reason she was expecting him of all people to have sympathy for her aversion to cold weather whether they were in the mountains or not. When his blue eyes dropped to the pout on her lips, he was already closing the distance between them and wrapping both of his arms around her waist, his fingers playing with the hem of the pants she was wearing, “I’ll keep you warm, Izzy Bear.”

“That’s very sweet of you.” She sighed and placed her chin on his chest so she could look up at him. Sometimes she couldn’t believe how fine Drew was, and the more her feelings snowballed in her belly the more her attraction for him grew—she could only hope he was feeling that same sentiment, “Are you gonna keep me warm the whole trip?”

Her eyes were dark, they were brown so that was always the case, but Drew was certain he’d seen a shadow pass over the chocolate orbs. It amazed him at how naturally her sexual aura could appear and vanish within a blink of an eye to the point where he had no idea how to interpret her words. The smile on her pink lips was indicative but Isobel was always smiling and the tone in her voice was suggestive but then again she was always teasing.

Either way it had his mind reeling as he managed to somehow get lost in her gaze—lost in her—without him ever realizing it.

It was just that easy.

“I’ll keep you warm as long as you want me to, Is.” He affirmed before lifting his hand to her cheek, caressing the bare skin with his thumb. He knew what he’d just said meant more, but he ignored the thought because he wasn’t ready to discuss what he could’ve actually meant, or accept it for that matter, “I really want to kiss you.”

“So kiss me” She insisted, the eagerness in her tone pleasing to hear, he loved that Isobel hadn’t shown any obvious interest in anyone in the last few years, but when it came to him she was so willing.

Drew hesitated, he wanted so desperately to have her lips on his own, but he suppressed the urge that is until Isobel tugged him towards her by the fabric of his shirt and pressed their lips together in a searing kiss. Her mouth felt like satin bliss against his own probably chapped ones, but she still kissed him with a force that made him feel like he was the best thing she’d ever felt. Drew never knew if the skin of her lips were hot to the touch or if it was the heat flushing throughout his body from having her against him. He couldn’t keep his hands still, they ran over her hips and down the sides of her thighs on their own accord as he tried to keep his kisses controlled. Isobel was fisting the hell out of his shirt, a sweet sigh vibrating through her throat and caressing his ears, he was sure the fabric would be wrinkled whenever she let go, that she would leave a mark.

He suppressed the urge to groan at the feel of her soft hands running up his shoulders, gently grazing his neck until her nimble fingers scratched at the nape of it before pulling away with a smile. He let her go, he had to let her call the shots because he had a feeling he was already loosing sense on when to pull away.

“You know you always make it seem like I want you more when you were the one who made the first move, remember?” Isobel joked. The grin on her lips entirely because of the man towering over her.

He was looking at her like he wanted to eat her alive, she loved that look on his already sexy face, it just made him all the more devastating to look at. His eyes squinted at her as if he were trying to focus, and a gasp escaped her when his big hands squeezed her hips in a tight grip, “I’m just trying to fucking control myself, Isobel.”

Isobel had accepted she didn’t have the ability to practice control when it came to Drew—she wanted him too much, thought about him too much, and simply didn’t want the obstacle of self-control—especially when he talked to her like that. She was a peaceful girl, she tried to be that to everyone she cared for, but it seemed as if she was making up for all those years he annoyed her as a friend by sexually frustrating him beyond lengths.

She hummed in response and watched as his jaw clenched in immediate reaction while his eyes darted to examine every detail of her face like he needed to see all of her.

“You don’t have to control yourself when it’s just us.” She sort of offered as her eyes bounced from his lips to his tinted blue eyes. Isobel was the one who tried to put a pause on their physical relationship, but it only made things all the more difficult—for her at least.

“It’s not just us, Izzy.”

But that’s exactly what it felt like when they were wrapped around each other like this, like he was the only man in the world and no one else mattered. Not even her family that were probably running around downstairs trying to get the house together, completely clueless that they were closed off in her room sharing kisses and lingering touches.

“Don’t ever think I don’t want you.” Drew murmured while threading the fingers of his right hand into her dark hair and using his grip on the thick strands to angle her face upwards so she was forced to only see him, “I want you more than you could ever imagine.”

Drew continued to speak as he began to move forward, making Isobel blindly walk backward, trusting him to be her eyes while her attention remained on him, “I wake up with you on my mind because you’re in my dreams.”

“-I smell you on my clothes and while I’m just quickly trying to run to the store there’s that same sweet aroma in my truck. You are everywhere Isobel, I don’t think I’ve never not wanted you.” Drew admitted, the revelation obvious in his glimmering eyes.

Isobel gasped when she felt her back brush against a cold, hard surface before she registered he’d moved them to the wall across the room from the window. His words made her heart pound in her chest in awe, infatuation, and fear. She didn’t know much of what she was doing when it came to Drew and that feeling of uncertainty usually scared her beyond measure, but hearing Drew verbalize how he was feeling scared her in a way she didn’t see coming.

She didn’t know what to say, what she was feeling terrified her so much it rendered her mute because if her feelings left her mouth it made them all the more real—not just thoughts in her head. Despite the weight of his words he still just looked at her as if he was trying to remember every detail of this moment in his mind, there was no expectation for her to reciprocate his admission or state that she felt the same. Like he’d told her all of that only to make her feel good not because he wanted to hear it too.

That realization made her heart flutter in her chest because there was a time where she’d once said ‘I love you’ to someone not because she was ready, but because she was scared that if she didn’t they would change their mind.

His eyes were smiling in what could only be described as enamor, a part of her wishes that she could just simply say he was just looking at her with lust but that would be an understatement.

And it would be easy for Isobel to run away from the blue orbs, to say that she didn’t want this out of fear, and ignore the other tsunami of emotions she was feeling—emotions that were telling her he was good, genuine, and becoming just as much hers as she was his.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

PART FOURTEEN

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iamstartraveller776 · 2 months

Note

"Trouble" by Natalia Kills (consider this an experiment to see how many times your askbox eats it.)

(Pretty sure this one didn't get eaten because I didn't save it to drafts!) I hope the first chapter of Rumor Has It from Loki's POV will suffice!

Summary: New country, new school, and yet everything continues to be unremittingly tedious. Not even his brother's rager can cure Loki's apathy—that is, until he finds a surprise waiting in his bedroom. Perhaps life in the States won't be so boring after all.

Rating: T

Genre: Modern/Non-Magical AU, High School AU, Humor, Teen Romance

Also on AO3

A NEW KIND OF FUN 1/1

“Just a few friends,” Thor’d said. Loki knew better. He leaned over the second floor railing, rolling his eyes as, in the large foyer below, his brother greeted yet another swarm of eager groupies. Typical. He doubted Thor knew any of them by name, but that didn’t stop each one from acting as if a beloved god had deigned to shine his light upon them. New school, new country, and nothing had changed.

How dull.

“Loki!” Thor called up to him. “Stop lurking and join us!” When Loki didn’t snap to it immediately, he glowered. “You promised!”

Loki exhaled a sour laugh, then gave Thor a winning smile. God forbid anyone disappoint the Golden Son. “Of course, brother!” He straightened, spreading his arms out. “Let’s get this party started!”

As if on cue, music boomed suddenly as the Marshmello-wannabe Thor had hired began his set in the ballroom. The sycophants below ate it up, jumping up and down with excitement. Loki sucked in a deep breath, slipping into his role like an old familiar second skin. With an unintelligible shout that matched the energy below, he hopped on the banister and slid down toward crowd. Thor and his fellow athletes surged forward to catch him, to lift him above their heads and carry him through the house.

Woo. Hoo.

It wasn’t long before every level of the estate was wall-to-wall with teens and crashers from the nearby university, nearly every one of them clutching a plastic cup of alcohol as if it were the elixir of life. Loki did his obligatory circuit, starting in the kitchen with the first keg stand competition of the night. He was suitably enthusiastic when Thor won. (Shocker.) Next came a few games of beer pong—which became easier to win each round as his opponents got more tipsy. Hurray for him.

He wandered through the crowds, keeping up his cheery demeanor despite the unspent sigh burning in his lungs. For the whole of two minutes, he seriously considered polishing off a bottle of hard liquor to get through the hours of absurdity that still lay ahead. But no. Drunk Loki would do stupid shit he didn’t want to have to pay for later. It was better to pretend.

A few idiots had started riding down the grand staircase on large baking sheets that they’d pilfered from the kitchen. One of them tried surfing instead of riding his bit of metal like a sled, and inertia flung him head over heels into the horde. Hardly scathed, he leapt to his feet with a howl, throwing his arms into the air in victory. The baking sheet was warped beyond repair, and the family housekeeper would positively lose her mind over it—until Thor paid her off with a lethal dose of charm and promises to replace everything. And money. Lots of money. The cure to all the ills of the world.

Loki’s snort earned him a sidelong glance from a nearby celebrant. It only took a second before recognition widened in her gaze. Shit, she was one of those girls from school. A giggling, hair-twirling girl who would flirt shamelessly with him if it meant getting closer to his brother. Unlike the popularity-chasers back home, they weren’t subtle here. At all. He could probably get her to do a double flip off the roof into the pool with only the promise he’d pass her number along.

Boring. Boring. Boring.

Her friends eyed him with varying levels of the same social-climbing interest. Oh, even better. They were of the less common breed that actually wanted him—or, rather, his reputation. It took very little effort to keep his disdain from his face, as practiced as he was. Perhaps he could find some entertainment in this. He made a show of looking them over, mouth curved up with an appreciative grin that he didn’t feel. Predictably, they all leaned toward him with almost feral anticipation.

“Why aren’t you dancing?” He laced the question with a measure of enticement.

Not bothering to wait for a reply, he headed toward the ballroom. They followed like the squealing lemmings they were.

The music was loud enough that he didn’t have to talk to any of them. He did, however, have to endure their pathetic attempts to grind against him seductively for the next half hour. Definitely not an amusing distraction, this. One of them tripped into him and her drink sloshed onto his shirt.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” she yelled over the thumping bass. Her face twisted into a bad imitation of a come-hither look as she bit her lip. “I can help you clean it up!”

Leaning forward, he didn’t miss the naked excitement in her large eyes. “Oh, darling,” he murmured against her ear. “You really can’t.” With a parting wink, he pushed past her and the others. He might have taken the slightest bit of perverse pleasure in the sneering “Bastard!” she shot at his retreating back.

Why were they always so surprised that playing with fire got them burned? Americans were so stupid.

He weaved through the masses toward the staircase in the back of the house, pulling his shirt away from his skin. God, what the hell had the girl been drinking? A little of everything from how awful it smelled. He ascended the stairs two at a time and nearly made it to the landing before someone caught his arm.

“Loki! Where are you going in such a hurry?”

He rolled his eyes, recognizing that overly saccharine feminine voice. Lorelei. The most boring of all the would-be temptresses. She’d been trying to sink her talons into him practically from the beginning of the term. Flanked by her two lackeys, she was dressed in whatever went for club chic in Cambridge—metallic and sparkly. And very, very short.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” He wasn’t about to mention needing to change his clothes lest she mistake it as an invitation. She seemed to think their brief interactions were some kind of distorted foreplay.

“What I want to know,” she said, inching closer to him and walking her fingers up his chest, “is why I never see you at Hal’s.” She gave him a pout he was supposed to find fetching. He didn’t.

“Not my scene.” He pried her fingers away from him. “Too pedestrian.”

There it was, the flash of confusion across her Instagram-worthy features whenever he used a big word. The girl had probably never read anything longer than a fashion magazine.

“Enjoy the party.” He stepped around her and hurried to his room.

Once inside, he pulled off the malodorous shirt and chucked it toward the laundry bin. He could still smell the unholy cocktail on his skin, though. Disgusting. There wasn’t time for a shower sadly. He’d rather not suffer whatever humiliation Thor would mete out should he try to skip the rest of the festivities. Because Loki promised. To stop brooding over their move across the pond and be happy for one night. Blah. Blah. Blah.

He'd just finished washing the stink off his chest in his private bathroom when he heard the latch of his bedroom door. Had he forgotten to lock it? If someone thought to make this their temporary love nest…

His trespasser wasn’t a couple in the throes of inebriated passion, but a petite girl with long brown locks, her jeans and flannel shirt more suited to one of the bonfires the townies put on every weekend than a party at a mansion. She didn’t notice his presence, her attention fixed on his library. He hung back as she ran her fingertips over the spines of some book or another, her touch bordering on reverent. Terribly curious, this. He felt as if he ought to know her, though he couldn’t say how—not until he caught her profile as she pulled down his copy of The Evolution of Physics.

Jane Foster? The driven student in his maths and science classes who gave him a run for his money when it came to earning top marks. He’d actually had to study to keep up with her, and the girl was in the year behind his. What was she doing here and in his room, no less? He was pretty sure that her sole ambition in life was in academia. Status-seeker she most definitely was not.

She whistled softly in admiration as she gently opened the book, likely noting that it was a first edition. He could stay in the shadows and quietly observe what she did next. Or he could have a little fun.

And fun was, well, fun.

Loki stepped more fully into the room. “Do you always go through people’s things without their consent?”

Jane let out a startled squeak, the book almost slipping from her hands. “I’m sorry. I—” The rest of her apology cut off abruptly when her gaze landed on him.

Emotions passed over her face in rapid succession. Sheepishness, followed by chagrin, then a different kind of surprise as she took in his state of undress. Her eyes seemed unable to leave his bare torso, cheeks turning a brilliant shade of pink. Did she just swallow? He grinned. This was too perfect.

“I’ve only come to change my shirt,” he said, reaching back to turn the lock on the door, “but if you insist…” He began undoing his belt buckle as he slowly crossed the room toward her.

Her eyes went comically round. “No! I’m not—” She backed into the shelves. “I’m not here for…that.” Was that a fight stance she just stepped into? That tiny thing thought she could take him?

Hilarious. Literally hilarious. He couldn’t keep a straight face anymore. He laughed harder than he remembered ever laughing. God, even his stomach hurt. “The look on your face,” he said once he could get a hold of himself. “I’m going to remember that for years.”

She huffed in disgust. “You’re such an asshole!”

Unmoved, he admitted with a shrug, “I’ve been called worse.”

She opened her mouth, probably to unleash another paltry insult, when someone knocked. “Jane?” a girl’s voice called out on the other side.

Oh, but Loki wasn’t ready for playtime to be over yet. He hurried to the door ahead of Jane, opening it hardly more than a crack to imply that his companion had to make herself presentable.

“Looking for your friend?” he asked the dark-haired girl in the hallway.

“Whoa! You’re actually kind of hot,” she said, sizing him up with the same kind of annoying interest the others had shown him earlier.

He gave her a wry smile. “Shocking, I know. But you’ve come for Jane.” He nudged the door all the way open and said conspiratorially, “She’s been keeping me company.”

Jane’s friend gasped as her gaze flicked between the two of them, very obviously drawing the conclusion he’d intended.

He let out a sigh. “It’s a pity we were interrupted when things were getting really fun.” To Jane, he gave a forlorn expression. “I suppose you have to leave now.”

She was gearing up to deny everything by the wild glint in her eyes, and on impulse, he took her face in both hands and drew her up to him for a kiss. He’d only meant to shut her up and perhaps lend weight to the misconceptions he’d been seeding, but damn. When she forgot herself and relaxed into him, tilting her head just the right way, he was tempted to slam the door shut on her friend and have a good snog. Who knew the teacher’s pet had it in her?

But despite his every instinct to deepen the kiss, he broke apart from her. Because—yes, that. The glazed-over look she gave him, rosy lips parted in an absolute stupor. That was worth cruelly ending their interlude too early.

“I’ll see you on Monday, then,” he said with another wistful sigh as he stepped back from her.

She nodded numbly, staggering as her friend dragged her out of the room. It wasn’t until they were halfway down the hall that he realized she still had something of his. A wondrously horrible idea came to him as he leaned out of the doorway.

“Oh, and Jane!” he called after her loudly, making sure to get the attention of everyone milling about nearby. “You can borrow my books any time you want.” He winked at her horrified expression before shutting the door and succumbing to another fit of laughter.

Finally something new. And he was only getting started.

~FIN~

#lokane #lokane ff #lokane fanfic #loki x jane foster #jane foster x loki #loki x jane #jane x loki #my fic #rumor has it #a new kind of fun #prompt fill #star replies #averbaldumpingground

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thesweetnessofspring · 3 months

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Very much want to preface and say this is all ENTIRELY my own speculation on the back of some fancasting. That said...

I was catching up watching MickeyJoTheatre on YouTube. He's a theatre reviewer/influencer who is based in London and mainly follows West End productions. He posted an video on December 7 about Joe Locke (Charlie in Heartstopper) coming into the Broadway production of Sweeney Todd and at around the 10:40 mark he mentions that of the two leads in Heartstopper, he expected Kit Conner to get "a really big theatre role" first due to his name frequently being in the press AND because Mickey has heard rumors that Kit's name may be attached to some productions in development.

Now I'm interested in theatre but I am by no means keeping up with all productions going on over in London. All I know is that this video was made after THG stage adaptation was announced and a big West End reviewer is saying Kit Conner's name is being rumored to be attached to some theatre productions. A lot can happen with casting but I don't think it's a stretch to think Kit Conner is at least being considered for the role of Peeta in the stage adaptation in London this fall.

#thg stage adaptation #rumor has it

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purplemoonabove · 22 days

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Oh my god.

Oh dear Lord, God Almighty.

Please, I ask of you, PLEASE LET THIS BE A REAL DEAL

Four years since the heartbreaking event and I find this?! As well reading up mentions of the rumor from other sources here?!

My heart is racing.

My mind is out of balance.

I need confirmation more than ever.

Please tell me this show may have a chance of continuation! I don’t give a damn if the actors are older! If they’re in it, I’m all for it!

DEAR LORD PLEASE TELL ME THIS INSPIRATIONAL MUSICAL GENIUS WILL GET THE TREATMENT IT DESERVES!!

#julie and the phantoms #rumor has it #possible return???#dear god please do!#kenny ortega #madison reyes #charles gillespie #jeremy shada #owen patrick joyner #yeah fuck you to hell straight into the core netflix!#save jatp #GIVE US BACK JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS!!

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asoftershipwrecked · 8 months

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each with their own linen closet

#cliff calloway #fig and ford #the case of the greater gatsby #greater gatsby #rumor has it #shipwrecked comedy #asoftershipwrecked #a softer shipwrecked original #lumi's remix

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longislandcharm · 5 months

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TIMING: Mid-late August LOCATION: The Commons PARTIES: @longislandcharm and @ariadnewhitlock SUMMARY: It was such a nice morning that two lovely young ladies decide to enjoy their time outside at the commons. It takes no time for secrets to spill. Oops. CONTENT WARNINGS: Mentions of accidental death

A Latte to Love was busy that day, busier than Winter had been expecting, and she had a strong desire to turn right around when she walked through the door. But the pull of her coveted mocha latte was too much for the medium to ignore so she trudged through the crowd to grab said drink before she made her way out of there. Too many people were trying to test her patience. Instead, she made her way towards some place called the Common that was also littered with people but at least she could keep her distance in one of the many gazebos strewn about the place.

It was in one of those structures that she found a familiar face. A blonde was sitting alone in one of them and her mind immediately went back to the slumber party at Mack’s. She’d been there, Winter knew that much, but she couldn’t quite recall what had happened to her that night. It was all a blur really up until she went to talk to Mack after everyone had left. Moving to take a seat, she gave the blonde a nod of her head. “Aria right?”

As she paused, she took a sip of the latte in her hand trying to wake herself up. She’d been up through the night reading everything she could get her hands on, only falling asleep with her head on the desk provided in her room when her tired eyes just couldn’t stay open anymore. Now she was paying for it for sure but maybe the company she now had would be able to keep her awake without annoying her too much. “That was some party the other night, huh?”

She didn’t spend all her free time in A Latte to Love. Still, Ariadne certainly did come by more often than she ever had before she and Wynne had been… official.

Which was fine, and it wasn’t like anybody really looked twice because she wasn’t someone who stood out, and she was a college student (so going to a café made sense), and she could always pull out the ‘I’m the barista’s girlfriend’ card, if need be. So far though, she hadn’t had to do that. Which was also probably good, because she’d feel some sort of guilt for pulling that card, even as much as she loved to advertise the fact that she was Wynne’s girlfriend.

Today, she’d gotten an iced tea to go, and had decided to sit outside on the Common, a book of Mesopotamian art opened in front of her. She looked up as she heard someone sit next to her. “I - uh. Yeah. You’re… Winter?” The other’s name had been distinct enough that she recalled it (or at least she hoped she did) without too much trouble. “It was, yes. I’ve never really been to many parties, but I thought it seemed good?” She shut her book. “Though I guess I sort of checked out part way through the night.”

“Winter is correct.” It seemed the people at this party paid more attention to her than she’d thought with the zombie falling off the balcony and all. “You thought it seemed good?” She paused, her drink halfway to her lips but forgotten with this comment. Winter’s eyebrows furrowed while she lowered the coffee in her hand. “I guess if you like a terrifying time then it was right up your alley. I just didn’t get that vibe from you.” In truth, even now, Aria seemed a little...skittish? Was that the word she was reaching for? Either way, she didn’t seem like the kind of person who enjoyed being frightened to death.

She probably shouldn’t have been talking about this out in the open but Aria had been there, it wasn’t like she hadn’t witnessed all of it. Besides, all of the other people littered around the park were out of earshot of the two of them which was a good thing considering what came out of Winter’s mouth next. “Checked out? Were we at the same party? How do you zone out when someone falls off a balcony and then miraculously comes back to life and tries to eat people? Especially when that person is Mack Ross?”

She threw a look towards the blonde, a little taken aback by the fact that she wasn’t as freaked out about this night as the rest had been, Winter more than most. “Have you been around zombies before or something?”

“I don’t like terrifying!” Ariadne practically squeaked. “Not a fan. Scary movies? Not my jam. Why –” her hands shook for a moment, and she pressed them against her thighs firmly to try and get them to stop. “I just – it was like, nice and stuff, and I got to go there with my partner, so…”

She practically choked on her tea at the other’s next comment. “What?” What had happened? “I – no, my – Wynne – Wynne and I, we went off into another room, ‘cause they were feeling a bit tired, and so that’s what I meant by – who – how – what?” Was this some sort of joke? Some sort of not-so-nice-but-somebody-thought-it-funny joke? Ariadne didn’t know, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. “I promise I wouldn’t zone out if somebody got hurt, I just didn’t see it. I have not been around zombies before. Unless like, halloween and stuff with makeup. What?”

Oh shit. Wait, no, she hadn’t just outed Mack like that, had she? This girl was at the party! SHe should have seen what hap- oh. “Another room? Oh my god…you guys were in another room…” How had Winter not remembered that the blonde was one half of the couple that had been locked away during the whole debacle? The whole night had been a blur in her mind but was she really so dense that she’d forgotten that little detail?

Then again, could anyone blame her for it either? So much had happened and Winter had been terrified, adrenaline rushing through her body while others around her were freaking out as well. Winter pursed her lips while she gripped the coffee in her hands, afraid that the cup was going to break under the weight of it. “Okay, um…you can’t tell anybody what I just told you. Nobody that wasn’t there was supposed to know. I mean, you were there, but I thought you had witnessed it, I swear.”

Not only was Winter worried about Mack hating her for this but that stupid promise she had made was in question now. What if that one girl had been fae? Did that mean Winter had consequences coming to her? The damage was done no matter what though and seeing the tears in the other’s eyes she sighed softly as she pushed aside her own fears. Turns out the other girl was skittish. “Nobody was hurt. I mean, Mack was but she’s completely okay now. It was just a very intense moment for us but no need to cry.”

“I, uh, yeah.” Which would have made her cheeks flush if such a thing were possible, not because of any shame, but more because people having actively noticed her and Wynne wandering off to go off into a room made her feel a bit odd at the thought of attention. But it felt good, too, but then again, Ariadne knew that anything to do with Wynne felt good.

“I won’t.” Her lips trembled, “I wouldn’t do that.” Except didn’t Wynne deserve to know? But Ariadne would think about that another time. Another time that turned very quickly into now with, “but maybe you should tell Wynne, ‘cause it’s not fair if everybody but them knows. But it’s – it’s up to you, sorry to suggest that I – I don’t mean to tell you what to do.” She picked at her nails briefly, not enough to do anything, but just to have something to do while she talked.

While she felt an intense amount of shame and while she had to try and figure out how to not completely and totally freak out.

Which she wasn’t doing a great job of so far. Ariadne looked back over to Winter, “it’s – okay. But she was – how? How is she – what?” She kept her voice low, but she couldn’t help but register a noticeable change in her pitch, still. “Sorry. I – I won’t cry.” Or she’d try not to, at least.

“I actually think that’s up to Mack, not me. I shouldn’t have even told you.” Maybe it wasn’t fair that the other person didn’t know what happened now that Aria did but that really wasn’t a concern for Winter. No, the only thing running through her mind was the promise she’d made to her best friend and how she had just broken it because she couldn’t think for five seconds. It was a lesson learned: never talk about the slumber party again unless Mack brings it up. “She should get the choice that I just took away from her.”

She couldn’t quite understand what Aria was trying to ask but Winter had already given her enough to break her promise so there wasn’t much point in keeping her in the dark of the whole story. Especially when Aria looked like she was barely holding herself together. “Things got stupid while playing Never Have I Ever and some people wanted to go down the staircase on a mattress like in the Princess Diaries. Mack was trying to help get the mattress in place at the top of the stairs and she was knocked over the railing.”

Winter stopped herself, the images of that night coming back to her as she thought about what happened next. She’d never been more terrified in her life, even when her ghost friend had appeared out of nowhere. It wasn’t something she liked reliving that was becoming quite clear. “She came back though.” And tried to eat everyone in the process. “That’s what matters.”

“You – I – okay.” Her words came out fragmented. Ariadne didn’t want to lie to Wynne ever, but this very obviously wasn’t her sort of thing to share, but if everyone else knew, then it seemed cruel to leave Wynne out of it. “You didn’t mean to take it away, I - I’m sorry I made you.” She didn’t especially want any more of her pastry or her drink, any hunger she had turned instead to worry.

Kind as she was, even if she was (understandably) annoyed with Ariadne, Winter went on to give more of an explanation. “To be fair, that scene is one of the coolest in the movies. I’ve just never been anywhere that had a staircase big enough to even think about doing something like that.” Mack was an actor though, and a famous one, apparently, so it made sense that she’d be able to have a staircase like one that Mia had when she was formally a princess.

“I’m glad she came… back. Came back. Yeah.” The idea of zombies (or anything remotely supernatural) still caused Ariadne a great deal of confusion, but she was also dead and had come back and even though she didn’t want to out herself to Winter, she figured that trying extra hard to make things make sense was the least she owed her – and Mack, for that matter.

“You didn’t make me, Aria.” She was side eyeing the girl now, wondering why on earth she had even thought such a thing. It had been a mistake on Winter’s part, not hers and most people would have been quick to point that out, not take the blame themselves. She tapped a finger against the side of her coffee cup as she shook her head, mad at herself for letting out Mack’s secret. If this got back to her, which she was sure it would, her best friend wouldn’t be thrilled at all and she couldn’t blame her for it. “It just…happened. I assumed you were in the room when you weren’t so this isn’t on you at all.”

She was quiet as Aria spoke, knowing that she would never be able to see that scene in the same light again. It would always remind her of that night and what happened. How fucking stupid was it that Winter was going to be triggered by a stupid scene in the Princess Diaries now? “Well, I’m guessing Mack’s staircase wasn’t big enough either. We…should have thought of that but we’d been drinking and we’re all idiots apparently.”

Looking at the blonde, Winter nodded at the sentiment. She was glad that her friend wasn’t actually gone from this world too but being dead wasn’t exactly a fun way to live either judging off what Mack had to eat alone. “I didn’t…mean to ruin your day. You looked like you were on the verge of tears so…yea, I didn’t mean to do that.”

“Okay. Okay, fine, if you say so, then I guess it’s true. It has to be, yeah?” Ariadne still wanted to panic, but that wouldn’t look cool in front of someone like Winter, who was pretty much one of the definitions of coolest cool. Because she was from, like, LA or something, and being from a big city automatically made you cool. Or at least that was what Ariadne figured. She wasn’t the most of an expert on that in any way, shape, or form, but she still believed that.

In the very least, it meant that Winter knew more stuff than Ariadne did, but that didn’t necessarily take too much to do. “Nobody’s an idiot. It – I – sorry.” She knew she shouldn’t keep saying sorry, but right now, she couldn’t help it.

“You didn’t ruin it. I – that’s selfish of me to make this about me, anyhow. Like, way selfish. Super selfish.” Ariadne sighed. “I’ll be fine, and I won’t tell Wynne unless you or Mack says I can, alright? I promise.” Though the idea of keeping yet another secret from Wynne made her stomach twist into knots. “And I won’t like, do anything mean to Mack ‘cause of it. I wouldn’t ever.”

“Right, that’s exactly right.” Winter nodded at the blonde, knowing deep down that there was no truth to that statement at all. Nothing had to be true just because she said so but she wasn’t going to break that charade if the other wanted to believe so. She would never speak against herself that way and it seemed to be calming Aria down more.

Everything about this girl seemed to be the exact opposite of Winter. Where she would try to blame others for the shortcomings of life and how things played out, Aria was trying to blame herself. Where she would have done everything she could to show as little reaction as possible to the news, Aria was a little bit of a mess. It was something that really struck Winter, showing her how pure Aria actually was. It also made her really uncomfortable. She wanted to tell Aria to suck it up, to stop blaming herself for everything, to have even an ounce of pride but she was biting her tongue. Just because the medium had a hard time showing people anything other than composure, that didn’t mean everyone else had to be the same.

“It’s not selfish, Aria. It’s a lot to process and digest. You’re allowed to have emotions, you know.” Even if the tears slightly panicked the older woman she couldn’t blame Aria for them at all. Honestly, there had been times when Winter wanted to let her own slip out but she feared she’d never stop if she allowed it to start. It took Henry shocking her out of it last time. “I appreciate you not letting the secret out. I’m sure Mack would too. I never thought you would because I’m pretty sure you don’t have a mean bone in your body but the assurance is nice.” Now things were just getting awkward. The panic in her had died down, Aria was still trying to process everything, but Winter had her assurances and she was ready to get out of this situation. “So, I’m gonna go. If you need to talk about it or anything you just give me a ring…or a message or something.” She stood, giving one last look to Aria to make sure that she wasn't leaving the girl in some sort of really distressed broken state. “Everything is going to be fine.” She nodded, trying to believe the words herself, before she made her leave. Deep down, she was certain that nothing was going to be fine.

#Threads #Thread: Ariadne #Rumor Has It #tw accidental death

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aleika-c · 1 year

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My dear @inkmousey I obviously couldn't forget you too, so late as it is, here we have it!

Biggest piece I've done so far inspired by Mousey's amazing fic "rumor has it" 🤍

If you didn't read it yet, I don't know what youre doing 🌝

#felix graham de vanily #felix fathom #luka couffaine #feluka #felix agreste #rumor has it #inkmousey #mlb

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ask-the-dweets · 6 months

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💬 Fancy has attachment issues and needs a hug

“A hug does sound nice…”

#fancy dwight #ask the dweets #rumor has it #art of fancy

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caffinatedcapybara · 1 year

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It’s so funny to me how ready Twitter is to believe that Z rejected Tom’s proposal. From what I could tell it was 1 article from MusicMundial claiming a source who works for Tom which is lol bc we all know his circle is annoyingly tight lipped. Also if this were true that story would be so huge that bigger accounts would absolutely want a piece.

But that’s not what makes me side eye. Tom and Z are a couple that has to plan their entire lives around their careers. From quick weekend getaways between shoots to extended Baecations in a rare downtime. No one is springing an unexpected proposal on anyone. Hell, I was engaged at 22 and that was after talking about it, working out when we’d get married, and discussing ring options. 22! We were still in college! The details of the proposal were a surprise but we’d been together 4 years so the proposal itself wasn’t. Tom and Z have been together for years! And if you don’t think they worked out the best timing to get married for them and their schedules then you must be a special kind of crazy. There’s no world where she turns him down to focus on her career lmao, that is literally Z-Stan who’s a Tom-Anti fanfic where they just want her having flings with hot co-stars and grinding herself into overexposure. Real people in real relationships with real plans who buy houses and foster pets together aren’t doing this.

#up close and personal #tom holland #zendaya #tomdaya #engagement #rumor has it

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tonybannerblog · 10 months

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Jeff and Nathan 😊😊😊

@markruffalo

#science bros #mark ruffalo #robert downey jr #rumor has it #charlie bartlett #flashback friday #friday feeling #friday vibes #my edits

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ahhnini · 2 months

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RUMOR HAS IT - TOM BLYTH X READER

— soft launch?

PART 11 OF ?

series masterlist

| synopsis: while filming your rom-com with tom blyth, rumors about the two of you dating start to circulate

| afab! reader, uses she/her pronouns, hollywood actress!reader

#fanfic #fanfiction #rumor has it #tom blyth fluff #tom blyth fanfiction #tom blyth x reader #tom blyth #smau #billy the kid #young coriolanus snow

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bluebayousblog · 8 months

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RUMOR HAS IT (pt. 10)

(Drew Starkey one-shot)

This is not a full on story but if you want more l'll be happy to add on upon request

Plot: in which drew and isobel address a false rumor in the most abstract of ways

Setting: isobel & drew and their families attend the company business cocktail

Disclaimer: Isobel is an OC, 18+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

PART NINE

“You should’ve seen the look on her face when she saw it was me in storage room and not you.”

Drew was doing his best to act disinterested as his younger brother Chandler rambled on about Isobel. He didn’t even have to initiate the topic of conversation, as soon as he slipped into his truck Chandler was detailing every part of the interaction he had with her earlier in the day.

He wasn’t expecting to be driving the two of them to the cocktail tonight, but internally he didn’t mind his brother’s company if it entailed Drew listening silently while he talked about the girl racing through his mind. It felt like she was running through his veins, coating the tip of his tongue, and embedding herself into his brain. For the past two weeks his mind and body had been consumed by her, and after leaving that room he swore he could see a glimpse of her each time he closed his eyes to blink.

This wasn’t the first time Drew had liked a girl, he’d experienced the first fleeting moments of a crush when all of his thoughts consisted of them, but those were physical relationships. Situations where he wasn’t looking past a hookup and women he hadn’t cared about.

Hearing that Isobel was looking forward to seeing him at some point before their impromptu meeting in her bedroom warmed his heart in way he’d only felt with her. In the same way that he felt hearing her tell him that she missed would have. He feigned for that warmth from Isobel, it was something he wanted to chase to the ends of the earth—like a drug addict trying to chase that first high from the most potent drug.

“You have my girl under a spell-“

“Your girl?” Those were the first words Drew had spoken since he put his car in drive. Now they were exiting the vehicle in the parking lot of the C&S building.

Chandler’s grin was wide as they rounded the front of the truck to step onto the sidewalk that led to the entrance of the event. He knew he shouldn’t be reacting to to an eighteen year old’s words that held absolutely no weight, he was also aware that he should probably shut the conversation down because they were literally standing a few feet outside the family business—but here he was anticipating his brother’s next words so he could crush whatever fantasy he had playing in his head.

“Yes, Drew, just because you’ve somehow convinced her to want you doesn’t erase the fact that I’ve wanted her for two years.” Chandler looked smug as he spoke making Drew’s eyes roll in annoyance at how juvenile his logic was.

He rested his arm on the hood of his truck and swallowed down the irritation in his throat, “I didn’t convince Isobel to do anything.” The look on Chandler’s face was incredulous as if hearing the words out loud made it even more unbelievable.

He still hadn’t explicitly admitted to being involved with Isobel, Chandler just assumed and they now went on as if it was an understood thing. He didn’t owe any explanation to anyone, and especially not to him. What he and Isobel had came naturally, an unexpected thing that was almost ten years in the making and knocked his world sideways.

She was a beautiful woman in ways he hadn’t found beguiling in someone he was attracted to until he saw those qualities in Isobel. Her outer beauty was captivating any man could see that, but it was what she showed him on the inside no matter how stubborn she was that made his heart pound in admiration. Isobel was sweet to people who didn’t deserve her respect, resilient in moments where most would lose control, and willing with her heart when it came to him—a man who took years to notice her.

She got her heart broken the first time she braved herself to give it to a man that took her for granted, but on that random afternoon in December she was fearless in giving a piece of herself to Drew.

“So you’re telling me after all this time she just willingly gave you of all people a chance?”

Drew smiled at the thought of it, in simple terms that had been exactly what happened between them and he wouldn’t ever take that for granted. He couldn’t shake the smile as he began to walk down the sidewalk, giving him a shrug before mumbling, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, buddy.”

Chandler jogged behind him, the sound of his leather dress shoes hitting the pavement as he caught up with him within a few steps and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. One notable attribute about men in their family was their height, and somehow his younger brother had a few inches on him. It was nothing any one loosely observing would notice, but a fact two brothers realized when he eventually surpassed him last year.

“Well, at least tell me who made the first move.” He grabbed Drew’s arm so he would stop his trek into the front doors, “Just put me out of misery so I don’t have to wonder.”

His mind reeled at his question, immediately going back to that first intimate moment with her. When his eyes drunk her in as she lounged comfortably on the sofa with her face bare of any makeup in her most natural state, and that switch went off that made him feel like he had to have her. That made him want to touch and graze every inch of her with his hands, and kiss her until the feeling of her sweet lips was imprinted into his own.

His desires felt so dire in that moment when he gave into them and stole that kiss from her mouth. Looking back he realized everything felt purely physical in that moment, it was spontaneous as they both clung to the high of a first hookup, but as he reflected he just appreciated that she could trust him enough to let him in.

Drew just kept his gaze neutral as he stared back at his brother who looked desperate for an answer that wasn’t coming, but he did offer him a look that made instant relief wash over Chandler’s face. A simple raise of his eyebrows and cock of his head was enough to satiate his curiosity, “Of course! That’s all I needed to know.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Chandler?” Drew questioned. He was now the one stopping the other from entering the cocktail, and once again anticipating his next words.

A chuckle rumbled from Chandler’s mouth obviously finding this situation amusing more than devastating to his ego, “It means I didn’t see it at first, but after figuring this all out ever since you’ve gotten back the look on your face looks like someone who accidentally struck gold.”

Isobel’s inappropriate actions in the last hour forced her to ruin the impending outfit reveal she had in store for her mother. Lora was the only person in the household who cared enough to own a steamer, and unfortunately she had insisted to be the one to get the wrinkles out of the dress.

The dramatic gasp she let out when she saw the dress hanging on her wardrobe door wasn’t as entertaining as it would have been if she saw it on her body when she made her way down the stairwell. Isobel had always hated being the center of attention, but she couldn’t deny that she loved the moments her mother looked at her as if she was the center of her world.

Someone looking at you that way made a feeling of pressure wash over anyone to continue to be the person who deserved to be perceived that way. With a mother that type of love was unconditional, she knew Lora would gaze at her that way for the rest of her days—but with a man that wasn’t guaranteed. So when she looked at Drew whenever his blue eyes fell on her in admiration or simply just to look at her and she saw that familiar twinkle it unnerved her.

She’d been stupid enough to put someone on a pedestal like that once in her life, she knew that she was capable of feeling for someone that intensely. Her last relationship had even taught her someone could mimic that stare that made her feel whole and wanted, but she wasn’t scared of Drew deceiving her, it was that she could do something that didn’t live up to this idea of her he displayed so clearly in his eyes.

She finished doing her makeup and unrolling her hair until a mass of silky curls framed her face while her mother steamed her dress to perfection, and when she finally stepped into the event clad in the white dress that made Lora so happy with a pair of four-inch heels tapping the glossy floors each step, she felt amazing.

Her father, more formally known as Richard Cooper, approached them just as the nice attendant checked her coat, “My, my, my, my don’t my girls look beautiful tonight.”

He smoothly kissed their hands before gently grasping and lifting them up to twirl her and her mother around. Lora was wearing an elegant and dazzling, black gown that gracefully flowed down her body and showed off her bronzed shoulders. Richard always looked at Isobel with great esteem from when she was an impressionable little to girl to now as a well-rounded young adult. That look had always made her feel special and seen, it was different than how she felt with her mother. The difference wasn’t major, but it was something she took note of as she got older. She’d never met anyone else like her father and there would never be another man that could come close.

She loved the feeling of being around family, the only word to describe that feeling that would encapsulate it would be that it felt like home. It was something she could only hope to find in a lover. She knew it was out there somewhere, but she also knew that it was possible to find that feeling in the wrong places.

She stood aside when he turned to give his full attention to his wife, wrapping his big, burly arms around her as they took each other in. Isobel admired her parents for about a minute before her eyes began to wander around the crowded ballroom looking for one man in particular.

“Isobel you look stunning this evening.” The voice sounded like Drew’s but this one was deeper and well seasoned with age. She twisted around on her feet to face Charles Starkey, her father’s business partner and Drew’s father. A smile she could never seem to fight when it came to him broke onto her lips.

She said she’d never met another man that could compare to all that her father was, but Charles came pretty close, “Thank you, Chuck, that means a lot coming from the fashion police.”

When she was in high school Charles would be at the house on occasion working with her dad and whenever Isobel would go out with friends he would be sitting with her father downstairs chiming in as he taunted her about her choice of dress. Richard would never tell Isobel what she could and couldn’t wear, but always made sure to share his opinion. It became an ongoing joke between the three and even at the age of twenty-two they still acted as if they needed to give her outfits their stamp of approval.

“Hey you know I always have your best interest,” his words trailed as his attention seemed to veer off onto something behind her, when his eyes settled in one general direction he spoke again, “Remember when I used to tell you no boy would ever be good enough for you? Don’t you ever forget it.”

Charles was still looking past her until Richard called him over and he sauntered off without another word. For such a short interaction it left her feeling slightly perturbed, and when she turned to look behind her there was Drew. His face contorted in deep thought with his eyes trained on his father and Chandler standing beside him running his mouth.

His glare was cold, she felt it in the first second his gaze slid to meet her brown eyes then in a blink they warmed. The grey suit on his body did wonders for her imagination especially since he’d been clad in it when he was pressed against her. Isobel has seen Drew in a suit more times than she could remember, but now this was the best he’d ever looked—he looked like a man. His muscles bulged in his sleeves, and his slacks hugged his thighs in the most delicious way that made her want to run her hands up the expanse of them.

Just looking at him brought all there intimate moments to the forefront of her mind, making her dress feel tight on her skin.

Drew felt paralyzed as if his feet were glued to the polished floors. His father’s glare always had the ability to pin him in place from a young age, it was the sharp edge that was always there reminding Drew he was also in the know—that he could sense something was different. And even with his eyes now on the girl who made him feel invincible like he could prove he was good enough, he still fell static.

She watched him for awhile before strutting over in those heels she loved to wear, they made her legs look like they could go on forever. He quickly assessed her, noting the wrinkles he’d caused in the fabric of her dress were no longer corrupting the flow of the material—but the memory stained the dress with the little sounds she made, how she perfectly she fit against his body, and the things she always divulged whenever he touched her.

You just make me want to be bad.

Isobel’s words while they were in that compromising position went straight to his dick. He’d never wanted another woman as much as her, his body fed off her every movement and word, anticipating the moment he could get closer to her—physically and mentally.

Then the unintended implications of her statement settled as it replayed in his head. She was the good girl that they both knew he shouldn’t be touching, the guy who could break her heart again cause that’s what he did with other girls. Drew liked the forbidden aspect of the relationship, he also didn’t mind keeping it a secret between the two, but hearing her verbalize her want for him in that light unsettled him.

Because despite the secrecy, what he had with Isobel was pure and good—that’s what he wanted to remember the start of Isobel and Drew as.

“Chandler go get Isobel a drink.” Drew ordered when Isobel finally stopped in front of them with a smile, though a look of confusion consumed her features when he spoke.

Chandler’s enamored eyes moved away from Isobel’s dazzling appearance, “Dude, she’s not drinking-“

“Get her a water.” He cut his brother off already knowing the excuse he was about to give, squeezing his shoulder tightly, he’d done this as long as he could remember when he wanted Chandler to do something, and it worked for the most part.

He exhaled dramatically before rolling his eyes and walking off, grumbling profanities under his breathe. “Drew I��m not thirsty.” Isobel giggled, she’d always found their brotherly back and forth to be amusing.

“I know I’m just prepping you in case you decide to indulge.” He smiled as he got lost in her beauty, but he really just wanted a moment alone. Her nose scrunched at him poking fun at her low drinking tolerance before she let a smile form on her lips and rolled those beautiful dark eyes.

“Stop teasing me, Drew.” She chided with attitude though her cheeks were slightly pink, he loved when Isobel got shy even when they were growing up. Embarrassing and teasing her until that shy smile and blush bloomed on her face was his guilty pleasure and now it just captivated him more.

That reaction was intimate and vulnerable and he longed to see her in the ways she tried to hide from the world.

Drew made Isobel feel warm, she didn’t distinguish the feeling at first because it was overshadowed by racing hormones, but thinking back on all their moments together that consistent feeling of warmth always remained. In such little time she’d become in tune with his moods and body language—so much so that the slightest shift caught her attention—so when his eyes dimmed a fraction her body buzzed with concern.

“What were you and my dad talking about over there?” He sounded tense as if asking the question was a physical struggle.

And in his eyes, that he vividly expressed himself in despite how much he revealed when he talked, the vibrant blue muted to a duller shade. She felt strange about the brief conversation with Charles in the moment, but it hadn’t made her overthink until she saw the look on Drew’s face. “Nothing out of the usual just being the same old over protective, Chuck—Why?”

She wanted to reach out and just touch him, to place her hand on his arm to distract him from whatever was bothering him—but she couldn’t—she’d insisted on that. Drew and his father had a bumpy relationship when he got older, she’d always viewed their little spats as rudimentary, but in this moment it seemed to be so much more.

“It’s nothing, just wondering why he always has to look like an asshole.” Drew mumbled.

Usually she would scold him for calling his father out of name, but it felt justified—especially after this mood he’d just fallen into. It was little things like this she didn’t realize would change, the internal aspects of herself—it was scary to think about the change inside of her that was happening without her knowledge.

“Isobel, I know you don’t like sparkling, so I went and got you a glass out of the kitchen.” Chandler pushed a cup of water that was sloshing around in a clear glass in her direction, his sudden appearance making the both of them jump, “Also Lora wants you to come over and meet someone.”

Drew watched in silence as Isobel’s eyes visibly lit up in appreciation, and he was instantly jealous he wasn’t the one to do that for her, “You’re such a kiss ass, Chandler.” He insulted as she walked away after giving his little brother a hug that left him swooning.

Part of him envied the way Chandler got to parade his fondness for Isobel so openly and how it was viewed in such an innocent light.

That damn dress could very well be the death of him, but in truth anything she wore could send his eyes boggling, it was her beautiful body that made every single thing she wore sin. Even seeing her in an apron had him on edge just a night ago.

The group of people she approached consisted of Lora, Catherine, and another woman with a younger man who looked to be her son from the similarities he could observe from across the room.

“That’s definitely a set up.” Chandler said smugly while also staring over in her direction as she shook the unknown woman’s hand. Drew’s words caught in his throat the next second when the man who looked about the same age as them pulled Isobel into a hug. Isobel stiffly obliged as he watched one of her arms wrap hesitantly around his torso, but his hands were anything but modest taking the opportunity to place both hands on her waist. “What do you mean?” He asked without looking away but to his relief the hug was short, with Isobel being the first to pull away.

“Come on don’t be delusional, Brother.” Chandler sighed and clasped his hand on his shoulder as if he was consoling him.

But he needed to be delusional in this moment because if he entertained the idea of anyone thinking they could have Isobel in anyway he would march over there and ruin the entire evening. It had always been hard for Drew to accept the idea of her with another man, before it may have been him being protective but the feeling was so familiar he just may have been being unknowingly possessive over her.

Now he wanted every part of her to be his even if it was just merely her attention, he wanted her mom to know that she didn’t have to set her up because she already belonged to him—he just wanted to be a fucking consideration in their heads.

His nails pierced into his palms as his left hand tightened into fists while his other squeezed the base of the glass tumbler resting in it at the sight of the guy leading Isobel over to a vacant table. Mystery man’s movements were labored and slowed like something was impairing him from moving coherently.

They talked for a while and Drew watched, staring bullet holes into the side of the man’s head so intensely he was surprised he couldn’t feel his presence. Isobel obviously did as her eyes locked on his glare like a latch, she gave him an eyebrow raise and soft smile, but it did nothing to alleviate his nerves. All he could manage to do was stare back and purse his lips, harshly clenching his jaw in discontent.

Her courter must have noticed she was no longer paying attention and his wavering eyes tried to follow her line of sight but never landed on him—then Drew’s entire body stiffened, watching him round the table and block off her entire body from him. Anxiety swarmed in his gut at not being able to see her, he was now squeezing his cup so tightly it could break into a thousand tiny shards from the pressure until there was one second Drew couldn’t see her and the next he saw her step back as she forcibly yanked her arm away from his grip.

Within his next intake of a breathe he was storming over to her, “Drew, wait!”

He heard his brother voice, but it was useless Drew was going to get to her no matter what chaos ensued. He had tunnel envision, but before he could close in on the two a hand grabbed his shoulders and held him back. He turned to see his father standing beside him, and in a blur Richard rushing over in long strides to shove the man away from his daughter with just one arm movement.

Isobel immediately attached herself herself to her father as he wrapped a protective arm around her, Drew’s body jerked to go to her at the look of distress on her face but his father’s hold restricted him. He looked over to Charles again but this glance halted any further struggling. His face held an indifferent look, but in there somewhere in those blue eyes he’d passed down to him there was pride and understanding.

And for the first time in years, in his father’s embrace, under his heavy gaze, Drew exhaled.

Table of Contents:

CHAPTER ELEVEN

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