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#so he leaves with his cousin to get some drinks and walks back over after hes done

youunravelme · 8 months

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this is how you fall in love

author's note: let it be known, i've never been to jfk airport, and it probably shows. sue me. also sorry this took SO FUCKING LONG to write. it lowkey put me in a writing slump because it's just a monster but i hope you can forgive me. this fic is literally 18,952 words long, so i apologize in advance.

pairing: mat barzal x reader

summary: when confronted with the idea of going home without a date, you lie and say you have a boyfriend. which would be fine, except you haven't dated anyone seriously in a year. so instead of facing the ridicule of your family, you ask mat.

warnings: cursing (this is a given at this point), mean girl behavior?

you weren't quite sure why you said it.

actually.

scratch that.

you were 1000 percent sure why you said it.

you could not, would not be the family embarrassment yet again.

if you got one more wedding invitation in the mail, you were going to scream. you were happy for all your college friends, really, you were, but it was the presence of this one particular wedding invitation from your cousin angela that had you seething.

mainly because it was accompanied by a phone call from your mother.

"i told angela that she didn't need to put a plus one down for you, but she insisted. so don't feel bad if you don't have someone, sweetheart. plenty of people are still single at your age."

maybe it was the irritation at your mother's condescension, or the exhaustion from being the butt of every family joke for the past five years, that had you saying something you wish you could take back.

"i do have someone, mom!"

her scoff resonated through the speaker. "honey, you don't have to lie--"

"i'm not lying! it's mat!"

the pause that followed your white lie was louder than the new york city streets just outside your apartment.

"your friend, mat? you told me you'd never see him that way!" she accused.

you shrugged, despite her not seeing you. and thank goodness for that, she'd immediately know you were lying if she could see your face. "something just clicked."

"how long has this been going on?"

"a few months."

"and you never told us?"

"we wanted to keep it lowkey until we knew this was something real."

your mom hummed but seemed appeased. "well, i can't wait to meet him. you are coming down a week early, right?"

in hindsight, you should've told mat immediately instead of postponing it until two weeks before you had to leave. but he was out of town for games, then you had a work trip, and then time slipped away from you.

but there was nothing you and a tub of bubblegum ice cream couldn't accomplish together.

at least in matters of mathew barzal.

he answered the door a few seconds after you knocked. a smile overtook his face until his eyes dropped down to the ice cream in your hands.

"what do you need?" he asked with a quirked brow.

"who says i need something?" you blinked in what you hoped was an innocent manner.

mat sighed and opened the door wide enough for you to come in. "because you have ice cream, and you showed up at my door unannounced." but he took the ice cream from your hands anyway. "how'd you even know i was home?"

you shrugged and plopped onto his couch. "i checked your location."

mat blinked. "you have my location? since when?"

you rolled your eyes. "you make me sound like a stalker, you made me share my location with you when i was out drinking with my coworkers and i demanded to have yours as well."

you didn't get to see mat's face because he was walking into his kitchen to put the ice cream away.

"so why are you here?" he asked once he returned.

"can't i just come over and visit my best friend?"

mat blinked. "no. you want something. what is it?"

you threw yourself back into the couch cushions and groaned, tossing an arm over your eyes. "you're not allowed to judge me."

"well that doesn't sound fun."

"mat, i'm serious, okay? i got myself into some shit and you're the only one i trust to help me out."

you felt the couch cushions sink next to you. a hand removed your arm from your face. "are you safe?" he asked. "are you in trouble? do we need to get the police involved?"

you looked at the concern on his face and sat up immediately. "no! no no no no no! it's not like that, i just happened to lie to my mom and need your help."

"why would you need my help to lie to your mom? you're not making any sense."

you took a deep breath and squeezed your eyes shut. "i told my mom we were dating so i had someone to bring to my cousin's wedding."

a pause, followed by mat's obnoxious laughter.

"you told your mom we're dating?" he choked out between cackles. "how did you manage not to vomit after saying that?"

you rolled your eyes at his barbs. "you were the first person to come to mind! what else should i have done?"

"jeez i don't know, told the truth?"

you flopped back onto the couch again. "no, mat, you don't understand. you didn't hear how she was talking to me! 'plenty of people are still single at your age!' i mean the gall of that woman!"

mat laughed again. "'gall?'"

"yes, mat, some of us use words bigger than a fifth grader's vocabulary."

"careful, that's no way to talk to your boyfriend, now is it?"

you scoffed. "boyfriend? are you--" then it hit you. "you'll do it? you'll be the fake love of my life?" you jumped off the couch.

mat smiled and leaned back into the cushions. "ask nicely."

you rolled your eyes but a smile was already pulling at your lips. "mathew michael paul barzal, will you please be my boyfriend?"

he crossed his hands behind his head and smirked. "calm down, you don't have to beg."

"i would throw something at you, but you're already doing me such a huge favor."

"you owe me one," he smirked.

oh, you'd owe him big.

one week till going home

"okay, so how did we meet?" you and mat were seated at a booth in a coffee shop the both of you liked to frequent.

"no need to reinvent the wheel," he said. "let's just tell them the truth."

"that we met at a bar through mutual friends? that's so unromantic!"

mat rolled his eyes. "we're not a fucking rom com, sweetheart. we're lying to your family and being as honest as possible makes the lying look more convincing."

you sighed and sat back in your seat. honestly, you had no reason to be frustrated. mat was doing you a favor, not the other way around. and with it being the offseason, it wasn't lost on you how much mat was giving up to play house with you. he could be visiting his own family instead of lying to yours.

yet here he was, sitting across from you with his disgusting black coffee.

you must've been staring at his cup because he snapped his fingers in your face. "what? what're you staring at?"

your face twisted in disgust. "can't believe you like that shit. no cream or sugar?"

mat eyed the frappuccino nestled in your hands. "i'm sorry, i didn't realize milkshakes qualify as coffee nowadays."

"you're just mad that my drink tastes good."

mat rolled his eyes. "keep telling yourself that."

you looked down at your phone at your notes app agenda. you deleted the intricate backstory bullet point and moved onto bullet point number two.

"okay, how long have we been dating?"

mat blinked. "you're the liar, you tell me."

god, why were you friends with him in the first place?

"i told my mom we've been together for a few months but i'm not sure what constitutes a few."

mat shrugged. "let's say we got together around the time of my injury when you nursed me back to health and realized how handsome i was."

you rolled your eyes, but wrote it down in your notes app anyway. "okay so where was our first date?"

"am i the one who has to answer all of these questions? who says we even need all of this? it's not like they're gonna lock us in a room and interrogate us separately."

"my brother would say otherwise." mat gestured for you to go on. "when we met his girlfriend, my family immediately separated them so they could bombard them with questions. but since everyone will be focused on my cousin's wedding, we should be good."

"who should i be worried about?"

you thought for a moment, in your opinion, your entire family was a concern in terms of introducing them to mat.

there was your brother, who could be an ass in a heartbeat; though, when you thought about it, he'd probably just leave the two of you alone.

your dad and mom would probably ask a few questions. your grandmother would probably be too busy trying to stuff her cooking down his throat to really pose a problem.

if you were being honest, you were concerned about your cousin, angela.

she wasn't what you would call a "girl's girl." throughout your childhood, it was like she was competing against you in a competition you didn't want to be in. who had the bigger birthday, the most friends, the most boyfriends, the bigger house, the better car, the better college.

it used to bother you more when you were younger. the way she'd flirt with your boyfriends or bribe your friends to hang out with her. it was made worse by the enabling of your parents and aunt.

"just keep an eye out for angela," was all you said.

mat's brow furrowed. "your cousin? why?"

you'd never fully told him about your less than perfect relationship with her, but considering the two of you were in a public setting and he wasn't your therapist? you kept that information to yourself and just shrugged.

"we don't have the best relationship."

mat seemed to understand you didn't want to speak on it anymore so he nodded and gestured to your phone. "is your phone ready to be seen by your family?"

"i'm sorry, what? why would my family go through my phone?"

"they'll at least want to see that i'm your lock screen, you're mine, after all."

"i am not." but mat held up his phone and sure enough it was a picture of you and him after one of his games, wearing his jersey with your arms wrapped around his waist. "you're shitting me, why?"

mat shrugged and locked his phone, placing it down on the table. "i looked good in the photo."

you wanted to call bullshit, but he was already doing you a favor, so you let it go.

"fine," you said. "i'll change my lock screen." you scrolled through your photos until you found one you liked.

"can i see it?" he asked.

you immediately held your phone to your chest. "no!"

"i showed you mine!"

"that sounds like a you problem!"

"but it's not fair!" he whined.

"life's not fair, barzy."

he rolled his eyes but dropped the subject, knowing full well he could make you show him just by bringing up the favor he was doing for you. but for some reason, he decided to let it go.

"anything else?" mat asked before checking his watch.

you looked down at your notes app and couldn't find a reason to get him to stay. "no, i think that's it. why, do you have somewhere to be?"

he shrugged. "just meeting up with a couple of my teammates."

"during the offseason? don't you get enough of each other during the regular season?"

"sure, but we miss each other sometimes. i mean we go from seeing all the time to nothing. plus you got me staying in the city a little longer than normal."

you rolled your eyes. "you didn't have to say yes."

but he smiled anyway. "i know." he stood up from the table and knocked on it once. "text me the dates of travel this week so i can put them on my calendar. i'll get the plane tickets. let me know if you need anything else!"

he pressed a kiss on the top of your head and then he was gone.

an older woman stood up and walked towards you and smiled. "i just wanna say, you and your boyfriend are so cute together!"

maybe the whole fake dating thing would be easier than you thought.

going home

you slept over at mat's the night before leaving for the airport because it would make things easier on marty who agreed to drive you both to the airport. you weren't exactly sure how mat convinced marty to do it, but you made it a habit of not asking questions you didn't want the answer to.

"thanks again for the ride, marty," you said from the backseat.

originally, you and mat were fighting over who got to sit in the front, but not in the way others might expect. he said it was polite to let ladies sit in the front (which, when has he ever called you a lady?). you said he had the longer legs and needed the space.

marty groaned at the both of you to stop wasting his gas and to get in the damn car, i swear to god, barzy.

you got the backseat simply because you got in and shut the door before mat could pull you out.

"where are you and barzy headed?" marty asked.

"back to my hometown. my cousin is getting married," you supplied before he had time to ask follow up questions.

"and you chose barzy to be your date?"

you awkwardly chuckled. "tito was already in canada and i didn't have it in me to ask him to come back to the states."

"oh fuck off," mat said from the front seat.

the drive continued with you sporadically staring out the window or tuning into the conversation mat and marty were having about offseason workouts and the nba finals. when marty pulled up to the airport, mat was the first one out, opening your door a beat later.

he grabbed both of your bags in his hands, saying a quick thanks to his teammate for the both of you before shutting the trunk.

"i can carry my bags, mat."

he laughed, but otherwise continued on like he hadn't heard you. if you were a better woman, or maybe someone who hadn't been friendzoned for the last few years, you would've acknowledged the veins in his arms popping out under the strain of your luggage.

but you'd been down that road before back before you were friends and just admiring a handsome stranger from across the bar.

look at how that turned out for you.

you were expecting to split up at TSA since you knew mat had pre check and you most certainly did not. you were expecting him to hand your bags over (a backpack and a carry on) and head in the pre check lane.

so imagine your surprise when he not only refused to hand your bags over, he continued walking to the normal security check.

"mat," you hissed, but he kept walking. "mat." you stood on your toes and grabbed his shoulder to keep him from walking, but he brushed you off. so you stopped moving altogether until he noticed you weren't following him anymore.

"will you come on? you're gonna make us late!" he turned around, looking exasperated for some reason, like he wasn't the one being weird.

"mat, you need to go that way." you pointed to the pre check area.

he blinked at you, rolled his eyes, and turned around and kept walking.

"mathew michael paul barzal, where are you going?" you called after him, practically running to catch up to his long strides.

"i thought it was obvious, i'm headed to security," he deadpanned.

"but your security is that way mr. pre check."

"i'm not doing pre check. i'm going through regular security like you."

"why?"

mat glanced down at you and by that look alone, you would've thought you were the dumbest person alive in his mind. "please don't play dumb, it's not cute."

"i'm not playing dumb! and i don't care about being cute!"

"i'm not going to abandon you at tsa. i'd feel much better if we stick together, happy?" he stopped walking altogether and fixed you with a look. one that kept you rooted to your spot. "you happy, now?" you nodded. "good, let's go."

you followed after him and got in line.

tsa took a total of 20 minutes to get through. mat insisted you go first which meant you put your backpack on and grabbed your carry on before he could.

"you're ridiculous," he said as the both of you started the trek towards your gate.

"you sound like my mother," you quipped.

the rest of your walk was spent in peaceful silence. the both of you made it to the gate with about thirty minutes until boarding, which was the latest you'd ever arrived to a gate before.

you and mat argued about when to arrive the night before.

he won.

mainly because he was the one to tell marty when to pick you up from his apartment.

it felt like no time had passed when the gate attendant started speaking over the intercom. instinctively, you zoned out. you weren't an idiot, you knew when to board. this wasn't your first rodeo.

but mat started standing up when the gate attendant started calling for the first group.

you tugged his shirt sleeve. "mat, what the hell?"

it was a good thing your family wasn't there to see all the drama that unfolded between the two of you in the airport. anyone who watched the two of you since you'd arrived wouldn't believe you were in love.

not when you were actively getting on each other's nerves.

"will you stop?" he swatted your hand away only to grab it a second later to tug you into a standing position.

"what are you doing? we don't get on the plane yet--"

but he cut you off when he shoved a plane ticket in your hand with the words first class written on it.

"mat..." you trailed off. "what is this?"

he glanced down at you and rolled his eyes. "don't act like you've never seen a plane ticket before."

"asshole. why is it first class?"

he shrugged but wouldn't meet you eye. "i get more leg room."

"but why wouldn't you just put me in economy? mat i can't afford to pay you back for this!" you were panicking and beginning to think about how much you'd have to save before you could venmo him the full amount. you were about to pull your phone out to see how much it would cost before he grabbed your hand again, this time squeezing it in his own.

"don't worry about it," he said calmly. "i wasn't gonna let you sit alone, and i have the money for it, so i did it."

"but i can't afford--"

"i was never gonna let you pay me back anyways, so don't even think about how much it cost." while still holding onto your hand, he guided the both of you over to the gate entrance where your tickets were scanned so you could board.

you were sitting in first class moments later.

mat let you take the window seat while he got the aisle, saying it gave him more space, but you liked to think it was because he knew you liked watching the changing landscapes.

when the plane took off, mat leaned his head back in the seat and plugged his airpods in, closing his eyes as he did so. you mentally slapped yourself for forgetting yours, stupidly thinking that maybe mat would want to talk when he'd been uncharacteristically quiet the entire trip thus far.

you sat back in your seat and looked out the window as the clouds passed by. worries of how your family would react to mat, or worse, how mat would react to your family, filling your mind.

god you didn't think you could stomach losing him. in fact, maybe your entire idea was too risky. you'd take being the butt of the family jokes for years to come if it meant you got to keep mat. if you lost him--

your hand was squeezed twice.

you looked away from the window to mat who was holding your hand again and had an airpod out.

"you're thinking too loud," he said. "you okay?"

you nodded but it was clear he didn't believe you. nonetheless, he didn't push. instead, he held an airpod out to you. the tones of some pop song filled your ear.

mat didn't let go of your hand for the entire rest of the plane ride.

as soon as the plane hit the tarmac, mat was taking his airpod back and stuffing both into the case and back into his backpack. you texted your mom to let her know you'd just landed and would be getting an uber to her house.

while you were texting your mother, mat was grabbing your bags and holding up the line so you could slide out.

he didn't even acknowledge the glares and eye rolls being shot at both of you.

you and mat started your walk off the plane and towards the exit of the airport.

"so remind me who i need to be concerned about meeting? is it your dad?"

you laughed. your father was a lot of things, intimidating was not even remotely close to one. "not even close. it's angela that's the problem the problem."

"angela's the one getting married, right?" you nodded. "why are you concerned about her? she'll be too focused on getting married."

you laughed. actually, cackled. "she's had this planned out since we were seven. i'd bet my first born child that she has all of this finalized months ago."

"anything else i should know?" he asked.

you thought to yourself. what could you say about angela that wouldn't be mean but still be true?

"just....stay close. we need to go everywhere together, understood?"

he furrowed his brows. "even to the bathroom?"

you thought back to that one time in 11th grade when you didn't follow your boyfriend to the bathroom. "especially then," you said.

"got it. stick to you like glue."

you were staring at your phone and opening up your uber app when mat nudged you, but you ignored him.

but he nudged you before just grabbing your phone out of your hand.

"what?!" you asked.

he pointed. "is that your mom?"

a cold chill went down your back as you made eye contact with the woman who was your carbon copy holding a sign with yours and mat's (albeit spelled wrong) names on it. she was smiling and waving erratically with the hand that wasn't holding onto the poster.

"oh my god."

before you could even stop him, mat was walking towards your mom with an award winning smile. to your absolute horror, he placed your bags on the ground and allowed her to wrap him in a hug.

you zombie walked over to them, like you were trapped in some fever dream.

"honey!" she squealed when she pulled away from mat. "you didn't tell me how handsome mat was!" she said not so quietly.

god you wanted to die. curl up and die right there on the airport floor.

mat was snickering into his fist at your reaction.

maybe you should've asked beau instead.

home

your mom parked the car in the driveway; she nearly swooned when mat opened your car door for you and grabbed all of your bags.

"such a gentleman," was all she said before heading up the front porch.

the two of you followed your mother into your house where your dad, your brother, and his girlfriend sat in the living room.

"mat," you started. "this is my dad, my brother cody, and his girlfriend harper. guys, this is mat."

"i would wave, but my hands are full."

"oh honey, stop being rude and show mat to your room."

you blinked. "you mean, our rooms, right?" your mother and father were very traditional in that sense. so you'd banked on having to share a bathroom at most with mat.

not an entire bedroom.

not a tiny bed.

"we're not gonna act like the two of you haven't slept together already. i was born at night, but not last night," your father said from his position in the recliner.

you could hear mat choking on air while your brother cackled.

"besides," your mother cleared her throat. "cody's old room has been converted into an office, so that just leaves the queen bed in your room, sweetheart. that won't be a problem, will it?"

you shook your head, though you very much wanted to curl up in a hole and die. "no ma'am, that'll be fine."

your father crossed his hands over his stomach and leveled mat with a heated stare. "just because i know the two of you have slept together does not mean under any circumstances that it should happen under this roof. do you understand me, son?"

mat nodded, though he looked the most uncomfortable you'd ever seen him. "yes sir."

"oh honey," your mother started. "let them go settle in. dinner will be in an hour."

you led mat up the stairs and to your childhood bedroom. you finally gave up on offering to help carry the bags. mat, for the most part, looked happy to do something with his hands all things considered.

the room hadn't changed much since you moved out and away from home. the walls were still lilac, the carpet was still cream.

but the dolls you had growing up were missing, and for that, you were thankful.

mat dropped the bags on the ground and shut the door behind him. his shoulders relaxed for the first time since getting off the airplane.

"your family's nice," he said.

you immediately flocked to him until there was only about a foot between you. "mat, i'm so sorry. i didn't think they'd make us share a room, they never let cody do that growing up."

he smiled and placed his hands on your shoulders. "it's okay. it's just for a week. we've fallen asleep together on the couch before, it'll be just like that, just in a bed, okay? and i promise i won't stare when you get changed."

you nodded and wrapped your arms around his waist. "this is already so overwhelming."

"hey, we're the dream team, okay? i'm the best liar ever. we've got this in the bag."

and when he sounded so confident, how could you possibly believe otherwise?

the two of you got settled in your room before completely kicking off your shoes, changing into comfier clothes (with you in the closet and mat in the room) and settling into bed just to scroll on your phones. your mom came knocking before too long to tell you dinner was ready.

dinner was a pot of spaghetti, your mom's best dish. everyone was seated by the time you and mat made it into the dining room. mat, ever the performer, pulled your chair out and took the seat to your right, choosing to sit next to your mom rather than your father.

"are you waiting for a grand invitation? dig in," your father grunted. his irritation immediately kicked everyone into gear, with your family passing around garlic bread and filling plates with pasta.

the table was quiet aside from the sounds of forks scraping against the plates.

"so mat," cody started. "what do you do for a living?"

"oh," he said, wiping his mouth. "i play professional hockey."

"an athlete?" your mother questioned. "i thought you learned from the last one."

you about dropped your head into your plate. "mom...."

"sorry, sorry, i know we said we wouldn't talk about him, but he's going to be a part of the family soon."

mat's neck should've snapped from how fast he whipped it to look at you.

you nudged his knee under the table with yours. later, you hoped he'd understand.

harper cleared her throat. "what team do you play for?" she asked. "i grew up a devils fan, so i have to know."

"islanders," mat smirked, like it was something to be proud of, and to him, it was. to your family though? they were more concerned with the upcoming college football season to really care.

"oh god," harper replied. "at least you don't play for the rangers."

mat took a sip of his water. "agreed."

"do you still have all your teeth?" cody asked.

you inhaled and started choking on what you guessed was a spaghetti noodle. mat reached over and immediately started patting your back quite forcefully until your airway was cleared.

"yeah," mat said. "still have all my teeth."

"how did you two meet?" your mom asked. clearly your family was in interrogation mode, but at the very least these were questions you prepared for.

"at a bar through some mutual friends," mat answered, knowing good and well they weren't looking for you to say anything, their eyes were solely focused on your best friend.

"and out of all the girls, you picked this one? did you know she couldn't tie her shoes till she was in third grade?" cody laughed.

mat didn't.

which was odd, because he was usually the first one to poke fun at you.

"you wet the bed until you were nine," you shot back, ready to diffuse the tension.

a loud laugh burst from harper's mouth. not even her hand over her lips could quite muffle the volume of it.

cody rolled his eyes but held his hands up. "laugh all you want, harp. you chose this."

she smiled and leaned into him. "i did."

you stared until mat's hand landed on your thigh, effectively snapping you out of your daze. you looked at him and gave him a small smile before eating more of your mom's cooking.

dinner was over shortly thereafter, with small talk being made between the six of you. when it ended, mat was the first one up, grabbing both of your plates, while you grabbed the cups, and followed you into the kitchen.

"oh no, you're not washing dishes," you said when you saw him put the plates in the sink. but he made no sound of hearing you. "mat!" you hissed before placing your cups in the sink and grabbing him by the arm. "you're not washing dishes! you're a guest!"

"neither of you are," your mother walked in. "you just got here. your father and i will clean up dinner, the two of you can go relax and unwind. i'm sure you've had a long day."

"i can help--" mat started.

but your mom started twirling a hand towel with a smile on her face. "don't make me smack you with this, mat." and the very sight of that coupled with the lighthearted threat had you both sprinting out of the kitchen. you'd grown up in that house long enough to remember the sting of the towel on your legs when you annoyed your mother.

you also remembered trying to get back at her once and failing completely.

your father passed the two of you as he walked into the kitchen while your brother and his girlfriend took their spots on the couch. it only left one seat left in the room, your dad's chair. but combined with the air travel, the early morning, you were left exhausted and nothing sounded better than showering and crawling into bed.

"we're gonna head upstairs, long day and all," you said to cody and harper, the inference was that they would tell your parents.

mat followed you up the stairs and into your childhood bedroom. "you take the first shower," you instructed. "i have to wash my hair and it'll take longer."

he nodded and gathered his clothes while you searched your bag for a set of modest pajamas. he finished his shower in about twenty minutes.

you hopped in the shower and went through your routine, washing your hair and body before stepping out and drying off. when you got back to your room, mat was laying in bed under the covers watching the tv on your dresser.

in true fashion, he was watching espn.

"don't you get enough of this during the season? i didn't even know you liked baseball." you crawled into bed and cuddled into mat's clothed chest like you always did.

mat shrugged, wrapping his arm around your shoulders. "i was waiting for you to come back to decide what we should watch."

you hummed and buried your face into his shirt.

cuddling wasn't abnormal for the two of you, most movie nights at mat's place ended with you in similar positions. you were aware his friends made fun of him for it, but mat thrived off physical affection and you were all too willing to give it to him.

"just turn on a movie," you mumbled.

he selected a random mission impossible movie that you couldn't give two shits about. but when the movie and your fresh shower were coupled with mat running a hand up and down your back?

you were out like a light.

exploring the hometown -- the dress shop

it was an alarm that woke you up right as the sun rose. you groaned into your pillow, burying your face into the fabric. a warm arm tightened its grip around your waist. for a moment you freaked out, trying to wriggle away from the person who had you locked in, but the person grumbled and groaned.

"if you keep moving like that, i'm going to need a cold shower. so stop."

oh.

mat.

oh.

you immediately stopped moving and relaxed back into the bed.

"we need to talk," he said.

"can we talk later? it's barely even morning."

but mat had no intention of letting you sleep in. he used his arm to forcibly turn you over to face him. when you looked him in the face, his hair was mussed and in his eyes. before you could even stop yourself, you hand was reaching and moving the hair out of the way.

"what did your mom mean when she said the last athlete you dated was joining the family soon?"

you groaned and shoved your head into his chest, but he lightly pushed your forehead away from him so he could look you in the eyes.

"i'm serious," he said.

you sighed. "i dated this guy in 11th grade, his name was owen and he played football. he was the starting tight end and a grade older than me." you avoided looking at him and instead traced the letters on his islanders t-shirt with your fingers. "things were great, he was nice and all, so i invited him to my birthday party. he went to the bathroom, and i noticed he was gone for awhile so when i went to look for him, he was making out with angela."

mat's grip tightened on your waist. he said your name quietly, but you shook your head.

"it's fine," you said. "i told my parents but angela didn't get in trouble, not really at least. my aunt pressured me to make up with her for the sake of 'family' and 'feminism,' so i accepted her half assed apology and congratulated her when they got engaged a year ago."

"what a bitch," was all mat said.

"mat..."

but he was sitting up and pulling you with him. "no, don't brush this off. what she did was shitty. and your family just expected you to forgive her and watch her get married to him?"

"mat, it happened years ago. forgive and forget."

"i think you mean resent and remember," he grumbled.

"can we just go back to sleep? it's too early for this."

mat huffed but sank back into the mattress.

the two of you fell back asleep until light was hitting you in the eyes. "get up, sleepy heads! you can't sleep the day away!"

you groaned at the sound of your mother's cheering, or maybe it was the bright ceiling light blinding you, either way, the way you woke up the first time was better than this.

"mom, what time is it?"

"a little after 8."

you and mat groaned in unison. "you couldn't let us sleep in?"

"there are things that need to get done, sweetheart. do either of you have something to wear to the wedding?"

"mom, it's too early for this."

she sighed and probably rolled her eyes, something you would notice if you weren't too busy burying your head in the fabric of mat's shirt. in turn, he was burying his face in your hair.

"fine. you two can sleep the day away, but i expect the both of you for dinner tonight and to be dressed appropriately for the family dinner tomorrow." she left shortly thereafter.

"family dinner?" mat asked into your hair. "how is that different from regular dinner?"

"it's with the entire family, not just mine. you'll meet all my cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents there."

"sounds like a lot."

"it is. they did this when my cousin andy got married two years ago."

mat hummed into the top of your head. "sounds exhausting."

"if you don't wanna see me for a month after this week is over, i wouldn't blame you."

he brought you closer to him, which you didn't think was possible considering you two were already pretty close. "i always wanna see you."

you smiled into his shirt, which you were pretty sure he could feel, but neither of you drew attention to it.

"we need to get up," you sighed, pushing away from him just a little.

"i'm already up."

on cue you felt something around your hip that had you squealing and falling out of bed laughing. "you absolute douche!" but it had no real bite since you were holding your stomach and rolling around on the floor laughing.

"what am i supposed to do when i wake up with a pretty girl pressed against me? ignore nature?"

you rolled your eyes and got up, searching through your bag for a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. "get dressed, asshole."

by the time you made it downstairs after taking care of your hair and brushing your teeth, your mother had set out a few granola bars for breakfast.

"i would've made eggs and waffles, but i'm already swamped with helping your aunt, i just didn't have the energy this morning."

"thanks, mom," you smiled and kissed her cheek once before grabbing a granola bar.

"do you know what you're wearing to angela's wedding?" she asked.

you nodded while you chewed your bar. "i brought that blue dress i wore to cody's graduation."

your mom's face twisted into disgust. "that old thing? honey, you can do better than that."

you waited until your mother turned around to roll your eyes only to catch mat coming down the stairs in a t-shirt and jeans.

god he looked so good it should be criminal.

but instead of fawning over him, you just threw a granola bar at his chest with he caught with an ease. "what're we doing today?"

"shopping apparently," you grumbled.

"oh don't give him attitude, honey. you should've packed something more appropriate to the wedding instead of that ratty dress you brought."

"it's not ratty!" you weren't sure why you were defending a dress you didn't care about, you'd only grabbed the first dress you saw in your closet. maybe it was the fact that she was so quick to dismiss something you chose to wear.

"that dress is years old, sweetheart. it's time for something new."

"thanks for the constructive criticism, mom. you never fail to give it at the best times," you deadpanned. you glanced back at mat who was stuffing the granola bar in his mouth. "you ready to go?"

he nodded, still chewing as you started walking towards the door.

"dad! i'm taking your car." you grabbed the keys, then mat's hand, and tugged him out the door.

neither of you spoke until you were already five minutes down the road.

"are you okay?" mat asked, eyes warily staring at your from the passenger seat. "you're gripping the wheel pretty tight."

you looked down at your own hands and eased up. "she just--" you groaned. "she always does this, criticizes me or what i wear. i know she means well, but it's irritating."

"for what it's worth, i liked the blue dress."

you gave him a small smile. "the problem isn't you, mat, it's not even the dress. if my mom thinks it's ratty, angela definitely will. and at the end of the day, i think that's what my mom is trying to save me from."

"why doesn't she just tell angela to mind her own business?"

"question of the year," you grumbled before pulling into the parking lot of a local boutique.

the two of you got out and headed inside, though mat looked a little out of place. "what's the dress code for this wedding anyway?"

"i'm sure if you brought a dress shirt and some slacks, you'll be fine."

you looked around, occasionally checking the dresses on the racks, but nothing caught your eye.

"can i help you find anything?" that voice nearly stopped you in your tracks, it was someone you hadn't thought about since you left for college.

you turned around and smiled at the woman in front of you. last time you saw her, you were standing in matching caps and gowns. you sat next to each other at graduation, and before that, you shared a few classes together. if it wasn't for the bright red hair and the comments your mom had made in the past about her staying in town, you never would've recognized her.

you hoped she wouldn't recognize you.

but she said your name in shock and smiled. "it's been so long!" she said. "back in town for angela's wedding?"

and really, you had no reason to dread this conversation, meredith was as nice as she was in high school. but you weren't sure if anyone was ever this happy to run into someone they knew from high school.

speaking of, you couldn't even remember why you weren't closer to her in high school.

"meredith, hi," you replied. "yes, i'm in town for her wedding. are you going?"

meredith nodded and smiled. "i'm actually her maid of honor."

of course she was.

that explained why you weren't close friends in high school.

"that's so exciting!" you smiled through a clenched jaw.

"i was shocked to hear you weren't in the bridal party though. is everything okay?" meredith sounded genuinely concerned, and while she was sweet, you never remembered her being very observant.

you shrugged. "we've grown apart since i moved away, it's water under the bridge."

meredith nodded until her gaze shifted to behind you were you assumed mat had just appeared. "who's this?"

"this is--"

"i'm mat," he held his hand out to shake. "her boyfriend."

meredith shakily grabbed his hand, you could see it tremble in his grip. "meredith," she practically swooned. a moment passed before she let go of his hand.

you had to keep from rolling your eyes. you were no stranger to mat's effect on women but it didn't make it any less obnoxious.

"we're looking for a dress for her to wear to the wedding," mat explained as his arm snaked around your waist. "i think she looks amazing in anything, but if you could find her something summery that matches her complexion, maybe a nice sundress, that would be very helpful."

you looked at mat like he'd grown a second and third head while meredith scrambled off to find something to fit his description. "are you okay?"

"why wouldn't i be?"

"you just listed of a theme of clothing without even batting an eyelash."

mat shrugged. "i was just being efficient. if you don't like what she picks out, we can always find something else or go somewhere else. but i thought the summery vibe would look nice with what i packed."

"and what did you pack? a white shirt and black slacks?"

"guess you'll have to find out in a few days," he quipped before lightly booping your nose.

meredith came back with an arm full of dresses and ushered the both of you back to the dressing rooms. she handed the articles of clothing to you and whisked herself away citing that she'd be around if you needed anything.

which was perfectly fine with you, it meant you didn't have an audience to trying on dresses.

"try the green one on first!" mat called as you shut the door behind you.

"you're not running the show here, barzal. as much as you would like to think otherwise."

you put the green one on first anyway.

you looked in the mirror, not sure if you liked the sleeves or the cut of the dress. was it too short for a wedding? it felt too casual.

"are you gonna show me? i'm assuming it doesn't take ten years for you to put on a dress, sweetheart," mat said.

"i'm not doing a fashion show for you, barzy."

"your boyfriend would like very much to see what you're getting, baby."

you rolled your eyes, mainly because he had a point. but amidst your irritation, hesitancy rose up but you didn't know why. mat had never given you a reason to be insecure, he was more than affirming about your place in his life and your appearance. you had no reason to be insecure, but yet it was rising up anyway.

still, you opened the door.

you poked your head out to see mat sitting on his phone until he heard the creak of the door. "well, let me see you!" he said.

you came out from behind the door as confidently as you could manage.

only for mat to let out a low whistle.

"oh shut up," you whined.

"you look good, baby," he smirked. "almost too good to wear out in public." you flushed under his scrutinizing stare that seemed to linger on some areas more than others and the nickname made heat slowly crawl up your neck.

"you're such a flatterer."

"just calling it like i see it, honey."

"will you quit it with the nicknames?" you covered your face with your hands.

"am i embarrassing you, baby?" he asked, voice much closer now. you didn't know why until you felt two hands on your waist.

"no."

mat pulled your hands down and smirked as he placed his palms back on your waist. "liar."

you rolled your eyes. "do you like the dress or not?"

"it's not about my opinion, do you like it?"

you all but stomped your foot in frustration. "mat," you whined. "what was the point of coming out here if you're just going to defer to my opinion?"

he shrugged like it wasn't bothering him to be that close to you; unlike you, whose heart was racing a mile a minute. "because i like to see dresses on pretty women, specifically you."

you shoved him away with a light push on his chest. the skirt of the dress bunching up a bit as his grip was pulled away.

"lemme see the next one!" he called as you walked back into the dressing room.

you tried on three more dresses, all of them garnering a similar reaction from mat, but none really feeling like the dress you should be wearing. none of them were nice enough to wear to the wedding without your mother, aunt, or angela saying something smart.

your hope was diminishing when you got to the final dress. it was plain in comparison to the others as far as beading and lace went, just a simple navy blue dress with a deep v and a small slit up to mid thigh. but you tried it on anyway.

"i don't know about this one, but i kinda like it. i wanted to know what you think," you said as you came out the dressing room.

mat looked up from his phone.

only for his jaw to drop.

you shifted your weight from foot to foot, back and forth, as you waited for a comment from him. mat, in all your time as friends, was never hesitant to share his opinion, but the longer he stayed silent, the more fearful you got that maybe this dress wasn't the one you should be wearing.

"do you not like it? i can--"

"no, you're getting it." he stood up and called meredith over who seemed to have been hovering just out of sight, like she was waiting for that exact moment. "she's getting this one, can you ring it up?"

meredith smiled but looked back and forth between you two. "of course, she'll have to take it off but--"

"mat, are you sure? i'm not even sure about this."

"baby," there he went, using another pet name. "you look fantastic, and even if you didn't, which you do, i took one look at your face and could tell you loved this dress. you're getting it." he said it so confidently you were inclined to believe him.

you started reaching for the tag on the dress. "how much is it--"

he ripped the tag off and handed it to meredith along with his card. "will you ring this up for us while she gets dressed, meredith?" he asked.

"mat, you don't have to pay--"

“let’s be honest, this is more for me than you." he said it so confidently, how could you possibly say no to him? "go get dressed," he said. "i'll be out here."

you quickly changed into your other clothes and grabbed the dress on your way out. mat quickly took the dress out of your hand and wrapped an arm around your shoulders. you didn't think anything of it until he pulled you in and placed a kiss on the side of your head.

you would've read into it had meredith not been in plain sight.

he must've done it to keep up the act.

meredith took the dress and wrapped it in a box that mat refused to let you carry, just like he refused to let you see the receipt. you told him that you'd just venmo him, but he ignored you all the way to the car.

preparation mode

your mom had ordered pizza for dinner which you and mat had taken up to your room. no one in your family batted an eyelash considering you both cited it as having a long day and wanting to unwind.

"so tell me about your family, the ones i haven't met yet," mat said through a mouth full of pizza.

you were currently wearing one of his t-shirts that you stole from his apartment a month ago and a pair of running shorts while you leaned back against the headboard. "well, there's my uncle mike, he's my mom's brother and the oldest in their family. for the most part he minds his business, he's on his fourth marriage and probably the last one because him and his wife don't even care to mask their indifference towards each other." you took a huge bite of your pizza and swallowed it before continuing. "then there's aunt patty who is angela's mom and she's about as nice as they come but also she's super passive aggressive and let's angela get away with everything."

"sounds like she's not actually nice, and you're just conditioned to think she is."

you rolled your eyes. "we don't have time to psychoanalyze my familial relationships, barzy."

"sure we do, if your aunt lets your bullying cousin get away with everything, then she's not actually nice."

"what does that make her then, smart ass?"

"a pawn." and he said it so lightly that you didn't even think about it for a moment. when you finally registered what he said, you furrowed your brows. so mat continued. "anyone who lets their child 'get away with everything' even when they're wrong is not a parent so much as they are a pawn in their child's game."

you blinked at him once. then a second time, wondering when your best friend had been replaced by your therapist.

"what?" he asked.

"i'm just trying to figure out what happened to my best friend. it's like you were replaced by dr. phil."

mat rolled his eyes. "i'm allowed to be wise on occasion."

"is it an occasion if it's never happened before?"

"what makes you say that?"

"i'm saying someone who gets hit in the face with a hockey stick or a puck every other game doesn't always have the best wisdom."

"but i do now! and that's what matters." he took another bite of pizza and hummed to himself.

"what?" you asked. "what was that hum about?"

"tell me about your other family members."

you explained how your cousin andrew (otherwise known as andy) was the oldest of angela's siblings and was married two years ago to his wife kelsey. they were distant from angela because she announced her engagement at kelsey's baby shower, but in true family fashion, that incident was pushed under the rug.

then there was thomas who was a year older than you and angela who had an affinity of sleeping around and generally not giving a shit about anyone or anything. he would say what he wanted when he wanted and for that reason, he was one of your favorite relatives. because, for the most part, he was the only one other than your grandmother who called angela out on her shit.

"what about your grandparents?"

you shrugged. "my grandfather died a few years ago and my grandmother is still around. she's honestly my favorite family member, though i'm sure that has nothing to do with me and cody being her favorites."

"oh i'm sure," mat said.

"and that's my mom's side of the family." you slapped your thighs and took a sip of your drink.

"what about you?"

you looked at him, confused at what he could possibly be talking about. "what about me?"

"you've told me about your family, tell me about you."

you scoffed. "mat, we're friends, what could you possibly want to know about me?"

he shrugged. "tell me something i wouldn't know. if you don't, i'm going to go downstairs and ask your mom to bring out the baby photos."

you rolled your eyes and sighed heavily, like it was some burden on you. "fine. when i was a kid, angela stuck bubble gum in my hair and i had to get a horrendous haircut. cody made fun of me until it grew out again."

"i bet you were still cute."

you got up from the bed and picked up a picture frame off your dresser. for some reason, your mother insisted on decorating your room with your worst moments, hence why your prom photo was hanging in the stair way. you handed the picture frame to mat who immediately smiled at your seven year old self smiling with two missing teeth and a shitty haircut.

"oh," he said.

"what?" you asked.

mat looked up with a huge smile on his face. "i definitely would've had a crush on you as a kid." you rolled your eyes and shoved him in the shoulder. "hey!" he protested. "i would've! you were cute!"

"shut up, you would not. i bet seven year old mat was the cutest boy in his grade and too worried about hockey to look at seven year old me."

"he might've been, i'd never know. but all i'm saying is if seven year old me knew seven year old you? he'd be in love. well, as much love as a seven year old can feel. in fact, i would've given you my favorite pokemon cards if you'd asked."

you could feel heat creeping up your neck at the idea, and how far it was from the truth. your classmates gave you hell for the way your hair looked, and it was such an odd and unbelievable story that no one took you seriously until the next school year when you grew your hair out.

"well, do you have a photo of you as a kid? it's not fair that you get unlimited access to all my childhood photos and i don't get to see you!"

mat rolled his eyes but pulled out his phone and scrolled through his camera roll. he flipped his phone around so you could see a photo of him in hockey gear with a big smile on his face. "aw mat," you cooed. "you were so cute."

"would you have had a crush on me?"

you thought about it for a moment. "i actually had a crush on this guy in my grade named frankie, so probably not."

mat's jaw dropped. "so my crush would go unrequited?"

"mat, honey, we didn't even live in the same country. this whole situation is hypothetical."

"tell me, did frankie play hockey?"

"what? no."

"was he funnier than me?"

"mat how am i supposed to know if second grade you was funnier than frankie?"

he shrugged. "i don't know. but was he?"

"he was the class clown."

mat groaned and fell back into your pillows. "seven year old mat is crushed. he stands no chance."

"honey, i cannot stress this enough, this is a hypothetical situation."

but all of a sudden, he stood up to his full height and walked towards you with the picture frame still in his hands. he placed the frame back on your dresser and closed the distance between the two of you. "what if it wasn't hypothetical?" he said, his tone shifted from playful to serious.

you locked his phone while you looked at him, to say you were confused would be an understatement. "what're you talking about?"

he shrugged and placed his hands on your waist, pulling you closer until you hips touched and it was like electricity struck your nervous system. "what if--"

a knock on the door interrupted anything mat was going to say. the two of you jumped apart. "hope you two aren't naked!" cody's voice sounded through the wooden door. "we're having a movie night and mom made it clear that you two need to be downstairs in five minutes."

"we'll be right out!" you called, though your eyes were still locked on mat's.

he reluctantly let go of you as you cleared your throat. you didn't know what was different about air around you, how it felt tense and warm at the same time.

you headed downstairs with mat trailing behind you and sat on the couch next to each other. you weren't sure what changed, but when mat put his arm around you like he had done in the past, you fought every urge to tense up. what was going on with you?

when the movie was over, and it was time for all of you to go to bed, you and mat dressed in separate rooms. you were in bed by the time he returned and you were too busy controlling your breaths to notice his hesitancy.

he called your name quietly, but you squeezed your eyes shut and evened out your breathing. mat pushed a strand of hair behind your ear as he got in bed before he wrapped an arm around your waist pulled your back to his chest.

your heart beat against your ribs loud enough you were sure he could hear it. you weren't sure why, or what it was, not even your ex boyfriend had your heart beating like that, and it took you months to get over him.

when mat finally fell asleep, you relaxed, and pulled yourself gently and slowly out of his hold.

you placed a pillow between you two.

it was on the floor on mat's side the next morning.

the "big family" dinner

"is this appropriate enough to wear to dinner tonight?" mat came into the room wearing a plain white tee and black jeans with adidas.

it should be a sin to look that good in something so simple.

"if you were anyone else, i'd say no," you replied.

he blinked. "what does that mean?"

"i mean somehow you make really plain outfits look good."

he smirked. "you saying i look good?"

"oh please. like you don't know."

mat put both of his hands in his front pockets and leaned his shoulder against the wall. "maybe, but it sounds better coming from your mouth." you rolled your eyes and shoved him aside as you gathered your clothes in your hands. "what're you wearing?"

"a shirt and shorts." you walked into the bathroom across the hall to change into your outfit before going back in the bedroom to get your shoes.

mat let out a low whistle much like he did at the boutique. "is that my shirt?"

you looked down and saw the islanders logo on the front and shrugged. "must be."

"when did you grab this?"

"must've been during one of our sleepovers." you walked right out of the room and down the stairs to join the rest of your family. the six of you (your father, mother, brother, his girlfriend, mat, and you) would be riding in two separate cars. cody tried to convince your parents that mat should ride with them while you rode with him, but you quickly shot that idea down. you wouldn't say you were embarrassed of your parents, but you surely weren't going to leave mat to his own devices with them.

which is how you ended up sitting in the backseat of your dad's subaru with a foot of space between you and mat.

"mat, honey, tell us about your family! do you have any siblings?" your mother asked from the front seat she tried to give him earlier.

"you have longer legs!" she said.

"and my dad would literally punch me in the chest if i didn't let you sit shotgun," mat replied.

"i have a sister, her name's liana."

"oh, liana!" your mother gushed. "what a beautiful name! i should've named you that, honey!"

"mom," you whined. "you don't think it would be weird to have the same name as mat's sister?"

she hummed. "i guess, when you put it that way..." your mother shook her head. "how'd you get into hockey, mat?"

"mom, mat's gonna be interrogated all night long, can we save the questions for later?"

"baby, it's fine," mat assured you. your heart picked up just a little at the pet name but settled down when he turned his attention back to your mom. "i grew up playing it," he said. "my dad used to play as well."

it was like your mom fell in love with your boyfriend even more. "see honey? he continued a tradition that his father set for him!" you kept yourself from snarking back and rolling your eyes and just smiled. "i wanted my daughter to be a nurse like me," she explained to mat. "but she wasn't interested."

"mom, i can barely handle the sight of blood and you thought i would be okay in the icu?"

mat cackled. "you should see her when i have cuts and bruises from games, she pulls out gloves and about douses my wounds in peroxide."

"i'm not gonna get a blood borne disease because of you, barzal," you replied.

he rolled his eyes but smiled at you anyway.

you zoned out for the rest of the car ride as your aunt's house grew closer. mat, ever the observant friend, reached out and grabbed your hand in his, squeezing it three times until you looked at him.

"you okay?" he mouthed. when you finally nodded he sighed and brought your hands to his lips, kissing it once before placing your joined hands between the two of you. your heart soared at the gesture, but you looked back out the window before he could see it.

your father parked the car in front of a giant house you were all too familiar with. memories flashed before your eyes of summers spent swimming in the pool in the backyard and playing with toys in angela's room.

"be on your best behavior," your mom directed towards you with a knowing look in her eyes. you weren't sure why, you hadn't made a scene in years, though you were contemplating it if your mom kept harassing you.

you and mat slid out of the backseat and followed your parents to the front door. your mom didn't even bother knocking; she opened the door and left it open for the rest of you to follow. mat trailed behind you, grabbing your hand at the last minute before walking through the front door.

you were immediately accosted by a plethora of voices and music, unknowingly, you gripped mat's hand a little tighter as your aunt rounded the corner with a glass of champagne and a large smile. you saw as she greeted your parents with hugs, careful not to spill her drink. when her eyes focused on you, or rather the hand you were holding, there was a sense of smug satisfaction that occurred when you saw the poorly disguised shock on her face.

"hey!" she greeted. "i see you brought a friend."

before you could say anything, mat was taking his hand out of yours and shaking your aunt's hand. "i'm mat, the boyfriend."

aunt patty smiled and then looked at you, like she was evaluating something. "nice to meet you, mat," she said before bringing you into a hug and giving the same salutation she gave your parents. "angela will be excited to see you, both of you!" she said.

doubtful, you thought. very doubtful.

aunt patty ushered the both of you further into the house; mat's hand returned to holding yours until it was time to go outside in the backyard and join the rest of the family, then his hand moved to your lower back.

the two of you walked outside and watched as your family mingled in the backyard.

"who do we talk to first?" mat asked.

you shook your head. "no one. we go grab food first. my family is easier to handle with food."

mat nodded and followed your lead to the table with assorted finger foods on it. the two of you grabbed a plate full of food and found a table to sit.

it wasn't long before the table filled up with cody and his girlfriend who'd arrived moments after you did.

"did you give him the family run down?" cody asked before taking a bite out of one of his deviled eggs.

"this isn't amateur hour, cody. i spent the entire evening yesterday prepping him."

and a coffee date and plane ride dedicated to perfecting a fabricated story.

as if reminded that you two had appearances to keep up, mat reached back and draped his arm around the back of your chair and leaned back in his own. he looked so comfortable doing so you would've believed him to be genuine.

it wasn't long before your other family members came over, your grandmother to start. both you and mat stood to greet her. she wasted no time pulling you into a hug and kissing your cheek, holding your face between her hands and smiling.

"my, my, my, you've grown," she said.

"you say that every time you see me, grandma," you replied.

"and i mean it every time." her eyes dart to over your shoulder where you're positive mat is towering over you. "and who is this?" she asked, but it was clear by the smirk on her face that she already knew. the entire family probably knew given how much your mother liked to talk about your love life.

"i'm mat," he said and extended a hand out to shake.

your grandmother immediately let go of you and all but pushed you out of the way to hug mat who didn't even hesitate to embrace her back. when your grandmother pulled away she smiled and glanced back and forth between you and mat.

"so you're the gentleman who stole my baby's heart?"

mat gave your grandmother a megawatt smile. "no ma'am, you have it backwards. i just tricked her into dating me, still not sure how i accomplished it though."

your grandmother looked back at you and all but swooned. "you didn't tell me how handsome he was."

you blinked. you weren't sure what kind of magic ability mat had but the fact that you grandmother looked ready to become a cougar or push you down the aisle said something.

"didn't think he was your type, grandma."

she rolled her eyes but the smile on her lips said enough. "you and that attitude, girl, i've missed it. i hope she doesn't give you this much trouble, mat."

he only reached around your grandmother and tugged you into his chest. "oh this one? she usually gives me a run for my money," he said before placing a kiss on the top of your head.

your grandmother looked at you and smiled.

and just like that, he'd won over your grandmother's approval. it was a record for you, actually. even your best boyfriend had to meet her several times to win her over.

and mat did it in a matter of minutes.

really, it wasn't fair how charming he was.

"well," she said. "i'll let you two finish eating, i'm sure your cousin will make her way over here at some point." and on cue, your grandmother and you met eyes and shared an understanding. while your grandma loved angela, she, unlike your aunt, was not blind to the passive aggressive comments made by your cousin over the years.

mat pulled your chair out and pushed it in as you sat down before taking his place next to you. his hand immediately made its way onto your thigh, his thumb stroking the outside of your leg.

he leaned in and murmured in your ear. "that went well."

you swallowed the weird sensation in your throat that probably had nothing to do with his touch and proximity.

"a little too well if you ask me," you replied. "she likes you a lot more than my other boyfriends."

mat shrugged like that wasn't the highest praise you could give him. "to be fair, your exes have always been shit."

"they have not!"

cody chimed in from across the table. "they have." you glared at him but he seemed unfazed. "do you want me to tally the boys you've brought home?" but he didn't even give you a chance to answer before he started listing your exes on his fingers. "there was cole who skipped your birthday because it wasn't important. then there was conrad who had the weird relationship with his sister. then there was randall who wouldn't speak to you for days on end and then text you out of the blue."

you rolled your eyes. "those don't count, those were high school boyfriends."

cody deadpanned, though you both knew he skipped one particular boyfriend who happened to be the shittiest. "oh i can skip straight to college and post college if you'd like. you've given me plenty of material to work with." so he continued. "there was yohan who didn't have a bed frame, just a mattress on the floor."

"we were in college!"

mat chimed in. "a mattress on the floor is bad, babe. you can't excuse that."

you huffed and sat back in your chair as cody kept going.

"what about peter who refused to ever get your number and only communicated through snapchat? or lance who had the armpit fetish?"

mat nearly spit out his drink. "a what? what does that even mean?"

you groaned and put your head in your hands until a new voice chimed in.

"it means that she wore a lot of tank tops when they dated, per his request. isn't that right?"

you looked up and saw the rock on her hand before you ever saw her face.

"angela," you said and tried to smile, though the poorly masked snicker made by cody told you it probably looked more like a grimace. "hey, long time no see."

"alright, that's our cue, harper," cody mumbled before him and his girlfriend left the table.

she smiled and fixed her eyes on mat. "and who is this?"

mat, as if sensing the challenge she was presenting, moved his hand from your thigh to around your shoulder. unlike meeting your grandmother, he didn't stand up or offer a hand, he just nodded and smile. "i'm mat."

"and who is 'mat?'" she asked in what she believed was a charming way.

you had to keep yourself from rolling your eyes.

"i'm her boyfriend," mat said before placing a kiss on the side of your head. it was with premature smug satisfaction that you witnessed the smile on angela's lips falter just a little. but then you remembered the times before when you introduced boyfriends to family and how angela looked at them with some sort of predatory gleam in her eyes when met with a challenge.

and mat's indifference to her was the biggest challenge of all.

a tall blond man walked over and wrapped an arm around angela's waist. "baby," he said. "i got you a drink." and he handed her a flute of champagne.

she sipped it but never took her eyes off mat.

"who're you?" owen asked. you had to keep yourself from rolling your eyes. all those years ago, you thought his blunt ways of communicating were charming, now they just grated on your nerves.

"honey, this is mat, the infamous plus one."

"boyfriend," mat corrected. "simple mistake, i get it. it's not like the rsvp's asked for a relationship definition or anything."

"how long have you two been together?" owen asked.

"a few months," you answered in unison, which immediately made angela quirk a brow. you started sweating, your hands started shaking in your lap.

almost as if sensing your nerves, mat reached over with the hand that wasn't around you shoulders, and placed it on your thigh, rubbing smooth circles into your skin.

goosebumps formed on your skin, but for an entirely different reason that a cold breeze considering it was nearly sweltering outside.

"we've been friends for awhile though," mat said. "known each other for about as long as we've been in new york."

angela hummed, but didn't seem convinced. "okay," she smiled. "enjoy the party."

when she walked away with owen in tow, you let out a sigh.

"you okay?" mat mumbled.

"that went better than i thought."

"i thought you said she was mean," mat said.

"she typically is, maybe she's changed though. it's been a minute since i came home."

mat hummed, but maybe your earlier conversations convinced him of angela's normal behavior, because he didn't seem like he believed you.

"don't hum at me," you said. "she could!"

mat shrugged and leaned back in his chair, his hand squeezed your shoulder where it rested. "okay," he said before placing a kiss on your temple. "i trust you."

the night continued on without much incident. cody got a little too drunk, but that was to be expected. your uncle, his wife, and your cousins all came by and said their hellos, but for the most part, you and mat just stayed at the table and talked.

it was moments like that when you forgot how easy it was to just be with him. you couldn't count the amount of times you found yourself sitting on his couch with your head in his lap, his hand in your hair, as you ranted about your shitty day at work or a frustrating phone call with your parents. days like that were typical with mat, because he made it so easy to just be.

you felt most like yourself when you were with him.

and sure it sounded a little codependent, but you were almost positive he was your other half.

but not in a romantic way.

never in a romantic way.

after all, he was way out of your league. the amount times he had women approach him at bars when the two of you went out were astronomical.

you were forever the friend, and you weren't really all that upset about it. so long as you had mat, you'd take him in whatever capacity he'd give you.

the night was quickly coming to an end. harper had cody's arm wrapped around her shoulder, assuring everyone she would be driving them home. mat's hand had found a new home on the small of your back as he guided you out and back towards the front door, following your parents who insisted on hugging every family member goodbye.

you felt your body lean into mat's touch and the side of his body, your own feeling drained and exhausted.

"hey," he leaned down and mumbled in your ear. "i'm gonna go to the bathroom, i'll meet you at the car?"

you looked up at him, faces close together. you were taken back to earlier when you almost kissed and for a moment, you found yourself imagining a world where you could. where you could lean up and figure out what chapstick he used.

"yeah," you stuttered out when it was clear you'd stayed quiet too long.

"great," he smiled before kissing your cheek and disappearing down the hallway.

you were immediately crowded by your mom, aunt, and to your displeasure, angela.

your cousin stumbled up to you with a bright smile on her face as both of your mothers talked to each other. "your friend was cute," she said. "wouldn't mind running away with him." she giggled, but you saw the truth in her eyes, the calculated stumbles and fake drunken smiles.

"oh, angie's had too much to drink," your aunt said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "you know how drunk people can be."

"i've always heard drunk words are sober thoughts," you stated.

your mom scoffed and waved a hand in the air. "oh honey, that's just a saying, angela doesn't mean what she says, not while she's intoxicated. after all, i have done plenty of things while drunk that i didn't mean in the morning."

you squinted at your mother, completely baffled by her excusing of angela. which, after all these years, shouldn't surprise you.

"what'd i miss?" mat popped back next to you like he was summoned.

"oh nothing--" your mother started.

"mat!" angela screamed, throwing her hands up in the air before wrapping them around his shoulders. "if i wasn't getting married tomorrow, i'd run away with you! it's too bad my cousin here didn't introduce us before!"

mat peeled her arms off his body and pushed her away as gently as he could. "before what? before you stole her high school boyfriend?"

what.

the hell.

angela's smile dropped right as your mom's and aunt's eyes widened. "and i'm not a fan of running." he grabbed your hand and pulled you out the front door, and waved down harper who was about to pull out of the driveway.

"we rode with my parents," you said, still in a daze from what he said.

"we're riding with harper and cody back," was all he said.

harper unlocked the doors for you and mat but didn't even bother asking why the two of you decided to switch rides.

the drive back to your childhood home was pretty quiet save for the country music playing softly over the radio. it wasn't your favorite genre, but you weren't going to complain.

by the time you made it home, you were exhausted. mat trailed you up the stairs after locking the front door behind him because harper mentioned something about taking cody back to their apartment instead of staying.

when he finally walked in the room, you were already changing out of your shorts. maybe it was a testament to how tired you were, or how long you had known each other that made you not give a shit about changing in front of him. you did, however, try to stay decent, so you waited until you had your pajama shirt on to remove your bra before sliding into bed.

mat had apparently walked out of the room to change while you had your back to the door because he came walking back in wearing basketball shorts and a tee shirt, like he did the other nights.

"you okay?" he asked, getting in to bed and sliding next to you. he bumped his shoulder with yours.

"why wouldn't i be?" but you wouldn't look him in the eyes.

"c'mon," he said. "you can be honest with me. i'm your best friend."

your eyes watered at his words, the ones he spoke in front of your family, and the ones he spoke just then. "thank you," was all you could get out.

he pulled you into his arms and for a moment, you were taken back to similar circumstances.

like when you watched marley and me. or when your neighbor with the cute dog moved away.

mat had always been there.

"what're you thanking me for?"

"no one's ever stood up to her like that."

mat scoffed. "i wasn't just gonna let her disrespect our relationship like that, real or fake." he kissed the top of your head. "i almost didn't say anything, wanted to keep the peace, but then i saw the look on your face and couldn't keep quiet."

"what look?"

"the kicked puppy look." you looked up at him as his thumb stroked a line on your cheek. something must've passed over your face because his thumb stopped its motion. "what?" you sighed and shook your head. "c'mon," he said. "you can tell me."

you sighed. "i just--i don't want her to take you away."

mat tilted your chin up and ducked his head down so your foreheads touched. "you're not gonna lose me, especially not to your cousin, okay?" you nodded. "i need to hear you say it, baby."

but how could you talk when he called you by pet names? how could you breathe when you could kiss him if you just lifted your chin.

damn.

did he know the effect he had on you?

"baby," he prompted.

"okay," you said. "i trust you."

"and that's all i ask." he kissed your forehead and pulled away, all too soon if anyone asked you. "now, let's watch a movie, i need to destress after tonight."

you settled into the pillows and laid your head on mat's chest as he scrolled through netflix with one hand; the other arm was wrapped around your back.

the wedding

the next two days were spent with you and mat walking around the city, nothing noteworthy happened.

but you woke up on the day of the wedding dreading what was to come.

the ceremony itself wasn't until that night, which gave you the entire day to worry about angela and mat.

his words should've comforted you, but you were too caught up in why you cared. he was your best friend, angela didn't want him that way. and mat was too loyal to let a girl come between your friendship, he never let it happen with his previous girlfriends.

but there would be times when you wouldn't be together that night. could you honestly expect mat to hang around the women's bathroom every time you needed to use it? you were lucky he got along with your brother and your grandmother as well as he did, but your grandmother would definitely leave early and cody would definitely ditch anyone in a heartbeat if it meant he'd get laid.

"you okay?" mat asked, placing his hands on your shoulders as you stared in the bathroom mirror. "you've been in here a minute. at first i thought you were taking a shit, but you left the door open." he rested his head on top of yours and made eye contact with you in the mirror.

"just stressed about tonight," you admitted.

"you got nothing to stress over, you got me, and we're not getting married. we'll just get drunk and party. sounds like a great time to me!"

"god, if i'm like this at someone else's wedding, i can't imagine what i'd be like at my own."

mat shrugged. "i wouldn't let you be stressed. i’d make sure to give you the wedding you want."

you pulled away and turned around, brows pulled together like attracting magnets. "wouldn’t that be weird though? you making sure my wedding was what i wanted?"

"considering it would be my wedding too, no i don't think it would be weird." he shrugged and said it so casually, you almost didn't register what he said. but when it sunk in, your cheeks heated up and you broke eye contact before lightly shoving him away.

"you're such a flirt," you said, hoping it wouldn't give away the way your heart raced in your chest.

"doesn't mean it isn't true!" he called after you. mat flicked on the fan and shut the door. "now watch a movie, i don't want you to hear me shit."

"we're not even in the same room, dipshit!" you laughed before heading back to your room and turning on netflix.

mat joined you after about ten minutes in the bathroom and the two of you watched a movie until your parents shouted from downstairs to start getting ready.

you got ready in the bathroom simply because that was where you makeup was. mat took the bedroom simply because it was easier. you put on your dress, fluffing out the ends to make sure no part of it was wrinkled before you started on your makeup.

you were finished rather quickly, mainly because mat kept calling your name like a child, waiting for you to fix his tie because he didn't know how to.

when you walked out of the bathroom, though, mat met you in the hallway. his eyes were focused on the tie in his hands until he heard the door open. he glanced up and his jaw dropped.

"fuck," he mumbled.

you could feel the heat going up your chest and your neck until it settled in your face. "do i look okay?"

mat swallowed and nodded. your normally chatty best friend was rendered speechless for the first time since you met him. he cleared his throat and gestured to you. "i knew buying that dress was a good move."

you rolled your eyes and smiled as you walked over to him. you took the tie out of his hand and wrapped it around his neck, tying a windsor knot until it was snug against his throat.

"i think you're trying to choke me."

you scoffed. "if you learned how to tie a tie, this wouldn't be a problem."

"if i learned how to tie a tie, i wouldn't have an excuse to be this close to you." his hands snaked around your waist and pulled your hips close to his.

"you should know you don't need an excuse to get close to me." you tried out the flirtation a little, unsure if he was joking or not, but given how his eyes lit up just a bit, you were pretty confident he was serious.

"baby--"

"sweetheart! we need to be leaving soon!" your mother called up the stairs.

you and mat sprung apart like the other had spontaneously caught on fire. neither of you would make eye contact too embarrassed to have been interrupted by your mother. though you couldn't meet each other's eyes, you managed to see mat gesture for you to go down the stairs first.

"you both look so cute!" your mother gushed as both you and mat entered the living room. "go stand in front of the fireplace! i have to get your picture."

you rolled your eyes. "mom, this isn't prom night." but mat was already tugging you over to where your mom was pointing and wrapping and arm around your waist.

your mom snapped a few pictures before hurrying the two of you and your father out the door. the wedding didn't start for another hour, but the venue was thirty minutes away and your mom wanted to make sure your aunt wasn't going to have an aneurysm.

mat held your hand as you walked down the front porch stairs towards the car. his grip was tight and firm. when you finally joined him on the sidewalk, you expected him to drop his hand, but he held onto it even tighter, lightly swinging it between your bodies.

he didn't let go until you got into the back seat of your mom's car.

he lightly chatted with your parents while you stared at the space between the two of you. the entire week had your mind whirling, you two were just friends, but sharing a bed, the physical closeness, the flirting, the near kisses, it was all driving you insane.

sure, you thought mat was good looking, but you'd long given up the hope that he'd ever like you. he was mat and you were you. even if there wasn't a large disparity between your perception of both of your physical attributes, you still would've felt the divide.

he was everything, practically your best friend.

and that alone was too important for you to risk on some juvenile feelings.

mat nudged you with his elbow. "you okay? you've been quiet."

you blinked back into the present, noting that your mother had turned on abba and was singing to dancing queen while your father hummed the tune under his breath. both of them were too distracted to notice or hear mat's question.

you nodded, meeting his eyes briefly before looking away, too scared to get caught in their orbit once more. "yeah," you said. "just thinking."

"uh oh. that's not good," he joked. but you didn't laugh. his face turned serious and he nudged you once more before grabbing your hand in his own. "you can tell me anything, you know that right?"

"of course," you replied.

he squeezed your hand twice and didn't let go until you got out of the car.

as your father pulled into the parking lot, you got a good view of the venue. a large building with tall windows and music blasting throughout the open doors.

once you got inside, your eyes were immediately overwhelmed by the visual stimulation of large flower arrangements everywhere with the most pricey looking lighting fixtures dangling from the ceiling.

it was extravagant, and everything you would've expected angela's wedding to look like.

"oh god," mat mumbled under his breath, loud enough just for you to hear. he leaned down, placing his hand on the small of your back. "remind me not to do this much at my wedding."

you rolled your eyes. "what if it's what your bride wants?"

he paused. "do you want something like this?"

"god no."

"then i don't need to worry."

you lightly shoved his shoulder. "quit joking."

"who said i was joking?" he asked.

you stared at him until your dad cleared his throat and reminded the two of you that you still needed to find your seats at the ceremony.

"honey," your mother grabbed your arm. "do you want to come with me to see angela? i'm just gonna check on her and your aunt to make sure everything is ready and together."

you were shaking your head before she could even finish getting the words out. "nope."

"honey, it's your cousin's wedding."

"and she didn't even make me a bridesmaid. i'm sure she'll be fine waiting until the reception to see me."

"i thought you weren't angry about that! i told you not to take it personal."

it took every ounce of will not to roll your eyes. mainly because mat was standing there, and if you let it slip how frustrated you were, he might step in and make your mom hate him. "i don't care, mom. but if she wanted me to see her before the wedding, she would've made her part of her bridal party. but she didn't so i'll see her when she walks down the aisle." with that off your chest, you grabbed mat's hand and marched towards the group of chairs where the ceremony would take place.

you quickly chose a seat close enough to see the actual ceremony happen without being too close that you could see angela promise her life away to the ex she stole from you.

"that was intense," mat commented. "you sure you're okay?"

you sighed and contemplated putting your face in your hands if it wasn't for the makeup you put on earlier. "i don't know why she wants me and angela to act like we're best friends, it's gone on like this for our entire lives, but it's never worked. angela has never liked me, and i'm tired of pretending like it's my fault. i don't even know what i did to make her constantly try to undermine me."

mat looked around before grabbing your hand and tugging you towards what you guessed were the bathrooms, away from the prying eyes of nosy guests.

"it's not your fault," he said, bending down so you could look each other in the eyes. "there's nothing wrong with you, either, okay? she's blind if she can't see how amazing you are. and your mom is wrong for trying to force a friendship. you understand?"

you nodded.

"i need to hear you say it, baby."

"i understand." a beat later. "thanks, mat."

he kissed your forehead and grabbed your hand. "anytime."

the two of you found your old seats taken by an older couple, so you sat in the same row as cody and harper who had shown up while you were gone.

the wedding started shortly thereafter with your parents joining you in the same row. your mother looked relatively calm for what you knew had to be a shitshow in the back room. angela was very particular, and while there was nothing wrong with that were it anyone else, your cousin's strong opinions often stressed your mother and aunt out.

the music started playing and the bridesmaids started walking down the aisle with the groomsmen and owen. you didn't recognize most of the girls, probably because you hadn't been around angela's friends since high school and you never came to her birthday parties after you graduated (not that she invited you anyway). the one bridesmaid you did recognize was meredith from the dress shop. she looked beautiful in her lilac dress. and her smile did nothing to giveaway what chaos the dressing room was in before she walked out.

with everyone in their places at the front, the music changed tune. every guest, including you, stood to their feet and turned around. everyone watched as the double doors opened and angela came walking down the aisle in a princess gown with her father escorting her.

she smiled brightly, probably basking in the attention she was receiving. she didn't even look at owen until she got close enough to the front that there was no one else for her to smile at.

i'd do it differently, you thought. when i get married, i won't be able to take my eyes off his face.

the officiant told everyone to sit and continued on with the ceremony. you mostly blocked it out, peering at mat who looked more interested in the ceremony than you were. he caught your stare a few times and smirked before grabbing hold of your hand and kissing the back of it.

and your heart soared every time.

mat was an affectionate friend, this much you knew. anytime you picked him up from a roadie, or when he came over after you just got back into town, he'd hold you in a death grip hug for five minutes at the very least. most of the hugs involved the two of you swaying side to side with mat mumbling how much he missed you into your neck.

all that to say, you weren't a stranger to his affection.

you were, however, unused to the kisses and pet names, all of which started as soon as you introduced him to your family.

it was the crowd cheering that startled you out of your stupor. you glanced at the front to see owen dipping angela in a kiss while the photographer captured the moment.

and maybe it was the bitterness in your chest speaking for the teenager who lost her first serious boyfriend, but the kiss itself looked more performative than like true love.

mat extended a hand to you when you realized everyone was standing and heading to the tables to eat.

"you alright?" he asked once your hand was secured in his own. "you keep zoning out."

you shrugged. "just thinking."

"about?"

"how do you know if you love someone?" you asked, replaying angela and owen's kiss in your mind. you were so preoccupied, you didn't notice mat scratching the back of his head and blushing.

"well, you uh," he stuttered. "why're you asking me? haven't you been in love before?"

he wouldn't meet your eyes, his own kept focusing on avoiding bumping into people as you made your way to an open table. mat pulled your chair out and didn't sit down until you did.

"i don't know," you continued on. "i thought i was, but i never saw forever with those guys."

"thank god," he mumbled.

"what?"

he looked up all doe eyed and innocent. "hm?"

"what did you say?"

he shrugged. "i didn't say anything. you must be hearing things."

you rolled your eyes, but the smile on your lips said you weren't really bothered by his lies.

cody and harper joined you at the table; your parents took the last two seats. all six of you sipped at the water on the table and waited for your dinners to be ready.

"so," harper started. "what did everyone think of the ceremony?"

you could've groaned, not because you weren't interested in weddings, you loved them.

just not angela's.

and talking about all the beautiful aspects of it sounded like a violation of your eighth amendment rights.

"oh it was so gorgeous, she looked fantastic," your mother supplied, fawning over your cousin as usual. but it was when she looked around the room before she leaned into the table that your attention was piqued. "patty was scared the wedding would need to be called off. said something about how owen was getting cold feet, she wouldn't say why though."

were you a horrible person for internally rejoicing at angela's possible stressor?

maybe just a little.

but you'd taken the high road your entire life. so in your opinion, it was warranted and earned.

mat nudged your knee with his. "at least look concerned," he mumbled with a smirk playing on his lips.

"i do! i am!" you said just loud enough for him to hear. mat looked at you until you cracked under his gaze. "okay, so i might be just a little smug, sue me."

he rolled his eyes, but the smile playing on his lips said he was far from annoyed.

your family continued to make idle chatter until the dj started announcing the bridal party. it wasn't anything that hadn't been done before; the bridesmaids and groomsmen danced their way into the room. moments later, angela and owen came in with their hands riased and cheering along with everyone else. your entire table joined in with the other guests and clapped and hollered until it was no longer socially acceptable.

dinner came out shortly thereafter.

again, it was nothing that hadn't been done before. a simple pasta dish with a side salad wasn't anything to celebrate. the food was absolutely delicious, you wouldn't lie about that, it was just interesting that angela, who prided herself on being different, had planned a party that didn't even crack your top ten favorite weddings.

but she'd never sought your approval anyway, so why would she start now?

you were shocked out of your intense thoughtfulness by an arm wrapping around your shoulder. mat didn't even look phased as he pulled you just a little closer to him, talking with your dad about the upcoming season like they'd been friends for ages.

the weight of his arm was comforting, reminding you of times he'd slung it across your shoulders after a game and pressed a kiss to your temple or when you sat next to each other at bars.

others had looked at your relationship with a microscope. sydney and grace both had asked multiple times if there was something more with the two of you and looked skeptical whenever you gave them a funny look while saying no.

he was your best friend, always would be so long as you never fucked anything up.

"how's your pasta?" mat asked.

you blinked. "same as yours."

he rolled his eyes yet again and kissed your temple. "smart ass," he mumbled against your skin.

dinner was barely over when music started playing, marking the sign of the first dance. angela and owen danced to "can't help falling in love" while everyone looked on. they didn't talk, they seldom even smiled until, like they were suddenly struck by electricity, they remembered they were being photographed and had all eyes on them.

you bided your time, sipping the water in your glass, because you knew mat was gonna drag your ass onto the dance floor like he had before at other parties and weddings.

sure enough, as soon as the song ended and the party music started, mat's hand was in yours, tugging you towards the center of the floor.

you dragged your feet as a front, just wanting to prolong the feeling of his palm encircling your own. you didn't know the name of the song, just like you didn't understand the light feeling in your stomach when mat pulled you close and placed his hands on your waist.

"in case i forgot to tell you," he shouted into your ear over the pumping music. "you look really pretty tonight."

you could feel the heat crawl up your neck. you ducked your head so you couldn't see him, but he pulled your chin up to look him in the eyes.

"don't get shy on me now," he teased, though his eyes weren't full of mirth like they usually were. they were soft, like sunlight filtered through a bedroom window. "come dance with me."

the two of you danced, hips shaking and moving to the beat of the music. mat always had a grip on you, whether he was twirling you around or had both hands on your hips.

you couldn't remember ever having this much fun at a wedding.

who would've thought it would've been angela's wedding?

but the music slowed down, usually signaling that it was your time to sit back down until hey ya! came on. so you made a move to step off the dance floor and head back to where your brother sat nursing a glass of bourbon, but it was a callused hand that kept you in place.

"where do you think you're going, baby?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips. "you owe me a dance."

you hesitated, knowing that in the past, you'd danced the night away, but with him here, in front of your family, with your grandmother giving you a smile, you didn't know you could fake it any longer. you couldn't keep pretending that you weren't completely infatuated, overcome with love for your best friend.

your hand would've started shaking had he not had a steady grip on you.

mat pulled you close. "c'mon, i won't even step on your toes. i promise."

you relented and let him pull you back into the middle of the floor. he placed his hands on your waist and, for a moment, you thought you were dreaming. in another life, you'd be wearing white and be the prettiest person in the room. in another life, you'd have matching gold bands on your fourth fingers.

in another life, he'd be yours.

you wrapped your hands around the back on his neck, playing with the hair there absentmindedly.

"you're far away," he said. "come back to earth for a minute. what're you thinking about?"

you shrugged. "wondering if i'll ever get this," you answered honestly, even going as far as looking him in the eyes as you spoke.

"you'll get it," he said without a doubt in the world to be found. "i'll make sure of it."

"what about you? do you want something like this?"

he glanced around the room, eyes landing on the newly married couple in the center. "not if i'm not marrying you."

you blinked, heart in your throat. he looked so honest, but you'd known him long enough, seen who he's dated too many times, to know he was joking.

he had to be.

right?

so you laughed, closing your eyes and tilting your head back so that you unintentionally missed the small look of confusion married with hurt on mat's face. you did it to protect yourself, to keep yourself from getting hurt, and unintentionally hurting him in the process.

"i can never tell when you're joking, barzy," you smiled, hoping it covered the shake in your voice.

"but i--"

"may i cut in?" you glanced to your left and saw your smiling grandmother.

"oh i--" mat stuttered, flustered in a way you'd never seen before.

"sure!" you interrupted his train of thought. "i have to pee anyway."

besides, mat was probably safest with her anyway. angela wouldn't try anything while your grandmother was standing there.

you stepped away, waist feeling cold from the lack of contact and made your way towards the bathrooms.

it wasn't that hard to find the restroom, it was just a longer hallway. but it was far enough from the reception that the music was only a faint bass noise.

you walked into the bathroom and did your business. fluffing your hair and fixing your dress in the mirror when you'd finished washing your hands. you opened the door and saw shiny black shoes before you saw the man standing across from the woman's bathroom.

"owen?" you asked. "the men's bathroom is a little further down the hall."

"i know," he said, pushing off the wall to move closer to you.

red flag.

"what?" you asked, moving slightly out of the way so he couldn't push you back into the bathroom. "have you been drinking?"

"sober as a judge."

you furrowed your brows. "what?"

he took another step closer to you while you quickly turned so your back was no longer against a wall, but towards the party. if he kept advancing towards you, the weird tension would soon be out in the open and surely he would stop then.

right?

"i'm sorry for what i did back in high school."

"owen, what are you talking about?"

"for cheating on you. you're all i've ever wanted and it's my biggest regret to this day that i ever let you go."

you were gonna be sick.

"owen, you don't know what you're talking about. you love angela. you got married to angela. she is your wife."

"but i want you." he reached out to touch your hair but you backed up quick enough to just miss his hand.

"no you don't," you said. "you decided i wasn't enough nearly ten years ago."

"but you looked so good and so happy with him, with max or whatever his name is--"

"--mat--"you corrected.

"--it made me miss us. don't you miss me?"

"i don't even know who you are anymore, owen! that person you knew in high school isn't me anymore, and you don't get to decide you want me now just because i'm happy and you aren't."

"we were so good together!"

"we were sixteen, owen! we were children."

"but--"

"i gave you just about everything i could possibly give, and you decided it wasn't enough. you decided to get with my cousin while we were dating instead of breaking up with me. you decided to marry her. and now you get to live with that decision." you spun on your heel and were met with mat's stare. even in the dim lighting, you could see his jaw clenched.

"mat," you breathed like it was your last breath.

"you okay?" he asked.

"yeah," you said. "just telling owen where the bathroom was."

you both knew it was a lie, especially if the look on mat's face was any indication, he'd probably heard enough of the conversation. you allowed yourself to be guided back to the recpetion with mat's hand firmly placed on the small of your back.

you two kept dancing until it was time to send angela and owen off. while mat gathered your things, you said goodbye to your extended family members because you two were leaving tomorrow afternoon to head back to new york.

which scared you.

this last week had been amazing. pretending and playing house with mat meant unlocking feelings you'd pretended didn't exist for the entire duration of your friendship. and while you wished you'd never unlocked pandora's box, part of you was happy you could never go back.

a warm and weathered hand tugged on your forearm and snapped you out of your reverie. "don't let that boy go." when you looked down, your grandmother was staring at you with earnest eyes. "he loves you the way you deserve to be loved."

your eyes welled up with tears as you hugged her. "thanks, grandma."

"i mean it. don't come back without him, you hear me? i need great grand babies soon."

you flushed at the idea and whined. "please don't tell me you said that to him!"

but she didn't answer you, she just laughed.

"you ready?" mat asked, walking over with your brother and harper following closely behind. "cody said he'd give us a ride home."

"treat my baby right, mathew," your grandmother said. "or else i'll have to fly to new york and kill you, you hear?"

he smiled. "yes ma'am."

you hugged your grandmother tight. "i love you."

"love you more."

mat ushered you outside, following behind cody and harper to their car. none of you were interested in the send off, even if was only going to take a few seconds.

the four of you got into cody's car and drove off before your parents could admonish you for leaving early. cody and harper talked amongst themselves about bills and what their own wedding would look like whenever cody proposed (and if you knew him like you thought you did, it would be soon) while you and mat just held hands in the backseat.

it was weird, the physical touch even when no one was looking. but you weren't complaining about it, if anything, you were clinging to it, scared that once it finally ended you'd go into withdrawal.

cody parked outside of your parents house and let you and mat in before driving off. you headed upstairs, with mat on your tail, ready to get undressed and to curl up in bed with a stupid movie.

"that was fun," mat said. "did you have fun?"

you sat down on your bed and started taking off your shoes. "i always have fun when i'm with you," you said absentmindedly. a moment of silence passed. you looked up to see mat shifting from side to side. "are you okay?"

"what did owen want?" he asked honestly.

you sighed and stood up, walking towards him. "i'm not even sure. he started professing how much he missed me, but i shut it down because i don't have feelings for him."

a glimmer of hope. "you don't?"

"nope."

he nodded. "good."

you took a deep breath and stepped closer to him. "i could never go through with it anyway, i'm in love with someone else." please please please don't let this past week be a joke to him. please let him be a horrible actor.

he stared at you.

a moment of silence.

his eyes searched your own, like they were looking for something.

you could feel the tears well up in your eyes at the thought of his rejection. you'd take being heartbroken, but you couldn't take losing your best friend.

and then.

his hands were on your cheeks, his lips were on yours, and your heart had jumped into your throat. your arms wrapped around his neck and into his hair.

when you finally broke apart for air, mat was smiling. "i'm guessing you were talking about me?" he asked, though the smug tone in his voice said he didn't actually need to know the answer. not when the kiss had already confirmed his suspicions.

"you're such an ass," you jokingly shoved him away, but he caught your hand and used it to pull you back in, to kiss you once more.

"but this ass loves you." he paused. "that sounded a lot more romantic in my head than it did coming out."

but you smiled anyway. "this ass loves you too, barzy."

and two years later, standing in front of everyone in a white dress, you couldn't help but smile. lying usually got you in trouble, but you couldn't have imagined a better ending.

#mat barzal #mathew barzal #mat barzal imagine #mat barzal x reader #mathew barzal x reader #mathew barzal imagine #nhl imagine #nhl imagines #nhl blurb

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themultifandomgal · 2 months

Text

Tommy Shelby- I’m Not Doing That Again

“Every woman has one” Polly argues while flitting around YN and Tommys shared bedroom getting everything ready for when YN go into labour

“I had one with Charlie, I’m not doing that again. If I shit then so be it” YN cross her arms stubbornly over her large stomach “tell her Ada”

“I’m not involved in this conversation” Ada holds her hands up shaking her head. YN looks over to Esme who’s smiling

“Polly I don’t want an enema”

“Love it stops infection”

“It’s embarrassing that’s what it is, having your husbands aunt shave you then stick a tube in your arse to make you shit. I’d rather just shit the bed while pushing. Ada didn’t have one with Karl”

“He didn’t leave us with much choice” Polly mutters “right I’ll be back later with supper. Please try and relax”

“See you later” Ada gives her sister in law a weak smile before leaving. Esme walks over to her with a mischievous look

“Where has she put the enema kit?”

“Over there” YN frowns pointing towards the box on top of the dresser “why?”

“Well it would be a shame if it went missing wouldn’t it?”

“She will know it was one of us. Thanks though”

“Not if the kids run wild in the house” Esme winks at YN and then takes the enema kit with her.

“I’M GONNA CHOP HIS DICK OFF AFTER THIS!” Tommy hears his wife scream while she’s upstairs in their room giving birth

“Thats what you said last time now where’s the enema kit? I put it up here” Polly stands with her hands on her hips looking at the dresser. She then turns to YN lying on the bed with Esme holding her hand “YN where have you hidden it?”

“I haven’t” not a lie, but YN knows where Esme has hidden the tube

“Well I suppose we will have to do this the old fashioned way, we just need to find….”

“No please Polly, i don’t want one, please I’m begging you”

“Pol look she’s gonna want to start pushing soon, let’s just leave it”

“Fine” YN finally relaxes looking over at Esme.

Downstairs Tommy paces the living room with a whiskey in hand. Arthur, John, Finn and Micheal all sit with their own drinks on the large sofa. All that can be heard is the shouting of profanities and cursing Tommys name

“Bloody hell, she’s a true Shelby’s ain’t she Tom” Arthur chuckles

“Where’s Charlie?” Finn asks

“YN’s mums” Tommy replies still pacing around, then stops when he hears feet running down the stairs. Ada runs past her brothers and cousin and goes straight into the kitchen to get some more warm water

“Are they here yet?” Micheal asks

“D’you think I’d been here running around if they were”

“THOMAS FUCKING SHELBY YOU BETTER RUN ONCE THIS CHILDS OUT OF ME” YN Shelby, the only person Tommy is afraid off. This makes the Shelby’s all chuckle, but Tommys pacing continues

“Will you sit the fuck down? You know YN will kill ya if you wear out her carpet” John says before drinking the rest of his drink. Tommy finally sits down on the sofa as Ada makes her way back upstairs with the water.

After hours of pacing and drinking, the screams go quiet, that is until the cries of a baby can be heard. Tommy lifts his head up as John slaps him on the shoulder

“Congratulations brother”

“Tommy” Polly says walking down the stairs “come meet your daughter” in an instant Tommy is up and making his was to his and YN’s bedroom.

Walking in he sees Esme and Ada tidying up and putting some sheets in a bucket. His wife sat up in bed with a baby in her arms suckling on her breast

“No more Tommy. I’m not doing that again”

“Whatever you want, as long as you and our kids are happy I don’t care if we don’t have anymore” Tommy walks over and places a kiss on his wife’s head.

#tommy shelby x y/n #tommy shelby x you #tommy shelby x wife #tommy shelby x oc #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby #peaky blinders #peaky blinders reader #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinders imagine

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sugarcoatedstarkey · 5 months

Text

Best friends-part 1

Pairing - Rafe Cameron x best friend!reader

Summary - it’s been 2 years since you’ve seen Rafe, he has a gf and a business degree. You are dating his cousin Cooper and still very involved with the Cameron’s.

Warnings- Descriptive sexual assault, mention of domestic Violence, drinking, language. 18+ no minors

Your families had been friends for years, you had grown up with Rafe. He was your best friend, you couldn’t do anything without each other. Your parents would always joke around that the two of you would get married.

When you turned 14 you realized you might be in love with your best friend romantically but you knew he didn’t feel the same way. He was popular with the ladies, usually bringing a new date to a party each night. He would still tell you that you were his number 1 girl.

That’s when you become self conscious of the way you looked, you started wearing makeup, getting your hair done and exercising religiously. Just so you could match up to the girls he was hitting on.

When you both turned 18, he took off to college. Getting his business degree so his dad would let him run part of the business.

You stayed back though, doing most of your courses online. You couldn’t leave, not when your dad was so sick. So you stayed and wondered what Rafe was up to, you didn’t see him for over 2 years.

You messaged here and there but things weren’t the same anymore. After a while of waiting for him, you realized you needed to move on. You wouldn’t hope and pray that one day he would wake up and feel the same way you do.

So when his older cousin Cooper asked you out on a date, you said yes without a second thought. He was exactly 2 years and 6 months older than you, he’d never given you a second look until the New Year’s party, you had been waiting for Rafe to show up. But to avail he never showed, you met Cooper properly that night and he was instantly obsessed.

Fast forward 8 months into a relationship with him, you found yourself sat on the floor of Tanny Hill. Watching as everyone opened their Christmas presents.

You had been invited by Ward before he had even thought of inviting Cooper and his side of the family, you had to pretend to act surprised when Cooper asked you to come. You knew he had invited you since your dad had passed away, your mum had gone back to work not long after he passed and she was apparently to busy to come home for Christmas.

This year Rafe came on, he was sitting on the large black lounge, arm slung around his girlfriend Lola. She was lovely, blonde with a die for figure. Everything you weren’t. Rafe looked more mature, but happier.

He still caused butterflies to swarm your belly, your heart to stammer in your chest. He still hugged the same and spoke the same, still picked on you in a way that had you giddy.

“Who wants a drink?” Coop questions, stumbling in his step slightly. You shook your head and stood up, he had been drinking since 9am and it was 2pm now. He was wasted. He could hardly stand by himself, using the door frame for support.

“Coop I don’t think you need another drink” you whispered, following him into the kitchen. He waved you off and continued to mix liquids into a shaker.

He had started drinking a lot in the past 3 months, work had been stressful and deadlines where being thrown left and right at him. You suspected he was also nervous about Rafe coming home, he knew how close we used to be.

“Could you open that?” He asks, pushing you the unopened bottle of champagne. His hands gripped the table to steady himself, he chuckled under his breath and looked up at you.

“Open it!” He ordered, you jumped slightly at his aggressive tone. You hated when he drank, he was a whole other person. Mean, manipulative and always ended up hurting you in some way.

You proceeded to uncork the champagne and passed it back to him in silence, he snatched it from you without a thank you and went back to making his drink.

He took a gulp of his drink and walked around to you, sculling back the last of it, he reached out for you. flinching away from him as he placed his hand on your hip.

“Oh come on babe, I didn’t mean to yell” he whispered, pressing his lips to your cheek. You nodded your head in silence, holding your breath. The stench of alcohol on his breath made you woozy.

His lips trailed down your neck, sucking harshly at the skin. He pushed your back against the island bench, trapping you between his large arms. Grinding himself against you.

“Coop, not now. Someone could walk in” you whispered, moving to duck under his arm. He grabbed the pony tail that sat low on your head, pulling you back up to him.

“You don’t get to deny me what’s mine” he growled, his hand gripping the base of your throat. Tightening his fingers around it roughly.

“Coop” you cried, your throat began to burn and the breath you desperately wanted to take was trapped. “You're hurting me!”

He wasn’t listening though, his eyes were glazed over and the expression on his face was no longer him. He was the Cooper you had started to hide from when he came home at 2am in the morning.

“Shut the fuck up” he shouted, his fingers slipped under the material of your sweater. Groping the flesh of your breast roughly, scratching the skin raw.

You had started to cry at this point, tears staining your cheeks. You were thankful that this house was so big, no one would be able to hear you. You didn’t want anyone to witness this.

Cooper began to unzip your jeans, sliding his shaky hand under your panties until he found what he was looking for.

“Cooper!” You cried out, searing pain shooting through you as his fingers roughly entered you.

Tears were blurring your vision now, his lips were all over you. You were struggling to breath from his mouth on your lips and his fingers around your throat.

He began to unzip his own pants, pulling your hand away from the bench and down his jeans. Your fingers frozen, he manipulated them until they wrapped around his cock. “Come on y/n, just a quick fuck and you can go back to the fucking Cameron’s” he slurred, pulling your jeans down to expose your green panties. “Fuck, my favorite” he laughed, he spun you around pushing your face into the table.

The alcohol Cooper had spilt was now all over your face and in your hair, he had you pinned under his hand. Pulling his cock out of his pants, he didn’t warn you or ease you into it. He slammed his hips into you, causing you to cry out in pain.

You squeezed your eyes such and dug your fingernails into the wooden bench, trying to take yourself to a happy place. Anywhere but here.

“Fuck! Get a roo-” Rafes voice filled your ears, the once deafening buzz was gone and you pried your eyes open. Rafe only needed a second to realize you were in distress.

The once disgusted look in his face had vanished and was replaced with anger, his brows knitted together as he took in the scene in front of him.

“Fuck off bro” Cooper shouted, pushing your head back down onto the table and thrusting his hips again, he had no shame.

“Rafe!” You choked, pleading for him to do something. Rafe seemed to have gotten out of the trance he was in and he began bounding towards the two of you.

Cooper pulled himself out of you, tucking himself back into his pants stumbling backwards into the sink.

“What the fuck is wrong with you!!” Rafe screamed, he fisted the front of Cooper's shirt and pulled him closer.

You could tell he was fighting with himself, he didn’t want to cause a scene. Not when his dad was around, he couldn’t risk losing the business.

You had pulled your pants up in hurry, clutching the table in pain as Ward stepped into the kitchen the moment Rafe’s fist was in the air, he took one look at you crying and looked back at the boys.

“What happened?” He questioned, causing Rafe to drop his fist and look back at his dad. “He was assaulting y/n”.

This seemed to anger Ward as well, he nodded his head and stepped over to you.

“Let’s take you somewhere else” Ward whispers, he puts his hand out for you to take. You look back at Rafe and cooper, Rafe nods his head towards his dad. Cooper doesn’t even look at you, he’s so far gone his eyes are rolling behind his head.

You step over to take Ward’s hand and let him take you to his study, he situates you on the couch and hands you some water. You give him a soft smile and move your head to stare out of the window at the sea.

“I’ll be next door” he states, he wants to give you a moment of privacy. He also knows you won’t talk about it to him, you’ll want to talk to Rafe.

You're unaware how much time passes but the door to the study creaks open, Rafe steps in with a bag of ice over his hand.

“Y/n”

You turn your head back to the window, cradling your throat in your hands. The aching hadn’t stopped, the burn in your throat was brutal. No amount of water was easing the pain.

“Can I use your shower?” You asked, moving from your spot and walking towards him. You winced in pain, you hadn’t realized how sore you were. Cooper had been much rougher this time. “Here I’ll help you”.

You let him walk you up the stairs to his room, he pushes the door open. His girlfriend Lola lay on top of his mattress reading a book, her head whips around and sorrow feels her features when she looks at you.

“Sorry babe I thought you were downstairs” he smiled at her, she pulled herself from the bed quickly and flattened her dress. “I’ll use Sarah’s shower” you stated, pulling away from Rafe and walking yourself across the landing with a whimper.

“I have to help her babe” Rafe states and his arms are back around you in a second. You let him lead you into Sarah’s room, he flips the switch in the bathroom and turns the shower on.

“Thanks Rafe” you whisper, you give a soft hug in appreciation and he kisses the top of your head like he used to. Your heart swells, he pulls away and gives you a smile.

“I’ll get you some of Sarah’s clothes” he states and steps out of the room, he goes to close the door but you grab the handle before he can. “Leave it open a little please”.

He nods and steps away from the door, he searches through Sarah’s draws and grabs her a pair of loose shorts and oversized shirt. This should do, he thought to himself.

He walked back to the bathroom, catching a glimpse of you reaching for the towel. He could see old bruises on your arms and the fresh bruises on your hips, he closed his eyes when he caught sight of the harsh scratches on your breast. He knew he shouldn’t look, but you’d seen each other naked before. Okay maybe you were only 15 but still.

“Rafe” you called out, he was at the door in seconds handing you a pile of clothes. “Let me get yours washed” he says, you look down at your clothes and back at him. “No I’ll do it” you went to grab the clothes on the bench but he was faster than you. “Rafe” you warned but his eyes were already looking at the clothes in his hands, the sight of bright red blood stained on your once favorite pair of panties.

“Fuck” he grunted, balling your clothes up in his fists. “I’m getting dad to call the dr” he states, you shake your head grabbing his bicep. “No please Rafe, I’m fine. I don’t want another dr looking at me” you cried, he pulls you into a hug and squeezes you softly against his chest.

“Does this happen a lot?” He questions, he knows he doesn’t have a right to ask. The two of you hadn’t spoken properly since he left and he knew that was all his fault.

“When he drinks a lot he is this whole other person, it only started happening recently. I was never around when he drank before” you mumbled against his chest, you could hear the harsh thump of his heart as he took in the new information.

“He pushed me around a couple of times, forced himself on me a few weeks ago when I told him I missed you. Today was different, he was brutal.” You say, pulling yourself away from his hold. You grab the clothes he brought in and begin to change, keeping the towel around your body until the oversized shirt cover your naked body, stepping into the shorts.

“I’m so sorry I haven’t been around y/n” he says, taking the towel from you and hanging it on a hook. He watches you throw your clothes into the trash, and lets you walk out of the bathroom first.

“Y/n”

Cooper's voice frightens you, you step back hitting Rafe’s chest in the process. Your heart races as you take in his swollen bruised face, you didn’t like it. “Coop, Ward told you to leave” Rafe states, stepping around you and walks towards him. “I know I know, I just needed to see y/n. I’m so sorry this happened again baby, you know I love you”.

You shake your head and walk back into the bathroom closing the door behind you, you didn’t want to hear it, he was just trying to get you to forgive him. Take him back and pretend like none of it happened.

It was the same every time, this time he’d gone too far.

“Get out Cooper now, I’m fucking serious. Your lucky I didn’t call the fucking cops you piece of shit!” Rafe bellows, you hear a thump against a wall. Either Rafe hit the wall or he hit Cooper who fell into the wall.

“Fuck!” You hear Cooper shout, the door slams behind him. You're pressed against the bathroom door in silence, body shaking in fear.

Rafe taps on the wood quietly and you open the door for him. “He’s gone, let’s get you something to eat yeah?”.

Part two

Taglist - @laylasbunbunny @h34rtsformilli @lydiasxxsworld @hallecarey1 @mountloverr @outerbankspov @cameronmedia @crunchy-leaves77 @vigilanteshitposting @pedrisgatorade @phoenixssugarbaby @rafemotherfuckingcameron @s-we-e-t-t-ea @rafesthroatbaby @alltoomay @moremaybank

(please note a lot of people who commented or like my taglist post I am unable to actually tag, so sorry!! And if you no longer want to be tagged just let me know)

#outerbanks smut #rafe cameron smut #rafe cameron #outerbanks fic #rafe cameron fic #rafe cameron x reader #rafe angst #rafe fluff #rafe x you #rafe fanfiction #rafe x reader #rafe imagine #rafe fic #rafe smut #rafe obx #rafe outer banks #outerbanks rafe #drew starkey smut #outerbanks x reader

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phoward89 · 2 months

Text

Banner by me, dividers by @saradika

Based on this ask

Warnings: Coriolanus Snow is his own warning! Some cussing. Talks of prostitution. Manipulation. Implied forced body modification/mutilation. Mentions of murder/poison.

Now That We Don't Talk

The chill in the air made you shiver as you walked down the sidewalk towards Tigris’ boutique. Like every Wednesday you were meeting her for brunch. You only wished that you opted to take Coriolanus up on his offer to have the chauffeur take you since the winter winds were a bit harsh today. Of course, you declined his offer, telling him that you were meeting his cousin at her boutique this midmorning instead of the cafe where you usually went for your brunches with the kind hearted stylist.

Coryo wasn't happy with your answer but he accepted it nevertheless. He also told you to wear your new fur coat, the one he got you less than a month ago, since Lucretius ‘Lucky’ Flickerman's weather report predicted a cold, wintery day with the possibility of light snowfall.

After agreeing to wear the luxury fur coat (your fiance said it was a rare fur, Russian sable, and that you were the only in the Capitol to have it), Coriolanus rose from the dining room table only to give you a kiss on your temple and prepare to leave for an early morning meeting with some political strategist for his campaign.

Yes, your man was running for president of Panem.

Holding your coat closer together with your glove covered hand, you walked a tad bit faster. You were grateful that the walk to Tigris’ boutique wasn't too far from the penthouse you shared with Coriolanus. Meaning you didn't have to brave the cold too long. You hated the cold, but with how you were raised it's only a given that you'd hate it.

Upon seeing the scrolling print sign for Tigris' boutique swinging in the wind, you felt a sense of relief. In a matter of moments you'd be warm.

“Tigris, I'm here!” You called out to the blonde as soon as you set foot into the shop.

A girl with bubble gum pink hair was at the front counter of the shop. She smiled at you as her boss, Tigris, emerged from the back. You exchanged warm greetings and hugs before she ushered you down a hall and up the stairs that led to her condo.

“I'm sorry that we couldn't go to the cafe, but between requests and designing a new wardrobe for the victory tour, I've been swamped.” Tigris sweetly apologized for your change in plans as you removed your fur coat.

“It's fine, Tigris. I don't mind having brunch here.” You replied with a smile while hanging the coat up on the corner rack by the door.

The stylist's eyes took in the luxury fur hanging by her door and asked, “That's not the coat from my new line that I made for you. Did Coriolanus get it for you?”

“Yes.” You nodded, going over to the plush sofa. “He gave it to me a few weeks ago and insisted that I wear it today.” You innocently said, not understanding the true meaning behind Coriolanus’ actions.

Bless your heart, but you were innocent and you'd never think that your loving and caring boyfriend would do anything to hurt anyone, especially his cousin. But…that wasn't the case and his true reason for making telling you to wear your new Russian sable coat was to slight his cousin. To hurt Tigris since he knew she gave you the light pink peacoat with faux fur collar from her new line as a holiday gift.

Tigris weakly smiled, feeling sick to her stomach that you were so sweet and being led to the slaughter by her cold and calculating cousin, as she went to the kitchen to grab the charcuterie board she had prepared earlier for your brunch along with making the two of you some mimosas.

When she returned, she set the items on the coffee table only for you to frown and tell her, “You didn't put any alcohol in the orange juice, did you? Coryo doesn't like it when I drink outside of galas or when he's not with me.”

Tigris gave you a long look of disbelief, only to sigh, “He doesn't have to know you had a mimosa in my condo. What's brunch without mimosas?”

Shaking your head, you refused the drink. “He told me not to drink it so I won't. Please, just get me a plain orange juice.”

Tigris sighed heavily and was about to give into your request, but changed her mind whenever a large shiny diamond ring on your left ring finger caught her attention.

No.

No, you couldn't be.

Grabbing yout hand, she looked between you and the very large ring. “When did you start wearing this?”

“Coriolanus proposed last night.” You beamed, pulling your hand out of your friend's hold only to flick your hand up and admire the ring on your finger. “Coryo says it's one of a kind. That he designed it special for me.” Pointing to the ring, you explained the ring's design. “The large diamond in the middle's a rare pink diamond and all the white diamonds on the side are marquises. It's supposed to be a pink rose because those are my favorite flowers.”

Tigris felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach at hearing you happily tell her about the shackle her ruthless cousin had slipped on your finger hours ago.

She always thought that Coriolanus would grow bored of using you as his plaything and return you to your family. The star designer assumed that her cousin would push you away once he announced his intent to run as the youngest president of Panem. Tigris assumed that Coriolanus would spurn you because of your district background and latch onto a woman of impeccable Capitol breeding in his unquenchable thirst for power.

But she was wrong.

Coriolanus proposed and you said yes.

Now Tigris knew that she had to warn you about him if you had any chance of escaping him. Any chance at happiness. You weren't just her cousin's girlfriend fiance, but a dear friend of hers and she wanted you to be safe.

You'd never be safe with Coriolanus.

So, with a sad look in her soft blue eyes, the blonde woman told you, “Sweetheart, there's things about Coriolanus you don't know, but need to know.”

“Like what, Tigris?” You innocently asked, assuming that she was going to tell you a childhood story or something.

But what she told you wasn't a childhood story. No, what she told you made your eyes pop out of your head. Tigris, to your utter shock and horror, revealed all of Coriolanus' sins to you.

Sins that he never wanted you to know because he never wanted you to see him as anything but your loving and protective Coryo.

When Coriolanus came home you were in the kitchen finishing dinner. The smell had his mouth watering as he hung up his heavy maroon coat. He smiled to himself just thinking about how you'd never have to lift another finger in the kitchen ever again once he became president.

You'd have an entire kitchen full of the best private chefs for that. You'd be able to fill your evenings reading your ancient books and watching those trashy Capitol tv shows you enjoyed so much. Oh, and pleasing him at every whim.

“Dinner smells good, darling.” Coriolanus told you, stepping into the kitchen.

You nearly jumped, feeling a bit snuck up on, as you heard his baritone fill the air. You prayed that he didn't notice your jumpiness, but he did.

“What's wrong?” He asked, coming up behind you to wrap an arm around your waist in a comforting way.

But what should've felt like a comforting gesture didn't. In fact, his touch made you feel sick. His hands, covered in so much blood from all the murders he committed to rise up the political ranks, felt foreign as they touched you. His touch was that of the angel of death; not a lover, or at least that's how it felt after hearing his cousin’s damning words of warning earlier.

Shaking your head, you weakly assured him, “I'm fine, just tired’s all.”

“I told you, my darling rose, that you should've had the driver take you to Tigris’ for brunch. That it was too cold out for you to walk.” Coriolanus remarked before letting you go. “If you're getting ready to plate our food, I'll pour us some drinks.”

The thought of him pouring you a drink had you choking on air. Tigris' earlier words washed over you.

“He poisons people he deems as disposable or a threat to him, sweetheart. He offers them a drink and watches them die to tie up his loose ends.”

Before you knew what was happening, you were pushing past your fiance (nearly knocking him on his ass) and running out of the kitchen to the bathroom.

Concerned, Coriolanus followed you only to find you hunched over the toilet coughing and spitting up bile. Going over to the vanity, he turned on the sink and grabbed a small washcloth from the drawer they were stored in. He ran the white cloth under the cool water for a few moments before turning off the faucet and wringing out the washcloth.

Bending down next to you, he tucked your hair behind your ear and ran the cool cloth over your face. “Are you okay, darling? You're not coming down with something, are you?”

He couldn't help but hope that he knocked you up. He wanted nothing more than to tie you to him forever with a baby. Having a child with him would be more of a life binding contract then marriage. But he knew that morning sickness usually happened, well, in the morning.

His icy blue eyes looked at you with concern. Believe it or not, the cold man with a too small black heart truly did care about you and your well-being. Truth be told, you and the cat you twisted his arm into adopting were the only things on God's green earth that he gave a fuck about.

Hell, he didn't even give a shit about his own cousin these days, given how cold she was to him once he returned from his summer stint in District 12 as a peacekeeper all those years ago. Only reason he hasn't cut her off yet is because of you and how much you adore the fashionista bitch.

“I'm fine, just a bit tired.” You lied. Truth was you weren't fine. The fact that your fiance was a murderer that might end up poisoning you to get rid of you because of your inferior birth made your stomach churn.

Yes, Tigris had told you that Coriolanus looked down on district people. That he was disgusted by them and viewed them to be lower than gutter rats. She told you that she thought he would've grown tired of you, but now feared what he'd do to you since he wanted to marry you.

She told you that she felt her cousin had no real intentions on marrying you. That she was afraid he'd poison you (kill you) to gain sympathy and higher polling numbers for his campaign.

Now the blonde woman's words ran wild thru your head and you couldn't even look at the platinum blonde man who owned your heart the same way again.

“Perhaps you should go rest in our room.” Coriolanus suggested, thinking maybe some rest would make you feel better.

Coriolanus was wrong. Rest didn't make you feel better. Nothing made you feel better. In fact, in the days after your brunch with Tigris you started to pull away from him.

At first it was subtle, but then it became painfully obvious to him that you were pulling away. Especially when you stopped calling him Coryo. That's when he knew he no longer owned your heart.

Something was wrong and it drove him insane not knowing what it was. He couldn't figure out what had changed so drastically. It's as if you looked at him with undying love one day and then suddenly woke up to look at him with a fearful love the next.

A fearful love…

Damnit!

Did something scare you? Did somebody tell you something to make you shrink into yourself and become a shell? If they did, well, they'd pay for it.

Pay with their life.

He decided that he was confronting you tonight about being so distant. He was getting to the bottom of your problems because over a week of you not being the woman he fell for was enough. Coriolanus couldn't handle you pulling away from him anymore.

Goddamnit, he's gone too long without fucking you.

Enough was enough.

“Darling, we need to talk.” Coriolanus told you as soon as he got home from work.

You stared at him from your spot on the sofa as he hung up his coat. “About what?” You asked, your eyes flickering back to the book you had in your hand. It was an old one from the ancient pre-Panem days. Your fiance got it for you at some high-end auction house.

“Us.” The word was clipped as he let it out of his mouth.

You refused to look at Coriolanus as he crossed the room. Instead, you kept your eyes glued to the pages of Pride & Prejudice.

“Did I do something to make you pull away from me?” You heard him ask while stopping in front of you.

“No.” You half lied. He didn't do anything to you (yet), but it was the sins he committed in the past that had your head spinning. Deciding you didn't want to get into it with him, you simply said, “I'm not pulling away from you, Coriolanus. I've just been tired’s all.”

“Don't lie to me.”

“I'm not-” You began only for him to loom over you and shout, “Yes you are!”

The pressure had finally gotten to him. He finally snapped.

Yanking the book out of your hands and tossing it somewhere across the room, he ranted, “You won't call me Coryo anymore, my darling. You've been pulling away from me for over a week now and I need to know why. I miss the way you used the look at me, darling. Hell, I miss the way we used to be.”

Your eyes fell to the floor as you sighed, “I told you, I've just been tired.”

That was the wrong answer.

You should've told him the truth…

Coriolanus grabbed you by your upper arms with a tight, bruising force and pulled you to your feet, all the while yelling, “Stop fucking lying to me, darling! I can't handle your distance and lies anymore!” His chest wildly heaved up and down in anger as he added in, “I want to know what I did to make you stop loving me, my darling rose.”

You never stopped loving him and told him as much, which only prompted him to ask why you've been pulling away from him.

So now the truth you've been keeping from him flowed out of your mouth like a raging river.

“Tigris saw my ring and told me that you didn't mean to go thru with marrying me. That you'd just poison and kill me to boost votes for your campaign and gain sympathy as being the heartbroken lover.”

“What?” Coriolanus blinked his baby blues. He removed his hands from your arms, only to take your hands in his and lead you to sit down on the sofa. A soft look washed over his face as he assured you, “I'd never do that to you, darling."

Shaking your head, you cried, “She says that you've killed before for power and to climb the political ladder, Coriolanus.” Tears were rolling down your cheeks as you wailed, “And she told me that you're disgusted by district people, Coriolanus. That you view us as lower than gutter rats.”

It was true that he thought district people were scum, but it wasn't true that he viewed you that way. You weren't scum to him. You were better than where you were born. Hell, you lived in the Capitol for so long now that he doesn't even consider you District anymore.

“Tigris says that I don't matter to you; that you don't love me and will marry a girl of proper Capitol breeding once you dump poison in my drink.”

How dare his cousin tell you that he didn't love you?! He did love you. Hell, he was more obsessed with you then he ever was with the lying, treacherous, traitor, snake charmer of a whore singer he nearly destroyed his life over.

No, he loved you with everything he had inside of him. Despite being a dark creature that had no problems killing to get, keep, and maintain power, he truly did love you. You were the best thing that ever happened to him and he knew that he couldn't let his cousin turn you against him.

Coriolanus wanted, no needed, to be your Coryo again and he'd say anything to make it happen.

“I wish you would've told me what Tigris told you as soon as it happened, my darling rose.” Coriolanus sighed while wrapping his arms around you. Pulling you against his chest, his silver tongue weaved its magic with the perfect words to turn you against Tigris. “She's jealous that nobody wants her because, despite her impeccable reputation as a stylist, a lot of men remember that years ago she used to sell her body on the black market. Tigris is also upset that she became a stylist because I told Dr. Gaul that the tributes needed uniforms and interview outfits.” Threading his fingers thru your soft hair, he added in the final words he needed to make Tigris look like the villain in this story. “She's upset that it was me who made her who she is. Made her a star designer. And she's jealous that I have somebody when she doesn't because of some choices she made before I could make her stylist dreams come true.”

“I never knew Tigris sold herself.” You gasped, clearly a bit horrified at the thought of your friend doing sexual favors with men for money.

A large smug smirk spreads over Coriolanus' face as he continues to hold you close to his chest. Oh, he knew that he had you right where he wanted you. He had to lay it on thick so he'd be able to reel you in; have you under his thumb again. But he planned on having you look at him like you used to. He'd say and do anything to accomplish that too.

His voice quivered as he put on an act worthy of an academy award. “My darling rose, we don't talk anymore and it's killing me. The possibility of losing you because of some lies my jealous whore of a cousin told you because she's alone and miserable is heartbreaking.” He sucked in a breath, making you think that he was trying to prevent himself from breaking down, only to confess in a broken timbre, “I miss making love to you, darling.”

The phrase making love made his skin crawl as if spiders were underneath the epidermis, but he knew that to manipulate you back into his arms then he had to say it. After all, making love sounds more poetic than fucking your goddamn brains out does.

You lifted your head off his chest, only to look up into his icy blue eyes. Eyes that looked pitiful, like a kicked puppy’s, as he poured his heart out to you.

“I love you more than I ever thought possible, my darling rose. You consume me and losing you would destroy me. Turn me into a monster.” Coriolanus truthfully admitted. He wasn't lying about that, he was obsessed with you and knew deep down that if he ever lost you then he'd become a monster deadlier than anything that ever came out of Dr. Gaul's lab.

And that was scary considering at the moment he had no morals, just the compass of his late father to guide him.

His large, calloused hand cupped your cheek as he swore, “I will never hurt you, Y/N. And I will never ever kill you or try to.” He pressed a kiss to your lips, only to rest his forehead on yours and confess. “I love you, my darling rose.”

That phrase was one he never thought he'd utter, but he did it to reel you in. To make sure that you never left his side. He needed you just like he needed air to breathe, so if he had to make himself a bit weak by saying the love word to you then so be it.

Hearing him say ‘I love you, my darling rose’ made your fears and doubts about him fly right out the window. He'd never said that to you before, not until now, and you knew he meant it. That he said it because he loved you and didn't want you to leave him.

But you could never leave him. You loved him too much.

“I love you too, Coryo.” You softly smiled, looking at your hand still holding his.

Hearing you call him Coryo again was the signal Coriolanus needed to let him know that he'd won. You were once again his and under his control.

“I'm sorry I was being distant. I was just scared.” You apologized, feeling foolish for pushing your fiance away over hearsay.

Tucking a piece of hair behind your ear, your fiance told you, “I know you were, darling. I only wished that you came to me so I could put your fears to rest.”

You believed that he loved you and wouldn't do you any harm, but you were still curious about one thing. “Coryo, have you poisoned people to climb up the political ladder; for power?”

“Of course not, Y/N.” He firmly denied, only to add in the rhetorical question of, “And why would I want to kill my political allies? Makes no sense, darling.”

Yes, why would he want to kill his political allies? You couldn't help, but think that he'd need his political connections alive since they'd be able to help him in elections better breathing than pushing up daisies.

What you didn't know was that Coriolanus craved power and would kill anyone to get it and keep it. Didn't matter who they were. But…you didn't need to know that.

All you needed to know was that he'd NEVER kill you.

“Yea, it doesn't make any sense.” You innocently agreed with your fiance.

Looking between you and the clock on the wall, he suggested, “We still have half an hour before the Justice Building closes for the night. Let's go have the Magistrate marry us.”

“You want to get married tonight?” You asked, wide-eyed, with a mix of excitement and disbelief in your voice.

No.

No, he didn't want to get married tonight. In fact, Coriolanus wanted to marry you in a lavish ceremony dripping in diamonds, gold, roses, and silk bunting in the presidential palace right after winning the election. But…he knew that Tigris made you doubt his intentions of making you Mrs. First Lady Snow so the only way to scrub that from your mind was to marry you right away.

“Yes.” He nodded. Pulling you to your feet, he simply instructed, “Go put on that white dress you wore for the winter gala, Mrs. Snow.”

The following morning Tigris’ heart sank into the pit of her stomach as she read the main headline in the political section of the newspaper.

Presidential Frontrunner Now A Family Man- Senator Coriolanus Snow & Long Time Girlfriend Wed Last Night In Private Ceremony

Tigris mourned for the loss of your freedom, of your life. She has no idea why you didn't heed her warnings, but she wished you did.

Before she could start to read the article, a knock sounded at her door. When she answered it, she found a pair of peacekeepers at her door. They told her that they had strict orders from Senator Snow to escort her to a very important appointment he had made for her.

It was an appointment that would change the rest of her life and if she knew what it was for, maybe she would've tried to run from the peacekeepers her cousin had doing his dark bidding.

You hadn't seen Tigris since you married Coriolanus. He said that it was for the best. Of course, you believed him. He married you when she said he wouldn't. Coriolanus had proved her a liar.

It's been roughly 5 months since you've been Mrs. Snow and you couldn't be happier, especially since you were expecting your first child with Coryo.

A baby boy.

A baby boy the two of you decided to name Cassian Xandros. It was to keep up the Snow tradition of the first born son having the initials C.X.S.

You thought it was so sweet how your husband wanted to uphold his family's traditions.

Too bad he didn't let you uphold any of the traditions you grew up with. Mhm…

“Are we still going to be on this campaign tour during the games?” You asked your husband, who was sitting in an armchair, sipping on coffee and reading the paper, in the luxury train carriage you shared.

“We’ll go back to the Capitol for the games; then we'll continue the campaign tour.” He explained while turning the page of his newspaper.

You were reading your favorite book, Pride & Prejudice, whenever Coriolanus stood up and walked over to where you were resting on the sofa. Folding the paper, so only one page was visible, he handed it to you and solemnly said, “Darling, you need to see this.”

“What is it? A drop in your poll numbers?” You innocently asked, setting your book aside and reaching for the paper.

“No, it's something very unsettling.” He said as you took the paper from his large hand.

You wondered what was so unsettling in the paper, but soon got your answer as you read the headline in the current events column.

Star Stylist Tigris Has Transformed Into Her Namesake, A Tiger

As if that wasn't enough, the picture of her transformed face made you gasp. She no longer looked like herself, but truly did look like a tiger. She had plastic surgery and tattoos to modify her face, neck, and chest. Black lines zig zagged all over her and her once blue eyes were now a bright yellow with thick, sweeping liner. She even had whisker implants and her upper lip split to mimic the mouth of a cat. Even her hair was different. The once light blonde locks now had chunk black highlights in it.

You couldn't believe your eyes. Why would she do that? She was so pretty…

You must've asked your question out loud, because the next thing you know your husband's sitting next to you, sighing, “I don't know why, my darling rose. She was pretty, but now nobody will ever want her.” Taking the paper from you and passing you back your book, he knowingly said, “If only she didn't tell you lies; try to break us up. Then she wouldn’t be alone.”

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hellodarling1357 · 3 months

Note

Could I request Cass trying to seduce and get readers attention who’s playing hard to get? I need more flirty Cass 😩

Touched by an Angel - Cassian x Reader

This request was so much fun to write!!! Thanks for sending it in lovely anon, hopefully you like it 💕

Excuse the cheesy pickup lines, you know I had to do it…

I’m slowly working through my WIPs and inbox so please send me some more requests!!

Enjoy 🥰

Word Count: 3k

Regardless of the fact that you and Mor had been friends for well over two centuries, Rhy was only just now granting you access into Velaris after much persuasion from his cousin. The plan being you were to stay with Mor for two weeks while she had some time off from her work so that you could properly catch up after being apart for far too long.

Your first night in the City of Starlight was an eventful one to say the least. During the day, you had let Mor show you around the markets and the Rainbow, stopping to have a late lunch along the Sidra, before she dragged you back to her place to get ready for a night out at Rita's. You had heard a lot about the club over your years of friendship, so you were excited to experience a night there for yourself.

After a few too many glasses of wine over the time it took to get ready, you were well on your way to being very, very drunk before you even stepped inside the crowded establishment. Straight away, Mor was pulling you to the bar before promptly placing a shot glass of some pink-looking drink into your hand, followed by another, and another, leaving you feeling giddy with excitement and the overwhelming desire to dance.

So dance you did.

The hours passed and you briefly remember being introduced to some of Mor's friends, not paying much attention as the music and sway of bodies consumed you. However, the overwhelming heat of the swarm of fae pressed so tightly around you eventually got the better of you. You turned on the spot, looking for you friend to tell her you were going to take a breather, only to find her wrapped around a female and very clearly distracted. With a grin spread across your face, you pushed your way through the masses and headed towards the door.

The fresh air was a welcoming change to the stuffiness you had walked out of. But it was the sight before you that had an expression of awe sketched across your face. Velaris had been pretty in the daylight, but at night? You had never seen anything like it.

"It sure is something, isn't it?" You whipped around to face the deep voice that had spoken from behind you.

"I know you." It wasn't a question. The male in front of you did look familiar.

"Yeah, I'm Cassian. One of Mor's friends. We met earlier?" You nodded with a vague recollection of the tall, muscled figure who had seemed to tower over the rest of the dancing fae.

"Right," But you were distracted by the slanted smirk of his full lips, the slight alcohol-induced haze in his eyes tracked your every movement.

You lent side-by-side against the alleyway wall, talking about whatever mundane thing came to mind before an 'acceptable' enough amount of time had passed, then Cassian had you pressed against said wall. Your legs wrapped tightly around his waist, his mouth attacking your neck with bruising kisses, while you moaned out, not caring who heard, at the feel of him inside you. With a final cry, you became undone in his arms, squeezing around him until he came with a guttural groan. You held onto him for support as he helped steady you back onto your feet, afraid your knees would give out as you panted into the chill night air, the thrum of music and excited chatter reminding you of where you were.

"Well, I should probably...," you motioned behind you towards the door, "Mor is probably looking for me."

"Right. I'll see you later, yeah?"

Cassian waited until you had walked back inside Rita's before deciding to call it a, very pleasant, night and flew back to the House of Wind.

*****

You awoke the next morning with a pounding headache, your stomach churning in a sickly way as the sunlight pooled in through the open curtains.

Mor let out a groan next to you, slamming a pillow over her face before soft snores sounded again. With a groan of your own, you forced yourself out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

You looked like absolute shit.

Your hair was a mess on top of your head, strands having escaped the band you used to pull it out of your face. Dark smudges were smeared around your eyes, a stark contrast to the pale and clammy complexion of your skin. Your eyebrows furrowed even further at the sight of the splattering of hickeys that trailed along the side of your neck and across your chest. Clearly it had been a bigger night than you thought because you had zero recollection of how, or when, they got there. Or, more importantly, who gave them to you.

"You look like you've been attacked by a leech."

You shoved Mor as she stood beside you, observing herself in the mirror with a frown. She looked just as bad, if not worse, than you did.

"You can fuck right off, thank you very much." Your friend just shot you a stunning, if not slightly pained, grin.

"Ugh, come on. Showers then we're going to Rhys' for breakfast," She chucked you a towel before walking out to give you some privacy.

As if in after thought, she threw over her shoulder, "Want me to leave a scarf out for you to cover them up?" You slammed the door in her face, the wooden panel not blocking out her laughter as she asked, "Or would you prefer a jumper? Something with a high neckline?"

*****

Walking past the gate of the High Lord's town house, you knew should definitely be feeling somewhat nervous as the prospect of having a casual, albeit hungover, breakfast with him and his inner circle. But the fact that you were hungover, and that the heavenly smell of bacon was wafting towards you, had all pretences flying out the window.

You and Mor were the first to arrive, or more like, the first to drag yourselves out of bed, so had first dibs of the spread of food before you.

Looking a little green, Mor mumbled something about needing to get some fresh air, leaving you alone to eat your eggs in peace. That peace was short lived, however, as the sound of heavy footfalls coming down the stairs reminded you that there were others in the house, and whose house it was for that matter.

Mor waltzed into the room at the same time as the three Illyrian males, you knew Rhys straight away, having met him a few times throughout the years, but the other two only looked vaguely familiar. You were sure you could pinpoint their names if you thought about it hard enough but, alas, your brain was still not properly functioning.

There was a chorus of muffled "mornings" but other than that, everyone was content to eat, and suffer, in silence.

You eventually got up, taking a pile of dishes into the kitchen, vaguely aware of one of the males following behind you.

He let out a low whistle before saying, "Well, I clearly left an impression."

Your brows furrowed in confusion, turning to face the male as you studied his face.

"Do I know you?" Under normal circumstances, you wouldn't have been so blunt. You would have at least tried to feign some sort of confusion, 'I thought you looked familiar', 'of course, what was your name again?' but with your head still spinning you couldn't bring yourself to care.

"Yes," He let out a laugh that quickly faltered as your evident confusion remained, "We had sex. Last night…"

You blinked as he waved a hand towards your neck, where the marks were still very clearly visible. But before you could say anything, laughter sounded from the other room as a stream of taunts filtered in.

"I thought you said that you were good in bed, Cass. That's just embarrassing, not even a few hours later and poor Y/N has already forgotten all about you."

“Left an impression, my ass.”

Cassian

That's right, you could place him now. Him, and the somewhat blurred memory of frantic and passionate kisses, muscled arms holding you tightly, the sounds of...

Yep, you remembered.

Clearly not deterred in the slightest, Cassian gave you a dazzling smile, running a hand through his tousled hair before saying with a wink, "That's alright, I'll just have to make it more memorable for you next time."

You scrunched your nose at the implication. Sure, he was attractive. Honestly, one of the most attractive males you had ever laid eyes on. But you knew better than to fall for the clearly tried-and-tested smirk that you had no doubt had been used on countless females before you.

"Thanks," You noted the glint in his eyes as he continued fixing you with that intent glaze, "but I'll pass."

You walked towards the collection of snorts and laughter as you left Cassian standing in the kitchen with the stack of dishes, a slightly dumbfounded expression on his face.

*****

A few days into your visit, Mor had left you to your own devices for a few hours, which was how you ended up stretched out on one of the seats in the town house's garden, a book in hand as you basked in the sun. You were slightly aware of the back door opening and closing but paid it no real heed, that is, until the shadow of someone standing in front of you pulled your eyes away from the page.

You looked up expectantly, already anticipating the direction the conversation was heading in; having grown accustomed to Cassian's flirtations and not so subtle attempts of wooing you since that first morning.

"Is this seat taken?"

You looked towards the empty seat he was pointing at, and the one beside it, and the one beside that.

"Yes, it is. No go away, you're blocking the sun." You looked back down at your book, not sparing him a second glance.

"We can't have that now, can we, sweetheart?"

For a moment you thought he had actually listened to you and was heading back inside, that is until you quickly glanced up and found him sprawled across the glass, staring up at you with a smirk.

"What? You said that seat was taken. And at least from down here I'm not blocking the sun. You don't mind if I join you, do you?"

You stared ahead in frustration before letting out a huff as you returned to your book, not missing the grin that had spread over Cassian's face at your reaction.

A few minutes of silenced had passed, you had almost forgotten about Cassian's presence until he let out a soft laugh and said, "I hope you don't mind me saying, but you, right now, the way the sun is shining on you, you look like an absolute vision."

You shifted in your seat trying to ignore the irritation that simmered away.

"What is this? What are you doing?" You snapped back, not giving him a chance to answer, "Is this your way of flirting with me?"

Without missing a beat, Cassian answered, "Yes. Is it working?"

The wink he sent you had your indignantly moving your book up to block him out, and to prevent him from seeing the traitorous blush that spread across your cheeks.

*****

A few night later, you were having dinner with Mor and the rest of the inner circle, having grown quite close to some of them over the week you had been staying.

"You know what I don't get?" Cassian, who sat across from you, asked, "What I don't get, is how someone as beautiful as you could possibly be single. And, the funny thing is, I also happen to be single, but we can easily change that. How about it, Y/N? Fancy a drink?"

"Oh, I would but... I've already got one. Thanks anyway." You gave him a pretty little smile as you raised your glass before turning back to your conversation with Mor and Amren.

"Better luck next time," You heard Azriel say through a laugh as Rhys ruffled Cassian's hair.

*****

The next time you saw Cassian, he had run into the kitchen at an alarming speed, a slight look of panic in his eyes as you cautiously observed him.

“Y/N, I’m being serious, I need your help,” Your eyes crinkled in concern, “Please. Can I please borrow a kiss? I promise I’ll give it back.”

The faux-panicked look was quickly overtaken by a wide cheesy grin as he leant in towards you.

“Cassian,” You yelled, whacking him with a tea towel, “You prick! I thought something serious happened.”

“Something serious did happen, Y/N. The night we met, and you stole my heart… That alleyway will never be the same after what we shared there.”

You threw the tea towel at him as you stomped out of the room, passing a confused looking Mor, who, upon seeing Cassian standing there with a lovesick grin, rolled her eyes and followed after you.

*****

“I don’t get why you don’t just say yes,” Mor said as you heavily sipped from a glass of wine back at her apartment. “He’s one of the good ones, Y/N. Take away all of the cringy pick-up lines and I think he’s serious about wanting to take you out, he really does like you.”

“It’s not that easy…”

“No? What’s not easy about it?”

You starred at her, not wanting to say what was on your mind. She was just as stubborn though, if not even more so than you, so stared right back with a quirked eyebrow as she waited for your explanation.

Huffing in defeat, you flopped back onto the couch and let out a sigh.

“It’s not easy, Mor, because there’s no point. I leave in a few days so why start something up when it’s not going to last.”

“You don’t have to,” Mor sat herself beside you, wrapping an arm around you as you leant your head on her shoulder, “leave that is. You could stay.”

“Right,” You let out a sharp laugh, “Let me just pack up my whole life and move across Prythian for a guy I’ve known all of ten days.”

“Or,” Mor counted, sending her elbow into her ribs, “You could move across Prythian for your dearest friend who has missed you like crazy and knows that you’re miserable back home. The guy could just be a nice bonus on the side.”

You sat up, staring at your friend as you mulled over her words.

“Move here? Is that allowed? Where would I even live?”

“Yes, it is. I already spoke to Rhys about it, he would love for you to stay, said he’s already got some potential work lined up if you’re interested. And, obviously, you can stay with me until you find your own place.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

Huh. Now that was a thought.

“If I moved, that’s an if, not a yes, it would be for you, not because of…him”.

“I would hope so. Though I’m sure Cassian wouldn’t mind in the slightest.”

The knowing grin and wink she gave you had your cheeks reddening as you lifted a pillow to cover your blush. Mor just pulled you back against her side, knowing that your hesitancy to move was just a front and that you would be packed, moved and settled in Velaris within the week.

*****

It was, technically, your last night in Velaris before you went back home to pack up your belongings. After talking out the logistics with Mor and Rhys, you had excitedly agreed to move and become an official citizen and member of the Night Court.

You had spent the afternoon with Mor looking at potential apartments before making your way to Rita’s for a ‘goodbye’ drink with the rest of the inner circle.

After tossing and turning all of the previous night, you had come to the decision that moving to a new city, a new court, signified the beginning of a new chapter. So why not throw caution to the wind and see how things played out with a certain Illyrian male who was currently standing by himself at the bar while he waited to be served.

“Hey,” You somewhat yelled over the music and laughter of the fae around you.

Cassian did a double-take before dramatically clutching at his chest, “Y/N, it should be illegal to look that good, it’s not fair on the rest of the females here.”

You rolled your eyes, but your usual snarky remark didn’t follow.

“I know our time together is limited,” Cassian continued, the dramatic tone still lacing his voice, “But before you leave us behind, would you at least just grab my hand, just for a moment, so that I can tell everyone I’ve been touched by an angel?”

Shaking your head as he grinned down at you, you relented and grabbed his hand. He was quick to slip his fingers through yours with a satisfied smile.

“I’m not leaving,” You said, very much aware that your fingers were still laced together, “Well, I am. But Mor convinced me to move here, so I’ll be back in a week or so.”

Cassian’s eyebrows shot up, shock settling over his features. Clearly no one had told him of your plans.

“Oh?

“Yep.”

You were interrupted by the bartender as Cassian ordered you both a drink before turning back to you with a quizzical expression.

There was a beat of silence in which your hands were still interlocked, Cassian’s thumb absentmindedly caressing the back of your hand, and you watched one another for a moment, as if seeing each other in a different light.

“Your way of flirting is truly awful, by the way.” You teased with a small smile. With the way Cassian was looking at you, there was no chance of attempting to stop your blush.

“But is it working?

“Maybe…”

#cassian x reader #cassian acotar #cassian x y/n #cassian x you #cassian imagine #acotar #acofas #acomaf #acosf #acowar #marley writes

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alisonwritesimagines · 1 year

Text

Baby Fever ~Simon Ghost Riley Imagine~

Summary: Your niece gets attached to Ghost during a family reunion. And luckily for you and Ghost, you two want a future together.

Author’s Note: This won the poll survey I did so here it is!

Part Two

Reader’s Pronouns: She/Her

Warnings: a couple brief sexual mentions, mostly fluff

Side Note: This is a secondary blog. If you comment a question down below, I will not answer since this is not the main blog. Please send the question to my inbox if you want a response back!

Do not repost this anywhere!

Before meeting you, Simon didn't like leave. He didn't have anyone to go home to, no one waiting for him to come back to, or anything to do even if he did go home. Before you, going on leave was miserable for him.

Then you came along. When you found out the first time that Simon didn't have anywhere to go (nor did he really want to go anywhere), you invited him back over to your place.

"You sure you want me to join you?" Simon asked you.

"I don't see why not. Plus, you can meet my plush toys," you joked. Simon wished you were joking until he actually saw one of your stuff plushies out on the couch when he joined you.

You invited him again on the second and third time you two went on leave. Simon wouldn't admit to you that he liked you. But you knew and he knew that you knew. And everyone knew that you two were together after Simon almost sent one of the newbies to medical after they said that they would tap your ass.

"You two spending leave together again?" Price asked you.

"I don't know. My family invited me to a family reunion and I don't know if Simon is comfortable with that," you tell your Captain.

"True. But yet again, do you really want Simon to be alone during leave?" Price asked you.

"No."

So you ask Simon to join you on leave again to head to your family reunion. He says yes to your surprise.

You tell your family that Simon can be quiet and that he wears a balaclava but that's mainly because of some issues he's had in the past. Your family understands but still tries to make some small conversation with him.

"So, you're the lieutenant she's talked about many times," your sister teases.

"She likes to talk about me?" Simon asked, humored over the fact that your sister had just ratted you out.

"Many times. Oh he's so big and handsome even though he wears a mask," your cousin mocks you as they join in on the teasing.

"Leave Y/n alone please. They just got back," your mother tells the two.

"Glad to know you talk about me," Simon smirks under his mask as he looks over at you.

"Oh shut up. I'm going to help out with the stuff," you tell him as you walk away embarrassed.

Simon sat at a chair, sipping the beer your father handed to him. It wasn't the type of beer Simon would normally drink but he didn't want to be rude.

Simon watched as your family chatted as they got everything set up. He felt a tug on his sleeve, making him look over. He saw as a young girl, no older than five, standing next to him.

"Um, hi," Simon said, unsure how to react.

"My ball went up the tree," the girl told him.

"Okay. Where is it?" Simon asked her as he got up. Her eyes widen from his tall figure. She reached her arms up, motioning him to carry her. Simon let out a sigh before picking her up.

"It's over there," she said as she pointed over at the bright yellow ball on the tree.

"How'd you get it up there?" Simon asked as he walked over to grab it.

"They tossed it up there," the girl said as she pointed over to the older kids.

"Isn't there someone your age to play with?" Simon asked her. The little girl shook her head at him.

This must be Y/n's niece, Simon thought. You had mentioned you had a niece and that she was your first niece in your family.

"What's your name?" Simon asked.

"Lana," your niece told him.

"Nice to meet you Lana. I'm Simon."

"Why do you wear a mask?"

"I just like it."

"Can you play with me?" Lana asked him.

"Alright."

As you helped with getting the party set up, you felt a nudge. You looked over at your aunt who motioned over at Simon and your niece.

"Isn't that cute. Have you two thought about getting married and having kids?" Your aunt asks you.

"Here and there but I think we've been so focus on work, we don't think about domestic life as much," you tell her.

"Well if you two ever decide to have a kid, just know you have free babysitting with us here," your mom mentioned. You smile before looking back at Simon and your niece.

When you both got back to your house, you sat on the couch with Simon.

"Have you thought about having kids?" You asked Simon.

"I don't think I'd be a good father since my father was shit," Simon tells you.

"Well I think today you proved that wrong," you tell him.

"What do you mean?"

"With my niece. You two got along pretty well," you tell him.

"She's a good kid."

"Yeah. But I'm just asking," you tell him before getting up to take a shower.

"Have you thought about having kids?" Simon asked you.

"A couple times. But when I saw you with my niece, I thought it'd be nice to have a mini us. But I don't want to pressure you," you tell him before heading to your bedroom. You turned on the water before stripping off your clothes.

You stepping into the shower before relaxing a little under the water. You heard the door open before the shower curtain opened. You watched as Simon join you in the shower before closing the curtain shut.

"I don't remember asking you to join me," you joked.

Simon shook his head at the joke before pulling you in for a kiss.

"I want it with you."

"What?" You asked confused.

"The whole marriage and kid thing. I want it with you," Simon tells you.

"Are you serious?" You asked in shock.

"Yes. I don't want anyone else but you and if we have a kids then at least I have you to raise them with," Simon admitted you. You smiled up at Simon before leaning up to kiss him.

"I'd like that," you smiled.

"Now, let's get onto baby practicing shall we?" Simon said, smiling down at you.

#simon ghost riley #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley imagine #simon riley #simon riley x reader #simon riley imagine #ghost #ghost x reader #ghost imagine #call of duty #call of duty modern warfare #call of duty imagine #alisonwritesimagines

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mayfieldss · 1 year

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Heyy girlie, can I have a Conrad Fisher x Fem!reader where reader is bellys best friend, come down for the summer and ends up secretly hooking up with conrad here and there. They agreed to no strings attached but maybe Connie couldn't help but fall in love? Xoxo ❤️

Guy falls first trope my beloved

A little more - Conrad Fisher

Warnings; sexual innuendos, language, mentions of underage drinking.

Conrad hadn't intended for this to happen. His relationship with you was supposed to be no strings attached, simply business and pleasure, but somehow in the process of it all, Conrad had gone mad.

He thought of you, outside of the nights you spent together and the sheets you would tangle yourselves in. He imagined himself with you free from the sneaking around and the hook-ups.

You were Belly's best friend, and earlier in the year after getting intoxicated beyond measure you and Conrad had spent the night together. It was meant to be a one-time thing. One night of your skin against his, Conrad's lips on yours. Somehow in the mix of it all, you and Conrad had made a deal. Sex, no strings attached, no feelings involved, and nobody should know. At the time Conrad was okay with that, nights spent with you when he needed some relief, but somewhere along the line, Conrad had begun needing and wanting you as more than just a body to hold in the darkness.

Soon, summer would be over, and everyone would leave cousins behind until the next year, and that meant Conrad had a limited time with you. There was no telling if Belly would bring you back with her next year, either. Maybe bringing her best friend along was a one-time thing. Perhaps Conrad ran the risk of never seeing you again outside of occasions such as Belly's birthday parties. He hated to think about that, but what he found worse was that you probably didn't care about such a thing. As far as Conrad knew you were oblivious to his feelings for you, how they had grown over the nights you spent with him.

"Earth to Conrad!" It's Jeremiah, waving from across the kitchen. "Dude, get your ass moving, Belly and Y/N are back."

The sound of your name gets Conrad up, and he jumps down from the counter where he was sitting. When he makes it to the driveway, you and Belly are struggling with far too many grocery bags.

"You said you were just gonna get a couple of things, not hundreds." Conrad takes the bags from you, trying his best not to smile too broadly. If he does it might just reveal to the others how much time you and Conrad have really spent together. It might also let you see behind the curtain of his feelings, he's not sure he's ready to tell you how he feels yet.

"We got carried away." You look to Belly with a grin, Jeremiah laughing as he takes the rest of the bags

"We can see that."

It almost stops Conrad's heart when you push past him, shoulder brushing against his as you lift bottles of chocolate milk and juice up in your arms. He can't comprehend whether the contact was made on purpose or not, and he follows close behind as you wander into the house.

You head straight to the fridge to put the beverages away, Conrad dumping the bags he holds onto the counter with Jeremiah close behind. Conrad wants so badly to talk to you at that moment, and he hates himself for thinking about some kind of domestic lifestyle with you. It's been one summer after all, and somehow in the short time Conrad was blessed with your presence, such strong feelings have arisen.

He clears his throat before he can stop himself, and you turn, the refrigerator door falling shut as you do. Jeremiah eyes him closely too, and he knows then that he can't do this. Not now, not here. It's not fair of him to put you on the spot in front of Jeremiah and Belly. If he's going to confess how he feels, which Conrad is still not sure he can do, he's going to do it privately where he can gauge your genuine reaction. No outside components involved. So, Conrad walks away, acting as though he had never intended to say anything at all.

Conrad had spent more than enough time thinking about how he would broach the subject of his feelings to you, and in the end, he felt there was no possible way he could plan for it. You sat beside the pool with Belly, laughing with your feet in the water, and as much as Conrad knew you would hate him for it, he called out your name. When you looked up, the shock of it was all over your face.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" Conrad speaks again, taking note of the way Belly glances between the two of you as if you are a foreign species about to do a peculiar dance.

You stand, slowly, and make your way to him, Conrad moving inside and away from the curious ears of Belly Conklin.

"I want to talk about us." He's careful with his words, and they feel foreign on his tongue. Us, as in you and Conrad together. It feels odd to say.

"What about us?" You look around as you say it, arms folding over your chest in discomfort. He hates to make you feel that way, but he can't keep hiding how he feels, not when summers almost gone.

"I want us to be something." It's a weird way to put it, but it's all Conrad can think of to say. "Something more than whatever the fuck we've been doing." He finds himself reaching for you, pulling your arms away from your chest so he can take your hands in his own. "I know we said no strings attached, but I fucking like you—a lot."

You can't seem to meet his eyes, dodging his gaze expertly as he gives your hands a gentle squeeze. He wanted your honest reaction, and he guesses this is it, though it's not the one he wanted. "Y/N, please look at me." He stares you down, and when you finally lock your eyes with his, he doesn't know what to think. You seem scared, and Conrad worries he might be the source of your fears.

"Belly is my best friend Conrad, this can't happen, even if I wanted it to."

"So you admit, you want more than what we have?" It sounds harsh when the words leave him, and Conrad doesn't intend it to be that way. He's just desperate, for you.

"Conrad," His name from your lips would be soothing, if not for the situation. He still holds your hands in his own, and he intertwines your fingers with his, hoping that it might mean something to you, and get you to change your mind. All you do is shake your head and he curses his bad luck that the one person he needs, he can't have.

"Y/N, please. Just give me one shot, give us one shot." He's pulled you just that little bit closer, a risky move considering anyone could walk in and catch you any second. He does it anyway, and you don't stop him. That's enough for him to lean in further, and then he waits. He's so close to you that the tip of his nose brushes against yours and the anticipation of his lips so close drives him crazy. When you close the gap he knows you feel the same. Even if he can't be with you, even if Belly and the others hold you back, he knows you have something.

"Don't make me wait till next summer." He whispers the words with his forehead pressed to yours when your lips break apart, looking down at his hands holding yours. He's in love, but he doesn't know when it happened, or how.

"There's no guarantee Belly will want me to come with her next year Con." It's a harsh truth that has to be spoken. There's no way Belly would let you come with her again next year if she knew what you and Conrad had been doing all summer. Maybe he could invite you back himself, but that wouldn't be fair on you or Belly. The only person that would be happy with the arrangement would be Conrad, and was he really that selfish?

"You have to leave in a week." The words are so quiet because even Conrad himself doesn't want to hear them. He says them anyway, hands moving up to hold your wrists. His grasp is gentle, but he can feel your pulse through his fingers and it reminds him just how real you are. He'd done that a lot over the last couple of weeks, and every time it hit him like a shockwave, a reminder that everything you had was reality and not just some distant dream.

"Do you want us to be more? Don't think about anyone else, just give me a yes or no." His eyes are pleading, and he knows it's unfair on you but he needs the answer. He needs to know.

"I really like you, Conrad," You bring a hand up to touch the side of his face, so gently that the touch is hardly registered against his skin. "But you know we can't."

"That's not an answer." He's determined and with each second that passes, that desperate feeling grows inside him, a weed that he can't remove from the garden.

You let out a sigh, shifting your gaze to the floor beside you, "We agreed on this being a no-strings-attached type of deal, and I hate that I'm attached to you now, but that's the rule, Conrad. That's the promise we made."

"I don't care about that promise." He's dead serious and when you turn to look at him again, he knows you are too. You shake your head, moving away from him.

"We can't."

A few days pass and Conrad knows your avoiding him. The days go by slowly, you don't answer his texts, and he hardly sees you around the beach house. You're around of course, and you act as though everything is fine so as to not draw attention to your sudden distaste for Conrad's presence, but you work hard to keep appearances where he may be to a minimum. Conrad called you a few times late at night too, hoping if anything to go back to the way things were before he confessed just so he could spend some time with you. You didn't pick up.

"Hey, where's Y/N?" it's the day before you leave Cousins, and Conrad can't help but ask Belly where you may be. He needs to talk to you, make sure everything is okay before you leave him and the beach house behind.

Belly's expression is one of confusion when she looks to him, a frown gracing her forehead as she shovels cereal through her lips. "What is it with you and her, something's going on."

Conrad can only shrug, wondering what you would do if he blew your cover. If he did maybe it would be easier to have a conversation with you, even if you were yelling at him, at least he would have you talking. But he doesn't want to hurt you and outing your little arrangement over the last month might just do that.

"I just want to know where she is Belly."

It's as if you know what he's doing because in the next moment his phone dings, and as he stares down at the screen it's your name that reflects against his eyes. He dashes out the door as soon as he sees it, ignoring Belly's concerned calls after him as he races to the sand dunes. When he gets there, you're waiting for him, knees hugged to your chest.

"You got my text." You look up when he's right beside you, and he lets out an exasperated laugh.

"It doesn't seem like you got many of mine." It's a dig at the way you'd been avoiding him and Conrad knows it's risky to say, but he does so anyway. He is a little annoyed with you after all.

"I'm sorry, I needed time to think." You shuffle over in the sand, an invitation for him to sit with you. He takes it gratefully, settling down at your side.

"You're leaving soon." His voice is quiet, and he waits. You say nothing, instead opting to rest your head on his shoulder, the silence enveloping you both. It's enough though, a gesture that tells Conrad just how much you'll miss him when summer is over. He rests his head over yours, and you wait together for your summer to reach its end.

On the final day, Conrad is at his limit. Watching you pack your things is almost too much for him, even though he knew it was coming. You'd said goodbye to him privately earlier in the day, a kiss or two exchanged, but Conrad hated it. It felt too final like he would never be seeing you again, and he refused to see that as a fact.

Now, you stand by the car, hugging Susannah goodbye. His mother strokes your hair lovingly, muttering something to you that he can't hear, and he can't believe summer is over. His summer with you, perhaps the only one he will get, is over. You're heading toward the car when he makes his decision, and the way his legs carry him over to you is almost abnormal. It's almost as though he has no control over his own body, his mind consumed with the thought of you, making his limps force their way to your figure.

"Y/N, wait." Your name falls from his lips smooth, his tongue so used to saying the word. You turn fast as if you'd been waiting for him. He hopes you were.

Conrad is selfish. He wants to be selfish and he's made his decision about that. He's willing to live with it, because, in the next moment, he's kissing you, bringing you into him in front of his family and friends, and making a statement that is full of risk and passion. But the best part is, he doesn't care how they'll react. Kissing you makes him feel alive as if he's a decent human being worthy of something, and if this is the last time he gets to feel that way, so be it. So he kisses you, and you kiss him back, that being a type of relief no drug can provide. He doesn't know what will happen when he pulls away, when your lips part from his, but for now, he doesn't want to find out. He's willing to stay in this moment as long as he can and deal with the rest of it later because what he has with you is complicated, but it sure is worth it.

GENERAL TAGLIST: @heliads @candywh0r3 @caplanreads @hiya-its-amber @s00buwu

TSITP TAGLIST: @things-that-make-sa-happy

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farity · 2 months

Text

Devil in the Details

"Oh. My. Motherfucking. God."

You turned at your friend Floris's whispered exclamation.

It took you but a second to figure out what she was so excited about.

Aemond Targaryen, the black sheep of the Targaryen dynasty, the reclusive billionaire who looked down at everyone vying for his attention, the man you'd been in lust with since you'd met him five years ago, had actually made an appearance at the glittering charity gala hosted by his mother.

"I need to get his skin care routine," Floris said, biting on her lower lip as she scrutinized Aemond from head to toe. "I'd love to climb that tree tonight."

Good luck with that, you thought to yourself.

You'd been in the same Uni class as his sister Helaena and met Aemond when you'd gone over to work on a joint project. He'd been quiet and almost shy, and you had been instantly smitten.

And had not been able to date anyone in the five years since because all you thought about was Aemond Targaryen.

Not that he gave you a second thought, as far as you knew.

"What the fuck is he wearing?" Floris continued, and, tired of pining after the man, you looked at her and snapped, "why don't you go find out?" before walking away to get your drink refilled.

* * * * *

"We are so very thankful for your family's contribution - the children will benefit greatly," Alicent smiled at you, leaning in to air-kiss you as you said your goodbyes.

You got your coat from the girl at the front, and were about to call for your car when you felt a hand grab your arm.

"Leaving already?"

Your heart began pounding as you recognized Aemond's voice, and taking a breath to steady yourself, you turned to face him.

By the Seven, he looked amazing. He'd shaved off his hair a few months ago when Aegon had done the same after having one too many drinks. Alicent had screamed at her oldest son and out of brotherly solidarity, Aemond had grabbed the electric shaver and started running it along his scalp right in front of his mother.

His eyes bore into yours, the prosthetic eye he had so perfect that you couldn't tell which eye was the real one. Every time you thought about it, you wanted to wallop his cousin, the little shit who had taken Aemond's eye during a childhood fight.

"I've seen enough people to last me a few months," you said, looking at what was, indeed, damn perfect skin, as Floris had mentioned. And was that eyeliner? Because his eyes had never been bluer than they were at that moment.

"Tell me about it," he said, still holding on to your arm, "I was going to grab a drink at the quiet bar next door, if you're game."

There was something vulnerable in his expression and you found yourself nodding and taking the arm he offered. "What in the world are these?" you asked.

He looked down at the latex gloves. "Mother's been berating me for not making an appearance at these things," he shrugged, "so here I am. Maybe she should have specified a dress code."

* * * * *

"You know, there's a name for what you're doing," you said, taking a sip of your drink.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Malicious compliance."

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that would be me." He looked back up at you, eyes sparkling, "if she'd wanted me to wear a tux, she should have said so."

"Would you have, though?" you prodded, "I have a feeling you would have figured some way to twist that dress code around. You were always the clever one."

"Not so clever if I never got you to go out with me."

You stared at him for a few seconds. "Aemond, you never asked."

"I'm asking now."

He placed a few bills on the table and placed his hand palm up on the table.

You narrowed your eyes at him, making him laugh, and then placed your hands on his, and let him lead you out the door.

* * * * *

"How is Helaena liking Naath?"

"She loves it there. She has to get her shot every six months but she doesn't care, as long as she can keep studying the butterflies."

"And Aegon?"

"He stopped drinking after he shaved off his head, said it didn't suit his perfectly shaped skull."

You laughed, remembering Aegon's rather oversized ego, and then stole a glance at Aemond. "What about you? How have you been?"

He shrugged, "the company is doing well, family's good," he looked at you, "and I'm on a wonderful date."

You raised your eyebrows, "oh it's a date, is it?"

You could have sworn he blushed, but he lifted your hand to his lips and kissed the back. "It very much is, but I do have a problem." He looked at you very seriously. "I need to lose these damn gloves."

* * * * *

It took about twenty minutes of careful tugging and maneuvering but finally, Aemond was free of the gloves and while you got two coffees to keep you going, he headed to the bathroom to wash his arms.

Back on the street, he grabbed your hand in his as he sipped at his coffee. "This is much better."

"So where on earth does one get this sort of getup to shock Alicent Hightower?"

He smiled. "My friend is a stylist and he hooked me up. His girlfriend is a makeup artist and she put all this stuff on my face and hair."

"You look amazing," you said sincerely, "your eyes look super blue."

"I could feel mom's blood pressure spiking as she noticed the eyeliner and highlighter," he laughed. "It was worth it."

"I bet she'll say extra prayers for you tonight."

Nodding, he took another sip of his coffee. "Not enough prayers in the world," he mused. You stopped to drink some of your own coffee and he pulled you closer. "And I really want to kiss you."

You looked up at him, your heart beating faster, and then he placed his coffee cup down, and took your face in his hands. He brushed his nose against yours, not rushing you, and then his lips touched yours. He kept the kiss light and gentle, his fingertips threading through your hair as you sighed against him.

He murmured your name as he wrapped an arm around you. You didn't want this to end, this magical night, and then he spoke again.

"Come home with me."

* * * * *

"You feel so damn good," Aemond whispered in the lift, his hands on your hips as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

The car stopped and the doors opened, and you stepped into his loft, his hands roaming over your ass as you kicked off your shoes and let him pull you up against him.

"I want you so fucking much," you said against his mouth. He led you to his bedroom and you sat down on the edge of the bed as he pulled his shirt off over his head. "Come here, Aemond," you smiled.

He walked up to you, slowly, and you reached up to undo the fastenings on his leather trousers, keeping your eyes on him. Your hand lightly went over where he was already hard as a rock, and he hissed.

You drew down the zipper ever so slowly, biting down on your lower lip.

"I am going to make you pay for this," he gritted out.

"For what?" you asked innocently, starting to tug down the waistband. When you finally freed him, your eyes darting between his cock and his eyes, you licked your lips and took him in your mouth.

"Fuck."

"Hmmmm," you moaned around him, relaxing your throat so you could take him deeper. You could hear Aemond's breathing stuttering as you slowly pulled your lips all the way to the very tip of him and then took him back down your throat, hollowing out your cheeks.

"Fuck," he repeated, "I, uh, I can't-"

You felt him suddenly pull you off him and push you back on the bed.

"This is going to end too quickly if you keep doing that, angel."

"Angel?"

"Look at you," he said, indicating your white shimmery gown. "An angel about to be debauched."

You let one strap of the dress fall off your shoulder. "What does that make you, then?"

He lunged for you, hands on the bed on either side of you, and the smile on his face made you shiver.

"Me? I'm already destined for hell, love."

He took your lips, not slowly or gently this time, but desperately, his mouth all consuming on yours as he demanded entrance with his tongue and you willingly gave it. He was tugging down your dress as he kissed you, long fingers deftly maneuvering the yards of fabric until he had bared your breasts and then he pulled back, looking down at you.

You pushed the rest of the dress down until it fell on the floor, then laid back down and extended your arms to him. "Come here, Aemond," you said for the second time that night.

He shoved down the trousers, kicked them aside and spread your legs open before he kissed you again. He was so warm, his skin ablaze against yours, and you pulled him down to you, unable to get enough of him.

He began to kiss your neck, long fingers teasing your nipple, and then his mouth was on your breast and you moaned, the sharp sting of pleasure making you arch against him. He reached down lower, between your thighs, and you gasped.

"Tell me what you like," he murmured against your lips.

"Oh," you breathed as he settled on a steady rhythm, drawing tiny circles on the knot of nerves, "you're doing fine," you managed.

"Fine is not what I'm aiming for," he said, and slipped two fingers inside you and you cried out, your hips beginning to rock against him. "I want you to come for me," he added, curling his fingertips inside you.

"Aemond," you whispered, one hand on his shoulder, the other grabbing at his hair. "I- I'm-" you pressed your face to his neck a moment before the orgasm barreled through you, your cry muffled against his skin.

You felt him kneeing your legs apart and then he was pushing inside you. As ready as you were for him, he was big, and you bit down on your lower lip, still recovering and still wanting more.

"You can take me," he murmured soothingly as he kissed your temple. "Next time you come, I want to feel it around my cock," he said, and you whimpered as he rocked his hips to fill you completely.

He pulled back slowly, eyes on you, making sure you were okay, and then snapped his hips. You let your head fall back, and felt his teeth on your jaw, raking gently. "So good," he whispered, "I've wanted you for so long," he said as he settled on long, slow strokes. "So fucking long."

"Aemond," you closed your eyes, the feeling of him moving inside you beginning to send you back into that delicious spiral.

He reached between you, fingertips finding you and you moaned. "I can feel you," he said, "you-"

You cried out as you came, and felt him grab your hips to steady himself as he reached his own orgasm.

* * * * *

As reserved and aloof as you had always thought him to be, he hadn't stopped kissing and caressing you in the aftermath of your lovemaking. The man was full of surprises.

"Stay with me," he murmured against your cheek. "Tonight."

"How can I go when you've got me completely caged in," you teased, looking down at the arms he had wrapped around you and the way his legs were tangled with yours.

"Damn, I was trying to be stealthy," he smirked back. "We'll get breakfast, maybe I'll let you lure me back to bed again."

You rolled your eyes at him. "Rewriting history, are we? I remember trying to leave and someone grabbing my arm."

His eyes became serious on yours. "If I could rewrite history, I would have grabbed you a lot sooner." He leaned in to place a gentle kiss on your lips. "But I mean to make up for it."

You smiled against him, and let him pull you closer, thinking you were only too happy to let him make it up to you for a long, long time.

#hotd fanfic #hotd fanfiction #aemond targaryen #aemond fanfiction #aemond x reader #aemond targaryen x reader #hotd smut #aemond targaryen fanfic #aemond targaryen x you

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nsharks · 1 year

Note

My request is a bit odd, but could you do a ghost x reader where it's late at night drinking coffee/tea and there just talking about soft things, specifically the reader just saying. " I'm really glad to have met you. " And ghost scoffs " why are you saying as if your going to die?"

“soft ramblings over tea” includes: fluff, simon opening up, tw death words: 1.2k

It’s the night before Simon has to leave you, yet again.

Because that’s what your relationship with him is; a series of lows whenever he has to leave, and peaks of elation whenever he comes back to you.

He’s been trying to distract you from the reality of it all day. Doing the laundry with you (your favorite chore), ordering pizza, putting on that new film you’d wanted to see. But now the night has started to set, and he’s got to check his bag to make sure he has everything he needs.

You’ve offered to help with going over the checklist.

He shakes his head, telling you, “Make us some tea. I’ll be done soon.”

You boil the water and find two mugs. Hearing the sounds of him shuffling around as he packs invites a hot, stinging moisture to your eyes. He’s so much better at this than you are. You wonder if it will ever get easier. After two years, you decide that even with all the challenges your relationship has brought, saying goodbye like this was easily the worst one.

Soon, the house will be empty. His scent in the sheets will fade.

You pick out the tea bags: earl grey for him, chamomile for yourself.

Simon’s just finished zipping up his bag when you walk in the bedroom with the two warm mugs in tow.

“Perfect timing,” he rasps, but quickly notices the faded redness in your eyes. Instead of commenting on it, he decides to pat the bed. “Come on, sit here with me.”

Handing him his mug, you sit on the bed next to him. His body radiates almost as much heat as the tea, and it relaxes you. You sit with your legs crossed, knee touching his, and both of you are already in your pajamas for the night. You’re certain you won’t be getting good sleep, if any.

“Do you remember when we first met?” Simon asks, splaying a hand over your knee. He lifts his mask up just to take a sip from his mug.

“It’s not something I like to remember,” you utter, a flush to your cheeks. “I nearly ran you over with my bike.”

“Coordination isn’t your thing, pet,” he hums low. “Can’t complain, can we? Led to good things.”

He’s distracting you, but you welcome it. He rubs his rough thumb over your skin and tells you about little things that he’s never mentioned before. Seeing you as the sad one, stuck in your thoughts, urges Simon to do the talking for once. He tells you how he remembers what clothes you were wearing that day you’d met, and how he remembers you telling him all the names of your childhood pets one time and that he can list them all back to you.

“What?” You shake your head. “No, there is no way you were actually listening to all that.”

“You think I don’t listen?” he huffs. Eyebrow raised, Simon informs you, “I’ve got a damn good memory. That bunny of yours, the one that ran away, was named Shoeshine.”

Your tongue pokes your cheek. “And the goldfish?”

“Easy,” Simon says plainly. “Tolstoy, for some reason.”

“He just looked like a Tolstoy to me,” you whisper through a sheepish smile. Distracting you seems to be another one of Simon’s precise talents, or maybe you’re an easy target, because now your chest is fluttering and the redness in your eyes is gone.

Now that you’ve softened, you start to do the talking. You tell him about your cousin’s engagement party next weekend. How excited you are to see your family members after so long, and how you’re pretty sure your cousin is actually just pregnant (“she’s only been seeing the bloke for six months”).

Simon is listening carefully, his eyes thoughtful, before he comments, “I’ve never met your family.”

“I wasn’t sure if you felt comfortable with that,” you explain to him, finishing the last sip of your tea. “Do you want to meet them?”

“Maybe I should,” he grumbles, though he’s already thinking about how he would have to do some serious mental preparation for that. “I mean, you don’t have to meet mine since they’re dead.”

You flinch. “Simon…”

“Just a fact,” he says, shrugging, and he was always saying that when he mentioned something dark so casually. “Do you… what do you think your family would think of me?”

You set your empty mug on the bedside table. “They would think you are a good man,” is all you say, because you know he’s probably overthinking it.

Sure, you’ll have to explain some things about him and your relationship before he met them. Particularly, why you’ve kept him hidden for over two years. And maybe also the mask that he wears. But your family would accept him just as you have.

Simon is about to say something when you scoot closer to him and peak into his mug. “You’ve got a lot left there,” you hum. “Could I try some of yours?”

Eyes flashing to the cup you just set down, he groans and pinches your hip. “You always do this. Finish yours and then come for mine.”

“You drink it so slow.”

“Fuckin’ hell, take a sip.”

After he offers you his mug, you somehow end up in his lap. Legs tucked to your chest and your head resting on his, you listen to the rhythmic sound of his heart as he silently finishes his tea.

The sound of it in your ear is enough to bring the impending thoughts back to you. His heartbeat calms you as much as it terrifies you. Somehow, it has grown to have so much power over you. If it stopped, if he didn’t come back to you this time, you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself. You would become a ghost of yourself, you think. Barely there.

It’s when your eyes start to flutter that you mumble to him, “Please don’t die on me.”

It’s weird to hear you say it. Simon can’t remember anyone else being so desperate for his survival. He’s finally got a reason to care about it himself: having you to come home to was one hell of a motivator.

“Don’t plan on it,” Simon says, planting a firm kiss to your forehead.

“I’m…” you reopen your eyes so you can look up at him. Fingers twisting the fabric of his thermal, you whisper, “I’m so glad to have met you…”

“Hey now,” Simon scoffs. “Why are you talking like that? Like you’re gonna die or something.”

You let out a small laugh, pitiful and playful, as you feel him cup your cheek.

“No one’s dying, yeah? Don’t be dramatic. You’ll be here when I get home, right where I left ya.”

#fluff #just fluff #simon ghost riley x you #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley #call of duty #simon ghost riley x reader #fanfiction #thank you for the idea!

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delicateflowerss · 9 months

Text

You Were Never Mine

You couldn't have Conrad Fisher in the fall, but maybe you can have him in the summer.

Warnings: 18+, smut, underage drinking, mention of loss of virginity, mention of drugs, angst, friends with benefits, unrequited love

Word Count: 2.1k

You never expected to see him here.

Now you hide behind strangers, hoping he doesn’t see you too.

You watch him run his hand through his hair, almost nervously, maybe absentmindedly. He cradles a beer in his other hand, his attention on the friends that surround him.

It’s those tiny details that make your heart clench, wincing at the things that could have been, the things you could have had.

You met Conrad last fall. It was a party similar to this one. It was full of firsts, loud and messy. A college party through and through.

You had gotten into some drunken debate with some friends, and you hadn’t noticed that Conrad had joined in until it was just the two of you, arguing over something stupid that most people wouldn’t care about.

Then before you knew it, his lips were on yours and clothes were being thrown to every corner of some small bedroom.

It was your first time, but Conrad didn’t know that. You cursed at yourself when you were sober enough to realize what happened. You never intended to lose your virginity while you were drunk, let alone to a guy you just met.

You knew nothing about him so you worried he would be stuck as some one-night stand, your first one-night stand.

Until you ran into him when you were leaving the library one night. You were there late, studying for an exam the next day. He was the one who called out to you, even remembering your name.

You don’t know why you expected anything less from him.

It was cold and dark, so he offered to walk you to your dorm. You thought it was sweet, that he cared enough to do something like that.

After that, you saw him more and more. It wasn’t too long before you were spending the night in each other’s beds.

It became a habit, a dangerous one.

Sometimes, he would accidentally leave his plaid shirts in your room, leaving them draped over your desk chair.

Normally, you would give them back. Except, one you kept. You hoped he would forget he ever left it, and you would get to keep it for yourself.

And he did, never asking about it.

Now it’s summer vacation and your family decided to spend it in Cousins this year. You thought Conrad had mentioned to you once or twice that he spends his summers here too, but you hoped your memory was false.

All you can think about now is when you’ll be able to leave.

Your hiding game doesn’t last long before he notices you, your gaze meeting his. You don’t miss the surprise that paints his face, but you don’t see it for long as you’re turning away, leaving the smell of weed and booze behind you.

Summer is cruel for playing this sick joke on you. The town must be small because you’ve had to dodge Conrad a few times since you saw him at that party, including hiding behind a produce stand at the market.

You hope to find a reprieve at the beach, salt air hanging heavily around you as you lay sprawled out on a towel.

But all you have to do is turn your head and you see him again. You want to roll your eyes at your luck and it’s like he can sense you’re looking at him because he catches your eye.

You hope that he’ll go the other way, pretending he doesn’t see you.

He doesn’t do that.

Your name falls easily from his lips as he walks up to you.

“What’re you doing in Cousins?” he asks, and you wonder if the slight smile on his face is covering his annoyance that you’re here in the first place.

You clear your throat, standing up so he’s not looming over you.

He has a surfboard under his arm and his chestnut hair is wet, droplets of water falling from the strands onto his skin.

You swallow, wanting nothing more but to trace your fingertips on his damp skin.

“My parents decided to vacation here this summer,” you say, shrugging your shoulders, making it clear you had no choice in the matter.

All he does is nod, his blue gaze still on you and it makes you nervous as you don’t know what’s going through his head.

“How have you been liking it?” he finally asks, ending the awkward silence.

“I like it a lot. It’s really nice here.”

You avoid talking about how you dread leaving your vacation house just in case you run into him.

Your stare finds the sand beneath your feet, and you don’t notice him starting to say your name, his brow furrowing like he’s about to say something serious.

“I should get going,” you interrupt. “It was good seeing you, Conrad,” you hurriedly say before grabbing your things and leaving.

He watches you, a heaviness passing through his eyes.

You and Conrad were like a lit match, burning bright for a short time before being snuffed out, leaving nothing but a lingering smoke.

You could’ve lived forever in those few months when the air was crisper and fall leaves littered the ground.

It was an unspoken agreement that the two of you wouldn’t talk about what you exactly were. It was just kisses on collarbones and hands on thighs. It was whispered late-night conversations where you could say anything that was on your mind, except if it had to do with you and Conrad.

Then you slipped up.

You could hear his even breathing next to you, but he wasn’t asleep.

“Conrad?” you whispered.

He hummed in response.

“I need to ask you something.”

You don’t know why you broke the rule, but you couldn’t take it anymore. You didn’t know why he didn’t want to be yours.

You could feel his gaze on you but in the darkness, you couldn’t see the intensity of it or the slight worry.

“I need to know…what this is,” you said so quietly that you almost hoped he didn’t hear you.

You could feel him shift, turning onto his back so he stares at the ceiling instead of you.

“Does it need to be something?” His voice is even.

“Isn’t it, already?”

A moment passed and you felt like you couldn’t breathe.

“It’s just sex, Y/N,” he said casually, shrugging his shoulders.

You swallowed, not wanting the tears to well up any further.

It wasn’t a second later before he got out of bed, putting his clothes back on. He said something about seeing you later, but you knew it was a lie.

And it was. For the rest of the school year, you would sometimes see him at a party or somewhere on campus. But he would just act like he didn’t know you, and you did the same.

For some reason, you kept his shirt, maybe because it still smelled like him.

That’s why it was so confusing that he would talk to you now, just because you happen to be in the same town as him for the summer.

The music is so loud it’s hard to think. But maybe you don’t want to, choosing to drown your sorrows in whatever is at the bottom of the red solo cup in your hand.

You’re not sure why you let yourself go to another party, knowing it’s likely you’d see Conrad again.

But as you walk through the swarms of people and you don’t see his face, you almost wish he was there.

It’s not until you find the backyard that you find the face you could recognize anywhere.

He sits by the pool, the blue reflecting onto his face. Locks of his hair fall over his eyes as he takes a swig of his beer.

He’s alone, a sullenness overtaking his features.

Your feet move on their own accord, your mind not having caught up with them. Why should you talk to him?

It doesn’t matter that you can’t think of an answer, you’re already stepping outside.

He finally moves to see you walking up to him. He doesn’t fake a smile, his gaze finding the water.

“What’re you doing out here?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugs his shoulders. “I’m sure you prefer it. So, you don’t have to see me,” he says, looking at you.

Now it’s your turn to look away, also finding the pool more interesting.

“I came out here, didn’t I?”

“Yeah,” he agrees, slightly nodding. “But what about all those other times you avoided me?”

You can feel your cheeks getting warmer.

“You can’t hide from me, you know,” he adds, his tone teasing.

“I don’t want to,” you say, staring at the ground.

Something thick settles between the two of you.

“And I don’t want you to feel like you have to,” he replies.

“Really?” you scoff.

“I never meant to make you feel differently.”

You assume that’s his version of an apology.

“Well, you did, Conrad. It really seemed like you never wanted to see me again.”

You cross your arms as you wait for his response.

He swallows, setting his beer down on the concrete.

“But that’s not true,” he says, standing up, finally looking you in the eyes. “I never said I didn’t want to see you again.”

“No, you just lied about it.”

His fingers are back in his hair, nervously pushing back the strands in his face.

“I didn’t know it meant so much to you.”

You furrow your brow, wondering if he’s oblivious to his rudeness or if he knows he’s an asshole.

“You didn’t think I liked you? At all?”

Anger seeps out of your voice as you step closer to him.

A moment passes, only the distant sound of waves crashing, and the muffled sounds of the party can be heard.

“I liked you, Conrad. A lot,” you explain. “And you just left, without saying another word to me. You know how shitty that is?”

“You shouldn’t have just sprung that on me,” he argues back. “Especially at that moment. I mean, who does that?”

“There was no other time you talked to me,” you say, and it almost sounds pathetic.

He just stares at you, and you realize it is pathetic. You’re pathetic.

You don’t think you can take it anymore, so you turn around quickly, wanting to get far away from him. But your foot catches on something, forcing you to lose your balance.

You try to grab onto Conrad’s arm, hoping he would pull you back from the water’s edge. Instead, you fall into the pool, Conrad right after you, both of you submerged in the deep, deep blue.

You swim to the top as he does the same, finding him blinking the water out of his eyes as you both take a breath.

“Why did you pull me in?” he asks with feigned irritation, splashing you a little.

“You pulled yourself in. You were supposed to catch me.” Your tone matches his as you splash him more than he splashed you.

“I’m sorry,” he says, too genuine for letting you fall into the pool.

“It’s fine. I mean, you’re in here too.”

“No. About…what I did,” he says with a shaky breath, sincerity written on his face. “It was shitty, and you didn’t deserve that.”

Now that you’ve heard the words you’ve been longing to hear, your mind is blank.

“You have no idea how many times I thought about trying to talk to you again. And when I saw that you were in Cousins…I took my chance,” he continues.

“Why did you wait so long?”

“I thought you hated me. And I was right.”

“I don’t hate you, Conrad,” you interrupt. “I could never hate you.”

“You should. I hope you burned that shirt I left in your dorm.”

“What? You knew I had that?”

His lips curve into a smirk before you splash him again.

“Why didn’t you say anything if you knew I had it?” you ask.

“Because I wanted you to have it. Have something that was mine,” he adds, his voice gentle.

Your eyes soften as you feel yourself inching closer to him.

It’s not long before he presses his lips to yours, a hand holding the back of your neck as he deepens the kiss.

Your legs curl around his hips as his other hand hooks under your thigh. He softly bites your bottom lip before pushing his tongue inside your mouth.

While his other hand moves from your neck to your chest, his lips drag down the wet skin of your neck.

His fingers go down farther, finding the inside of your shorts. You can’t help the soft moan that falls out of you as he rubs the front of your underwear.

Your hips move, grinding yourself on the palm of his hand.

“Should we move this inside?” he whispers against your cheek.

And you can’t help but wonder if this means things will change.

#conrad fisher #conrad fisher x reader #the summer i turned pretty #tsitp #conrad fisher x you

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daysofyellowroses · 3 months

Text

honey

carmen berzatto x afab!reader | 3.1k | tw: alcohol, language, and a little smut

this story is purely the result of me being due to get my period and therefore being absolutely horny as hell. apologies/you're welcome

It was late when you got back to your apartment building, later than you anticipated. Someone at work had a leaving party, and you had only planned to go for one drink but then another was put in front of you and the next thing you knew you were swaying slightly as you made your way down the hall.

Reaching into your bag, you rooted around for your keys, pulling them out with a triumphant grin. You turned the corner and raised a brow as you spotted a familiar figure sitting on the floor across from your apartment.

“Hey Carm,” You smiled, walking closer and leaning against your door. “everything okay?”

“Great,” Hey nodded, his eyes closed as he rested his head back against the wall. “Went out, had some drinks, lost my keys.”

“Damn,” You raised a brow, looking down to your own keys before looking back to Carmy. “Are you sure you lost them? Checked your pockets?”

“Of course,” Carmy murmured, resting his arms over his knees. “Can't believe I lost them, I'm such an idiot.”

You smiled as you folded your arms, tilting your head. “You're not an idiot, you're just drunk. We've all been there.”

“Not all of us,” Carmy sighed, slowly opening his eyes as he gestured to you. “This wouldn't happen to you. You're a proper adult, I'm just three kids in a fucking trench coat.”

You laughed at how serious he sounded, shaking your head.

“Don't be so dramatic. You're a proper adult, and like proper adults you do stupid shit sometimes. Now get up.”

“Nah,” Carmy waved his hand, closing his eyes and spreading his legs on the floor. “I gotta get comfortable here, I'll call cousin in the morning, he's got keys.”

“Stop being such a drama queen,” You grinned, walking closer to him and holding out your hand. You closed your eyes for a moment as the hallway started to spin, taking a deep breath.

“You're sleeping on my couch,” You smiled, slowly opening your eyes and looking down to Carmy. “No arguments.”

“Isn't it usually..the opposite?” Carmy mused, looking up at you through his lashes. “Arguments lead to sleeping on the couch..”

You laughed softly as you shook your head.

“Does it matter? Just get up, I need some water.”

After a few minutes, Carm finally got to his feet, standing still for a moment and rubbing his forehead.

“Fuck..this is why I don't drink much. Can't handle it.”

“You're doing fine so far,” You smiled, gently taking his arm. “You just need some water and sleep.”

Getting the key to your apartment, you opened the door and held it open for Carm to follow you inside.

“The couch is just down there,” You pointed down the small hallway. “Go lay down, I'll get you a blanket.”

“Alright, ‘m going.” Carmy nodded, making his way down the hall, swaying a little.

You went into the kitchen, setting your bag down on the counter and taking a deep breath. Not drunk, but not not drunk.

After a moment you filled a glass with water and took it into the living room, setting it on the coffee table. Carmy was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands as he groaned softly.

You slipped into your bedroom and took the blanket off the end of your bed, folding it and grabbing one off the bigger cushions to place on top of it. As much as your bed was screaming your name, you left the room and headed back to the living room.

“How are you feeling?” You asked as you placed the cushion on one end of the couch.

“Can't lie, not great,” Carmy sighed, rubbing his hand over his face before leaning forward to grab the glass of water from the coffee table. “you're a fucking saint doing all this..how'd I get so lucky?”

You smiled to yourself as you placed the blanket down beside Carmy and sat on the coffee table, watching him for a moment.

“Because I happened to get your mail by mistake that one time and when I learned you were the chef at my favorite restaurant I had to get in good with you. That's how.”

“Right,” Carmy nodded, smiling a little as he tapped the glass with his finger. “Well I really appreciate this. I would say I would do this for you but you wouldn't be stupid enough to lose your keys.”

“I admire your faith in me,” You raised a brow, resting your hand on the table. “I've lost my keys so many times I'm basically paying rent on an empty apartment.”

“Nah,” Carmy smiled a little, looking over to you. “You're perfect, I just know it.”

“I wish my perfection would reveal itself to me then,” You grinned, lightly rubbing your jaw. “I'm yet to find it.”

Carmy laughed a little, taking a sip of water before leaning forward to place the glass by your thigh.

“I see it,” He murmured softly, looking up to you. “you're beautiful, you're smart, you got your head screwed on, you have a home, a real life..that's pretty perfect to me.”

“Okay,” You nod, trying not to smile too much before looking up. You took a deep breath before looking back at Carmy. “I'm ‘perfect’, what are you then?”

“I'm a fucking mess,” He sighed, pushing his hand through his have as he sat back. “I don't know what I'm doing. I just see constant fires and smoke and think I'm about to have a heart attack any moment.”

You fought past your tipsy and tired state, taking a deep breath as you leaned forward and rested your hands on your knees.

“And what else?”

“And..I don't know,” Carmy murmured, looking down at himself. “I feel like I'm just floating along above my body but also like I'm so in it, you know? I can't stop anything but I feel it happening. I feel like I'm letting everyone down.”

“And who is everyone?” You asked, keeping your tone gentle.

“Everyone,” Carm repeated, looking off into the distance. “Syd. Cousin. Sug..everyone. They all know what they're doing, and I just drift along trying to keep it all together..maybe I'm just holding them back.”

“Don't be stupid,” You smiled softly, placing your hand on Carmy's knee. “you are not holding anybody back, you are not letting anybody down. If you were, they wouldn't stick around, not if they have any sense.”

Carm was quiet for a moment, nodding slowly before he looked at you.

“How can you be so sure?”

He sounded worried, like a scared child. You gently stroked his knee, giving him a smile.

“Because I can be. You're doing something new and exciting, people always want to be part of that. You're an excellent chef, and even if you don't think you know what you're doing, you do. Just get out of your own way.”

Carmy leaned forward slowly, his face close to yours, the scent of cigarettes and aftershave making your heart race.

“Get out of my own way,” He murmured softly, his gaze fixed on you. “I’m gonna try to remember that..”

He glanced down to your lips and back to your eyes, your breathing growing shallow.

“You know what else you can do for me?” You smiled, getting up to lean in and whisper in Carmy's ear. “Get some sleep.”

You pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before standing up and gesturing to the blanket on the couch beside him.

“Sweet dreams.”

Once you were safely ensconced back in your room, laying in bed, you couldn't relax. All your body wanted was sleep, but your mind couldn't get off Carmy. The way he opened up to you, the way he looked at you, the knowledge that he was on the other side of the wall. It was too much for your brain to process, and your body pushed past the tiredness to send a surge of heat between your legs.

Turning onto your side, your hand flew out to open the nightstand, scrambling around in the drawer until your fingers grasped your vibrator. It was quickly taken from the drawer and you were soon on your back feeling much more relaxed.

As you felt the build up hit you, you let out a moan, closing your eyes as your free hand grabbed the pillow. You thought about Carmy bending you over the counter in the restaurant, his hand around your neck as he fucked you.

“Fuck,” You moaned as you felt close to the edge, ready to fall off. “Oh..fuck..Carm..”

“Oh, shit,”

Your eyes flew open as you heard the familiar voice, looking over to your door and finding Carmy standing in the doorway, one hand still on the door handle.

“Sorry, thought this was the..”

You scrambled to turn off your vibrator, shoving it aside and willing the floor to crumble away and take you with it.

“Thought this was the..bathroom,” Carmy murmured, rubbing his jaw before clearing his throat. “Sorry..sorry.”

He closed the door before you could speak, leaving you alone once more. How long had he been standing there? Did it matter when it was obvious what you'd done? Been in the middle of doing?

How the hell did that look, ‘tell me about your problems then I'll go and think about you fucking me while I masturbate’?

You groaned as you slapped your hand over your eyes, cursing yourself over and over til you fell asleep.

In the morning, Carmy was nowhere to be seen. The blanket and pillow were on the couch, perfectly folded. You went straight into the shower, trying to forget the previous night. Carm had been hammered, he wouldn't remember it, you hoped. It was playing over and over in your head, a constant loop of embarrassment.

You spent the morning as usual, unable to shift the uncomfortable feeling twisting your stomach into knots. After going out to run some errands, you stopped yourself knocking on Carmy's door when you got back home, telling yourself that he most likely wasn't home, and even if he was, what could you say? Sorry you maybe caught me moaning your name after you told me about your trauma?

Escaping into your apartment before you could make a further fool of yourself, you tried to focus on having a nice, relaxing evening. Cleaned your entire apartment, organized your wardrobe, made a nice dinner, put on a face mask, could not get the image of Carmy standing in the doorway from your mind.

When you were laying on the couch watching a movie later in the evening, you were surprised to get a knock on the door. You quickly checked your phone in case you'd forgotten plans with a friend, but there was nothing. Getting up, you smoothed out the sweater you were wearing, walking to the door and opening it.

“Oh,” You raised a brow as you spotted Carmy standing on the other side, his hands behind his back. “Hi.”

“Hi,” He nodded, clearing his throat before moving his arm and presenting you with a bouquet of flowers, a slight white mark on the green packaging where the price sticker had been ripped off. They were beautiful. “I wanted to say thank you for letting me stay last night.”

“Well this is certainly a way to do it,” You raised a brow, accepting the flowers with a smile. “Thank you..I don't think anyone has ever brought me flowers before..I love them.”

“Least I could do,” Carmy shrugged, lightly rubbing his neck. “I hope I wasn't too bad of a guest? I tend to talk a little too much when I'm drunk.”

“You..no, no you were fine,” You nodded, feeling relieved that Carm didn't seem to remember the previous night but also feeling a little disappointed, strangely. “Don't worry.”

“Okay, good,” Carmy nodded with a small smile. “I promise it won't happen again, I wouldn't want you thinking I'm totally useless.”

“As if I think that,” You rolled your eyes with a smile. “Happens to the best of us.”

You glanced down to the flowers before looking back at Carmy, your stomach tightening a little.

“I should put these in some water, do you..do you want to come in for a drink or something?”

Carmy nodded after a moment, stepping inside and closing the door behind him, your heart beating faster. You walked into the kitchen, feeling very aware of Carm's presence.

“Please feel free to raid the refrigerator,” You smiled as you set the flowers on the counter. “I'll dig out a vase for these.”

You were sure Carmy was watching you as you rooted through the cabinets, the air feeling thick and heavy.

“Found one,” You smiled, carefully pulling a clear vase down from a top cabinet and taking it to the sink. “Knew I had one somewhere.”

“Can I ask you something?” Carmy asked, and you closed your eyes for a moment as you nodded.

“Sure,” You replied, slowly opening your eyes and running the water into the vase. “What's up?”

“Last night,” Carmy continued, his voice sounding closer. “I don't know if I just imagined it but..I could swear I heard something, coming from your bedroom.”

“Last night?” You repeated, turning off the faucet and lifting the vase onto the counter. “I don't really remember, I was a little tipsy.”

“Yeah,” Carmy nodded. “I'm probably just..misremembering things. Forget I even said anything.”

You glanced over your shoulder as you watched him go to the refrigerator, taking out a diet soda and looking at the can. You looked back to the flowers, opening a drawer underneath the counter and taking out a pair of scissors.

“There's something else I need to apologize for.”

“Oh yeah?” You raised a brow, cutting open the packing on the bouquet and laying it flat on the counter. “What did you do?”

“More like..what did I not do.”

His voice was close. You could smell cigarettes and aftershave and clean laundry.

“What didn't you do?” You asked, picking up one of the flowers and cutting the stem. Your hand trembled slightly as you felt a hand on your waist, breath tickling your neck.

“I didn't help you,” Carmy murmured softly, his hand snaking around your waist as you closed your eyes and tried to remember to breathe. This side of Carmy had been hidden to you but now that he was revealing it..you loved it.

“I know you were calling my name..thinking of me..and I just left you there, alone.”

“I..I don't know what you mean,” You murmured softly, your voice sounding thick. “I..fuck,”

You dropped the scissors onto the counter as Carmy kissed your neck slowly, his lips finding your sweet spot.

“You..you heard that?”

“Every word.”

You opened your eyes slowly as Carmy's hand dipped under the hem of your sweater, his lips lazily gliding along your neck.

“Why did you act like you didn't?” You asked, glancing down to him and biting your lip as his hand moved slowly along your stomach, his fingers lightly grazing your bra.

“Because it wasn't the right moment,” Carm murmured softly, his hand moving up to lightly tug down the cup of your bra. “I was drunk, you wouldn't have taken advantage of that. Even if you had the chance.”

You tried to steady your breathing as Carm swiped his thumb over your nipple, his free hand snaking around your waist and pulling you closer to him.

“What if I want to take advantage now?”

“I'm not stopping you.”

You took a deep breath, barely able to focus on anything but the throbbing ache between your legs. After a moment you moved your hand on top of his, slowly turning around and meeting Carmy's eyes.

“Get on your knees.” You breathed, heart pounding in your chest, moreso when Carm dropped down instantly, looking up at you.

You held out your leg, gesturing to your fluffy socks.

“Take these off.”

You watched as Carmy nodded, his hands moving carefully as he slowly peeled off each sock, setting them aside before looking back up at you. Part of you wanted to just push him onto his back and throw yourself on top of him immediately.

“Now these,” You gestured to your leggings. “off.”

Carmy moved closer to you, his hands moving to your waistband, eyes on yours as he slowly peeled your leggings away, helping you step out of them.

You peeled off your sweater yourself, tossing it aside and adjusting your bra, toying with the idea of taking it off before stopping yourself and looking down to Carmy.

“Now,” You sat up on the counter, resting your hands behind you and spreading your legs. You gripped the waistband of your panties and pulled them slightly before letting them snap back.

“Are you going to make me wait again?”

You got a growl in response, Carmy's head between your legs before you knew it. You let out a moan as he pulled your panties aside, his tongue dragging over your wet core. Your hand flew into his hair as he grabbed your thighs, fingers digging into your flesh. He was teasingly slow, the tip of his tongue darting over your clit at an agonizing pace.

“Stop being such a fucking tease,” You groaned, lightly tugging his hair.

“Please..”

You looked down and met his eyes, almost falling over the edge from the sight of him smirking at you.

“No patience, huh?” He grinned, pulling back and moving to rest his hands by your hips, the friction of his jeans on your core driving you crazy.

“I will throw you out,” You murmured, your chest rising and falling rapidly. “Don't think I won't.”

“I will think that,” Carmy smiled, moving his hand between your folds and slowly easing his finger inside you. “You wouldn't throw me out, don't even pretend.”

You closed your eyes and let out a frustrated sigh mixed with a moan as Carmy surged forward to capture your lips with his, your arms flying around his neck.

You weren't sure when he managed to unbutton his jeans but one moment you weren't filled nearly deep enough and the next moment you were crying out into his mouth.

“You gonna kick me out?” Carmy murmured against your lips, pushing into you with a forceful thrust that your eyes rolling back into your head.

“No,” You moaned, your fingers digging into Carmy's neck. “Never..”

“Knew it,” Carmy grinned, kissing you deeply as you wrapped your legs around his waist. “You're too perfect.”

#the bear #the bear 🐻#the bear fic #carmy berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto x reader #carmy berzatto x you #carmen berzatto x you #no plot whatsoever #minus plot if anything

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sturniololoco · 3 months

Note

My little cousin's (they can't use Tumblr) - can you do a SLS protective but like she got cheated on so they comfort her and talk to the boy (if you can't that's fine ik it's kinda weird they are weird)

Cheated On

Sturniolo Little Sister (SLS) x The Sturniolo Triplets

SLS’s POV

I don’t know why I ever agreed to come to this party with, my boyfriend, Jack, especially if he’s my even going to hang out with me.

My brothers dropped me off at Matts house, after I promised that he would drop me off by 12 o’clock tonight. Little to my knowlage, Jackhad planned to go to a party.

Where there was drinking involved.

I’m only seventeen, and I’m not stupid enough to go and mess around with things that could get me into trouble.

Jack was the complete opposite.

As soon as we got there, he took his hand off my waist and found some of his friends, and a cooler.

I went ahead and stood in the corner, drinking a Pepsi in a solo cup. This went on for another hour and a half, but I didn’t mind. This gave me an excuse to people watch. And Jack was having a good time, so I didn’t want to ruin his fun.

But it was getting late.

I pulled out my phone, texting Jack that it was already 11:45, and I needed to get home.

About 10 minuets later, I got no response.

across the room, I saw Henry, one of Jack’s friends. I walk over to him, and pull him aside from his beer pong game. He looked mad until he realized it was me.

“Where’s Jack?!” I half yelled over the loud music, screaming, and talking.

“He’’s upstairs, dunno why though.” He’s slurred with blood shot eyes. I rolled my eyes and quickly made my way up the stairs.

Trying to find my way around this mansion was harder then I thought, but I checked all the rooms but the one in the back.

Tired of searching for Jack, who should have been with me in the first place, I harshly push the door open.

I found jack to say the least.

Sucking faces with our high school whore.

They both looked up. The girls face lit up in a fake smile as she or off hi lap and brushed past me, going back to the party, leaving Jack and I Alone.

I didn’t move. Just standing there, not. Knowing what to do. Jack stood, and made his way over to me, grabbing my wrist.

“Baby, I-“ I ripped my hand from his grasp, readjusted my purse, turned from him, and walked out the damn door. I could hear him trying to catch up with me as I walked downstairs, out the front door, and halfway down to the next block over.

My eyes were dry.

“Baby girl, would you just stop and listen for a second, It wasn’t what it looks like! I-“ he started to say, grabbing my shoulder and turning me around.

“Really? Because what I saw was you making out with a girl who wasn’t me, and that’s a pretty hard thing to mistake.”

Jack stood there, moving his mouth, but no sound came out.

But I wasn’t staying any longer to hear his excuse.

“Bye Jack.” I turned the corner and walked down the street. Jack must’ve finally got the message, because he didn’t other following me.

Then it hit me.

The pain.

Tears began to fall and my throat began to ache. I sat on the curb with my face in my hands and began to sob.

Once my breathing was somewhat controlled, I pullout my phone. To call Matt.

It wrung once before he picked up.

“You’re Late SLS/N.” He said when he picked up. Glancing at the clock, It read 12:08.

“I-I know, I’m sorry. I really need a ride.” I say, my voice cracking.

“SLS/N, are you okay? Why are you crying.” I could hear him standing up ad grabbin the keys, telling Chris and Nick to get in the car.

“MattI’m fine. I just need a ride. I’ll text you my locations.” I finished, hanging up the phone, before I break down again.

It’s not long before I see head lights and Matts car pull up. I quickly scramble into the backseat next to Nick. Matt begins to drive away.

“Hey what’s wrong, sweetheart?” Nick asks, rubbing my shoulder.

“Nothing.” I say, wanting to forget that this night ever happened. Wanting to forget what I saw when I walked into that bedroom.

“Really, because that mascara shit all over your face says something different.” Chris says, eyeing me through the rear view mirror. Matt is quick to slap him on the arm while still watching the road.

“SLS/N, you can’t just call me, past your cerfew, crying and looking like shit and expect me not to worry.” Matt says, not doing much of a better job than Chris.

At that I crumple into Nicks side. He pulls me o him while I cry, shushing me while I couch and cry onto his shirt.

We get home and we walk into the house. I held Nick’s hand, not wanting to be alone. Mat, Nick, and I all go in and sit on the couch. Chris goes to the bathroom, and comes back with a warm, damp rag. He neels in front of me and whiles the mascara streaks off my face.

“Goddamn, what is in this stuff?!” He says, still scrubbing my face, though a little bit harder. I laugh through my tears and sniffle, regaining my thoughts and ready to talk.

Chris sits on my other side, and they all await my answer to why I was so upset.

“Umm. I-I…Jack cheated on me.” I say blankly, trying not to let my emotions get the better of me again.

“Aw SLS/N.”Nick says giving me a hug, which I gladly accept. “Can I be honest?” He asks me.

I nod.

“He was a fucking douchebag and I hated him anyway.” He states, not breaking the hug. I giggle, squeezing him tighter.

While this was going on, Matt and Chris look at each other. Giving each other a knowing stare.

“Guys…?” I say.

“Hey!” Nick says, snapping them out of it. “Why don’t we have a little movie night to get the sprits back up. Hmm? That sound good?” I nod, standing up and going to get a drink and some candy from the fridge.

Nick’s POV

I waited for SLS/N to walk into the kitchen before I spoke.

“I’m fine with whatever you two do, but if you get arrested, I’m using your own money to bail you out.” I say.

Chris and Matt smile at this and get up, Matt grabbing his keys, and Chris starting to head to the car before SLS/N came back.

I hear the car pull out of the drive way, knowing that they’re on their way to Jacks house.

SLS/N’s POV

I walk back into the living room, only to see Nick, and no one else.

“Nicky? Where did the boys go?” I ask.

“I uh… I think they went to get some more candy. They said we could start the movie without them.” He says, patting the seat next to him for me to sit down. I grab a blanket from the basket in the corner and snuggle up with Nick.

Chris’s POV

Matt and I walk back into the house, me with bruised knuckles and Matt with a cracked lip.

In the living room, Nick and SLS/N are asleep, a show playing on the TV. Matt walks over and gives SLS/N a kiss on her head, then says,

“Im going to bed, Man. I’ll see you in the morning.” He gives me a half hug, then heads to his room.

I lay on the couch, scrolling through my phone, when I hear movement from the other side of the couch.

“Chris?” I hear SLS/N say in a sleepy voice, sitting up and rubbing her swollen eyes.

“hey kiddo. C’mere.” I say, opening my arms as she crawls over to me. She lays her head in the crook of my neck, and I rub her back. She sighs softly and falls back asleep. I kiss her in the head and drift to sleep myself.

Matt’s POV

I woke up around 630 today and went out in the living room to wake SLS/N up for school. She was laying on Chris, who was scrolling through his phone. She groaned when I told her we needed to go so I could drive her to school. -

Pulling into the school, I could tell she was getting nervous. I grab her hand and give it a little squeeze.

“hey, don’t worry about him. Everything’s gunna be fine.” I say. She nods, giving me a smile.

“Call me if you need anything.” She nodded again and leaned over to give me a quick kiss on the cheek, before getting out of the car and going into the building.

SLS/N’s POV

Walking into school, I immediately felt better, especially when I saw Jack with a black eye and a busted lip.

My brothers are crazy I thought to myself, shaking my head and smiling. I snapped a quick pic behind Jacks back and sent it to our siblings group chat, then went about my day.

Idk y this was so hard for me to write 😂 I fell like it sound corny! Keep at it with the requests tho!!!

#nick sturniolo #sturniolo smut #sturniolo imagine #nicolas sturniolo #sturniolo fanfic #matt sturniolo #sturniolo x reader #chris sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #matthew sturniolo

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anti-romantico · 2 months

Text

[casuality] enhypen heeseung

warnings: mentions of alcohol, unprotected sex, fingering, blowjob, cum swallowing, idk what else lmao

words: 3536

After a rough week of finals, you thought you finally were going to go home and enjoy your mom’s delicious food. Well, that was the plan until your brother called to tell you they weren’t going to be home.

— Are you sure you don’t want to come with me? You know mom loves you. — Sunwoo said, not wanting to get his backpack in his car.

— Leave, it’s not like I’ll be the only person on campus. — You pulled him for a hug and breath. — Go before I regret saying no.

Sunwoo gave you a kiss on the top of your head and got in the car. You watched him disappear and finally went back to your dorm. There were more people than you thought.

— [Y/N]! — A very familiar voice called you.

— Heeseung, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to spend your vacations with your girl. — You didn’t know much about his love life, but the whole campus knew about their relationship.

— Yeah, I don’t think I’m welcome in her house again. — He nervously scratched the back of his head.

— Please don’t tell me… — He nodded before you could finish the question. — Damn, I don’t know if I should say sorry.

— As if I didn’t know you never liked her. — He crossed his arms, starting to walk with you.

— But she was your girlfriend. — You looked at him from time to time.

— And I’m the one that called it quits. — You nodded and bit your lower lip. — What about you? You always go to your mom’s.

— My brother got reservations somewhere and took my mom with him. And I’m not mad about it, but I wished he would’ve called me before so I could make plans.

— Well, if you're still looking for a plan and want some company, you can call me.

You stopped abruptly, making him frown. — You sound just fine for someone that just ended their long-term relationship.

— I'm not saying I'm fine, but it was something that had to happen sooner or later. I preferred sooner.

— And are you sure you want me as your company this winter break?

He shrugged and nodded. — We haven't talked in months. Pretty sure our last encounter was at that frat party. Why not?

— Fine, but if you need to be alone just tell me.

The first week went smoothly, ordering take-out with other classmates and eating outside. There were still some security staff around, but they never seemed to be bothered by the constant yelling and loud music coming from some dorms.

In the second week, Yeji sneaked in alcohol and invited her close friends to her dorm. She was alone in her room, and even though there wasn't much space, 6 people fit in it.

— How did you sneak this? — You asked Yeji, she giggled.

— The security staff stopped checking our food after the second day, I just risked it and sent my cousin a message. It was easier than I expected.

Heeseung was sitting on a bed beside you, sipping on his plastic cup filled with tequila and soda.

— Should we play truth or dare or Heeseung is going to tell us what's the tea between him and Yuri? — Jake asked, earning a slap on the head from you.

— How do you even know something happened? — Heeseung asked, finishing his drink.

— She made a whole ass announcement influencer-style on instagram about your now “complicated” relationship. — Yeji answered.

— She called it complicated? — Yeji nodded. — Well, far from being complicated; I broke up with her.

Everyone, except you, yelled at him, almost spilling their drinks.

— I thought you were going to get married! — Yuna placed her hand over her chest, feeling her heart beating fast.

— Let's not overreact, everyone knew we had problems.

— But you lasted, what?, 2 years? That's how long my parents dated before getting married. — Jay said, standing up from the floor and pouring a new drink for himself.

— Well, it's over. Now let's change topics.

— We can still play truth or dare. The only rule is not to go outside this building for the dares. — Yeji offered. Everyone agreed and sat down on the floor. Jay grabbed the only empty bottle and spinned it in the middle of the circle. It landed on Yuna.

— I knew it. Truth. — She brushed her hair with her fingers, moving it to one side.

— What happened with the blind date your mom set you? — You asked, making everyone laugh.

— Ugh, you know who appeared in the door of that expensive restaurant? Her neighbor’s son! The guy she never stopped talking about every time I visited her. I told him I wasn't interested, but at least we had a nice dinner. My mom didn't talk to me for a whole week when I told her she should stop.

— What was wrong with him? — Jake asked, grabbing the bottle.

— Aside from being a hardcore gamer? You can guess.

— And he paid for the dinner? — You asked.

— I wish. He used his mom's money. I thanked her for the dinner, actually.

Jake spinned the bottle and this time it landed on Jay. Jake smirked.

— I know that face, dare.

— I dare you to finish your drink in 15 seconds.

— You're an asshole, man! — Jay said laughing.

Everyone started to count and cheered for him when he finished it even before the 15 seconds.

— There must be water in the vending machine from the lobby. — Yeji said, feeling bad after watching Jay's reaction to the alcohol.

— I don't think he's going to make it to the hallway. I'll go. — You said, standing up.

— I'll go with you. We are all going to need water after finishing the alcohol. — Heeseung followed you behind, making everyone exchange glances.

Both got to the lobby and bought water for everyone. You weren't drunk, but your mind started to get dizzy.

— Forget the water, if you want to sober up, go to the lobby and come back. — Heeseung said when you finally got to the room. Both were out of breath.

The game continued a few rounds before the dares started to escalate. Everyone ended up posting an instastory in someone's room without one piece of clothing.

The bottle landed on Heeseung when Yuna spinned it.

— I don't have energy left to do another dare. Truth. — Heeseung said, laying his head on the bed that was behind him.

— Why did you break up with Yuri?

Heeseung chuckled. — It took you this long? We just argued about the same topic over and over again, even after she said everything was clear, she kept bringing it up and I got tired. I was packing my things so we could go and she brought it up. It might be impulsive, but the moment she mentioned it I broke up with her. She didn't say anything, she just left. I guess that's why she's calling it a “complicated relationship”.

— And what are you going to do when winter break ends? — Jay asked and he was about to grab the bottle, but Yeji beat him. — Hey!

— Ignore her. I don't have anything to do with her. She can keep my hoodies. The less I'm in the same space as her, the better.

You stood and ran to the bathroom, ignoring everyone's protests. When you were back, the bottle was pointing at your empty place.

— Right, what a coincidence. — You sat down and sighed. — Truth.

— Answer yes or no. — Yeji explained and you nodded. — Is it true that Hesseung's ex and you had a physical fight?

— No! God, that rumor is so old and she started it.

— Seriously? — Heeseung asked.

— What happened was that she didn't like me being close to you and tried to threaten me. I told her she was being pathetic and she cried. That's all.

— Boring. — Yuna said under her breath.

— As if I'm the kind of person to be violent with others. Can't believe y'all believed her.

— I didn't. — Jake said, earning a couple of pats on his head from you.

Jay yawned, causing almost everyone to also do it.

— How about we sleep for a while and then have dinner? — Yuna said, stretching her body.

— Please! I'm exhausted. — You said, laying your head on Heeseung’s shoulder.

Jay helped Yeji to hide the rest of the alcohol and the empty bottles while everyone went to their dorms. You went to Heeseung's since it was the closest one.

— Do you have something I can wear to sleep in? I don’t like to sleep in the same clothes I had the whole day. — You said, walking in the room.

— I have some old pants and this shirt. — He took the clothes from his drawer, it wasn’t even packed.

— Were you going to get rid of it? — You grabbed it and placed it on the empty bed. He nodded. — Do you mind if I keep it?

— Sure. — He took a deep breath when you took your hoodie off. — I’ll change in the bathroom.

— Yup. — You didn’t notice how nervous he was.

When you woke up, Heeseung wasn’t in the room, but the door was open. You thought he went to the bathroom when you heard him talk. He was just on the other side of the wall.

“I’m not judging the way you did it, that’s your problem, but I was clear when I said I was done with you”. He sounded mad. You just couldn’t stop yourself and stood up and walked quietly so he couldn’t hear you. “You were the one that decided to bring her up.” “I told you millions of times she was just a friend and even stopped talking to her when you told me she made you insecure”. What? “Because we were at the same party, I wasn't going to leave or ask her to leave”. “I’m enjoying my time without you just fine, Yuri”. “I’m not doing such a thing, and I don’t care if you make another statement to tell your followers we’re done”. “Well, that’s too bad because she’s also here”. “Goodbye, Yuri, don’t call me again”.

You didn’t find the strength to move from your place, so Heeseung found you the moment he walked in.

— What…

— Am I the reason you two broke up? — You didn’t know why it affected you, but it did.

— You weren’t supposed to hear that…

— Close the door next time, then. Now answer.

Heeseung tried to hold you, but you pushed his hands. — She started to feel insecure after spending too much time with this girl. She told her it was suspicious how “close” we were. She overanalyzed our interactions before she started asking every second of the day if I ever had feelings with you.

— Close? We only share classes. — You couldn't believe what he was telling you.

— She said her friend saw us being “clingy” at a party, but I honestly don't remember.

— You were too drunk, I was just making sure you didn't throw yourself to the pool. — You explained. Heeseung being in that state didn't even allow you to drink a single drop of alcohol, or anything. — I had to carry you, I guess her friend saw us hugging.

Heeseung threw his head back, not being able to remember anything. It was frustrating. — I'm sorry… god and after that I stopped talking to you.

— Well, at least now I know who started those rumors. — You tried to joke, but Heeseung didn’t laugh. — Let’s go for something to eat before going back with the rest.

Heeseung sighed and nodded, following you around without saying a word. You wanted to cheer him up, but you knew it wouldn’t be easy.

Once you were with your friends, they immediately knew something was wrong with him, but luckily didn’t make a comment about it.

Alcohol made an act of presence once everyone was comfortable, drinks getting stronger and stronger. You weren't drunk, but you weren't sober. Heeseung at your side was laughing at Jake making a weird dance as a dare. He spinned the bottle again, landing on you.

— Well, about time. — He teasingly said.

— As if you know what I'm going to choose. — You said, finishing your drink.

— Oh come on, don't be boring, we’re all having fun. — Heeseung exclaimed.

You laughed. — Fine! Dare.

Jake made an expression of thinking, but you knew he already had your dare in mind. — We all are gonna close our eyes and you are going to give a small kiss on the lips to whoever you want.

— It’s ok, babe, you can give us the kiss to get away with it. — Yeji said, hugging Yuna from the neck, making her whine when she pulled her close.

— Nah nah nah, she has to be honest. C’mon, no one’s going to watch. No cheating. — Jake said as he covered his eyes with his hands.

— Whoever cheats has to run around the building naked. — Yuna said, imitating Jake.

You couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of all of your friends with their eyes covered, Heeseung included. You didn’t think about it for too long, knowing perfectly at least one was going to check what was taking you so long. You leaned towards Heeseung, moving his hands apart from his face. He smirked when he saw you so close. None of you said anything, you gave him a small kiss and he went back to cover his face.

— It’s done. — You said.

Jake bit his lower lip and leaned his body. — How was it, Hee? — Heeseung didn’t answer, he just chugged his drink, lifting one eyebrow.

After a few minutes, the bottle landed on Heeseung, Yeji speaking up before anyone else. — I dare you to spend 7 minutes in heaven in Yuna's room with whoever you want.

— Nice, let’s go. — Jay joked, standing with Heeseung who only pushed him aside.

— You wish, man. — Heeseung extended his hand towards you, causing a howling mess in the room.

You laughed so loud and still grabbed his hand, letting him guide you to Yuna’s room.

The air changed the moment you closed the door. Heeseung gently pushed you against the door, caressing your cheek.

— Do you think they’ll come to check us in 7 minutes? — He asked, slightly brushing his lips with yours.

— We both know they won’t. — You whispered and locked the door. — But just in case.

Heeseung nodded and finally kissed you. Hard, immediately sucking on your tongue and squeezing your butt. You didn’t know how, but both were on the floor, him over you, still hungrily kissing. He was trying to get you naked so you let him. His hands were all over you and you were really getting into it when he pushed you down on your stomach and pulled your shorts off.

He took his time pulling your panties off too and then you felt his hand between your legs. You were wet already from him kissing you and he knew it. He rubbed his fingers up and down your pussy a few times before he slipped them inside you. It felt really good, making you moan.

He slid his fingers out of you and put them in your mouth. — Taste yourself. — He said.

You sucked on his fingers and tasted your own juices. He did this again and you sucked each finger clean. You looked up at him and smiled.

Heeseung kissed you hard and put his tongue in your mouth. You couldn't believe how hot this made you feel. You wanted to touch him and kiss him more. He pulled his shirt off and threw it across the room. Then he unbuckled his pants and pulled them down along with his boxers. You stared at his dick for a minute. It was beautiful and big. You reached out and touched it, wrapping your hand around it and stroked it slowly. Heeseung groaned and leaned forward, taking your head in his hands. He kissed you harder and you ran my tongue over his lips. You wanted to taste his cock.

You kissed down his neck and chest and then you opened your mouth and wrapped your lips around the tip of his dick. He gasped and you closed my eyes and sucked on him. You swirled your tongue around the tip and then took as much of him as you could in your mouth. He tasted so good.

You started moving your mouth up and down his shaft, making sure to slightly moan when you felt him touch your throat.

He moaned — Take it all, baby, I know you can do it. — You did as he told and then moved your head up and down faster.

You could hear him breathing hard and you loved that sound. You kept sucking him and he kept thrusting into your mouth. You felt his body tense and then he shot his load in your mouth. You swallowed it all and kept sucking him until he pulled away.

You sat up and wiped your mouth. He pulled your face again and kissed you, sucking in on your tongue as if he wanted to taste his own cum.

You gently pushed his chest so he could sit down on the floor and you straddled him. You rubbed your pussy against his dick and he groaned. Lowering yourself onto him, you felt so full, he was so thick.

Heeseung held your hips and you started to ride him. He put his arms under your thighs and held you still while you fucked him. You rode him fast and hard and then slowed down and picked up the pace again.

You felt so close to coming you didn't want to stop. You bounced up and down on him and then he grabbed your hips and held you. He kissed you and then he pushed you down to the floor and started fucking you, much harder that before. You came so hard and he kept going until he came inside you.

Heeseung collapsed on top of you and you just stayed there like that for a while. You were both breathing hard and covered in sweat.

He kissed you and then rolled off of you, laying next to you on the floor. You lay there like that for a long time and then he kissed you again. You could feel his dick getting hard again and you knew he wanted more. And so did you. You needed him more.

You got on your knees and took his dick back in your mouth.

— I love your mouth, baby. Fuck! — Heeseung groaned when you moaned around him and kept sucking.

You felt him push your head away so you pulled out and got in all four. He got behind you and rubbed his dick against your wet pussy and slid right in.

He was so deep and you loved how full you felt. He started fucking you so hard and you were moaning loudly, combining to the skin slapping.

He grabbed your hips and started thrusting harder and faster. You felt yourself getting closer to another orgasm and cried out. He kept fucking you and you came so hard feeling your juices running down your legs. He kept thrusting until he came too.

Your knees protested when you tried to stand up. Heeseung helped you, hugging you from behind and kissing your neck.

— Are you ok? — He said against your ear.

— Amazing. — Your voice came out so low, almost like a whisper, moving your head to give him more access to keep kissing you.

You sighed when you felt his teeth nibble your skin. — I promise next time we’ll be on a more comfortable surface. — He said, making you feel tingles on your stomach at the thought of this happening again.

— Do you want to go back there? — You asked once you had enough strength on your legs again, taking your clothes from the floor.

— I don’t know if I want to deal with the million questions they’ll make — Heeseung dressed up too.

Once both were ready, you opened the door, you still needed to go to Yeji’s room to get your phone.

— Here. — Jay handed your phones, not letting you go in.

— Jay, c’mon, man, at least let us help to clean. — Heeseung said, grabbing the phones.

— We can handle it, don’t worry! — Yeji yelled from the inside of the room.

— Keep having fun! — This time it was Yuna who yelled.

You laughed and pulled Heeseung’s shirt. There was no way in hell they'd let you in.

Back in Heeseung’s room, you finally laid down on the same bed, enjoying your time alone.

— So… — He asked, afraid of your answer.

— What? — Your head was over his chest, listening to his heartbeats.

— Does this mean something now?

You sat down and looked at him. — I don’t know, it’s you who just got out of a relationship. — You reminded him.

— Is it… bad? — Heeseung also sat down and held your hand. — Do you.. want something to happen between us?

You glazed at your hands and then at him. — I don’t think I’d have fucked you if I didn’t.

Heeseung chuckled. — Maybe we can keep it on the low while I take you on dates and propose appropriately.

— What? You coming inside me wasn’t appropriate?

#kpop smut #enhypen smut #heeseung smut #lee heeseung smut #enhypen heeseung smut #enhypen lee heeseung smut #enhypen hard hours #heeseung hard hours #lee heeseung hard hours #enhypen heeseung hard hours #enhypen lee heeseung hard hours

137 notes · View notes

boldlyvoid · 4 months

Text

Waiting Rooms

Aaron Hotchner x Fem Reader

Summary: JJ goes into labour with her second baby, on Christmas Eve. Aaron and Emily are the only two still in town, they rush to the hospital to support her where Aaron meets a lovely woman who's friend is also giving birth that same night.

Warnings: Pregnant JJ, mentions of throwing up, Meet Cutes, Love at First Sight | Canon rewrite: Haley doesn't die, JJ doesn't lose her baby in season 6, Emily is Alive and living with Aaron for the time being

Word Count: 2.7k

After losing Emily, JJ was able to rejoin the team. And thank god because Hotch was struggling to keep things afloat without both of them. Spencer was a mess, Penelope was needier than ever and Derek... Derek had this look of vengeance in his eyes that made Aaron worried what he did to Foyet look like a walk in the park.

It was scary.

The only one who was semi okay was Dave and that’s only because he’s better at hiding his feelings than anyone else on the team.

JJ was doing really good pretending to be distraught while knowing the truth that their good friend was safely tucked away in Paris for the time being. But something was off about her in the first few weeks that she was back… something he couldn’t quite place until she threw up on the jet.

He went back to pour himself a drink on their way home when he heard her in the jet washroom. He was instantly worried, he knocked on the door and asked if she was okay. She groaned, but let him in. He helped her up to her feet again, got her some tissues to wipe her mouth and stared at her with the most concern in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing's wrong,” she can’t help but smile. “I’m pregnant…”

He’s been so, so happy for her ever since. He keeps close to her side on cases, he keeps snacks in his bag for her and they double up in hotel rooms later on in her pregnancy just in case she needs anything in the middle of the night. She’s not one to go on early maternity leave, so starting at 27 weeks, he steps up his protectiveness and steps in when he knows she needs to go easy on herself. Wills grateful, he knows she’s in good hands with all the boys on the team and even Sever was really good at taking care of her before she transferred over to Andy Swan’s unit.

And much to everyone's surprise, Emily is back in their life when JJ hits 7 months pregnant and she’s so pissed that she can’t be involved in the takedown due to her baby bump. She wanted revenge, she wanted to make Ian Doyle pay… but getting to sit back at the BAU with Emily made up for it. Everything goes smoothly, they get Ian in custody, and they find his son-- sure the criminals all died at the trade-off, but at least Emily was safe from here on out.

The team is overjoyed that they get another Halloween with Emily. Another Thanksgiving, another Christmas and right as New Year's rolls around, JJ is due to bring in another member to their little family… they get two weeks off baring any emergency cases and so everyone goes their separate ways with the plan to come back right before new years to be there when JJ has her baby.

Spencer’s gone back to Vegas with his mom, Derek goes to Chicago with his mom and sisters, and Dave ends up in Long Island with his cousins and the few aunts he has left… Haley has Jack for Christmas this year, Penelope was volunteering at the local homeless shelter to give out Turkey dinner and so that left Emily and Aaron at his house— where she’s been living since coming back, with nothing to do.

And then the phone rings right before midnight. Moments before Christmas Day click's over.

“Hotchner?” He answers, expecting it to be a work call.

“Hey, JJ’s water broke and we’re at the hospital. Her mom has Henry, she’s like 5 centimetres now and she really wants you and Emily here,” Will rushes out.

“I need them!” She calls from the background.

“We’ll be there in a few minutes,” he assures before hanging up. He quickly gets up from bed to put his pants back on and rushes out the door, down the hall, he knocks on Emily’s door.

“What?” She answers and so he pushes the door open. She has a book in one hand and wine in the other. “Sure, come in.”

“JJ’s water broke, she wants us there,” he says. “Come on, I’ll see you downstairs.”

He grabs the rest of his things while she hurries to get back into something appropriate for waiting in a hospital for god knows how long. But they were going to be there the whole time. They were last time, they would be this time and then again if she ever has a 3rd. Or 4th… but he doesn’t see that happening.

The drive over is nice, the roads are clear and it doesn’t look like it’ll snow again anytime soon. Emily’s quiet, bouncing her knee and picking at her fingers. She’s not good with other people being in pain, especially not the people she loves… she’s the first one in the room when they get there. She kisses JJ on the head and asks if she needs anything and JJ just smiles up at her.

“They gave me the good shit,” she holds up her hand with an IV in it. “I’m great.”

“You look good,” Aaron gives her a smile. He loves her like a daughter, he’s so proud of her and she does look amazing for a woman going through the worst pain imaginable.

Just before she can reply, a nurse shows up in the doorway, “I’m so sorry, but it’s after visiting hours which means we can only allow 2 family members in the room at a time…”

“I’ll go,” Aaron offers, knowing how much time with Emily would mean to JJ. “I’ll be in the waiting room.”

“Okay,” JJ gives him a smile. “Thank you for coming, Aaron.”

“Anytime,” he smiles right back before heading out with a wave.

The waiting room is pretty empty, seeing as it is just after midnight on Christmas Day. Most people plan to have a baby around Christmas, avoiding it like the plague. JJ wasn’t due till New Year's, but, she has a habit of going into labour early. He sits alone in one of the pink pleather seats, there’s magazines on a rack in the corner and the news quietly on the TV screwed into the wall in the top right corner of the room. The chair he picked is perfect for watching the TV, however depressing the reports are, it keeps him company for the time being.

Another woman walks out into the waiting room 10 minutes later with a similar disappointed look on her face. “You get kicked out for not being family, too?” She asks him.

He nods, “I did. But it’s okay.”

“Can I sit beside you?” She asks and actually starts to sit well before he can nod. “Do you know what your friends are having?”

“Uh, no,” he lies. Keeping their privacy. “We just hope it’s healthy.”

“Same… but Cassy— my co-worker, she’s having a girl,” she explains. “Sorry, uh, I’m Y/N,” she sticks her hand out to shake his and make his acquaintance.

“Aaron,” he smiles back. “Was your friend due today?”

She nods, “Yeah, actually she was. We didn’t expect her to go in today because this is her first, sometimes they take a little longer but then her contractions started getting really bad a few hours ago.”

“This is my friend's second,” he shares. Finding it easy to open up to her. She’s nice, she doesn’t have a threatening bone in her body. And her smile is beautiful. “She actually went early both times.”

“Wow, lucky,” she laughs. “I really hope if I have a baby one day that it’s easy and quick…”

“You don’t have any kids?”

She shakes her head. “No, I don't even have a boyfriend… sorry, you didn’t need to know that.”

“It’s okay,” he smiles. “I uh, I have a son. He just turned 6, and he’s with his mom this Christmas.”

“Do you guys go back and forth?”

He nods, “It’s easier on him this way.”

“I bet,” she nods along, staring off at the floor, awkwardly losing the conversation there.

They’re silent for a few minutes and then he looks around to see where the vending machines are. “Are you hungry?”

“A little… but I used my cash on the parking pass,” she shares, lips pressed together, she’s not going to ask for food and she looks like she doesn’t want him to offer either.

“I’ll be right back, save my seat for me?”

“Okay,” she gives him another smile and he feels like blushing. She’s so pretty…

He gets a coffee from one machine and a bunch of snacks from the other, including a bottle of water and if she wants his coffee, he’ll just go back and get a second. He brings back his haul and places them on the little coffee table in front of their chairs, “Merry Christmas.”

She laughs again, “You didn’t have to do this?”

“We’re going to be here for a while, might as well eat up,” he shrugs, he really doesn’t mind. “Did you want coffee?”

She shakes her head, “No, I’m okay but thank you.”

“Take whatever you want,” he points to his collection of things. “There’s chips, candy, chocolate… they also had some egg salad sandwiches in there, if you prefer one of them?”

“No, no, it’s okay,” she assures him. “Thank you, I’ll take some chips… but first, I’m going to see if a nurse has a remote for the TV, the news is so sad and boring lately.”

“Oh, thank you. I get enough of this stuff at work,” he sighs with a shake of his head.

She disappears then, over to the nurses station and comes back with a remote inside a plastic bag. “What do you want to watch?”

“Anything is fine with me,” he assures.

“Okay,” she starts to flip through the channels. “What do you do at work?”

“I’m… I’m an FBI agent,” he tells her the truth. Feeling safe enough with her to be honest.

“Oh wow,” she’s impressed. “So is that why you didn’t tell me about what your friend is having?”

“What?”

“I teach kids, I can tell when someone is lying to me,” she explains with a smile. “Your voice went up a bit, you looked away from me… you know what she’s having.”

“I do. We’ve seen a few cases of people trying to hurt us specifically, I’m always weary to talk about my kid, her kids, any kids really because it shows people we have weak spots.”

“I feel you… I have to watch 23 kids for 8 hours a day and keep them all safe while school shootings are on the rise,” she explains.

“We don’t deal with a lot of those… but I see kidnappings often. At least 1 a month. It’s terrifying not being able to be with my son all day every day, but knowing there are teachers like you out there means a lot,” he gives her a smile.

“I would do anything for my kids,” she nods, the most genuine smile on her face as she stares into his eyes. “And I’m glad there are people like you out there who would be able to get the guy who puts me in a position to do anything for them.”

“And I get them all,” he assures her.

“I’m sure you do,” she smirks. Liking how cocky he is. “Do you wear a uniform like cops do or?”

“I typically wear a suit… and when I’m in the field a bulletproof vest— no suit jacket though.”

“Ah,” she likes the sound of that, looking him up and down. “And does your son have a mother?”

“He does… she’s with someone else, they’re all together at their new house right now,” he explains. “Scott is actually asking her to marry him tomorrow— well, today technically.”

“How weird is that for you?”

“Not really weird, I like him. He’s nice,” Aaron shrugs. “And he’s good with my son so I’m glad he has another father figure who’s home more than I am.”

“Your son sounds very lucky,” she smiles. “You clearly love him so much.”

“I really do,” he smiles right back. Something about her makes him so happy, the way she compliments him how she looks at him and how easy it is to just talk to her. “Are you doing anything tomorrow?”

She shakes her head, “Nope… don’t know when I’ll be leaving here though and I do need some sleep.”

“Yeah, same,” he forgot how long labour takes. “What about on New Year's?”

“I’m free,” she assures, leaning more into his space. “Are you asking me out, agent?”

“I am,” he nods, staring down at her lips and then back to her eyes. “You’re so nice and pretty… I’d like to get to know you more.”

“I’d like to—

“Aaron,” a voice calls out. Emily’s voice. “We have another niece.”

He’s quick to pull away and stand up, “already?”

She nods, “JJ is good at what she does… who’s this?”

“Oh, hi,” she stands up and puts her hand out to his friend. “I’m Y/N.”

“Emily,” she smiles. “Nice to meet you…”

“my friend is also having a baby tonight,” she awkwardly smiles. “But go, go meet this little girl. I’ll talk to you later?”

“Yeah,” he nods, “I’ll come back out and see you before I leave?”

“sounds good.”

Emily walks him down the hall and stops at the door, “only 2 people are allowed in there at a time… I can go keep your friend company?”

“Don’t… don’t be weird. I like her, she’s sweet,” he whispers. “I don’t get to meet nice, normal women often, let me have this.”

“You can have her, I’ll go to Penelope’s,” she teases and he swats her arm. “Hey, okay, go in. I’ll wait out here.”

—

Penelope is the next one to show up, Will and Aaron go out for some bad coffee, giving the girls some time to talk and Y/N’s nowhere to be seen out in the waiting room. Her friend must’ve had her baby… and he never had the chance to get her number.

Visiting hours start again in a little while, meaning that they’ll all be allowed in her room soon and maybe, just maybe, he can have a peak into the other rooms to see her?

Before he knows it, JJ goes for a nap, Penelope and Emily head out to get some food and Will sits beside his wife with his hand over hers. A nurse is coming in to take the baby for tests and monitoring and Will lets Aaron accompany her wherever she goes. She doesn’t have a name yet, she’s just baby girl LaMontagne and she’s the cutest.

He waits outside the glass windows, watching all the nurses attend to all the babies wrapped up in their blue and pink blankets. He’s staring at them with so much awe and happiness, he doesn’t notice someone coming up beside him until she’s bumping shoulders with him.

“hey there…”

“Hi,” he beams a smile at her. “Did she have the baby?”

She nods, “Yeah, she’s right there,” she points at the cot beside JJ’s daughter.

“My friend's is to the right of her,” he coos. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

“She is,” Y/N swoons. “God, now I want one even more.”

“You’d be a good mom,” he whispers. “I can tell.”

“Cause you’re a good dad or a good agent?” She teases.

“A bit of both… Do you still want to go out sometime?”

“I would,” she can’t believe it. She looks up at him in awe, “do you want my number?”

“I would love your number,” he says as he pulls out his phone and hands it to her. “I don’t go back to work until the 3rd, intense cases permitting… so I was thinking maybe we could go to dinner? Maybe take a walk around and see the lights and fireworks at midnight?”

“I’d really like that,” she swoons as she hands his phone back to him. “Even if we just ordered in and watched TV, I’d have fun with you.”

“You know, out of all my times in waiting rooms, this has to be my favourite,” he teases. “I’m so glad I met you.”

“Me too… and if it all works out, we have two little girls to thank for this,” she points at the two babies side by side, peaceful as ever.

“That we do.”

General Taglist

@ncsls0515 @stevesmunsons @reidsbookclub @sweetyyhippyy @manuosorioh @mrs-dr-reid @k-k0129 @squishyturtle @katsukis1wife @buckleyhans @mrs-ssa-hotch

#aaron hotchner #aaron hotch hotchner #aaron hotch x reader #aaron hotch x you #hotch smut #hotch x reader #criminal minds smut #criminal minds imagine

294 notes · View notes

99hook · 5 months

Text

Thanksgiving

Synopsis: Your family gets a little wild on Thanksgiving and Tyler sneaks you away from the chaos

A/N: this turned out to be funnier than i intended lmaooo and i also couldn’t figure out a good name for this fic so thanksgiving is what we’re going with

Pulling into the driveway, you felt your stomach knot up. You looked at the time being four-thirty and hoped you’d be able to leave by at least six.

Tyler turned the car off and looked over at you. “You’ve been silent the whole ride. You okay?” He asks, and you feel the knots in your stomach get even tighter.

“Yeah, I’m just nervous.” You admitted, clutching the dish you brought sitting in your lap.

“Why?” He asks. “It’s your family. I should be the one that’s nervous.” He chuckles, trying to lighten your mood.

“They just don’t get along when they all get together like this.” You tell him, sighing as you reluctantly unbuckled your seatbelt. “Last Thanksgiving ended in my uncle taking the whole turkey and chucking it across the yard because my cousin said it was dry. All hell broke loose after that.”

“What?” He gaped, clearly trying to stifle his laugh. “That’s crazy.”

“My mom and my aunt ended up throwing their drinks on each other and getting in a whole screaming match about some shit that they’re still mad about from high school too. They’re all crazy. Welcome to my family.” You forced a smile.

You were mainly nervous that Tyler wouldn’t be able to deal with the chaos. It was your first big holiday together and as much as you should’ve been anticipating it, you were dreading it.

His family was nothing like yours. They were crazy, but not in a way that they ended up in fights at the end of every get together. You realized that when he invited you to a summer barbecue at his parents house. They all welcomed you with open arms and joked around with each other all night long.

You’d been terrified for him to come to any holiday with your family ever since.

“Hey” he grabs your hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. “It’s gonna be okay. Okay? If things get crazy tonight, we can just leave.” He shrugs. “But try to enjoy this. I know you love your family and you don’t get to see them much anymore. You should enjoy this time with them.”

You nodded with a smile that was a little less forced and leaned over to place a kiss to his cheek before you both got out the car.

Walking up to the door, you could already hear the chatter coming from inside the house. You opened the door and saw your mom and your aunt first, preparing some dishes in the kitchen. They turned around when they heard the door open.

“Hello!” Your aunt singed, grabbing the dish from your hand and passing it to your mom. She gave you a hug and moved on to Tyler.

“So nice to see you got to come today!” She beamed, giving him a hug next. “We’ve only got to meet one other time.”

“Yes ma’am, i’m glad i was able to make it.” He smiles. You could tell he was a little nervous himself.

You gave your mom a hug next and she handed you a spoon right after. “Stir the mashed potatoes for us please.” She says before she gives Tyler a hug next.

“You look nice today, Tyler. We were just wondering if you were gonna wear that hoodie we always see you in.” She teases.

There was a slight blush that crept up on his cheeks but he tried to hide it.

Just then, you heard some loud footsteps coming from the stairs and your uncle rounded the corner right after.

“I thought I heard y/n” He grinned, about to give you a hug before he saw Tyler standing next to the counter.

“You must be the boyfriend.” He says, walking over to the fridge and pulling out two beers, passing one to him.

“We’ve heard a lot about you.” He adds, twisting the cap.

Your aunt shot him a look that he picked up on. “Be nice” she said.

“I’m always nice” He grinned. “Come on, man, let’s let the girls finish up in here. You like UFC? Got it on upstairs in the game room if you wanna watch with us.”

“Yeah, sounds cool.” Tyler said, looking back at you one more time before he headed upstairs.

“And Uncle Bryce just stole my boyfriend.” You chuckle. “You told him not to interrogate him, right?”

“Of course.” Your aunt said. “He’s not gonna do anything like that. He’s just curious who this new guy is that his niece is dating.”

“I like him” Your mom chimed in. “He seems like he’s good to you, and you look happy.”

“I am.” You beam.

“Oh no.” Your aunt says when she opens the oven. “You know who’s not gonna be happy? Bryce. This ham is burnt.”

“I told you the oven was too high, Emily.” Your mom scolded, rushing to pull the ham out the oven.

“I always make it on this temperature, it was not too high.”

“Then why the hell is it burnt?” your mom snapped. “You always do this every single year. Maybe you should be in charge of something else, cause ham isn’t your specialty.”

You rolled your eyes as you stirred the mashed potatoes, feeling like the chaos was already about to start.

“Look at this!” Your mom exclaimed as she cut into the ham. “It’s gonna be so dry”

“It’s fine.” Your aunt snapped back, swatting your mom’s hand away so she could doctor the ham herself. “Just go check on the green bean casserole or something. I got this.”

Your mom sighed as she opened the second oven, pulling the pan out and lifting the foil.

“I made this, so I know it’s fine.” She made a smart comment, and you felt the tensions arising quick.

Just then, your cousin came through the door.

“I’m here, and I brought alcohol!” She cheered, picking up on the tensions in the kitchen as soon as she stepped in.

“Fuck. Another thanksgiving fight? Why did I expect anything less?”

“No, we’re not fighting this year.” You said as you shot a look between both your mom and your aunt. You grabbed two of the bottles from your cousins bag and handed her one. You were thankful she showed up cause if anyone could understand, it was her.

“Where’s your man? I thought you were bringing him?”

“Upstairs with the guys.” You say before clicking your glasses together and taking a sip.

“Oh God, poor guy.” She joked before she put the drinks in the fridge.

“Emily, just throw that shit out. We’ll stick with turkey.” Your mom snapped again.

“It’s fine! If you don’t want it, don’t eat it. I’m not throwing the whole ham out.”

“Nobody’s gonna want that shit.” Your mom raised her voice. You rolled your eyes again and looked over at your cousin who was tipping back her drink.

“It’s fine!” Your aunt shouted back. “Who’s ready to eat? Girls, go set the table.” She directed you, passing you plates and silverware.

You both headed into the dining room. You could still hear them bickering in the kitchen.

“Every year. Never fails.” You sigh.

“That’s our family.” Your cousin shrugs. “Why do you think I get drunk when I’m here?”

“Tyler has never seen a holiday with us though. I don’t want him to think we’re insane.”

“But we are.” Your cousin chuckled. “Didn’t you warn him? Our mom’s are control freaks, my dad is a certified asshole, grandma loves to instigate and nobody knows how to communicate. Happy holidays, right?”

“His family is nothing like ours.” You tell her as you place the silverware down. “They’re so laid back and we’re so…”

“Not laid back. Yeah. But don’t worry so much about it. He was gonna end up seeing the crazy anyway. Better he sees it now than ten years down the road.”

You heard your mom calling for the guys to come downstairs and fix their plates. You took a deep breath and internally prepared yourself for whatever the hell was about to happen.

Tyler surprisingly came down with a smile on his face. He gave you a quick kiss before he grabbed the plate you were passing to him.

“Have fun up there?” You quirked a brow, and he nodded.

“Yeah, your uncle and brother are pretty cool.”

“Everyone just ignore the burnt ham! We still have turkey!” Your mom announced, smiling even though you knew she was throwing a shot at your aunt.

Your aunt was gritting her teeth as she cut into the ham. You were just thankful she didn’t say anything to fuel your mom’s petty fire.

Once you all got seated and started eating, the interrogation from your uncle started.

“So, since we don’t know much about you, Tyler, care to tell us about yourself?”

“You didn’t find out enough by googling him?” Your cousin piped up. “Pretty sure you know this guy’s whole life story by now.”

Your uncle cut his eyes but bit his tongue. You felt Tyler give your hand a squeeze under the table.

“Um, well I’m from long island. I’ve been an athlete my whole life, and I’m a pro wrestler for AEW right now.”

“You don’t have to listen to him.” Your cousin tells Tyler, glaring at your uncle. “He’s just trying to be aggravating.”

“No I’m not. I’m just curious about this kid. What’s it like being a wrestler?”

“It’s pretty cool. I mean, it’s not easy. A lot of physical strain on the body. It’s pretty demanding but I love it at the same time.”

“I have a question.” Your aunt chimes in. “How did you two meet? Long Island is a long ways away from here.”

“I went to a show and we ran into each other afterwards.” You tell her.

“So you were a fan?” Your uncle asks. “Is she the only fan you’ve dated?”

You peered your eyes at him from across the table, picking up on his tone immediately.

“She is.” Tyler says.

“Well that’s cute.” Your grandma adds from a little ways down the table.

“I imagine a lot of girls probably throw themselves at you.” Your uncle added.

“Not really, no.” Tyler denied, squeezing your hand under the table again.

“I don’t believe that.” He chuckled. “You’re a good looking kid and you probably meet a lot of girls whenever you’re traveling, right?”

“Well, yeah but-“

“I’m just making sure my niece is in good hands. You can understand that. We don’t know that much about you so-“

“Honey, can you leave Tyler alone and just eat your food. We’re all having a nice time. Let’s not ruin it with all these questions.” Your aunt chipped in, and for a second you were thankful for that, but you should’ve known your uncle wasn’t gonna bite his tongue that much.

“Oh, you mean this dry ass ham?” He stabbed his fork into a piece. “Emily, I told you to leave me in charge of the ham and turkey for a reason.”

“Fuck you, Bryce!” She spat, throwing her fork down on the plate.

The energy in the room shifted immediately. You felt your stomach twisting up in those tight knots all over again. The pure embarrassment was what was really overwhelming you.

“Here we go.” Your cousin rolled her eyes before she chugged her drink.

You glanced at Tyler who dropped his head down, clearly uncomfortable with the tensions that were quickly brewing in that dining room.

“Don’t start your shit.” Your uncle snapped back.

“Maybe just be thankful you have a wife who puts all of this together for the family then!” Your aunt retaliates.

“Guys, stop.” Your brother piped up. “Just eat so we can get this over with.”

“Get this over with? Is that all thanksgiving is to you all? Just something you have to drag your asses to my house for?!” Your aunt started up, and once she starts you already know there’s no stopping.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Your brother tries to alleviate the tensions.

“Yes he did.” Your uncle adds. “You don’t have to lie to her.”

“Stop while you’re ahead, Bryce.” Your aunt snapped.

“It’s the truth, Emily. Half of us at this table don’t even like each other!”

“Hey, that’s fucked up.” Your cousin piped up again.

“Am I lying?” Your uncle shrugged.

“I love all of y’all.” Your grandma added from the end of the table.

“You were just talking trash about everyone in this room.” Your mom put in her two cents, calling out your grandma.

You looked at Tyler again, and he looked over at you. He could read your mind in that moment in seemed like, cause as soon as everyone started going after each other, he took you by the hand and snuck you out the dining room.

Everyone was too caught up in the arguments to notice the two empty chairs left at that table, and you were just thankful to be out of that house.

You walked to the car and he opened your door for you before he got in the drivers seat.

“Please tell me we’re leaving.” You sighed. He stayed silent for a moment before he spoke, probably trying to figure out what the hell he just witnessed.

“You should still say goodbye to your family. I don’t think it would be right if we just left without telling anyone.”

“They won’t notice.” You tried to persuade him. “And I’m so sorry that you had to see all this tonight. This is what I was scared of.”

“It’s not your fault.” He says. “Don’t be sorry for anything, baby.”

“I was so worried you weren’t gonna be able to deal with all this. I mean, your family is nothing like mine. They’re so nice to each other and I just didn’t want you to think differently of me because mines kinda crazy.”

“First, nothing can make me think any different about you. I love you and that’s not gonna change. Second, you think my family isn’t crazy, but all families are. My parents argue sometimes. Sometimes it gets bad enough that my mom throws food at my dad and he has to sleep on the couch. You didn’t see that cause they were on their best behavior when you were there.” He chuckles.

“But they’re a little crazy too. You’ll see that eventually, unfortunately. Maybe Christmas.” He shrugs. “Christmas is usually the craziest holiday at my parents house.”

“You want me there for Christmas?” You couldn’t help the smile breaking out.

“Of course I do.” He nods. “You’re my girl, I want to spend every holiday with you.”

You felt your heart melt, leaning over to place a gentle kiss to his lips that lingered for a few sweet seconds.

“Plus, my mom said if I didn’t bring you she was gonna be mad at me. She wants to bake stuff with you, and I think you have more presents under the tree than I do.” He grins.

“Tell her I can’t wait.” You beam, placing another kiss to his lips.

#hook aew #aew hook #aew hook x reader #tyler senerchia

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