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bts-reveries · 3 years

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expect the unexpected | 21

(text after the pictures!)

“Get ready for bed,” Jin says, pushing Soojin on the forehead with his pointer finger. He was sitting on the couch, leaning back as he finally relaxed. You know, now that you’re home and all.

“But it’s earlyyyy,” Soojin says, leaning on the couch. “I want to watch with you.” She jumps onto the couch, cuddling into Jin’s side.

“No, no,” Jin says, pushing her away. “It’s time for you to go to bed. Daddy has some work to do after you sleep.”

“But you’re watching TV,” Soojin says, pointing to the screen in front of them. Avengers: End Game was playing. Jin sighs, getting up and picking her up from the couch.

“Bedtime~” Jin says, walking to her room.

“You used to let me stay with you to watch,” she pouts. “Now all you say is no.” Jin sighs yet again. I guess this is what he gets for always giving her what she wants huh?

“I know, but daddy has stuff to do tonight. We can watch tomorrow okay?” he says. “Look, mommy’s reading Haneul and Minseok a story.” He says as he was about to pass Haneul’s room.

“Hi,” you say, smiling up at your husband and daughter. “Wanna join us?”

“Why are we sleeping early tonight,” Soojin says with a big frown. “It’s Saturday!”

“Because it’s been a long week for all of us,” you say. “Now come sit here and join us for a bedtime story.” Jin drops Soojin on the bed next to Haneul, making them bounce.

“I want a story with the wolves.” Soojin says, she taps on her chin, “I forgot the name.”

“Mommy is talking about Cinderella,” Minseok tells her. “Haneul picked tonight.”

“Isn’t there a wolf in Cinderella?” Jin says, sitting down behind his kids.

“No,” you and Minseok say at the same time.

“I’m sure there is,” he says, winking at you. Just go along with it.

“No a different one,” Soojin whines, turning to Jin then to you.

“Twilight?” Jin asks. You give Jin a look. “They haven’t heard of that one yet huh?”

“No and--”

“Well this girl went to a new school and falls in love with a vampire, but she finds out one of her friend is a wolf--”

“How does she not know he’s a wolf,” Minseok asks, interrupting his dad.

“He looks like a normal person, but he turns into a wolf.”

“Oh,” Minseok says, very intrigued with the story. Soojin seemed to be interested too. Haneul was listening, his eyebrows furrowed and mouth hanging open.

“Okay anyways, the girl’s name is Bella and she falls in love with Edward, who is a vampire. She doesn’t know this until later on and she was even begging him to make her a vampire because she was so in lo--”

“Jin we should change the story,” you interrupt. “The wolf fairytale you were asking about was Little Red Ridinghood right? Or Three Little Pigs?” You ask, looking at Soojin.

“I want to keep listening to daddy’s story,” she says, turning to Jin. You glare at your husband.

“Change it,” you mouth at him. Twilight wasn’t age appropriate for them.

“Okay well,” Jin says, catching what you were getting at. “Bella and Edward dated all throughout High School like mommy and daddy and then they fought bad guys together with super powers. At the end, they have a baby and live together forever and ever. Because they’re vampires and they don’t die, you know?” Technically he didn’t lie, he just skipped the parts where Jacob (the wolf friend) hates Edward and is in love with Bella and tries to keep them apart, and also like Bella dying because of the baby that was killing her from the inside out. Edward having to bite her everywhere in an attempt to save her. And Jacob falling in love with the baby? “Also vampires glow in the sun like they’re bedazzled with white rhinestones,” Jin adds.

“I want to be sparkly like that,” Soojin giggles.

“Maybe next time,” Jin says. He ruffled her hair, making her laugh.

“Okay, I think it’s time for bed right?” you say, bringing the attention back to bed.

“I want to finish Cinderella,” Haneul tells you. “You didn’t finish..” It was true, Soojin did kind of interrupt you in the middle of your story.

“Okay where were we?”

“Cinderella met the prince,” Minseok says.

“Oh yeah! So Cinderella and the prince, Prince Charming--”

“They danced together all night and then Cinderella was like ‘Oops, bedtime. I have to get ready for bed’,” Jin says. He even did Cinderella’s voice. “And the prince said ‘Okay! Good night, I’ll text you in the morning’ but then when Cinderella ran off, the prince realized he didn’t give her his phone number so he said ‘WAIT!’ but it was too late. Cinderella got home and she decided to eat an apple before bed and she ended up feeling sick. This is why uncle JK always says, ‘night apple is poison apple.’ This made her fall asleep for days. Until one day, the prince found a tower in the middle of the woods and so he rode his magic carpet up that tower. He walked inside and found Cinderella. The prince thought she looked so pretty that he placed a kiss on her lips and she woke up and they lived happily ever after, the end.”

You stared at Jin with furrowed brows, and so did Minseok and Haneul. Soojin scratched her head. You’ve told them the story before and they also have watched the movie. They knew how it went.

“Did you just mix up Cinderella with Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, and Rapunzel?”

“It’s a story to teach kids that you should already be at home way before bed time and also eating apples late at night is bad for your stomach,” Jin argued.

“Sure,” Soojin says, a yawn escaping her mouth a little afterwards.

“Aha! You are sleepy!” Jin laughs, pointing at his daughter. She glares up at him. “Come on, bed time,” Jin says, picking her up. “Say night night to mommy and your brothers.” He carries her in front of Haneul to give him a kiss, and Minseok too. Then towards you.

“Good night my princess,” you say, giving her a kiss.

“I’m just going to take a quick shower,” you say.

Now that all the kids were tucked in bed, Jin was going to do some paperwork in his office.

“I’ll be in my office,” Jin says, grabbing his laptop from his bed as you were going into the bathroom.

“Okay, don’t stay up too late. I miss sleeping in bed with you,” you say. Jin laughs.

“We did that last night?”

“With Haneul in between us,” you scoff.

“Well okay, I won’t stay in too long.”

“Okay, good.” You went ahead and went into the bathroom, ready to take a shower.

Jin went ahead and stepped out of the room, about to head to his office when your phone rang from the living room.

His eyes widened at the loud ring, afraid it was going to wake up the kids.

He immediately ran to the couch, searching for your phone and he found it right under Haneul’s blanket.

Dr. Cha Eun-Seok

It was your doctor, Jin and you have had the same doctor since Minseok was born. Safe to say he’s basically a family friend now.

Jin answers the call.

“Hello Mrs. Kim, I know it’s late, but I’m just calling again for your second appointment next Friday,” he says. Jin furrows his brows, tilting his head to the side.

“This is Jin actually--”

“Oh! Jin-ssi,” Dr. Cha laughs. “I thought I called your wife--”

“You did, she’s in the shower right now and her phone was ringing so I went to answer it. Uh, what were you calling about? Second appointment for what?”

“Ah I see. I’m just calling about her second appointment. We were talking about it when she came by yesterday morning. We thought it would be a good idea to bring all the kids to the ultrasound. You know how it works,” he laughs. “She’s about one month along right now, we can have her first ultrasound next Friday and try to hear the heartbeat of the baby. I’m sure Haneul will be amazed eh?”

Jin was confused.

You’re pregnant?

“Yeah,” Jin says, trying to laugh along. “I’m sure he will. I’ll remind her, thank you Dr. Cha.”

“Yeah yeah, no worries. I’ll see you then.”

“Okay,” Jin says, hanging up the phone.

Jin looks down at your phone, looking at your wallpaper. A picture of you two and the kids. He doesn’t move from where he’s standing.

“Hey,” you say, walking down the hallway as you were about to look for your phone that you left in the living room. “You’re not in your office?” You say, seeing Jin standing there. His back was facing you.

“You got a phone call,” he says lowly, turning around and handing you your phone.

“From who?” You say, smiling up at him. You were confused. His eyebrows were furrowed and he had a serious expression on his face.

“Dr. Cha.”

Your eyes widened slightly.

“D-did you answer it?” You say, not seeing any missed calls on your lock screen.

“Yeah and he said something funny,” Jin says, forcing out a laugh.

“Like what…?” You look up at him with worry in your eyes.

“You're pregnant?” He says, leaning down to your face. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“I was going to, I--”

“How long did you know?”

“Not too long, I just found out a few days ago.” Jin scoffs, looking away from you.

“Jin, I was going to tell you.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“You were complaining about the kids all week, and saying let’s just stick to three kids,” you say, mocking his voice. “Jin you said maybe to a GOLDFISH. What would you say if I said we were having another kid?”

“BECAUSE IT’S NOT IN THE PLAN YN. We always said THREE. And you know how hard it is with just them three?” Jin says, moving his arm to the side and motioning towards the kids room. “What the hell happened?” He yells.

“Aren’t you the one who said “no matter how hard you plan, the future is uncertain”?” You say. Jin has given advice to his friends countless times before, and you remember most of them. This one being his advice to Bora when she was confused with Taehyung and her ex. “Well we always planned for a big family, three was ideal. But what if four is what completes our family?” You yell back at him.

Jin laughs, crossing his arms across his chest, looking away from your face. You were so close to crying.

“It’s too soon, Haneul’s only three. How did this even happen?”

“And Minseok was two when we had Soojin. And Soojin was around two with Haneul as well. What’s the difference?”

“The difference is, it’s not as easy as it once was Yn. How could you let this happen?”

You scoff. What does he mean by that?

“How could I let this happen? Jin what the heck did we do during our anniversary trip?! WHAT DID YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN?”

“YOU’RE ON THE PILL! THEY’RE LIKE 99% EFFECTIVE!” He laughs. “What did you do? Forget to take it? Were you that stupid?” Your mouth drops open when he says that last bit. You let out an annoyed scoff. You can’t believe him.

“I guess I am,” you say. “The day we left, I ran out.” You shake your head. “I was supposed to buy more but so many things happened that day and I couldn’t remember the one thing I was supposed to do. So I guess, yeah. I am stupid.”

“How could you forget that? You take it everyday, wouldn’t you remember--”

“Oh like how you forgot to pick up the kids from school? Yeah, I know you don’t pick them up everyday but you had ONE job Jin. The first day I leave and the house falls apart--”

“EXACTLY. IT’S THREE KIDS AND ME. AND YOU’RE ADDING ONE MORE?”

“JIN YOU ACT LIKE THIS IS A ONE PERSON JOB?” Your eyes were already watering and a few tears have dropped. “I don’t care if you want this kid or not--”

“Oh my gosh,” He rolls his eyes at you. “I DIDN’T SAY--”

“Ah--” You gasp out, holding onto your stomach. Your face contorted in pain as you stumbled back. You felt a shoot of pain on your lower belly.

Jin’s face suddenly softens when he sees you in pain, all anger suddenly leaves his body. He reaches out to you to help but you move from his hand.

“I’m going to go to bed,” you mumble, walking to your room.

Jin stays there, standing in the living room, watching you go while holding onto your stomach. You slam the door behind you, locking it while you’re at it. You didn’t want Jin following you, you just wanted to be alone.

“D..daddy?”

Jin turns his head to the side to see Minseok standing by the kitchen counter.

“Minseok what are you doing up?” He asks in a quiet voice, motioning for him to come to him.

“You and mommy were being loud,” he says. “I woke up when you started screaming and I came out and you and mommy were just yelling at each other.” He walks up to his dad and Jin sits on the couch, pulling him close.

“I’m sorry, do you want me to tuck you in again?” Jin asks, softly smiling up at Minseok and caressing his head.

“It’s okay, but why were you and mommy fighting? You never did that before,” he says, looking back at your closed door.

“It’s between mommy and I,” Jin says, looking at your door as well. “It’s not the first time we fought. We just don’t do it often so you don’t see. Not everyone is perfect.”

“Not even you and mommy?” Minseok asks. Jin shakes his head. His eyes were getting watery as well.

“Go to bed, daddy’s going to do some work in his office.”

“Okay,” Minseok says, walking back to his room. He stops midway, turning to Jin. “Can you sleep with me tonight?” Minseok probably heard you lock the door, knowing Jin might be sleeping on the couch. Jin nods.

“Okay, I’ll go in after. Go ahead and go to bed.”

Jin grabs his laptop that was on the couch and heads to his office. He turns on the light, sighing.

He didn’t plan the next few days that you were back to end up like this. Everything was supposed to be smooth sailing now that you’re back. But like what you said, like what he said before. No matter how hard you plan, the future is uncertain. And he ruined it all tonight.

Jin walks to his desk placing his laptop on top. But something else was there.

A small canvas with a painting of two people. One was way bigger than the other. The bigger one was hugging the smaller one. And on top written in huge characters said,‘I love my daddy’. Signed by Haneul.

This was when Jin lost it, a stream of tears slid down his cheek as he held tightly onto the canvas done by his youngest son.

Everyone sees you and Jin as the perfect couple. Everything is easy with you two. You have the perfect kids, the perfect life, and the perfect relationship.

But what if I tell you that you don’t? For moments like this. Fighting over something that was supposed to be great. Something other’s dreamed they had. What if I told you that raising three kids is hard? Even for you and Jin. You two are the oldest out of all of your friends, you two are whom they go to for advice. For relationship advice, and for kid advice. You two were the “pros” according to them. Nothing you can’t handle.

But to you and Jin, you don’t see it that way. You two had your share of problems just like everyone else. There are things your friends don’t know about you two.

For Jin, he’s insecure about being a father. He has three kids right now, out of all his friends, he was the first to have a kid. Out of all his friends, he’s the only one with more than one kid. You’d think he’d know everything by now right?

Well he doesn’t and he’s still learning and from the past few days alone, he realizes he might not have what it takes, but he’s good enough he thinks.

To everyone’s eyes he’s perfect, even to his kids.

Long story short, he’s scared.

But of what?

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

expect the unexpected

♡ part twenty-one: the perfect couple ♡

pairings: ceo, dad!jin x interior designer, mom!reader

a/n: the way it was cute at first 😐 okay i hope this is angsty enough also LOL i mentioned that the doctor (who is the doctor in dodosolsollalasol) is a family friend bc doctors don’t call that late in the evening, or call? at all? idk i don’t go to the doctors unless im dying

EDIT: hi sorry, i don’t usually use the read more feature because idk it always messes up something and it took out a chunk of dialogue after the cut off haha😀 i edited it now tho so it should be good

EDIT PT2: OKAY THE READ MORE KEEPS CUTTING OFF THE NEXT DIALOGUE WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIX IT SO I JUST HAD TO TAKE IT OFF I APOLOGIZE

taglist: @silentlyimpractical @jillianmarie @waddlebby @cecedrake2217 @ddofa @samros95 @sope-and-shine @joonjoonsmiles @codeinebelle @aianloveseven @Chamchamcham @princessjazzyjazz @notvantaes @casspirit0705 @ramyagovindraj @brinnalaine @ephyra1230 @betysotelo18 @thoughtfultaledreamer @salty-for-suga @cosmicdaylight @dreamcatcherjiah @kookoo-kachoo @justinetingball @josierosie @jayhope88 @butterflylion @hobiismyhopeu @momma-said-that-it-was-oke @ygbubs @catspancake @somewhereofftheglobe @strawberryforever25 @rjsmochii @prdshobi @beeeb05 @eatjeanjin @taekookcaneatme @Cheeely14 @kookietsukkie @anpanman-sonyeondan @glitteringcoffeefreak @chocobetterknot @alpaca1612 @ohmy-fandoms @liljooniecutie @Jikachoo @preciouschimine @fan-ati--c @Joondala @httpmuffin @dammit-jjk @jikooksgirl19

TAGLIST IS CLOSED!

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s1utforronweasley · 3 years

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YOUR LOVER // R.W

[𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫]

You and Ron met after the war. You were both at the bar, two years ago, in The Leaky Cauldron when you recognized each other from school. You quickly fell into conversation, being the only people you both knew in the whole place.

Since then, it had been cute dates, spending weekends together at your flat in London and falling deeper and deeper in love.

There was only one problem. When you were at Hogwarts, you were in the same year as the twins, meaning you were two years above Ron. Of course, this didn’t matter know as you were both adults – Ron being 21 and you being 23. However, that wasn’t the only problem, you were a pureblood Slytherin, whose parents were both blood prejudice and followers of Voldemort. You were also friends with known ex death eaters, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Adrian Pucey, who was in your year, and Draco Malfoy. Thankfully, you never received the mark.

While none of you believed in blood supremacy, and none of you knew anything of your parents anymore, your family names had been tarnished forever, and this was extremely prominent when Ron finally decided to introduce you to his family.

You knew how important his family was to Ron, so that’s why you spent 2 and a half hours getting ready for the family dinner he was taking you too tonight. You were surprised that they were even letting you date Ron, let alone inviting you over for dinner. Not only would all the Weasley’s be there, but also Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Fleur Delacour, who your remembered from your sixth year.

When you first apparated from your flat to the burrow, you weren’t aware that Ron hadn’t informed them of exactly who his girlfriend was before coming. It was only when you were standing outside when the news was broken, not helping your nerves whatsoever.

When you first entered, everyone was waiting in the living room with grins on their face, excited to meet you. Their faces swiftly dropped when they realized who you were, and scowls forming when their eyes traveled to you intertwined hands. Eye rolls were received from Fred and George. That's probably what you got for calling them carrot-tops for seven years straight.

The smiles were smacked back on their faces when they saw Hermione enter through the front door.

The rest of the evening was extremely awkward. Snide comments were thrown at you the whole night, such as ‘I didn’t know death eaters were allowed to just roam free’ and ‘so did your parents get life in Azkaban or just a really long time?’. So, you opted to staying quiet for the rest of the night, trying not to let them get to you.

“The worst of it was when you came back from using the bathroom, and went to enter the kitchen when voices stopped you from doing so.

“Why are you dating her Ron?” The first voice belonged to Molly.

“Because I love her, Mum. Is that such a crime, to love your girlfriend.”

“Not normally, but it is when it’s her. She’s not good for you, she’ll only end up hurting you in the long run.”

“Your mother’s right, Ronald. To be completely honest, we thought that you were going to come through the door with Hermione tonight. Not to mention that she’s two years older than you”

“What?”

“Oh, come on Ron.” Said Molly. “You two have always had chemistry. Much more than you and what's-her-face through there.” She whispered, venomously.

“Her name’s Y/N, and I love her. And if you can’t accept that, that’s on you. Maybe if you gave her a chance and got to know her, you would realize what’s she’s been through and what an incredible woman she is. An ‘to be completely honest’” He mocked his father's previous words. “Until you do just that, I need a break. Bye guys, I’ll talk to you later.”

“RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY YOU GET BECK HERE RIGHT NOW!” Molly shouted.

And that’s how you ended up here, lying in bed, with mascara stains on your face as you lay in Ron’s embrace.

Ron’s hugs are always the best.

You had your head laid on his chest as he stroked your hair, whispering sweet nothings in your ear.

“You know I love you Y/N.” he placed another kiss on your forehead.

“I love you too Ronnie.” You mumbled.

“And I would do anything for you, even if it meant leaving my family.”

“Ron, I would never expect you to do something like that. I know how much you love them.”

“I do, but not nearly as much as I love you.”

“I'm so glad I met you.” You whispered into his chest.

“Me too, Y/N/N. Me too.”

And that’s how you drifted off to sleep. In the strong, caring, safe embrace of your lover, Ron Weasley.

#ron #Ron Weasley #Harry Potter #hogwarts #ron weasley fluff #ron weasley angst #ron weasley x reader #ron weasley x fem!reader #ron weasley x y/n #ron weasley x you #ron wealsey x slytherin!reader

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prettyboybarzal · 4 years

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lessons in romance // nate mackinnon x reader

summary: nate mackinnon is really bad at keeping a steady girlfriend. so bad that’s become somewhat of a joke between him and the boys. but you come along and try to set him straight.

word count: 14k+

author’s note: it’s finally here. i’m honestly surprised at how fast i cranked this out... which is actually a LOT longer than most people write on here so mayb i shouldn’t brag lmao! this fic was inspired by THIS gifset. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE give me feedback/reblog!!!!!!

warnings: smut (i jumped out of my comfort zone people. i finally wrote some lmfao) & mentions of a past toxic ex

Weekends were better spent in bed or visiting family, not sitting in a crowded bar with men who reminded you slightly of your ex-boyfriend. You were probably overreacting a little bit because the guys truly meant well, but their overly boy-ish energy was startlingly similar to that of your ex. Maybe a few more drinks would help the cause and you could get passed the sex jokes.

Mel Landeskog was the reason you were there. She wouldn’t take no for an answer, much like her husband, and so you were sitting across the booth from some of the largest men you’d ever seen in your life. Gabe gave you the rundown of their names as they arrived though the only one you could remember was Cale. He was a perpetually blushing 21-year-old named after a vegetable; how could you forget him?

“Do you think Nate’s upset about this one?” Cale asked. The new topic of conversation was their friends’ disastrous date since he texted to tell them he was broken up with and was on his way to them. “They were sort of serious.”

“We’re about to find out,” Gabe announced, nodding towards the entrance of the bar. Nate was on his way to the booth, tired smile on his lips. As he got closer, he started shaking his head and the table erupted in chirps at his expense.

You recognized him from earlier at the Landeskog’s pregame. He was slipping out of the front door as you stepped in. His cologne was the type the good-looking guys always wear, and you weren’t disappointed when you looked up at him. He was handsome with the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled to his elbows and the top three buttons undone, and when he smiled, you all but swallowed your tongue.

He began to greet his teammates. The chain around his neck caught the light of the DJ booth and you found yourself gazing at it. You tore your eyes away from the gold at the sound of Mel’s voice introducing you.

“This is my girlfriend, YN, from my Saturday morning Cycle class,” she said. “And, YN, this is my husband’s boyfriend, Nate MacKinnon.”

He threw his head back in a laugh at Mel’s joke as he extended a hand to you. “Nice to meet you.”

You listened to the quips from his teammates, each one with their own opinion about Nate’s relationship or lack thereof. It seemed like this wasn’t the first time in recent months that he’d been broken up and it had become somewhat of a spectacle to the boys. Mel, who’d seen this song and dance one too many times, wrapped her fingers around your elbow and tugged you with her towards the bar.

“What was that about?”

“Nate can’t hold down a girlfriend,” she explained. “It’s been a joke since he first came here because they almost all have the same issue with him.”

“And what is that?”

“He’s not romantic enough.”

You glanced back over your shoulder and watched the boys laughing amongst each other. It looked like they were celebrating as they lifted their beers in a sad looking toast, and it hit you right where it hurt.

You really saw your ex-boyfriend in the group now and, though you tried not to make assumptions, you found it hard to set the first impression aside. The liquor in your system didn’t help. With each joke about his dating misadventures, you became less of a fan of him and by the end of the night you were bubbling over in annoyance.

Gabe and Mel offered Nate a ride home towards the end of the night and you managed to keep your expression neutral when he accepted. As they headed out to grab the car, you and Nate waited at the curb several feet away from each other.

“I’m sorry about your break up,” you offered after a moment of silence. The statement came out more like a question and Nate’s lips quirked up into a smirk at the inflection of your voice. “Sorry, I just can’t tell if you’re upset or not, so I don’t know if I should even offer my condolences.”

“I’m, uh, I’m not upset,” he began. “I saw it coming.”

“How so?”

“Let’s just say this isn’t the first time a girl’s broken up with me for not being romantic enough,” he said. Thoughts were filling your head faster than you could make sense of them. There was no reason for the situation to annoy you as much as it did. You didn’t know this guy and the odds that you ever saw him again were slim.

“So, if it’s not the first time, why hasn’t anything changed?”

“Excuse me?” he asked. There was a crease between his eyebrows. He hadn’t been expecting you to respond like that. You shouldn’t have. It wasn’t your business

“I mean, you act like a martyr when you probably would be successful in love if you just put in the romantic effort these girls are craving,” you said. Your anger had begun to boil over and words were spilling from your mouth faster than you could stop them. “Guys like you are the worst. You lead girls on and make them think they’re special. Next thing they know, they’ve been wasting time on you and your lack of effort.”

The comment made Nate take a step away from you. His eyebrows drew together in shock and confusion. As you spoke, he turned his body to you and crossed his arms over his chest. The moment you closed your mouth, he interjected. “You don’t even know me.”

“I don’t have to,” you argued, turning to him. You were in a stand-off with a man several inches taller than you, and to any passerby it probably looked a little bit funny, but you weren’t backing down. “I know guys like you. I’ve dated guys like you.”

Before Nate could continue arguing, the Landeskogs pulled up to the curb. Mel hollered out for you two and the topic of conversation was dropped.

---

You regretted everything you said to Nate the moment you woke up the morning after. It wasn’t like you to be so rude, especially not to someone you didn’t know. Your heart stopped every time Mel texted you in the days following. You thought that at any moment she’d confront you about what you said to him, but it never came. As the week carried on, you found yourself forgetting the harsh words spoken outside the bar and the worry stopped.

Until Thursday night.

The knock at your apartment door was unexpected. You met your roommate, Mara’s, narrowed eyes over the dirty dishes you were working on. By the look on both your faces, neither one of you had a guest on the way over. She turned on her heel to check the peephole and the next look she gave you was equally as confusing as the previous one. She still opened the door.

“Does YN live here?”

The voice sent shockwaves through your veins and you stopped your movements, plates held just above your head as you were about to slide them into the cabinet. Nate MacKinnon was at your apartment. Mara nodded at him slowly before stepping back to let him in.

“Hi,” he greeted. His hands were tucked into his sweatshirt pocket, legs clad in compression leggings and a pair of shorts. He looked like he’d just come from a workout and his hair was still wet from the shower he’d taken before coming over. “I hope you don’t mind. Gabe gave me your address.”

“No problem,” you told him through a shaky breath. “Come in. Come sit at the island.”

He removed his shoes and approached slowly, sending Mara one last smile as she crept off down the hall. You silently cursed her for leaving you with your shaking hands as you cleared the clutter from the countertop. You watched him as he settled into the stool across from you, mirroring the kind smile he was sharing with you.

“Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee? I have food, too, if you’re hungry.”

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. His voice was softer now than it had been before. “I wanted to talk to you about the other night. It won’t take long.”

“Oh?” you asked, trying to ignore the way your stomach dropped. You wanted to start apologizing right then. You didn’t have a reason to go and butt into his personal life like you had. You should’ve kept your mouth shut. Guys like him didn’t care about your opinions. “I’m sorry for what I said. When I get drunk, I have the tendency to shoot off at the mouth.”

“Don’t apologize,” he said. Your mouth snapped shut. “No one keeps me in check. All the guys think the fact that I can’t keep a girlfriend is a big joke because I’m so bad at dating. It shouldn’t be a joke. So, I’m sorry and thank you.”

You dropped your hands to the counter and leaned against it. The last thing you expected was for Nate to thank you, so you needed a moment to gather your thoughts. His eyes glistened as he watched you and then the corner of his lip quirked up because you started giggling.

“You should not be thanking me,” you said. With that simple statement, the tension in the air lifted. You turned your back on him, indicating that if the conversation must go on, you were going to be doing the dishes as well. “I was just being bitter the other night.”

“You had every right to be,” he said. “I was gloating.”

“You were kind of gloating,” you mumbled. You hadn’t meant for Nate to hear, and he knew that, but he laughed anyway. You turned to face him with an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing,” he said. He didn’t even know why you were apologizing at that point. It seemed like you’d apologize for taking up space and that made him feel a bit sad. He smiled politely at you anyway, to signal he wasn’t annoyed by the apologies, and it lit up his features in a way you hadn’t noticed the other night. “Anyway, I came here for a reason.”

“Okay.”

“I need you to teach me to be romantic.”

He delivered it tentatively, as though he was afraid of the way you might react. In the split second that followed, your mouth open and closed twice as every possible response came to your mind. He waited patiently.

Finally, “You don’t even know me. How can you be so sure that I’m the right person to teach you this stuff?”

“You’re a girl,” he explained, deadpan. “Girls know romance.” You snorted at how adorably dumb he was. Your hand flew up to cover your mouth in embarrassment and your cheeks burned as he grinned at you, amused by the sound of your laugh. “What do you say?”

---

Mondays were always your least favorite day of the week. Every weekend, your workload piled up and most Mondays you could hardly take a lunch break because you were so busy getting shit done. Whenever you came home from work on Mondays, you were wiped. Mara always made sure to have dinner ready for you when you got in, and the two of you often sat on the couch while eating those nights.

That Monday, you were sure that you’d be in bed before the Bachelor even started. But then Nate showed up unannounced. Mara was in the middle of washing the dishes this time, so you were the one to open the door. He greeted you with a goofy smile and a large electrical wire. Without a word, you stepped to the side and he was kicking off his shoes to enter the living room. Mara caught the roll of your eyes as you followed him.

He was standing beside the television when you entered the room. The wire he’d brought with him was connected to his cellphone while he found a port for the other end. You sat at the corner of sectional and waited, yawns escaping your mouth every minute or so. The day had been long enough already.

Suddenly, the television lit up with his cellphone background on full display. He held it up to show you, a grin present on his face.

“I need your help,” he began. He tapped one of the dating apps on his home screen and immediately you were regretting letting him in. You realized he wasn’t leaving any time soon as he unraveled the cord and plopped down beside you on the couch. Mara entered the room, eyes catching on the beautiful brunette woman on the screen, and then she gave Nate a curious look. “Come on, Mara. Join us.”

An amused smile came to her lips as she sat on the other end of the couch.

“I am not swiping for you,” you grunted, rubbing at your eyes. “I have no interest in judging girls off these apps.”

“Relax, YN,” he said. “I’m not asking you to play matchmaker. Just help me talk to this girl.”

“You need help talking to girls?” Mara asked as she gave him the once over. You laughed out loud while Nate blushed.

“I don’t need help,” he began. He turned his attention back to the television and pulled up the profile of a beautiful brunette woman. “I just don’t want to come on too strong, or douche-y. This girl is perfect and I wanna take her out.”

“Can you two make this quick?” Mara asked. “The Bachelor’s on tonight.”

“And my bed is calling my name.”

Nate peered at you over his shoulder. He smiled at your tired eyes, drooping as you leaned your head on your hand. He leaned back, stopping inches from your face and said, “I’ll make it quick.”

To your surprise, and Mara’s delight, he reached up and ran his hand over your hair before turning back to the television. He gave a rundown about the girl on the television, but his words went in one ear and out the other. Your glazed eyes watched as he typed out messages to her, and you laughed when Mara made fun of the way he was talking. (“Why the fuck are you talking like that? Are you her father?”) Finally, he turned on you.

“Are you gonna help or what, love doctor?”

“Give me the phone,” you said, extending your hand. He plopped it into your palm and watched you type out the message on the television screen. It took you less than a minute to type out a sweet message asking the girl out on a date before you were shoving the phone back into his hand. “You overthink too much.”

“That’s it?”

“Short and sweet,” you noted with a shrug. “I’d say yes.”

Nate’s eyes cut to you and you felt a chill run down your spine at the intensity behind them. Mara cleared her throat as you diverted your attention from him, shaking the feeling you got from his baby blues. She smiled sweetly at the two of you. “Can I detach your phone from our TV now? It’s almost time for Bach.”

You peeled yourself off the couch and headed to the bathroom to wash your face before changing into sweats and a t-shirt. You returned to the living room to find Nate with his feet up on the coffee table. Mara had tuned the television to ABC and the Bachelor recap was playing. He looked up as you entered and frowned.

“Stay out here a little bit longer,” he proposed, bottom lip jutting out in a pout. “We’ll watch some of this and see if she says yes to the date.”

“Nate, I’m exhausted.”

“C’mon.”

You couldn’t say no, not when he was pouting like that. So, you rolled your eyes and walked around the couch to plop down in the spot you’d been before. Before long, your eyes were closing and you couldn��t keep them open any longer.

Nate didn’t realize you fell asleep, but he didn’t mind when you leaned against his arm as a pillow. He stiffened for a moment, unsure of what to do, but a soft snore escaped your lips and he found himself smiling down at your peaceful face. He didn’t move for the rest of the episode because he was too nervous to wake you. When the credits began to roll, he dropped a hand to your knee and shook you lightly.

Your eyes opened, bleary from sleep, and you found that you’d fallen asleep on him. You jerked away, realizing that it was probably too close for comfort, and smiled apologetically. He returned the smile before standing and gathering his things from the coffee table.

“Get some sleep,” he said on his way to the front door. You hummed in response, following him to the door to say a proper goodbye and lock up. He pulled you into a hug before going, shocking you once again by with how gentle he was despite hardly knowing you.

“Did she say yes?” you asked as he pulled away from the hug. “I almost forgot to ask.”

“Yeah, she did.”

---

Lesson #1: The First Date

In the chaos of the week that followed, you’d almost forgotten that you promised Nate your assistance before the date. You weren’t used to being accountable for someone else like you were now, so it wasn’t surprising.

“There is a man at reception asking for you.”

The office receptionist, Debby, was standing in the doorway with a giddy smile on her lips. You knew immediately from the look in her eye that the man at the front desk was going to be the talk of the office for a week.

You stood, following her out the door of your office and down the hall. As you rounded the corner to reception, you saw Nate leaning against the desk. He was sucking on a mint from the bowl in front of him and smiled wide when he saw you.

“What are you doing here?”

“I have my date tonight, remember?” he asked. One glance at your watch told you that you worked a little too late. You cursed under your breath, turning quickly to head back to the office and send one last email. Nate hesitated, but ultimately decided to follow you down the hallway. He eyed the pencil skirt you were wearing, eyes lingering a little too long on your ass. He shook his head from his trance, knowing damn well that he was just asking for trouble.

Nate lingered in the doorway of your office for a moment before his eyes landed on a picture frame across the room that caught his attention. It was a marble frame without a photo like it had been removed and never replaced. He picked the frame up and turned it over in his hands, then turned to you.

“You need a picture.”

“What?” you asked, eyes still trained on the screen. They flickered up to see what he was talking about and then got right back to work. “Used to be a picture of me and my ex. Nobody’s important enough to put in.”

Nate placed the frame down. He felt a pang of sadness for you in that moment, but distracted himself by moving onto the next shelf and playing with some of the desk games on it. He was in the middle of fiddling with your Rubiks cube when you stood from the computer.

“You’re wearing that?” you asked. Nate winced at the question, glancing down at the jeans and t-shirt he was wearing. When he looked back up, you were wearing a shit eating grin. “I’m fucking with you.”

“Jesus, YN.” He clutched his heart and released a deep breath. You rounded the desk and grabbed your jacket from the hook. As you swung it over your shoulders, Nate stepped up to help. You slipped your arms through the arm holes trying to suppress the flair up of butterflies in your stomach.

When you reached the sidewalk outside the building, you led him down the block to a florist. Their window displays were your favorite in the city and you often found yourself going out of the way to peak at them on shitty days. You daydreamed about the day someone bought you a bouquet from there specifically.

The bell above the door rang as you stepped in. The smell of fresh flowers hit your nose and you sniffed it in happily. You grinned back at Nate and he felt a tug at his heart at your excitement.

“Can I help you?”

You bounded over to the woman behind the counter, Nate following behind you a little awkwardly. You gave him an expectant look and then his brain finally caught up with the question. As he leaned forward to look at the flowers in the case in front of you, his hand pressed against the small of your back.

“What would you get?” he asked curiously. You took a sharp intake of breath at the lack of space between you and pulled away to look at the flowers.

“Sunflowers and baby’s breath are my favorites.”

Nate smiled at the woman behind the counter and repeated what you’d just said, adding, “It’s for a first date, so I don’t need it too big or anything.”

You laughed at his explanation, and then the blush that come to his cheeks when he realized how silly he sounded. Neither of you noticed the confused look on the florist’s face. She was about to comment on how cute the two of you were, and in hindsight she was glad she kept her mouth shut. He reached out and squeezed your arm as a warning to stop teasing him. You stepped away completely, still smiling stupidly as he turned to pay.

“I’d’ve put roses in there too,” you told him once you were back on the sidewalk. “But this is only a first date. It might’ve been a little intense.”

“Roses?” he asked. You hummed in response, plucking the flowers out of his hand as you continued in the direction of the restaurant he was meeting his date at. “Good to know, you know, for the future.”

The walk to the date spot was only about ten minutes long and most of it was spent talking about your plans for the weekend as opposed to his date. He was going to be away with the team and you had plans to visit family. You kept thinking to yourself that you needed to stop getting distracted by him and his good looks and his sweet disposition. He was dating someone, and that person was not and would not be you, but he kept surprising you with the way he weaseled himself into your life.

“We’ll have to hang out next week sometime, then,” he said, snatching the flowers back out of your hand playfully. You nodded, but you were taken by surprise. It didn’t make sense that he’d want to hang around you without getting something out of it, whether it was dating advice or something more. Clearly, Nate didn’t care and you were beginning to wonder if maybe you’d get a beautiful friendship out of this nonsense.

“Any last-minute advice?”

“Don’t say anything dumb,” you said to him, emboldened by the realization that you might actually be friends now. Nate laughed out loud. “You think I’m just being funny, but sometimes you say stupid shit.”

“Jeeze,” he muttered. “Way to fuck up my self-esteem right before a date.”

“Oh, please.” You rolled your eyes and came to a stop just before the crosswalk he’d be using. He slowed to a stop as well, the bouquet of flowers falling to his side as he looked down at you. You reached out to right them with an amused smile. “Careful with these.”

“Got it, boss.”

You stalled a moment more, gazing at the flowers. You almost felt jealous of the girl going to dinner with Nate because those flowers would look perfect in a vase on your dining room table. “God, I really hope she appreciates those.”

The tone of your voice took Nate by surprise. It sounded a little sad, and full of yearning, and he felt kind of bad that he’d be walking away with the flowers you’d been admiring the entire walk from the florist. Even so, you said your goodbyes and he watched you turn on your heel to head home. He felt stuck in place, eyes trained on your retreating frame while his feet were cemented to the sidewalk. Before he could second guess himself, and his motives, he called out your name.

“Wait, YN!” When you turned, he was halfway down the sidewalk to you and, once he was within arm’s length, he plucked a sunflower from the bouquet and extended it. “For you.” Your cheeks felt red hot as your fingers curled around the stem. You hoped he couldn’t notice a blush. If he did, he didn’t make it known and left with a simple, “I’ll talk to you later.”

A stupid smile sat on your lips the entire way home. You felt the thumping of your heart long after you’d entered your place and placed the flower in the dining table vase. No matter what you found yourself doing that night, Nate remained at the back of your mind. You swore to yourself that it was because you wondered how his date was going, nothing more. But, when your eyes kept finding their way to the sunflower on the dining room table, you worried that maybe the reason you couldn’t stop thinking about him was something more.

---

You grabbed dinner with Mel the next Tuesday. Because of your trip to visit family, the two of you agreed to take a week off and reschedule some sort of get together for Tuesday. Gabe was home so he’d be with Linnea, and you were just happy that it wasn’t Monday. She was in the middle of a story when your phone lit up beside you; Nate’s name was on full display.

When’s our next lesson?

You snatched the phone off the table and away from Mel’s prying eyes, hoping that it wouldn’t peak her curiosity. The movement itself was enough to stir her, though, and Mel was soon leaning forward to see what was going on. She reached out and pushed the phone down, craning her neck to read the text.

“Next lesson?” she asked, eyebrow quirking. “Who is this?”

“It’s Nate MacKinnon.”

You said it so quickly and so nonchalant that Mel actually continued picking at her brunch before she reacted. Her fork clattered to the plate. “Did you just say Nate MacKinnon?”

“This,” you began gesturing at her wild eyes and wicked smile, “is exactly why I didn’t tell you.”

“Why?” she asked, feigning innocence. “Because I’m totally going to take this and run with it?” You dropped your face in your hands. “You should go for it. He’s a little dumb, but mostly cute. You definitely have the patience to deal with him though.”

“Mel, it’s not like that at all,” you told her. “I’m helping him learn how to be more romantic.” Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline in shock. “I’m serious. You know just as well as I do that he’s bad dating. He asked for my help after we met. I have enough experience with douchebags to tell him what not to do.”

“You sure do,” Mel agreed. You laughed at her response and an easy smile spread across her face. “Maybe teaching him a thing or two about how to be romantic will remind you of what you deserve.”

You sighed, picking up the coffee in front of you to take a sip. Mel knew better than anyone, besides Mara, how shitty the guys in your life had been. She met your ex last year just before your break up and she hated him from the moment you introduced the two. He never deserved you and her heart broke the longer you spent wasting your time on him. When you finally ended it, she was your biggest supporter.

You left the message unanswered, not wanting to give her anymore ammo in what was sure to be her new mission. When she got up to head to the bathroom before the check came, you opened the message from him. The last conversation was from Saturday night and he was letting you know that the girl he’d gone out with was looking forward to their next date.

What do you need help with now?

Do you know how to cook?

---

Lesson #2: A Homemade Meal

“I can’t believe you don’t know how to cook,” you grunted as soon as Nate pulled his apartment door open on Friday night. The grin on his face was anything but apologetic and you pushed past him with two large grocery bags in hand. You brought them to the kitchen and began unpacking them onto the counter.

“I do know how to cook, by the way,” he said, stepping up beside you to help you remove everything from the bags. You eyed him skeptically. “Mostly just the basic meats and vegetables.”

“You can’t cook a date your pregame meal.”

Nate knew that. He wasn’t that stupid, but he did love saying stupid shit around you. You tended to roll your eyes at him, but your lips always gave away how you really felt about his stupidity. The right side always curled up into a smirk, like you were trying to fight the laughter bubbling in your chest. He loved it when you did that.

“Is this, like, a meal your ex used to make?” he asked after grabbing some spices from the cabinet. You were grateful that his back was turned because the easy smile on your lips disappeared at the reminder of him. You busied yourself with the pot of water on the stove and set it to boil.

“No, my ex never actually made dinner for me,” you answered in a poor attempt to keep your voice steady.

Nate stopped prepping the meat and turned to face you. Questions sat on the tip of his tongue, begging for him to ask, but you wouldn’t look at him. He felt a little bit angry at your confession, though he couldn’t quite place why. Admittedly, he had been that boyfriend before – the one that didn’t cook dinner. Now, he was mad at himself for ever being that guy.

When you didn’t turn to look at him, he dropped the subject. You worked in silence, you busy with the pasta and him with the chicken. As you waited for the food to be ready, you hiked yourself up onto the counter. Nate grabbed a bottle of red wine from the end of the counter and poured glasses for the both of you.

He stood across from you with a dish towel over his shoulder and his own glass of wine in his palm. He asked about work and you filled him in on all the hot office gossip. The smile on his face didn’t fall once as he listened to your stories, and he never tried to change the subject or take over the conversation for himself. After a while, you stopped.

“I’ve been talking forever.”

“Yeah, and I’ve been enjoying it,” he told you. You laughed. “I wish I could be a fly on the wall in your office.”

Feeling a bit bolder, you kicked your foot out and nudged his side. “Maybe I can take you to bring your pet to work day.”

Nate’s jaw dropped, a reaction you weren’t expecting, and you began laughing hysterically at his surprise. He placed his wine glass down beside him and took a step closer, wrapping a hand around your ankle to tug you closer to the edge of the counter. You yelped in surprise.

“Pet?” he asked. You wiggled your foot out of his grasp, giggles falling from your lips as he dropped his hand to his side. The oven started beeping, interrupting whatever moment you were having before it could continue. “Saved by the bell.”

“Looks good, Nate,” you praised as he pulled it out of the oven. “My mouth is watering.”

“Go sit down,” he ordered. “You have to evaluate my presentation and make sure I look good.”

Nate entered shortly after you sat down and placed the plates on either side of the table with a smile. He slipped back out and returned with the wine. There was mischievous glint in his eyes as he topped your glass off and added to his.

“How is it?” he asked, leaning back. A look of cockiness flashed over his features and you felt it in your stomach when you looked at the way his arms were crossed and his biceps filled out the sleeves of his t-shirt. You picked up your utensils and cut into the meal, picking up a bit of each piece before putting it in your mouth.

Nate leaned forward eagerly. He watched your eyes light up when the flavor hit your tongue and he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. You nodded emphatically as you swallowed your first forkful. He cut into his own meal and the moment he took a bite, he moaned. The meal was so good that conversation was sparse and, by the end, it looked like your plates had been licked clean.

You didn’t stop Nate from filling your glasses again, though you figured you should have. The third glass always lowered your inhibitions.

“How pissed off would you be if I asked you about your ex?”

“Not pissed off,” you answered. You took a sip of the wine, then leaned your cheek in your palm as you spoke. “What do you want to know?”

Nate sat up at this, suddenly realizing that he hadn’t prepared himself with a question because he didn’t think you’d give him the go ahead. He let out a tuft of breath, took a sip from his glass, and thought. Finally, he asked, “Why’d you break up?”

“How long do you have?”

“As long as you need,” he answered. His voice was soft, comforting, and you felt yourself relax into the question.

“Honestly, I didn’t want to break up with him,” you began. “And, if I didn’t have friends like Mel and Mara, I might still be with him. Things have changed now, though. I realize what a crap human being he was but, if I stayed with him, I don’t think I would’ve realized how much better I deserved.”

“Did you fight a lot?”

“Do I seem like the fighting type?” you teased. He shook his head. “He did enough fighting for the both of us. He would yell at me for no reason sometimes, just because he felt like it.”

Nate was angry. His features were contorted in distaste as you told him about your ex. Even though you tried to make light of the situation with a few light-hearted jokes, Nate couldn’t find it within in him to react with laughter. You deserved so much better than what you’d been given.

“When I broke up with him, Mara was there. We packed my things and moved it all out. I was going to leave a note, but he came home from work early and caused a scene. He went out the night after and sent me all these videos and pictures of him out with his friends. They were flipping me off, girls were draped all over him, etcetera. I blocked him the next morning and I haven’t seen him since. That was over a year ago.”

“Fuck,” he muttered, dropping his head in his hands. He felt ashamed. “That’s why you yelled at me.”

“Yep,” you answered. “Emotions got the best of me.”

“I don’t blame you.”

Silence filled the room and you felt vulnerable. You didn’t share the story about your tumultuous relationship often, but with Nate it just slipped out. You grabbed your glass from the table and finished it off.

“I’m not staying for another,” you announced. Nate sat back, his face flashing with an offended expression. As you gathered the plates from the table, you tried to ignore the knots in your stomach that were becoming more and more prevalent when he was around. “Nothing good ever happens after the third glass. But, if I was your real date, I would definitely stay for a fourth and you would probably get to kiss me at the end of the night simply for how good that meal was.”

The words fell from your lips so easily that it shocked you and you hoped that the playful tone of your voice wouldn’t scare him off. You gathered yourself before turning back to look at him. He was still sitting at the table, chair pushed back with one arm over the back of it. The way he was looking at you was lethal, eyes drinking you in as you stood in his kitchen. You couldn’t tell if you were imagining the tension or it was real.

“Thank you for dinner,” you said finally. You grabbed your bag from the counter and pulled it over your shoulder as you headed for the door. Nate stood then to walk you out, pulling the door open as you slipped into your sneakers. “It was delicious.”

“Thank you for teaching me how to cook something actually good,” he said. “Poor girl would’ve been eating chicken and vegetables or pasta if you hadn’t come by.”

“Can’t let that happen, can we?” you asked. “Let me know how dinner goes.”

Nate leaned down, wrapping an arm around your waist to tug you into a warm embrace. You melted into his arms as yours came up and around his neck. For a moment, the two of you just stood there in each other’s arms. You wondered if he could feel the beat of your chest again him. It sped up as his hands flattened against your back, crossing over each other to engulf you completely.

“I’m not that kind of guy,” he said. He leaned his cheek on the top of your head and his chest rumbled beneath your own cheek as he spoke. “You know that, right?”

Your blinked away tears before he couldn’t notice then and nodded in response to his question.

When he pulled back, he leaned in to press a kiss to your cheek and his lips caught the corner of your mouth. An electric shock coursed through your bloodstream and you pulled back quick before offering one last smile and tossing a goodbye over your shoulder.

---

Nate called you the next Friday night with plans for Saturday.

“Mel and Gabe invited a bunch of the guys over and she told me I should see what you were doing tomorrow.” he said. “I feel like I haven’t talked to you much since last week. The guys would love to meet you.”

“Meet me?” you asked. “So, it’ll be more than just the ones I know?”

“A few more,” he answered with a laugh. “They’ll love you, okay? I’ll be at your place to get you at 5:30.”

It was the first time you were going to see him since you made dinner together last Friday. You exchanged a few texts throughout the week, but nothing of substance. You knew his dinner date went well, though you didn’t know to what extent. You found yourself wondering if she stayed for that additional glass of wine after dinner, or if she stayed for the night after.

He showed up to your apartment wearing a white dress shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows. You welcomed him in while you went back to your room to get your heels on. He gaped at the dress you were wearing as soon as you had your back to him. His eyes wandered over your curves as you bent to grab your heels from the floor in your bedroom. When your dress slid up your thighs, he had to force himself to look away.

You tried to get more details about his dinner date out of him on the way to Mel’s, but he kept quiet. She liked dinner, she stayed for an extra glass of wine, and then she went home at the end of the night. An invisible weight lifted from your shoulders upon hearing she didn’t stay the night and you settled back into his passenger seat.

Nate noticed the way you relaxed into the seat and tore his eyes from the road for just a moment to sneak a peek at you. You were watching the world go by from the window, unaware that he was even looking at you. When he turned his attention back to the road, all he could think about was his sweaty palms and accelerated heartrate. Why did he care so much about what you thought?

Everyone was already at the house when you pulled up. The two of you walked up the driveway, his hand against your lower back much like it had been in the florist. Mel opened the door, lunging to sweep you into her arms and whisk you to the kitchen, her husband and your, well, Nate left behind.

“Thanks for having me, Mel.”

She handed you a drink complete with a salted rim and said, “I’m glad Nate asked if you could come.”

“Nate asked?” you repeated. She affirmed with a nod and ushered you to join the others in the living room while she and Gabe finished dinner.

You swore half the team was there, which meant not one seat was open on their couch. As you passed Nate, he grabbed your hand and sat you on the arm of his chair. He pulled your legs over his lap and began introducing you to the boys you didn’t already know.

You caught Cale’s eyes and felt heat rise to your cheeks. Out of everyone in the room, he was the only one making note of the lack of space between you two. Though you weren’t technically sitting in his lap, it still felt a little inappropriate. Nate’s hand was like fire where it rested against your thigh and you had to remind yourself to stop peeking at the placement.

Nate lied about your invitation to dinner, and for what? He could’ve just invited you himself instead of disguising it as a joint decision between him and Mel. What was he so afraid of that he couldn’t man up and admit he wanted you there? Better yet, why didn’t he ask Gianna?

You somehow ended up seated away from Nate at the dinner table. Cale settled in on one side of you and EJ occupied the other. Across from you sat JT and Tyson, bickering as always. You don’t know how you ended up separated from Nate, but you welcomed it because you needed the breathing room.

The meal was delicious, but Nate couldn’t even enjoy it because you were so far away. He was going to get fucking whiplash because of the way he kept looking back to see who you were talking to or hear what you were laughing at. How did he even end up this far down from you?

On the other hand, he couldn’t stop the smile that kept creeping up to his lips when he saw you with his teammates. They loved you, probably almost as much as he did, and he was proud to have you by his side that night. But then came the harsh reality that you weren’t actually his to show off.

When the party relocated, he made sure to slide up next to you on the way to the couch. EJ’s laughter mocked him, but you didn’t catch on to his teammate’s playful ribbing. With Gabe and Mel’s eyes in the room, he didn’t pull you over his lap and opted to lower his arm over the back of the couch instead. There were just inches between your skin and his but, after having you on his lap earlier, it felt like miles.

Drinking games were played, stories were shared, and you all left the house with full bellies and large smiles. Nate was driving, so he eased up on the drinks after dinner. You, on the other hand, were feeling just as free as you did after three glasses of wine at his place last week, and feeling daring enough to ask him the question that’s been on your mind all night.

“Why did you tell me that Mel asked you to invite me?”

“What are you talking about?”

“When you invited me, you said that Mel told you to,” you explained in a slow voice as if you were breaking the situation down to a child. “But she said that you asked if you could invite me.”

“Why does it matter where the invite actually came from?” he asked. A slight panic was rising in his chest because he didn’t have an answer for you. This wasn’t supposed to come back around to you. “Everybody wanted you here anyway.”

“Why didn’t you ask Gianna?” you asked, stepping down to join him on the path to the driveway. He rolled his eyes at this, and you noted it because though you’d done it to him many times, he’d never done it to you. He began walking, so you followed. “Are you going to answer my question?”

“Because I didn’t want to introduce her to everyone yet,” he answered. “You just fit in with us.”

Nate saw your face fall and decided not to push the conversation any farther. He said something wrong, but he didn’t know what. As far as he thought, he was complimenting you. He was complimenting how easy going you were, how his friends got along with you so easily. You were already a part of the group. It was great.

You continued along to the car in silence, not bothering to argue with him over a dumb comment. He wanted friends, so you were giving him friends, but the touches and the invite to team dinner was something more than friends. You needed distance. And he needed to figure his shit out, fast.

---

Lesson #3: Meeting the Friends

Something changed. When Nate dropped you off that night, he left you with a half-assed hug and a quiet goodbye. You couldn’t catch a wink of sleep that night because something changed. But then, Nate texted you tomorrow and tried to carry on as normal. Things weren’t normal.

And you knew that for sure when Nate didn’t invite you to EJ’s house the next weekend. Mel invited you instead and since you could never say no to Mel, you went. The thought of texting Nate to let him know passed briefly through your head, but the sheer fact that he hadn’t even bothered to talk to you about it in the first place was enough to decide against it.

When you entered EJ’s living room, you knew exactly why he hadn’t asked. Gianna was sitting on his lap, fingers curling through his hair as they talked. Anger rose in you no matter how hard you tried to suppress it. Just last week he said he didn’t want to bring her around and now she was here? Now she was here and he couldn’t even talk to you?

There was an uproar as Nate’s teammates noticed you standing in the doorway and Nate’s eyes cut to you in surprise. You lifted your hand in a pathetic wave before Cale was wrapping his arm around your shoulders and leading you to the kitchen.

“Who’s the girl with Nate?”

“His new girlfriend,” you answered, hoping that you didn’t sound bitter. “I don’t even know if that’s the right title for her, but they’ve been on a few dates.”

Cale let out a soft hum, his tone indecipherable, just as Tyson entered the room.

“What’s the deal with Nate’s new girl?” he asked as soon as he saw it was just you and Cale in the room. When you didn’t answer, he nudged you for an answer.

“What do you mean?” you asked.

“Well, she’s no you.”

---

Nate couldn’t help but ask himself, “What the fuck are you doing?”

As you were pulled into his teammates arms, he watched and couldn’t decide whether he wanted to get up and hug you too or if he just wanted to disappear. When Gianna’s fingers gripped his bicep, he decided he wanted the latter.

That’s when you looked at him, of course, and the smile that was on yours lips faded just a bit. At least, that’s what he thought. You lifted your hand in a wave before Cale was looping his arm around your shoulders and directing you towards the kitchen.

“Who was that?” Gianna asked, fingers curling into the hair at the nape of his neck.

He looked up at her with a simple answer. “One of our friends.”

Gianna kissed him and for the first time since he met you, Nate thought about what it would be like to kiss you instead. He brought her to EJ’s in a pathetic attempt to right the way he was feeling about you, but it only made it worse.

---

“Nate was weird last night,” Mel murmured after Cycle the next morning. You were waiting for her to say something. Since all the guys made comments the night before, you knew Mel was next. “Did you guys fight?”

“Fight? Me and Nate?” you repeated, stalling for time. “We didn’t fight.”

“What did you think of his girlfriend?”

“I actually didn’t get to talk to her,” you answered. You shrugged, giving the illusion that you didn’t care all that much even though you were fuming. After all the help you’d given him, he couldn’t be bothered to introduce you to her? And that wasn’t all. He hardly spoke to you all night, only entertaining conversations with you when someone else was around. You ended up spending most of the night with EJ.

“My sitter just bailed for tomorrow.” She’d been tapping away at her phone for a few minutes, no doubt panicking to Gabe. You watched her a moment longer as you wondered what her plans were for the next day. Then, it occurred to you.

“There’s a game tomorrow, right?” you asked. She nodded, still typing out messages to whoever was on the other end of the phone. “I can watch Linnea tomorrow. Don’t worry about finding a sitter.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that.” She waved you off absentmindedly and continued talking, “Besides, I thought Nate had a ticket for you or something. Didn’t he ask you to go?”

“Tomorrow?” you said incredulously. “No, absolutely not. Isn’t it like a WAG game? It would make no sense for me to be there.”

“Oh,” she murmured. “I just thought that he told Gabe,” she paused and noticed your set jaw. You were clearly not Nate’s biggest fan at the moment, so she decided to tread carefully. “You know what? Nevermind. I would love it if you could watch Linnea.”

---

As expected, Linnea was an angel the next day. You spent the time lounging in their living room with the game on TV while you played together. She took a bottle in the middle of the game and you brought her to her nursery once she’d been burped to rock her to sleep. But, you couldn’t quite peel yourself from the chair to put her in her crib. She was sleeping so peacefully and for the first time in a while you felt calm, so you stayed with her in your arms long after she’d fallen asleep.

You didn’t know what time it was when Gabe and Mel got home, but you heard their car doors close. You waited for them to happen upon you in the nursery, so you were surprised when it was Nate that knocked at the door.

“Hi,” he whispered, stepping into the room. He studied the decorations as he approached the rocking chair you were sitting in. When he stepped up beside you and admired Linnea, you tried not to look up at him. You knew it wouldn’t help the butterflies in your stomach, but you did it anyway. He was smiling down at the peanut in your arms. “Mel and Gabe are in the kitchen. They saw you on the baby monitor and told me to come get you.”

“Okay, I’ll put her down and meet you in there.”

“I can wait for you,” he said, stepping away. You stood, cradling Linnea to the crib and then craning to put her down in the center. Nate was watching you intently from the doorway with an unreadable expression on his face.

He stepped out into the hallway first, but he wasn’t walking towards the kitchen. He stood, waiting for you to stepped out into the hallway and look at him. You gave him a half-assed smile, still feeling a little hurt that things had been so weird between you two, and he asked, “Are we okay?”

“We’re fine,” you answered. He wasn’t convinced, but you reached up and shoved him lightly to get him to move down the hall. He didn’t budge, hand coming up to grasp yours against his chest. The beating of his heart sat right at your fingertips. “How was your game?”

“It was good,” he answered. “I wish you were there.”

“Well, then, you should’ve asked me to come,” you said, quite boldly. His lips parted, but whether it was to speak or not you wouldn’t know because you were continuing down the hallway without him.

You slipped into the kitchen to find Mel, leaving the men on the couch in the living room. The moment you stepped in, she was turning to greet you with a smile. You hissed, “Are you behind this?”

“I mentioned you were babysitting, his eyes lit up, and Gabe was the one to invite him over.”

“Team effort?”

She feigned an apologetic smile before ushering you out to rejoin the boys. Gabe got the fire going and Mel curled in his chest once he settled back on the couch. You sat on the other end, legs extended towards Nate in the corner. You felt his eyes whenever there was a suspended silence. You knew he was thinking about you, and selfishly you relished in the attention.

“YN, did you know that Nate’s parents were visiting next weekend?” Gabe asked during a lull in conversation. Nate glared at him, but the Swede happily ignored his buddy at the center of the couch. His eyes cut to you.

“I didn’t,” you answered. “But that’ll be fun. I know how much you missed them.”

All he could offer was a stupid ‘yeah’ before Mel swooped in to save the entire group from a very awkward moment.

Nate was going to kill Gabe. He was going to kill Gabe, but first he had to make a decision. He knew exactly what he had to do. It felt like you were a thousand miles away, not only physically but emotionally. Gabe should’ve kept his mouth shut. He was going to have you meet his parents, he just hadn’t gotten the chance to ask. Now, he looked like a dick. You couldn’t even look him in the eye.

“I was going to tell you about my parents,” he said, practically chasing you down the driveway after you ducked out while he was in the bathroom. To his surprise, you stopped walking and waited for him to catch up. “Seriously.”

“It’s getting hard to believe that, Nate,” you said. “I don’t know what’s going on in your head.”

Nate felt his heart sink. He began to rack his brain for a way to salvage the conversation, but it was too late by the time you reached your car. You stopped before opening the door to look up at him.

“You’re thinking too much.”

“I just—I know you’re upset with me,” he began. “I want to make it better. We haven’t really talked since EJ’s, and that’s on me.”

“Were you going to invite me today?” you asked. He gave you a curious look. “To the game. Mel mentioned something about it at Cycle. That you told Gabe you were thinking about giving your ticket to me.”

Nate ran his hand over his face. The Landeskogs had really gotten him into some trouble here, and he wasn’t sure it was accidental.

“You’re the one I wanted at the game,” he admitted. “I wanted to invite you, but I knew how bad it would look if I didn’t ask Gianna.”

“So, you invited her,” you concluded.

“No.”

You looked at him in shock, mouth agape, and asked, “You’d rather no one go than give the ticket to her?”

“Well, when you put it that way,” he grumbled. You threw your arms up in surrender, hoping the words would sink in. “I don’t know, YN.”

“Yes, you do,” you argued. He kept his mouth shut at that, knowing you had enough. You sighed heavily, allowing the conversation to roll off your back. “When are your parents going to be here?”

“Saturday morning.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“They’ll be at my game in the afternoon and then I was getting us a reservation for dinner,” he trailed off only momentarily. “I haven’t made it yet because I was going to invite you, but Gabe beat me to the punch in there.”

“What about Gianna?”

“YN, if I didn’t want her at my game, why would I want her to meet my parents?” he asked. He made it sound like you were asking the stupidest question in the world. But, he wasn’t answering the most important one. Was he breaking up with her? You wanted to ask, but part of you didn’t want the disappointment. He worried while you thought.

“I’m around on Saturday,” you answered. He smiled, and you forced one back. You hated the feeling between you two. The air between you had never been so stuffy and you wanted to clear it. “Anything else you wanna tell me before the Landeskogs do? Is Sid actually your long-distance girlfriend?”

Nate laughed loudly as he stepped away. He answered your question cryptically, “No, nothing to tell you right now. Not yet.”

---

Lesson #4: Meeting the Family

You planned to meet Nate at his apartment before dinner since his parents had gone to the hotel upon arrival. On the way, you picked up a box of pastries from your favorite bakery. You were taught to do little things for important people, and anyone who was important to Nate felt important to you. You tried not to think about the implications of having dinner with his parents, but it was hard to shake the nerves.

“What’s this?” he asked as soon as he opened the door. His finger slid over the logo on the top of the pastry box, eyes catching on the word bakery. When he looked up at you, his eyes were shining. “For me?”

“For your family,” you told him. “Don’t get any ideas.”

“I thought maybe you heard about my break up and you were trying to comfort me,” he said like it wasn’t breaking news. “I’ll put these in the kitchen.”

“You broke up?” you asked, following him to the kitchen. You stopped in the doorway as he put the pastries on the counter. He nodded simply as he cleared some clutter from the countertop. You could see his muscles moving beneath his navy polo. Guiltily, you couldn’t stop yourself from admiring the way the sleeves hugged his biceps or the wide expanse of his back and shoulders. “What happened, Nate?”

“We can talk about it later, alright?”

“Are you single or not?” you asked. Nate caught the frustration in your tone and he’d be lying if it didn’t make him want to kiss you right then. You needed to know what was going on with him, and that made him feel good about whatever was going on between you two.

Nate started to exit the kitchen, but stopped in the doorway beside you. You were crowded against his chest as he smiled down at you and answered, “Yeah, I’m single.”

You released a breath once he stepped out of the doorway. He slipped his shoes on while you stood nearly the front door. He caught the look on your face, a little scrunched up as you spaced out. You were thinking too much, worrying about what happened with him and Gianna. When he walked back over to the front door, he took you by the hips and said, “We can talk about it later, if you want. Right now, I just want to be with you and my family.”

---

“I’m nervous,” you admitted as Nate pulled up to valet outside the restaurant. He looked at you in shock. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“I’m not gonna make fun of you,” he promised. He reached over and dropped his hand to your thigh. You pouted at him, and his first instinct was to lean over the center console and kiss it off your lips. He knew better than to risk it all just before dinner, so he grabbed your hand and dropped a kiss to your palm instead. “You’ll be fine. No need to be nervous.”

A heavy sigh left your lips as he stepped out of the car. He rounded the front and opened the passenger door for you, grabbing your hand as you stepped out. After he handed his key to the valet, he laced his hands in yours and led you into the restaurant.

The MacKinnons were already at the table that had been reserved for them. There was uproar of cheers when they saw Nate walk in. You stole a peek at his face and the pure joy on it set your heart aflame. He dropped your hand as you approached the table to hug his parents and sister. They introduced themselves to you as well, sweeping you up in tight embraces like they had with Nate.

“It’s great to finally meet you,” they spoke as they hugged you.

Nate pulled your chair out from across his mother and then situated himself beside you. The menus were passed out and Nate whispered suggestions in your ear while his family members debated their own meals. She took the time to calm her nervous. Parents loved her, so there was no reason to freak out. Eventually the drinks were handed out, orders were taken, and the chaos at the table stopped.

“Now, how’d you two meet again?” his mom asked. You looked at each other, stupidly, both stammering in response until Nate got his shit together.

“We met through friends,” he answered simply. Then, his lips curled up and he said, “She yelled at me.” You dropped your face into your hands, embarrassed by the picture he was painting of you, but they took it in stride, laughing at your expression. “It wasn’t that bad.”

He continued, “As you guys know, I’ve been very unlucky in my personal life.” Sarah snorted at this. Their mother smacked her knee as a scolding. “I literally suck at being romantic and all the guys were joking around about it after I’d just been broken up with. YN called me out, so I asked her to teach me how to be romantic.”

“Well, what’d you learn?”

“How to cook a meal other than my pregame types, and I also have a new favorite florist,” he said. He reached into his back pocket for his wallet and flipped it open to slip out their business card. You didn’t realize he grabbed one. “There are some other things, like her wine rule.”

“Wine rule?”

“Nothing good ever happens after the third glass of wine,” you explained. They laughed at that, though they seemed bewildered by your reasoning.

Nate elaborated, “It just means that if your date stays for a fourth glass, you’ll probably get lucky.”

This earned him a smack on the arm from both his sister and yourself.

Nate’s family was just as kind as he was and it was clear how much they all adored each other. You fit in seamlessly, at least that’s how it felt, and when they asked the waitress to take a picture of them, Nate tugged you into his side to keep you in the frame.

“Take one without me,” you urged him. He just shook his head, gazing down at the picture on his phone. He passed it off to his parents and sister for approval. “Nate.”

“I want you in the picture,” he whispered to you. His hand came up to the back of your neck and he pulled you in to place a chaste kiss to your temple. He pulled away, like kissing you in public and on the forehead was normal now, and asked, “How was your food?”

When you got back to his place after dinner, you presented his mother with the pastries and earned a hug and kiss on the cheek as a thank you. They settled into the kitchen as he made drinks, chatting as a family about the people back home and his life in Denver. You slipped out to go to the bathroom, and give them some alone time.

“I like her,” you overheard his mother say as soon as you slipped out of the kitchen. You slowed your steps on your pursuit to the bathroom even though you knew it would be best to keep walking. You couldn’t help but be a little nosy.

“That’s good to hear,” Nate said. You smiled to yourself. “I like her, too.”

---

Nate’s family only stayed for another hour before you were bidding them farewell from his front door. They squeezed you and thanked you for the pastries, and then began inviting you to visit before Nate had to shut it down. Your heart felt full after spending the night with them, but sitting alone in Nate’s apartment in anticipation of what was to come was scaring the shit out of you.

Your hands were a little shaky and your palms were definitely sweaty. There was change coming, change that was already present, and you were both excited and terrified for it. Nate reentered the apartment not long after. When he saw you sitting on the couch, he released a breath he’d been holding.

“Are you going to stay for another glass?” he asked after locking the door behind him. “That one’s only your second.”

You eyed his smile, heart beat stuttering a bit beneath his gaze, and lifted the glass to your lips to finished what was left. You nodded and followed him into the kitchen. While he filled both your glass and his, you picked yourself up onto the counter like you’d done so many times before.

“I did a bad thing,” he murmured after handing your glass back to you. You raised a brow at him as he reached over to one of the cabinets and opened it to reveal two pastries in a Ziploc bag. “I stole two of them from my mom.”

“Nate!” you exclaimed. He chuckled at your exasperation. “I can bring you to that bakery whenever you want! Your parents don’t live here! It was a gift!”

“And they have the other eleven pastries,” he argued. “They’re not going to miss two.”

Reluctantly, but still with a smile, you took a pastry from his hand. You bit into it at the same time, eyes lighting up at the taste. At the sight of each other’s faces, you were doubled over in laughter before you had the chance to swallow what was in your mouth. You looked away from him to regain composure and only looked back when you were sure you wouldn’t choke.

“Those were fucking good.”

“Only the best for your mom.”

“Thank you,” he spoke. “For the pastries and for hanging out with my family today. I’m sure you had other things to do, but it meant a lot. They’ve been hearing a lot about you.”

“I had a lot of fun with them,” you said. His smile was soft, shy even, and he watched you carefully as you sipped from the glass in your hand. “It was nice to meet the people who made you who you are.”

“Wait until you meet Sid.”

You decided to move from the kitchen to the living room in favor of more comfortable seating. He reached his hand out behind his back, and you linked your fingers with his lazily so he could lead you to the couch. You slowed to a stop as he sat down, legs spread to pull you between them. Your hesitation caused a look of confusion to flash over his features.

“Can you tell me what’s going on inside your head now?” you asked, placing your glass down on the table beside the arm of the couch. He followed suit, then placed his hand delicately at your hip to urge you closer.

“Sure, I can,” he answered. He pulled you into his lap. You looped her arms around his shoulders as he flattened one hand against your back and curled the other around your thigh. “I don’t want to waste those romance rules on someone I don’t really like all that much.”

“You really didn’t like her?” you asked meekly. Of fucking course he didn’t like her, you were thinking. You were in his lap, not her, but you still couldn’t wrap your head around it. “Why?”

“The only reason I looked forward to going on dates with her was because I got to spend time with you before,” he confessed. You felt it all through your body. “I broke up with her the morning after we were at Gabe’s together. After you called me out on my bullshit, I knew I was being stupid.”

“Why me, though?”

“Because you deserve the world and I want to be the one to give it to you.”

It was only natural for you to lean in and capture his lips with yours. After all this time spent waiting and beating around the bush, you didn’t want to wait a second more. It was passionate, and new, and exciting. His hands held you close while your fingers curled into the back of his hair, but he wasn’t close enough.

You swung your leg over to straddle him, not caring that you were wearing a dress with just panties underneath. His hands flew to your hips as you grinded against him. You gasped against his lips at the friction as he held you tighter, teeth nipping at your bottom lip until you covered his mouth with yours again. He guided your hips to grind against him once more, but you braced your hands against his chest to push away.

“I’m not staying for a fourth glass,” you said breathlessly. He smiled up at you, eyes falling to your lips that were red and plump from kissing him. Kissing him! He leaned in, tongue swiping along his bottom lip, and pulled you down by the back of the neck.

He murmured through his kisses, “You didn’t even finish your third.”

At the challenge in his voice, you reached over for the glass on the side table and finished what was left. He held you close, laughing against the crook of your neck. You giggled along with him until you felt his lips against your skin again and a gasp fell from your lips.

“You gotta leave before I pour number four,” he warned, breath ghosting over your neck. He kissed your neck again, this time sucking lightly enough to earn a strangled moan. You pushed back against his chest and stood, flustered as you adjusted your dress and your hair. Nate couldn’t help but smile as he watched you cross the room for your purse. He grabbed a pillow and held it over his lap to hide his hard-on.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked as you put your heels on the end of the couch. He was admiring your flushed cheeks and your wild hair as you busied yourself. You fastened the strap on each heel before looking back at him. It took everything in you to not go back over there and unbutton the rest of his shirt.

“Nothing,” you answered as you stood. He followed suit, adjusting his dress pants just a bit so he was comfortable and making you giggle in the process. He stepped up beside you and pulled you against him again. He placed one, two, three kisses against your neck then your jaw then your lips.

“Let me make you dinner.”

---

Nate wasn’t going to be able to keep his hands to himself. He knew that the second you walked out of your room in that little black dress, but he was really trying to be on his best behavior. It was technically only your first date and he wanted to impress you. You just weren’t helping very much. As soon as you were in his car, you were grabbing his hand and lacing it with yours to drop them into your lap.

He was a little nervous that he wasn’t going to be able to pull this off. He was sure that he’d fuck up somewhere and you’d go running. And, truthfully, you could tell that he was overthinking every little thing he did. The tension in his shoulders as he moved about the kitchen to prepare everything for dinner was clear.

“What’s wrong with you?” you asked.

He gave you the most pathetic shrug and shake of the head as he tried to wave off your concern with a soft, “Nothing.”

“That’s a lie,” you called him out. “You look stressed.”

“I mean, I am a little stressed,” he admitted, diverting his eyes from yours as he headed over to the fridge. “I don’t want to fuck this up.”

Before he knew it, you were standing between him and the refrigerator. You flattened your hands against his chest and slid them up until your hands were linked behind his neck. A slight tug on him was enough to get him to kiss you. He finally relaxed, arms dropping from the refrigerator door to grip your hips.

“You’re not going to fuck this up.”

“I don’t have a very good track record.”

“You do with me,” you said softly. He looked skeptical, not quite understanding what you meant, so you pressed against him as his arms enveloped you. “You gave me a sunflower the third time we were ever around each other. You’ve cooked me dinner already. Sure, it was under different circumstances, but it counts. Nate, you know exactly what you’re doing. Don’t overthink it.”

“Go sit,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. You managed to calm his nerves better than anyone he’d ever known in a matter of seconds. “I’ll plate dinner and then I have to grab something for you, okay?”

Nate entered the dining room a minute later, placing both plates down across from each other before disappearing to grab wine glasses and another bottle of wine. Then, he was off down the hall to his bedroom. Your eyes followed him curiously, wondering what else he could possibly have up his sleeve. He’d already impressed you enough by cooking a meal you didn’t teach him.

“Oh, wow,” you breathed out when he appeared in the hallway with a bouquet of flowers. “Nate.”

“For you.”

You stood to take them from his hands and kiss him in thanks. When you pulled away, your fingers danced along the petals of the roses tucked between the sunflowers and baby’s breath Nate had grown to love too.

---

You filled your glass for a fourth time as inconspicuously as possible after your last bite of dinner, but Nate caught your eye over the bottle as you poured and you knew he knew what you were doing. He tried to stifle his smile unsuccessfully, picking up his own glass to cover it. One sip and his third glass was done.

“More?” you asked, extending the bottle in his direction.

“Four glasses?” he teased. “What do you take me for?”

“Okay, more for me then.”

Your voice was low, eyes dark as they settled on him, and suddenly he was lunging forward to grab the bottle and pour another glass for himself. Your giggles filled the room. He wanted them to echo off his walls forever.

“I want to take a picture with you,” he said. You gave him a curious look, though your stomach was doing cartwheels at the suggestion. “I keep thinking about your empty picture frame and I want you to have something to put in it.”

“We can take a selfie,” you suggested. He was quick to shake his head, pushing away from the table to take your hand and lead you to the patio. He pulled the phone from his back pocket and set it up against the couch. He removed the glass from your hand to place it out of view of the camera.

“Now, this is quite the set up,” you murmured as he moved furniture out of the way so there was ample space to take the photo. Denver’s city lights were sure to be the perfect backdrop and having Nate beside you wasn’t too bad either.

“Well, it has to be perfect if it’s going in your office.”

“How do you know I’ll even want to put it in the frame?” you asked. Nate pressed the timer and turned to walk back at you, smirk on his lips. You were teasing him, but you were playing innocent with those doe eyes. He curled around you, arms pulling your back against his chest to pose for the picture.

“After tonight, I’m sure you will,” he murmured in your ear. “Smile.”

The audacity of a man who tells you to smile after igniting your entire body in goosebumps.

The camera went off in a sequence, five pictures for the one timer. You smiled twice before he reached up to turn your face to his for a kiss. The sound of the shutter had you pulling away from his lips with a giggle. He smiled down at you for the next photo as laughter spilled from your lips, and then he was kissing you again.

When you finally pulled away from him, all giggly and handsy, Nate dragged you along with him to his phone. He curled around you as he flipped through the photos, each one cuter than the one before.

“Are you saying you wouldn’t put that in your office?” he asked. His breath tickled the back of your neck. You were just trying to tease him before, but with the lack of space between you and the way he was looking at you in these photos, you just couldn’t tease him anymore. His fingers trailed up your arms, goosebumps rising in their wake once again.

“How’s that fourth glass of wine treating you?” you asked. Nate tucked the phone in his back pocket as you turned to face him. His hands were on you once they were free, curling over the curve of your ass.

“I shouldn’t have let you talk me into it,” he murmured against your lips. “I’m trying to be good, but it’s impossible to keep my hands to myself.”

“What if I don’t want you to keep your hands to yourself?” you against, arching your body to press against him. You could feel him hard against your hip and knew you had him exactly where you wanted him. You pressed your lips to his and, as you pulled away, you took his bottom lip between your teeth and sucked on it.

A growl ripped through his chest as he lifted you into his arms. Your legs came to wrap around his waist as he carried you into the apartment and slammed the patio door shut behind him. He dropped you onto the bed, one hand coming to tug you towards the end by the ankle. His hands spread your legs so he could step between them and they slid up your thigh, pushing your dress up as they went.

“You don’t know how badly I’ve wanted to do this,” he murmured in your ear as his hands reached your hip, dress bunching around his wrists and revealing your lace panties to him. “Stealing touches in a crowded room just doesn’t compare.”

You lifted your arms as he guided the dress over your body and tossed it to the floor. At the sight of your match set, Nate pushed you up the bed and crawled over you. He peppered kisses along your skin from your collarbone to your chest. He worked his way down your stomach until reaching the top of your underwear. In on swift movement, your thong was on the floor and he was spreading your legs.

“So pretty,” he murmured, fingers spreading your folds. You moaned out as he slipped his finger in. “You like my fingers in your pussy, baby?” You could only manage to nod because he’d already slipped a second finger in. He curled them while he pressed a kiss against your inner thigh. “How about my tongue?”

Nate licked a stripe up your center and you gasped, hands flying down to curl into his hair as he continued to eat you out. He sucked on your pussy, continuing to thrust his fingers into and curl. He dragged moans out of you, obscene words dripped from your lips, and the filthy sound of his tongue filled the room.

“You taste so good.”

You tried to grind against face for some more friction, but he held your hips down and continued. You whined, tugging his hair and arching your back as he brought you to orgasm.

“Nate, I’m gonna cu—” you moaned, toes curling at the feet of his lips around you. Suddenly, cool air shocked your core and your orgasm retreated. You sighed as your whole body sank into the bed at the absence of stimulation. Nate crawled up your buddy, licking a stripe up your neck before attaching his lips to yours.

“Sorry, baby,” he said. He nudged your knees apart and situated himself between them, hand falling to his dick as he lined it up with your entrance. “I just need you to cum on my cock.” You moaned as he pushed his head between your folds. “YN, as long as you’re mine, I’ll never make you feel like you don’t deserve all the most romantic things.”

You answered with a moan as he bottomed out inside you. He watched your face as you adjusted to his size and smiled as you whimpered, pulling your teeth between your lips. You felt so good around him and as he began to pull out and thrust in again, your nails dug into his biceps.

You knew he was trying to take his time, but you could hardly take it. As far as you were concerned, Nate would have all the time in the world to take it slow with you. Tonight was not that night.

“Fuck me harder.”

When you sounded like that beneath him, how could he say no? His previously slow and calculated thrusts became sloppy at your request. He relished in the sound of your moaning and the way you called his name like a prayer. You were unraveling beneath him and he wanted to get you there. He adjusted your leg over his shoulder so he could hit a new angle.

“Come on, baby,” he moaned against your lips. “I wanna see you cum for me.”

He reached down and placed his thumb against your clit, rubbing in circles as he pumped into you. You screamed out and your body arched as your orgasm ripped through you. Nate pumped into you a few moments more as he chased his high while listening to your whimpers. He spilled out into his condom as a string of curses left his lips, then collapsed onto of you to catch his breath.

Your fingers immediately found his hair as your breathing evened out together. His body was hot on yours and a sheen of sweat covered both of you. Nate’s fingers curled around your waist and into your skin, squeezing you like he needed to get closer but couldn’t. Finally, he pulled out of you and sat back on his knees.

“You’re so beautiful,” he sighed, hands rubbing up your stomach to cup your breasts. You shivered at his touch. “I never want to leave this bed.”

“Not even for shower sex?”

“Okay, maybe for shower sex,” he murmured. He picked you up, tossing you over his shoulder to carry you to the bathroom.

---

A few hours (and orgasms later), you were clothed in Nate’s sweats and t-shirt and waiting for him beneath the covers in bed. He was cleaning up the glasses you left on the patio and running the dishwasher, though he was quick to finish it up and return to you. You looked so cute propped up against the headboard that he couldn’t stop smiling as he got ready for bed. He pulled on a pair of sweats, but remained topless as he slid under the covers. Instead of pulling you down to rest on his chest, he dropped his head onto your stomach and pulled you tightly to him. Your fingers carded through his hair.

“Thank you for tonight, Nate,” you spoke. “This was the best first date I’ve ever been on.”

“I’m counting this as our fourth date,” he responded. You laughed at him, slapping his bicep lightly at his teasing. “Let’s be honest, I was trying to impress you this entire time anyway.”

“Consider me impressed.”

Nate pulled you down to eye level with him, heads on your respective pillows, and then turned to shut the lamp off beside him. When he turned back, he pulled you against his chest. With your ear to his chest, you listened to his heartbeat and his breathing as it evened out. His fingers scratched your back ever-so-slightly as if soothing you to sleep.

“Are you happy?” he asked. You looked up at him with a curious gaze. Could he not tell how happy you were?

“Of course, I am,” you answered. “Are you?”

“How could I not be?” he asked. “You’re so far out of my league.”

“No, I’m not,” you groaned. You covered your blushing face with your hands at his words, hoping that he couldn’t feel the beat of your heart. Nate was quick to tug them down, holding them against his own chest. He didn’t care if you felt how hard his heart was beating. In fact, he wanted you to know. He wanted you to know the effect you had on him.

“You feel my heart, right?” he asked. You nodded. “You did that. You do that to me every single time I’m around you.” Your eyes began to water and you tried to pull your hand away from his to wipe the water pooling in the corner. Nate grabbed both your hands with one of his and wiped it with his own thumb. “I’ll never let you go to bed thinking I don’t love you. I’m going to shower you with flowers from our favorite florist and buy you pastries from that little shop you like, and I’ll never make you feel like you need to stifle yourself and who you are on account of me.”

“Nate.”

“Just listen to me, alright?” he asked, voice soft. You nodded. “Your ex stuffed you down and he didn’t appreciate you. That’ll never happen with me, and if you feel like it is, you need to tell me, just like you did when we first met.”

You tried to stammer through some type of coherent response, but words failed, so you kissed him. His arms wrapped around your waist to pull you flush against him and your legs intertwined. He was intoxicating, you couldn’t get enough, but he felt just the same. He wondered how anyone had let you go before and simultaneously thanked them for the gift that was you.

That night, Nate vowed he’d never let you go to bed unhappy and he’d never let you feel any less than perfect. He waited forever for a partner like you, honest and kind, and he finally had it in his hands, in his bed. And you promised that you’d never love anyone as much as you loved him. You just knew it.

#nate mackinnon imagine #nate mackinnon fic #nate mackinnon #nhl imagine #hockey imagine #nathan mackinnon imagine #nathan mackinnon fic

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noctumbra · 4 years

Text

peaches: iv

summary ─ “that’s my girl,” bucky whispered and smiled. tucking her hair behind her ear, he leaned in and kissed her. it was a soft, tender kiss: a kind of kiss that made her feel warm and loved.

pairing ─ dadsbestfriend!bucky barnes x reader

warnings ─ angst, conversations about exes, mentions of depression, age difference (reader is 21, bucky is 39)

a/n ─ this one is filled with angst i’m afraid. also includes a little bit of their backstory. sexy times will continue in the upcoming parts (dates: unknown). i would love some feedback. hope you like it! i don’t own the gif.

If their situation had been explained, many would think that Bucky watched her grow up, become the smart woman that she was today, but they would be wrong.

When he met her for the first time, Bucky was twenty-seven while she was nine. Their meeting was brief; Steve wanted Bucky to meet his litle daughter just before they went off to Italy for work. She was pretty; her face was already glowing with the innocence, her eyes were holding a cute mischievous look in them, her small smile was making Steve tear up every damn time while Sam was laughing at his reaction. Her hair was braided adorably, there were small flowers in them, too, and it was glowing under the sunlight. Sam would take the compliments about her hair proudly.

At the age of thirteen, Bucky was thirty-one, he saw her once more. That was their second meeting. She was more talkative and playful. She also had the best side of Steve and Sam’s sass, Bucky loved it. It was her birthday, and Steve invited him while he was staying in Brooklyn for a couple days before he went off to Russia this time, again for work. He only agreed to it because he heard her asking for him: “Is that your friend Bucky, Papa?” He was greeted with a warm welcome. It was a bit surprising that she remembered him. Steve had said that she had a strong memory and had loved the chocolates he had brought her the last time. It was the chocolates that made him remembered, but Bucky hadn’t mind. It was enough to be remembered, connected to something or not.

Ever since her thirteenth birthday they haven’t seen each other. Until Bucky sort of ‘retired’ and moved back to Brooklyn, carrying his work home.

“My litte girl started college,” Steve had once told him, with a proud look in his eyes, when he just moved back. He had also been holding his tears. “She’s a bookworm, so she carried that to the university. She’s studying literature,” Steve had joked. Bucky could remember her reading on the background while he was having conference calls with Steve. He could also remember her hushing Steve whenever his voice got a little bit loud, and Bucky had grinned at the memory, because it was such a Steve thing to do. He used to hush Bucky, too, whenever he had tried to talk while Steve was reading around him.

She was twenty when they saw each other again. It was a week after Bucky finally finished opening boxes after boxes. He got lucky and was able to buy the house across Steve and Sam’s. After that, she was always in his house, owning it like it was hers. Bucky didn’t mind, he liked company. Her company was so much better than the other women who didn’t know what shutting up was. She knew when to stay quiet, when to talk and force Bucky to do something that in a normal day he wouldn’t. She helped him to feel a little better about himself after the bad relationships he had over the years.

Bucky was devastated after he found out that his fiancée had cheated on him for years and had been using him for his money. It had hit deep and hurt so much, Bucky couldn’t shake it off for months ─ years even. He got depressed: didn’t go to work, answer his phone and his door. Natasha had to enter his house by breaking his door. After that, Steve, Sam and Natasha had ganged up on him and pulled his head out of that cloud that made him feel like he wasn’t living.

It was actually what made him to move back Brooklyn. Boy, wasn’t that the best decision he had ever made.

“You’re thinking too hard,” Sam murmured, pulling Bucky out of his head. “I can hear them gears turning, Barnes.” Bucky chuckled lightly. Sam was always this not-a-mind-reader-but-also-a-mind-reader. He knew when someone felt down, or troubled. He was always there to help. Bucky loved that about him.

“I was thinking about the thing that made me move back here,” Bucky said with a shrug. “Remembering those times… Man, I used to hurt a lot. It’s nice not feeling that hurt anymore.” Sam smiled.

“Time,” Sam easily responded. “It heals things slowly. It doesn’t erase anything, but it surely makes things easier for you.” Bucky nodded. They stayed silent after that. Both of them watching the sun slowly going down, listening to the birds chirping around. It was peaceful and relaxing. Bucky let his head fall back and closed his eyes.

Bucky didn’t realize that he fell asleep until he felt a soft kiss on his cheek: He flinched and opened his eyes, confused. “What─” He heard a quiet chuckle and when he turned his head to his left he saw her. Her hair was glowing with the setting sun’s last light. A big smile was on her face, and her eyes were fond.

“You fell asleep here,” she explained. “Papa told me not to touch you, so I let you sleep a bit. Dinner is ready, though,” she added and kissed his cheek again. Bucky surpassed a yawn, rubbing his eyes all adorably.

“Damn,” he muttered when he stood up and stretched. She nodded.

“Papa said you fell asleep fast and hard,” she shrugged. “Looked cute.” Bucky snorted, watched her get shy. “C’mon.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

Inside of the house, there was a delicious smell of food. Bucky felt his stomach rumble. He could pick up the talking noises coming from kitchen as well as the utensil sounds. He sighed, the sleep was still fogging up his brain a little, but he was sure Steve’s cooking would wake him up.

“Ah!” With Sam’s exclamation, Bucky jumped. “Sleeping beauty is awake!” Bucky rolled his eyes, ignoring the chuckles coming from her and Steve.

“Fuck off,” Bucky grumbled. Sam laughed while Steve chuckled and she nudged Bucky softly. Bucky rolled his eyes again, but this time it was playful. He winked at her cheekily. “Need help?” He asked once he walked towards Steve. He shook his head.

“Nope, all ready. I was just putting them on the plates,” Steve gave him a small smile. Bucky patted him on the back and grabbed the full plates. Placing them on the table, he noticed her looking at him with big, wide eyes. He frowned slightly, lifting an eyebrow at her. She shrugged innocently and mouthed an ‘I love you’. Bucky blinked and blushed, ducking his head down as a desperate attempt of hiding his smile. She chuckled silently. He chuckled, too. Looking up at her, he blew a kiss to her and mouthed an ‘I love you’ of his own. She only smiled wider.

“Alright, sit,” Steve said, bringing the other plates. “Bon appetit, people,” he smiled and tucked into his own food.

──

Dinner went smoothly. The food were delicious, but Steve was always a great cook. Sam was on dessert duty, so they were served a peach pie. Bucky smirked when he saw the topping of the pie and sent a dirty look to her. She felt the heat rushing to her face, prefering to hide her face into the pie. Bucky chuckled. He grabbed a forkful of pie and tasted.

“Mmm,” Bucky hummed approvingly. “Sam, Jesus, you’re getting better at baking,” he added when the amazing taste fired his taste buds. Sam smiled.

“Thanks! I found it in my Ma’s recipe book,” his smiled turned into a shy one. Steve nudged him a little and placed soft kiss on his lips. Sam hid his face on Steve’s ridiculously broad shoulder. Bucky smiled at the scene: He was so happy for his friend having an amazing family. He had a loving husband, a beautiful house and a brilliant daughter.

Bucky might have been a little jealous.

It was always what he wanted ever since he stepped into high school: He wanted to have a good job, earn enough money to buy himself and his future family a house, a beautiful wife and couple kids. Sometimes he would think now that his current age was considered old, how was he to get a life that he dreamt of once?

“Buck?” Steve’s concerned voice pulled Bucky out of his thoughts. “We lost you there for a second, bud, you okay?” Sam placed his half-eaten pie on the coffee table.

“He’s been thoughtful today,” Sam said, recalling their conversation at the backyard. Bucky shrugged.

“I was just thinking…” He sighed. He mimicked Sam’s moves and put his own plate on the coffee table.

“What? Talk to us, Bucky. We’re your family, too, you know that,” Steve murmured, always supportive but never pushy. Bucky looked down at his hands, fingers picking up the hem of his shirt and playing with it.

“It’s─” He took a breath. “I’m jealous of you, Steve,” he murmured. Steve frowned, but before he could ask, Bucky continued. “You have this beautiful family, Sam loves you like crazy and you have an amazing, very smart daughter… You know how much I wanted what you have right now since high school. Now you have it, and I’m jealous in a good way.” He looked up at his friend and smiled.

“Bucky…” Steve started.

“You know it’s not too late, right?” Sam said, voicing Steve’s thoughts. Bucky shrugged again.

“I’m thirty-nine, Sam. It might not be late in your book, but it is in mine. I was supposed to find someone in my late-twenties and have a kid in my early-thirties. Because I’d like to have energy to run and play with my kid, you know?” Bucky sighed.

She frowned slightly. She never knew he wanted those things. He never told her about his dreams. Suddenly, she felt guilty for occupying him like this. She felt guilty for holding him back from real life. Instead of playing house with her and pretend, he could have met with someone who could be with him really and give him kids. She barely blinked away the tears that flooded her eyes instantly.

“You’re fit, man, you workout more than Steve. Trust me, you would still have some stamina to do all the things you want with your kid,” Sam said assuringly. Steve nodded.

“Sam’s right─”

“I don’t have time for a new relationship, anymore, guys. I can’t─ Most women I came across with or been set up with… They’re not there for me, they’re there for the money and the way I look. None of cares about what I want or what I like… We don’t click. Is it make sense?” Steve nodded again. He could understand Bucky’s point of view. “She was the only one I clicked for a very long time,” Bucky added silently. “But she used me, just like others wanted to do. I can’t trust anymore. I’m─ God, I’m hopeless.” Bucky huffed out a laugh.

“Pardon my French, but,” Sam started. “She was a bitch for doing that.” Steve elbowed him with a warning look in his eyes. “What? Man, it’s true. She used him for his money and looks, just like the other women who want to do the same, he said himself. She destroyed the dream he could have had by cheating on him.”

“Sam,” Bucky stopped him. “It’s in the past. Nevermind.” He looked at him with pleading eyes. Sam softened and nodded, his eyes were filled with worry for his friend. “I’m just gonna head back. Thanks for the dinner and the dessert.” Bucky stood up and left the house quietly. He didn’t even look at her.

She felt her heart tightened, tears were back but they were even stronger, now. She sniffed very quietly and stood up to collect the plates. She took them to the kitchen, barely holding the tears.

She didn’t know Bucky was hurting this much. She didn’t know that even when they were together, Bucky was lonely. His dreams were stolen, destroyed, and she wasn’t doing a good thing to him by holding him back from finding someone to make his dream live again. She bit her lip to keep the hiccup that wanted to leave her.

What they had was amazing. Bucky understood her in a way that her peers never could. He helped her become a better person, helped her educate herself. She wouldn’t be the same person as she was today if it weren’t for Bucky. She didn’t know her effect in his life, though.

“Y/N?” Steve’s voice carried through the hallway and she quickly wiped the tears that ran away. “Oh, sweetie,” he murmured empathically. He hugged her tightly.

“I didn’t know he was so lonely, Dad,” she cried into Steve’s chest while he petted her hair gently. “He doesn’t deserve to be lonely. He’s such a good person!” She sobbed.

“I know, darling, I know…” Steve rested his cheek on her head, letting her cry. She cried for a couple more minutes, murmuring about how much good Bucky deserved, how good he was. Steve knew it, he knew she was right. So he stayed silent.

“I should go to bed,” she whispered after a while. Her eyes were red, and tears were still rolling. Steve nodded. “I’ve got class tomorrow,” she added absentmindedly. She wiped her tears harshly and made a beeline towards her room. She didn’t realize the figure laying down on her bed as she walked into her room and closing her door, locking it. When she turned around, though, she barely suppressed her scream.

“Jesus Christ, Bucky,” she murmured, a hand on her heart.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky said, his voice quiet and raspy. He sounded like he cried, too. She sobbed silently, and Bucky opened his arms, inviting her in. She crawled into his arms. “I’m sorry for making you cry, honey.”

“You should have told me,” she murmured into his t-shirt.

“I know, I should have,” he agreed easily.

“You should have told me. I would have stepped out of your way! I would have stopped holding you back from having your dream come true! I would have─” Bucky put his hand over her mouth and pulled back so that he could make eye contact.

“You are not holding me back. You are not going to step out of my way. No. What I said about wanting a life like Steve’s… I was hoping you would understand without me saying it: I wanted that life with you. You are the only woman I click with after a very long time, Y/N. I want to have you as my wife, want you to have my kids and want to have a house together. I want that dream to come true with you by my side. I also meant when I said I don’t time for a new relationship, I already have you. So, please, stop thinking that way, okay, honey?” Bucky looked at her with pleading, wide eyes, tears were waiting for the right moment to fall. “Don’t ever think that you’re holding me back. You’re holding me upright.”

“Bucky─” She sobbed and hugged him tightly. Bucky wrapped his arms around her just as tight.

“I love you, peaches,” he whispered. “I love you so much. I’ll wait until the right time comes up, I promise.” He kissed her temple, hands stroking her back.

“I love you, too,” she whimpered softly. “I love you so much. I─ I don’t want to hide anymore, but…” She trailed. Bucky nodded. His hands were now in her hair, playing with them.

“Not yet,” he said. “None of us are ready for that yet: Not us, not them.”

“Just a little while longer,” she murmured. “I can wait.”

“That’s my girl,” Bucky whispered and smiled. Tucking her hair behind her ear, he leaned in and kissed her. It was a soft, tender kiss: A kind of kiss that made her feel warm and loved. She smiled into the kiss.

“Just a little while longer,” she repeated and smiled. She could do that.

──

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes imagines #bucky barnes au #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes angst #dad's best friend bucky barnes #dadsbestfriend!bucky

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unloved-cadillac · 3 years

Text

My Sweetheart.(A Levi x Reader Oneshot)

I found this writing prompt on Pinterest but you can find writing.prompt.s on Instagram.

𝖶𝗈𝗋𝖽𝗌: 2.5𝗄

It’s been years since high school. You left everything behind in Sina and moved to London to pursue your art career and it took off. But now after your art had all been successfully sold and some displayed in art museums, you decided to move back home to teach art at Sina College.

You didn’t come back empty handed. Hange, your close friend who you met in London, landed a job here as well. So, making things easier you offered to share an apartment with her and she agreed.

“So, are you going to hang up your art like how you did in London?” Hange asks and you shake your head. “Nah. I’m not so narcissistic.” You say and place a box on the floor. “Narcissistic? Your art is beautiful and deserves to be displayed!” She shouts and you laugh. “Thanks for the compliment, Han. But after the gallery did so good back there and everything got sold, I have to make some more.” You explain and walk into the kitchen with Hange following close behind. “Yeah. I wonder who bought all of those paintings. They paid double the price, isn’t it?” She asks and you nod. “I wish I could’ve met them. Whoever they are to thank them. They technically saved me from going bankrupt.” You joke. ”Oh! That reminds me. Can you run down to the store and get some snacks? I’m starving here!” Hange holds her stomach in mock hunger. “Ugh. Now I need to change. I was going to the store anyway, but I need to run down to the bank to withdraw some cash.” You say and head to your room to put on some reasonable clothes and grab your bag on the way out.

Luckily, your apartment was set in a very convenient location from the mall, small stores and banks. It really was a jackpot apartment. Walking into the bank, you stand in the cue and wait. Playing on your phone and listening to music, you see the line started to move. When you came up to the counter, you remove your earphones and look at the girl behind the glass. “Hi there. I came to make a withdrawal.” You say and take out your bank details and card. “How much do you-..” “EVERYONE HANDS UP! DON’T MOVE!” You hear and turn around to see men with black masks on with guns in their hands, aiming it around. Oh great. I’m going to die, you think and look at the people. One of them moved past you and you carefully moved your hands up. On their right arms, they had white and blue wings patched into it. Some sort of gang? Another masked man, caught your eye and you could see his eyes widen and started to panic. “Yo! Roll out.” He says, still looking at you. “What?! Why?! We didn’t even get the money!” One says and looks at his leader. “That’s her. We can’t do this while she’s here. Don’t aim at her. MOVE OUT!” The leader says and runs away while others look at you, while lowering their guns. They turned around and headed out of the bank, leaving everyone in shock and looking at you. You exhale a breath you didn’t even know you were holding and hold your chest. “Who are you?” Someone asks you. You look at them, still in shock. “Just an ordinary person.” You say, breathing heavily. “Well, you just saved our lives and the bank from getting robbed.” They say and you furrow your eyebrows. What the hell?

~~~~~

“So they just left?! Just like that?!?” Hange yells out and grabs your shoulders. “Yeah. It was so weird.” She hugs you, squeezing you a bit. “I’m so glad that your okay!” She says and you pat her back. “Yeah. I’m fine. But I still don’t know what to think.” You say and sip your whiskey. You think of the situation and those patches. “Hange.” You call her and she hums. “They had this symbol. A white wing overlapping a blue one. Any idea?” You ask and she taps her chin before going to her laptop. You leave her to do her thing as you hear the clicking of keys. “Come here. And check this out.” Hange says and you walk to her, sitting on the arm of the sofa. You look at her laptop screen. “This symbol is the Wings of Freedom. It’s a symbol of the crime syndicate called “Titan’s of Death”. Ugh, scary.” Hange says and you scroll down. Members were over one thousand and they were everywhere but most were situated here in Sina. “It says here people who don’t pose a threat to the Titans are on a No Harm list. The list isn’t revealed to protect the identity of them but it’s said to have only a few names. Y/n! What if your name was on there?!” Hange shouts and you scoff. “Why would my name be there? I’ve never heard of these people before.” You say and cross your arms. Hange scrolls further and comes across the leader of the group. You had left the sofa to go get your whiskey from the counter when Hange spoke up. “Do you know a “Levi Ackerman”?” You stop dead in your tracks and look at her. Levi? No it can’t be. “Do you have a picture of him?” You ask and she nods her head motioning to the laptop. You walk slowly to her and look at the laptop. There he was. Levi. The boy who had your heart all these years. Your high school sweetheart. “Levi.” You whisper and touch his picture. He kept the undercut. His face had lost his little baby fat he had when he was younger and became chiseled. He looked so handsome. You smile a bright smile while blushing furiously. “Y/n! Who is he to you?! He’s making you blush and it’s just his picture!” You look up to her, still smiling brightly. “He’s an...while I can’t say ex. But we dated back in high school. We ended things because I had to move ASAP to London and he couldn’t come with me. But, God I loved him. It broke the both of us when we had to leave.” You recall the memory.

It was sad. That was the only time you had seen Levi cry and just thinking about his face like that made you ache. “Why didn’t you two keep in touch?” Hange asks and looks back at his photo. “We tried. But life had other plans for us. His social media disappeared and numbers changed. Mine did too and once I lost his number I couldn’t find him again.” You explain, while staring at his photo. “Maybe it’s because he became the leader of this place and couldn’t risk having his number everywhere.” Hange reasons with you and you agree. “Yeah. Seems about right.” You sniffle and wake up while holding your cheeks. All of the memories that you had with him came flooding back in and all of the love you had for him clouded your mind and heart. You turn to Hange and smile. “Where is the Titan of Death’s headquarters?” You ask and Hange looks through the page. “Oh. It’s right here. Downtown though. Oof. Dangerous. Wait. Don’t tell me..” “Yes, Hange. I’m going to see him.”

Later that night, you logged into your old iCloud account, the one you had in highschool. It was filled with old pictures of your friends from back there and...Levi. You two went out for two years. Although it may seem a short time to others, to the both of you, it felt like eternity. You chuckle at all the funny pictures you took with him. One where he stayed over for the first time, while he slept, you drew all over his face. There was another one where you both were sharing a coke with two straws. You had yours in your mouth and looked at the camera while Levi had his in his mouth and looked at you. That was a good day. You go back to your browser and look at the opened tab with Levi’s picture. For a 25 year old, he didn’t look a day over 21. The Ackerman gene, huh? You smile at what he will think seeing you after all these years. You were very confident in seeing him again. After transferring some photos to your current phone, you go to bed but only slept two hours later since you were so excited. So you drifted into a dreamless sleep after thinking about Levi.

~~~~~

Waking up a bit earlier than usual, you pick out a good outfit and smile. You couldn’t stop smiling because that’s the effect this boy had on you. He made you feel so happy and safe and loved, which made you think about what would have happened if you didn’t break up. If he moved with you to London. Both of you would probably be married by now. But snapping out of that thought and jumping the gun, you head out of your room to see Hange watching TV. You stand in front of it and show off your outfit. “What do you think? Too much?” You ask and Hange squeals. “Oh, Y/n! It’s perfect. I still can’t believe your ex is a mafia boss.” She says and you laugh. “Me neither. But I have to see him again. I never knew how much I missed him until I saw his picture. Now send me the directions and I’ll see you later, Han.” You say and wink at her. “Stay safe. Take pepper spray please.” She says and you show off your can. Heading to your car, your phone dings with Hange’s tone. You see she sent the directions and you skip to your car. Levi.

Driving with the GPS on, you head into downtown Sina. You had never been here and you remember Levi saying all those years ago that you should never head there alone. Well, too late now baby. A lot of people walked around openly with their guns in their hands or holsters. You weren’t afraid. If you were in Levi’s ‘No Harm’ list, you were sorted. You have arrived at your destination. You hear your GPS say and you look at the big ass gate. It was black with a whole lotta cameras and whole lotta guards. Rolling down your window, you look at the camera and at the guards. One of them walked to you. “What business do you have at the Ackerman mansion?” He asks and you clear your throat. “H-hello there. I’m Y/n L/n. Levi is…” You get cut off by the man shouting. “She’s good. Let her in!” He turns back to you and smiles. You smile back and thank him. You drive to the house and park next to another car. Hopping out, a tall man waits for you. You walk up the stairs and the man greets you. “Hello, Ms L/n. I’m Mike Zecharius. The Boss would see you shortly. He’s in a meeting right now, so please, head inside to the main lounge while you wait.” He explains and you smile. “Nice to meet you, Mike. Thank you.” You say and walk into the house and wow. Was this place huge. It was a combination of white, black and grey. But mostly white. So Levi. You walk into, what you hoped was, the main langue and looked around. The walls had paintings and you furrow your eyebrows. Making your way around the big room, you realized: these were your paintings. Most of your work was proudly displayed here. Oh. Levi. It was you. You think and bit your lip to suppress a giggle. The one that caught your eye was the one that was in the middle of the wall. It was one of the first ones you painted which you had gifted Levi for his birthday. It was painted on black paper while you used only white paint. It was two albino peacocks by a lake, one had their head on the others with the words, “ ‘We Loved With a Love That Was More Than Love.’- Edgar Allen Poe.” You smile at the memory and the message that was written behind it. “Happy birthday & Merry Christmas, Levi” you start to say while running your hand on the frame, “My days have been so much happier since you entered my life. Thank you. It’s you, because..” “Because no one else makes sense.” You heard a voice complete the message and you turn around to see him. Standing there, with his full black suit and his hair in the same style from all those years ago. You smile so much and you could feel tears form but quickly wipe them away. “Levi..” you whisper and he smiles back to you. “Y/n.” He says and walk to you. You’re so overwhelmed by happiness that you just hide your face in your hands. You felt him right in front of you and you look up from your hands to be met with the sight of his chest. God, he smells so good. You feel his hand on your cheek and you look up at his face. He looked so much better in person. “Hello, sweetheart.” He says and you smile. “I-, oh my gosh. Levi. It’s you. It’s really you.” You say and move your hands around his neck and hug him. You tuck your face in his neck and smile. “It’s me.” He simply says and hugs you tighter.

You pull away from him, but still in his embrace and sigh. “What happened? I lost all contact with you.” You say and he moves a stray hair behind your ear. “It’s such a long story, Y/n.” Levi says. “How about you tell me over dinner?” You say and he raises his eyebrow and smirks. “Dinner? I can make that happen. Tonight? 8?” He asks and you nod. “Wait. Yesterday, at the bank..” you start to say and he smiles softly. “When I became the leader here, I was given the option of a ‘No Harm’ list. Your name was the first one I wrote down.” He says softly and you smile. “Oh, Levi.” You smile and look at him. As you were about to say something again, both of you were interrupted. “Boss, sorry to disturb. But there’s an urgent call for you.” One of his men say and he scoffs. “Tch. Alright. I’ll be there just now. Tell them to wait.” He says and looks back at you. “I’m sorry. But dinner..” “I’ll see you at 8.” You say and start to walk away but stop suddenly and bite your lip. You turn back and walk up to him and kiss his cheek. “Call me, okay?” You say and place a card into his pocket. Levi nods and watches you walk away while grazing his finger along his cheek. He could still feel your warm lips on them. He takes out the card and looks at it.

Y/n L/n Arts.

xxx-xxx-xxxx

Xoxo

He smiles softly and puts it in his inside pocket. Levi never wanted a day to go faster than right now. He had to let you go 7 years ago and he’s not going to make that mistake again.

———————————————————————

“I live for Mafia Levi.”

🖤🤍Thanks for reading🤍🖤

-Caddy.

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anwynb2003 · 3 years

Text

Um... I think I made a BatFam AU while half-asleep...

Ok so, I wake up, and it seems last night I wrote out a messy explanation of a story that I just might have to write now... but I've read literally one Batman comic (Death in the Family), and all my knowledge comes from either YouTube, Wikis, and stories on AO3...

Hyperfixation is fun, isn't it?

Anyway, here's a copy-paste of what I wrote in my half-asleep state at around 2:00 last night (note, the doc itself is simply titled "C'mon. You Know."):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tireeeeed let’s do this

Okay so

AU: No superheroes. Bruce Wayne is just a rich dude who starts taking in orphans because reasons.

First up was Dick Grayson, who he adopted when he was 9.

7 years later, he added 13-year-old Jason Todd.

3 years later, 12-year-old Tim Drake.

2 years later, 14-year-old Cassie Cain.

And finally, 2 years after that, he learned of and gained custody of his only biological son: 10-year-old Damian Wayne.

Only a year after Damian joined the family though, Brucie boy died, presumably in a “tragic accident”, but it’s quickly revealed that someone’s altered his will, leaving his kids with none of the family’s fortune; not even their home.

Dick, who’d moved out a few years ago, now has custody of his 3 youngest siblings, and only a small, 2-bedroom house in Blüdhaven to care for them in.

Jason, who for a variety of reasons had run away at 15, and had stayed away for the most part, reluctantly agrees to move in Full House style to help Dick, while all the siblings work with their ex-butler/grandfather figure Alfred, and family-friends Jim and Babs Gordon to figure out the mystery of their father’s death and will.

Tensions run high, Dick’s having a breakdown, Jay’s struggling to Dad (verb), Tim’s gay and spiralling, Cass struggles with speech, and Dami’s emotionally stunted. Yay!

So we got:

Dick, 24-year-old officer of the BPD. Adopted at 9 years old after losing his parents in a circus act gone wrong, Dick stayed with Bruce until he was 18, when after a heated argument he left for college. He made up with his father over the next couple years and stayed in contact, often visiting him and his siblings.

Jason, 21-year-old, works part-time at a gym in Crime Alley, Gotham City. Adopted when he was 13, after several years of living on the streets after his step-mother’s death by overdose and his father’s “peace out” moment. Discovered the identity of his birth-mother, ran away to go find her because teen angst and increasing fights with Bruce, then she was found dead a week later (her ex was charged and found guilty) and while Jay couldn’t be found, much of the blood at the crime scene was his. Then, randomly, he contacted his family again 4 years later, at 19. Didn’t move back in, and things were quite tense between him and Bruce, but still hung out with his siblings outside the home (though he was angry at Tim at first, for being adopted less than a year after his “death” and "replacing" him).

Tim, 17-year-old honours student. Adopted when he was 12, but actually started hanging around the house a little before that, as Dick was tutoring him after school. This helped both Dick, and Bruce to discover how neglectful and emotionally abusive his parents were, and Bruce literally had to sue for custody for this kid. He won.

Cassie, another 17-year-old. Adopted at 14, she’d been on the streets much like Jason had, but of her own volition… to a point. She was scarred after seeing her father do… something, when she was only 8 years old (she’s repressed so hard that even she doesn’t remember exactly what), and so ran away. This thing traumatized her so much that she lost her ability to speak for years, and has only just started learning to talk again. Instead, she usually uses ASL.

And Damian, an 11-year-old ball of politeness, good manners, and pure, unadulterated rage. He was born nine-months after his mother date-raped his father, and was raised in quite an… odd way, by said mother and her father. Long and short of it: crime family, but not a close one. He rarely if ever actually saw his mother, and when he did she wasn’t overly affectionate. He spent most of his early days being groomed to be his grandfather’s heir, only for their entire organization to be captured by police when he was 10. It was now when the emotionally stunted, spoiled brat was put into his father’s custody.

Main issues:

-Dickie boy stressed ooooooouut, gotta be a breadwinner and keep his siblings together and safe

-Jaybird technically never made up with Bruce; they’d actually made plans to get together and talk things out, but then, y’know, death

-Timmy, poor thing, is balancing school, work at Wayne Enterprises, and investigating the case of his father’s death, and has seemingly forgotten what sleep is. Adding on the fact that Bruce being dead means his (granted, chosen) role as heir to the company seems much more real (even despite the fake will, he's confident he'll figure it out and find the real one), he’s not doing all that great

-Cassie, sweetheart, has been emotionally traumatized for years, and now just has more trauma to add to that with Bruce being dead. She’s getting better, but struggling

-Dami, baby bird, is filled with more rage than usual, and is endlessly worried about all the animals in his “zoo”; Alfred remains at the manor (though he has not met his new employer), for the sole purpose of making sure they stay fed, watered, bathed, and more or less cared for.

So, to sum up, Dick’s working to support them and trying his best, Jay’s Dad-ing while Dick’s at work since his hours are more flexible, Tim hasn’t slept in years, Cass needs therapy and hugs, and Damian has a growing army of stuffed animals to fill the gaping hole in his life where his zoo used to be (since he could only bring Titus and Alfred the Cat with him to Bludhaven).

Will they be able to figure out who had their father killed and get their family legacy back?

Hell if I know, I haven’t written it yet. Probably. Get off my back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, long story short, I seem to have issues, but this is happening now apparently.

Not right now though, Ima go play Minecraft.

#batfam #batfam au #au #no heroes au #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #cassandra cain #damian wayne #alfred pennyworth #bat bros #kill me #why do i do these things #hyperfixation #i'm hyperfixating #can you tell?#ok ima go play minecraft now #bye

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danielxricciardo · 3 years

Text

Prompts

1. "Hi, my ex just walked in. Would you hold my hand please?"

2. "I didn't expect to see you here."

3. "Have you seen this dog?"

4. “That mouth of yours, does it ever stop making noise”

5. “Seven minutes in heaven is for virgin teenagers”

6. “Slam that door one more time and I’ll shove my foot straight up your cute ass”

7. “Jesus! Knock next time would you”

8. “You have money go and get yourself a hoodie that’s not mine”

9. "I hate roses, I thought you knew"

10. "Do you think I am an angel? Ha"

11. "I wanted to sleep but someone decided to die"

12. "I can kill you right now, what are you talking about?"

13. "Hi, I am lost, can you come after me?"

14. "When I first saw you I wanted to date your best friend"

15. "I am so funny and you are just jealous"

16. "If I have to choose... no"

17. "Stop breathing like that!"

18. "I just did my nails"

19. "I'm the best driver în the world"

20. "Will you marry me?" "No"

21. "I think I broke my arm" "So?"

22. "I think I love you" "Thanks"

23. "My arms are lonely, don't you think?"

24. "Apparently we are dating"

25. “Well it’s kind of hard to move when you’re sitting on my lap”

26. "Those things you said yesterday, did you mean them?"

27. "If we elope, you think they'll kill us?"

28. "This is yours"

29. "You can’t just kiss me, laugh and then walk away."

30. "Are you using ass as a pillow?"

31." I find your lack of faith disturbing."

32. "And I took it personally"

33. "In here I am the boss"

34. "Oh, bite me!" "Where?"

35. "What will you do if we break up?"

36. "Where is my T-shit?"

37. "This is no time for sarcastic comments." "There is always time for sarcastic comments."

38. "I’ll keep quiet, you won’t even know I’m here."

39. "The way you flirt is just awful"

40. "Don’t be fooled. I’m the epitome of mess."

41. " If you are on TV should I congratulate you?"

42. "And this, is why we can’t have nice things."

43. "That's what he said"

44. "I am scared of your boss"

45. "You should know, a lot of girls have a crush on me"

46. "Everyone is afraid of you"

47. "If I'm watching that movie one more time I'll lose my fucking mind!"

48. "I thought being on vacation will be stress free"

49. "My parents don't trust you"

50. "I don't think I should give my last name so easily"

51. “I really wish I could unsee that.”

52. “Who would’ve guessed we’d be sharing a room.”

53. “I feel like you have an unhealthy obsession with me.”

54. “Nah he’s fine, it’s the other one you really got to watch out for.”

55. “I have a suggestion.” “I’m not taking my clothes off so forget it.”

56. “You’re the genius, why don’t you tell me?”

57. “Have I ever told you your accent makes me swoon?” “Really?” “No.” He/she smiles. “ that’s why I’ve never told you.”

58. “I’m alive? How am I still alive?”

59. “You’re crazy! I love it!”

60. “Never have I ever is about to get a lot more interesting.”

61. “What did they do?” “Dude. They did the do.”

62. "You can’t keep pretending it didn’t happen, cause guess what? It did!"

63. "Well this is awkward."

64. "Im too sober for this."

65. "Im pregnant." "Wall done, Virgin Mary!"

66. " I want to protect you."

67. "Kill that spider and maybe I'll forgive you"

68. "I have no one to go to the wedding"

69. "Don’t you dare touch _______!"

70. "I thought you were dead!"

71. "This is, without a doubt, the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in."

72. "Take care of you, please"

73. "If your best friend single?"

74. "Just remember, if we get caught, you’re deaf and I don’t speak English."

75. "Why does everyone assume we're a couple?"

76. "Im craving something sweet" "Are you pregnant or something?"

77. " What is the magic word?" "I'll kill you în your sleep"

78. "When I see you my knees get weak"

79. "Finally you're single. Can I take you on a date?"

80. " So, I guess you don’t do after hours?"

81. "I know what I'm doing, I've watched two whole seasons of Grey's Anatomy."

82. "I can't believe I'm stuck here with you right now."

83. "Okay, this did not go as I planned it in the shower."

84. "I'm not going to sit around and watch you destroy yourself."

85. "You were my best friend"

86. "You did what?"

87. "Can you just pretend to love me for a second!"

88. "You are enough"

89. "Take the shirt off"

90. "Your nickname is bitch"

91. "What do you want to watch?" "You"

92. "How could you ask me that?"

93. "Your mouth does this thing and I can't resist it"

94. "Are you allowed to drink?"

95. "I said Im done, leave me alone!"

96. "Don’t raise your fucking voice at me”

97. “Yeah, I remember the drill”

98. “Tell me again, slowly this time, why that dog is in my bed.”

99. “Gave you so much, but it wasn’t enough.”

100. “You and me, we were destined to fall apart.”

101. “No, you don’t know who you are until somebody breaks your heart.”

102. “I want to tell you everything. The words I never got to say the first time around.”

103. “It’s better to feel pain, than nothing at all.”

Song lyrics prompts

1. “It’s the little things about us, that I love so much.”

2. “Last night I told you I loved you // woke up blamed it on the vodka”

3. “It’s a better place since you came along”

4. “You make me love the things I hate “

5. Just a paper sheet and half a cigarette are left in my hand

6. Your faith walks on broken glass

7. "And can you teach me how to dance real slow?"

8. "I'll throw away my faith, babe, just to keep you safe"

9. "One night, you won't forget the rest of your life"

10. "We only said goodbye with words"

11. "I'll try to give you love until the day you drop"

12. "I like the pretty boys with the bow tie"

13. "Lets get drunk forget what we did"

14. Your kisses lift me higher

15. When you're ready we can share the wine

16. "And if you don't love me now you will never love me again"

17. "Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?"

18. "When there's nothing to lose and there's nothing to prove"

19. She's the kind of girl who only asks you over when its raining, just to make you lie there catching water dripping from the ceiling.

20. Now I understand, you're a human, and you got to lie, you're a man

21. The good and the bad times: we've been through them all.

22. Now I ain't educated but I sure ain't stupid

23. I grew up in the shoes they told me I could fill

24. It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

25. A lover would just complicate my plans

26. And in the morning, i’ll be with you, but it will be a different kind

27. My heart is yours, it’s you that i hold on to

28. And with one kiss, you inspired a fire of devotion that lasts for twenty years

29. I let go of my claim on you, it’s a free world

30. I’m in my bed, and you’re not here and there’s no one to blame, but the drink in my wandering hands

31. Cause you gave me peace and i wasted it, I’m here to admit that you were my medicine

32. Oh, dear diary, i met a boy, he made my doll heart light up with joy. Oh, dear diary, we fell apart, welcome to the life of electra heart

33. For you, I would cross the line, I would waste my time, I would lose my mind

34. Is it really me you're missing?

35. Remember that night?

36. How many times can I break till I shatter?

37. As long as I breathe, I’ll call you my home

38. "You wouldn't know love if it crushed your fucking chest."

39. "When we scream our lips don't make a sound."

40. "Please don't let me sink, wrap your arms around me and carry me home."

41. "This hasn't torn us apart so nothing ever will."

42. "A long time ago we believed that we were united."

43. "I miss the person that you were but I don't miss you."

44. "If home is where the heart is, why do I feel so fucking heartless?"

45. "I can't live, I can't breathe with or without you just go away."

46. "I'm not afraid to die, I'm afraid I'll survive and have to watch you suffer."

47. "I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away."

48. "I'm not like you I just fuck up."

49. "All because of you I believe in angels, not the kind with wings, no not the kind with halos. The kind that bring you home when home becomes a strange place."

50. "I just want to go to sleep and never wake up again."

51. “I wish people liked me more.”

52. “How could I ever love someone else?”

53. “I guess you’re getting everything you want.”

54. “She probably gives you butterflies.”

55. “I hope that you’re okay.”

56. “I defended you to all my friends.”

57. “I never cared about what they say, only care about me and you”

58. “Either way i’m gonna lose, so i’m just gonna keep on loving you”

59. “You know i’m bad at communication, it’s the hardest thing for me to do”

60. “Iwas your lover, i was your friend, now I’m only just someone you call when it’s late enough to forget”

61. “It’s fucked up but it’s true that i love you like i do”

62. “Well we both had nights waking up in strangers beds but i don’t wanna, don't wanna, i don’t wanna give up yet”

63. “Tell me I’ve got it wrong somehow.”

64. “I’m begging for you to take my hand.”

65. “I can’t make it go away by making you the villain.”

66. “He feels like home.”

67. “I’d be breaking all my rules to see you.”

68. “But I know you’re not scared of anything at all.”

69. “When can I come back?”

70. “I’m ready to owe you anything”

71. “I’ll always look best in your head”

72. “I know you know it’s wrong, but I’m ready”

73. “All I ever want is breaking me apart.”

74. “Let's talk sweetly like all our love is false.”

75. “You put a fire in my heart, painted blood on my stars, gave me faith.”

76. “I wanna meet your girlfriend, she sounds nice.”

77. “How is kissing me so wrong?“

78. “Can’t you see that I’m already yours?”

79. “I’ve been losing track of the romantic sh*t I’m tryna say but basically I love you"

80. “I don’t wanna be your friend, I wanna kiss your lips, I wanna kiss you until I lose my breath”

81. “I apologize for all your tears, I wish I could be different but I’m still growing up into the one you can call your love”

82. “I’m out of my head, of my heart, of my mind cause you can run but you can’t hide, I’m gonna make you mine”

83. "I never loved someone the way that I love you"

84. "It's the way that you know what I thought I knew, it's the beat that my heart skips when I'm with you"

85. "I hope she gettin' better sex, hope she ain't fakin' it like I did, babe"

86. “I know we’re young and people change and we may never feel the same”

87. “I can’t change the world, but maybe I’ll change your mind”

88. "You don't own me. Don't tie me down 'cause I'd never stay."

89. "Leave everything that is worth a single cent and just take me instead."

90. "And then I got you off your knees, put you right back on your feet, just so you can take advantage of me."

91. "Hey, I can't let you go with nobody. Cause I love you, baby."

92. "Tell me that it wasn't my fault and that I was enough for you."

93. "We were good at faking forever, I get it, whatever."

94. "Cause you had your chance and you blew it. Yeah, you ripped it up and you chewed it."

95. "Well, I'm too busy for your business. Go find a girl who wants to listen."

96. "Stop looking at me with those eyes, like I could disappear and you wouldn't care why."

97. "Oh, we could do whatever you want, but boy, don't go falling in love, you can't stay with me, all you'll ever have is one day with me"

98. "I pray the medication slow me down, but that shit doesn't work when you're around"

99. "Told her that I loved her once and now she'd kill for me"

100. "What the tell were we? Tell me we weren't just friends"

Who I write for

Formula 1

Daniel Ricciardo

Lewis Hamilton

Max Verstappen

Charles Leclerc

Esteban Ocon

Carlos Sainz

Lando Norris

Lance Stroll

Sebastian Vettel

Mick Schumacher

Pierre Gasly

George Russel

Football

Erling Haaland

Jadon Sancho

Giovanni Reyna

Jude Bellingham

Julian Brandt

Marco Reus

Roman Bürki

Emre Can

Mats Hummels

Leon Goretzka

Joshua Kimmich

Kai Havertz

Mason Mount

Christian Pulisici

Ben Chilwell

Gerard Pique

João Félix

Ianis Hagi

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Virgil van Dijk

Jens Petter Hauge

Martin Ødegaard

Alexander Sørloth

#f1 imagine #f1 x reader #imagine #fanfiction #formula 1 #football #my prompts #soccer #erling haaland #daniel ricciardo #max verstappen #charles leclerc #carlos sainz jr #lando norris #lance stroll #lewis hamilton #premier league #bundesliga #grand prix

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horansqueen · 3 years

Text

Stuck With You - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Let My Love Open The Door

🡪chapter 1 🡪chapter 2 🡪chapter 3 🡪chapter 4 🡪chapter 5 🡪chapter 6 🡪chapter 7 🡪chapter 8 🡪chapter 9 🡪chapter 10 🡪chapter 11 🡪chapter 12 🡪chapter 13 🡪chapter 14 🡪chapter 15 🡪chapter 16 🡪chapter 17 🡪chapter 18 🡪chapter 19 🡪chapter 20 🡪chapter 21 🡪chapter 22 🡪chapter 23 🡪chapter 24 🡪chapter 25 🡪chapter 26

College Enemies To Lovers AU

characters // masterlist // instagrams // mood board

When people keep repeating That you'll never fall in love When everybody keeps retreating But you can't seem to get enough

Let my love open the door Let my love open the door Let my love open the door To your heart

When everything feels all over Everybody seems unkind I'll give you a four-leaf clover Take all worry out of your mind

Let my love open the door Let my love open the door Let my love open the door To your heart

The only key to your heart That can stop you falling apart Try today, you'll find this way Come on and give me a chance to say

Let my love open the door It's all I'm livin' for Release yourself from misery There's only one thing gonna set you free

click here to be on the update list

NIALL

I wanted to ask Devon what we would do when we'd go back to school. Would we pretend nothing happened or would we keep this little thing going on between us? I wanted to know but I didn't want to ask, scared of the answer and of what it would do to my mood. Instead, we kept laughing together, playing board games, watching tv and discussing. I didn't want things to end and I was ready to stay locked in this apartment forever if it meant that our relationship, whatever it was, would never stop. I knew it was impossible but I decided to just enjoy the time we spent together and try to figure out the rest later, when we'd go back to normal.

I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms on my chest as I stared at her putting some music on. She was only wearing a hoodie and panties and even if it made it difficult to concentrate, I loved that she felt at ease like that around me. A song invaded the room and she just started dancing, making me chuckle.

"Late night, a long day Somehow it's never quite enough And maybe I'm lazy It's been so long, sometimes I feel like giving up

So now I'm staying up all night 'Cause I'm trying to understand Why I feel like I've been stuck here forever

Break out today I'm throwing my fears away You don't even know Break out today I'm throwing my fears away You don't even know You don't even know

Maybe I'll get through Just one more day of feeling dumb I don't think I need to Get over this until I feel like growing up

So now I'm staying up all night 'Cause I'm trying to understand Why I feel like I've been stuck here forever

Break out today I'm throwing my fears away You don't even know Break out today I'm throwing my fears away You don't even know You don't even know"

I listened to the song and my amused smile turned into a sad one. I was trying so hard to throw my fears away and be the way I used to be before my ex girlfriend made a mess out of me but I was just starting to realize that fears are normal. What is not normal, however, is to stop myself from living my life and find love just because someone fucked me up before. I looked at Devon, wishing she could understand the meaning behind the lyrics she was singing herself and when the song ended, I took a few steps closer and my smile changed again as she looked at me with a laugh.

"Sorry!" she chuckled, licking her lips. "I didn't want to annoy you."

"You never annoy me."

Her lips curled in a fond smile and she bent slightly to take my hands in hers. "You wanna dance with me?"

I chuckled but raised my nose up before letting out a groan. "I'm not very good at that..."

"Come on, you just saw me dance, you can't be worse than me!"

My lips curled more and I brought one of my hands up to make her twirl. She started giggling and I pulled her closer. She almost tripped and bumped into my chest. Instead to move back, she looked up in my eyes and smiled gently at me before licking her lips.

"Maybe you'd rather do something else, then?" she asked in a whisper, nibbling on her bottom lip and raising her eyebrows.

I knew what she meant and I couldn't say I was not tempted. I let my eyes roam on her and squeezed her fingers in mine. "We can dance."

She seemed surprised but she just nodded and I looked around for my phone. I found it on the couch and grabbed it, quickly putting a song that started gently on the speakers. I put my phone away and extended my hand to her. She seemed to hesitate but she finally put her palm against mine and I pulled her closer gently. We danced in silence until I slid my hand to her lower back, pulling her slightly closer and she pressed her cheek on my chest, near my shoulder. I was not really into dancing. In fact, we could have just stayed there, in each other's arms, without moving, and it would have been good with me. I leaned my chin on her head and closed my eyes as a bunch of thoughts invaded my head.

Being afraid was normal, it was so obvious now, but I had to overcome those fears, and my biggest fear at the moment was about the girl I was holding close to me, and the feelings I had for her.

"I like you too, Devie."

She seemed to tense against me but I ran my fingertips softly on her back and she relaxed a bit.

"Before we left, you said you really liked me." I explained, licking my lips as she pulled away gently. I looked down at her and let my eyes roam on her face. I could read fear but also something else in her eyes, and it was the very first time I couldn't decipher what it was. "I just wanted to say that I like you too. Maybe even more than that."

"You... you don't even know me."

"I know you more than I knew my ex girlfriend." I pointed out with a shrug. "And you know me more than pretty much anyone. I've opened up to you in a way I can't with anyone else."

I waited a few seconds as her lips parted and I sighed, taking a few steps back but pulling her with me by her hand. I sat on the coffee table and she placed herself between my legs, her bare thighs brushing against mine. I wanted to run my hands on her but instead, I grabbed her other hand and squeezed her fingers.

"I tried pushing you away, but the more I push you away, the closer I want you to be." I admitted, shaking my head but still staring up at her. "I'm not asking you for a romantic relationship, I know you're not ready and to be quite honest, I don't think I am either. But there's something between us, right? Something stronger than lust? Something that's different than friendship?"

Her traits softened and she shook her head slightly. "I'm trying not to think about it, Niall." she whispered, bringing both her hands on my cheeks as she cupped my face. "I don't want to analyze everything, I don't want to give a name to what we have. I don't want to ask myself too many questions. It was different since day 1. I mean, I don't just make out with my friends, and I don't get stuck with random people often." This time, I chuckled sadly. "I don't know what it is, and I don't want to know."

I thought about the soft kisses I gave her in the elevator after we made out. They were the same type of kisses she gave me earlier after we both came.

"I know you said you never wanted to fall in love again." I pointed out in a murmur, feeling my heart jump in my chest. "I've said the same thing. But, do you think about it sometimes?"

"About what?" she asked just as low.

"About love."

Her eyes roamed on me and one of her thumbs brushed against my bottom lip. I could have sworn she was about to tear up and I held my breath, waiting for her answer.

"No. Almost never." she admitted with a sad smile. "But if I had to fall in love again, It would probably be with you."

Her words made something stir so bad in my stomach I thought I was about to throw up. Slowly, I got up and her arms fell on her sides. I grabbed her face the way she had cupped mine a few seconds before, my fingers spread on her cheeks, chin and jaw, and bent down to kiss her. She let me, whimpering low in my mouth as I felt her grip the front of my shirt.

"Niall, wait." she expressed after a few seconds, pulling away and shaking her head. "You know we can't date right? We'd just destroy each other. Love... it's not for me. I've tried it and hated it. It hurts too much. But we can be... something, I don't know what." she shrugged and pressed her lips together. She was near tears and I shook my head, bending down to kiss her again. "I'm sorry."

"No, hey, shh." I kissed her lips a few times, cupping her face again. "We can be friends. We can make each other feel good. Let's start with that okay?"

"Okay." she whispered, nodding, as I pressed my mouth on hers again, leaving some love on her lips. "I just.. I need a shower."

She quickly moved away from me and walked past me as I sighed, remaining standing up and closing my eyes. I felt like the first few weeks after we met, we could have ended up dating. Hell, I felt like before Henry appeared, she would have been willing to at least try, maybe go on a date with me or something like that. But now? I hated this man for fucking her up like that and I hated myself for not being honest with her and with myself from the beginning. I couldn't help but wonder if she would have broken up with me after seeing Henry again, had we started dating earlier, but I pushed that thought away. We would never know and it really didn't matter anyway. It's not like I could go back in time to fix my mistakes even if I wanted to.

I waited until I heard the shower and sighed again, going back to my room to grab a t-shirt and two pairs of sweatpants. I put one on and walked to the bathroom, knocking at the door with one of my knuckles.

"Yes?"

I opened the door slightly and glanced at her through the glass before turning around and leaving the pants and the shirt on the counter, trying to fight the urge to look at her again.

"I brought clothes for you."

"Oh, thank you."

She sounded disappointed but I tried not to think too much about it and got out, closing the door behind me and walking back to the living room. I grabbed my guitar and started playing an old song on it to change my mind. It brought me back to when I was dating Abby and I held my breath, closing my eyes at all the memories. It's insane how we mostly remember the nice moments with someone when they're not around anymore. I knew I had more bad moments than good ones with her but the first thing that came to my mind was the first time I saw her, the first time I kissed her, and even if I knew she never really loved me, the first time she said 'i love you'.

It was so different with Devon and I felt so lost. I didn't know what to do, I barely knew what I wanted. All I knew was that I needed her close to me at all times, and it seemed extremely selfish of me. The first time I saw Abby, my heart had jumped in my chest and I remembered how beautiful she was. The first time I saw Devon, her physical appearance didn't matter to me. All I could feel was the electric connection between us and I knew immediately that we had something special going on. It was not just something I felt towards her, it was something reciprocal, something I felt because she felt it and vice-versa. Even now, I could see it in her eyes when she looked at me and I knew she saw the same thing in mine.

When she came back, she was wearing my clothes and I let my eyes travel on her body. Her hair was wet and messy but she looked cute and when she bent down to grab my guitar and put it away, I just let her. Slowly, she straddled me and when I realized what she was doing, I spread my legs on the couch.

"I thought you were going to join me in the shower." she admitted, nibbling on her bottom lip.

"Did you want me to?"

"Mm, maybe."

Slowly, she pressed her lips on mine and my fingers gripped the couch harder. We didn’t really kiss the last few times we touched each other and feeling her mouth so impatient and eager against mine reminded me how much I had missed it. Our kiss grew and when I slipped my tongue in her mouth, she wrapped her lips around it and started sucking on it.

"Fuck, don't do that." I whispered with a chuckle, my eyes still closed. "Can't stop thinking what it would feel like around my cock."

"Well, maybe I could-"

"No, stay here." I cut her, opening my eyes and letting them roam on her face. She raised her eyebrows and my hands slipped from her upper arms until her waist before I pulled her closer and licked my lips. "Please, stay here."

"I want you so bad." she whispered, her lips brushing against mine as she talked. "I can't believe we didn't fuck yet."

I kissed her harder and she whimpered in my mouth as I pushed her more against my lap. I could feel my cock swell between her legs and she ground down on me, making me even harder. I gripped her hips hard and helped her move on me slowly, feeling her pussy rub on my cock, separated by the fabric of our pants.

"How does my cock feel? Good?"

She just grabbed one of my hands on her waist to bring it on her breasts, over her shirt, and I leaned a bit on the couch as she kept grinding on me. I gripped one of her tits and she moaned more when my thumb rubbed on her nipple. I wanted to lie her down, take her clothes off and push my cock inside her to find out how she felt but the wait was making me dizzy and I knew that when it would happen, it would be even better.

"Is that what you meant when you said we can make each other feel good?" she asked in a whisper, her pussy still rubbing slowly against me.

"Fuck yes that's what I meant." I admitted low, making her smile. "I bet you're so fucking wet right now."

"I'm dripping."

My hand grabbed her tit tighter and I let the other slide down to her ass, gripping one of her cheeks hard enough to make her whimper and squirm a bit. "You're such a horny little slut, yea?"

I felt my heart jump in my chest at the words that came out of my mouth. We had never discussed what we liked and I didn't want to insult her or turn her off. I was about to apologize profusely when she whimpered.

"Mmhm, yes, I'm so horny for you."

My lips curled and she leaned her forehead against mine, her eyes closed. I moved my hips up to meet hers and groaned, feeling my sweatpants rub harder against my cock as she went quicker.

"You know what I'm gonna do to you next time?" I asked in a whisper, not waiting for her answer. "I'm gonna grab your hair and fuck your mouth. You like that?"

The simple thought of my cock in her mouth brought me close to an orgasm and when she moaned, I ran my hand to her other breast and gripped her hair tight.

"Do you? D'you want to feel the tip of my cock at the back of your throat?

"You know I do." she admitted, squirming on my lap and bringing a new sensation to me as my heart jumped. I was so close I could cum any second and I closed my eyes, trying to last a little longer, at least until she'd start cumming too. "I'm going to beg for it."

"Ride me harder." I just said, making her sit up immediately.

She started doing what I told her and I brought my mouth closer to her breasts. I could see her nipples peak through the fabric and groaned low as I brought my lips to them, sucking on one through her shirt and making her shake over me. I couldn't take it anymore and grabbed her waist, laying her down a bit roughly on the couch before moving over her and crushing my mouth against hers. I felt her hips grind up against my cock and I couldn't stop thinking that if we weren't wearing pants, it would definitely slip inside her and I would be able to feel her throb around me. The thought made me push my hips so hard against her that I felt her sink a bit in the cushion of the couch. Her hands reached for my hair and she gripped it tight as my lips ran to her neck.

"Cum for me, I want to feel you shake." I ordered in a low tone, hoping she'd just comply.

It took a few seconds and she started squirming, her grip tightening in my hair and her back arching as she quivered beneath me, It brought a rush to my brain, a mix of her getting an orgasm against me and the fact that she obeyed me without question, and I started cumming too, biting maybe a bit too hard the skin of her neck.

"Fuck."

Our orgasms both lasted longer than normally and when it left my body, I relaxed suddenly and buried my face in her neck. She smelled of my soap with a hint of sweat and I turned my head, placing a few kisses behind her ear.

"I thought you were just gonna take my pants off and fuck me." she admitted with a chuckle.

"Can't lie and say I didn't think about it." I chuckled too, moving my head up and holding myself with my upper arms on each side of her head. "I should have?"

"Mm, no, we can keep that for tomorrow."

"You want to fuck tomorrow?" I asked with an amused smile, making her raise her nose up in an embarrassed way.

"You think we can stop ourselves from fucking?"

This time, I laughed louder. "No!"

We remained silent for a while and the more she looked at me, the more her lips curled. "How does anyone look so good from this angle?" she asked, making me shake my head.

"You think I look good?" I asked jokingly, waving my eyebrows a few times and making her groan.

"Oh shut up."

"Alright alright," I smirked, moving off of her and getting up before extending my hand to her. She grabbed it and I helped her up quickly.

"I need new pants." I admitted, scratching the back of my head with a grimace. "Are you tired?"

We ended up laying down together in my bed in silence. I stared at the ceiling, not really knowing what to say. I loved doing anything sexual with her but when it was over, I ended up wondering how long it would last and how bad it would hurt when it would stop. I tried to accept that maybe she would never want to date me but I couldn't give up yet, it was too hard and painful to do.

"Do you think you could fall in love with Abby again if she came back and said she still loved you?" she asked randomly, making my lips part slightly. The question was legitimate and at the same time, I had no idea how to answer it. Would I give Abby a second chance? Probably not. "I mean, you can never know how you'll feel when it happens. You may think you know how you'll react to a certain situation but until it really happens, you can't be sure of what you'll feel or what you'll do." she added, making me believe she was talking about Henry and the fact that she saw him again after a few months when she probably thought she never would again.

"I can't be sure, but I like to think that I would never give her the chance to hurt me again." I finally admitted, turning my head her way. "Why? Did Henry message you or something?"

"Yes."

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest by my throat and I sat up quickly, turning her way and bending down a bit to look in her eyes. I had never felt so nervous in my life and let my eyes roam on her face, trying to decipher her expression.

"You're not gonna go back with him, will you?"

Devon moved up slightly, holding herself on her elbows. Her face was close to mine but not close enough to touch and the left corner of her lips raised up slightly in a sad smile. "Don't be silly, Niall." she expressed softly. "He didn't say he wanted me back, and there's no way I'd go back to him."

My shoulders fell and I exhaled, just realizing that I was holding my breath. "What did he want?"

"He just apologized." she explained, shrugging a shoulder. "Said he missed me, and that he was sorry about how it all ended."

"Devie, you won't let him play with your heart again, right?"

Her facial expression changed into a fond one and slowly, she brought her hand behind my head, pulling me closer to her. I felt every muscle of my body relax when our lips touched and she brought me down with her as she lied back on the bed. The kiss was slow and soft, and somehow, I hoped it showed just all the feelings I had for her. I felt her palm slide slowly from my hair to my jaw and when the kiss broke, she licked her lips.

"No one's gonna play with my heart again, especially not him." she let out in a whisper, making me nod. "Niall?" I raised my eyebrows and she moved her head up a bit to kiss me again. "You make me feel alive, and.. and wanted. And smart, and pretty. No one ever did that before."

I sent her a small smile and rubbed my nose gently against hers. "You feel like that because you are all those things. You don't need me."

She pressed her lips together and teared up, making my heart twist in my chest again.

"I do. I need you."

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tessisawriter · 3 years

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Invisible String, Part 1 (Colton Parayko)

Request: Can you write an imagine where the reader is John Krasinski’s [niece] but she’s dating Colton Parayko and like she has to breaks the news and John acts mad or something and scares them but then he says he’s joking and he’s fine with it? Thanks

***NOTE***: I changed some details in the last scene b/c I moved the timeline up from October 7 to September 14.

A/N: I’m back! The protagonist is an OC but I decided to call her Y/N instead of giving her an actual name b/c John Krasinski has nieces and/or nephews irl. I already planned the entire plot but idk whether the series will be 2 or 3 parts—I’ll post an update when I know more. This series takes place from March 2018 to June 2019 and is loosely based on Taylor Swift’s “Invisible String.” Here is the playlist.

Warnings: Six swear words, rough breakup, alcohol, loneliness & homesickness

Word Count: 3.4k

March 21, 2018

You were impervious to the mix of pitying and derisive glances from passersby as you sat on the curb. You knew you looked like a cliché, crying in front of a restaurant because your boyfriend broke up with you on your 22nd birthday, but you didn’t care. One question gnawed at you: how had six words upended your seemingly perfect day and relationship?

Your brain was buzzing with activity, wondering if Max had given you any clues that something was amiss. This morning, you woke up in his Cambridge apartment to him singing “Happy Birthday” while kneeling at the side of the bed. As soon as Max finished singing, he kissed you before grabbing his backpack and hurrying out of the room. That didn’t mean anything, though: Max was one of the only seniors to have the misfortune of taking all morning classes because his major was Theater, Dance, and Media. He was also (as usual) running late.

The rest of the day unfolded like any other Wednesday as you followed your schedule of lounging in bed, studying for an hour, going to the sandwich shop across the street for lunch, and heading to campus at 1PM for your classes. Afterwards, you went back to the apartment to find Max waiting there, already dressed for dinner. You quickly showered, curled your long (Y/HC) hair, and changed into a dark green dress and black booties before taking his hand and going to an Italian restaurant in Boston’s North End.

There were no warning signs at dinner, either. In fact, everything was perfect until you were waiting for the check and Max said with a detached look in his eyes, “I think we should break up.”

You didn’t want to relive what happened next, but the images of you acting like Elle Woods when Warner broke up with her in Legally Blonde popped into your head unbidden. You closed your eyes in humiliation and shame as you remembered Max, the man you dated for three years, abandoning you at the table and fleeing the restaurant. The other customers stared at you, some sympathetic, others scandalized, and the rest in pure shock.

You snapped out of the flashback when you felt a large hand rest on your shoulder. You whipped your head around to find a young man with blonde hair and black rimmed glasses squatting next to you on the curb.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

The panic faded as you took in the man’s features. He was definitely in his 20s, probably a few years older than you, and his blue eyes were filled with concern. Something about that concern, though, made you snap.

“Do I look like I’m okay? I mean, come on, look at me!” you demanded while pointing at your face, which you (correctly) assumed had giant black streaks of mascara on it.

You fully expected the man to walk away and leave you be, but he sat down on the curb instead and said, “My bad, that was a stupid question. I’ve got some tissues if you want them?”

That made your attitude soften. He was only trying to help, so you nodded and he handed you a pack of tissues from his pocket. You smiled at him, took the tissues, and wiped your eyes and face. As soon as you were satisfied that they were clean, you broke the silence. “Thank you…?”

“Colton, and it’s no problem. What’s your name?”

“Y/N.” You held out your hand for him to shake, which he did. After a pause, you asked: “Why did you stop? Surely you have somewhere better to be tonight.”

He chuckled, and the sound of it made your heart flutter. “I was just heading back to my hotel when I saw you, and I figured I’d stop and make sure you get home safe. That is, assuming you live here?”

“Yeah, I live in Cambridge.” As soon as the words left your mouth, you realized they were no longer true, so you amended your statement. “Well, I lived in Cambridge until about 15 minutes ago when my now ex-boyfriend dumped me. On my fucking birthday.”

“Shit, that sucks. I’m really sorry.” He paused before adding, “I’m assuming he isn’t here.”

“Nope. He hightailed it out of the restaurant as soon as he got his credit card back.”

Colton shook his head. “What a jackass.”

“I know, right? I wasted three whole years with someone who not only broke up with me in a very public setting on my birthday, but also couldn’t be bothered to ask where I would go! He probably assumed I’d go to my parents’ house, but still.”

“Your parents live here?” Colton asked as he fished his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it.

“Yeah, right by Boston Common, why?”

“I’ll get an Uber and drop you off before going back to the hotel.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that,” you protested while going through your bag for your phone. “We just met! I’ll pay.”

“Nonsense. You’ve been through a lot tonight. Let me take care of it.”

You stared into Colton’s eyes and realized he wasn’t going to back down. It took everything in you to suppress your pride, thank him, and provide the address. Colton typed it into his phone, waited for a moment, and said, “The closest one is around the block.”

“That’s good.” Your burst of energy dissipated as quickly as it came, and you fell silent. From the corner of your eye, you saw Colton open his mouth as if to say something before the headlights of a car momentarily blinded you.

“That’s the Uber.” Colton stood up and offered his hand, and you took it. You couldn’t help but notice how well they fit together as he pulled you up and off the curb, but after regaining your balance, something else grabbed your attention: his height.

“Gee, how tall are you? No one’s ever made me feel like a dwarf before,” you joked as he led you to the car, your hands still intertwined.

He chuckled and opened the door for you. You let go of his hand and slid into the car. After Colton slid in next to you and shut the door, he replied, “I’m 6’6” and no one’s ever made me feel like I’m not a giant before. You’re what, 5’10”?”

“6 feet, actually,” you corrected him. “So, where are you from, Colton?”

“St. Albert; it’s just outside Edmonton in Canada, but I’ve been in the States for a while. I went to the University of Alaska in Fairbanks before moving to, uh, St. Louis.”

You noticed Colton’s hesitancy and the fact that he lowered his voice when saying “St. Louis,” and you were about to ask why when you thought better of it. You were protective of your privacy, too, especially whenever people commented about how funny it was that you shared the same last name as John Krasinski. It wasn’t a coincidence—he was your uncle, and the two of you were extremely close—but you went along with it and never corrected them because it wasn’t their business. So, you let it go. “And what brings you to Boston?”

“Work,” he said before changing the subject. “What do you do? Are you still in school or—”

“I’m a senior at Harvard,” you cut him off. You generally didn’t drop the “H-bomb,” as you and your friends called it, with people you didn’t know well, but this was a special case. Colton just confirmed he was hiding something, and after looking at him in better lighting, his face seemed familiar, which weirded you out. You had to get back on equal footing, and the H-bomb almost always unsettled people.

“Wow, you must be really smart,” Colton said, seeming impressed but unphased. You couldn’t help yourself from raising an eyebrow as he asked, “What’s your major?”

“Government. What was yours?”

“Business administration.”

“Ah.” You fell silent again, this time on purpose, as you racked your brain for where you might have crossed paths with Colton. He wasn’t from Boston, not even close, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that you’d seen him before, and recently.

Colton didn’t let you ruminate for long before reviving the conversation. “What do you want to do when you graduate?”

“I’ll be a lawyer one day, but I have to be a paralegal first. I’m looking for jobs right now.”

Before Colton could reply, the car came to a stop. You looked out the window and saw your parents’ townhouse and your childhood home.Your time in the car had flown by, a sensation you rarely, if ever, experienced. And there was something between you and Colton, a connection you couldn’t quite describe, that made you want to spend more time with him. But your time was up. “This is me. It was nice to meet you, Colton, and thanks again for the ride—I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem,” he replied. “I’m glad I found you.”

You were overwhelmed by an intense desire to ask for his number. If only he lived in Boston or somewhere in the Northeast. But he lived in St. Louis, so you moved to open the door, only to feel Colton’s hand wrap around yours and hear him say: “Y/N?”

“Yeah?” You turned around and locked eyes with him. It was like being in a trance, and your heartbeat thundered in your ears.

It felt like years, but it was more like a few moments before Colton let go of your hand. “Good luck with the search. I’m sure you’ll find a good job.”

You wanted to let out a sigh of disappointment, but you just said, “Thanks,” and smiled at him before getting out of the car.

***************

The smell of bacon finally lured you out of your bed at noon the next day.

It had been a rough night. The reality of the breakup hit you like a ton of bricks when you rang the doorbell and all but collapsed in your mom’s arms when she answered the door. She brought you over to the couch, where your dad was waiting anxiously. As soon as you sat down, you grabbed your mom and cried for an hour straight as she held you and stroked your hair. You knew Max wasn’t worth your tears, but it had more to do with you. Despite his major, he wasn’t that good of an actor, and yet, he fooled you into thinking he could be your person. You took immense pride in your instincts, but they failed you with Max. How could you have possibly fallen in love with such a heartless person? More terrifying, would you have ended up marrying him a few years down the road if he hadn’t broken up with you?

You didn’t know the answer to either question, so you stopped crying and began venting about how the breakup went down. Your dad almost hit the ceiling after hearing that Max left you at the restaurant, and you had to talk him out of driving to Cambridge to “give that little shit a piece of my mind!” That wasn’t to say you weren’t thinking about revenge, but your dad potentially getting arrested was not helpful. After that, you started crying again, only this time out of frustration, and didn’t stop until you practically passed out on the couch. The last thing you remembered was your parents guiding you up the stairs to your bed.

Thankfully, you had no classes on Thursdays, so you were able to sleep in and be, if nothing else, well-rested. Your stomach rumbled when you smelled the bacon, so you got out of bed and made your way down the stairs to the kitchen, where your parents were sitting at the table and watching the television.

“Ugh, why are you watching the news?” you said as a way of greeting while making a beeline for the bacon.

“Good morning to you, too, sweetheart,” your dad replied. “I’m waiting for the sports report. I missed the game last night and Uncle John wouldn’t tell me the score. He said he’s sorry about, I quote, ‘the scumbag’ and he’ll call you tonight.”

“God, I miss him. And you,” you addressed your mom as you shoveled a load of bacon onto your plate, “are the best.”

“See, honey? I knew bacon would cheer her up,” she said to your dad.

“I didn’t doubt it. Y/N, we have to figure out a time to get your stuff from that piece of shit’s apartment. I’m not letting you go by yourself, but do you want to let him know ahead of time or just show up?”

“Who did the B’s play?” you sat down at the table and changed the subject immediately. You didn’t care about sports, but your dad and Uncle John were major Bruins fans and the mere mention of Max gave you a headache.

“The Blues.”

“Where do they play again?” you asked as you ate your bacon. It had to be a team from the Western Conference, but the only teams you knew there were the Canucks and Blackhawks because they were on your dad’s shit list.

“St. Louis.”

You almost choked on your food. “What?”

“St. Louis, sweetie. You know, the Gateway Arch—”

“Yeah, I know, Mom,” you recovered. “That’s the team Jenna likes, right, Dad?”

“Yes. Shh, here it is!” He didn’t need to tell you twice; you doubted Colton was a professional hockey player, but your curiosity won out as you intently watched the television.

The score flashed on the screen—an OT loss for the Bruins—and your dad groaned. “Ugh, I’ve got to turn this garbage off.”

And suddenly, a few Blues players, including one that looked awfully similar to Colton (albeit without glasses), flashed onto the screen. You didn’t get a good enough look at him to be sure, though, because your dad changed the channel. You let out a noise of frustration.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” your mom asked, and your dad looked like he had the same question when he turned away from the television.

“I’ll text the scumbag and tell him I’m coming this afternoon, if that’s okay with you, Dad,” you said. “I want to get it over with and besides, I need my laptop and textbooks.”

“That’s perfect, sweetheart. The office doesn’t need me today, anyway.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back; my phone’s upstairs,” you called out behind you as you raced back up the stairs. You did not want to text Max, but it was better than telling your dad that the man he praised for making sure you got home last night was potentially part of the team responsible for his beloved Bruins’ loss.

You locked your bedroom door and grabbed your phone to pull up Google and the St. Louis Blues roster. Part of you thought there was no way a professional hockey player actually cared enough to bring you home, but the Blues being in town and one of its members resembling Colton were too many coincidences for your liking. You tapped your foot impatiently as the phone loaded the roster, and you scrolled through the list until you found a name of interest.

“C. Parayko, 55, R, 6’6’’…”

It cut off after that, so you scrolled sideways to see the other information. It left you without a shadow of doubt, but you clicked on the name anyway to view a picture. Colton’s headshot and full first name stared back at you as if they were looking into your soul.

It really was him. You had to have seen him on the little television at the sandwich shop’s register yesterday.

But what did this information mean for you, really, besides discovering his identity? It was nice to know his full name because it confirmed that he was a real person instead of a delusion your reeling mind made up, but it didn’t change one important fact: you lived in Boston and he lived in St. Louis. Barring a radical change in one of your lives, which you didn’t see happening, that was the reality of the situation. It was time to stop dreaming and confront your immediate future.

You pulled up Max’s number and began composing the text which, after several drafts, read: “I’ll be at the apartment today from 3 to 5. My dad’s coming with me, so make yourself scarce. I want my shit back.”

***************

6 months later: September 14, 2018

You were miserable only two weeks after relocating to St. Louis.

It was funny how one phone call could completely change someone’s life. In your case, said phone call involved an extremely attractive job offer with a clear path for advancement within one year. The offers you had received from legal firms in Boston, New York, D.C., and Philadelphia were underwhelming, to say the least, and you were only a week away from graduation. You had already endured a lot of change this year, so why not one more?

After nearly giving your parents a heart attack but ultimately receiving their blessing, you accepted the offer and moved to St. Louis on September 1st. Uncle John had been especially supportive, enlisting Jenna (known by the rest of the world as Pam from The Office) to fly out from L.A. and show you around the city last week. She made sure you knew the ins and outs of the city, which you really appreciated. You also loved your job. You were doing important work every day, and your boss was already hinting at giving you the promotion you wanted.

So, why were you unhappy? It was your social life, or rather, lack of one. You didn’t know anyone in St. Louis, and while your coworkers weren’t mean, they didn’t make you feel welcome, either.

That seemed to have changed earlier today when two of your desk neighbors who were around your age, Harper and Ellie, invited you out for drinks after work. You couldn’t have been happier. You went home after work, did your hair and makeup, put on your favorite royal blue mini dress, and met them at the dive bar you recommended. You were so excited on the way over that you could barely sit still; maybe you’d make friends with these girls and finally feel like you fit in in this city.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Harper and Ellie abandoned you within less than five minutes after two guys came over and asked them to dance. You were now sitting at the bar alone, nursing a cocktail and despairing over your situation.

It was times like these when you thought about Colton. It had been six months since you’d met him in Boston, and you didn’t want to risk looking like a lunatic by slipping into his DMs on Instagram, but you were getting desperate. It was bad enough that being from the Northeast made you stick out like a sore thumb, but the loneliness was eating you alive, and the combination made you feel unmoored. Maybe a familiar and friendly face could change that.

As if God had answered your prayers, you heard a commotion near the entrance. You swiveled your stool in that direction and saw a group of tall, good-looking men in their 20s entering the bar. The tallest one had blonde hair and black rimmed glasses.

It was Colton.

Your brain screamed at you to look away and approach him after he settled in, but you couldn’t take your eyes off of him as he laughed at something one of his friends said. It was as if he felt your stare because he suddenly looked in your direction and appeared to gasp.

It was only then that you turned away and faced the bar, drinking the rest of your cocktail in a few gulps. You were so embarrassed; he probably thought you were a stalker or something. You were about to flag down the bartender for another drink when you felt that familiar large hand rest on your shoulder.

You turned your head and found Colton staring at you, his blue eyes full of incredulity and…happiness?

“Y/N. It’s really you,” he breathed.

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