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acrux-jr · 6 months

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Meeting Abby -

(Extension of Carousel - prequel)

Summary: What Mike didn't know was the two of you had already met, and Abby wholeheartedly approved.

Word count: 2.3k

Tags: pre-established relationship, fluff, dates

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This was your 3rd date since the carousel meeting. Mike was still well Mike, the more quiet, nonchalant, and tired type.

Mike really was interested in you but his mannerisms did leave you questioning if he did or of he was trying to get a quick fuck.

The two of you sat at the diner, it was 1 in the morning. It was an odd ass hour to have a date but Mike said it was because of his work hours. Though there was a tinge of fear that maybe you were a side chick or he was trying to land some action.

You were wide awake, you had a nap after class so the sleep wasn't creeping on you but it was slowly on Mike.

Every so often he would nod off and blink himself awake, hoping you wouldn't know; you did.

"Do you want to schedule this for another time?"

He furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head 'no.'

"You look tired Mike."

He liked it when you said his name, and showed concern.

"S fine. I have a semi-normal shift tomorrow."

"Then you should be sleeping then. I don't mind waiting. "

Mike didn't want to say so he shrugged instead. "S fine," he repeated.

You gave a sigh but nodded. You noticed the book by. "What's the title?" You asked, cutting the country fried steak to eat.

"Oh um it's called dream theory. It's … hmm.. it's about how every single thing we see is stored in our brain in like this deep vault and dreaming subconsciously unlock those tiny details."

"Hmm. I think I've something similar to the whole we remember everything subconsciously but I never really looked into it. Though I guess it could explain my art."

"Your art?"

"Yeah about half my paintings are landscapes, but I don't really remember any of those places when I was too small. Like um when we went to see snow the 3rd time around when I was a little older and able to grasp some things, I remember I dreamt this oasis of cold in the redwood forest, a tree had fallen down and was mostly covered but some red was showing. Anyway, I dreamt it but don't remember the actual day, just that one scene and when I painted it my mom was shocked I even remembered that specific place. I was still small, she even showed me pictures."

"What made it stick out that you mom knew it was the place you guys went too?"

"Oh um hehe yeah, there was this small grave with flowers on it. It was in the painting as well."

"How old were you?"

"Maybe anywhere from 3 to 5."

"And you remember that detail."

"I'm assuming so, the picture my mom showed was when I was like 1 but we revisited again about that age range. There were no pictures at that spot again because of the grave. We recently started going again and I leave flowers."

"That's nice, I mean to leave flowers for someone you don't really know."

"Yeah, I guess. It was such a lonely place for a grave though so I guess maybe that's why I leave flowers, so they're spirits can know someone else enjoys that spot too. They must have really loved it to be buried there."

"You believe in spirits and the afterlife and all that?"

You hesitated, "I don't know. Do you?"

"Maybe," was his short reply. The conversation came to a stop as the two of you ate quietly.

Glancing at the time, you say it was 1:30 a.m. now.

You quickly finish as Mike finishes his. "Come on l, get up." You leave $25 on the table for the food and tip. Mike protests but still allows himself to get dragged away.

The moon is full, and the asphalt is wet from the earlier rain. You jump on the bed of the small beat pick up truck, patting the seat next to you. Mike took the offer and sat next to you.

With the dead of night and few lights, the two of you stargaze. Mike listens as you ramble on and on about the constellations, giving a nodded and humm of acknowledgment to show he's following along.

He looked at you. As you talked and talked, he loved how your hair frames your face, or how he noticed you fret about your mascara even now and then especially if you laughed a little too hard you'd cry a bit, he liked how passionate you got, and he really liked how kind you were.

While he would get praised for taking care of his sister from strangers, for being kind and self-less. He still felt selfish in a way.

He looked at your headband, shiny black and small. Abby popped into his mind. He knew that after texting for a day he was already too deep to let this be a fling.

It became silent after you were done listing the constellations, now just appreciating the night.

Mike cleared his throat to talk, and you turned your attention to him.

"Would…," he breathed out, "would you want to meet my little sister Abby?"

Your eyes widened in shock. While Mike didn't say much, he said even less about his sister. Another reason why you thought this was maybe just a fling, or trial run before he really got out there.

You opened your mom to speak but nothing came out.

Mike sighed and got up. "It's fine. I gotta go-," "Wait!"

Mike stared as you went up, "I wanna meet her! I do, really. It's just I was shocked since you've never like well talk about her."

Mike stared at you still not really knowing what to say. "Look Mike. What do you want out of this? Before asking if I wanted to meet your sister I was kind of getting the impression this was like a fling. And I'm not really interested in a fling right now."

"Oh."

"Oh?" You questioned.

"Well what made you think this was a fling?"

Mike looked down, not really wanting to look you in the eyes. "I don't know, I just got the feeling you weren't too interested. Mike, well we've only been together for about 3 dat3s. I genuinely can't recall anything you like or dislike or memories you've shared. Even when I text you it feels a bit one-sided."

"Oh."

You hummed as you continued to look at the stars, giving Mike some time to collect his thoughts.

"I'm not really a big talker if you haven't noticed. To be honest, I like to listen to you talk. You have a nice voice."

"Okay."

He gave you a look, "Okay?"

"Okay I can work with that. I just needed to know if it was disinterest or if that's just how you are."

"So it's fine? If I don't speak a lot most of the time."

"I guess we'll find out together, but between you and me I like that whole stoic, "bad boy" look / attitude you have."

Mike laughed and smirked. "Bad boy?"

"Mike every now and then you look like a genuine degenerate."

Mike raised his eyebrow. He closed the distance between the two of you. "Yeah? Isn't that what you like though." He whispered before he gave you a chaste kiss.

You blushed and gave a small laugh. "Yes, yes I do."

You brought out your phone and the time read 2:30 a.m.

"What time do you have work?"

"11 a.m. to 5 p.m."

"Mike!"

He had an amused look on his face, "What?"

"Oh my god! Go home already you have work in less than 12 hours ! You still have to sleep!"

"Don't sleep much to be honest." You huffed air out of your nose.

"Well you should."

Mike grinned, and he put his arm around your waist, pulling you closer. "I like the color green."

You smiled back. "Green? Hmm…"

"Hmmm… what?"

"It fits you."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yeah of course, green is a very strong but soothing color."

"It is."

The two of you sat in silence before Mike's phone rang. He looked at it and rolled his eyes.

"Hello. Yeah. Yeah, got it. Okay I'm on my way."

He gave a sigh, "Sorry that was my aunt. I asked her to babysit but I guess something came up at her place."

"Oh okay that's fine. Text me when you get home so I know you made home safe."

He gave a tired smile, "Isn't that my line to you?"

"It would be if you weren't running on minimal sleep."

"Fair enough. But text me too okay, in case I forgot while talking to my aunt or you get home first."

You gave a nod and he gave you another chaste kiss. You blushed again, and smiled. He hopped off the truck and waved bye. You waved as he left the parking lot in his beat up car.

You rushed inside your car and towards home, excited to tell your friends everything.

With texts of 'I'm home,' and 'goodnight' s, the two of you feel asleep dreaming of each other.

A week had passed before Mike brought up meeting Abby again. This date was way earlier and on his day off.

"Do you think she'll like me?"

Mike paused. "I'm not sure to be honest. Not ! Not that you're unlikable or anything like that! She's just a timid kid, hell she barely likes me."

"I'm sure she likes you Mike."

"Yeah well you haven't met her," he grumbled.

You gave an amused look but relented. "So she gets out in an hour right?"

Mike nodded.

"Okay and you said she likes art right? To draw and such?"

Mike nodded again. "Okay, perfect. I'll be back here at 3!"

As you started to slide out the booth, Mike stared at you confused. "Wait where are you going?"

"Don't worry I'll be back." You practically dash out the door to your car.

Mike gave a frustrated sigh and got up after paying the bill. 'I guess I'll just have to wait until 3 too then.' He ran a hand through his curly hair and hopped in his car.

Mike parked at the diner, looking back at Abby. "Okay we're gonna meet a friend of mine okay Abs?"

Abby furrowed her brows, "Your girlfriend?"

Mike nodded. Abby stayed silent. He got out of the car as did she. He held her hand as they entered, he spotted you immediately.

You h/c shining from the sun, you were drinking water while reading a book. Lost in your own world Mike cleared his throat. You looked up at him and then down at the little girl.

Abby recognized you as you recognized her. "Hi!”

Before you could get another word in, Abby motioned you forward. You raised an eyebrow towards who gave a shrug reply but you went with her request.

“Don't tell Mike about Mr. Bunny.” She said in a hushed whisper.

You stared at her then at Mike and then at her again. “Okay. Got it. But why?”

Abby looked at Mike, shoved him slightly to get away from their secrets. She cupped her hand, “Because I want to have a secret between us. I like you, you gave my Mr. Bunny when you didn't have to.”

You gave a warm smile, “ Okay deal. Pinky promise, and seal the deal.”

As you pinky crossed and thumbs stamped together, Mike gave you an expectant look.

Abby slid in across from you and Mike sat next to her.

“What?” He rolled his eyes.

“What were you two whispering about?”

“It's a secret!” Shouted Abby.

Mike looked at you again. “Sorry can't see, those are the secret rules and it's backed by a stamped pink promise. You'll never know.” You have a sad look and shrugg. Abby laughed at your expression and Mike shook his head.

“Well I guess it can't be helped.” You and Abby nodded.

You remembered a thought, “Oh yeah!” You rummaged through your bag and got the present for Abby you bought.

“Here you go Abby. It's a sketchbook for your private drawings.”

“Private drawings?” She turned her head to the side.

You smiled at her, “Yeah, drawings for yourself. I have a lot of them that I don't wanna share because they're private and for me.”

“You draw!”

You nodded and hummed. “Can you draw me something?”

“Uh sure. Is it fine if it's in your book?”

She nodded vigorously. “Okay what do you want me to draw?”

She pondered the question. “Oh! A bunny!”

“A bunny? Hmm okay like a realistic bunny or a cartoon?”

“Cartoon.”

“Yeah sure.”

Mike smiled. “Yeah she's been obsessed with bunny's after some girl won one and gave it to her instead.”

You fought off the smile as you drew, and Abby giggled. Mike gave her a questioning look but all Abby did was stick out her tongue, which Mike did back, only for a split second though.

Mike and Abby watched as you sketched out the cartoon bunny, erasing and redoing the line a couple of times. You finished the outline as food came, Mike ate and watched as you stuck your tongue out slightly finishing up the little details. It had a top hat and a bow.

“Alright Abby, here you go!”

Abby squealed in delight. “Thank you!” She stared are your drawing as she ate, it did resemble Mr. Bunny. Mike noticed that too but thought it was a mere coincidence.

The meal went smoothly, with Abby begging for a shake and Mike giving in. Sitting here, you thought it was nice, maybe something to get accustomed to. In fact, you hoped it was.

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Y'all I can't stop writing im procrastinating 😩 anyway enjoy!!

Taglist: @stinkii-boii @hellothisisprincesskitty

#fnaf movie #mike schmidt #mike schmidt x fem!reader #mike schmidt x reader #x reader #josh hutcherson #abby schmidt #mike fnaf #fluff

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enhashoutout · 3 months

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Home to Me (Cobra x reader)

part 2 of Home to You please read the first part before reading this one

Genre: It's just fluff, domestic relationship

Warnings: sex is mentioned, typical H&L violence, other than that I don't think there is anything but let me know if I missed anything

I usually write with fem pronouns and descriptions because that is what is easiest for me. If those do not fit you, please feel free to change whatever needs to be changed to fit you while you read!

Italics are a character's thoughts

The one where Cobra is waiting for you at home and reflects on how he's happy you come home to him (takes place after the 3 movies)

In my dreams I come home to you and you come home to me, and for a split second every hardship I ever endured has meaning.

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Cobra sat on the couch, impatiently looking at the clock on the wall.

10:30. She should be back any minute now.

He continued to wait on the couch. He was tired but didn't want to go to sleep not knowing whether or not you were home. Cobra also liked being the one to greet you after a long day considering you were home after him 8 times out of 10. He couldn't understand how you were so patient waiting for him to come back when he was out on S.W.O.R.D business those very few 2 out of 10 times.

Cobra looked at the clock again.

10:35. It's only been 5 minutes?! It feels like I've been sitting here forever!

Cobra checked his phone to see if you had messaged him about coming home later, but the last text was still the one from earlier saying that you would be home by 10:30.

Just as Cobra was thinking about finding something to distract him, he heard the front door unlock. Cobra got up and quickly went to the door, opening it for you before you could even grab the doorknob.

"Hi babe! Sorry I'm a little late, I had to grab some things," you said as you were putting your bags on the kitchen table.

Cobra hugged you from behind. "As long you're home that's all that matters to me. I was beginning to worry, you usually come home right on time. What's all this?" He asked as he looked at the bags you had previously set down on the kitchen table.

"Well, I had an early shift at the hospital today and couldn't come home until late so I couldn't do anything for your birthday today. I bought stuff on the way home to make you breakfast and lunch tomorrow before I leave for my late shift tomorrow as a belated birthday present."

"You didn't have to ___. Having you is enough."

"You always say that! So corny."

"I'm being serious. The best gift is you, being here with me."

"That reminds me! Sit down please." ___ got out of Cobra's arms, gently pushed him to sit down in a chair, ran to the cupboard to grab the lighter, and pulled a box out of one of the bags setting it in front of Cobra. ___ sat down and opened the box, revealing a pink cupcake with a single candle put into the middle.

"It's 10:45. You have 15 minutes left, make a wish."

"I have no wishes, my dream already came true."

"As sweet as that is, I'm begging you to stop being corny and make a wish before the day is over."

"I'm being serious."

"In that case, make a new wish, and then you can tell me all about the wish that already came true. Promise I won't interrupt you."

"Okay." Cobra closed his eyes and made his wish.

I'm so lucky to have you. I thank whatever higher beings are out there that granted my wish the very first time we did this. I couldn't ask for anything more than what I have already been given because you are my everything. If I had to absolutely wish for something new, it is that this love lasts until the end of our days together.

He opened his eyes and blew out the candle. "I'm done."

"10:50. 10 minutes to spare. Are you sure you don't want to squeeze in a few more wishes while you have time?"

"No, I think that was good."

"If you say so. I will cook for you tomorrow and since I didn't get to spend your birthday with you today, I will spend all morning and afternoon with you tomorrow. We can do whatever you want."

"Whatever I want? Anything?"

"Anything."

"So what if we-"

"Scratch that I take that back. Anything but have sex all day. I work at a hospital I can't go to work with wobbly legs. I do have to be able to walk for my job."

"How about you call out for the entire day so you can just stay with me?"

"I had to negotiate a lot to even get half the day off. I would love to but I can't."

"That's no fun."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"It's okay I have tonight."

___ laughed as her fiancé led her to their bedroom.

(Yes they do have sex but no I will not be writing it because genuinely idk how 😂)

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Cobra sat on the edge of your bed as he waited for you to finish taking a shower. You had forced him to take a solo shower tonight, knowing that if you went together the rounds would never end.

You came out of the bathroom, night routine done and tackled Cobra onto the bed.

"I hate you Cobra, now I'm really tired."

"You weren't saying that earlier."

"Well now I'm tired and it's your fault." The two of you laughed at each other.

"Let me adjust us into a more comfortable position." Cobra maneuvered you guys to be under the blankets, with his arms around your waist and your head laying on his chest.

"You didn't tell me about your wish that already came true."

"You see my wish that came true every time you look in the mirror my love."

"Why are you being so corny today? You're never like this. Cobra, Hino Junpei, doesn't like talking about his feelings ever..... Are you an imposter?! Give me my fiancé back! What did you do with him?" you said dramatically.

Cobra laughed as he pulled you closer to him. "Do you remember the first year we ever met?"

"I do. I was a struggling college student, trying to make it by. Studying and attending classes in the morning, and working at Itokan at night and on the weekends. When I had first moved back I was scared to take the nightshift but after a while, I wasn't scared anymore."

"Why is that?"

"I had you. You would sit in the corner of Itokan all night. I came back in the mornings to still find you under the blanket I draped over you the night before and I would set a glass of water and a painkiller by your arm so that when you woke up you had it there. I thought that that was just something you did until Naomi told me that you didn't actually stay over at Itokan unless you felt like avoiding going home. She said it wasn't often considering you spent most of your time at the gas station and then home alone. She said that a lot of the times she found you there was because you were waiting for me to go home. You would wake up after I left to go stay at the gas station, and then come to Itokan early in the morning and pretend you never left so that you could wait for me and make sure I arrived safely."

"I did do that. A lot actually. I just wanted to see you even if I didn't talk to you much. Do you remember the first birthday you spent with me?"

"I do. It was right around the time when Sannoh was having issues with Iemura and Noboru was stuck in the middle. Instead of drinking that night, you had sat in the corner deep in thought, thinking about a solution when I had interrupted you. I set a cupcake in front of you just like I did tonight. I was almost late just like tonight also. Naomi told me you didn't like celebrating your birthday much but because of everything happening, I thought it would've been nice to distract you from it even if just for a few minutes. I told you to make a wish and you did. I also wished for your wish to come true."

"It did. They all did."

"What were they?"

"I wished that Noboru would come back, and he did. I wished for nothing bad to happen to Sannoh, and we've been alright. As good as can be for a gang. The last thing I wish for, was you. I wished that one day I would come home to you and would come home to me. At that point in my life, you were the best thing that had ever happened to me, you still are. Every day I am happy that I come home to you, and you come home to me, and for a split second every hardship I ever endured had meaning; because they led me to you. When we first got together I was scared. I was scared because I had never loved someone so much before. I was scared that my position as Sannoh's leader would put you in danger. I was scared that one day you would wake up and realize that there was someone better out there for you and you would leave me. I mean, what business did a girl going to college to become a nurse have with some guy who almost didn't graduate high school and fights other gangs for a living? But everything came true. It's been years since then and I still have my brothers and I still have you, I couldn't ask for anything more."

"I love you too much, I would never be able to leave you. You can't get rid of me Cobra."

"I wouldn't dream of it. I hope that you come home to me in every lifetime."

You two shared a kiss before cuddling and falling asleep in each other's arms.

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Ta-Dah! You made it to the end! Thank you so much for reading it all. I hope you liked this, it's a bit different from what I've published here so far.

I have a confession lol, I read a lot of smut but I still can't figure out how to write it myself. I don't know how you all are so good at writing it, no matter how much I try I just don't like the way I do it. I guess I am just destined to write fluff and angst for the rest of eternity.

Please don't take my work and repost it as your own on any other platforms. Writers work really hard on their stories so don't be a shitty human and take it.

Anyways..... have a good day or night wherever you are and I will see you the next time I upload ❤️

#high&low #high and low #high&low x reader #sannoh hoodlum squad #high&low story of sword #high and low cobra #hino junpei #high and low cobra x reader #oya high #oya kou #white rascals #high&low rude boys #daruma ikka #iwata takanori

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sunderlust · 2 years

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this is me trying ii (rooster x reader)

masterlist part 1 | part 2 | part 3 pairing: bradley 'rooster' bradshaw x reader synopsis: bradley bradshaw is the bane of your existence on north island - you finally got a chance to tell him off for giving you a hard time, but the guilt is weighing down on you and making it harder for you to deal with your ongoing existential crisis. maybe all it takes is a volleyball game and a heart to heart to make you see clearly... (read p1 first i'm begging you) warnings: explicit language, mentions of alcohol consumption, later explicit sexual activity, lots of existential dread, volleyball shenanigans, hiking, hangman no use of y/n, one small mention of suicidal thoughts near the very end note: seasonsbloom and gretagerwigsmuse - i love u both forever i dedicate everything to you both. also full disclaimer I don't know anything about volleyball or the sunset cliffs hiking trail lol. wc: 9k (holy fucking shit sorry y'all I just may'd)

The first thing you feel Thursday night is relief - ever since you moved to this stupid city, the weight of holding back all your anger and annoyance with Bradley had returned in full force. After your fight with him, you feel a fifty-ton weight lift from your shoulders; you can breathe for the first time in two weeks.

“I told Bradley off,” you tell Cam and Cher casually after dinner. They both share a weird look, waiting for you to elaborate. “He’s been giving me a hard time at Java. Coming in with ridiculous orders and mocking me and tipping large amounts just to make fun of me. And he thinks he can tell me it’s just teasing between friends?! Since when were we friends?”

On Friday morning, when 6:30 rolls around with Bradley being a no-show, you feel unease settle over you. It’s minuscule - it feels like you’re carrying an obese cat on your shoulders - but it’s noticeable. And as the day goes on, you start to mull over yesterday’s debacle, wondering if you were a little too harsh.

You waste your weekend thinking about it more, replaying your words, recalling every single detail. Each time you restart the memory, your stomach sinks lower when you see Bradley’s crestfallen and shocked expression. The obese cat grows bigger, and your anxiety makes you feel smaller.

On Sunday night, you groan and collapse on the loveseat in Cam’s living room with a languid sigh. Cher’s lounging on the L-shaped couch reading on her iPad, while Cam’s puttering around in the kitchen.

“I don’t know how much more water I can tread, guys.” you groan and bury your face into a soft velvet throw pillow.

“Can I be frank with you?” Cher asks, switching her tablet off and setting it aside.

“Always,” you nod as best as you can, voice muffled by the fabric.

“You need another outlet.”

You lift your head from the velvet. “What kind of outlet can I find on this stupid island? No offense,” you add. “I thought I could get by doing nothing, but I finished all of the Stranger Kids show and a bunch of Academy Award winners that I’ve missed and I almost got sucked into something called Bridgerton-”

“You need a physical outlet,” Cher interrupts, smiling comfortingly.

You sigh again. “Years at a desk job have completely wrecked my ankles too much for me to go on long morning jogs again. Like, if I did a deep squat right now, my heels are going to lift so high I’ll tip over like a fucking cow. And I know you told me to do yoga with Cam, but I’m not sure I can bring myself to get up at 5 AM on a Saturday - I need to sleep in on the weekends.”

Cam comes in and plops themself down in their favorite armchair facing the TV. “I wasn’t going to suggest yoga again. But my friend Natasha from class asked if I knew anyone who played volleyball, and you were the first person to come to mind. They’re playing tomorrow evening.”

You gape at them. “I haven’t played in years. I think the last time I touched a volleyball was at a company team retreat a few years back, and I was just a spectator tossing it back to the cutie from the web team.”

“The cutie from GUI,” Cher dreamily breathes out, laughing as she dodges the throw pillow you launch at her face.

“Come on!” Cam implores. “You were great at intramural volleyball back in undergrad! And it’s just casual, they need someone to even out the teams so no one sits out. They’ll buy you drinks afterward - guaranteed.”

You mull over the idea in your mind. Who in their sound mind would NOT want to meet a bunch of strangers and fumble through a sport they haven’t played in years?

Although, you would love to be able to get out of the house and into the sunshine again without feeling the overwhelming anxiety of doing things on your own. A week ago, you’d bookmarked the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park over on Point Loma, west of North Island. But hiking on your own felt too intimidating, and you hadn’t gotten around to asking Cher and Cam to join.

Maybe this was another saving grace - another opportunity falling into your lap to do something new and push yourself out of your comfort zone. A chance to do something meaningful, to make friends outside of Cam and Cher so you could stop mooching off of them and draining their energy. Because as much as you knew they loved you and were happy to host you, there was still that small part of you that insisted they were counting down the days for you to leave.

Worst case? You fumble the ball and never have to see these people again. Best case? Maybe you make some friends, burn some energy, and potentially google hot people on the beach, bumping and setting the ball in slow motion like they’re on Baywatch.

Yeah, that last point is rather convincing.

“Alright,” you sigh. “If anything, I’ll spike the ball and pretend it’s Bradshaw’s face.”

Cam and Cher share another weird look.

At 6 PM, you pull into the parking lot for the Hard Deck and immediately spot a gaggle of tall, muscled guys setting up the sand volleyball court boundaries out on the beach. The light of the late afternoon sun glistens off their tanned skin and sends your nerves into a frenzy; you don’t know how you’ll be able to play a casual game of volleyball with the likes of these people.

“Hey! Cam’s friend, right? It’s so great to meet you!” Natasha calls out as you approach her and her SUV. She immediately goes in for a hug, which makes you feel both giddy and incredibly shy as you return it - it feels like it’s been a while since you’ve tried to make a new friend.

“Hi, Natasha, it’s so nice to meet you! Thanks for inviting me, it’s so nice to do something other than Netflix and chill with myself in the evening,” you cringe at yourself. Why the fuck did you say that to another person?

But Natasha shakes her head with a huge, understanding smile. “It’s no biggie - we’ve all just been playing pool over at the Hard Deck and Bob suggested maybe we get some sunlight for once. It’ll be great to work off some tension after work - sorry in advance if anyone’s particularly intense here,” she laughs.

“Oh, what do you all do?” you ask, eyeing one tall, dark-skinned man and how his muscles ripple as he handles a volleyball between two large palms.

“We’re Navy - all of us are pilots,” Natasha says.

Your stomach plummets. Oh fuck. If these guys are all coworkers AND in the Navy AND pilots - well, you didn’t need your stupid engineering degree to do the math. There’s a high probability that someone’s about to make his presence known-

“Yo, Phoenix!” a husky, familiar voice calls out behind you. “Yale said he wouldn’t be able to make it, so we’ll probably have to...” his voice trails off as he recognizes you.

You pause, meeting his gaze through your sunglasses. “Hi, Bradley,” you say, deciding to at least be the bigger person and not outright ignore him.

He doesn’t seem to share the same sentiment, nodding once your way before redirecting his attention back to Phoenix. “I guess we’re even on teams then. I’ll go help set things up.”

You feel a twinge of something in your chest - almost feeling hurt that he was still so upset with you. But you dismiss it as quickly as it came - you have nothing to feel bad about and apparently, neither does Bradley as he jogs away towards the group around the newly set up court. Natasha looks on with a curious expression before picking up an extra volleyball and leading you to where the rest of the group is.

Bradley doesn’t even look at you. He’s off to the side, tossing a volleyball between both his hands idly and conversing with a man in glasses.

A taller, dark-skinned man approaches the two of you with a broad smile, giving Natasha a high five and you a friendly nod. She’s still explaining the game setup to you. “We’ll have two teams of five, we might switch things around here and there and we might be dicks to each other, but I promise we’ll keep you out of the line of fire. Just look the other way if I start acting like a sore loser.”

“Natasha, I’m not sure if Cam’s mentioned, but my competitiveness in IM volleyball got me ejected from a game after I slammed the ball into another guy’s face. No worries.”

She and the other man laugh, and he reaches a hand out to shake yours. You introduce yourself to him, and he does the same. “Reuben - but call me Payback. And I’m not sure if she’s mentioned, but she goes by Phoenix.”

You’re confused. “Phoenix?”

“It’s her callsign,” he replies as if that explains everything.

“Callsign?” you repeat, looking between the two of them.

“Yeah, it’s like a unique identifier for each of us. We get it assigned to us by our class, usually when we do something stupid in boot camp,” Nat- or, Phoenix explains to you.

“Can’t I just call you all by your real name? Instead of nicknames?”

“Callsigns,” Payback corrects. “And honestly, you could. But it’ll catch us off guard. I mean, if you called out ‘Reuben’ mid-game, I’d probably book it to the ocean because my gut instinct will be telling me that my ex has finally tracked me down to get back the NSYNC CD I stole from her.”

“Poor girl,” you muse, and he laughs.

“Come on, we’ll introduce you to everyone and you’ll have everyone’s sign down in no time! We’ll only be using those so you’ll get confused if you don’t know them.”

He and Phoenix walk you over to a tall, blond Adonis. Like the others, he’s shirtless, tanned, and muscled. You wonder if he could crack walnuts with his biceps. “This is Jake, or ‘Bagman’-”

“Hangman,” the Ken doll says, rubbing the stubble along his jawline which is tightly clenched as he surveys the game being set up. He looks over at you briefly to nod once. “Nice to meet you.”

“Don’t mind him,” Phoenix tells you with an eye roll. “He’s hung up on his girl, but she’s not talking to him.”

You nod, only half paying attention now that you’ve caught sight of Bradley making his way over to your gaggle of three. You can’t read his expression thanks to the trusty Ray Bans he’s wearing, but his strut is as cocky as ever.

“Hangman has a girl?” Payback asks just as Bradley reaches earshot.

“Oh yeah, Penny’s tutor friend? Hangman spilled a mojito on her after Dogfight the other day. Poor girl looked terrified.” Bradley teases and smacks Hangman on the back. The others laugh along at a stoic-faced Hangman whose cheeks have slightly flushed.

“You pilots really seem to have a knack for tormenting innocent women,” you blurt out, narrowing your eyes at the three boys. Bradley’s eyebrows furrow right back.

“Guess we do,” he says shortly.

Phoenix shifts her eyes between the two of you before clearing her throat. “This is Bradley - I suppose you already know. We call him Rooster.”

“Rooster? That’s your callsign?” you ask, incredulously.

“Yeah! Because he looks out for his own,” Payback says in a high-pitched, almost mocking tone. He couples his words with a sharp pinch to Bradley’s cheek, and he abruptly smacks Payback’s hands away.

At long last, Hangman breaks his silence with a loud bark of laughter. “Hold on, do you two know each other?” Hangman asks, a grin replacing his scowl. “Why so tense, Bradshaw? Did she give you the slip in the wee hours of the morning?”

“Shut up,” Rooster threatens at the same time that you say, “We were at UVA together.”

You blink, feeling slightly hurt for a second before realizing he definitely wouldn’t care enough to tell his Navy buddies about his old college friend who hypothetically got dropped from her hotshot engineering job and was now in Fightertown. You try your best to swallow the lump that still appears in your throat.

A beat of silence follows. “Apparently, we’re arch nemeses,” Bradley says bitterly, and you’re pretty sure you catch him rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses.

You narrow your eyes. “Always so dramatic, huh, Bradley?”

“Me? I’m being dramatic? You’re the one who said it! This is some real pot-meet-kettle crap, Buttercup.”

“Buttercup?” Phoenix deadpans, looking at you sympathetically. You beat Bradley to answer.

“It’s a stupid joke he’s kept going for fifteen years because Bradley’s quite skilled at never letting things go!” you spit out.

“Oh, don’t we know it?” Hangman says under his breath before Bradley can retort, then swiftly catches a volleyball from someone over by the court. He crooks one finger in your direction. “We’ll have to call you Buttercup - both because it might piss off Rooster over here, and because I didn’t catch your name.”

“Jake,” Bradley says warningly, but Hangman’s jogged away before he can get another word out.

Stupid Rooster. And even stupider Hangman.

Volleyball starts easy enough once you’re introduced to the rest of the team. Phoenix keeps you on her team along with Fanboy, an intimidatingly handsome man who goes by Coyote, and a really sweet, round-faced man wearing glasses named Bob. Bradley sticks to the other side, trying hard not to look annoyed with Hangman ordering his teammates around.

“So you’re Bradley’s friend? Ow!” Coyote starts to ask, but Phoenix cuts him off by elbowing him in the side.

“No, she’s my friend. I met her through someone from yoga.” She gives him a hard look. “That’s right, I know people outside of you creeps.”

Coyote furrows his brow. “When do you have the time to go to yoga? And do they have any open spots? Preferably a mat right behind you, Phoe- Jesus!” Coyote rubs the back of his head where Bob’s initial practice serve had landed.

“Sorry!” he calls out, but you can see the curve of a smile on his face as he turns away from Coyote’s glare. You like Bob.

Once everyone’s in position, Bob makes the first serve - this time a perfect one that arcs the ball over the net and into Payback’s waiting hands. He bumps it over the net, and the game continues.

The sun beats down on you as you play into the evening. You try your hardest not to ogle the guys around you - or Natasha, for that matter - and it’s relatively easy once you start focusing on the game. But unexplainably, every single time Bradley leaps up to spike the ball, you feel a jolt of excitement at the sight of his abs clenching and his bicep muscles rippling in slow motion. It’s all tan skin and toned calves and bulging biceps and-

Your train of thought is interrupted by Bob calling out “Buttercup, eyes up!”

You swiftly bounce back into motion, bumping the ball over to Phoenix, who slams the ball over the net. Close one. And that’s another thing - you’ve adjusted shockingly well to your honorary callsign as every one of your teammates decides to use it, even Natasha a few times (you only feel slightly betrayed at that).

They reshuffle the groups every game and somewhere along the line, Bradley’s suddenly on your team. You resign yourself to staying as far away from him as possible and let him take the front line and you linger towards the back, and for the most part, your team works like a well-oiled machine.

You’re surprised at how well Bradley can predict your next move, always positioning himself in the perfect spot to catch your set and spike it over the net. It’s like years of verbal sparring somehow prepared you for this moment to absolutely annihilate Hangman’s team together at volleyball. After one particularly spectacular play, you lock eyes with him and marvel at how in sync the two of you are. Mindlessly, you offer him a double thumbs up.

Jesus Christ, you’re a dork, you think to yourself before Bradley enthusiastically throws up a goofy thumbs up in return.

After Coyote’s attempt to save the ball ended with him diving and skidding into the sand, the opposing team wins the game point. “Alright, I think I’m gonna call it,” he says loudly and stands up to brush the sand off his knees.

You look up and finally realize just how much time has passed. The sun’s making its way down the horizon, and the sky has transformed into a beautiful spectrum of orange and pink hues scattered across the wide expanse. The Hard Deck behind you is already lit with colorful LEDs, and the parking lot is a few cars fuller as more locals make their way in for evening drinks.

Natasha, who had already relocated to the other team earlier, raises both hands in the air. “I’m still down for a game or two! Bob?”

“You guys go ahead,” Bob says, wiping at his glasses. “I gotta rinse the sand off these, I can’t see shit.” As he makes his way back to the cars, he holds his hand out for you to slap your palm into for a quick low five. A couple of other pilots agree to make their way in for drinks, except Hangman.

“I’m game.” - “I’ll play.” you and Bradley both say at the same time, then eye each other curiously. He’s finally removed his sunglasses and you observe how his light brown eyes shine in the evening light. Somehow, his mustache has bits of sand stuck into it from his many dives to the ground.

You know you’re not much better off - you’ll be scraping sand out from your scalp for days after this.

“I’ll play with Phoenix,” Hangman proclaims, and tosses a ball over to Bradley. “Losers can serve this time.”

Everyone else rolls their eyes. “You uh... You want to start?” Bradley turns to you, idly tossing the ball in the air. “I mean, serve?”

You nod your head and he passes it to you to begin the game. Somehow, you and Bradley work even better as a team of two without the extra people to keep track of. Neither of you even has to call out your next move - both just instinctively making way for the other when Nat or Hangman sends the ball barrelling over the net. It’s easy, effortless, something you never really felt with Bradley until you opened yourself up to working together with him.

“Heads up!” Bradley calls out and passes the ball to you, setting you up for a nice spike that wins you the game. “Nice one, Buttercup!”

After celebrating your victory with Rooster with an awkward high five that you can still feel vibrating in your right hand, you make your way back up to the Hard Deck. Natasha is toweling off sand near her car and she holds out a water bottle as you approach, which you accept gratefully.

“Thanks for coming. I know it was late notice, but the guys really liked you,” she grins as you chug half of the water in record time.

“I had a great time!” you tell her and screw the cap back on. “I really can’t express enough how much I appreciate the invite and getting to know you all. You all are so welcoming - i-it just means a lot to me, being new here and all.”

She’s quiet for a moment, then looks at you with what you can best describe as a guilty expression. “I’ve gotta be honest because I feel bad about hiding things. Cam and I may have conspired to bring you here to make nice with Bradley.”

Your heart sinks. “What?” you ask numbly,

She slams the trunk of her SUV shut before responding. “Hear me out - Cam’s a really good friend. I met them back when I was at TOP GUN for the first time. And now we’ve been catching up over yoga and they told me about your whole thing with Rooster - I mean, Bradley - from your college days. And I thought it was funny, honestly, it doesn’t come as a surprise to me that he was a little shit back then.

“But I know something happened between the two of you last week,” she says, and you stiffen. “Because Bradley’s going through some rough shit with this mission, but he was worse than usual last Thursday. And I wasn’t sure what could’ve caused it - I thought it was the same shit with our instructor or something. But then he got super wasted back at base and was just moping around about some Buttercup or whatever and I put together the bits and pieces. Long story short, this mission is so fucking crucial. It’s life or death, and we need the best of the best to be on their A-game, and that especially includes Rooster.

“Plus, Cam thinks you should let bygones be bygones for the sake of your journey - which I don’t know many details about and I’m not going to pry, but I trust them. So yeah, I suggested volleyball to the team, and conveniently, Yale wasn’t able to make it so I offered to have you sub in, and here we are now,” she finishes quickly, still looking nervous.

You breathe in heavily, leaning against her car and mulling over her words. “I don’t... I’m not sure what I can do with him.”

“For what it’s worth, you two seemed to make a really good team near the end there. Maybe you can go smooth things over with him now,” she gestures to where Bradley is currently sitting on one of the wooden beach chairs in the sand.

You settle an unimpressed look on her and she hastily corrects herself. “Like - not that you’ve done anything wrong to smooth things over. Just... Look, I think he just feels really bad about it - as he should! - but he’s definitely too embarrassed to approach you, let alone apologize out of the blue for how things went down. And maybe if you just go over there, he’ll feel comfortable enough to tell you what he said to me Friday night.”

“What did he say Friday night?” you quirk an eyebrow.

She sighs. “I’d love to tell you, girl, but it’s not my place. Just talk to him?”

You nod, crossing your arms. “I’m not entirely thrilled that you and Cam tried to be all sneaky,” Natasha has the decency to look a little ashamed. “But I understand why. And I mean... At this point, I’m tired of being in this weird limbo with him.”

She nods in understanding. “No matter what happens, it’ll be okay. I owe you a mint g&t afterward!”

“Sounds great. Wait, how do you know I drink-” you start, but Phoenix is already walking towards the Hard Deck with a sly grin on her face.

“Good luck, Buttercup!” she calls out before disappearing around the corner of the building.

You sigh again and shoot a glance over to where Bradley’s still sitting, still staring at the sky changing colors over the horizon. It’s now or never, you think, then silently berate yourself for thinking something so cliche. Taking another deep breath, you make your way across the beach to the unoccupied chair under the umbrella.

“Hey,” you come up behind him, wavering to see if he’s going to dismiss you or let him join him.

He looks up, and you try to ignore the weird feeling in your stomach when his warm, chocolate eyes meet your nervous gaze. Why isn’t he being a regular douche and wearing his sunglasses? “Hi, Buttercup.”

You shuffle your feet around slightly, shifting your eyes around to avoid that weird feeling again. Maybe you’re just hungry. “Mind if I join you?”

He extends a hand out to gesture toward the empty chair to his right. “By all means.”

You mumble a quick “thanks” and plop down in the seat next to him. A few minutes of silence pass between the two of you - to pass the time, you look up at the multi-colored umbrella above you and count how many different colored stripes there are.

You’re at four reds when Bradley breaks the silence. “‘Bane of your existence', huh?” he says with a crooked smile. “What is this, Bridgerton?”

You raise an eyebrow. “Sorry?”

“Bridgerton on Netflix? Season 2? Anthony and Kate?”

You look over at him with an incredulous look. “You’ve seen that entire show?” you deadpan.

He stretches his legs out, brushing some sand from his knees absentmindedly. “I mean... Yeah. Love me some Shonda. No Grey’s for me though - couldn’t get past season 2.”

You snort, looking over at him. “I don’t think I’ve managed to finish a show at all in the last five years. My job was always... Well, either way, I just finished Stranger Things on Saturday. Bridgerton might be next.”

“It’s pretty good.” He bounces his head in a nod, looking back out at the horizon. Another few beats of silence pass, and you struggle to find the exact words you want to say. But it seems like Natasha was right about him after all because Bradley beats you to the punch before you can open your mouth. “Listen, I just... I feel terrible about what happened in college. And I know I was all petty and mean earlier today and I don’t want to just make excuses for my actions. Shit, I want to keep myself accountable but I never could have imagined I was making you feel that way in college. And especially here, you know?”

You chew your lower lip and tightly grip the armrests of the chair nervously. “I just... I shouldn’t have blown up at you on Thursday-”

He’s shaking his head. “No, no, I totally deserved that-”

“I just got so angry-”

“As you should be-”

“And things have just been so hard lately-”

“I’m really sorry about that, I had no business trying to pry-”

“Jesus Christ, let me finish, Bradley!” you interrupt loudly. He shrinks back and you rub your temples warily.

“That’s what she said,” he mumbles and you look at him incredulously.

A burst of laughter falls from your lips. “Are you twelve?” you ask through a giggle and he breaks out into a wide smile.

“I’m sorry. I’ll let you speak. My lips are sealed,” he mimes sealing them with an imaginary key and then throwing it behind him. Your eyes linger over the small crinkles by his eyes as he’s smiling, and you quickly snap them back to the sand in front of you, choosing your next words carefully.

“I guess... Well, first things first you should know that I quit my job.”

Bradley looks shocked. "What?! At Java-"

"No, not Java Roasters. I mean my job in Raleigh," you huff out and lean all the way back so that your head rests against the wood. His eyes are trained on you, unblinking.

“Why?” he asks.

"I quit... because I hated it. I hated the daily minutia of logging onto a computer and attending stupid morning meetings and reporting my stupid project progress and pretending my work is meaningful- I just... I couldn't do it anymore.”

Bradley’s gaze is still focused solely on you. It feels less intense now, less nerve-wracking than it’s ever felt before. Like there’s no judgment or threat of mocking, just Bradley listening like you’re telling him the most riveting tale and not the story of how everything is falling apart. He hums, encouraging you to continue.

“I remember the moment I made the decision so clearly. Like on my way back from work, driving down I-40 and I couldn’t imagine living the rest of my life that way like a... Like a blur. I don’t even recall the last time I picked up a book for fun or got into a tv show or followed one of my passions.”

You pause to take a breath, feeling the returning lump in your throat become increasingly hard to swallow as you realize just how vulnerable you’re becoming. “So I quit. Called up all my friends and Camila was the only one to offer me something that wasn’t another job in the field that literally burned me out. So I’m here now. Just a failure, but at least I didn’t get fired,” you joke, turning away to wipe the one tear that’s fallen down your right cheek.

“Hey, it’s fine, it’s okay,” you hear Bradley say and suddenly his hand is there - open-faced on your left armrest, not touching you in the slightest. An invitation. A peace offering. A symbol of support. You hesitate for a moment before grasping his hand with your left, squeezing lightly. He continues, “Nothing about this tells me you’re a failure. I never even thought that word was in your vocabulary.”

“You know, you learn something new every day,” you reply through a soggy giggle. He chuckles and squeezes his hand twice. “I don’t know. Back in undergrad, I thought this was what I wanted. Working for a big-shot company with cutting-edge tech. Then I just got pigeonholed into doing the same thing over and over again, and the work was rarely that stimulating.

“Anyways,” you continue. “I guess I just wanted to explain myself and why I’m here now. And Cam says I’ve been holding onto the past for too long, so I guess that’s why everything just all came out last Thursday. I’m sorry - you didn’t deserve me yelling at you like that.”

Bradley’s been attentive, nodding throughout your spiel and holding onto your hand tightly. When you gesture for him to say his piece, he clears his throat and removes his hand from your grasp. You ignore how cold your fingers feel now and shove them under your thigh.

“I never knew there was a different side to our... relationship. I always figured it was friendly competition like we were just pushing each other. And honestly, I think it got me through some of my gen eds because I studied so hard into the night trying to impress you-”

“Impress me?” you ask, partly from shock. “Why?”

He shrugs. “I dunno. You were smart and so sincere about school and it was always so inspiring, I wanted to do the same. Maybe you’d think I was... cool. I guess” You let his words sit in the air, looking back on every single interaction with him from undergrad that you can remember.

Because you can’t remember him being malicious, or him being cruel or mean. If you took off your Petty Goggles™, you can see that maybe he never meant to talk to you in a mocking, demeaning way. Maybe.

“I’m sorry,” Bradley goes on. “I never meant to give you a hard time in college. I wish I saw how my teasing affected you earlier and I wish I was observant enough to realize you never played along, you always just sort of... took it. That’s not fair to you at all. And I wish I hadn't been so obnoxious and fallen back into old habits this past week. I’m just really sorry. And moving forward I’d like to be more self-aware.”

You nod, cracking a half smile. “You were pretty fucking obnoxious. Caramel in matcha sounds terrible.”

“It’s incredible,” he defends. “And just for the record, I finished every single drink you made for me. You’re doing amazing as a barista so far, sweetheart.”

The two of you laugh, and you feel so much lighter. At this moment, you think that maybe you and Bradley could be friendly - at least, you definitely could leave the past in the past and get a fresh start just like you were hoping to do when you came to North Island. Let go of this stuff with Bradley and get to know him for who he is.

“Listen... If you’re willing, I-I’d like to have a fresh start?” he says, and he stumbles over the words clumsily, like he’s rehearsed them like he’s hoping you won’t turn him down.

You smile. “Yeah. I think I’d like that, Bradley.”

Bradley beams at you - oh fuck, there’s that weird nauseating feeling in your gut - and you hesitantly smile right back. “Let’s head back inside. I’ll get you a drink,” he starts to stand.

You narrow your eyes playfully. “Thought you wanted me to cover the next drink? You know, with my big STEMinist paycheck?”

He closes his eyes, breathes in deeply, and turns his head up to the sky before exhaling with a pained smile. “I’m quite a jackass, aren’t I?”

You roll your eyes and laugh before turning around and making your way through the cool sand. Your heart feels full - ten sizes bigger. “You seem like a good guy now, Bradshaw.”

“Listen, Buttercup,” Bradley said at post-volleyball drinks, right as he was getting up to leave for the night. “I know you’re an organized girl and you like to keep things up to date - which is why I must inform you that whatever number you have under my name in your phone is most definitely out of date.”

“I’d honestly be impressed if you still had the same number fifteen years later,” you laughed.

“Yeah, yeah, well if you want to reach out to me for any reason, here you go,” he slides over a bar napkin with hastily scribbled digits on it. “Just - save me under my real name? Not like ‘Satan’s Spawn’ or ‘My Worst Nightmare’.”

“Both are accurate,” you say, pulling out your phone. “I believe I had you under ‘El Diablo’ back then.”

“The devil- Oh REAL clever.”

Over the next few days, you find yourself texting Bradley more often than you ever thought you would - which to be fair is a low bar, seeing as you never thought you’d even reply to one of his texts. It’s sporadic since you know he’s busy preparing for a mission of some sort on base (he and Natasha didn’t elaborate much more on it during drinks) but he makes an effort to keep the conversation going throughout the day and into the late hours of the night when his replies are longer and more frequent.

He invites you out to the Hard Deck on Wednesday evening, and you stay to talk late into the night until last call, talking about what you both have done since graduating and gossiping about old college friends. You’re both careful not to discuss what happened during college, your plans, or Bradley’s upcoming dangerous mission - for now, it’s just casual comfortable conversation. You’re becoming friends.

Somehow, you finally feel at peace with being right where you are - just working at the coffee shop and being friends with Bradley and doing things other than catching up on tv shows. You shoot out emails to your old favorite professors and former colleagues, asking for guidance on what you can do next in your career, and for the first time, you feel hopeful about your future.

You’ve advanced from treading water to doing a nice, comfortable backstroke. And it feels like it’ll be clear skies for some time.

Saturday evening at around 5 PM, after you’ve listened to a motivational podcast and finished chores and your weekly laundry, your phone lights up with a call from Lieutenant Gallo.

“Buttercup!” he sings out as soon as you answer. “What are you doing right now?”

“Um,” you eye your empty kitchen sink, the spotless floors, and the crumb-free kitchen countertops. “Nothing. Just finished my laundry and some other chores.”

“Oh perfect! I’m pulling up at your house in two minutes.”

“I- what? Who gave you my address?”

“Nat, who got it from Cam. You can yell at them later! Just change into something comfortable and wear tennis shoes.” He hangs up.

Ten minutes later, you’re seated in the front seat of Bradley’s Ford Bronco. As soon as you slid into the vehicle, he shoved a paper bag towards you and an iced coffee from Starbucks (“Sorry for the betrayal, sweetheart, if only Java wasn’t closed on the weekends”).

“Pulling out all the stops, huh?” you asked, breaking off a piece of a blueberry scone and popping it into your mouth.

“Well, you’ll need your energy,” he says vaguely and smiles at you through the side of his sunglasses.

While you finish off your drink, you survey your enemy-turned-friend in the driver’s seat. Bradley’s right elbow is propped up on the middle console, his left hand extended to grip the steering wheel at the twelve o’clock position. The black, sleeveless athletic top is painfully well-fitted and accentuates his stupid muscles. Your eyes catch the way his bicep tenses when he maneuvers a left turn, the way the cords in his forearm clench when he takes a sip of his caramel matcha monstrosity. There’s some old song from the ‘80s playing at low volume on the radio, and your gaze travels to how his long fingers tap out the beat on the console.

He’s so fucking pretty. And suddenly you’re going through your mental Rolodex of conversation starters, going through all the possible cool things you could say because holy fuck do you want to try and impress him right now. Or make him smile or laugh or maybe reach over and grab your hand again like he did on the beach

“Sorry, my A/C’s busted,” he interrupts your train of thought. He’d rolled the windows down earlier for which you were grateful - despite it being late afternoon, it was still incredibly hot.

“Eh, it’s better for the environment to roll the windows down,” you reply. “I mean - to a certain extent. Like I heard at higher speeds it’s not super fuel efficient because it causes more drag for the car and- well, I’m sure you know about that, being a pilot and all. Never-”

“No no, keep going,” he says and you swear his mustache quirks up with his smile. “It’s not like I’m rolling down the windows in a F/A-18. I like hearing you STEMsplain it, Buttercup.”

“Shut up,” you feel the heat rushing to your cheeks that must have something to do with the sun. You can’t be this nervous around a guy who almost fainted during his first keg stand. “So can you at least tell me where we are?”

He heaves out a dramatic sigh. “Well, right now, we’re in San Diego-”

“Bradley, I swear I’ll jump out of this car-” you threaten through a laugh.

“We’ll be there in two minutes, Buttercup, jeez! We’re near Point Loma, though, and that’s all I’ll tell you.”

Three minutes later, Bradley drives past a sign reading Sunset Cliffs Natural Park - and your heartbeat quickens.

You didn’t even think he heard you offhandedly mentioning your plan to check out the short trail up near here but not wanting to go alone. Your long-winded spiel had been interrupted on Monday by Jake loudly calling you two over to watch his winning 9-ball move (he’d missed the pocket entirely, but that’s beside the point).

Bradley pulling out all the stops today just makes it difficult to hate him, impossible to be annoyed with how he was before because you can tell he’s trying so hard to make it up to you and be a better friend. You resolve to do the same for him some time - maybe you’ll attempt to craft the matcha monstrosity after all.

“I got water and sunscreen in the back - it’s just like an hour to hike but I know you said you wanted to try something new here, so...” he seems a little nervous now, not meeting your eyes and busying himself with what’s in the back trunk.

“Thanks, Bradley,” you tell him, and the smile he sends your way finally makes you understand just what Andrew Garfield was waxing poetic about with the shot of espresso nonsense.

The two of you don’t chat much - mainly because the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean drown out anything that isn’t a loud shout, but the silence is comfortable between the two. He lets you lead the way, following behind you and pointing out rocks that might trip you up.

After reaching the turnaround point of the trail, you both settle on a large, flat rock to watch the water over the horizon, the waves forming from far out and crashing onto the side of the cliffs. It’s far too early to see any sunset views, but the sun is still warming your faces and the wind is breezy enough to cool you down without blowing sand into your eyes. It’s quieter here, and you settle into talking about anything and everything, just as you always have this past week.

After an extended beat of silence, you muster up the courage to broach a subject that’s been plaguing your mind. "So what's up with you and your mission instructor?” you hesitantly ask. “Phoenix told me you guys have some beef. Like, really slow-roasted beef. Worse than your shit with pretty boy-"

"Oh my god," Bradley scrubs a hand over his face. "Please don't call Hangman a pretty boy. At the very least, not to his face. He'll never let me hear the end of it."

You giggle and shove his shoulder playfully in response. You don’t push the topic again, instead waiting for him to either accept the ball in his court or just lob a different conversation topic back at you.

"He pulled my papers to the naval academy," Bradley says quietly. "Set me back four years."

“Oh...” you trail off, not sure what to say. “Why would he do that?”

Bradley inhales deeply and shrugs his broad shoulders. “I always knew him as Uncle Pete - or Maverick. He flew with my dad - Goose - and they were really close friends. My mom joked about feeling like a third wheel at times and honestly, I can understand how from what I remember,” he huffs out a laugh, and you smile slightly.

“I was four when my dad died. It was during some training exercise, their plane got caught in a jet stream and they had to eject. Maverick got out fine, my dad-” he cuts off, turning his head away to look at the ocean again.

Feeling the deja vu hit, you hold your hand out, palm facing up. “You don’t have to go into the details,” you say as softly as you can above the sound of the wind and the waves.

When he looks over, the pain in his eyes makes a pit form in your stomach, which is only slightly alleviated by him slipping his large, warm hand into your outstretched one. “No, no, it’s just... It’s been a while since I talked about it. And I’ve just been so angry in class and during training these past few weeks. I don’t know why he’d want to hold me back from making my dad proud. But I just can’t let go of it.”

You squeeze his hand once, letting his words sink in, giving him time to empty all his thoughts. If there’s one thing you’ve learned about listening and supporting people, it’s that you don’t always have to have a response. It’s just about being there.

“I think he just... He didn’t think I could do it,” he goes on. “Or be as good as my dad. And neither he nor my mom wanted me to go into the Navy, but I wanted to for my dad. For Goose.”

A minute passes of silence. He squeezes your hand once, and you take it as a sign to reply. “For what it’s worth, I think he’d be really damn proud of you.”

He shakes his head with a sad smile. “I don’t know. Sometimes I watch how Mav flies and think about how different we are. He’s fast, spontaneous, and reckless to a point. And my dad loved flying with him. I’m cautious - Jake’s already given me a hard time for being too slow. I don’t... I think my dad would’ve wanted me to stop holding back.”

You nod, focusing on the way his hand feels in yours, the way his thumb has started absentmindedly rubbing circles over your knuckle. “I mean...” you start. “I don’t think your dad would be disappointed with the way you fly, Bradley. You’re the best of the best, like, Natasha told me how you’re all in the top 1% and you were all called back for this crazy mission and that’s such a big accomplishment in and of itself. But...” you trail off.

He squeezes twice for you to continue. “But I think he wouldn’t want to see you holding this grudge against Maverick. And I know I’m the last person who should be telling you to let go of the past... But honestly, ever since our fresh start, I’ve felt so relieved, and hopeful, you know? And it’s absolutely not the same thing, I know. Mav betrayed you, and I mean, I was just mad you were better than me-”

He scoffs. “It was more than that, Buttercup. Don’t downplay your struggles-”

You wave your free hand. “Regardless! I just mean to say... If this mission really is life or death like you said, then maybe the two of you need to talk it out. Have a fresh start. Just like we did - minus the hand holding, though,” you joke, holding up your joined hands slightly.

He smiles softly, squeezing once, sending your heart into a frenzy. “Thanks. I really appreciate your input and I’ll think about it, Buttercup. Really. And for what it’s worth, I’m glad we’re on a fresh start.”

The comfortable silence returns, and you turn your gaze back to the ocean, which isn’t as pretty as you remember it being. Even with the sun getting lower, casting rays that reflect brilliantly off the surface of the water, the sight still isn’t as breathtaking as the man next to you.

“Sorry I’m still calling you Buttercup, by the way,” he breaks the silence. “I’ll stop - I mean it’ll take a while to switch over, but...”

You shrug. “I’m getting used to it, honestly. If you called me by my real name, I might have a stroke.”

“Wouldn’t want that to happen,” Bradley laughs, eyes crinkling ever so sweetly, and just then you realize that the nauseous feeling plaguing you this whole week is butterflies. In your stomach. Just like the Miley Cyrus song.

Sweet niblets.

Tuesday finds you in the middle of another rom-com binge night - you’re on your third glass of ranch water (courtesy of some girl Brittany from Instagram) and your second throwback film of the night (Mean Girls) just for the comfort it provides. You hadn’t heard from Bradley yet - apparently, something happened during yesterday’s training and some Naval officer had passed away.

It’s been rough for him with the mission coming up next week - you’re happy to give him some space.

Your phone starts buzzing between your ass and the couch, and you pull it out to see another call from Lieutenant Gallo. “Hey, Lieutenant,” you smile slightly, swirling the contents of your drink in the glass idly. “How are you feeling? How was the funeral?”

Bradley’s driving - you can hear the hum of the vehicle over the phone and the Bronco’s turn signal. “It was fine,” he says, finally, sounding distant - and not just because he’s put you on speaker.

“You okay?” You fold your legs underneath you and pause the TV, devoting your undivided attention to him. “You can talk to me.”

He’s still silent. Then, he says your name - your real name. Your stomach drops immediately like you just hit some turbulence, and you set your drink down on a coaster and wait for him to continue. “I don’t know. It just reminded me of how terrible this job can be. Losing someone like that. I mean, no one knew just how sick Admiral Kazansky was, but…. Fuck. It’s brutal here. And Phoenix and Bob both had to punch out,” you gasp softly, “...they stayed for overnight observation and they’re fine now, but it’s terrifying.”

You nod, even though he can’t see you. “I’m glad they’re okay. I know that must be terrifying, Bradley,” you say. “Are you... Are you just more worried about the mission now?”

A heavy sigh. “Yeah. Something like that.” Another turn signal click - your heartbeat is somehow outpacing it. “Listen…” he says your real name again. Your smartwatch is going to think you’re going into cardiac arrest. “I know… I appreciate our becoming friends now. You’ve gotta know that. I just need to warn you about this mission… it’s gonna be fucking brutal. And you know, after we get back - if we get back, sorry to put it that way - it just never ends… it’s onto the next thing. I might get shipped out to Manama or somewhere, I’m not sure. And I just wanted to warn you, because I don’t know how long you’re going to be stuck here for-“

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You say after a sharp intake of breath. His words strike deep into your heart, unearthing feelings of hopelessness you thought you were just starting to bury.

“I mean… look, I just know I’m headed out after this mission if I get back. And until you figure things out you’re staying here, right? I mean you said it yourself, you’re not sure what your next step is going to be.”

You nod again, thinking back to your breathing exercises, thinking back to your hike with Bradley, thinking back to the smell of sunscreen on his skin, the sound of the waves, the weight of his hand in yours. Your efforts are for naught though, as tears still find a way to roll down your cheeks in fat droplets - like the rain on the day you decided to just quit once and for all. The biggest fucking mistake of your life, maybe. “Yeah, I guess,” you croak out.

Bradley’s silent on the line for a second. “I just wanted to… fuck, I don’t know. I just wanted to be straightforward with you. Because I really appreciate your friendship. I wish we could’ve managed the niceties fifteen years ago,” he chuckles dryly. You feel something shift inside you at his phrasing - you’re annoyed at his leisurely tone. He knows exactly why things were the way they were in undergrad. “I just don’t want to keep you waiting here for me.”

That’s the final nail in the coffin. The cruel, painful reminder that your path ahead is terribly foggy, completely uncertain. To hear Bradley speak about it so matter-of-factly, as if he too is expecting nothing more from you but to stay in this guest house for the rest of eternity. It’s honestly starting to sound like a good idea.

You eye your open laptop where you had pulled up info about Stanford University’s Masters and Ph.D. programs in Computer Science. A dozen tabs are open - programs for schools all across the world, YouTube videos of people outlining how they got into research and University teaching, and a very reassuring post on Reddit titled “How old is too old to attend grad school?”

Your heart sinks at the prospect of trying and failing again. At the realization that Bradley called just to informally shift things over to an awkward long-distance acquaintanceship. At the heartbreaking, anxious thought that maybe Bradley can sense you’re just not cut out to take yet another giant step in your career. That you’ll be here for a while. So you close your laptop with your free hand and squeeze your eyes shut.

“Right,” you say, keeping your voice as even as possible and wiping your wet cheeks with your shirt. “I get it. I just- yeah. Yeah, I don’t know how long I’ll be here. You’re right.”

Bradley sucks in air through his teeth. “I shouldn’t have said it like that. I didn’t mean-“

“No, no! It’s fine!” You cut him off. “You’re right. As always, you’re right. I um… Fuck. I gotta go, I think.”

“Buttercup-“ he tries, but somehow it fuels a fire you didn’t even know was spreading through your body. All of your anxieties and fears of failure take a backseat to the burning anger in your chest and throat. You find yourself indescribably incensed with him - who the fuck does he think he is? Trying to warn you about staying in this city for too long? Pretending to be concerned about your future?

“Don’t fucking call me that!” You say sharply. “I’m not your buttercup, or your sweetheart, or whatever else you come up with. You know my fucking name, and apparently, you know my plans too! You just have me all figured out, don’t you, Bradshaw? Lieutenant Bradshaw, top 1% of all naval pilots - you know what? Good for you, Bradley. I’m glad you have it all figured out and you’re going off on some awesome adventure right after this with your awesome and talented flight buddies.” Oh god, you’re dangerously close to repeating Janis Ian’s angry monologue from Mean Girls.

“They’re not adventures, hon-“

“You can fuck off, Bradshaw. I’ll try my best not to wither away here in Fightertown with no fucking opportunities for me whatsoever, working that fucking barista job trying to make sense of all the fucking ways you can make a macchiato because that’s all I can fucking manage! And you know what - for as long as I’ve hated this job, from just the three weeks I’ve been here that is truly only a modicum of my whole life, I’ve been trying to convince myself that there’s nothing wrong with treading water and waiting for your next move. But if you’re so worried I’m gonna waste my life waiting for you then I’ll make it easy for you, Bradshaw: I’m not waiting for anyone but my damn self. I’m gonna give myself time and patience because I fucking deserve that after practically killing myself trying to get a degree I might never use again. So thanks for your concern jackass - but you can shove it. I see even after fifteen years you haven’t lost your penchant for making me feel small!”

“Wait, what-“ you jab your finger at the end call button, effectively cutting Bradley Bradshaw out of your life once again.

~happy ending for these bbs coming in part 3 ~

#rooster x reader #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #topgun maverick #top gun maverick fanfiction #mine #tw suicide mention

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kpop-yes · 1 year

Text

Yujin x Male reader - Birthday

Today was your birthday, and to celebrate, You and your girlfriend, Yujin were going to celebrate by throwing a huge party.

You set everything up and people started arriving at around 7.

Soon enough people were joining the party and it was practically a beer festival at this rate.

Everyone in that party were drunk, including you.

Your girlfriend, Yujin, on the other hand, didn't drink a lot as she wanted to make sure nothing went wrong.

You noticed her sitting back and tried to walk towards her.

You legs were wobbly and you barely nade it to her before falling onto a chair next to her.

"The party just started and you're already drunk y/n" Yujin said.

"What, what d-do you mean, I've only had l-like 5 or 10 drinks", You said stuttering on your own words.

"You're going to regret drinking all of that tomorrow", She said.

"W-well *hiccup* Is today t-tomorrow, No. So let m enjoy *hiccup* this", You said while drinking another bottle of beer.

"Well if you're going to be acting like a child then I guess i'll have to treat you like a child", She said while snatching your beer and throwing it in the trash.

You tried to retaliate at stand up, but ultimately led to Yujin catching you before you fell.

"Take a rest, You can party more once You've recovered a bit".

You couldn't say anything back as you had a massive headache and a nap sounded just like the right thing.

Your arm was wrapped around Yujin as your legs felt like jelly and could break from the smallest impact.

"Ash, This is the exact reason why I don't drink as much anymore", Yujin said.(Later in the story)

"Well *hiccup* You're missing out". You said while you could barely stay conscious.

"Oh trust me y/n, I'm not missing out on anything", She said whole laying you down on the bed.

"I'll go make sure everything stays Outside the house, you go get some rest".

It didn't take you long as you passed out in a couple of seconds.

-A couple hours later- 11:30 Pm

You woke up and the first thing that hit you was a massive wave of nausea.

You went to the kitchen and took some medicine.

By this point, you thought the party ended

You were walking back to lay down until someone hugged you from behind.

It was Yujin, and boy did she reek Beer.

She had a geeky smile and could barely stand without wobbling.

"What happened to not drinking a lot Yujin", you said sarcastically.

She fell on you and couldn't even stand up properly.

You picked her up bridal style and walked towards your bedroom.

"Well Look how the tables have turned".

"Oh Shut up, I'm *hiccup* not even

*hiccup* that drunk".

You opened the door to your bedroom and Laid her on the bed.

You kissed her on her forehead before walking out.

But before you could leave she grabbed your shirt and tried to pull.

"Please Stay y/n".

You couldn't say no to her and decided to not fight back.

You hopped in bed with her and you could finally notice her beauty. Her beautiful eyes, Her droopy smile, and her pretty hair.

You kissed her before slowly falling asleep.

But little did you know the surprise that you would get once you woke up.

———

Once you woke up, You looked besides you to not find yujin.

You were confused as to where she was, when you felt a sensation, and it felt good.

Then you looked down, Only to see Yujin Sucking your dick.

You were startled and yujin looked at you with a smile.

"Good morning Babe, How did you sleep?" Yujin said while continuing to suck your dick.

"Oh uh um yeah I-I Slept fine".

You moaned as Yujin Went faster and faster.

"Ah Yujin, Your mouth Feels so good". You said while fixing her hair.

You fixed her hair as there was saliva all over your dick and yujin's Throat.

You grabbed her head and made her feel your full length as you moaned more and more.

You looked down to see Yujin's beautiful eyea staring at you with satisfaction.

"Yujin! Ahh, I'm about cum!" You alerted her as she took your whole length, and that was your limit.

You released your fluids into her mouth as she took it all.

"I never knew you had such a dirty side y/n", Yujin said as she teased you.

You started blushing as your lower body was completely naked.

Yujin kept teasing you before standing up and removing her clothes.

She jumped on top of started making out with you.

She pulled back as she took off her panties, revealing how wet she really was.

"Lets see how long the birthday boy can last~", Yujin said while teasing your dick before slowly sliding her pussy down your dick.

She Teased your dick more before finally sliding all the way down on your member.

"Oh, wow! Soo Big!".

Yujin started jumping up and down as you held her hips.

"Yujin, ahh Your so tight Yujin!" You said as you started moaning more and more from how tight and wet she was.

You flipped her over and instead you started leading.

You got on top of her and started inserting your dick inside of her.

You played with her nipples as she started moaning.

"Ahh! Y/n, Fuck me! Fuck me hard!"

She grasped onto your shoulders and started yelling your name as you fucked her harder, making sure every part of your shaft was inside of her.

"Yujin, Im about to cum!" You warned her.

"Cum inside me Y/n! Fuck! Cum inside me!"

You did as she said and released your load into her.

You fell next to her as she starts sleeping.

You admire her body before falling asleep yourself.

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lovelyladyabsinthewrites · 2 years

Text

Love Song for a Vampire Pt.13

Pairing(s): Edward Cullen x Wolf!Reader, Edward Cullen x Bella Swan, Jacob Black x Bella Swan

Warnings: none

Words: 2597

Summary: You take it upon yourself to go find Bella.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39

Even when you managed to fall asleep, you were plagued by nightmares of Bella. Bloodless faces of newborns tear your pack limb from limb. All felt lost.

The following morning you awoke with dread in your chest that weighed you down into your mattress. Tomorrow was the day. So many lives were on the line and you were now allowing it to sink into you. If you all failed. . . The people of Forks and La Push would be in imminent danger and there would be no one to protect them. It would be a free for all for the newborn army, hungry after a battle.

Your parents and your friends could all be dead by the end of tomorrow. Now your side had lost the element of surprise by having Bella’s scent. Everyone was waiting for a surprise attack from Victoria.

“(Y/n)? Are you still in bed?” Your mom tentatively knocks on your door. Normally if they know you’ve been out on patrol, your parents will allow you to sleep in. Lately they could sense your anxiety and checked in on you frequently.

You roll yourself up, rubbing the heel of your palm against your eyes. Only able to get about three hours worth of sleep, you were not prepared to go out into the world. “Yes. But I’ve been awake for a while.”

The door opens and your mom’s concerned face pokes in. “Breakfast is ready. Why don’t you come out and eat with us.”

Nodding you start to slip out of bed, eyes still closed and struggling to flutter open. Once you finally do manage to wake up a bit and head toward your bedroom door, your mom gently stops you; putting her left hand against your cheek where the scab had been long gone. Now there was a dark scar that plagued your complexion.

So easy was it to read how your mom was feeling. Her eyes had always been so expressive. Now you read the deep worry that plagued her thoughts when she looked upon your face. Knowing that it was your fault made your chest throb uncomfortably. “Why don’t you call Sam and tell him to let you have the day off. You can use the rest.”

You would love nothing more than to do just that. But you couldn’t. Not now. Your pack needed everyone in attendance. “I can’t, ma.” She presses her lips together yet yields and bows her head lightly. “(Y/n), you don’t have to do this. You know that right? No matter what everyone else says, it’s your choice. Don’t put yourself in danger because you think you have to.”

A little laugh escapes you. “Ma. . . Thanks for saying that, but I don’t really have a choice. Not really. What else would I do with this gift?” Gift, you called it. But it felt more like a curse. It’s made you do things that you would have never done had you been just a normal human. Originally you had thought turning into a wolf was the coolest thing in the world. Come to learn that there was so many strings attached to it. Now it was ruining your life.

Closing her eyes, your mom gathers you into her arms. “I want you to be happy and safe, (y/n).”

If she only knew the extent of your duties. Lately you had neither been happy nor safe. Tomorrow you might not even be alive.

Negative thoughts swirled in your head like a snow globe. Knowing that you could die very soon made you cling to your mother in comfort. At least you were safe in her arms for a few moments.

You finished your breakfast just in time to catch the ring of your front door. Your dad had already been getting up to clear the table, but at the announcement of a guest he puts down the plates and hurries over.

“Afternoon Mr. (l/n).” Embry’s voice rang clear and it makes you rise and stride over to where your father stood.

“Hello Embry.” Managing an awkward smile, your dad glances at you for a moment. “That time, huh?”

“I didn’t get a call from Sam or anyone else in the pack.”

“They’re all out at the Cullen border.” Embry quietly informs you, unsure of how much to share while your dad was present. “Charlie is with them.”

You were great up that you at least had been giv en enough time to finish your.breakfast before throwing yourself back into the dangerous world of vampires and wolves. Giving your dad a brief side hug and saying goodbye to your mom, you head out with Embry.

No words had been spoken between the two of you since Edward’s phone call yesterday. Even passing the crest of the forest that lined your home, Embry remained quiet.

And when he did speak, it wasn’t about the hurt he had felt seeing you so enamored by Edward’s voice. “Charlie showed up at Billy’s a little while ago. He insists that he has a hand in the plan to save his daughter.”

“He definitely can’t join the actual fighting. The best thing he could do for us is make sure no human is around this area tomorrow.” Quietly musing, you hop over a large tree root that you used to make forts in. If you were missing, your parents always searched there first.

Embry nods. “Yeah, that’s what Sam said. But that doesn’t mean he can’t know about the plan. He just can’t participate physically.”

“So why are they at the Cullen border?”

“Best to have everyone present. Especially now since Charlie is involved. The Cullens can better explain the history leading up to Bella’s kidnapping. They have much to explain about all of Bella’s previous injuries.” When you found yourselves into the heart of the forest, both of you turn around and start to strip before changing into your wolf skin.

Once inside of your wolf, you hear the voices of your other pack members. The louder their voices grew in your head, the closer you grew to your destination. Even before then you smelled Edward’s scent. The one you try to retain each time. Vainly attempting to remember it while you went to sleep.

”Looks like (y/n) and Embry are finally here.” You heard Leah sneer.

Of course she couldn’t be nice for once. Not even when a startled Charlie accidentally bumps into her at the sight of you and Embry’s wolf forms. Recognition crosses his eyes when he takes a good look in your direction.

“You’re the one that saved me.” He acknowledges you.

Your tail sways cordially and you nod your head.

“That’s (y/n).” Carlisle smiles.

“And which one is Jacob?”

A deep russet wolf walks forward, meeting Charlie’s gaze. Cautiously, Charlie holds out his hand in front of him.

“That’s really you, Jake?”

Jacob bumps Charlie’s hand with his nose. ”Yeah, it’s me Charlie. I promise we’ll get Bella back.”

“He says that we’ll get Bella back.” Edward translates for everyone else who couldn’t hear what Jacob was thinking.

Charlie pats Jacob’s muzzle. “I know.”

You noticed how warm Charlie was toward Jacob, having his back turned to Edward and nearly treating him as if he weren’t there. Perhaps because the truth was out and Edward had failed to protect Bella from a supernatural foe that not even Charlie could deal with. He had entrusted his daughter to him. Charlie couldn’t fight this foe himself which must have frustrated the mortal man to no end.

Sympathy for Edward arose in your conscience. For such a powerful man, he looked helpless being ignored by Charlie. Bella’s kidnapping distressed him greatly; perhaps more than Charlie. For Edward did consider himself guilty. He wasn’t there to protect her. In fact, some may argue that he had brought all this danger to her because he was a vampire. If he had been normal, Bella would not have had to know this kind of world. A world where creatures drank blood to survive.

“Chief Swan.” Carlisle pulls his attention back to why they were all gathered. Human, wolf, and vampire alike. While the treaty rules were still up, at least all three of you could still manage to unite at least for Bella’s sake. Bella connected all three worlds to each other. “The confrontation with Victoria’s newborn army will be upon us tomorrow. Alice can still confirm that much. But Bella’s role in it has not been seen. We don’t know what Victoria plans for Bella.”

“Obviously nothing good.” If Jacob had his human face, you knew he’d have it scrunched up, like he thought Carlisle an idiot.

Thankfully Edward didn’t translate Jacob’s internal musing.

Charlie puts his hands in his pant pocket, perhaps out of a nervous fashion. “So you guys plan on fighting them while luring this Victoria away?”

“That was our original plan. We were going to use Bella’s scent to lure her in but now they might have the same idea.”

“Does she know about the wolves?”

“Yes. A while ago the wolves and Victoria crossed paths. But I don’t think she knows of us working together.” Carlisle admits.

Emmett, who had been unusually quiet, scoffed and narrowed his eyes at your side. “She probably thinks we’re enemies thanks to that big guy crashing into me.”

Paul snaps his jaws in Emmett’s direction. ”That leech was the one who got in my way!”

Sending Paul a silencing growl, Sam reprimands him. ”Stop acting like a child. Put aside your petty grievances.”

Having heard that prompted a small smile from Edward. Sam was giving him a little more respect since saving him.

“And Alice. . . ?” There was a tone of hopefulness in Charlie’s voice. Alice regretted shaking her head in reply.

“I can’t force my visions. They come at random. I’m sorry Charlie. . .” Alice bit her lip and darted her eyes away, unable to look at him anymore.

The man managed to maintain his calm composure although you did detect the reddening of his eyes. He didn’t let his emotions sway his actions. Something no one in your pack would be able to successfully achieve. Intense emotions sparked the wolf in you and made you do many things you would regret. The chances of saving Bella before the fight was unlikely.

Sam told the younger wolves (including yourself) to get some rest for tomorrow. He and the other seasoned pack members would be doing the patrol. How could anyone sleep with doom being held over your head? Nothing had comforted you in the conversation with Charlie. At least he would do his part in keeping any human away from the battlefield. That much he was able to do.

While Emily forced Seth to head home, you and your trio of boys go in the other direction where your homes waited. All four of you were quiet and contemplative. Quil, Jacob, and Embry hung out in the back. You noted that it had been a while since all three of them had been together. Ever since becoming part of Sam’s pack, there was a derisive split between them which saddened you. In your childhood, they had always been seen together like the Three Stooges. They were iconic among La Push. Now they were splintered.

Your parents were surprised that you were home so early, despite it only being fifteen after four in the afternoon. They were used to you coming home late at night or early in the morning.

“Is everything okay?” Your dad asks, double checking the hands on his watch. He must have just come home for work as he was now in his house slippers.

Looking at your dad, you force a small smile on your face to make his worried look disappear. “Yeah.” Once you’re safely inside of your bedroom, you sit on the floor and stare into space. Unconsciously your fingertips run along the scar on your face, your mind replaying the image of Xiomara’s contorted face and black eyes. You had been able to see your own terrified face staring back at you through her glossy eyes.

Thinking back on it always made your body begin to shake as you relive the horror. Seeing the dead body of the witch who was supposed to help you. The sounds that emitted from Xiomara’s twisted mouth as it morphed into a beak.

A cold sweat buds on your skin and you feel sick as you shut your eyes. But you could still see her. You were alive and she was dead, but Xiomara’s monstrous features never left you.

Bella came to mind suddenly.

She must be feeling the same terror. Believing that she was about to die at the hands of a hideous monster. Alone.

Like a reflex, you were on your feet and hand on the doorknob. Your heart raced. You couldn’t leave Bella like that. To wait and wonder all while suffering torment from the vampires. Feeling like a helpless child.

“Oh no.” You breathed, unable to remove your hand from the knob. “I’m about to do something stupid.” Hadn’t you learned from last night not to act hastily. But imagining Bella by herself killed you more than you thought it would. Shouldn’t you be taking this time to rejoice that they might kill her? Then you would have Edward all to yourself. You weren’t that kind of person, no matter how much you wanted not to care about her. “I’m about to do something stupid. . . I’m sorry Sam.”

Alice doubled over where she stood, her hands clamping down on either side of her head as she suppressed a cry. Jasper was at her side in seconds, helping her to sit down until it passed. She could even hear the concerned voices of her other family members. Just a piercing pain that struck her head and deafening ringing in her ears. Eyes squeezed shut, streaks like lightening rip through her mind. In them were like slow moving videos. (y/n) appeared to be the star as Alice could see her exiting a thicket of trees to come across a paved highway. She was in her human form and at first looked uncertain until she seems to confirm her actions and continues onward.

Her head pulsated when she struggled to look further, knowing that the only other occasion she had felt like this was when (y/n) was in grave danger. The future wouldn't let her though and soon the ringing in her ears faded out. Drilling in her skull slowly dissipated as well. This vision left her feeling weak, weaker than the last one. Alice was breathing heavily, allowing Jasper to mellow her.

When she opened her eyes, everyone was staring at her; only Edward knowing what was going on. He knew that stretch of highway. He had been there last night. With (y/n). She was going to find Bella by herself. Despite Sam's orders, she was going alone with no one else; taking it upon herself to rescue the girl that was her rival.

"I know where she is." Edward said quickly. He didn't want to waste anytime. This wouldn't be something she could do alone, as noble as it was. She needed help.

With her head in her hands, Alice gazes at Edward. "Hurry. Even if she is in her human form, who knows how far she'll make it before she runs into trouble."

Edward nods and in a flash he's already out the door, crossing the front lawn and into the depths of the woods.

-----------------------

TAGLIST: @saltedcoffeescotch , @dangerouslittlefairy , @burn-crash-rqmance , @casedoina , @avadakadabra93 , @daryldixonstorm , @blue-aconite , @xanniestired666 , @esposadomd , @godinho11 , @arin-swear-rose , @alexizodd , @melaninsugarbaby , @lyeatoalinatoheaven , @ronwownsme , @itsmytimetoodream , @afro-hispwriter , @mutandis-extremis993 ,

#edward cullen x reader #edward cullen fanfiction #edward cullen fanfic #edward cullen x you #twilight #twilight saga #twilight fanfiction #twilight fanfic #twilight fandom

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sattlersquarry · 2 years

Text

Worse Than Ghosts [Prologue] (Steve Harrington x Reader BFU AU)

READ THE NEXT PART HERE.

Summary: Y/N is a producer on YouTube's most popular ghost-hunting show. When she and the Spirit Search team travel to Hawkins, Indiana to film their second season premiere at the Creel House, they discover that some things are worse than ghosts.

Word Count: ~1.5k

Warnings: Language, canon-typical Vecna shenanigans, Steve being a flirt (but when is he not).

A/N: This is the beginning of what will probably be a three-or-four-part series! It's a Modern AU inspired by Buzzfeed Unsolved. The older teen characters are in their twenties in this, and none of them are from Hawkins (except for Nancy and Eddie, who will be in later parts). The Creel Massacre also happened in the 80s instead of the 50s, just for the timeline to make sense.

Let's get into it!

👻 👻 👻

Y/N Y/L/N did not believe in ghosts.

However, she was the producer and editor of Spirit Search, YouTube’s top ghost-hunting show for three years running. Life has a funny way of surprising us.

Currently, she and the Spirit Search team were crammed in a motel room in Hawkins, Indiana, preparing for their newest hunt.

“Let’s go over tomorrow's itinerary,” Y/N said, flipping open her iPad case.

“Can’t we just relax for two minutes?” Robin Buckley complained, flopping backwards on the motel bed. Robin was the creator and a co-host of the show, and their resident believer. “I’m so stiff from that plane ride.”

“This won’t take long,” Y/N said. “We’re going to leave the hotel at 9:30 a.m. sharp—”

“What?!” Argyle, their sound guy, said. “Dude, that’s only 12 hours from now!”

“Which will be plenty of time to rest up,” Y/N said.

“Nah,” Argyle said. “I need a crisp and cool 13 hours of sleep to be functional.”

“‘Crisp and cool’?” Jonathan Byers asked. Jonathan was the camera operator. He also worked on lights.

“Crisp and cool,” Argyle repeated.

“Anyway,” Y/N said. “We leave the hotel at 9:30 a.m. (Not a minute later, Argyle!) Then, we head to the Creel House for our initial walk-through and safety checks. Jonathan will choose where to leave the infrared cameras. Maybe we’ll do a practice run with some opening episode jokes—”

“No need,” Steve Harrington said. Steve was the other co-host and a skeptic on all things supernatural. “My jokes always land on the first try.”

“If that was true,” Y/N quipped, “I wouldn’t spend hours editing out all the times you say, ‘Can I take that again?’”

Robin, Jonathan, and Argyle snickered. Steve rolled his eyes, but there was no heat behind it.

“At 11:30,” Y/N said, “we’re heading to the Hawkins Public Library to meet with Nancy Wheeler. She’s a journalism grad student at Emerson and is home for the summer. Her Bachelor’s Capstone Project was on the media’s coverage of the Creel murders, and how it drastically shifted the course of the case against Victor Creel.”

“That’s interesting,” Robin said.

“It really is,” Y/N said. “After the interview with Nancy, we’re going to The Hideout. It’s a bar and grill. We’ll grab lunch and meet Wayne Munson. He was childhood friends with Alice and Henry Creel and went to their house many times before the Creel massacre. That should take until 2 p.m. Then, we can explore downtown until 5, when we head back to the Creel House to start shooting. It’s going to be a late night, but totally worth it. This will be a really powerful season opener.”

With that, she shut her iPad case with a satisfied snap!

“Any questions?” she added.

Argyle raised his hand.

“Questions not related to tomorrow morning’s departure time.”

Argyle dropped his hand.

“Great! Guys, here are your room keys.” Y/N handed them out. “Jonathan and Steve, you’re across the hall. Argyle, you’re near the stairs. See you tomorrow.”

Once the boys were gone (and once Robin finally stopped fiddling with her staticky spirit box), Y/N tried to sleep, but found it impossible. Her mind was plagued with nightmares—bad ones, the kind that have you waking up gasping for air. Nightmares about the scariest moment of her life, something she hadn’t thought about in a long, long time.

Anxious and jittery, Y/N stumbled out of bed and into the hall, on the hunt for a sugary distraction.

She’d traveled all around the country with the Spirit Search team and knew one thing to be true: candy from a motel vending machine just tastes better. It’s inexplicable.

Y/N gazed at the snack machine, surveying the options reverently. The soft hum of the ice machine next to it provided a comforting white noise. She already felt more at ease than she had when she woke up from that nightmare.

“Somehow, I knew I’d find you out here.”

She turned and grinned at Steve, who had come up next to her.

“You know me so well,” she said. “Can’t sleep either, huh?”

Steve shook his head.

“I’m having these insane nightmares,” he said. “You?”

“Same. Figured I’d get a snack.”

“Cool. Cool.”

“I know all we’ve seen so far is this motel,” Y/N said, “but what do you think about Hawkins so far?”

“Do you want a sound bite for the episode,” Steve said, “or my honest opinion?”

“Honesty. Always.”

Steve leaned against the ice machine, arms crossed. Y/N tried not to get distracted by how good he looked in the low light of the vending machine.

“This town is a shithole,” he complained.

“Every town we visit is a shithole,” Y/N pointed out. “The interesting cities bulldoze over haunted locations to build luxury hotels and restaurants.”

“There’s nothing to do here,” Steve said.

“Welcome to small-town life,” Y/N said, choosing Peanut M&Ms as her treat of choice. The coil of the vending machine swirled hypnotically and pushed the yellow packet over the edge. “In places like this, you have to learn to make your own fun.”

Steve raised an eyebrow, eyes glinting mischievously.

“Make our own fun?” he said, a flirtatious lilt to his voice. “What did you have in mind, exactly?”

Y/N ignored the thud, thud, thud of her heart pounding away in her chest. She reminded herself that Steve Harrington was a class-A manwhore who treated flirting like an Olympic sport. It didn’t mean anything more. He didn’t see her, not like that. Not like more than a colleague. More than the show’s producer. Work friends, at best.

“There’s an arcade in town,” Y/N said. “And a cute old movie theater. Like, so-old-it-only-has-one-screen old.”

“A movie could be fun,” Steve said. He scratched his cheek, eyes flicked upward as he visualized their itinerary in his mind. “We should have time after our initial walk-through and interviews to catch one before we start filming. What do you say?”

“Sure,” Y/N said. “I’ll check with Jon and the others, see if they’d be interested.”

Steve deflated slightly. He cleared his throat.

“Right, Jonathan,” he said. “And the others. They should come too.”

Y/N didn’t notice the shift in his demeanor. She held out the M&M bag and shook it once.

“Want some?”

“I’m good,” Steve said. “See you tomorrow, Y/N.”

He turned on his heel and shuffled down the hall, ducking into his room. Y/N headed to the room she shared with Robin, wondering what horrors waited for them tomorrow in the elusive Creel House.

👻 👻 👻

The next morning, the Spirit Search team packed their rental van with their filming supplies. The garish yellow van was once used for pizza delivery. The vinyl letters boasting “Delivered Hot N Fresh to your door!” had been removed long ago, but the van was so sun-faded, the message was still visible in the white space.

“If Argyle’s not down here in 2 minutes,” Y/N said, checking her watch, “I’m firing him.”

“You can’t fire him,” Steve said. “He’s the only one with steady enough arms to keep the boom mic out of a shot.”

“And he’s our friend!” Jonathan said, narrowing his eyes at Steve.

“Yeah, sure. But the boom mic thing is most important.”

Y/N sighed and loaded the last of their goods—Argyle’s beloved sound equipment—into the van. She felt something warm on her face and touched her lip, surprised to see her fingers coated in red.

“Whoa, your nose!” Robin said, almost dropping her spirit box in shock. “You okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” Y/N said. “Must be the change in altitude, or something. That causes nosebleeds, I think.”

“Indiana is mostly flatlands though,” Jonathan said, handing her a tissue.

“But we’re still at a higher altitude than when we’re in SoCal!” Y/N said. “Maybe. Don’t fact-check that.”

Argyle stumbled over to the group, still half-asleep.

“Good morning brochachos,” he mumbled.

“Great of you to join us,” Y/N said. “Let’s head out.”

Hawkins was quaint. It was the kind of town with a small hub of activity downtown, and a rundown shopping mall on the outskirts of the city limits, but otherwise, there wasn’t much besides farmland and forest.

As Jonathan drove them through Hawkins, Steve and Robin pointed their GoPros out the van windows to capture some slice-of-life-type footage. That footage always worked well for Robin’s voiceovers about how “such and such town was completely normal and quiet, until the unthinkable happened!”

Y/N sat in the backseat squished between the co-hosts. She skimmed and re-skimmed their schedule for the day, trying to ignore the ache in her skull.

👻 👻 👻

A/N: Let me know if you want to be tagged in this mini-series!

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington x female reader #st4 spoilers #buzzfeed unsolved au #bfu au #st fic: ghosts #worse than ghosts prologue

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bratshaws · 2 years

Text

goodness gracious 63. brb x oc

a/n: AY FOR MORE FLUFF...AND ITS POSSIBLE THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE SMUT WHAT CAN I SAY IM A WHORE

check out the fic's playlist made by the sweet @wiipes !!

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: f l u f f

chapters:

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24/25/26/27/28/29/30/31/32/33/34/35/36/37/38/39/40/41/42/43/44

45/46/47/48/49/50/51/52/53/54/55/56/57/58/59/60/61/62

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!!)

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @shrimping-for-all @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix

@lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3

@lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2 @emilybradshaw @j-6o @louisahale @leobabbyyy @kulicny @winter-run @ktjmac @graciereads

The snowstorm was harsher than the weather app said it’d be, the scenery was now pure white and the only way to know that was because the cabin’s exterior prevented it from becoming a giant snowball. Beatrice had never seen so much snow in her life, she had seen snow of course, the very few times she went to Italy with her family she did go during winter time. Or whenever they visited Michael and Guillermo in New York, but even then it was never this bad.

It not only arrived much sooner than the night time they said it’d come but it arrived with a vengeance. Thank God this cabin was sturdy because she had a feeling if it wasn’t the roof would’ve been gone after a few hours too. She went upstairs to check the balcony, widening her eyes at the amount of snow piling on the railing - apparently the balcony’s floor was also heated preventing it from staying there and blocking the door - and she could see faint lights in the distance from other cabins but it was hard with how much snow was coming down.

Beatrice walks back down, seeing that Bradley was still on the couch with Jolene’s head on his lap and his hand scratching her back gently, “There’s so much snow.” she comments, seeing him check something on his phone with a frown “What’s wrong?”

“I might have to call Mav or message him to let him know we might not go back tomorrow.” he mutters, “It’s going to last at least one more day.”

“Oh…” she looked back to the glass where she could see the scenery was still as white as it could be, “Well, as long as nothing bad happens to you because you aren’t able to go.”

“Nah, it’s fine, they knew I was coming here already,” he shrugs while typing on his phone one handed, “They’ll understand one hundred percent why we won’t be able to go back, flying during such a weather is insanity.” he finishes his typing, tossing the phone to the side and leaning his head back on the couch’s backrest, flicking his eyes towards her with a small smile, “But it’s not like we’ll be bored in here. We have a lot of options for entertainment.”

She was glad to see he appeared much lighter than earlier that morning, his smile came easier and his shoulders were relaxed. She was also glad they could visit his parents’ graves before the snowstorm hit, they couldn’t buy the tiny sculptures but they planned on doing it before they left. “I guess so.” she smiles,rolling the sleeves of her wool sweater up to her elbows as she turns to the kitchen, opening the fridge to check inside. She didn’t know how this ‘grocery package’ worked, but they had plenty of food for the time they’d be there. Maybe they knew the snowstorm would happen and offered the option to Brad.

Beatrice crouches down to open the drawer, grabbing a package of tomatoes and garlic, looking up when she saw cheese tucked in the corner of the fridge, “How do you feel about tomato soup and grilled cheese for lunch?” she asks, “I think it’d be quick enough for us to have.”

“I’m all for it.” he says from the couch, the sound of Gary Oldman’s voice in the background as he watches Léon on the tv, “You need help?”

“If you want!” She's checking where the pans and bowls are inside the cabin, happy to also see a mixer inside one of the cabinets, “Wow this place really has everything.” she says as she grabs everything she needs, setting on the light colored counter. She hears his footsteps coming from behind, only leaning his head to kiss her cheek before he opens the fridge to grab whatever she needed him to.

“They have to be prepared if something like this happens and the people can’t leave to get food.” he grabs all the ingredients she needs with one hand, placing them on the counter next to the bowls “It’s a really smart tactic.” he watches as she grabs a knife to rip the plastic bag containing the tomatoes open, only putting it away when she washed them under the sink. “What do you need me to do?”

‘Oh, um…” she takes a quick look around “You can help me with the garlic and onions? I’m trying to find some spices around here.” She did find salt and pepper, but she was looking for at least dried basil to add to the soup. Beatrice lets out a sound of triumph when she finds the spice rack inside the cabinets, “Okay, this is actually pretty cool. They have a lot of spices to choose from.” she pulls out the dried basil, oregano and parsley, putting it aside “Do we have any peppers? It’d taste really good if we did.”

Bradley stops peeling the garlic to check inside the fridge again, “Uhhh, no but we have chicken broth cubes.” Why were they in the fridge? He couldn't answer. Beatrice smiles, says it’s fine and grabs the box from his hand. They also had a small bottle of olive oil which would be more than enough for what Beatrice wanted to do, which was sautée the tomatoes, garlic and onions before she blended everything.

Rooster was a good cook, he knew how to cook, but Beatrice seemed to be a natural. Everytime he watched her cook something it was like he was watching a cooking show on television, because she had to be considered a home chef. “Can you pull my hair up for me?” she asks, pulling out the elastic she always had on her wrist over her shoulder towards him.

“Yeah, sure babe. Just let me wash my hands.” he washed his hands the best he could, finishing by rubbing his fingers on the inox faucet - a tip he learned from his mother and Bea how it removed the smell of garlic completely.- before he gets closer to her. He holds the elastic in one hand and pulls her hair up with the other, very gentle to not tug too hard to hurt her. He pulled all her hair up in a ponytail, trying to keep the escaped strands behind her ears, “There you go.” he smiles, kissing the side of her bare neck, “How did I do?”

Beatrice gently touches the ponytail herself, turning her head to grin at him, “It’s perfect, thank you.” she whispers, meeting his lips in a kiss “You are pretty good at this.”

“My mom taught me how, when her hair got longer. She was my…test subject, she said it’s a good thing for me to learn.” he shrugs, wrapping his arms around her waist to watch her cook, the smell was already amazing, “She was very right.”

“Honestly, your mom did what a lot of parents should’ve done, which is treating their sons like a responsible human being.” she says as she stirs the veggies inside the pot, “Do you know how many guys just don’t know a thing about taking care of themselves or others? Way too many.” she furrowed her eyebrows, “Some guys don’t even know how to do laundry and you know what type of laundry detergent works with certain clothes, Roos. You are one in a million.” he chuckles softly against her neck, his cheeks flushing just a little bit because of her compliment. Usually he is a bit aloof to compliments, he doesn’t mind them but he also doesn't get too in his head because of them, but when it comes from Beatrice or even from some of her family members - like her mother for example - he does get a bit bashful.

“Thank you, gorgeous.” he coos, kissing the curve of her jawline “You are just too sweet.” Now it was her turn to blush that red that put the tomatoes she was currently cooking to shame, “Is there anything else you want me to do?”

“Hmm, no not really. I think I’m fine right now. I’ll let you know if I do okay?” He kisses her again before he breaks the hold around her waist, smiling on her lips as she sighs sweetly, looking at him with half lidded eyes when he steps backwards back to the living room area. He runs his fingers through his hair, a movement that keeps Beatrice’s eyes on him because honestly, what doesn’t he do that isn’t incredibly sexy? She bites her lower lip, watching him sit back down on the couch and only looking away when he’s distracted.

She manages to make them lunch quite quickly, putting everything on the dishwasher after it’s done and pouring the soup and placing the grilled cheeses on the plate before she places it on the table, “It’s done!” she calls, smiling when he leaps to his feet, but both of them stop when a harsh wind makes the glass panes on the windows and walls shake faster, with Rooster fearing it’d break it but thankfully it doesn’t happen, “Oh wow. That’s really strong.”

“Yeah, we are definitely not going back tomorrow.” he murmurs, walking to the kitchen table to sit down next to her, his worry melting into adoration as he sees she placed pieces of toasted bread on the soup to form a smile. Only Beatrice could do something so sweet like that.

As they were having lunch together, and watching the movie from where both were seated, Beatrice couldn’t help but say something after a while, “You know, my therapist doesn’t think I should recycle my old diary.” he turns his eyes towards her, swallowing a spoonful as she continues, “She thinks I shouldn’t really get rid of it just because it has bad memories, it has good memories there too, you know? So…I might go to my parents’ house and get it and then, well, read it again.”

He remembers how upset she looked on Christmas’ Eve looking at that old diary, honestly if it was himself he wasn’t sure he’d want to keep it either. But her therapist was a therapist for a reason, she knew better than the two of them combined, “If you want, babe.” he shrugs, “You can do that.”

Beatrice places her hands on her thighs, inhaling deeply as she looks to the side in thought, “She said that it could help me.” she laughs awkwardly, her smile immediately dropping,followed by her eyebrows furrowing, “She said to start the new year…well…anew.”

Bradley licks his lips, then wipes his mouth with a napkin before he turns to her, “Pretty girl,” he calls, holding both of his hands open and so Beatrice turns her body to face him, dropping her palms on his just like they did on the ice rink, “She’s not wrong, you know? I know it sucks, but if you think and if you want to do it, you know you have my support right?” Beatrice’s smile is immediate, so is her nod. He smiles back, “That’s my girl.” he leans closer to kiss her hairline, letting go of her hands to stand to his feet, “I’ll put these in the dishwasher, thank you for the amazing lunch.” he says, this time pecking her on the lips as he gathers the empty bowls and plates with both hands.

“You are welcome.” she replies, her cheeks still red following him with her eyes until he reached the dishwasher. In just a few months this was going to be routine, they are going to live together in a place of their own. She was excited and nervous, but mainly happy that this was happening. Of all the things she expected to happen in her new year, the last one was thinking that she’d end up with Brad and they’d talk about living together already. But she was glad it happened, very glad.

He notices she still hasn’t moved, closing the dishwasher and then leaning on the counter with a little smile, “What?” he asks when she still hadn’t moved her eyes from him, “What you got those big eyes on me for?” Beatrice smiles even wider, shrugging her shoulders before she stands up, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around his middle so her cheek touches his chest. He wastes no time in hugging her back, dropping his lips to her temple, “What got you thinking, pretty girl?”

“I’m just happy.” she whispers, not meeting his eyes but squeezing him just a bit tighter, inhaling his cologne that always seemed to make her heart beat faster, “I really am, Roos.” he hums above her head, almost as if he’s laughing, but she feels his lips make a trail of kisses from her temple to her jawline then finally where her jawline and neck met, his soft lips touching the skin there gently.

“Me too, gorgeous.” he says, lifting his head to tuck a strand of brown behind her ear, rubbing her chin with his thumb before he lifts his head to look outside once more. Nothing changed, everything was just as white as it was hours ago, the movie was nearing its end and honestly their lunch made him just a bit drowsy, the warmth and homey feeling from having it made his body beg for a nap…which honestly he was really considering right now. He let go of Beatrice to turn the tv off, then covered a snoring Jolene with one of the blankets so she’d remain warm while he walked up the stairs to the main bedroom, “Come on, I don’t think we’ll have much to do right now.”

Beatrice takes his hand, walking up the staircase with him until they reach the master bedroom, both of them deciding to brush their teeth together so they could at least have that done right now. She sits down on the bed, Bradley following close behind and then lie down shoulder to shoulder, staring up at the ceiling with their fingers interlaced, “You know,” she begins, “It’s not so bad.”

“What?”

“I don’t like the cold, as you well know, but…I like this, you know? I think it’s because we don’t feel the cold inside at all.” she smiles, crossing her legs by the ankles as she keeps her eyes up to the ceiling, “It really reminds me of those Christmas movies you watch as a child. You know, my nonna.” she turns to look at him, with her hand under the pillow, “She loved to dance to Dean Martin, it was her go to song during the holidays.”

Bradley smiles, “Yeah? What song is it?”

“Everybody Loves Somebody.” she smiles fondly, “She said it was her and nonno Massimo’s song.”

She doesn’t see in Bradley’s face, but something switches on behind his eyes. He ponders about it for a bit, then sits up on the bed for the confusion of his girlfriend. He looks around the room for a bit, then pulls out his phone to check something, Beatrice pushing herself to her elbows in hopes she could figure out what he was doing until she hears the sound of a melody coming from the corner of the room. It takes her a few minutes to figure out what song it was, but when she does she looks at Rooster with her eyes wide “Roos?”

He smiles, holding out a hand for her to grab, “I feel like we didn’t dance enough.” Dean Martin’s deep toned voice echoed around them, “So,” he grabs her hand as she still looks at him like a deer in the headlights, letting out a breathy laugh when he pulls her to her feet, placing a hand on her waist and she hugs his shoulders “I thought it was fitting.”

Beatrice was still looking up at him with pure surprise and wonder, her cheeks stained such a dark shade of red she couldn’t really stop herself. “I…” she laughs nervously, dropping her head to look at their feet then back up at him, “Okay.” she felt her heart explode with butterflies yet again, dancing along with him to the same song her nonna and nonno danced to. She wondered if he knew how sweet his actions were to her, she wondered if he knew how much she adored when he did things like that. The romantic in her always burst open with excitement when he pulled stuff like this.

She giggled when he dipped her playfully, bringing her up to kiss her lips and spin her around the room. It was romantic and perfect, everything she always wanted as a child was to have someone to do the exact thing he was doing right now. She just wanted to be loved unconditionally by someone and that someone was no one other than Bradley.

He sang along with Dean Martin when they were cheek to cheek, whispering the words against her ears as if he had written the song himself. Beatrice’s cheeks hurt from smiling, her eyes stinging with tears but she felt alive.

I love him. God I love him so much.

He twirled her around one more time, the two of them wearing their inner shirts, pants and socks, something that if you saw it from the outside wouldn’t be as romantic as it was. The song ended with Rooster holding her hand at a distance, bringing her closer to kiss her lips and swallow her soft laugh, both of her hands cupping his cheeks, “You know, we’ll have to repeat this.” she pulls back when he says it, giving him a questioning look, “When we move in together, it’s like a Christening of sorts.”

Beatrice grins, nodding in agreement, “Yeah, you are right. I wouldn’t mind it at all.” there’s another song that comes along, this time it was Frank Sinatra and she gives him a look, “Another one?”

Rooster smiles, leaning their foreheads together, “You know it.”

–

After their dance they ended up napping for a couple hours, the cold weather and the lack of things to do only gave them that option for right now. But they slept holding each other close, with Beatrice’s face on the crook of Bradley’s neck and his arms wrapped around her waist to keep them close together.

The snowstorm continued outside, albeit much calmer than it was earlier, as Bradley concluded when he woke up and looked over his shoulder to check the balcony. It was starting to get dark outside, the exterior lights turning on automatically. The pilot groans, rubbing one of his hands up his face and blinking hard, looking back at his phone to check the weather while still keeping his arm around Beatrice.

Not only the snowstorm would only get weaker tomorrow, but some roads were blocked because of the snow so they’d have to wait until it’s clean to go back to the airport. He knew it was possible it’d happen, but he still was annoyed it did. Bradley sighed, looking down at the sleeping Beatrice with a little smile on his face, she looked so cute all curled up next to him like she was just trying to get more and more of his warmth.

Yeah, he wants to see this for the rest of his life.

He doesn’t move when Beatrice stirs awake, blinking confusedly up at him and trying to hold back her yawn without much success, “Mmm…hi.” she smiles sleepily, hugging his middle and resting her cheek on his bicep since it was right next to her head, “What time is it?”

“Almost six.” he murmurs, kissing her forehead, “Good news is the snowstorm is getting lighter, bad news is some roads are blocked because of the snow so we’ll have to wait and see if it’ll get better by Monday night so we can go back home.” he explains, twirling a strand of brown on his index finger, watching it curl around the digit with amazement, “But I’m not too worried, Mav already talked to the others and they understand.”

“You won’t get in trouble?”

“I would if I controlled the weather and purposefully made this happen so we could stay here.” he jokes and Beatrice laughs quietly,nuzzing the fabric of his top “But no,I won’t get in trouble, pretty girl. Promise.”

“Mm…good, or else I’d have to have a talk with Evelyn’s dad and all the other big guys there.” Just the thought of Beatrice facing Cyclone was enough to make a chuckle break out of him, the look of pure confusion on the vice-admiral as his girlfriend defended him was endearing and hilarious.

“Look at you, being protective of me.” he teases, kissing her forehead again “Hmmm…what do you feel like doing now, you hungry?”

“Not yet.” she yawns again, rubbing her face with a sleeve and then blinking her eyes open towards him, “I don’t really feel like moving a lot.” she nuzzles his neck, just as he nuzzles hers, kissing the soft skin of her throat and enjoying how it made her body shudder pleasantly. He rolls on his back, bringing Beatrice with him so she could lie on his chest and straddle his hips, his hands immediately cupping her ass but not squeezing it.

“I want to ask you something.” he hears her ask, her sweet face coming into view as she tried to comb back her sleep mussed hair the best she could, “Has it been that long since you saw your teacher?”

“Oh, yeah. The last time I saw her…” he furrowed his eyebrows in thought, squinting his eyes as he made the math in his head “I was like, probably twelve. I really liked her, you know? She was the coolest teacher I ever had.” not to mention she was always very supportive of Bradley and his mom, especially because of everything. She always made sure to ask him if he was okay, if he needed help, if his mother needed help - especially emotionally- and when he graduated preschool he was really sad to see her for the last time.

How odd, of all times he came back to visit his parents that now he saw his teacher. Now that he was a grown man, with a woman he loved and whom he wanted - he genuinely wanted - to have a life with. He wondered if maybe, this woman who helped his mother so much when he was a child, actually showed up as some sort of connection between his mother and him, maybe a confirmation that he was on the right path.

He wanted him and Beatrice to be together for a long time, but they still had to move in together and then talk about where they should go from there. “Her grandson is so cute too.” she says, breaking him off his thoughts, “Poor thing, he was so scared, I couldn’t leave him alone.” ah, yes, there was also that. That scene of Beatrice and that little boy ignited a fire inside of him, conjuring images of possible futures where he not only saw him and Beatrice together but there was someone else involved.

Again, better not speak of that out loud yet. He was developing baby fever and he knew it.

“Of course not,” he says, rubbing her buttcheeks in a circle, pecking the tip of her nose, “You are just too sweet, I was just nervous because it’s a brand new place for you and you were alone Bea.”

Beatrice’s smile softened, her hands coming up to cup his face and bring their lips together in a sweet kiss, one she continued for a few more seconds before she pulled back, “I know,I should've called you too…but it all ended up good, right?” he nods, “And that hot cocoa was delicious. It had cinnamon, oh I love cinnamon.”

“Of course you do.” he smiles, kissing her jawline and trailing his kisses to her throat, “You are so warm, I don’t feel like getting out of this bed either.” he whispers, “Which reminds me, how will we pass the time? It’s not like we have a lot of options.”

Beatrice pauses, chewing her lower lip and making Bradley pull his head back, giving him a confused look ,”Well,I saw some cards in one of the cabinets…and you know, I got interested when we played poker.”

“You want to play poker?”

“...well…it is poker.”

It takes him a few seconds, “Oh.” he slowly smirks, “Ooohhh…Bea, Bea you know I love when you get like this, right? You know it drives me crazy. You want to play strip poker?” her quiet ‘if you want’ almost made him melt into the mattress because of how cute she was, “Oh baby,you know I do. Now where are these cards?”

#bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x oc #top gun maverick #bradley bradshaw x reader

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jessicas-pi · 10 months

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lskajhdjkal ok i've been messing around with an incorrect quote generator for my Star Wars OCs/AUs and here's some highlights

Problem Children AU

Esme: Don't worry, I've got a few knives up my sleeve. Jadan: I think you mean cards. Ahsoka: She did not. Esme, pulling out knives: I did not.

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Jadan: Why would you think any of this was a good idea?! Esme: Probably because I’m a dangerous sociopath with a long history of violence. Jadan: Oh... Ahsoka, from across the room: I don’t understand how you keep forgetting that.

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Ahsoka: Stop setting things on fire because you're curious about what will happen. What will happen is fire. Esme: But what if something else happens just this one time.

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Jadan: I have a problem. Esme: Kill it. Jadan: Can you chill for like, two seconds?

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The Time Heals 'Verse

Obi-Wan: Can I get a waffle? Sabine and Anakin: *fighting and yelling at each other* Obi-Wan: Can I p l e a s e get a waffle?

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Sabine: *sighs* Anakin: You bored? Sabine: Yeah. Anakin: Wanna start drama for no reason? Sabine: I thought you’d never ask.

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Obi-Wan: I currently have 7 empty notebooks and I have no idea what to put in them. Any suggestions? Sabine: Put spaghetti in it. Obi-Wan: I am currently taking suggestions from everyone but you. Anakin: Put spaghetti in it. Obi-Wan: I am currently taking suggestions from everyone but you two. Ezra: Put spaghetti in it. Obi-Wan: I am no longer taking suggestions.

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Ahsoka: Name a more iconic duo than my crippling fear of abandonment and my anxiety. I’ll wait. Jacen: You and me! Ahsoka: *tearing up* Ok.

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Ezra, talking about Anakin: Is this a friend of yours, Sabine? Sabine: Kind of? Not really. He's in my life and there's nothing I can do about it.

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Anakin: What has the galaxy ever done for you?! Why would you wanna save it?! Sabine: Cause I’m one of the idiots who lives in it!

The Rebels AU With The Time Traveling Padawans

Ezra: *eating a cinnamon roll* Derriphan: Cannibalism. Ezra: *confused chewing noises*

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Sabine & Derriphan:*Playing video games* Daesha: You guys woke up at 5:30 in the morning just to play games? Sabine: *silence* Derriphan: *silence* Daesha, finally figuring it out: ...You two never went to sleep, did you? Sabine & Derriphan in shame: Yeah...

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Ezra: Why are you like this?? Derriphan: I used too much "No More Tears" shampoo as a kid and I haven't felt a single emotion since.

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Ezra: When I see really attractive people like Daesha, I just laugh because I know if we lived in the Aztec culture, they'd be sacrificed for their beauty. Sabine: I mean, that's one way to cope with not being attractive. Derriphan: Works for me.

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Derriphan: I love the term 'partners'. Are we dating? Are we robbing a bank? Are we the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies and are members of an elite squad known as the special victims unit? Who knows.

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Daesha: Hello friends! The Squad: Daesha: You might be wondering why I’m taped to the ceiling

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Teenage Rebellion AU

Youngest Brother: The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was changing her name to Leia.

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Sabine: That's ridiculous, Youngest Brother doesn't have a crush on me. Youngest Sister: Yes he does. Katka: Yes he does. Youngest Brother: Yes I do.

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Sabine: I'm having problems with a guy... Leia: Like his dead body won't fit into your trunk kind of problems, or you like him kind of problems?

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Luke: So, are you two friends? Katka: Yes. Sabine: No.

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Luke: You're violent. Youngest Sister: Yeah but I'm also short and that's adorable.

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Things With Rune In Them (Mostly the Numbers AU)

Rune: We have a problem. Ezra: No, YOU have a problem. I have a daughter who keeps making them.

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Calina: You made enough pasta that you could take it to lunch tomorrow. Put it in a container. Rune: Shovel the pasta into your face. Do it. Put it in your face. The future is meaningless but the pasta is now.

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Rune: *wearing full Mandalorian armor* Am I a boy? Am I a girl? It doesn't matter. I'm going to burn your house down.

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Rune: I have yet to encounter a problem where a sword didn't factor into the solution at least in some way.

#incorrect quotes #the problem children au #the time heals 'verse #the teenage rebellion au #jessica's writing nonsense

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xxwhiskeyxx · 1 year

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Love Trope February! Mafia AU! Copia x TransMale! Reader

Copia had taken over the Emeritus family ‘business’ after his brothers were killed. He has been running the family for the last 5 years, his ‘ghouls’ aka his lackeys, have been his only real friends since he took the position until he met (Y/N), who just so happens to be the child of an enemy family, the (L/N)’s. They had run into each other in a bar and ended up hooking up, blowing off steam if you will, and they didn’t realize just who the other was until they sobered up and (Y/N) noticed Copia’s signature white eye and Copia saw the signature white streak that is known for (L/N)’s. Even though they should hate each other, they continue to run into each other and hook up, and eventually form a relationship. But when Seestor tells Copia that she has arranged for him to marry the daughter of a ally family. He is distraught, running out of the mansion and to (Y/N)’s apartment, where he seeks comfort from his partner. What happens after?

Hello before anything SMUT WARNING

The lovely @artfulapple5536 requested this pairing from me and I hope I fulfilled your request!

TransMale Reader, as seen in the title, his clit is referred to as his clit, but he has a cunt. And what I mean when I said let alone a man, even if he was trans, was that even though it is possible for YN to have kids, Sister would rather Copia have a wife because this isn't the Satanic church this is the mafia babes.

Anyways I'm sorry the ending sucks. It's currently 3:30 am and i have work in the morning hehe, please end me ;-;

-Love Whiskey

“You are to marry Silvia Horan by the end of the year, and that is final, Allessandro Copia!” Sister yells, slamming her computer closed as she glares at her son. They had been arguing over the news she had just dropped onto him. She expected Copia to marry Silvia, the daughter of a family they had been close to for many generations, “To bring the families together!” as Nihil had excitedly put it. Copia was understandably against the idea, 1. Because he never wanted an arranged marriage, he wanted to marry for love, 2. He knew Silvia; while she was a sweet girl, he knew she didn’t care for him more than a brother, and she had a boyfriend that she had been secret for years, and 3. He was in love with someone else.

(Y/N) (L/N), the son of the rival (L/N) family, someone he never imagined he’d meet, let alone come to love. Yes, the way they had met was ironic, but he had truly come to love the smaller man; his (E/C) that he loved to gaze into, the white streaks that filtered through his (H/C) hair he would run his fingers through when they were relaxing together, his (S/T) skin that he loved to suck hickies into, the calloused yet soft hands that made him shiver just imagining, and so many other things. Sister would never approve of her son marrying a (L/N), let alone a man, even if he was trans and wanted to have kids, “Yes, Mother,” Copia mutters, “May I please leave?” he asks, looking up at the powerful woman with a disdainful glare.

“Yes, you may. We are hosting a dinner with the Horans tomorrow night. Please do not go out and get drunk tonight, Alessandro. We need you to be presentable.” Sister says, reopening her laptop and typing away at the device, probably emailing Silvia’s father of how she had informed Copia of the news. “Yes, Mother,” he says, standing and dusting off his suit pants before turning and leaving the lavish office. Dew and Aether were leaning against the opposite wall, seeming to have been in the middle of a conversation, when Copia emerged. The small male looks over at the Papa, a smirk visible through the mouth hole of his mask, “Hey boss, sounds like you got amazing news in there. Care to share with the class?” Dew asks; Aether gives his partner a look, “Sorry, boss, are you okay?” he asks, a concerned look in his brown eyes. Copia sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose against the oncoming headache, “Yes.. I’m fine, let’s go to my room. I’ll tell you more in there.” he says, “I need a drink” The two ghouls nod and follow after the older man.

Opening the door to his private rooms, Copia is met with the sight of Mountain and Swiss lounging on the couch, sharing a joint; the girls sprawled out on his bed, gossiping about something that Cirrus and Sunshine had overheard in the halls. Rain sat, legs elegantly crossed over his knee, reading a book that Copia noticed was the one he had recommended to the lanky male. All of his bodyguards were maskless, something he allowed them to be when in the privacy of his room since no one would dare to enter without the Papa’s permission, minus the maids and staff, of course, but they only came when they knew the room would be empty after one maid had walked in on the Papa and his ghouls amidst an orgy.

“Hey, boss, how’d the meeting with Seestor go?” Swiss giggles, now layed across Mountain’s lap as he tries to put out the joint in the ashtray on the side table. The taller male rolls his eyes, grabbing the joint from him and tapping it out. “You know Sister hates when you call her that Swiss. You’re gonna end up getting punished again.” Rain says, not looking up from his book, “Oh hush, Rainy, she’s not here now.” Swiss whines, stretching out across the couch even more, grunting when Dew suddenly launches himself on the Multi-talented males’ lap after he tossed his mask onto a table. “Sister has arranged for me to marry Silvia Horan,” Copia says, hands clenched at his sides.

The room goes silent, the girls whip around and gape at their boss, Rain slowly closes his book and sets it aside, and the other men all stare at Copia in disbelief, “Bu..but what about (Y/N)?’ Sunshine asks, crawling to kneel at the end of the bed, head tilted. Copia sighs, “Sister would never approve of the match, he’s a (L/N), and our family has been enemies with them for years. Plus, she’d never let me marry a man..” he says, disdain and sadness lacing his voice. “I thought she had said that you can marry whoever you want as long as you can produce an heir?” Aether asks, arms crossing over his broad chest, mask now on a table. “That was the original plan, but apparently, I was taking too long, and she decided to ‘move things along’ for me.” Copia growls, the conversation playing on repeat in his mind.

Sister had called him into her office for a meeting, thinking it was a simple meeting about the dinner the next day. Copia had come in and happily sat down, plans to head over and spend the night at (Y/N) ’s afterward already set, so he was in a good mood. They had started with simple small talk until Sister suddenly dropped the bomb. Copia to wed Silvia this winter; her father had offered her hand and even to pay for almost the entire wedding, “You both are getting older. You need to settle down and produce an heir before it’s too late. You don’t want to end up like your brother’s right?” she had said with a sickly sweet smile. This sent them spiraling into an argument. Copia yelled at her about how she had promised he could marry who he wanted as she screamed that she was doing this for his own good.

“That’s fucked up. You’re supposed to be the boss, the big man?! How can she decide something like this for you?” Dew demands, teeth gritted in anger. “While I am the head of the family and usually make the final decisions, my Mother is still the real head of me. She makes arrangements to help further the family’s wealth and status,” Copia says bitterly. Cumulus frowns, getting up from the bed and coming over to her boss, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, “I’m sorry, Copia.” she whispers. The male sighs. The smallest of his guards always gave the warmest hugs and was more motherly to him than Sister had ever been, wrapping his arms around and returning the hug, leaning his cheek against her soft curls. “Thank you, Cumulus.” he whispers back, she looks up at him with a sweet smile, but then it dips down into a frown, “How are you going to tell (Y/N)?” she asks.

Copia lets out a groan, “I have no fucking clue…I hope he isn’t mad about it.” he says. Cumulus pulls away and pats his cheek, “I’m sure he won’t be. He is always so understanding. He knows how the family business is.” she reassures him as Cirrus comes over, patting Copia’s shoulder, “Lussy’s right, (Y/N) always understands.” she agrees. Suddenly there is a loud growl from across the room, the three turns to where Dew is standing, clearly seething, “This is fucking bullshit! Who cares if you’re not married?! Having a bunch of cum pets isn’t gonna change anything!” he yells, kicking the edge of the couch. “Dew, I need an heir to carry the family name; that’s what this entire thing is about. They want me to be married so I can have a legitimate heir.” Copia explains, approaching the hot-headed man, “And why the hell can’t (Y/N) do it? He’s still got a pussy and those operators, or whatever they are called!” he yells.

Copia frowns. The ghouls had joined him and his partner a few times in threesomes and even a few orgies, “Dewdrop, drop it. I would appreciate it if you didn’t discuss my partner like that. Plus, like I said, Sister would never approve because of his family. (Y/N)’ s father and uncle are the ones who assassinated Primo and Secondo!” he hisses. Dew freezes. If it was possible, it almost looks like his ears drop in guilt, “I’m sorry, boss… I’m just pissed for you; why do you have to be forced into a marriage with someone you don’t love when you have a perfectly good partner.” Dew says softly as he sinks back onto the couch.

Letting out what feels to be the 100th sigh since he left Imperator’s office, he walks over to the couch and places a comforting hand on the smaller male's shoulder, “I know, Dew, just..today has taken a turn for the worse.” he says, squeezing light and offering a smile. Dew looks at him before leaning into the hand on his shoulder with what feels like a purr. His group of guards are almost cat-like in their affection and fight like demons despite being human. There’s a reason nobody seems to try to attack the Emeritus’. When Primo, Secondo, and Terzo had been attacked, their ghouls had immediately launched at the assaulters and damn near tore them to pieces. All that was left to identify them was their fingerprints and dental records.

“Hey, boss, remember that plan I told you about when you first got with (Y/N)..” Swiss interjects, tapping Copia’s shoulder, “What plan?” the Papa asks, eyebrow raised. Swiss gives his signature grin, “The one where we bust you out of here, and you two run off into the sunset, of course, with your faithful posse behind you.” he says. “I don’t recall this. Care to explain?” Copia asks, crossing his arms over his chest, all of the other ghouls leaning in as Swiss gives his elaborate “plan.” He apparently has family down in the Caribbean that would be willing to help them escape from their respected families, and he also apparently has contacts who could help them leave the country without being noticed. “Wow, I definitely would’ve remembered that. Sadly, my sweet Swiss, that simply wouldn’t work.” Copia says, patting the male on his head.

Swiss pouts and crosses his arms, leaning back into Mountain, who had silently sat the entire time. “I have a better idea,” he offers. Copia turns to look at his tallest guard, “What is it, Mountain?” The large male shuffles slightly, drawing Swiss into his lap, so he doesn’t have to deal with his squirming anymore, “Tomorrow’s dinner is a masquerade, correct?” he says. Copia nods, “Bring (Y/N), we’ll bring Sister into an area where she can’t call her guards in, aka Dew and Aether take them out of commission for a while, and you explain that you’re going to marry (Y/N) or you’re leaving. Simple as that, if she refuses, we go into hiding until she gives in. I have my own contacts that know how to make people disappear.” Mountain says, a sly smirk on his face. Copia stares at his typically stoic guard, impressed by the plan. “That..might just work, Mounty, thank you,” he says, an offended hey comes from Swiss but is shut up with Mountain pressed his large hand over his mouth and presses a kiss to the top of his head, nodding at his boss with a grin as he holds the writhing male.

“Alright, I think it is time for me to head over to my beloved's home. I said I’d be there after the meeting. Copia says, slipping off his suit jacket in favor of a simple jacket that he wears whenever visiting his lover. “I’ll drive.” Rain offers, standing from his chair, Mountain, Aether, and Cirrus standing from their respective spots to follow. They tend to accompany their boss whenever he visits (Y/N). “Amazing, let’s get going. I am excited to see my amore.” Copia chirps, leading the way out of the room and down the garage.

(Y/N)’ s apartment was about half an hour from the mansion. He had chosen to live away from his own family’s mansion since he had gotten tired of his mother forcing him into feminine clothing; his oldest brother paid for the expenses, he had always been supportive of his brother’s decisions and understood his desire to get away from his mother, though (Y/N) still had a job at a local cafe, so he didn’t completely depend on his family’s money. Copia loved his quaint 1 bedroom, 1 bath in comparison to the vast estate he had grown up in. It felt homier than his house ever did. His ghouls, of course, stay in the car in order to stay inconspicuous, along with the fact none of them were exactly in the mood to watch their boss have sex with his boyfriend. “I imagine that you’re staying the night, so please just let us know when you’re done so we can come up,” Cirrus says.

(Y/N), of course, welcomed Copia’s ‘ghouls’ into his apartment, even though it was a little cramped, simply because 1. He didn’t want them to have to stay in a car all night, he had gotten mad at Copia when it happened the first and only time, and 2. He loves having the guards around because he loves them. The Papa nods, “Yes, yes. Feel free to take my card and get some food or go shopping or whatever while you wait. If I don’t message by the time you’re tired, just come up, we won’t mind.” Copia says, winking at the female who rolls her eye, though she snatches the offered credit card from her boss with a smirk. “Have fun, boss~” Aether teases from the backseat.

Copia quickly exits the car and enters the apartment building, rides the elevator up to the 4th floor, and makes his way down the hallway to the correct door. Knocking lightly, there is a moment of silence before there is a clatter, and the door suddenly swings open. (Y/N) stands in the doorway wearing only a t-shirt and a pair of boxers, holding a pistol that he quickly drops when he realizes it’s his boyfriend. “Alle!” he cries, jumping into Copia’s arms, who chuckles and hugs him back tightly, nuzzling his nose into his lover’s slightly damp hair. “Hello mia amore, I’m sorry it took me so long, Sister talked forever.” he apologizes as he sets (Y/N) back on the floor and follows him inside, not exactly lying but not wanting to worry his love just yet, “She always seems too.” (Y/N) chuckles, closing and locking the door behind them.

Before the taller male can even get his jacket off, the smaller yanks him into a dirty kiss, one filled with tongue and teeth. Smirking against his lover’s lips, backing the smaller man against a wall, the Papa shoves his thigh between the (Y/N) ’s, earning a whimper as he feels just how damp his boxers have already become. Stripping his jacket from his shoulders, then yanked the oversized shirt over his lover’s head, only breaking the kiss long enough for the fabric to be pulled off. (Y/N) whines into Copia’s mouth, grinding down on the thick thigh while the mob boss separates from the kiss to instead make his way down the (S/T) throat, leaving dark hickies in his wake. “Co..couch or bedroom? (Y/N) moans out, gripping his boyfriend’s shoulders and tilting his head back to give him more access.

Sucking one final mark, Copia lifts (Y/N) off the floor and wraps his legs around his waist, carrying the smaller man into the bedroom. Laying him down on the bed, Copia kisses his way down his lover’s chest, making sure to give some attention to his sensitive nipples ad pressing a kiss to the arching scars under his pecs before continuing down to his target. Grinning up at (Y/N) ’s bright red face as he kneels between his spread legs, the smaller male is panting and biting his lip before licking a hot strip up his clothed slit.

(Y/N) moans, hands coming to tangle into grey-streaked brown hair as Copia continues to tease him through his boxers, soaking the material with both slick and saliva. “Pl..please! I need you, baby, need your mouth on me, please.” (Y/N) begs, tugging lightly at the strands. Smirking at how needy his lover already is, “Already so desperate for me, how long have you been waiting, hmm?” he teases, rubbing his fingers against the soaked spot. The smaller male arches his back and whines, “Al..all day! Waited for you to get here, didn’t touch myself because it doesn’t feel as good as you!” (Y/N) whimpers, bucking his hips.

Holding back a groan at the desperate words, Copia pulls down the last barrier between him and his lover’s now dripping slit. But he can’t hold back the noise he makes when he finally sees his lover's soaked cunt, his little cock standing at full attention and twitching with every beat of his erratic heart. “Fuck mio amore, you’re dripping!” Copia moans, earning a whine of embarrassment from (Y/N) that quickly turns into a choked whine as the taller male wraps his lips around the sensitive nub, suckling and tracing circles around the small tip as he slips 2 fingers into his lover’s hole. The younger man is quickly overwhelmed, the testosterone he had been taking made his cock incredibly sensitive, and the way Copia was assaulting it with his mouth was almost too much for him to handle, along with the drag of his fingers inside his clenching cunt.

“Fu..fuck!” (Y/N) moans, clenching his fingers tightly into Copia’s hair, which just spurs him into sucking harder, flicking his tongue at the same pace as his fingers. The tight warmth was quickly spreading through the smaller’s stomach, toes curling against the bed, “Go..gonna cum so..soon, fuck it’s too much!” he cries, hips bucking slightly against Copia’s mouth, grinding his wetness into his chin. Smirking around the cock in his mouth, the older male slips a third finger in before closing his lips tightly around the sensitive nub and sucking as hard as he can, making sure to twirl his tongue around the tip.

(Y/N)’ s vision goes white, his eyes roll back, and he is nearly screaming as he cums hard, slick gushing around the pumping fingers, thighs closing in hard around his partner’s head as he works him through his orgasm. Finally relenting once he feels (Y/N) ’s thighs twitching harshly around his head, Copia withdraws his fingers slowly before sucking them into his mouth, moaning at the taste. “My Satan, my sweet, you always taste so lovely. Could stay buried between those thighs for hours.” he groans, winking at his partner. The smaller whines, and his hips buck slightly at the thought, but for now, Copia has other plans. He stands, quickly unbuckling his belt and shucking his pants off, before he is once again leaning over the younger man. Pressing their lips together, (Y/N) moans at the taste of himself on the other’s tongue, Copia lines his aching cock up with the drenched hole and sinks in.

Both men moan loudly; Copia at the tight, hot wetness that now surrounds his cock and (Y/N) with how full he feels, along with the fact the head is brushing directly against his g-spot. Panting into his lover’s mouth, the mob boss slowly pulls out before sinking back in, setting a slow pace that slowly grows faster. They cling to each other; (Y/N) ’s legs wrapped tightly around his hips and arms around his neck, Copia’s arms around his waist. Their lips move lazily against each other, moreso just breathing into each other as the taller fucks into his lover.

Loud moans and whines fill the room, along with obscene squelching noises from just how wet (Y/N) is, Copia can feel the slick dripping down his balls as they slap into his cunt. “You feel so amazing, Tesoro, so tight and warm, so fucking wet!” he groans, earning an embarrassed whine from his lover, “Fuck, baby! Right there, right there! Fucking shit!” (Y/N) cries, back arching as the pleasure overtakes his senses. Feeling him clench even harder around him makes the knot in Copia’s belly tighten even further. He can feel his balls tightening as his orgasm builds, “Go..gonna fill this pretty cunt up with my cum, wanna feel you cum with me, can you do that for me mio amore?” Copia pants, reaching down to rub (Y/N) ’s cock. All the smaller male can do is nod spastically and moan, letting out a high-pitched squeak at the sudden feeling of fingers on his sensitive nub.

It doesn’t take long for them both to cum. Copia falls over the edge first, hips stuttering as he cums deep inside his lover. The feeling of the hot cum being spilled inside them, along with one last hard stroke to his cock has (Y/N) ’s back arching as he cries out Copia’s name. Clenching down hard on the cock inside him as he cums, trembling violently and clinging tighter to his partner. Slowly withdrawing from the wet head, making (Y/N) wince due to how sensitive he is, Copia carefully helps his lover further onto the bed. Kissing his forehead before stumbling out of the room to grab a washcloth and some water for both of them, returning a minute later to find his partner carefully pushing the cum back into themselves despite whimpering from oversensitivity.

Smirking at the sight, “Such a good boy, pushing my cum back into you. Don’t wanna waste a drop, do you, my little cumslut?” Copia teases, sitting on the bed and handing (Y/N) the water, who just sleepily smiles at him, “Can’t let that previous Papa juice leak everywhere.” he giggles. The statement makes Copia choke on the water he had just drunk, sputtering it out, making (Y/N) laugh harder, patting his back. “You okay, love?” he asks, smirking while knowing the answer, “Yes, just please warn me before you say such things amore! I am an old man. I might have a heart attack.” Copia cries, and the smaller man rolls his eyes, “You’re not old, Alle. You’re only 43.” he states, drinking some of the water. “Fine, but I am still not as young as I used to be.” he retorts, gently wiping the little bit of cum that had begun to ooze out.

The pair finish cleaning up before snuggling on the bed, (Y/N) curled up on Copia’s chest. Sighing, knowing he has to break the news, “Amore?” he whispers quietly, earning a hum, “About the meeting with Sister…she has arranged a marriage with Silvia Horan and me.” he says. He feels the male on his chest tense before he sits up, staring at him with a hurt look, “What the fuck do you mean, arranged a marriage?” he spits, anger taking over. “(Y/N), amore, before you get more upset, please listen to me.” he begs, grabbing their hands in his, pleading green and white staring into hard (E/C), “Sister arranges this against my will, neither Silvia nor I wish for this, she has a lover of her own that she loves very much.” he explains, “But I do have a plan, well Mountain came up with it.”

(Y/N) stares at him, all of the thoughts rushing through his mind, he is hurt, but he knows that Copia would never agree to such a thing. The plan also intrigued him, “Well, go on.” he says. Copia sighs, “Tomorrow night, we are having a masquerade dinner; you are going to come with me, I have an extra ghoul mask that you can wear, and we’re going to tell my mother whether she agrees to call off the wedding, or we leave. Simple as that. I don’t care if I have to leave my family behind, my brothers are gone, and you know how I feel about my mother…I love you (Y/N) (L/N), I don’t care if our families have had this rivalry for decades. You are the one I want.” Copia states, pressing a gentle kiss to their hands.

The confession makes (Y/N) ’s eyes water, and no one has ever said anything like that to them before, so heartfelt and pure, it makes his heart twist and pound. “That…plan sounds wonderful. I’m confident it’ll work.” he says slowly before looking into those mismatched eyes he had fallen in love with, “I love you too, Allessandro Copia Emeritus. You are the one that I have dreamed of for years.” he says, letting go of Copia’s hand to reach up and cup his cheek as the tears fall. Laughing as he hiccups a sob, the older male smiles a dorky smile and tackles them in a hug, pressing kisses all over their face, kissing away the tears that were slowly falling.

That next day, they execute the plan, Sister is brought away in a far-off corridor, unknowingly guarded by Mountain and Swiss and the girls, and Copia enters with (Y/N), who pulls off his ghoul mask. Sister gasps at the sight of his white streaks, but Copia holds up a hand before she can scream. He tells his mother that he will leave if she does not call off the wedding with Silvia. Taking his guards and all of the money in his bank account that she cannot touch, he will manage the family from afar where she cannot bother him ever again. Sister sputters that he can’t do this, but when Copia shrugs and turns to leave, she begrudgingly agrees. They walk back into the ballroom, where she makes the announcement that the wedding is off. Silvia cries with joy and kisses her lover in front of their parents. He is a guard that has been a part of their household since she was 18, him being only 3 years older. Her father was pissed but couldn’t do anything in front of everyone. (Y/N) and Copia happily press their lips together in front of everyone, making it known that Papa Allessandro Emeritus and (Y/N) (L/N) were together and nobody could separate them

#copia x reader #ghost band x reader #ghost bc x reader #cardinal copia #papa emeritus iv #mafia boss #mafia romance #mafia au #love trope febraury #whiskey's burbling barrel

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