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ciaonicole85 · 13 days

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Neighbor Series Ch. 3:

If He Wanted To

Back to Sydney's POV shortly after moving in to the same building as Carmy. By this time her walls are slowly coming down because The Bear is running smoothly and the workplace dynamics are far more healthy. Sydney forgiving him after Friends and Family and the crew having his back helped Carmy be kinder to himself. So less rage. More cuteness. Too bad the actual show is going to rip our hearts out before he gets better! Anyways, here's part 3. Sidenote: Ayo can actually sing.

ALL Sydney wanted was a long hot shower after 12 hours at The Bear. The showerhead in her new apartment had perfect pressure. The scalding water was melting the butter and garlic from her pores. Her vanilla currant scented body wash had just been lathered all over, when she spotted an alien presence. She did a quick spin under the water to rinse off hoping against hope that she just had eye floaters from exhaustion. She gingerly stepped onto the bath mat and grabbed her huge pink terrycloth robe. Okay, it was go time. She scanned the ceiling and there it was!

"Don't move" she whispered.

Sydney dashed to her kitchen and came back armed with a copy of the largest paperback she owned, The Joy of Cooking, and a can of insect spray. The enormous (actually quarter-sized) spider was poised in the top right corner of her bathroom.

"I'm not afraid of you. I work with Richie every day," she taunted the beast.

She aimed the spray and shot. The spider spun down and launched itself at her! With a yelp Sydney dropped the heavy book and ran for cover slamming the bathroom door behind her. She ripped off her shower cap furious with both herself and the stupid spray. This stuff was supposed to kill on contact, not antagonize it!

Soon there was a panicked knock on her door.

"Hey, Sydney! Are you okay?" a man's voiced cried. It sounded like Carm.

Sydney groaned. This is what it means to live above your boss. He gets to find out more of her quirks and weaknesses. Hurray.

She went to the door and cracked it open a few inches.

"Hey! Yeah…I was just trying to kill this big spider. I dropped a book. It's all good now. Thanks!"

The corners of Carmy's mouth twitched and he asked "Well, did you get it?"

"No. The bathroom's his now".

"Just let me get it, Syd."

"Fine."

Sydney let him in and noticed his hair had just been washed and his clothes, thin joggers and surprise, a white t-shirt, were clinging a little to his body. He'd obviously been showering too when he'd heard the commotion. Don't stare. Don't stare. DON'T STARE. He smelled like cedar and musk. DON'T SMELL EITHER.

"Nice robe " he said smirking.

"Are you coming in to help or what?"

"Yes, just get me a paper towel."

Sydney padded into the kitchen to get it leaving a delicious scent trail of her body wash, which Carm inhaled deeply the moment her back was turned.

A moment later with a paper towel in hand he entered her bathroom.

"Why are women's bathrooms always so much better?" he thought as he searched for the spider. Soon he found it running erratically around the tub, obviously maimed by if not yet dead from the spray. With one swooped he had it crumpled in the paper towel and tossed in the wastebasket.

Reentering the hallway he informed Sydney that "It is done" with the seriousness of a hired hitman.

"Thank you. And sorry for interrupting your night. I owe you."

"Yes, you do."

Sydney scrunched her nose, "Okay, what? I don't want it hanging over my head."

"I want a song."

"Excuse me?"

"Either now or within 24 hours, I want a song. I've heard you singing up here and you're good."

"Carmy, that's ridiculous."

"What's ridiculous is you interrupting my shower, for a little spider. So, I'm owed a ridiculous request."

Sydney shook her head giggling, wondering how her life went from melancholy coming-of-age drama for the last couple of years to…this. Her life was now filled with hope, an amazing workplace family, and Carmen Berzatto. With him she was achieving her dreams and if she could only continue keeping her rogue feelings or hormones, or whatever in check everything would be great.

"I'm too tired to argue with you, so fine. A song. Anything in particular?"

Carmen stared at her, thinking for a minute.

"When he owes me, I'm going ask him to wear sunglasses on the inside" Sydney thought trying not squirm.

"Okay, there's this song I've heard you singing all last weekend, but I don't know what it is. The words weren't clear."

"Knocks Me Off My Feet? I was having a Stevie Wonder revival for a few days, but that's a cheesy one. How about anything else?"

"No, thank you. I want Knocks Me off My Feet, chef"

"FINE. For a small spider you only get a verse and a chorus," Sydney grumbled.

Carmy leaned against the opposite wall and waited.

She swallowed, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she started singing in her sweet soprano voice she couldn't help smiling and thinking of her parents. This was their song.

We lay beneath the stars

Under a lover's tree that's seen through the eyes of my mind

I reach out for the part

Of me that lives in you, that only our two hearts can find

But I don't want to bore you with my trouble

But there's somethin' 'bout your love

That makes me weak and

Knocks me off my feet

There's somethin' bout your love

That makes me weak and

Knocks me off my feet

The words cut through to his heart. Somehow when Sydney stopped singing Carmy retained his senses enough to not break every professional boundary. He did not gather her in his arms. He did not kiss her. He did not confess that he missed her on their days off and even sometimes at work when she was out of sight for too long. However, Stevie Wonder couldn't miss the look on his face.

Sydney's eyes met his and in that moment she acknowledged everything she pretended not to see before. And she decided that if this indeed would be something, then he would have to make the first move. Thanks to her father's advice and experiences with Carmen himself, she lived by the motto "If he wanted to, he would".

Breaking his trance, she said "Well, goodnight then."

Carmy blinked a few times and headed towards to door. Then he paused. If he didn't say something now, would he ever? Anyways, whatever truth he thought he was hiding under a partnership or friendship had been reflected back in Sydney's face just as sure as if she could read his mind.

He braced himself.

"May I walk with you to work tomorrow?"

"Yes, but don't we already do that?"

"Sure, but usually I'm just waiting to hear your door open before I leave. Like its a coincidence."

"Oh."

Breathe Sydney.

Okay."

"Goodnight Sydney. And I'll bring breakfast to-go."

After Sydney locked the door behind him, she slumped against the wall and slid to the floor, stunned. Did he just read her mind and decide to make a move? A baby step, but nonetheless a step.

"Great. Now I'm literally sliding down a wall over him, " she chuckled, a little delirious.

Thank God for spiders.

#the bear #sydcarmy #sydney adamu #sydney x carmy #carmen berzatto #carmy x sydney #carmy the bear #carmy berzatto #syd adamu #fan fiction #fan fic

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bodycountgame · 9 months

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If t0m cruise wasn't like That (derogatory) would Syd be watching Mission Impossible instead? Or are they not much into movies in general? I feel like they would love the risky scenes but also not the kind of person to sit long enough for a movie, no matter what

syd would probably have worked On mission impossible tbh but they usually skip out on premieres. they love action movies but more from a work standpoint than leisure i guess??? there's just other stuff they normally prefer to do with their Free Time

#ch: syd

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questionable-chnt-hc · 4 months

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sydney doing the choreography to big fun from heathers the musical

that's it 🔥

-Theatre Kid Syd Anon

This has made my day

#camp here and there #ch&t #chnt #sydney sargent #theater syd

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rose-tinted-glasses671 · 10 months

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Echo Chambers Inside A Neighborhood (ch. 3)

read the rest: masterlist

tag list: @junosbugs @lovelyladymayyy @specialagentmonkey @elle-writes-things @anotherrickinthewall

“Sweets, it’s one drink at a shitty pub, not a fucking car.” Sydney handed her card over to the bartender to cover your beer as you considered plucking the plastic out of her hands and gently placing it back into her pocket.

“I’m fucking pathetic! I can’t even afford a beer anymore!” you shouted over the lively 6 p.m. chatter. The Hickory Lane Pub was a crowd favorite amongst the locals, and amongst you and your friends. Shitty establishment, but the vibes were never off, and the drinks were good. Plus, the owner’s son was an old friend of Sydney’s so he always gave her a discount on food.

“My love,” Sydney rested a gentle hand on your shoulder, looking at you dead in the eyes with the most serious expression on her face. “You have to give yourself a break. The last of your tip money is gonna go towards that shitty washing machine and you don’t get your paycheck until Friday.” The sincerest of smiles formed on your friend’s lips, pleading with you to understand. “You’re slowly figuring shit out, and you’re doing it well.”

You scoffed, realizing your own stupidity because Syd was right. You were finally getting back on track after everything was seemingly falling apart. Maybe it was time you took a break.

So you sat in your favorite pub with your best friend and enjoyed a couple of cold beers, your mind constantly wandering back to the man you’d left in your flat eleven hours ago. It wasn’t that you were avoiding him, or that you were uncomfortable being around him. No. You just didn’t know what to expect when you got back, and that made you a little nervous.

Would he be mad that you left this morning?

Would his things take up all the space in the living room?

Oh, God forbid you would have to move your garage sale chaise lounge into your room, a mocking voice in your head interjected your thoughts.

It was pointless being nervous when there was literally nothing you could do to change the circumstances now. You’d been the one who was all too pleased to let a stranger share a living space with you. Now you’d be the one to deal with the consequences.

At 6:33, you decided it was time to stop being a pussy and go back to your flat, so you quickly said goodbye to Sydney and then walked out into the still freezing December weather. Your pace quickened as you approached the Tesco, needing a minute of reprieve from the cold and a box of tampons. The last of the money in your checking account was gonna have to be enough to cover it.

You wandered into the store, heading to the back where you knew the tampons were located. It was supposed to be a quick in and out on your way home, but you were stopped dead in your tracks at the sight of a familiar head of moppy brown hair.

For a second, you stood frozen in time as you watched Ethan bend down to grab something from the bottom shelf, then stand up and throw it into his basket before sliding an arm around a girl’s waist. Whether it was fear or humiliation that immobilized you, you didn’t know, but your brain yelled at you to turn around and run away while your body forced you in place in the middle of the aisle.

The air around you buzzed as you watched Ethan’s head turn to look at you, surprise etching onto his face when he noticed who was standing before him. For a second, he stood frozen too, but when he dropped his arm from around the girl’s waist and started towards you, his lips forming words that your ears didn’t have the capacity to hear, you were finally able to move.

And move you did, doing a full 180 and speed-walking out of the Tesco like your ass was on fire. Fuck the tampons, you’d sooner shove the plastic applicator up there than share the same air as Ethan Campbell again.

In the distance, you heard Ethan’s voice yelling out your name, trying to get your attention, but you weren’t having any of it. Fuck this, fuck this, fuck this.

You maintained your speed as you walked home, although you did slow down the more your legs grew tired of the exercise. A couple glances behind you and it was becoming evident that Ethan had every intention of following you home. What the fuck was he doing?

You broke out into a run, feeling genuine fear for your safety as the man behind you continued to follow. Approaching your building, you took another peek behind you, noticing that Ethan had grown closer, but was now standing frozen.

You stopped as well, a fearsome anger building in your chest because of the entire ordeal, your lungs constricting with the effort it took to push a breath out. He had just scared the absolute living shit out of you, and for what? Just for a laugh?

“What the fuck did you think you were doing, asshole? Chasing a woman down just to give her a scare?” You were fully facing Ethan now, your back to the building door. You pulled your mace out of your pocket and kept you finger poised over the button in case the fucker tried something with you. “You pathetic, useless piece of shit! I dare you to fuck with me. I DARE YOU!” You were screaming at the top of your lungs, the words barely able to leave you, but you were fucking furious and not ready to back down.

Even from several feet away, you saw Ethan’s entire demeanor change. Where he was once confidently chasing you through the streets, he was now cowering away, slowly backing up until he turned around and just walked away in the other direction.

All that could really explain what just happened was the mace. You looked at it, then back at Ethan’s retreating form, a triumphant smile taking over your features.

“Was he bothering you?” a deep voice you recognized well broke the silence looming in the air. Your smile faded as you turned to face your flatmate.

Standing face-to-face with the chest of the 6’4 giant, his arms crossed over and his stance wide and ready to pounce, you noticed how immaculately built the guys was; like the Gods themselves had had their hand at sculpting his physique. You were never so shallow as to only ever care about a man’s physical appearance, but you were a woman. One who noticed a nice body here and there.

“How-” You cleared your suddenly dry throat, your heartbeat refusing to settle down to its regular pace. “How long have you been standing there?” you finished your question, voice coming out a touch breathless.

“’Bout a minute. Came down to throw away the trash,” Ghost pointed a thumb at the black trash bag sitting by the door. “Saw you running this way and a guy following you.” Ghost’s eyes narrowed under his balaclava, looking over at the man walking away.

You let out a sigh, the real reason why Ethan cowered away becoming clear.

Choosing to let go of the defeat you felt, you plastered a fake smile on your face. “Don’t worry about him. Just my ex,” you waved your hands through the air. But when Ghost turned his narrowed gaze onto you, you knew he didn’t believe your words.

“He go around chasin’ you often?” Ghost’s eyes roamed all over your face, as if picking it apart for any signs of an untruth. That simple perusal was making your body flush with a heat it hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Heh,” you let out a nervous chuckle, shifting your weight from one leg to another. “No…”

Ghost just grunted in response. “He’d be smart not to bother you again.”

His deep voice, smooth as whiskey, had not gone unnoticed last night, or this morning. It’s just that you had other things on your mind to worry about, so it wasn’t until now that you noticed how the timbre was making your heart flutter.

“I’ll do him the service of not telling him that,” you joked, trying to distract yourself from your body’s inappropriate reactions to a man who just trying to be a decent guy.

“Head inside,” Ghost said, picking up the trash bag next to him. “I’m gonna throw this out.” His voice was so assertive that you felt like you had to listen to his every command or face the consequences. This little dynamic between the two of you was jarring; you never let someone tell you what to do. But something inside made you want to listen to Ghost. To not disappoint him.

Strange.

As you made your way up the stairs, the hours from the day prior started catching up with you. Your feet ached, your back hurt, and you were getting a headache because you hadn’t eaten since lunch.

At least you had your leftovers to look forward to.

As soon as you turned the key in the lock and opened the front door, the aroma of something hit you square in the face. It smelled decedent and made your mouth water, your stomach grumbling even louder as you stepped into the flat and placed your purse on a chair. That’s also when you noticed that the stove was covered in pans and the counters were littered with vegetables and bottles of spices.

“Don’t mind the mess,” Ghost said as he entered through the front door, removing his shoes before closing the door and returning to the kitchen.

“You’re making food.” You said it as statement more than a question because something about seeing a hot man in the kitchen making dinner was messing with the wires in your brain.

“Steak and mashed potatoes,” Ghost confirmed, looking up at you for a second. He watched for a second how you looked at him in wonder, as if this was a sight you’d never witnessed, before returning to the task at hand. “You’re more than welcome to join me if you’d like.”

And secretly, Ghost hoped against all hope that you’d say yes.

“Uh,” you let out a breathless chuckle, still a little dazed. Of course you wouldn’t be delusional enough to assume that Ghost had made dinner for you.

“Or you can stick with your Indian. Not a problem for me,” Ghost lied. But it was a big problem for him. He wanted you to eat the food he made.

“Yeah. Why not?” You decided a fresh, home cooked meal was probably better than your two-day old leftovers anyway.

A small smile tipped the corners of Ghost’s lips up, though it was hidden by the fabric covering his face. You’d never know how happy those words had made him.

Feigning indifference, Ghost gestured to the dining table. “Have a seat then.”

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syd-djarin · 6 months

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SYD’S MASTERLIST

basically all pedro character fics. I might veer into other fandoms in the future but for now it's all our brown-eyed angel.

banners by: @cafekitsune

❤️‍🔥 = smut

☁️ = fluff

❤️‍🩹 = hurt/comfort/angst

JOEL MILLER

Sugar, Spice & Please Fuck Me Nice (neighbor!Joel x F!reader) ❤️‍🔥☁️

Joel and his daughter move into your neighborhood, where you've lived practically your entire life. You go introduce yourself to your new neighbors, cookies in tow. Joel wants to find out just how sweet you are.

ch. 1 - the new neighbors

ch. 2 - sex & candy

ch.3 - fair game

Leftovers (@katiexpunk oneshot collab) ❤️‍🔥

You’ve waited for what feels like forever to hear Joel say he’ll give you what you want, and what better day to be grateful you’re both now on the same page than Thanksgiving. Joel shows you just how thankful he is for you by giving you loads of his cum.

JACK "WHISKEY' DANIELS

Treat Me Like a Slut ❤️‍🔥

Jack returns home from a mission. You have a surprise and a request for him.

Do It For Me - TMLAS sequel ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🩹

Jack returns home much later than he said he would. You punish him as you see fit.

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daydreamgoddess14 · 8 months

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Carmy Berzatto / Sydney Adamu Masterlist

Just me stepping out of my Ted Lasso comfort blanket and into another 'platonic besties' ship where I'm obviously imagining things and these people clearly don't have a connection... my ass they don't!

FULL MASTERLIST

Tumblr & AO3 links included throughout.

* = Complete

🔥 = Smutty

A flash of joy *

One-shot, general rating. Short and sweet one-shot. The crew at The Beef take a little break while on prep. Set mid/late Season One.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49623865

Iron *

One-shot, general rating. Short and sweet. Syd isn't feeling great & Carmy notices.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49637020

Aspirations *🔥

Syd is 12 months deep in a crush she wasn't expecting, Carmy is 6 months into a relationship he doesn't want, The Bear is 4 months open and Nat is 2 months into motherhood....

CH 1 | CH 2 | CH 3 | CH 4 | CH 5 | CH 6

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49699597/chapters/125446204

Heatwave *🔥

Syd, Carmy and a heatwave which threatens to tip things over the edge...

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50001439

Everything More Than Anything 🔥

Syd works out what she needs to do to get those stars she's dreaming of. Carmy works out what he needs to do to support her.

CH 1 | CH 2 | CH 3 | CH 4 - coming soon!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50410579/chapters/127366186

#the bear fx #the bear #the bear fanfic #the bear fanfiction #carmen x sydney #carmy x sydney #sydcarmy #sydney adamu #sydney x carmen #sydney x carmy #carmy berzatto #syd x carmy #carmy x syd #syd adamu #chefs kiss

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jeewrites · 3 days

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Rules: Post the last sentence you wrote (fanfic / original / anything) and tag as many people as there are words in the sentence.

Thanks for the tag @joelmillerisapunk! (Ofc my last sentence has to be 29 words long lololol)

Pressing a kiss to your temple and tucking your hair behind your ear, he steers you by the small of your back and leads you back to his truck.

The last line of Hold Fast Ch.5 (just in time for this week's Frankie Friday 👀)

No pressure tagging: @imaswellkid @katareyoudrilling @kteague @burntheedges @fungal-rot

@rebel-held @grogusmum @ohforficsake @darkheartgatita @survivingandenduring

@syd-djarin @iamskyereads @vivan-pascal @frenchiereading @joelalorian

@theywhowriteandknowthings @diabaroxa @christinamadsen @undercoverpena

@yourcoolauntie @copperhalfcent @intheorangebedroom @yorksgirl

@littlemisspascal @toomanytookas @loliwrites @survivingandenduring @fitznleo

@lady-bess

#tag game #triple frontier fic #frankie morales #hold fast a frankie x powerlifting!reader fanfic #frankie catfish morales #last line tag #last line game #last line wip

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mariaofdoranelle · 10 months

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Look at Us Now - Ch. 11

Fic masterlist

This week I had to reassure two different friends about a Rowaelin HEA for this fic, can you believe this? It’s like you guys don’t trust my fluff-loving side at all lmaoo

Warnings: language, drunk idiots

Word count: 4,4k

As a soon-to-be mother, Aelin was so proud of her baby girl for growing so much.

As an orthopedist, she was mourning the perfect posture she used to have.

Fenrys stopped at the kitchen’s doorstep to stare at her. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m trying to save my lombardic curve. Stop being weird about it.”

He shrugged and sat on the nearest couch as Aelin tried to adjust that arched back of hers. Holy rutting Mala, why did pregnancy make her go through all that?

“Is Dorian coming tonight?”

“Probably. If he feels like it.” Fenrys shrugged. “It’s not that serious.”

Aelin crossed her arms, clamping her lips together as she tried to look serious. “You’re just casually seeing each other every day?”

“Exactly.” He turned on the TV. “Just like you and Rowan are platonically living together and having a baby.”

She gaped, but still sat by his side. “Take it back!”

“Absolutely not! Do you think Rowan just…” Fenrys flailed his arms around, looking for an example. “He doesn’t goes around massaging everyone’s feet, Aelin. I’m pretty sure you’re the only person he does that for.”

She crossed her arms, chin up. “He does it for me, but not because of me. I just happen to be carrying his baby.”

“The baby is inside the belly, not the feet.”

She sighed, forcing her voice into a lower, calmer tone. “Look, you weren’t there, but he clearly wasn’t interested. He only changed because of the baby. And I’m not complaining about it, I had fun, I’m just saying that if he wanted non-platonic stuff with me, he would tell me.”

Fenrys looked her dead in the eye. “You had a boyfriend.”

“And that never stopped him from fucking me senseless. Wouldn’t stop him from seeing me outside the base if he wanted to.”

It was true, and it was also killing her. Every time Rowan ran to a store to buy something she was craving or massaged her swollen feet, Aelin had the painful reminder that, when it was just her, all she got was cock and a couch inside his office. Rowan just learned very early on that happy mom means happy baby, and she was trying to be okay with it.

They were just having casual sex at first, and now he seemed okay with keeping things platonic for their kid. There was no use in reading between the lines.

After that, Aelin decided to go find Rowan at her house. Fenrys was nice enough to be silent when Dorian was there, but his bed still got squeaky sometimes.

She hired a company to paint her house, since she couldn’t smell paint because of the baby, nor could she let Rowan paint the entire four-bedroom house the Air Force provided her. He protested her decision, but he was already doing too much for her.

Aelin had a feeling that, if she asked him to build a house from scratch for this baby, he’d do it alone without thinking twice.

She had already grown familiar with the path between her house and Rowan’s. The sound of the leaves when the wind got a little stronger never failed to soothe her, and Aelin was excited to co-parent a kid with such close proximity.

Which could be even closer, if her new idea worked out.

When Aelin stepped into her house, the first thing she noticed was the faint sound of Syd Barrett spilling his guts, and she looked for the source until she found Rowan lying on the nursery’s floor.

He didn’t seem surprised when she walked in, though. He probably listened to her footsteps all the way to the baby’s room.

“I didn’t know you were into junkies from the 60’s.”

Rowan got up to get another pillow and help ease her onto the floor. “You listen to them all the time.”

Aelin closed her eyes, feeling the muscles on her back relax now that she was lying too. “My parents were fans.”

Rowan’s hand found her scalp, and Aelin almost purred. God, she was too weak for those.

“You think about them a lot?” He asked.

“More often now that I’m pregnant. And with insomnia.”

Pregnancy just made her think of them more often now, but it wasn’t the crushing type of grief she felt during her late childhood and early teen years. It was bittersweet.

Rowan hummed, never ceasing to caress her hair. “Did you try eating an apple before bed? It helps to induce sleep.”

“No, I haven’t.” Aelin hid her face on his side, trying her best not to laugh.

Apples before bed did absolutely nothing for people with sleep disorders. Rowan didn’t know that her pregnancy was just making a deeper problem worse, though. Aelin couldn’t take any kind of sleeping pills with a baby on the way, and telling him this problem with no solution was just going to make the Buzzard worry to death.

Aelin had been off her antidepressants for almost two years, so this new development made her ghost her psychiatrist and decide to go back once she stopped breastfeeding. She had plenty of time to tell Rowan about that.

Aelin closed her eyes and grinned. “This song is so silly. I love how he laughs halfway into it.”

It was a good song, but he just repeated the name Maisie over and over most of the time.

“It isn’t silly,” Rowan protested. “He’s stoned out of his mind, and the only thing he feels like doing is repeating that girl’s name over and over. It’s kinda relatable”

“Rowan Whitethorn.” Her voice was low as she looked at him with widened, surprised eyes. “Are you coming out as a stoner?”

Chuckling, he playfully pinched her upper arm and turned sideways to face her while lying. “The name is really cute.”

“Maisie?”

“Yeah.”

She chewed her bottom lip, thinking this over. The name was adorable. “But we’re not naming our daughter after a junkie’s song, right?”

“No.” He shook his head, as if erasing the idea. “Of course not.”

They just stayed there, letting the album play as Aelin took in the baby’s room. It was so cute she felt like her chest could burst any minute.

She made Rowan and Aedion put a baby blue wallpaper, even if the Air Force’s regiment said every wall should be plain white. The furniture was in white wood, except for the little dresser in the corner.

It was wooden as well, but every drawer was a different shade of blue, getting darker at the bottom. The knobs were sea life themed, and it took Aelin a lifetime to decide which animal went with what drawer.

It was the cutest, babiest little thing. She woke Rowan up at 1 am to show this finding when she saw it online. It was her favorite part of the nursery.

Aelin felt her heart bang again when she met Rowan’s deep, inquisitive eyes.

“What’s on your mind?”

She placed her pillow closer to Rowan and hugged him. “Thank you.”

He had been pulling Aelin’s house together day and night, completely ignoring her protests about not letting her do much.

Rowan didn’t say anything, just caressed her head in that way that made her melt.

“I’ve been thinking about something,” she continued.

He hummed.

“Your house doesn’t have much of the baby vibe. With the parade of one-night stands and all.”

Rowan sighed. “I know I need to have this talk with—“

She shushed him. The house was Fenrys’ as well, and she didn’t want a surprise baby to disrupt his lifestyle.

“I thought of something. It’s not a permanent solution, but I won’t put an expiration date on it either.”

Rowan leaned closer, watching her intently.

“When I move into this house, you could come with me—“

He engulfed her in a hug, burying his face in the crook of her neck. “Yes.”

“You can pick any room you’d—“

“Yes.”

“So neither of us will be alone with a newborn—“

“Yes.”

Aelin laughed, feeling her chest tremble against his own. Alright, he didn’t need a lot of explanations. She got that.

They just stared at each other for a moment. Aelin felt her heart knock on her throat and do fuzzy little flips as she watched how Rowan’s smile made his eyes light up.

For the first time, she could put a name on the jolt of electricity he made her feel.

She was falling, and bracing herself for the bone crush.

It was funny how everyone from this soccer moms’ night out was telling her to stop being shy and sing with Lysandra. Aelin wasn’t a shy person at all, she was just someone who knew her strengths. Singing wasn’t one of them.

There was no amount of fancy drinks that could make her go up on that stage, but now that Lys made the crowd ask no nicely…

Dorian was trying to save Aedion’s love life in a bar two blocks away. If this became a huge embarrassment, she could just leave, pretend this never happened and join them there. Aelin got up and took the second mic, not missing the cheery crowd—and especially her table—stirring things up.

“What are you two singing?” The employee with the computer asked.

“Lana?” Aelin suggested, but her friend had a vacant stare on the crowd.

She poked Lys on the ribs. “What are we singing?”

“Oh.” She jerked Aelin’s way, blinking, but then her disoriented face turned into a roguish grin. “Peppers.”

Not a question, but Lys and the employee still sought Aelin’s confirmation before starting.

Aelin was just singing at first. She wasn’t stiff, but there was nothing much to her moves. However, when the pre-chorus was reaching its end, Lysandra placed one hand on hand on Aelin’s hips in an attempt to loosen it, and that’s when she understood.

Lys didn’t want to sing a song. She wanted them to give a full show. And now that Aelin understood, she wouldn’t settle for less.

She was rolling her hips, swaying her whole body and toying with her hair as the lyrics suggested. Aelin had no idea if the tables were stirring them in because they were actually good or just two excited drunks, but she was eating it up.

“Put your hands on my knees, baby!” Someone screamed, referencing the song lyric.

Aelin had a snarky remark ready, but kept to herself when she realized it came from a woman, not a creepy dude. Instead, she swayed her hips harder and went down so she could put her hands on her knees in a little provocative manner. The lesbian roared, making her cackle mid-chorus.

And you know what? Tonight was about girls. Aelin came with her soccer mom friends to talk about girl things and sip girly drinks. If she was doing sexy dances tonight, it was for the lesbians. And bisexual girls. Non-binary too—

Lys tapped her shoulder when she stopped singing, too distracted counting all the letters from the acronym to check if she wasn’t forgetting anything. Fuck. She blamed it on the tequila.

Aelin smiled at the crowd when the song ended, taking the applause and fame in. Maybe she should quit orthopedics to perform for a living. Maybe that was her true calling.

All of those thoughts came to a halt when she paused to carefully study the room, though. Her heart stopped just to go back at the highest speed.

Rowan. By the side of a hot redhead.

He was staring at her, and there was no way to decipher that intense look in his eyes. His lips were pursed, but even if Rowan looked pissed, he never took his eyes off her. Not while she was on stage, not when Lys dragged her by the arm to the ladies’ room.

The redhead was looking between them the whole time, probably figuring something out already.

Aelin didn’t do anything when she got to the bathroom, though. Just stood there, staring at a blank spot in the wall. She was so shocked she barely noticed the distinctive reek of a bar’s bathroom. Lys was watching her the whole time, forehead wrinkled and hands on her hips.

This silence was too much, especially since Lys knew most of whatever went down with Rowan.

Well, that didn’t matter now. If the last weeks gave her any doubt about how she should proceed now that they were in a better situation, this just gave her rational side more certainty. He had moved on already, and so should she.

Aelin decided to reapply her lipstick just to do something with her hands.

“I’m assuming you saw Rowan with that woman.”

Yes, and not with any woman. It was the kind of woman who made single moms question their sexuality.

“A redhead?” Aelin’s voice came out slightly high-pitched as she stopped reapplying her lipstick to protest, searching for Lys’ concerned gaze through the bathroom mirror. “I thought he liked blondes. When did blondes stop being the hottest option?”

“You’d still be hotter than her if she were blonde. Or if you were a redhead.”

“This is not about me.” Aelin closed her lipstick, rolling her eyes. “I’m talking about men’s choices in general. It’s an anthropological observation.”

Lies, lies, lies. But Aelin didn’t even tell her therapist about old feelings resurfacing, she wasn’t about to pour her heart out to her newest friend while drunk at a club. Especially not while Rowan was having a hot date.

She raised her eyebrows, looking as if she was tired of explaining something obvious. “Even though he was ogling you like a dog staring at meat through a butcher’s shop window?”

Aelin put away her lipstick and gave Lys a pointed look. “He was not.”

“I was there. I remember it all too well.”

Aelin’s eyes widened. “We could sing that.”

“We can, because you’re not crashing Rowan’s date tonight.”

Aelin was carefully silent. She’d be lying if she said that idea didn’t cross her mind.

“You’re not.” Lysandra’s tone was firm, and she placed both hands on her friend’s shoulders. “You’re going to repeat after me: I’m Aelin Galathynius.”

Aelin giggled. “You’re not Aelin Galathynius.”

Lys squeezed her friend’s shoulders harder than necessary. “Say it.”

She straightened her posture. “I’m Aelin Galathynius.”

“And I’m too mature to crash Rowan’s date.”

“And I’m too mature to crash Rowan’s date,” she lied.

“Great.” Lys took a deep breath and pointed to the door. “Let’s get back to our table.”

Aelin went from the restroom’s door straight to Rowan.

“Good to see you got out of your house for once.”

Rowan slowly assessed her outfit with that judgy gaze of his, making her skin burn. ”Good to see you singing something that isn’t a nursery rhyme.”

Aelin crossed her arms. “I thought you were seeing a guy tonight.”

Rowan mirrored her expression. “So did I.”

Wait, he thought who would be seeing a guy?

His date extended a hand. “Hi. I’m Ansel.”

She begrudgingly shook it. “Aelin.”

God, this was awkward. She should’ve listened to Lysandra and stayed at her table. But when she saw Rowan there on a date with this gorgeous homewrecker with incredibly shiny hair… Aelin felt like she was burning from the inside out, and not in a good way.

Something about her face must’ve showed, because Ansel pointed between her and Rowan and said, “This is totally platonic. Fenrys thought Rowan could have a night out, so he stayed with the kid and set this up.”

“This is…” Rowan tilted his head, frowning at the redhead. “Exactly and not exactly what happened at the same time.”

Ansel elbowed him, making him straighten his posture.

“This is exactly what happened,” Rowan amended.

“Rowan?” Ansel put a hand on his shoulder to grab his attention, and Aelin almost singed it off with her eyes. “Can we talk for a second?”

They excused themselves and got just far enough so they’d be out of earshot. It looked like they we bickering. Ansel pointed at Aelin with her head. Rowan’s body stiffened. She pointed at the door. He pulled at his shirt cuffs and nodded. Aelin would kill to hear whatever that exchange was, especially because when Rowan approached her, Ansel was… smirking? As weird at this sounds, it looked a lot like a smirk.

“Hey.” Rowan didn’t sit again, just got close enough so she’d hear him over the terrible performance of an 80’s song. “I’m going to call an uber. Can you stay here?”

Aelin felt her heart sink. “You’re leaving with her?”

“What? No!” His eyebrows shot up as if the idea was absurd. “I’m calling Ansel’s uber. I was asking if you can wait for me here. Or at the tables outside, anywhere but the club part.”

Aelin nodded, chuckling. The loud, buzzing dance floor by the entrance must’ve been a terrifying sight for Rowan.

She found the soccer moms and quickly explained she’d be with Rowan in the other room. They seemed to understand the situation, which was good. Aelin was friendly with everyone there, but the only person she was close with was Lys. That one would be blasting their DM tomorrow morning, there was no doubt.

Rowan came back just a few minutes after she found them a table at a calmer area outside.

The breeze hitting her shoulders was gentle, but still stronger than her thin, backless shirt. Still, Aelin held her head high, refusing to feel bad for crashing and ruining his date.

“How many beers did you pay her?”

Rowan leaned back on his chair, a playful glint in his eye. “Three, why?”

“You’re paying me four.” He opened his mouth, but she raised a finger and beat him to it. “No questions asked.”

Rowan chugged his beer after their first round came. “I don’t know why you’re being like this. Aren’t you dating other people too?”

“What?” Aelin slightly shook her head, mouth ajar. “Where is this coming from?”

He tilted his head. “You were very clear about wanting more kids.”

“And then you made an assumption about my dating life.”

Rowan didn’t answer, unwavering.

Aelin held a finger up. “First, I told you I haven’t figured that out yet.” Another finger up. “Second, I wasn’t in a relationship the first time, I don’t need one to have kids again.” She shrugged. “For all you know, I could be talking about adoption or fertilization.”

Rowan had his arms crossed, eyes squinted at her. “Why would you pay to have kids if we did that for free the last time?”

The mix of what he’d just said and his displeased face made her cackle. Hard. Her head was tilted back, her body trembling as she tried to regain composure and feel less breathless.

“Why is this funny?” He protested, trying and failing to hide a silly smile. “I’m just saying that if you don’t have another person you’d like to… share genes with, the reasonable thing to do would be make the other children genetically compatible with Maisie.” He sipped his beer, looking nonchalant. “In case one of them needs a kidney or a bone marrow transplant.”

“Alright.” She chugged the rest of her beer down. “Let’s suppose I decide to do that. Would you donate your sperm and sign off parental rights?”

“Absolutely not!” He blurted, clutching his beer for dear life as if it’d protect his imaginary kids from Aelin’s modern ideas. “I’d make and raise them the old-fashioned way.”

Aelin leaned towards Rowan, her pulse skyrocketing as her breath fanned against the shell of his ear. “I bet you’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

There was no mistaking the way he trembled under her whisper. Rowan found the exposed curve of her waist with his hands like a magnet, the tips of his fingers pressing against her skin.

Rowan’s pupils were dilated, his forest-green irises looked on fire. “Stop teasing me. We’re drunk.”

Aelin leaned back on her seat and sipped her drink, chest filled with satisfaction even after being rejected. It was really hard to feel defeated now, since Rowan was too intoxicated to take his eyes off her golden top.

“You were a lot more fun six years ago.”

Rowan chuckled and finished his bottle. “Next round?”

Aelin confirmed at the same time her phone started ringing.

“Dor? Is everything okay—“

“I can’t stand your cousin anymore, Aelin! I’m dumping him in the sewers!”

She chuckled, not missing Rowan’s curious gaze. “Did Aed drink too much?”

“That too! He went straight to a woman and slurred: ‘you’re the prettiest girl I’ve seen this week.’ I can’t do this, Aelin. He’s unsalvageable.”

Aelin snorted. “Alright, give me five minutes and I’ll text you.”

“Too long!”

She finished the call before Dorian could protest further. Rowan had his head tilted, waiting for an explanation.

“Dorian’s bored, so he decided to be Aedion’s wingman tonight. They’re at a bar close by, so we agreed to uber back together.”

“Uber together where? Dorian lives in the opposite side of town.”

She shrugged. “Who knows? You know how Dorian is.”

That explanation seemed enough for Rowan. It didn’t take long for them to decide it was way past their bedtime already, so they decided to head out as well.

They needed to have their wristbands scanned at the cashier near the exit, and she took a step back when Rowan mentioned for her arm as well.

Aelin shook her head. “I spent a small fortune in frilly cocktails.”

He didn’t say a thing, just gently took her wrist and showed it to the cashier.

The outside of the club looked the same it did hours ago, except the line to enter was longer, making the street too loud for it to be the middle of the night.

“Heeeey.” Aelin made a twist to look him in the eye, but stumbled on her heels. Rowan tried to catch her from falling, but she beat him to it. She was just that kind of independent drunk. “Your mom invited me to your trip with Maisie the last time she was in town.”

Rowan snorted. “Sounds like her.”

Every year, Rowan and Maisie visited the southeastern beach house his parents retired in. Inviting Aelin to her ex’s trip without letting him know was something only Rory Whitethorn could pull off. She was a… peculiar person, to say the least. Aelin loved her to death.

“What did you tell her?” He asked.

Aelin tried to look nonchalant, thankful he couldn’t tell the tingling in her limbs. “What was I supposed to tell her? I already crashed your date, I won’t crash your trip too.”

To be fair, Aelin didn’t say anything because she would not, under any circumstance, invite herself to Rowan’s trip. And by under any circumstance, she meant only if she was drunk.

He shrugged. “Maisie would love it if you went.”

She gave him a pointed look. “Of course Maisie would want me to go. I’m talking about you. Would you feel comfortable with me there?”

Rowan’s shoulders dropped, and something in his eyes melted. “Of course I would. Do you want to come with me next month?”

Aelin flipped her hair, not looking him in the eye. “Well, since you asked so nicely.”

He snorted and placed a hand on the back of her shoulder, gently stroking that patch of skin with his thumb until their uber arrived.

Rowan opened the backseat door for her, but a very drunk Aedion called his name from the inside.

She leaned closer to Rowan and whispered, “I think he wants you to go in the middle.”

He sighed, but complied.

The moment they got inside and closed the door, Aedion laid down on the backseat, resting his head on Rowan’s lap and hugging his middle. “I love you, man.”

Rowan petted his head the same way he’d do to a dog. “You’re okay.”

“Aw,” Dorian cooed from the passenger seat. “He got so happy when he saw you outside.”

“Are you staying with Aedion?” Rowan asked, since the driver was getting them farther from Dorian’s apartment each minute.

“No, I’m staying with you. You stole my boyfriend, remember?”

Rowan’s face was flat when he replied, “Thanks for letting me know.”

Grinning at the bickering, Aelin rested her head on Rowan’s shoulders and nearly purred when his hand met her scalp. He chuckled. She lightly elbowed his ribs.

“You know damn well I’m weak for those,” she mumbled, eyes blissfully closed.

“I do.”

Aelin almost fell asleep right there, all because of Rowan’s skilled hands. She would’ve, if it wasn’t for the seat bumping as the driver sped, and the annoying air freshener in the car.

When they arrived, Rowan decided to drop Aelin off while Dorian did the same to a nearly dead drunk Aedion, and they’d meet later. Or Dorian could just break into the house through Fenrys’ window like he used to, that part wasn’t clear.

“There’s this thing nagging me,” Rowan said as they walked through her front garden.

“Spill.”

“Dorian seemed to know you were with the soccer moms all the time, but Fenrys seemed so clueless about this earlier today.”

“Oh.” Aelin leaned against a pillar, scrambling for a nice way to explain this. “Dorian doesn’t tell much about me to Fenrys, since it’d be the same as telling you. I never asked him to do this, but he’s just that loyal.”

Rowan’s expression seemed downcast for a beat, then he concealed it with a grin. “Keeping secrets, Lieutenant?”

Aelin crouched to get the keys from under the front mat, trying to downplay how much that harmless question made her heart twist. Something about her demeanor must’ve given it away, since he changed the subject.

“You know it’s not safe to leave your keys there, right? Why didn’t you take them with you?”

Aelin got up again and sighed, already knowing it was too much for his male brain to understand. “My purse is small, and the keys would scratch my lipstick tube.”

Rowan shook his head, but a small smile betrayed his disapproving face. “So between your lipstick and your house keys, you’d rather keep the lipstick?”

“Absolutely. I need to keep my priorities straight.”

He chuckled, eyes soft as their corners crinkled. “Good night, Aelin.”

Rowan held her upper arm for a beat, caressing it with his thumb, and then let her go.

This chapter has a bonus scene

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