could we get that idea about dbf Jake picking you up from a shitty date maybe? đđŹ
sorry ignore the sound of me screaming itâll stop eventually bc yess we absolutely can!!
Like Iâm imagining that after a really close call, like a really close call involving you having to hide in Jakeâs closet in nothing but a g-string while Jake desperately tried to get rid of your drunk father (who had argued with your mother and wanted to crash at Jakeâs place for the night), you and Jake had called things quits. It was mutual in the sense that you both had agreed, and mutual in the sense that you were equally miserable without each other.
so just imagine exactly how bad this date would have had to be for you to call Jake⌠pretty bad. The guy had seemed really nice when you first met him through mutual friends. He had a good job and was funny, not bad looking.
But then you had sat down to dinner with him, and suddenly he was a pig. He didnât give a damn about a thing you had to say, his jokes were stale and his intentions were clear. He just wanted to fuck. You had tried to brush him off politely, not wanting a fight.
He had picked one anyway. You had a bad feeling about trying to go home by yourself, so, youâd done the first thing you could think of and had texted Jake.
Your date called you a bitch, and a few other choice names, and you had rushed out to Jakeâs car with no intention of ever seeing that asshole ever again.
At first, Jake hadnât known what to say. He had just looked across at you, all dolled up in that pretty dress, and that devastated look on your face. Then, he had wordlessly pulled away from the curb and started the journey home in silence. It was a while before he decided how to start.
âAre you okay?â He had asked quietly.
You inhale deeply and buckle your seatbelt, staring at the footwell instead of turning your head to look at his face. âI will be. He was just an asshole.â
âIâm sorry.â
âWhat do you have to be sorry for? â Itâs not like you said those things.â You sigh, folding your arms over your chest and watching the road ahead of you.
âIâm sorry that you went out with a guy like that,â Jake admits. A muscle in his jaw ticks, the radio plays on between you and heâs got no intention of letting you go home until he says what he needs to say. âIâm sorry that we canât be together.â
You close your eyes for a moment, thinking of all the times he held you. The ways that he understood you.
He stares ahead at the road, aching in the same way. He still smiles when he thinks about the inside jokes you had. Heâs still got the products he bought for you in his bathroom. Heâs got the Valentineâs Day card you bought him stashed in his desk at work, for when he has a hard day.
âYeah, me too.â You agree dejectedly, suddenly wishing you had called a friend instead of Jake. Sitting here with the man who taught you exactly what being loved should feel like, itâs worse than rubbing salt in a wound. Itâs like being wounded again, over and over.
Jake swallows softly, glancing across at you. He hesitates, then knocks his blinker and pulls calmly into a gas station.
âWait here, honey. Iâll just be a second.â
Without looking him in the eye, you nod and start to think about what your love life is going to look like from here on out. How are you supposed to pretend that any guy is ever going to compare to Jake?
While heâs gone, your mind starts to wander back to that night hiding in Jakeâs closet. It would have been mortifying if your father had found you, sure. If he was ever going to find out about you and Jake, you would definitely prefer to be clothed when it happened. But, even though he would have been upset, youâre sure he would have gotten over it eventually.
He would have no choice, if he saw the way Jake treated you. If he cared at all about your happiness.
You flinch as the driverâs side door opens again and Jake slides into the seat, with a bouquet of gas station flowers in his hand. Your brows furrow slightly.
âIf Iâd had more time, I wouldâve gone to a florist,â Jake breathes out with a soft shake of his head, passing the mix of flowers across to you. âIâm so sorry about tonight. You deserve a man who knows how special you are.â
Your eyes sting, throat growing tight as you stare at the colours and soft petals in front of you. Finally, you turn your head and look him in the eye for the first time all night. There are a thousand things you could say to him. A hundred more that you need to.
Instead, you sit forwards and press your lips softly to his. Itâs not like the first kiss you shared. This one is slow, and chaste, like a goodbye.
But when you pull back and see the way that heâs looking at you, you know that itâs far from it.
âSo,â you sigh as you rush Bradley to the airport. âWhere do we go from here?â The two of you slept longer than expected and had to hurry to get Bradley checked out of the hotel and then to the airport on time. As much as it needs to happen, youâve been avoiding this conversation.
âWherever you wantâ he teases but sighs, hesitating before he continues. âJake told me about an instructing position thatâs opening up here, well, in Kingsville. I applied and interviewed for it earlier this weekâŚbefore we even met. Iâve been thinking about making a change for a while. I wasnât sure if I should tell you because I havenât gotten it yet and didnât want to scare you by telling you I might be moving nearby.â
âIâm not scared,â you say without thinking, shocking yourself. âYouâve already proven that you respect my boundaries and I canât imagine that would change if things donât work out.â
âLet me know when youâre home safe, okay?â You tell him, surprised that you want to cry when Bradley wraps you in his arms.
âI will,â he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your hair before releasing you.
âBye,â you say softly, watching him go.
He only makes it only a few steps before he turns around and walks back with intent.
âWhat-â you start to ask in confusion but Bradleyâs hands are in your hair and heâs kissing you. The hustle and bustle of the airport fades into a low hum as his lips press to yours. His heart pounds beneath your palm on his chest, and you can feel yours beating in a similar rhythm.
An announcement overhead has him pulling away reluctantly. âI better go, if I miss my flight Iâll miss work, and that doesnât look good if I want to transfer.â
âYeah, you better get a move on,â you agree. âTalk soon?â
âWhen I land,â he promises, kissing your forehead a final time.
Charlie: So did you take that mustache for a ride?
You laugh as you read Charlieâs text when you get back home. You reply after settling on the couch.
Emma: Arenât you on your honeymoon?
Charlie: Your brother needed a break. đ
Charlie: KiddingâŚweâre still an hour away from the cabin.
Emma: đ¤˘
Emma: And no, we didnât do anythingâŚhe was more than willing but I panicked when he attempted it because Chet never went down on me. I actually ended up telling him everything.
Charlie: Thatâs not necessarily a bad thing though, right? How did he react? What did he say?
Emma: Itâs notâŚbut with the way he kissed me goodbye at the airport I wish we wouldâve đĽľ
Emma: He was so supportive, Char. He said heâs a patient man and Iâm worth waiting for đĽš
Charlie: Damn. Told you heâs a sweetheart. Now what? Are you dating?
Emma: TBH⌠Iâm not sure lol. He told me about applying for the job in Kingsville. Weâre gonna see what happens.
Charlie: YeahđŹ I knew he applied, but I wasnât sure if I should say something or not. It wasnât really my news to share.
Emma: No need to be sorry, youâre right. I hope he gets it. I think Iâd like having him around.
Charlie: Me toođ¤đťIâm gonna let you go. Pretty sure weâre lost.
Emma: Let me guess, Jake refused to use GPS? Mr. âI can read a map.â
Charlie: You know it đ
Emma: Hey, you married him đ¤ˇđźââď¸
Charlie: What he lacks in directional skills, he makes up for in bed.
An hour later, your phone vibrates again, this time itâs Bradley.
Bradley: Hey, just got home.
Emma: How was the flight?
Bradley: Good, I think. I slept most of it. The flight attendant did wake me up once because I guess I was snoring pretty loud. Maybe thatâs why no one ever wants to bunk with me because of it.
Emma: Shouldnât be a problem, Iâm a heavy sleeper.
Bradley: Are you implying I can sleep by you again? đ
Emma: âŚmaybe.
Bradley: Yes! đ. Iâll take it.
You laugh, texting back and forth for a while but soon youâre yawning and tomorrow is an early day. You let him go and get ready for bed, falling asleep again with a smile.
The next few days pass quickly as youâre busy at work catching up on the days you missed the previous week. But you feel like a teenager again, checking your phone any chance you get, texting back and forth in the little spare time the two of you get between your busy schedules.
Youâre monitoring a laboring mare when your phone rings late morning more than halfway through the week. You swipe to connect without looking, figuring itâs either another client or the office due to the time.
âHi, this Dr. Seresin,â you answer on autopilot.
âHey, itâs Bradley. I got the job!â He says excitedly.
Your stomach flips like youâre on a rollercoaster.
âOh my God, Bradley! Congratulations! Iâm so happy for you,â you say, beaming. âIâm selfishly happy for me too.â
âYeah?â He asks, hopeful.
âYeah. I am,â you confirm. âWhen do you start? Whatâd Jake say? What did-whatâs his nameâŚCyclone? I thinkâŚwhat Cyclone say?â
âUhâŚIâm not sure,â he laughs. âI just got off the phone with the CO there. Youâre the first person I called.â
âIâm the first person you called?â You canât help but repeat him as your heart flutters in your chest.
âYeah. Didnât even think about it. Oh shit, youâre probably working. Iâm sorr-â
âIâm glad you called,â you cut him off with a laugh. âItâs fine, Iâm just monitoring a pregnant horse.â
âOkayâŚgood. Wow,â he says, chuckling. âIâm moving to Texas.â
âI canât wait,â you say honestly, heart still feeling out of control.
âMe either,â he replies. âIâll let you go so I can go talk to Cyclone. Iâll talk to you later?â
âYeah, Iâll give you a call when Iâm done here,â you reply, hanging up with a smile after he says goodbye.
You send Bradley the selfie you snapped with the foal a few hours later when you get home.
Emma: This pretty girl gave her mama some trouble but they were both doing fine when I left. Iâm gonna hop in the shower quick, but Iâll call you when Iâm done.
You shower quickly, anxious to find out the details of Bradleyâs new job.
You smile when you get out at his reply.
Bradley: She is pretty darn cute.
Bradley: But her doctorâs cuter.
You call him as you head to your room to get dressed.
âHey,â he answers after a few rings.
âYou okay?â You ask, noticing he sounds out of breath.
âYeah,â he answers. âWhy?â
âYou sound out of breath,â you laugh, towel-drying your hair and accidentally knocking your phone to the floor. âOops. Iâm drying my hair and dropped my phone.â
âNo, Iâm good,â he replies hurriedly. âThat was a fast shower.â
âYeah, I was excited to hear more about your job. Figured I could get dressed while we talked.â
âYouâre naked?â He asks hoarsely.
âI am,â you confirm, but his tone stills your hands drying your hair. âWhy?â
âNo reason,â he replies quickly. Too quickly.
âBradley, were you touching yourself?â You ask, connecting the dots.
âWhat? No,â he lies with a nervous chuckle.
âI may be bad at telling a lie, but I am good at catching someone in one,â you respond lowly. âItâs okay, you can keep going.â
âI wasnât-okay, I was,â he admits with a sigh before he tries to change the subject. âBut Iâm not anymore. I want to hear about your day.â
âAnd I want to hear you touch yourself,â you reply, lying back on your bed with a sigh of your own. âMaybe Iâll join you.â
âFuck,â he groans throatily, and arousal echos between your legs. âSeriously?â
âMhmm,â you answer huskily as your hand trails down your body. âWhat were you thinking about?â
âYou,â he admits. âI canât you off my mind, Em. Your shirt was sticking to you and I could see your nipples were hard in the picture you sent me. I know thatâs not why you sent it and you probably didnât even notice and I feel like a fucking pervert-â
You laugh but it turns into a moan when your fingers brush over your clit. âI wondered if youâd notice that.â
âYou little minx,â he chuckles breathlessly. âI definitely noticed. Then you said you were getting in the shower, and I couldnât help picturing you naked and what I canât wait to do to you.â
âWhat do you want to do?â You ask, out of breath too.
âEverything,â he exhales, and you can hear the lewd, yet sexy sound of him jerking himself off. âAnything. I canât wait to touch you again. Iâd start by playing with your pretty nipples. Did that feel good?â
âSo good,â you moan, teasing one the same way he did with the hand not between your legs.
âWonder if I can get you off just by doing that,â he muses. âBut what I want most is to get my mouth on you.â
âIâŚI want that too,â you admit, gasping when you finally press a finger inside. âIâve been thinking about it every time Iâve touched myself since you left.â
âOh God,â he rasps. âIâve been thinking about it too. Imagining how good youâll taste, how good I can make you feel, wondering if youâll pull my hair or suffocate me with those strong thighs as you cum,â you can hear the smile in his voice as he pictures it. âThen Iâll do it again and again, as many times as I can get you off before youâre pushing me away.â
âYes, yesâŚI want that. Please?â You whimper as you feel yourself getting close. You begin to curl your fingers into your g-spot while grinding your clit against your palm.
ââCourse honey. Canât wait to make you feel good,â he replies. âGod, I can hear how wet you are. Tell me youâre close.â
âI am,â you say. âI-IâmâŚsofuckingcloseâ you whine as you approach the edge.
âEmma, me-Iâm cum-fuck!â Bradley stutters before groaning lowly. The heady sound of his release pushes you over too with a surprised gasp.
âThatâsâŚthe first time Iâve ever had an orgasm with another person,â you say softly when you come down.
âThatâs so hot,â he replies.
âIf it was that good over the phone, I canât imagine how itâll be when youâre here,â you smile, still out of breath.
The next 3 weeks fly by and as much as you want to be the one to pick him up from the airport, you have to work. Jake does instead and helps him get settled into the small, navy-issued apartment-at least with what he was able to bring on the plane. The Bronco and the rest of his belongings will be delivered next week.
You text Bradley as you head out the door.
Emma: Iâm on my way finally. See you soon.
Bradley: Canât wait. Weâre on the porch waiting for you.
âEmmaâs on her way,â Bradley tells Jake as they watch Charlie play fetch with Cash in the yard.
âCharlieâs not drinking?â Bradley asks, sipping his beer.
Jake shakes his head, smiling at her giggle when Cash finds two more tennis balls to stuff in his mouth. âShe went off her birth control before the wedding though, so thereâs a chance sheâs pregnant. Itâs too soon to tell though.â
âOh man, thatâd be awesome. Iâll babysit,â Bradley says slapping Jake on the back. He hesitates before he asks. âDo you think itâll be hard on Emma? Seeing Charlie pregnant?â
âI donât think so. As far as I know, she canât wait to be an aunt. Why?â Jake asks.
âJust wondering, 'cause you knowâŚeverything that happened with her and Chet. It wasnât her fault, but I think she still feels a lot of guilt from losing the baby,â Bradley says, standing when he sees your truck pull in.
Summary: Request - I do want to add to your plate if you don't mind đŹ can I request a hotch x younger!reader fic where it's years after WITSEC and his retirement and he's remarried to someone younger he met at his new, normal person job... Read Rest Here
A/N: I'm back!! Loved writing this one so much! Hope you guys enjoy :)
Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Y/N
Word Count: 3.8k+
You never planned to change your last name if you ever got married. You came through on that plan after falling in love and marrying Aaron Hotchner. He, in his early fifties, and you, a little younger than that, fell in love quickly after meeting at work when he started there almost ten years prior. You were a zookeeper and Aaron was your area manager, the rest was quite literally history.
The two of you hid the secret relationship until he was moved elsewhere in the zoo finally allowing you to come out with it. Dating turned to an engagement turned to marriage. You became Jackâs, now 17, stepmom and brought in his younger brother, Riley who just turned 9, and sister, Madison who was 7, not too long after the two of you tied the knot. Weeks turned to months turned to years and you loved your life, you really did. But the kids were getting older, and you needed a bit of a challenge. Aaron joked about you joining the FBI and the idea stuck. You werenât a profiler, no, but you would make a damn good communications liaison. Youâd basically become that for the zoo you were working at anyway. Your position of zookeeper gradually shifted to communications lead throughout the park.
Your plan was put on hold until one fateful afternoon when you saw the elusive job posting come through to your inbox. You just kept rereading the job posting before making sure your resume was up to date. You wanted to apply but decided to wait for Aaron to make sure it looked as good as possible. He worked there for years, he had to have some tricks up his sleeve.
It wasnât a few hours later that all three of your children and Aaron came bounding through the front door off to do whatever they had planned. Youâd always offered to pick the kids up from their various sports practices after work, but Aaron often refused, he wanted to spend the time with them. You could only imagine how guilty he felt about missing out on Jacks start of life. He refused to miss out on any of Rileyâs or Maddieâs.
âSweetheart.â Aaron kissed your cheek as you finished putting dishes in the dishwasher.
âHi hon.â You hugged his side pulling him into your embrace, âHow was your day?â Laying your head on his chest you looked up to him with all the love in your eyes.
âPretty uneventful. Mandy and Anthony were at each otherâs necks again. The animals behaved better than people, the usual.â He hugged you back brushing a few strands of stray hair from your eyeline.
This was his favorite part of the day, spending time with you. The fact that he knew he got to come home to you warmed his heart. Too often before he spent time in hotel rooms instead of his own bed. Oh, how he loved his own bed.
You grinned, âThey just need to hook up already. For everybodyâs sanityâs sake.â
âY/N!â He laughed squeezing your side.
You pulled away from him shrugging, âWhat? You know they only bicker like that for one reason. They both need to just need to get it over with. I think Tammy said she was going to kill one of them sooner or later if they donât shut the hell up. Her words, not mine.â You pulled a beer out of the fridge handing it to him. It was a Friday night, neither of you had any commitments in the morning, why not get your husband a little tipsy?
He took it from you, happily, âCheers.â
You clinked glasses with him giving him nothing but a happy smile.
âAnything weâre drinking for something?â He raised an eyebrow, surely profiling you.
Letting your head nod up and down you laughed softly, âHow do you always know?â
He smiled walking closer to you, âIt was once my job to notice.â He pulled you back into his embrace by looping a finger through your jean belt loop, pulling you right towards him.
âSpeaking of that.â You leaned your chin on his chest looking up at him with a smile. You didnât miss his eyebrow raise in curiosity, âJob opening just came through.â Handing him your phone you waited for him to say something, anything. He knew how hard youâd been working to set yourself up as the most desirable candidate. Often going to lectures and seminars. Inserting yourself in the world you were so far away from. Going to go get a criminal communications degree at the FBIâs favorite school, Georgetown. You wanted more, needed more than what you were stuck doing.
He nodded giving you another once over, âHoney are you sure?â
âIâm positive.â You smiled, âI finally graduated with my criminal communications degree. Iâve outgrown my position at the zoo. I think itâs perfect timing Aaron.â
âOkay sweetheart. Letâs go get that resume cleaned up.â He reached for your hand ready to get down to business. Heâd do anything for you, and this was what you wanted so that made it what he wanted too.
You werenât sure how much Aaron had helped but you knew it had to be more than he was admitting to. He claimed he simply gave Prentiss and Strauss a call to put in a good word. You knew it was more than that when you got the compensation offer for far more than youâd discussed. You werenât going to question it though. Your mom always told you never to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Youâd have assumed Aaron had told somebody of your relation to him. That assumption was soon to be proven untrue when you met the infamous BAU Unit Chief Emily Prentiss from all of Aaronâs stories who was clearly trying to figure you out. When she asked you, âAre you married?â You knew she hadnât a clue who you were. This was so Aaron to keep his two lives completely separated. A little heads up wouldâve been nice though.
âI am. I have a stepson and two kids with him.â You smiled wondering how long you could play this game until they figured it out.
Emily smiled pressing the elevator button going up, âWhat are their names?â She was just being friendly. Knowing she was childfree for good reason.
You knew it wouldnât give you away in the slightest, but it gave you the slightest thrill to speak his name out loud, âJack is my stepson. Riley and Maddie are my younger two.â You pulled out a picture that strategically hid the younger Hotchnerâs face showing it to Emily.
âTheyâre adorable.â She handed the phone back to you.
âDo you have any?â You asked knowing the answer. It felt odd knowing everything about her, yet she hadnât a clue who you were. But you had to play stupid, or youâd make it pretty obvious something was up.
She shook her head, âNo. But I have six agents that act like it sometimes.â She shot you a wink letting you get out of the elevator first. You got along great with the team after quickly recognizing JJ, Spencer, Morgan, and Penelope from Aaronâs pictures. Playing dumb was getting harder and harder throughout the day when you let it slip that your husbandâs name was Aaron and that his son Jack had just gotten his license in a story you were retelling. Something they had just been told by him not that long ago. Surprisingly nobody picked up on anything, not that you could tell anyway. You werenât a profiler but being married to one had you pick up on the small things that people normally glossed over.
When you got home that night you had Aaron howling with laughter after you detailed the day and how his old team didnât seem to have a clue that you were in fact his wife of nearly ten years now.
âDonât tell them. Letâs see how long it takes.â He cupped your face in his hands brushing his thumbs over your lips softly, waiting for your response.
A slight nod in his hands, âAny reason?â You asked, all too curious.
He shook his head, âLetâs see how well I trained them.â He laughed again. You joined in finding his joy more than contagious. More often than not he was in an incredible mood finding any and every reason to make you smile.
âTheyâre not doing so well Agent Hotchner.â You baited him. Taking a step back with a silly little smirk you watched his reaction.
He threw his hands up, âitâs only been a day sweetheart. Give them a week or two.â
âThatâs a deal.â You grinned pulling his waist in for a quick kiss on the lips. Grinning when you felt him smile into the kiss. You felt those similar butterflies you always got from him. How he managed to make you swoon all these years later was beyond your wildest dreams.
They in fact did not figure it out within a week or two. It had been a month now since you started working with the BAU at the FBI and they had yet to even piece two and two together. Youâd given them your whole life story minus pictures. The only good excuse you had was that you were private. It worked though. Nobody pried. You provided the same courtesy to them too. Only digging as far as theyâd let you.
Aaron had even gotten his longtime friend and colleague, the one youâd actually met, Rossi to play the game. He stopped by the offices every now and then to help the team when they were in town. Retirement was great but even he had to admit he was terribly bored. He claimed he needed to keep his brain from going mushy, so he had to help on cases.
He was having all too much fun testing the team, âY/N.â He called bringing you back to the present and away from your mind.
âYes, Rossi?â You looked up from the stack of paperwork you were powering through, definitely your least favorite thing about the job.
âHowâs your husband doing? Havenât talked with him in a while.â He smirked knowing only you could see his face.
He wasnât technically lying. Aaron and Dave normally spoke almost daily. Theyâd been missing each other this week though, âHeâd good. Said heâs looking forward to seeing you and Pat this weekend.â
Morgan frowned interrupting the conversation between the two of you, âYou know her husband?â
Had somebody  finally started picking up on it? How was Rossi going to talk his way out of this one?
Rossi nodded, âOh yeah, we go back years. Friends for a long time. Itâs a small world.â
Derek nodded trying to get a better read on the situation, âTheyâve known each other longer than we have.â You smiled. If the team hadnât been so overloaded he mightâve picked up on it. But he simply nodded turning back to his massive pile of bullshit he had to get done before he could leave.
âThat was close.â You whispered earning a soft chuckle from the older man.
âIâll see you later Y/N.â
You waved, âSee you Dave.â
âSmall world? Huh?â Derek looked back up giving you a side eye almost as if he didnât fully believe your story.
âIncredibly small.â You confirmed.
If he knew he didnât say a word. It wouldnât be that hard to hide if they did any sort of digging, which you were sure Penny had already done. Why she hadnât told the whole team was a mystery unto itself. There wasnât a chance she didnât do a deep dive on you for Strauss before the FBI hired you. Maybe Aaron had gotten to her before you did?
You only laughed when you saw Rossiâs old pickup truck siting in your driveway as you pulled in after working later into the night. To your delight the house was quiet leading you to believe the kids were elsewhere for the weekend. Aaron always had a plan, always. Something youâd grown to love very deeply. He could take charge of any and every situation no matter how big or small.
âDavid, I thought you said youâd be over Sunday. Not that Iâm not happy youâre here.â You grinned setting your work bag down by the kitchen island.
âThat was the plan until this afternoon. Aaron needed to know how his team is missing every sign.â David poured you a glass of the chilled Pinot Grigio he brought over.
âThey are busy Rossi, be nice.â You took a long sit of the cool wine.
Rossi smiled, âWe have to send in the big guns Monday Aaron. Jack has to come in. Bring in Y/Nâs lunch or something.â
âThatâll give it away.â You grinned setting the glass down.
He shrugged, âTheyâll never figure it out at this rate.â
Aaron sighed, âIâve got to admit. Iâm a little disappointed.â The smile on his face betrayed his words though. He loved every second of this. And with Jack being off for the summer he didnât see why he couldnât conveniently drive him in to drop off his momâs lunch.
The plan sprang to life when Monday rolled around. You couldnât believe Derek had gotten up almost the second that Jack walked out of the elevator. Waving him over you didnât notice any of your teammates watching. Unreal, what were the odds of that.
Heâd almost gotten in and out unspotted, or so you thought, before Derek walked back over spotting the now grown Hotchner.
âHey kid! What are you doing here? You grew another three inches since the last time we saw you a few months ago.â Derek roughed the teenâs hair up. You only grinned sitting in your seat, somehow heâd missed the entire interaction between the two of you.
âJust dropping off my momâs lunch.â Jack smiled knowing what game he had to play too. The Hotchner boys were having way too much fun with all of this.
âShe works here?â Derek asked, surprise evident in his voice. He didnât suspect a thing.
âShe does.â He didnât elaborate any further knowing heâd give the whole gig up if he did, careful not to look back at you.
You watched as Derek tried to figure out who the hell it could be. Obviously it had to be somebody on the floor. It wouldnât be long before he put it all together now, âWell I hope that means weâll see you some more kid.â
He nodded, âWhen Iâm not in school. See you later Derek.â
âSee you Y/N.â He waved making sure not to blow his cover.
âBye Jack.â You winked at him making sure Derek couldnât see, âIâll see you later.â
When you looked back over at Derek he was staring right at you, âSweet kid.â
He nodded confirming what you had just said. Curiosity got the better of him as he asked, âDid you see who his mom was?â Missing the fact that Jack just said bye to you and knew your name.
You shook your head, âAfraid not.â
âInteresting.â He kept looking at you. Then to the lunch that was sitting at your desk then back at you. He had to know. He was far too smart not too. But he didnât say a word.
Raising an eyebrow, you knew he was so close to connecting the dots, âWhat is?â Giving him a sweet smile trying your best to play it off.
âHotchnerâs kid being here. Last thing I expected to see today.â He sat down at his desk across from yours.
You bobbed your head along, âOld boss?â
Derek hummed turning back to his paperwork letting you know he was getting back to work. How he hadnât gotten it yet was a little surprising to you but being bogged down with so much work probably did have something to do with it. You didnât see Spencer sitting there at his own desk across the aisle listening in very closely. He did see Jack come right up to you handing you a brown paper bag before making a beeline to Rossiâs office. It didnât take him more than two seconds after that to realize you were his old bossâs wife. How could he not have seen it? Sure, you didnât take his last name, but he still shouldâve put it together. You werenât shy about using his and Jackâs names.
Spencer let out an audible sigh once he realized deciding to keep his mouth shut. It was clearly a game at this point. How long would it take the rest of the team to notice?
You smiled looking at the team photos on the wall in the conference room. It was fun to see Aaron in his element outside of what he does now. It was hard to believe he was so serious and rigid. So different than the carefree man he was now. The one he was allowed to be after taking the retirement deal Strauss offered him all those years ago.
âThat was is 2009. We were all pretty new to the team back then. Minus Hotch and Rossi.â Spencerâs voice spoke from beside you. That drew your eyes away from your young husband and back towards him.
âYou all look like babies.â You laughed scanning over the much younger faces of the team members.
Spencer smiled, âIâd like to say we were naĂŻve too, but we were years into it at that point. Weâd seen it all, how awful humanity could be.â
You couldnât fully understand Aaronâs stories until you had gotten here. This team truly saw the worst of the worst and stories only told you so much. In just your month here you fully understood. You got why he cautioned you. You could certainly handle it. It didnât make it any easier though.
âYeah, at least you had each other right?â You asked.
âCouldnât have done it without them.â He turned pointing towards Aaron, âWithout him. He did a lot for us. Miss him a lot sometimes.â
âHeâs handsome.â You grinned not thinking Spencer had a clue of his relation to you.
He ignored you asking his own question, âDid you change your last name when you got married?â
You shook your head quickly, âNo, too much of a hassle now a days. My friend got into a legal nightmare with taxes when everything didnât switch over properly.â
He laughed softly enjoying your rambling, âWhatâs his last name then. Aaron what? Donât think you ever told us, Y/N.â He leaned back on the wall grinning like a little Cheshire cat.
Busted. He had to have known. Do you tell him? Might as well, âHotchner.â You bit your cheek to hide the little smile that was threatening to spill over.
He clapped his hands together, âI knew it.â
âCourse you figured it out.â You laughed seeing the excitement of being right cross his face, âWhat gave it away?â
âJack dropping off your lunch.â He scratched the back of his head, âItâs a little embarrassing I didnât figure that out sooner.â
You shrugged, âItâs not like Iâve met you before. Plus, weâre more than a little busy here.â
âIs that why we didnât get an invite to the wedding? He wanted to hide that side of his life away?â A flash of what looked like hurt crossed his face before a neutral expression took over.
You shook your head quickly, âOur parents didnât even get an invite. It was just me, Jack, and Aaron.â You bumped your hip against his trying your best to reassure him.
Relief washed over, âSmall wedding.â
You laughed, âVery intimate. Weâd both already done the big fancy weddings. We wanted to make it just about us. It was incredible.â You admitted to him. Divulging another aspect of your life to him that had yet to come up. Youâd gotten married and divorced. Married far too young with no plan didnât make for a very loving and lasting relationship.
âWait.â Derekâs booming voice came from the entrance of the conference room, âYouâre married to Hotch?â
You spun around on your heal facing Derek and the team behind him with equally confused expressions, âGuilty as charged.â You smiled at them. You had to start laughing seeing all their expressions go from confusion to recognition to acceptance.
âFinally!â Penny let out a rather large sigh of relief, âIâve been hiding that for far too long.â She shot you a wink.
Derek cocked his head to the side, âWhy didnât you say something baby girl?â
You spoke up for her knowing he was about to try and guilt trip her, âIt was Aaronâs idea. Rossi and I just played along. Pennyâs good at keeping secrets.â You returned her wink noting Rossiâs absence. Heâd be so annoyed he missed this.
Derekâs jaw looked like it was about to hit the floor, âWell I guess itâs nice to formally meet you Mrs. Hotchner.â
Shaking your head you responded with a big cheesy grin on your own face, âHe thinks he failed you all at this rate. We had a bet that youâd get it within two weeks. He took the under.â
âDonât look so smug Hotchner lite.â He took two fingers and pointed them right at you.
The entire room erupted at that one, âHotchner lite. I like that one.â You answered him once all the laughter died down.
âAlright,â Emily commanded the attention back from the room, âHotch owes us all a round after pulling that little stunt.â
âThat he does.â You agreed, âHe said your all invited over once you figure it out. Consider this the formal invitation.â The team agreed before the day started and the case was given. Fortunately, the case was local.
When you got home late that night you found your husband quickly wrapping him in a big hug before spilling the details of your day. He stood there listening to every word like it could be your last. Just another thing you adored about him. He just made you feel so cherished and adored.
âOf course, it was Reid.â Aaron chuckled once you finished the story, âFor as smart as they all are they can be so clueless sometimes.â
âThatâs what I said!â You joined in the laughter with him as the two of you snuggled in on the couch. Neither of you making a move to turn on the TV, just enjoying each otherâs presence. Leaning your head down on his chest your eyes drifted shut listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
âI love you sweetheart, get some sleep.â He ran his hands through your hair knowing thatâd knock you right on out.
âLove you.â You mumbled before falling asleep on top of him, happier than ever with the way your life seemed to just fall into line.
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like when vminkook were live and sitting on bed then jm said this is my bare face and jungkook straight up be like "ugly right?" Damn that's some real love i sense there. Making fun of someone's looks (who's been insecure about his looks as an idol Cause before that everyone has praised him for his looks, before joining BH) for yrs. And then jungkook is the standard of love for jkkrs.
Too many anachronisms, let's fix it
1. Jungkook IS the standard for love for jkkrs
IS= present tense đŹ
2. When vminkook WERE live.... then JM SAID
WERE LIVE= past tense
JM SAID= simple past tense.
You can't conflate your past and present tense it makes you sound dubious and malicious.
A fair and an accurate statement would be,
So Jungkook WAS the standard of love for Jkkers when he was out there calling JM ugly?
That question I can answer and will answer differently from the question of whether Jungkook IS the standard of love for Jkkrs.
If you want to say Jungkook IS the standard of love then you would have to look to the present to see what he is doing in the present that communicates love or not and right now he is in Military Service standing in the fire next to Jimin- that to me is the epitome of love.
Know what else is/was an epitome of love?
Buying JM presents on his birthday when he wasn't doing that for any of the members
Admiting his faults, crying and apologizing to Jimin for not listening to JMs advice
Carrying JMs luggage when they traveled and taking charge of it when it got missing
Offering him a seat
Protecting his seat
Picking him up when he fell
Kissing his ear to comfort him when he cried in front t of millions
Don't cry Jimin
Being his number one fan
Playing his songs and promoting it to his fans
Cooking for him
Keeping him company through his loneliness
Making him laugh
Listening to him pour his heart out
Deliberately throwing a competition so JM will win
Offering him his jacket when he is cold
Whispering I love you to him as he sleeps
Traveling to Tokyo twice with him and for him
Risking it for him or showing signs he would risk it all for him
Holding his hands
Being emotionally open and vulnerable with Jimin
Filming editing and producing GCFs for him
Making him laugh
Making him happy
Easing his troubles
Helping him train
Showing concern for him
Complimenting him
Affirming him
Telling him he is beautiful pretty and sexy
Making him feel desired and wanted- literally says this on camera too
Showing immense admiration and respect for Jimin's artistry and being supportive of everything he does
Warnings: period talk, swearing, blood mentioned, period symptoms (cramps, vomiting, bloating, etc)
A/N: I need comfort right now, feel free to ignore
Honestly you should have seen the warning signs YN
But somehow you missed the notification from your period tracking app
You missed the sighs of being extremely tired, moody and just down right agitated
You cried for no reason the other day and it still didnât register
I mean, itâs not like you are busy or anything
You are the team manager for Team Japan after all
Probably the one of the worlds most dangerous jobs
But also super rewarding đ
Youâve been the teams manager for a few months now
And youâve definitely had your period before during practice
But this, this was completely different
You see, never has your period fully started right in the middle of practice
And certainly not with this much vigor đŹ
Letâs just say, you arenât on birth control at all
But you also never really needed it
Because as shitty as birth control can be sometimes, it can be very helpful
Anyways, it was a normal Friday morning and you woke up feeling⌠off
Like just blah
Honestly you didnât think much of it because the Olympics were a month away
Which meant that the boys were on edge
Practices were lasting hours and downtime was limited
Not to mention you were dealing with more Bokuto Emo modes than normal and more tantrums from Atsumu and Kageyama
Basically the fatigue and blah feeling wasnât unwarranted
You checked the mirror, noticing you had a small acne flare up on your jaw
You sighed, putting some coverup on it before heading out
On your way to the gym, you stopped to grab you and the coaches coffee
A typically Friday routine you had developed
Walking into the gym, the sound of volleyballs hit your ears
As well as the agitating, grating voices of those hitting said volleyballs đ
You barely hit the door when it starts
âYNS HERE!!â Hinata screams
âYN please tell me you finished the laundry yesterday, we ran out of fresh towels and I only have 5 stashed away!âSakusa chimes in
âYN please help tape my fingers,â Hakuba adds
âYN you promised youâd measure our jump heights today too! I have to show Hinata that I can get higher!â Hoshiumi shouts
âYN do you have that extra nail files? I left my kit at home,â Kageyama says
âYN I need you to toss for me because these other idiots canât do it like you do!â Atsumu whines
Literally itâs like walking into a daycare but with giant volleyball players đ
âGuys give me like 5 minutes please!â You shout, walking over to the coaches and handing them their coffee before stomping to your office
âIs Yn ok?â Coach asks as the assistant coach shrugs
You just need a minute to breathe, thatâs all you need
Too bad you work with people who donât understand the idea of âneeding a minute to breatheâ
*knock knock*
You groan as your door open and Iwaizumi appears
Please, you donât even want to see Iwa today
Damn YN you ok đ
âIwa what?â You say a little annoyed
âDamn, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something? I just came to give you the training schedules,â Iwa said as you sighed and took them
âSorry Iwa, Iâm just feeling off I didnât meant it,â you said as Iwa nodded
âItâs cool Yn but maybe drink that coffee or something to help?â He says as you sigh and sit down
You manage to drink approximately 1 sip before Aran is at your door
âYN hey! I was hoping we could go over some plays?â He said as you resigned yourself to the fact that today just isnât your day
A few hours in, you get ready for the team meeting
Your walking through the gym when the first cramps hit
âOhh ouch!â You whince as you grab your side
âYN, you good?â Komori asks, noticing immediately
âYeah I think Iâm fine,â you say
âYou know Yn, when my tummyâs upset, I go to the brathroom and it helps a lot!â Hinata says as Kageyama rolls his eyes
âHinata nobody knows more about the bathroom than you do!â He says as Hinata glares at him
âIâm sure Iâm fine, itâs almost lunch anyways. I think I just need to eat,â you say
You grab your lunch, sitting with the few mature memebers of the team
The VERY FEW
Aran, Hyakuzawa, Iwaizumi, Komori, Yaku and occasionally Sakusa, if heâs not on one đ
Anyways, as your finishing lunch, you stand up and it happens
You rn đđťđ§ââď¸đđł
The fear in your eyes đ trust me YN, weâve all been there
âYn you good?â Aran asks as Iwa and Hyakuzawa look at you
âUmm I think my period just started,â you say
Now the fear in your eyes has transferred to their eyes đď¸đđď¸
Please Yn, nothing is off limits with these guys
They talk about bodily functions daily and some of them have sisters, so like they arenât clueless to what a period is
Before they can even say anything you RUN to the bathroom, and sure enough
âDammit!â You scream as everyone in a 20 mile radius hears you
âUhhh Yn, you good?â Yaku asks, knocking on the door to the bathroom
âYeah but uhh I donât have a tampon, can you grab me one form my desk?â You asks as Bokuto runs to your office
At this point, theyâve all come to the bathroom hallway and itâs like a team effort to help you đ
Team bonding if you will
âCrap there isnât any in here!â Bokuto shouts as Atsumu runs to tell you
âYn Bo said there isnât any in your desk!â
âShit, check my bag!â You scream
âCheck her bag bo!â Hakuba shouts
âNothing!â Bokuto shouts back
âFuck!â You say, resigning yourself to the fact that youâll definitely need to make a makeshift toilet paper pad
âYN do you want me to run to the corner store?â Hinata asks
âWould you please? Iâm not really looking to make a toilet paper pad,â you said as Hinata nodded
âWait whatâs a âtoilet paper padâ?â Atsumu asks
âYN send Hoshiumi a picture of the tampons you use and we will go!â Hinata shouts as Hoshiumi and him race out
âIs anyone gonna answer my question?â Atsumu says, annoyed
âIdiot she would have to shove toilet paper in her underwear to stop the bleeding until she got a tampon or pad!â Yaku says
âOmg this toilet paper is so course and had like zero absorbency!â Atsumu shouts
âI know Sumu!! Thatâs why thatâs not ideal!â You say
âYN do you need pain relievers?â Iwa asks
âIf you have some, the cramps are getting bad,â you say as Iwa runs to his office
He grabs a heating pack and some pain relievers
He comes back just as Hinata and Hoshiumi return
âDamn that was like 7 minutes impressive!â Komori says
Hinata and Hoshiumi đđťđ đ
âHere Yn, we got them!â Hinata says passing the pads into the bathroom
You manage to get yourself sorted, leaving some pads in the bathroom as you exit
You come out of the bathroom and are greeted with a forest đł
âUhh hey guys?â You say as Iwa hands you the heating pack and some pain relievers
âAre you ok YN?â Bokuto asks đĽş
You just laugh
âIâll be fine guys, I deal with this every month but Iâll admit, I was a little surprised this time!â You said
âOk well I think itâs time we get back to work,â Aran says
âIâm super hyped up right now!â Hinata says as him and Hoshiumi race back to the gym
âIs anyone surprised?â Iwa says
âIâm actually surprised they managed to handle the task of getting tampons for Yn,â Yaku interjects
âThis isnât Hinataâs first time dealing with this, he does have a little sister,â Kageyama added
âAnd Hoshi?â Hakuba says
âHe probably just wanted to race Hinata,â you laugh
âOk guys, letâs go! Yn go sit down and out that heating pad on!â Iwa orders
âIwa Iâm fine-â you argue
âYN I wouldnât argue with Iwa if I were you,â Sakusa interjects
âYeah heâs super scary when he gets mad!â Kageyama shivers
âWHAT DID I JUST SAY?!?â Iwa yells as you all stiffin
disclaimer: I am in no way advocating for this AT ALL, okay?
I was inspired by @ceilidho's post and who wouldn't love the opportunity to torment a lovesick Ghost? I based this off what I call the 'Spirit of Avoidance', which essentially boils down to me keeping things at arm's length when it gets too real or just... avoiding adulting when I can. Doesn't work out for long, though. đ
It was only supposed to be sex. Just some good dick, no strings attached, right? Right? Then how the fuck did it turn into this... thing?
Ghost who catches feelings but is perpetually pissed off because he can't express them, not like he wants to, because your ass won't let him. You're too busy trying to convince yourself it's just some good dick to really pay attention and, um... đŹ
Let's talk about the fact that Simon tried to broach the subject with you before through text but you responded with an emoji and not only did it piss the man off even more, he had to block your number to clear his fucking head but that didn't last long.
Let's also talk about the fact that Simon tried again in person but rather than, you know, actually have a meaningful conversation, you began to giggle. Which turned into a full-blown laugh. In his face. In his fucking face. He just stared, hard, and the look in his eyes haunted you more than you let on. And he just... left. You didn't even get good dick that night he was so fucking done, and Simon would never know how mortified you were that you just did that but what else could you do when it came to matters of the heart?
Ghost who feels like a fucking kid with a crush when it comes to you. He tries to put space between you two but the sex is too fucking good and his armored heart can't really take it. When he's away, he texts you and it's a guessing game as to how long it takes you to respond. The longer you take, the more on edge he gets. Bonus points if you send one-word responses because you don't know how else to respond.
There was that one time he tried to call you because he needed wanted to hear your voice and you... didn't answer. Fuck. Then he called you again and if he had some alcohol nearby, he'd down that motherfucker in a second because what the fuck was that conversation?â"D'aww, missing my body that much, Simon?" What the fuck?
Simon who remembers you mentioning something you liked during pillow talk (what fucking pillow talk?) and when he got it for you, you played that shit off and the man was fucking THROWED. Internally, you were so flattered.
Simon who realizes that he's smoking more than he usually does. In fact, he's spending more money on cigarettes than anything else. He looks just like he feels: a fucking mess. Fucking hell. Piss off, Johnny, and stop looking at him like that.
You two fuck like rabbits because the thought of even letting your guard down is much scarier than swapping fluids. There's an urgency and desperation there you two hadn't experienced before, and you avoid looking at him, avoid his eyes, his tenderness, because you don't want to see; you don't want him to see...
And when all is said and done and you want nothing more than to kiss the bastard breathless, the moment is ruined with your jokes and giggles and Simon wants to fucking snap but he settles on the next best thing. Another damn smoke. And another round of sex. If you two weren't first class on the Hot Mess Expressâ˘, your tongues would be down each other's throats. But they aren't, and the smoke takes his breath away. He'll fuck you, try and bare his heart, you'll laugh or avoid the conversation altogether, he'll try and fail to put distance between you two, and the cycle will begin again...
Eeee! I can't believe it's finally DONE! At nearly a whopping 14k, I truly hope this makes up for me not updating this story since September! đ Many thanks to my darling @ab4eva for finally helping me knock this loose and reminding me I could indeed still write! đđđ
If I'm honest, Broken Glass is one of my favorite stories I've worked on. I know it's quite the slow burn and not nearly as smutty as my other works (...yet), but it really does make my creative heart sing and I'm so in love with these two and their stark vulnerabilities. đĽš
I highly recommend rereading Chapter 8 to refresh your memory, but the TL;DR is we left a jealous, ailing Elvis having just found out Lori's big secret from Sinatra and Sinatra calling Elvis out on feelings he hasn't quite been able to admit to himself until now. đŹ
This chapter puts us firmly back in Lori's (rather confused) perspective. Elvis is acting weird, and she is feeling the fear of her past nipping at her heels. She's trying to manage her own emotions and health while chasing after Elvis' moody ass, which is going just as well as you'd expect LOL. And of course we have Welcome Home Elvis with Frank Sinatra! You might want to watch the Elvis portions on the show to fully get in the mood--I hope I did them justice! đĽ°
Things will really kick into high gear after this chapter, so this setup is pretty important to what's coming. I really hope you enjoy! You can catch up here using the Broken Glass Masterlist â¤ď¸âđŠš
I can't wait to hear what you think!! đ
Much Love,Â
Madi xoxoxoxo đđ
TW: references to SA/threats/abuse, Gianni, dissociation, emotional upheaval, nightmares/violence/blood, period-related misogyny, health issues (fainting, constipation, vomiting, etc.), Elvis being an asshole, Elvis being a damn snack, sooties đ
Broken Glass Chapter 9
March 24th, 1960
Miami, Florida
âJust hang on, Elvis. Come on, open your eyes for me,â you say, patting his sallow cheek, the concrete biting at your knees where youâve fallen ungracefully to the ground with him.
Your half a cigarette lies smoking and abandoned a foot awayâa bad habit you picked up after needing an excuse to get outside after long, stressful shifts at the hospital. You havenât smoked much since you left New York, not having much need for it when your current job is almost ornamental most days, except in those private, hidden moments away from the bustle of Elvisâ strange life.
But heâd pushed you to that Lucky Strike, what with his aloof behavior since Nashville and then his ridiculous jealousy over Frank Sinatra having the audacity to speak to you and you having the gall to laugh with him.
âYou are. Youâre jealous. Why? Iâm not your girl, so whyââ
âThe hell you arenât.â
Galloping in your chest, your heart betrays your tangled feelings about the way heâd acted, the way heâd said those words as if he thought for a moment you really were his girl. And before, how heâd kissed you so passionatelyâŚ
The memory is interrupted by Elvisâ low groan, his long eyelashes fluttering open to reveal glassy but stormy ocean eyes, thrusting you back into the present emergency. You donât particularly like the way heâs clutching his midsection or how wheezy and warm he is, but you canât do much here, especially when people are starting to gather.
He starts, as if coming back into himself, and surprisingly tries to roll up and off you. âIâm fine,â he gasps, shrugging your hand off his shoulder in an uncharacteristic act of defiance.
You might be more annoyed if you werenât so worried, but your feelings are beside the point right now. Treat him like any other patient, a voice in your head reminds you.
âYou are not fine, and weâre going back to the hotel so I can get a look at you,â you whisper firmly in his ear.
He shoots you a petulant look.
âUnless you want to go to the hospital instead?â you throw at him, with a raised brow. That does the trick. His glare softens a bit and his eyes dart away as though heâs been scolded.
It doesnât take more than a pointed look from you for Lamar and Joe to haul Elvis carefully to his feet. You may only be Elvisâ girlfriend in their eyes, but they do know you are a nurse with some expertise in these situations. And you canât help but see concern on their faces.
Elvis clutches his midsection again with a gasping wince. The guys lead him to a bench outside the building.
âJoe, tell someone in charge Elvis isnât feeling well. Lamar, go get the car, please. Weâre leaving.â
Your tone leaves no room for questions, but the three men look at you with surprise. In truth, you are a little surprised yourself. Perhaps itâs your lack of outward panic, the calm surety of many a night on the emergency ward.
You canât say the same for them, seeing the panic brewing in the eyes of Elvisâ friends. Along with that, none of them are used to taking orders from women, and certainly you havenât shown much vocal backbone in these last few weeks, yet with hardly a pause, Lamar and Joe scurry off, leaving you with Elvis.
He doesnât speak to you or try to joke his way out of the pain, which is unusual. Instead, he stares blankly at anywhere but you. A sliver of unease winds its way through your stomach, and while you donât push him, itâs almost involuntary the way your hand falls on top of his.
There is no reaction at first. Is he trying to ignore you? Could he possibly still be mad about the Sinatra thing? Confusion washes over you at the slight, but then his eyes squint in pain and his hand finally grips yours.
You hold back the breath of relief at the response, and before you can spiral too much more into what ifs, Lamar pulls up with the car. With his help, you get Elvis into the backseat.
The drive to the hotel is mostly silent. Joe tries to crack a joke or two from the front seat, but Elvisâ lack of response beyond painful grimaces quiets the short man with the annoying laugh. Elvis continues to shut you out, his hands clasped around his middle now instead of your hand.
It shouldnât bother you, but it does.
Heâs just distracted by his pain, you reassure yourself.
You spend the ride pushing away questions about his behavior towards you and try to focus on diagnosis and treatment checklists, going through in your head what you have to do once you two are alone. It grounds you.
Once you all arrive, the boys help him out, but he stubbornly pushes them away once they reach the lobby.
âI can get to the elevator by my damn self!â Elvis grumbles, his eyes darting around the open space with concern. Heâs nervous, you think, about being mobbed in this condition. Youâve gleaned enough in the past few weeks to understand he always attracts attention and itâs almost impossible for him to say no to his fans, even when heâs in so much pain he can barely stand upright. You are continually amazed by his generosity and selflessness in this regard. Itâs one of the most endearing things about him.
Luckily, the lobby isnât busy, and you make it to the privacy of the elevator avoiding interruption from outsiders. The humid air in the small space feels stifling and heavy with concern, but no one speaks as the elevator lurches upwards.
The relief is palpable when the doors open to the penthouse, and without ceremony you help deposit Elvis on the king-sized bed in the suite.
âShould we call a doctor?â Joe whispers to you as you try to shut him out of the room. The look in his eyes shows real worry for his friend.
âNo,â you snap back, wanting to avoid any doctors not already familiar with the complexity of the situation. Joe is taken aback, so you continue more gently, âNot yet, at least. Let me see what I can do, and Iâll let you know.â
You canât close the door fast enough, finally able to rush to Elvisâ aid in earnest, grabbing your medical bag out of the closet.
âWhere does it hurt?â you ask, preparing the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope.
Elvis doesnât respond, looking sullen. You canât tell if itâs stubbornness or pain thatâs keeping him this way though. But the dull hurt of your near-constant headache coupled with his strange mood has your temper feeling short.
âYou smoke,â he says with distaste, avoiding your question.
âWhat?â Distracted, you count the seconds of his pulse using your watch.
âGirls of mine donât smoke. I donât like it,â he adds with a petulant glare.
You resist the urge to roll your eyes.
âOkay, Elvis, Iâll stop smoking,â you placate, âbut you need to tell me whatâs going on with your body or I cannot help you.â The command is clear.
He looks up at you then, his eyes churning with pain and something else you donât have time to piece through right now.
âI feel hot anâ short of breath,â he says quietly, almost clinically. âAndâŚâ He hesitates, looking down with embarrassment.
You urge him on with a nod as you squeeze the cuff. âAnd? Whatâs going on with your belly?â
He clears his throat with a grimace. âIt hurts something fierce. Itâs, uh, been awhile sinceâŚyou know.â
You sigh. Logically, you understand how anyoneâany man, especially one in his positionâmight feel embarrassed talking about their bodily functions with a young woman, but it doesnât make it any less frustrating that he hides these issues from you when itâs your job to know.
âHow long?â you ask.
âI dunno,â he shrugs, his face going flush.
âAlright, then, lay back,â you sigh, popping a thermometer in his mouth. Thankfully, he obeys without a fuss, and you pull his shirt up. It doesnât take much gentle prodding on his lower belly to determine the issue. In fact, you can see the distention on his normally lean frame. That coupled with his pained whimpers and wincing makes it clear that his chronic constipation is rearing its ugly head.
For a normal and otherwise heathy person, it might not cause the severity of issues you have to contend with now. But Elvis is neither normal nor healthy. His pressure and temp are too high, his asthma is acting up, either from the pain or exertion of singing, and you know heâs not going to like the solution. But if he wants to stay out of the hospital and out of the press, heâll just have to deal with it.
Despite your headache and frustration with him for not communicating readily with you about anything he should, be it his feelings or his health, you urge him to the bathroom as gently as possible, gathering the materials needed from your bag. The caretaker in you pushes everything else away as you prepare the solution and guide him through the process of what must be done.
He goes from furious to ashamed to resigned rather quickly. You are a little surprised at how readily he becomes vulnerable to you, considering the circumstances. The treatment momentarily strips away whatever inexplicable ire he was holding onto. It feels so intimate the way you both quiet and with how carefully you tend to him, massaging his belly and rubbing his back as the treatment works its magic. And after the relief comes, you run a bath, washing him gently, watching as his handsome face finally relaxes. Never has a man looked so innocent yet so beautifully dangerous. He leans into your comfort, too, and as clinical as your brain wants to make this whole experience, you are a little frightened by the realization of your heart aching not just with him, but for him.
He falls asleep in the warmth of the tub. You donât wake him, knowing how sleep comes for him so irregularly and infrequently, but you are loathe to leave him alone when he could easily slip under the water. Elvis Presley will not drown in a tub on your watch.
Or at least this is what you tell yourself as you take a moment to catalogue such peaceful and unencumbered beauty, knowing very few get to see him like this.
Your mind finally wanders then, back to the moment in Nashville youâve tried desperately not to think about, when he sang directly to you in so intimate a way you thought youâd combust from the inside out with feelings and urges you barely understood. Fire and shivers cascade down your spine all at once at the memory of his eyes, heavy lidded and molten, as he sang to you about just how right it would feel to be in his arms. It was so seductive, so real, it felt like he put a spell on you. There were no secrets between you in that tiny studioâonly want and need.
In those few minutes, he wanted everything from you, and you had wanted to give it to him.
That is his wonderful talent, though, isnât it? you think. To make others believe in the words of a song. Perhaps he believed them too, in the moment. It sure felt like it.
But he became so incredibly distant after Nashville, just when you thought youâd gotten closer. It was confusing and exasperating, like he pulled the rug of logic and sense right out from under you. It hurt more than it should have to be shut out by him. He hadnât been unkind, per say, just aloof and detached.
You purse your fingers over the bridge of your nose, wishing it would ease the dull throbbing in your head. Lack of sleep and routine has done a number on you these past few weeks, though you know itâs keeping up with the façade of a relationship challenging you the most. Youâve slowly been getting better at playing the part of the doting girlfriend, to be sure, but the switching from fake girlfriend to nursemaid and back again is altogether exhausting.
And no matter how much better you get, you arenât an actress. You arenât used to pretending to feel something but not actually feeling it. Itâs getting harder and harder to decern if these complicated feelings you are starting to have for Elvis are just part of your new job or if they areâŚreal.
You donât want them to be. They canât be. Not only would it be unethical, but itâs perilous to thinkâto hopeâhe might see you as more. Youâre not the type of girl a man like Elvis Presley falls for. And even if you were, a smart, practical girl like you knows better than to get involved with a womanizer like him.
A smart, practical girl like you knows any man is dangerous.
Speaking of danger, as soon as youâd left the safety of Graceland, youâve felt the creeping unease Gianni or your father could pop out at any moment to steal you away back to New York. They have to know by now who you are with, and you donât hold any fantasy of them letting you get on with your life without a fight. No, theyâll come for you at some point, you just donât know when or how, and the more youâre out in the world, the more exposed you feel. Your hypervigilance has you always on edge, and you make sure to stay by Elvisâ side as much as possible in the hope he and his entourage will protect you.
So, yes, you are exhausted. The litany of masks youâre wearing to stay functional are crushing you with their weight, and it is taking more of a toll on you than you are letting on. Perhaps that is why Elvisâ mercurial attitude towards you feels so barbed and painful because, by some strange twist of fate, he is the only one in this world who knows even a fraction of who you really are.
And with that thought, you try not to berate yourself too much for taking a stolen moment to gawk at the ethereal man, this god-like Apollo, naked and asleep in the tub. You are too tired to fight the searing memory of how he kissed you today in front of Frank, so possessive and visceral as he clutched you to him like he never wanted to let you go. The way his tongue, oh Madone, how his tongue had teased your lips to part and how youâd melted in his arms, unable and unwilling to resist his charms. He held you close and all you had wanted in that moment was to be consumed by him, embarrassingly so.
Maybe that was why youâd reacted fervently to his jealousy. It is whiplash, this pendulum of his attentions (or lack thereof), and it embarrasses you how easily youâd caved to his kiss, and in front of Frank Sinatra of all people. But then when you were alone, Elvis reminded you so clearly with his words that it was all a lie, while his body and actions screamed the opposite.
It all felt like too much, then, when heâd tried to put it on you, as if you were the one playing with his emotions. He is an infuriating, obstinate man, and itâs even more infuriating how everyone in his circle allows him to be so. It certainly isnât fair he can also be so generous and kind and talented and handsome and vulnerableâŚGod, it would be so much easier if he was always a spoiled brat and you could hate him for it.
But itâs not that easy.
He scares you. Not like your father or Gianni, no. Elvis scares you because heâ
âYou alright, Little Bird?â he croaks from the bath, eyes slits against the light.
It startles you, and you realize your head has been in your hands in lament as you spiral. You straighten, blinking away your lingering, dangerous thoughts.
âYeah, yes, Iâm fine. JustâŚtired.â It is not a lie, and you hope his own exhaustion keeps him from questioning you further.
âWell, we best get you to bed then, darlinâ,â he groans, sitting up and stretching his long arms over his head. âHand me that towel?â
âOf course,â you breathe, handing him the fuzzy, white towel, then you quickly turn away. You donât want to leave because he may be unsteady on his feet, and itâs certainly not as though you havenât seen him totally bare, but you feel your cheeks heat slightly anyway at his nakedness.
Iâm only human.
Towel slung low on his narrow hips, youâre glad to follow him into the bedroom and not the other way around, worried the heat of his gaze might flay you open and reveal everything you are trying to hide from him. You donât have the energy for masks right now.
It seems neither does he. He is docile and pliant as you help him into his silken pajamas and under the covers. Youâve noticed the pattern of him doing this after his episodes, putting himself completely in your capable hands.
As you head back to the bathroom to change and do your own nightly routine, you wonder if heâs ever been this way with anyone else, or if itâs just a special part of him set aside for you.
Stop thinking like that. I am his nurse and nothing more.
You keep a healthy distance between you and him when you climb into the sheets. It doesnât take long, however, for your exhaustion to take the reins, and you quickly drift off, trying desperately not to think about the beautiful manâno, my patientâwho sleeps so close by.
*
âDolo-res, oh, Dolo-res!â The slithering sound of Gianniâs voice sing-songing your name in the dark sends your heart racing and your stomach dropping. His dress shoes click ominously on the wooden floor of your fatherâs house, slowly, taunting you. Itâs as though he knows exactly where you are and is just biding his time. Finding pleasure in your fear.
You try to be as quiet as a mouse, but your breathing grows more ragged with each laborious step. The floor is working against you, like you are trying to run through water.
âAye, aye, aye, Dolores,â Sinatra sings, the sound slow and distorted. Frank watches you struggle up the stairs, his head tilting and those famous blues giving you a knowing wink from the hallway beneath you.
âYou canât hide from me, Bella,â Gianni purrs from behind you, his footfalls heavy.
âWhat a break if I could make Dolores mine, oh, mine,â Frank continues the song as though your world isnât collapsing in on itself, as if you werenât running for your life. The lyrics feel all too threatening under the circumstances.
Clawing your way to the landing, a sob catches in your throat. Heâs too close. You can smell his awful cologne. It makes your head pound and your stomach roll.
If you crawl your way to your roomâŚyou could lock the door. You could be safe.
âAye, aye, aye, Dolores,â Frank croons from below.
Gianniâs hands are frigid when they clamp on your legs and turn you over.
âNo, no, no, no!â you whimper.
âDid you get my gift, Bella?â Gianni smirks, feeling his way up your thighs, up under your skirt.
Looking down at your hand, the engagement ring he gave you shines menacingly, weighing your hand down so much you cannot lift it to defend yourself. You open your mouth to scream, but no sound comes out.
âI was made to serenade Dolores,â the song continues, but itâs no longer Frankâs voice from below. No, itâs deeper, and warm, like velvet. And oh, so familiar.
Elvis.
Heâs on the landing behind you as he sings. You crane your neck and see him upside down, towering over you, only a few steps away.
âElvis, please,â you cry. You arenât sure if itâs a plea for help or one encouraging him to run. He looks down at you, almost absently, like he sees you but cannot be bothered. Perhaps he does not see you at all.
You arenât sure whatâs worse.
Gianni looks up and growls at Elvis, the whites of his eyes disappearing, turning all the way black. Dark, vicious claws form at the ends of his fingers. He looks like a demonic beast, ready to pounce on his prey.
âI would die to be with my Dolores,â Elvis sings, and you know then itâs over. You close your eyes, not wanting to see Gianni tear Elvis apart just for being near you. You feel the heat of Gianni leap over your prone form, feel Elvis being knocked to the ground with a thud. A roar. Screams. The sounds are sickening and the heat of blood spatters over your face.
âNO!â you sob, uncontrollably. Every breath is tainted with your agony.
Itâs all your fault.
Then heavy silence.
Your chest heaves with the speed of your panicked breathing and you sense Gianni crawling back over you. You open your eyes, even though you donât want to.
âWhat a break if I could make Dolores mine, oh, mine,â Gianni sings quietly, finishing the song, his face and hands stained crimson with Elvisâ blood. He smiles at you, a terrifying white gash amongst the red.
âMine.â
Then he digs his claws deep into your belly.
You shudder awake, breathing hard enough to know it is another nightmare that wakes you. The sheen of sweat across your brow, the throbbing at your temples reminds you that you are alive, awake, and when you open your eyes, they meet the darkness of the hotel suite. Your cheeks are damp with tears and your hand flies to your abdomen to make sure Gianniâs claws are not deep inside you.
Much to your shock, there is a hand already there, large and splayed across your belly, but completely unthreatening. No, almost comforting. It knocks away the dream, this hand, as you try to puzzle through why it is there, who it belongs to, and why you arenât afraid. You hold your breath.
A moment passes. You take stock of the rest of you: the queasiness of your stomach subsiding some, the solid warmth pressed against your back, your legs tucked but feet tangled amongst the sheets and another set of feet.
Elvis.
And you wonder if you are still dreaming because of the way his arms hold you tight. You wait for the panic to come as a result of the embrace, but it never does. Your heart skips then slows, beat by beat as you sink into calm, protected warmth, lulled by his slow breathing against your back.
Iâm safe.
Sleep takes you with little fuss.
*
Your eyes flutter open. The room is dark, thanks to the heavy blackout curtains Elvis requested, but one look at the clock tells you itâs morning and past time to get up. A shiver rolls through you, which is strange despite the arctic levels he keeps any room he sleeps in because he usually a furnace next to you. But your body already knows what your eyes quickly confirm: Elvis is gone. Not in the bed, or the suite, or in the darkened bathroom.
Puzzled, you sit up and flip on the lamp. Your memory is hazy. Blinking, you vaguely remember a nightmare involving Gianni, but blissfully cannot remember specifics. There is something else you are missing, though, something important, just outside the reach of your memory. A comfort maybe? It doesnât make any sense. Unease settles over you as you rise, your hand falling unconsciously over your abdomen.
Elvisâ absence bothers you, though you canât put a finger on why. Perhaps itâs just the lingering dreams you canât quite remember that have you anxious.
Or maybe itâs because in less than a month, your entire life has been upended and changed irrevocably.
Could be that.
After a glance at the time, you rise and hasten to get ready, knowing you are running late. Elvis will need to be at rehearsal soon. The rush is a good distraction from your muddled thoughts.
When you exit into the rest of the suite, ready to go, itâs much, much too quiet. Your skin prickles at the absence of Elvis and the usual boisterousness of the group of men youâve become used to being around all the time and the relative safety they provide.
Something is wrong, and a tendril of fear of being alone and exposed winds up your spine.
Oh, Madone, something happened to Elvis.
Gianni.
Itâs then that Cliff exits the kitchenette with a cup of coffee and you jump, startled, hand flying to your chest as you suck in a breath.
âOh, hey, Lori,â he says. âYouâre finally up.â
âMadre di Dio, you scared me!â you gasp, trying not to let the panic leech into your voice too much. âWhere is everyone? Whereâs Elvis?â
âOh, they went ahead to the studio. I stayed back to drive you, if you still want to go.â He says it with pity, like youâre one of Elvisâ paramours that can just be dismissed on a whim, and frankly, he seems a little put out by this assignment.
âHe did what?â Red lines your vision quite suddenly, anger washing away the worry youâd felt only a moment ago. Elvis is not supposed to be without you. Itâs the reason youâre even here. He knows it.
And he just left you. Alone. Without a word.
Cliff backpedals instantly, sensing your indignation, looking very uncomfortable. âOh, IâŚumâŚI think he just thought you were tired? And wanted to let you sleep?â
âOh, I bet he did,â you mutter under your breath. Then you grab your purse and beeline for the door. âLetâs go, Cliff.â
He scrambles behind out you, following you to the elevator. At first, he nervously prattles on about the weather, trying to make small talk, but finally gives up once he realizes your piercing glare isnât going anywhere.
You tell yourself youâre angry because Elvis has put himself in danger by not having you with him, but you are smart enough to know itâs more than that. Heâs treated you like any other woman when you are not.
Itâs downright disrespectful.
Furthermore, it put you at risk. Without the safety of Elvisâ protective and insular group, you are exposed. Gianni or your father would have no trouble at all disposing of Cliff and dragging you back to New York, before Elvis even knew what happened.
Because you havenât told him, a small voice reminds you.
It makes you sick to think of. Your pounding headache is back, and you feel a bit carsick with the intense Florida sun beating down as Cliff drives you to the studio.
Your frustration and fear have you out of the car before he has barely parked. Heels click-clacking on the concrete and Cliff struggling to keep up, you show your special pass to the doorman. You hate the way the man examines your pass as though it were fake, giving you a once over. Cliff nods at the man before he finally lets you both through, and you huff at the slight.
This isnât like you. Before Elvis, you would have meekly stepped to the side and let Cliff lead, content to fade into the woodwork. Happy, even. Maybe Elvisâ hotheadedness is rubbing off on you because the swell of rage you feel is like nothing youâve felt before.
Fuming, you finally reach the studio and then stop short at what you see, sending Cliff almost running into you.
Elvis looks the picture of health, none of the pain or vulnerability youâd seen last night anywhere to be seen. In fact, he has a pretty girl on either side of him, both tittering and blushing as he smiles his famous quirky smile at them in turn. Flirting.
Your nails dig into your clutch and your body goes rigid. It shouldnât, but it makes your blood boil with betrayal.
How dare he.
Itâs a stupid thought, and one you try to shake off as soon as it comes. Heâs not your boyfriend. God knows heâs flirtedâand done much moreâwith other girls around you before, and it didnât bother you then. Not really.
But maybe itâs because he laid into you so hard yesterday about Sinatra and your supposed flirtation and about keeping up appearances and his damned jealousy, and yet here he is, blatantly disregarding all of it. Because of double standards and whatever other petty reasons he has for acting so strange with you since Nashville.
Your eyes burn into him and with the little sixth sense of his, he notices. His eyes darken and hit yours intentionally, and thereâs not even a hint of surprise or regret in them. Just an infuriating quirk of a brow before the girls steal his attention again.
Like he planned this.
You grind your teeth, forcing yourself to take a breath instead of doing something stupid like slapping that smile right off his pretty face. No, youâve got to be professional about this. You seethe, trying to reel in all these senseless emotions suddenly swirling out of control in your mind.
For whatever reason, heâs trying to get under your skin. Maybe he thinks heâs teaching you a lesson about yesterday. About Frank. About the smoking. Who knows what else.
Well, two can play at that game.
You breathe in, out, in again, forcing your shoulders to relax, forcing yourself back into your clinical mode. God knows between the last few weeks, your upbringing, and your nurseâs training, youâve learned how to deal with difficult people.
Elvis Presley has severely underestimated you if he thinks youâll fold over this.
In another highly uncharacteristic move, you school your features into a relaxed smile as you walk towards him and the girls. You know he senses you even though heâs barely looking, but instead of confronting him or slinking into the shadows, you clip right past him and head towards the other famous men in the room.
His eyes are burning holes into your back as Frank and Sammy Davis Jr. notice your approach. You appreciate the fact that the two men smile so warmly at you, and not at all dismissively. It was a gamble, as you easily couldâve been rejected by them, too, but your gamble seems to have paid off.
âAnd who is this pretty young thing?â Sammy asks charmingly, taking your hand and bringing it to his lips. You donât even have to pretend to blush under the scrutiny of both titans.
âOh, this is the delightful Miss Dolores,â Frank says, âElvisâ girl.â
âAh, I knew that kid had good taste,â Sammy smiles.
âWe werenât sure if you were joining us today,â Frank says, looking not so casually behind you.
Three, two, one, you count silently.
âOh, well, Iââ you start.
âThere you are, darlinâ! Wanted to let you sleep in after such a long day yesterday,â Elvis says, smoothly sidling in beside you and planting a kiss to your temple.
You hide your smile at your presumption coming true and at the suggestive nature of his comment. A dismissive âMmhmm,â is all you give him back, though. You donât even look at him.
âYou know, my mother was a huge fan of you both,â you gush instead to the other men in front of you, ignoring Elvis. âShe passed years ago, but any time I hear That Old Black Magic or Birth of the Blues, I canât help but think of her.â
Itâs not a lie, nor is the sudden swell of emotion you have at the thought of your mother listening and singing along to those tunes while she made supper. You sniffle and let out a little laugh.
Perhaps you imagine the gentle squeeze at your waist.
âLook at me, getting all flustered,â you say, waving away your tears.
Madone, why am I so emotional today?
âOh, weâre just honored to be a part of your memories like that, honey,â Sammy says kindly, and you feel Elvis stiffen beside you at the endearment.
âFrank, Elvis, weâre ready for the Love Me Tender/Witchcraftrun-through,â George, the very serious production assistant, interrupts.
Elvis starts directing you away. âOkay, then, baby, why donât youââ
âOh, Iâd love to hear more about your mother, if you want to share,â Sammy says to you. âDonât worry, Elvis, sheâll be safe with me.â He winks, reaching for your hand.
âIâm sure sheââ Elvis starts.
âWell, how could I refuse the great Sammy Davis Jr.?â you interrupt, a little coyly. Part of you wonders when you became so bold as to flirt so shamelessly with men like this.
You arenât feeling much like your old self these days.
Maybe thatâs a good thing.
Tension ripples off Elvis and you honestly couldnât have planned it better.
You can tell Elvis doesnât want to offend Sammy as he hems and haws a bit too long. âSure, sure, of course. Iâll come find ya after,â he finally gets out, a tad flippantly, and you donât miss the amusement in Frankâs sparkling blue eyes as he leads Elvis away.
*
If you thought that would be the end of it, you were sorely mistaken. Your pleasure at winning the battle distracts you momentarily, making you think youâve taught the man a lesson by giving him a taste of his own medicine.
You were wrong.
Instead, Elvis has doubled down on his nonchalant dismissal of you, barely even acknowledging your presence. Suddenly, there are more girls around than before and all of them seemed more than happy to be on the arm of the all-too-handsome singer, even if only for a moment.
You realize fleetingly heâd been true to his word in keeping the girls away before now because of your perceived relationship. But not anymore.
His message seems clear, even though you still donât understand the reason behind it: You are easily replaced.
If you were actually his girlfriend, maybe that would be true. For a second, you feel the sting of his rejection as if you were just some poor girl fawning over him.
But the reality is much more complicated. Much worse is the dread pooling in your stomach at the thought of being fired and having to fend for yourself against the wolves nipping at your heels. As much as you donât trust the Colonel, you donât imagine heâd cast you aside so easily considering everything you know and the pains it would take to bring another nurse into the fold. And Elvis is smart enough to know it. It is a bit of a salve to the fear churning in your belly.
No, what Elvis is doing seems like some sort of strange tantrum, like heâs hurt and sending you a message the only way he knows how. What it truly could be, you have no idea, but having a slew of younger brothers, you understand that sometimes boys just need to wear themselves out with their nonsense. Doesnât make it any less frustrating or humiliating for you, but youâve been through worse than an adult man being immature and unable to communicate his feelings.
You almost wish his health was struggling a bit more because it would force him to engage with you. As it stands, he is the picture of health right now and he is only listening to you out of the necessity of keeping up appearances or when you have the gall to talk to another man.
It stings more than you want it to. More than it should.
Itâs easy to blame it on the ever-growing fatigue you canât seem to shake and on the fact you have less experience dealing with these kinds of relationships than most girls your age. Itâs not as if you have a lot to compare it to, or even any girlfriends or relatives you talk to in order to help you try and understand what is wrong with him.
A deep loneliness sinks down over you suddenly, threatening to drown you in the overwhelming realization that you truly have only yourself to keep you steady. The worst part is Elvis is the only one who has any understanding of you at all, and for whatever reason, he is shutting you out. You force back the tears trying to spring to your eyes, swallowing your grief and resignation.
Instead of giving him the satisfaction of seeing you mope as he entertains the girls the other guys have procured for the evening, you smile and keep up pleasantries for as long as you can before retiring to the bedroom to read. Not that you are able to, as the words keep swimming in your vision and you stay on the same page for much too long. Finally, you close your eyes against the emotional tide and your persistent headache, and itâs not until Elvis comes to bed that you stir again.
You donât open your eyes, however, though you can feel him looking at you. His gaze burns through you, making your heart race. Thereâs a long moment of silence before he finally undresses, gets in the bed, and turns out the light.
*
March 26th, 1960
The studio is vibrating with energy. Not only are the people involved in the show bustling about, but the audience, packed full of young women, is tittering so much that you can feel it in your bones.
Surprisingly, Charlie came out and grabbed you after Elvisâ appearance in the opening. Elvis looked smart in the dress uniform heâd been so glad to be rid of those first days youâd met. While heâd been nicer to you today in general, you are unsure why he wants you backstage after the way heâd shooed you out before the show started. But there are thirty more minutes before his performance, and you are suddenly concerned heâs not doing as well as he made himself out to be.
You make your way back into the dressing room, trying to offset your own nerves. You slept terribly, thinking too much about your future, mulling over every worst-case scenario again and again in your head. But the moment you enter the dressing room, it all goes out the window.
Elvis turns around when the door opens, an absolute vision in a black tuxedo that does everything to show off his long frame. Everything.Thereâs no helping the sharp intake of breath you try to swallow and the way your feet stick to the floor as you take him in from top to bottom. He is the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome.
His dark hair is swooped back on the sides, but styled tall and soft in the front, adding the appearance of at least three inches to his height and highlighting his long, chiseled jaw. His artfully applied makeup is subtle and does everything to show off his deep blue bedroom eyes.
Eyes that just happen to be swallowing you whole. A wave of heat washes over your entire body. You feel suspended in time and know you are gawking, but despite having spent over three weeks solid with the man, enduring every quirk and his maddening mood swings, you hadnât been prepared to see him at his best.
Oh, Madone.
He has you locked down with his gaze, and while every professional bone in your body screams at you to be normal, itâs impossible. Every reason youâd been furious with him for the past week is forgotten in the blink of an eye. Itâs as if it is suddenly dawning on you why Elvis Presley is who he is and that youâve been working for him all this time without really realizing it.
âA-alright, everybody out. I need to talk to my Little Bird alone,â he drawls, but the command is crystal clear, sending all the boys filing out behind you. His nickname for you has never sounded so utterly sinful coming out of his mouth before. Your heart thuds in your chest and you hope to God Elvis cannot hear it or see the flush on your cheeks.
The door clicks shut, and Elvis sighs audibly in what seems like relief, his shoulders sagging a bit, and as he deflates, it breaks whatever strange spell he had on you. He adjusts his cufflinks nervously, then shakes his hands at his sides, bouncing on his toes, like heâs trying to expel the nerves out his limbs.
âAre you okay?â you ask, finally able to speak again.
âO-oh, honey, I-I-I-Iâm so damn scared, I feel like my heartâs âbout ready to fly right o-o-outta my chest,â he stutters, looking at you as though you can provide him some relief. âSâlike I canât breathe.â
This kicks you into gear, the need to make sure he is healthy enough to perform washing away the awe at the handsome figure he cuts.
âYouâre okay, just take off your jacket and sit down,â you guide him gently. He doesnât fight you at all, but you can see the way he trembles with anxiety. The change in him seems strange to you considering the easy ego heâs been coasting on for weeks.
Maybe heâs been such a jerk because heâs been nervous, you think suddenly. As quick as it comes, you push it back out again, wanting to focus on his care.
You donât have all your things, but you take his pulse, which is noticeably racing, and his breathing seems fast but not wheezing.
âI-I-Iâm not dying, am I? W-w-what i-if I-I go o-out there and p-pass out in front ofââ He is stuttering so much, itâs hard to understand what heâs saying, but his fear is clear: heâs terrified heâs going to mess up this critical piece of his comeback in front of the world and some of the greatest performers out there.
âElvis,â you say gently, grabbing his hands in yours and stilling them. Once his fearful, wide eyes find yours, you continue, âYouâre going to be just fine. You arenât going to die out there, I promise. Now, take a deep breath with me.â You inhale deeply, hold, and then exhale nice and long, then do it again until heâs matching you.
In, out, in, out, again and again.
The breathing has just as much effect on you as it does him. The energy in the room calms substantially, your fears and his dissipating a little more with each breath.
Youâre not quite sure how long you sit there with him, his hands dwarfing yours, but when he opens his eyes and meets yours, you can all at once see every iteration of Elvis Presley coexisting in harmony: the playful boy, the charming but humble superstar, the fiery and moody young man. He is both the most human youâve ever seen him, yet the most ethereal in the same breath. The vulnerability and complexity astound you speechless once again.
âYou are magic, Little Bird,â he says softly, eyes tracking over your face. Your heart skips a beat, then two. Youâre in freefall for a few seconds before you can tear your eyes away from him enough to regain your wits.
When you look back at him, his face is a handsome mask, giving little away. Perhaps itâs just him preparing to perform, locking some of himself away. But something tells you there is more to it than that.
His thumbs trace up and down, sweeping between your thumbs and pointer fingers in the same rhythm as your breath. Somehow it grounds you while still making you feel a bit dizzy. He says you are magic, but he is the one enchanting you and all at once you want to tell him everything. Every single thing weighing on your mind. All your fears. The feelings you are starting to have for him that terrify you. How you see him. How youâve deceived him to protect him. To protect yourself. Itâs not the right time, it never is, but itâs like heâs drawing it out of you with his caress. You canât bear for him to go cold on you again, not when heâs your only glimmer of hope.
They say the truth will set you free.
The words start to tumble out of their own accord, âElvis, I need to tell youââ
A sharp rap at the door interrupts your confession before it even starts, and your heart catches in your throat.
âPlaces, Mr. Presley!â George yells through the door.
âThank you!â he yells back. His eyes shine with something hopeful behind them when he turns his attention back to you, almost expectant. âSave that thought, honey.â
Itâs all you can do to nod, tamping down on the adrenaline pouring through your veins. He leaps up, releasing your hands, severing the connection you hadnât realized until right now you needed so much. Pulling his jacket on, he adjusts, and you stop him, craving the sense of intimacy that is slipping through your fingers like a sieve. You step up to him, straightening and smoothing the velvet lapels of his jacket. Your hands linger a moment too long near the button and you look at them, unable to stop the heat on your cheeks or to look up into Elvisâ eyes.
âWish me luck, baby?â he says playfully, but with an edge of need you force yourself to ignore. He squeezes your hands, encouraging you to raise your head. You school your features into something calmer than what you feel.
âYou donât need it. Youâll be amazing and theyâll love you. They already do,â you say. It comes out much more breathless than youâd like, and you look everywhere but in his eyes.
The air gets heavy, crushing all sensibility, and you canât help your eyes darting up then. His full lips part the slightest bit, his body leaning forward enough to make your breath catch. Suddenly every one of your nerves is on fire, crawling under your skin, something new and forbidden winding its way into your belly.
Heâs only ever kissed you in a performative way, playing to an audience, but this, this is different. The way those sapphire eyes drink you in is much too much. Youâre drowning in them, wondering how different it will be if he kisses you and not pretend-girlfriend you. He is so close you can smell the now-familiar, delicious waft of his cologne and feel the heat of his breath on your face.
Oh, Madone, we canât. The thought stabs through your head with a panic, straightening your spine like a ramrod, and Elvis is nothing if not observant. So expertly does he change course you doubt he had any other intention than to press his open mouth to your cheek. The soft feeling has you sighing, but you arenât sure if itâs in relief or disappointment.
Not unlike the look on his face.
Stepping back breaks the tension in the air enough for you to recover what is left of your wits. You smooth the front of your dress. âWould you like me in the audience or backstage?â You hope it comes out more professional than you feel.
âNeedja out front. Wanna be able to see your pretty face unable to take your eyes off me,â he jokes, oozing charm, but his twitching hands and serious eyes belie his nervousness.
âOh, weâll see.â You roll your eyes, playing into what he seems to need in this moment from you, though your heart is still galloping enough that you feel breathless. You barely register opening the door and walking back out to your seat in the audience, feeling the roll of anxiety in your stomach, both for his performance and for what you almost let happen in the dressing room.
Before you can spiral too far into beating yourself up, Frank is up introducing Elvis. The girls in the studio go so wild, they sound possessed, chants of âWe want Elvis!â devolving into shrieking. You resist the urge to stick your fingers in your ears to protect your eardrums.
But then Elvis, in all his breathtaking beauty, is ambling downstage, managing to be cool, casual, and charming, but also bashful, like he didnât expect this reaction. And itâs not a put on.
He didnât think theyâd still love him, you realize.
The way he bites his lip, then runs his tongue over his teeth before erupting into an almost embarrassed grin makes your heart flutter at its sweetness because you know just how scared he is. His skill, however, is that no one else does.
He turns to signal the band and the first bars of Fame and Fortune come in. The man who turns around to sing is someone much different than the bashful boy of just a second ago. The sultry look he throws the audience takes your breath away, but as he waits to come in, he canât totally hold the pose, that lip of his curling up and his tongue trying to banish it in the name of being serious. The girls scream in response, eating it up, and you canât say you blame them. He looks up to the sky, perhaps saying a silent prayer, to regain his composure before he opens his mouth to sing.
Now, in the last few weeks, youâve become well acquainted with his gifted voice, but it is not until this very moment you understand the scope of his talent. The spell that he casts over the room feels nearly as intimate as the one he had with you in the dressing room just minutes ago. The nervousness you know is there is so artfully maneuvered that it opens him to the audience rather than pushing them away. Few other stars would get away with smiling and laughing at the reaction of their audience in the middle of their ballad but when he does it, you feel it down to your toes.
Or maybe itâs the how his voice is like silk in your ears, a contradiction of impressively light but warm and rich. The honeyed timbre winds its way down your spine, right into the core of you. Itâs not just in your body but your soul, too. The hair on your arms stands straight up, a visceral reaction proving his effect on you isnât in your imagination.
A woman could fall in love with that voice alone.
Despite the way you want to fight the hold of his performance and its battle in your mind with the man youâre getting to know, it is quite impossible. You get utterly sucked into the tide of Elvis Presley.
He is stunning.
You canât help the way your mouth drops open and your palms begin to sweat. There is brilliance in every move and sound he makes, and youâre amazed at his ability to include everyone in the room, from the camera, the band and backup singers, to how those bedroom eyes scan the entirety of the audience in one breath. You feel like youâve been struck by lightning every time they catch yours.
If you werenât so dumbstruck, you might chastise yourself for feeling so carried away, but itâs hard not to feel like heâs sharing something important with you right nowâan essential part of his soul, this thing he was obviously born to do. It brings tears to your eyes.
As the song winds down, you and the rest of the audience mourn its end. But in the split second he bows his head and bites his lip, you see the utter relief that fills him at the realization that heâs still got it. Then the upbeat lilt of Stuck on You comes in and heâs immediately reinvigorated.
He knows he has you all now, and itâs as if suddenly his body remembers everything that made him a star. Sure, itâs toned down some for his new adult image, but those unique movements are still there. Heâs playful and energized in a way youâve never seen him before. Itâs not just in his long limbs (which you canât seem to tear your eyes away from) but also in his voice. Flirtatious and silly, he wraps you all around his snapping fingers.
The girls are going crazy and rightly so: you find yourself having to bite down on your lip to keep from squealing with them. A bead of sweat runs down your spine and you cross and uncross your legs to try and stave off the total, uncontrolled insanity you are feeling trying to reconcile this Elvis with the one you sleep in the same bed with, the one you care for when heâs so ill he can barely function.
Nothing about this is remotely helping the feelings for him you know are brewing under the surface. Itâs like being dragged under by a riptideâyou canât fight it, not now, and you just have to give yourself over to the current.
But one thing is for certain: there is nothing sane about any of this.
You can see even Frank is off kilter because when he comes out for the duet, this cool-as-a-cucumber, wildly talented star in his own right is stumbling over his lines. The man is struggling to maintain his dominance as the host and the elder, more refined performer. Sensing what you think is his competitive edge, you watch Frank rebound for control as best he can, but even he has got to know Elvis is in a class of his own. Heâs upstaging Frank without even trying.
Part of you knows you are witnessing history in the making. You can hardly believe it. A month ago, you were living an entirely different life. You certainly didnât care much for Elvis in the beginning, and now you want nothing more than to stay in his orbit. Itâs strange to feel so starstruck around him.
The whole thing is madness.
You are still buzzing and a bit dazed when Charlie pulls you backstage. The prideful, overly logical part of your brain wants you to calm yourself before you see Elvis, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of a big head around you, but the giddy girl in you doesnât care. That silly little girl eats up the grin spreading across Elvisâ face and falls straight into his open arms. He hugs you tight, like he means it. It feels real and not for the benefit of all those around you thinking youâre the adoring girlfriend congratulating him on his triumph. The way he squeezes you and presses his lips to your temple feels special and just for you.
âWhat didja think, Little Bird?â he whispers in your ear.
âOh, well, the guys did great, and Nancy was lovely,â you hear yourself teasing.
The playful, possessive little growl he makes and the way his fingers press into your ribcage has you fighting unsuccessfully to suppress the shudder of excitement running through you. You curl your toes in your heels trying to absorb the heady feeling it leaves you with to get yourself right enough to speak again.
âWell, Iâm a bit loathe to admit it, but you were wonderful,â you finally say, looking up at him and placing your hand on his chest. His heart thumps wildly under your palm and under any other circumstance you might be concerned, but you let it be. This is his moment.
âBetter than Ricky Nelson?â he asks, quirking an eyebrow at you.
âHmm, marginally,â you tut, trying to keep a straight face.
ââMarginallyâ, huh? Iâll show you marginal!â he laughs. And then he buries his head in your neck, his hot breath and soft lips pebbling your skin and setting your body aflame. You donât recognize the gasping giggles erupting from you like a schoolgirl.
Itâs all for show itâs all for show itâs all for showâŚa voice in your head viciously reminds you.
âOkay, okay!â you laugh breathlessly, trying to still his ministrations. âI will concede that you, Elvis Presley, are a very talented man.â
âOooh, am I now?â He wiggles his brows suggestively, sending another wash of heat over your body.
Your mouth pops open, but before you can think to respond, someone cuts in. âHey, Presley, quit making googly eyes at your girl and get over here!â
Elvis responds by doing the silly little thing he does with his eyes that makes all the girls scream and you canât help but laugh.
The moment he walks away, taking his warm essence with him, you find yourself deflate a little. It sobers you quickly and the letdown of the entire experience has you unexpectedly emotional. Without his warmth and light, you feel cold and unprotected and alone.
Sneaking away to the restroom, you lock yourself in with shaking hands. Oh, God, what is wrong with me? you think as the tears well and then escape in rivulets down your cheeks. You swipe at them, fighting what you fear is happening but cannot quite admit to yourself.
You refuse to be like every other woman, falling over your own feet for Elvis. Desperate for any sliver of attention, living for his small touches and knowing gazes. Blinded by his talent and fame.
You are not that girl. Breathing in and out, trying to calm yourself, you remember he is just a flesh-and-blood man, and you cannot give another man the power to hurt you again. He is your employer, your patient, and nothing more.
Liar.
Pushing those treacherous thoughts away, you switch tacks. You need to protect him from the storm you know is coming but your survival instincts are doing everything possible to keep you safe, and Elvis might be the only person who can do that. Telling him about Gianni and your background risks his rejection. Your heart aches at the idea of him letting you go, and not just because of your safety. Thereâs no way you can tell him the truth about you now, not when heâs flying so high, not when for the first time in weeks you finally feel connected with him again.
Maybe too connected.
No, youâll just have to wait until the right time. You canât spoil this for him. Talk of Gianni and your father would destroy this goodness, and you canât let them destroy anything else.
Forcing yourself to put it on the back burner, you paste on a smile and play the devoted girlfriend for the rest of the evening. Every little touch is like tinder catching flame under your skinâhis hand around your waist, thumb grazing so near your breast, his fingers interlocking with yoursâand the sparkle in his eyes makes your heart dance against your ribcage. Itâs easy to believe he truly cares and that heâs yours.
He's a better actor than they give him credit for.
For once, you let yourself lean into it, pretending he wants you. You are swept up into his joy and relief and affection. Itâs an addictive and glorious drug. By the time you both stumble exhausted into the bedroom of the suite, your cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
Your body hums a little from the glass of champagne you allowed yourself, mind buzzing with the excitement of the day and from your proximity to the man of the hour. Elvis seems to be much in the same boat, riding high and energized as he takes off his jacket, throwing it over the chair in the corner. The tiny tie was lost long ago when he unbuttoned his top buttons at the studio and sweat glistens in the divot between his collarbones as he begins rolling up his sleeves. You were unaware until this very moment how attractive forearms could be.
Suddenly your mouth feels very dry. You lick your lips, watching his every movement.
Elvis looks up quickly, catching your undivided attention, and his lip quirks in a slow smirk that is both sinful and self-conscious. His eyes flash with a heat that makes your toes curl into the soles your shoes and your pulse flutter wildly.
Oh, no. No. I will not get flustered by Elvis.
Cheeks heating, you look away and focus every ounce of attention you have on undoing the straps on your heels.
Elvis starts to hum a song you donât immediately recognize, the sound vibrating and warm and sultry. Like a sirenâs song, it threatens to hypnotize you. It distracts you enough that you fumble with the stubborn clasp on your heel, unable to wrench the leather free of the buckle. You let out a huff.
âHere. Lemme help, baby,â he says, more a soft command than an offer, the sound wrapping around you like velvet. He kneels before you, placing your foot on his knee, his long, nimble fingers working the strap free. If you hadnât already been holding your breath, the way he gently massages the crease the strap left on your ankle through your stockings might have caused you to gasp.
âHowâd I never notice these pretty lilâ sooties?â he coos, rubbing his thumb into the sore arch of your foot.
You bite back the moan threatening to slip free due to the sensation, but it escapes anyway, as a tiny whimper instead. Perhaps you imagine the way the apples of his cheeks go pink at the sound. Either way, you feel like you are about to come apart at the seams.
He makes slow work of massaging your foot and then placing it back down. You suck in a breath, just as he grabs the other and repeats the action of freeing then massaging it.
âElvis,â you gasp much too breathlessly. You want to melt into the sensation, but the rest of your body feels like itâs on fire, a molten pit growing in your belly that you canât seem to stop. You should push him away, you know you should, because this is too much, too intimate, but you canât seem to will yourself to do so.
âHmm?â he replies innocently, as if he truly has no idea what he has reduced you to. His hand squeezes down your foot until he reaches your toes. âOh, honey, why ainât these perfect lilâ piggies painted?â he asks, near scandalized.
The question throws you. âIâŚIâve never seen the need,â you stutter out. âItâs not as though anyone would see them and being on my feet all day in the ward would just ruin themâŚâ
His brows furrow. âNot even with your girlfriends? Or for a day at the beach?â he asks, genuinely confused as to why a young lady would never paint her toenails.
Your heart aches acutely all the sudden. The words fall out of your mouth before you can stop them: âI didnât have many friends like that. Or time to spend with them. I was busy raising my brothers and then I left for nursing schoolâŚ.â
âOh.â He says it so softly and full of compassion you nearly want to cry. Then, his demeanor shifts. âWell, all that changes now, Little Bird.â He gives your feet one last pat and then smoothly lifts himself off his knees, going towards the door.
âWhat?â you ask, confused. This man has your head spinning.
He flings the door open. âHey, Charlie! Charlie!â he yells into the penthouse.
âYeah?â you hear Charlie call back.
âI need you to get some nail polish. Pink is best, but redâll do.â
You hear a long pause, then a shuffle. âUmmm, where am I gonna find polish in the middle of the night, EP?â
Elvis sighs. âUse yer brain, buddy. You tellinâ me none of those girls out there has any polish on âem? I have faith you can figure it out.â Then he shuts the door with a grin.
Dumbfounded, you gape at him. âYou canât be serious, Elvis. Itâs late and we need to get some restâŚI donât particularly want to paint my toenails right now. And truth be told, Iâm not very good at it,â you say, feeling panicked by the whole idea. The idea of him watching you trying and failing to paint your toes makes you squirm.
He just grins. âGood thing I ainât tired, then, baby! You can relax and Iâll take care of it. Go get in your jammies.â
Your brain feels broken. He canât possibly be suggesting what you think he is. Your mouth opens, then closes, then opens again.
âClose that purty mouthâyou look like a big olâ guppy over âdere,â he laughs, his accent seeming stronger than usual. âNow, go onâget ready for bed,â he orders, pulling you off the bed.
âElvisââ
âNope, donâ wanna hear it, honey! Go!â
Which is how you find yourself in the bathroom, changing into the modest but silky, white, button up pajamas Elvis bought for you on your shopping spree a few weeks ago and doing your nightly routine with a flock of very baffled butterflies in your stomach. You are also a little afraid for the state of your toes by the time this is all said and done.
And yet, Elvis manages to surprise you again, not only with the fact that Charlie was indeed able to get his hands on pearly pink nail polish at this hour, but with his ability to paint nails. Itâs more than adorable the way he concentrates on getting it right, tongue caught between his teeth, even sticking cotton between your toes to keep them apart. Usually, you would hate having someone touch your feet, but heâs so gentle about it and you are so distracted by how unbelievable the situation is and how a dark lock of hair falls imperfectly over his forehead as he bends over your toes that you canât bring yourself to tell him no.
As always, time seems to warp with him, and itâs so late itâs early. You find yourself yawning, wiggling your freshly pink toenails in a state of strangely pleased disbelief.
âYou like âem, Little Bird?â he asks, eyes shining with an unexpected need of approval.
âYes, they are lovely. If this singing thing doesnât work out, you could open a salon. The girls would go crazy,â you joke.
He bows his head with a bashful smile, then looks up at you through those long lashes and you feel like the bed has dropped out from under you.
âNaw, this is only for the special lilâ nurses who hafta put up with me every day. No one else.â His eyes twinkle, lighting your body with electricity.
Why does he have to be so charming?
Part of you wants to scream at him to stop being so nice to you. If he knew what trouble you were, what youâve brought to his doorstep, heâd never be looking at you like this or treating you with such care.
No one since your mother has treated you with such care.
Tears threaten to spring to your eyes, and you push your feelings as far away as you can, as fast as you can.
âSpeaking of,â you say, clearing your throat, âI should take your vitals before you sleep.â
Elvis looks confused and maybe a little hurt at your abrupt subject change but recovers quickly enough. âAww, come on, Little Bird, not tonight. I feel fine, I swear it.â
But you need your armor, and your job gives you that. It gives you space from these stupidly complicated feelings you are having. âGrab my bag and we can prove it.â
Elvis sighs, but does what you say, quiet as you take his temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. When you finish, surprise fills you.
Elvis looks concerned. âWhat is it? Everythinâ okay? Iâm tired, sure, but I feelââ
âNo, I know,â you interrupt, âyour numbers are good. Apparently a wildly successful comeback performance coupled with giving a late-night pedicure was just the right medicine.â You canât help but smile at him.
He looks at you wide eyed, then gives you a blinding smile. âOr maybe youâre just that good for me, darlinâ.â
Your heart flips in your chest, beating in your throat, but you refuse to let it show on your face. âSure, mister. Quit your flirting and get in the bed,â you say firmly, only realizing your mistake when he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.
âTo sleep! Go to sleep, Elvis!â you say, rolling your eyes. You cover the blush on your face by turning over to flip off the lamp on your nightstand.
His hiccupping laugh makes you smile in the dark when he slides into the bed next to you. You are acutely aware of the heat of him, and though he doesnât touch you, you canât help but sense that he wants to as his chuckles die down to silence.
After a pregnant pause, he speaks again, quiet but direct.
âWas there something you wanted to tell me, honey? From earlier when we got interrupted?â
Your heart trips, then races with both surprise and fear. Thank God he canât see your face because you are battling the onslaught of thoughts spiraling in your mind.
He wonât understand. Heâll kick you out on the street.
No, donât keep lying to him. He deserves the truth.
Not now, later.
Protect him, protect him, protect himâŚ
Itâs the vision of Gianni ripping out Elvisâ throat that makes the decision for you.
âNo, it was nothing,â you whisper shakily, clutching the sheets in your hands.
âOh,â he says, almost blankly, and if you didnât know better, youâd say he sounded upset.
But that wouldnât make sense.
âGoodnight, Elvis,â you say quietly.
âGoodnight, Lori.â
Your stomach drops at how he uses your actual name, all the warmth from earlier gone from his voice. As tired as you are, shame and regret churn in your stomachâa stew of nausea that wonât seem to abate, even after you eventually drift off to sleep.
*
Three more days you spend in Florida, each one bringing even more maddening behavior from Elvis. Somehow, when you werenât looking, a switch flipped yet again. Heâs rapidly vacillating between moody and sullen to downright cold and cutting.
He keeps you close, to be sure, while going water skiing and taking long drives and cavorting with his friends, but the sweet, compassionate closeness from the night of filming the special is nowhere to be found. You feel like an accessory he strapped to his wrist, desperately trying to make sure he doesnât run himself ragged with all the âfunâ he is having. He doesnât even attempt to hide the flirting and the inappropriate jokes and jabs not fit for mixed company. No, he does it with you at his side, like heâs trying to make a point.
Even the Colonel is distressed, confronting Elvis about spending too much and making the return trip to Memphis one by bus instead of train as some sort of power move to wrangle the star. Elvis just laughs it off, and in what seems to be true Elvis fashion, he seems to spend more rather than less just to stick it to the Colonel. All of it put together reminds you of the adolescent behavior of your younger brothers.
Itâs exhausting, running after this moody man-child who acts like you hung the moon one minute and in the next ignores you. You remind him until you are blue in the face that he must rest and have some semblance of a normal routine when he can, instead of running himself into the ground by overindulging in nearly every sense of the word. The man seems to have no concept of the word âmoderationâ and as annoyed as you are, you are more worried this will lead to another, more serious episode.
It's easy to blame him for the near-constant headaches and exhaustion ailing you. Having to pretend to go along with his antics as his girlfriend while also having to babysit him as his nurse is continuing to run you ragged. Not to mention the emotional upheaval of trying to piece out your own feelings for him and manage your lingering fear about Gianni at the same time.
The worst, however, is the lack of playfulness Elvis had with you coupled with the brooding silence he shoves between you in your very few moments alone. Nothing reminds you more you are just his nurse. The rest, whatever it was, seems a folly concocted by your addled imagination.
You canât shake the feeling of being punished for some unknown offense. Maybe it is just your guilt brewing under the surface, trying to make sense of this man. Itâs hard to break the habit of feeling like no matter what you do and how good you are at your job, you are somehow still a burden to the men in your life.
But it isnât just that. Every stunning smile or touch he gives another woman fees barbed and has your blood boiling, even though it shouldnât. Every sly remark about being âtied downâ he makes to the guys makes your skin crawl. Worse yet, he starts poking fun at you any chance he gets, edging more into mean spirited with each jab, and even his friends shoot you apologetic looks by the end of the trip.
And yet another full day with them all, coupled with Elvisâ ire, all the stupid jokes, and the rampant gas that all the men seem to have, this time trapped on a smelly chartered bus, has you feeling claustrophobic and ready to throw yourself out the window. Itâs unusual for you to feel so bothered by such thingsâyou grew up in a houseful of men after all. You learned early on to keep your feelings to yourself, especially to keep off your fatherâs radar. Patience for rowdy men has historically been one of your greatest virtues, but Elvis has you digging your nails into your knees and biting your tongue more than once as the bus slowly ambles towards Memphis.
He's just an unruly patientâdonât take it personally, you chant to yourself all the way home. You try, you do, but your stomach ties in more knots with each passing mile and with the memory of feeling cared for by him contradicting everything heâs lobbing at you.
By the time you arrive back at Graceland, you are ruing all your life decisions. Despite reminding yourself of how, logically, you are safer and more secure here than youâve ever been in your life, youâve reached your limit of patience with Elvis and his entourage for the day. Maybe the week. Or the month.
Oh, Madone, how am I supposed to do this for the unforeseen future if I canât make it a month with this man?
At least here you can safely put some space between you. You fly off the bus as soon as the door opens.
âHey! Hey, where do you think youâre goinâ?â he yells from behind you.
Why do you care? is what you want to say, but you swallow the urge instead.
You keep walking down the driveway, away from the house, pretending you donât hear him. Nothing good can come from you answering him right now, not when you are feeling so on edge. Besides that, itâs hard to think with the throbbing behind your eyes and the slight carsickness rolling in your stomach from being on the bus all day.
âLori, stop! Goddammit, Dolores, where. Are. You. Goinâ?â he shouts, punctuating each word, your name rolling off his tongue like an admonishment. You stop in your tracks. It infuriates you he deems to use your given name like youâre the one who has done something wrong, like itâs your behavior thatâs been so poor.
âAway from you!â you shout back at him, unable to keep your frustration locked in any longer.
Your heart sinks, immediately knowing youâve overstepped but annoyed enough not to quit while youâre ahead. You start walking again, hurrying away as if you can still escape this whole situation.
The chorus of men chuckling and âooohâing at Elvis as they amble off the bus does not help matters.
âWhat the hell did you just say?â he growls low, his large strides hard on the pavement as they try to catch up with your smaller ones. âHey, donât walk away from me when Iâm talkinâ to ya!â
âLeave me alone, Elvis! Itâs obvious youâve wanted me out of your hair for weeks, so go! Do whatever it is you need to do to get whatever this is out of your system,â you snap, still stomping forward, pulling your coat tight around your middle as you try to reacclimate to the early spring chill in the air. âGoâŚget laid or something,â you mutter, surprised at your own crassness.
âHey! Stop beinâ such a b-bitch and stop walkinâ away from me!â he roars, grabbing your upper arm to pull you around.
You gasp as his rough touch lances through you, sending a lightning bolt of fear down to your toes. âGet your hands off me!â you hiss, violently yanking away from his grasp. Your heart knocks unpleasantly in your chest, faster and faster as your breath heaves. Part of you wants to run away as fast as you can, but you are frozen in place.
Heâs not Gianni, a soft voice whispers. He wonât hurt you.
You want to believe it, you really do, but the fact is you barely know this man. Youâve wanted to believe so badly he is warm and caring, youâve wanted to trust him because there is no one else you can, but your hopes donât make it true.
Seeing your distress, something besides anger flashes in Elvisâ eyes and he quickly drops his arm from you.
All your pent-up fury washes over you then and you lash out uncharacteristically. âAnd donât you dare call me a bitch when youâve been acting the way you have,â you spit back at him.
He shutters his look of shock at your outburst so quickly you barely see it before flames darken his eyes again. âI donât know what youâre talkinâ about. Youâre just crazy.â Itâs cutting but itâs obvious you struck a nerve.
Blood rushes in your ears, your heart pounding and your head throbbing with a hundred emotions threatening to tear you apart.
Youâve never felt so bold or off the rails before, but the words fly out of you with little thought of the consequences as you point your finger at him. âListen to me, Elvis Presley: Iâm not Anita or one of your sycophantic girlfriends you can play your silly little hot-and-cold mind games with. Iâm not crazy. Iâm here to do a job. And instead of letting me, you are making it hard every step of the way. For days youâve been sulking around like a child who hasnât gotten his way instead of communicating like an adult what is wrong!â
Elvisâ eyes go wide as he reels back like youâve slapped him in the face. Then his brow furrows, eyes blazing before locking you out once more.
âOh, youâd know all about mind games, wouldnât ya, honey?â he says coldly, advancing on you. âWhy communicate w-w-when y-you can just pretend itâs not happeninâ and run away? Iâm sure your fee-an-cè and his mafia buddies would have a lot to say about that, now, huh?â
Your heart screeches to a stop.
Dio mioâŚhe knows.
âElvisâŚâ you breathe out, and then you canât seem to breathe in again. Your shock is eclipsed by the fact somehow Elvis knows your secret. Everything else is forgotten. All your panicked mind can think of is how Gianni or your father somehow got to Elvis and they must be here, now, to take you back to New York.
An involuntary shudder overtakes you as you whisper, âHow?â
âOh, your good friend Sinatra told me the w-w-whole damn East Coast of mobsters is pissed o-off. Called you some mafia princess Helen of Troy and told me to cut you loose, if I-I-I knew w-what w-was good for me,â Elvis barrels on, his handsome face dark and storming with anger.
âWhat?â Itâs so breathless, you arenât sure you said it aloud. Frank knew? Of course.
Oh, God, everyone knows.
They are coming for me.
The acid in your stomach bubbles, and if it werenât empty, the contents would be spilled over Elvisâ expensive shoes.
âI-It w-was humiliatinâ, not knowinâ what the hell he was talkinâ about! But you wanna know the worst of it, Lori? That I gave you every chance to tell me and you still didnât. You lied. I thoughtâŚâ Elvis keeps speaking, his low voice angry and hurt, but suddenly it sounds like heâs in a wind tunnel. All your focus turns inward, though you are vaguely aware that you are shaking like a leaf.
Elvis is going to send me back.
And he has every right. Heâs got to protect himself. You were selfish and brought this to his doorstep and didnât even have the courtesy to warn him. Then he had to go and hear it from Frank of all people.
It was no wonder heâs been acting so strange.
Heâs been preparing to let me go.
Your chest constricts and your heart aches. It feels like betrayal, though you know itâs not. You are the one who betrayed him, not the other way around. Youâd thought maybe Elvis was different, heâd shown you such compassion at your worst moments, but that was before he knew what youâd dragged him into. And you are a horrible for doing it. Maybe you deserve the hell you know Gianni will put you through.
There is no stopping the tears from pouring down your cheeks.
âI-Iâm so, so sorry,â you sob, now a hiccupping, shivering mess.
Gianniâs obsidian eyes and horrific smile when he sees you again flash in your mind. âHello, BellaâŚâ
Oh, Madone, I canât go back, I canât. Heâll kill me. Or worseâŚ
The air in your lungs seems to evaporate, leaving you gasping and dizzy. That weightless space, the one you go to when you canât bear to feel anymore, awaits you, but you canât seem to reach it because Elvis is grabbing your shoulders, the anger gone from his eyes and replaced with concern. But he is tethering you to reality when all you want to do is disappear. And you canât help but feel like youâve damned him.
Your stomach churns once more and you lose the battle, heaving bile off to the side and onto the pavement. It steals what little strength and air you have left, and the edges of your vision bleed black, like the shadow of Gianni is finally here to take you away.
Iâm sorry, is the only thought left when your knees buckle and your body crumbles into Elvisâ arms.
Then there is just dark, blissful silence.
*
Thank you for reading and supporting my work!! As always, likes, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated if you enjoyed what you read! đ
I have to be honest, the Reddit TCOAAL community has some of the worst takes on the game Iâve ever seen. đ I kind of talked about this already in a previous post Iâve made on here. Thatâs why I like the Tumblr community sooo much more.
This post will probably be kind of long and messy, so sorry in advance. Anyway, letâs get into it.
Hereâs a screenshot of the comment that inspired this post. đ
This was in response to someoneâs post about the vision in the questionable route. After seeing Andrewâs relationship with Julia and how little he cared about her, I donât know how anyone could think heâd be able to have a normal/healthy romantic relationship with someone. Iâve literally seen people make excuses for him defending Ashley the way he did in the flashback with Julia while she was raising genuine concern. I saw someone say âwell Ashley had him by the balls, if he said anything else he would have been screwed.â like be serious, he defended Ashley because he wanted to and has always cared about her more. I mean he literally lied to Juliaâs face about Ninaâs death, her best friend. đŹ
This is what bothers me, when people act like Ashley is solely the problem and that Andrew did nothing wrong at all. Letâs be real, Andrew is the one driving Ashleyâs worst behavior. He blames her for âmakingâ him do things. He obviously canât be guilty, so he needs something from the outside to blame (Ashley). As Iâve said in my previous analysis, they are both flawed individuals, they are the same. They are both toxic but they do really love each other.
Despite what these people say, Ashley is the love of Andrewâs life. He would never just leave her in the dust even if she doesnât sleep with him. Mind you the two of them have never slept together and you can still see how devoted Andrew is to her, even if Ashley herself doesnât see it yet.
This is literally how he looked at her when she woke up after he thought he was going to have to take her to the hospital đĽş. I donât want to hear any nonsense about him ditching Ashley or how he should leave her for good. đ
In the Decay route vision when Ashley lets him kill her, he says âthen Iâll see you in a bit.â Meaning that heâs going to follow her in death. Andrew wouldnât want to live without her. Anyone whoâs played the game knows one canât live without the other, period. We know that they have a toxic codependent relationship, but itâs not only that way because of Ashley. Itâs very annoying to see people act like it is. Itâs literally both of them that contribute to it.
Are people just casually forgetting that even back when they were kids the game shows us that Andrew didnât really care about Ninaâs death, he was mostly worried about the consequences they would face if they got caught. Plus him grabbing Ashley and saying âguys and girls donât go to the same prison, theyâre going to take you away from me!!â. Also, before their blood oath Andrew literally contemplates if killing her would be worth it like hello??
In the game after Andrew brings up how their parents had friends, Ashley calls their parents whores and asks why they couldnât be happy with just each other. He then responds by saying he never implied that they had sex, which causes her to say that it doesnât matter and that itâs all the same. Ashley doesnât see a difference between platonic and romantic love, to her itâs all the same. So yes, technically she does want romantic love from Andrew, she just wants his love period. In Decay when theyâre on the bridge at the end of ch.2, she says something along the lines of âIâll start when you love me with half of the heart that I love you with.â To say she only wants his attention and not his love is a damn lie. đ
Anyway, when it comes to Ashleyâs reaction to the vision in the questionable route, I didnât see her as confused. To me it seems like she wasnât expecting to see that as a vision, but at the same time sheâs not really surprised. I mean she literally tells Andrew she assumed it would happen between them eventually anyway, so sheâs definitely thought about it before. Earlier on when he gets her the Toxi Soda she asks him âWhat do you want in return? My virginity?â đ obviously she could just be joking there and nothing more but đ⌠girl. LOL
Andrewâs reaction to the vision shows that he also wasnât expecting it, except he was blushing harddd. He reacted the way he did because his thoughts just got exposed. The demon really said:
đď¸ Andrew Graves I know what you are đď¸ lmao.
I think itâs fair to say that sex isnât a big deal to Ashley, if her and Andrew never slept together I donât think sheâd really care, she also views sex as transactional. We see that in the questionable Burial route she thinks âthe demon showed me one way to keep him around.â Iâve seen people on Reddit try to use this as a way to show that Ashley would never sleep with him out of love, and that sheâd just do it so heâll stick beside her, basically implying that she doesnât actually love himâŚ.. đ¤Śđťââď¸ As Iâve mentioned already, sex isnât a big deal to Ashley and she views it as transactional. However, her views on sex might change after her and Andrew fully cross the line. I hope what Iâm saying makes sense. That maybe sheâll start seeing it as something out of love instead of something she has to do in order to keep him in her life, especially once she realizes that he loves her just as much as she loves him, and that he will always stick beside her.
I mean look at the way sheâs looking at him in the vision. đ
That is a look of pure love fr.
I talked about this in my last analysis, but people who act like Ashley is the big bad villain and that Andrew is an angel whoâs done no wrong are just in denial, and dare I say misogynistic. đś I mean to go as far as implying that she doesnât actually love AndrewâŚ. be serious right now, you have officially lost the plot đ like that boy is literally the center of her world and sheâs terrified of losing him. As she said herself, heâs her pride and joy. These people sound like those Breaking Bad fans that act like Skyler White is worse than Walter.
Most of these awful takes about the game stem from Reddit, then again Reddit is a total cesspool on itâs own. If people on the gameâs subreddit arenât sexualizing the shit out of Ashley (the things they say never fail to make me die of cringe), theyâre blaming her for everything bad in the game. đ¤Śđťââď¸ ughhh.
I have such a soft spot for Ashley as a character, especially after seeing how sheâs always been treated terribly by everyone around her except for Andrew. Also because of her very poor self esteem and how itâs hard for her to believe that sheâs lovable, like Iâm sick rn. đĽ˛đĽ˛ So, I hate how people are sooo weird about her, like leave my girl alone please. đ
~~
I feel like this post was all over the place oops. Thank you for reading. â¤ď¸
Also, thank you to everyone for all the notes on my previous analysis post about TCOAAL. âşď¸ Iâm glad you guys agree with me!
@/Dreemurr-Skelememer "Kia" IS a proshipper... even if he wants to say he's not đ¤ĄđŤ. He ships dr**m*re 𤢠and really gross things. if you support that I'll have to unfollow you...! đŹđŹ
First off
second,
and third, I'm only answering this like I do below to discourage future asks that are going "uHMM you're FOLLOWING KIAAA!!!" (I've gotten them before).
I want to clarify, Kia is one of my closest friends (if not THE closest). I'm really not gonna drop them for some random teenager who's telling me something I already know when it comes to random non-sensical internet debates.
I, frankly, don't care about random magical skeleton ships.
Anyways, my friendship with Kia is really clear throughout my profile and if I really REALLY need to scream it from the rooftops, then fine! Here's some of the shit I've said about/to Kia really damn openly:
also this,
plus this,
this,
this too,
and this.
come back if you have something to actually contact me about.
"Mornin' sweetheart," Daryl rasped, sitting up from his bed. y/n was reading one of Carl's magazines by light of a lamp. She turned, closing the thin paper book, and smiled at him.
"Morning, baby," she murmured, crawling back to lay beside him. "You sleep well?"
Daryl nodded. "Yes ma'am. Why're ya dressed already? Where ya goin'?"
y/n laughed. "Michonne and I are making a formula run. We gotta get Judith some diapers. Why?"
"Jus' wonderin' where ma girl's goin'."
y/n scoffed and poked Daryl on the chest. "You make fun of Beth and that other kid for bein' too mushy then you go sayin' stuff like that," she laughed.
A laugh bubbled up Daryl's throat. Yeah, he really did poke fun at the youngest Greene and her boyfriend just to turn around and make goo-goo eyes at y/n. "Whatever," he whispered, staring into y/n's eyes.
She watched him watch her intently, hand fiddling with Daryl's growing hair. How she ended up with a crossbow wielding softie redneck as a boyfriend after the downfall if society: she will never know. "Kissie?" She broke the silence, doe eyes the purest thing Daryl had ever seen.
"Mornin' breath, sweetheart," he warned."
y/n rolled her eyes.
Daryl smiled. "Come 'ere," he ordered, letting his hands slide to hold the back of y/n's neck to pull her close. He kissed her roughly, unlike most good morning kisses. Daryl felt y/n sigh into his mouth, something that always drove Daryl wild. The hunter felt y/n grasp desperatly at his hair, shoulders. He felt the way her lips moulded beutifully with his and groaned low in his throat.
"How can you go that long without breathing?"
y/n jumped up at the sudden, loud asked question. Daryl sat up too, an embarrased flush creeping up his neck.
Michonne watched the two split apart like two magnets with her own jaw dropped. "Y'all where like-" she cut herself off eith a shudder. "y/n, best let your man take care of his boner cos we got some scavenging to do," she explained before turning and leaving. Daryl swore on the hair on his head that Michonne muttered "five damn minutes, glued like that" as she left
"Well!" y/n said, turning to Daryl. "Guess I'll see you later. Bye," she said, untangling herself from the bed and peering into the large mirror shard to fix her hair.
Daryl pulled her back in for another kiss before she left, whispering 'be safe' against her flushed lips.
1. oh SHIT the girls are fighting (sirius and regulus are at each other with nails and hair pulling)
2. âIt's mean. It's nails and hair-pulling and brutal in the way only siblings can be. In mere seconds, they've both made each other bleed, and they don't seem inclined to stop there.â
i think the arena allowed them to do this, but theyâve been ready to go at each other like this for AGES. cause like, i want to go at my siblings like this sometimes. and then go watch tv together after
3. đŹđś sirius just found out reg is a death eater
4. đŹđŹ it was just revealed that reg did NOT in fact kill Coen. yikes dude
5. â"You're a fucking death eater?!" Sirius snarls as he dodges Yaxley's elbow.
"Yeah, it doesn't feel good, does it?!" Regulus snarls back âŚâŚ
"How is this even comparable, you little shit?!"â
đđđ plsss heâs so funny
6. damn, when sirius was fighting the others, he wasnât going full force, cause he was having an emotional conversation. but he was still winning. and then he gets tired of fighting so he just in like two swift moves kills two people. jfc heâs scary.
7. â"I was going to lose James anyway, don't you get it?! I never even really got to have him! But youâI got you back. I had you back, and you took that from me. You weren'tâyou promised you wouldn't do that. How could you do that, after IâI begged you not to? And for what? Me? You think you did it for me? No, you did it for you. You tossed me aside, and it's not even the first time!"â
đ§đ§đ§ holy shit, he just went right at it
8. âGrow up, Regulus."
"You won't let me!"â
đ§ jaw on the freaking GROUND
9. jfc this fight is brutal. i think it would hurt less for them to just kill the other. cause like, these words hurt even ME
10. â"What I regret most isn't that you broke your promise, Sirius," Regulus continues. "It's that I wasted time caring enough to ask for a promise from you at all."â
yoooo wtf wtf wtf this HURTS
11. ââLet me guess, you told them only you could kill me? Something like that, yeah?"â
đđ sirius guessed it right and reg is like âđł noâŚ. i never said that. why would i say that?â
12. reg is like âđĄđĄđĄ I HATE YOUâ and sirius is like âliar âşď¸â
13. i bet the entire hallow is on the edge of their seat watching this like the highest quality entertainment. no way has anything been this juicy in the arena for AGES
14. YOO WTF REG THATS OUT OF POCKET. HE JUST THREATENED TO HURT REMUS. MY DEAR, THATS YOUR FRIEND TOO! YOU CANT DO THAT!! LITTLE BITCH!
15. god, regulus is actually about to say it and just goes after regulus. like, hardly holding back. holy shit
16. âSirius, for the first time, doesn't believe in his brother. Because Regulus wants to say Remus' name, and that would hurt Sirius more than dying by Regulus' hand.â
god, just stab me in the heart why donât ya?
17. đ§ dagger raised above his head, ready to strike down in regâs chest and just canât. and then as heâs about to kill him, regulus says he loves sirius. good god, iâm actually crying so hard rn
18. âHe can see it, suddenly. It does become clear, then, all at once. Regulus did trick him. He did fool him. Just not in the way Sirius was prepared for. He never imagined this at all.
Regulus never intended to go home.â
BAWLING LIKE A BIG BABY RN
19. â"Don't, please don't do this to me. Sirius, please justâplease do it, or let me do it. Don't make me live without you, please don't, Siriusâââ
YOU WOULD THINK THAT THE SADDEST THING HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID, BUT NO!!! IM SOBBING HARDER!! AND I HAVE A FINAL EXAM IN HALF AN HOUR
20. âIt's horrible, because the arena has brought Regulus back to him twice, once when Regulus became a Victor and right this very second, but for Regulus, all the arena does is take Sirius away.â
BAWLING LIKE A BABY
21. oh SHIT james did not leave them a note this time
22. god, it hurts knowing that sirius doesnât trust reg with a dagger. not because sirius is scared reg will turn on him, but that reg will kill himself
23. â"It has to be you, okay? It has to, because I don't want to go home if I'm not going home with you. IâI just don't see the point."â
Hello I hope you can help me with this! But I was a fan of bts until like 2018/19 and since lost touch of what's going on at all đŹ would you be able to give me the cliff notes of what's gone on with them for the past 4 years? All I really know is that jin went to the army and jungkook released a song with Charlie puth(?) maybe? Sorry for asking you such a big q - i tried looking on wiki but just got overwhelmed, thanks so much xxx
I am honoured u came to me but damn, you're asking about 4 years anon. Lets do highlights of the the juicy stuff. Coz its... u know, more fun!
a) Suga is dating his producer. Has been for like years???
SHIBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!!
V is fucking Jennie... Good for him
RM maybe possibly had a boyfriend
who broke up with him and he went through it for a while there?
Jhope pretended to spank a regular BTS dancer on stage during Hobipalooza
Jin has been keeping it low key. And didn't curse even once during his song The Astronaut. The most shocking thing he did before leaving was let us see his sexy back to show us his ink.
JK said; chapter 2 I'm gonna keep them on their toes. It's true. There's no way to know what this man will do next.
Jimin the love of my life who is really the love of JK's life, told his haters to fuck off.
Powerful stuff. Powerful moment.
And finally, Jikook boyfriends. Jikook married. Jikook everything
And yeah. That's pretty much all you missed.
.
.
.
.
.
Okay. Fine. I will actually answer your question.đĽą
My friends told me, if you go to YouTube and type "BTS rewind" and then input the year, u will find what you're looking 4. Here, start with the 2018 one n then go from there
Damn it, #1 was sniped. Okay okay, I'll pick #2, that's my runner-up, lmao
I was so close to posting your last ask, I'm glad you got this in before I did!!
woof, okay, so I wasn't lying when I said that this is the most self-indulgent fic I could come up with - I was in the mood for some good self-care and unfortunately for my blorbos that means putting someone in the torture machine đŹ
(oh no I just opened the doc and it turns out that, while this premise has been rotating in my mind like a rotisserie chicken for the past several months, I haven't actually written anything for it other than a brief outline, that's so disappointing, I'm so sorry)
(this is lowkey what spawned the family dinners post! so I guess that's where my writing for this went đđ)
so in lieu of a snippet, here's a little summary instead:
After an accidental reveal, Jack and Maddie decide that they love their sonâbut they canât accept his ghost side. So, they enlist the help of their all-too-eager friend Vlad and sign over Dannyâs guardianship on the terms that he takes Danny far away so that the GIW never find him (because while they want to dissect all the ghosts, they just canât bring themselves to do it to their son). Danny tries his best to persuade his parents to send him to his Uncle Constantine instead, but is forced to agree when things start to get heated. Heâs not happy, no oneâs happy⌠except Vlad, really.
But, since this is a post-Future Dan fic, Danny knows a few of the JL's identities - Batman being one of them. Vlad is pretty easily persuaded to move to Gotham with Danny and Danny puts his "befriend the Waynes and somehow use them to get Constantine's number because dear Ancient's he needs to hide somewhere from Vlad and the House seems like the best bet" plan into action!
So⌠my AU for the âGhostsâ prompt for the anniversary event has turned into a whole thing, as usual đŹ. Who knows when itâll be done. Itâs already over 6500 words, and Iâm not even sure how Iâm going to end it yet lol. So, have a snippet âcause it might not be finished for another two weeks, or another two months đ¤ˇđžââď¸
âIâm fine.â
âYeah, you look it,â Bucky said, sarcastically.
âIf you have something to say, Bucky, then just say it.â
âOkay.â Bucky nodded, steeling himself. âYouâve been killing yourself, and me by association, âcause youâve been trying to distract yourself with work since the second Sam left. Itâs finally starting to catch up to you though â to both of us really. Weâve both been running on nothing but fumes and adrenaline for months now. And if we donât cut it out soon, somebody is gonna get hurt. You, me, hell, maybe one of the poor bastards weâre trying to save, is gonna get killed, if we. Donât. Slow. Down.â
âWeâre fine,â Steve bit out. âWeâve been getting the job done fine.â
âBarely,â Bucky snapped back. âDamn it, Stevie. That zombie almost had you last night. A freaking zombie. Theyâre some of the slowest, easiest to kill monsters we come across, and one almost took you out yesterday, âcause youâre off your game. Your head isnât in it, and your heart really isnât in it, and it hasnât been for a long time now.â
Steve had to seriously fight the urge to roll his eyes and say something smart. Of course his heart wasnât in it anymore. His heart was wherever Sam had disappeared to when heâd decided that hunting wasnât for him anymore, and worse, that Steve wasnât for him anymore, and dropped off the face of the earth.
Samâs regular cell was cut off, and so was his backup. He mustâve started permanently using one of his aliases too, because Steve had searched and searched, but hadnât been able to find a trace of Sam since heâd called things quits between them and broken Steveâs heart in the process.
Steve still didnât know why it had happened, or what heâd done.
Pairing: Chanyeol x f.Reader
Chapter Warnings: Alcohol Consumption | Language take a shot whenever you see the f word smh
Word Count: 8.3k
Author Notes: So...Im sorry đŹ? But aye, what's a story without a beach chapter, am I right?? I can't believe how close we are to the finish line. I think we have 3 chapters left ??? give or take. wooow will I actually finish a story for the first time in my life?? (like a real one not just a lil scenario haha). Sorry for the late update, I was gonna post on yeols bday but thought this wasnt a great present lmfaooo
As always, dont be shy with letting me know your thoughts on the chapter, a def will need to know how you all feel at the end of this one đŽâđ¨. Thank you to everybody still rocking with the story, it means sooo much to me đ and give our boy chanyeol some loooove MWAH!!!
It doesnât take Seulgi and you long to change and head down to the beach. Being able to see the guys from up in your room, you join them quickly.
They got their hands on a grill somehow, and you find Jongdae already cooking on it, beer in one hand.
âAlready looking like a dad, Dae,â Seulgi announces in greeting, taking in his unbuttoned green Hawaiian shirt, oversized sunglasses, and fishermanâs hat. He grins brightly and rewards her with a fresh piece of juicy meat.  Â
Beside Jongdae and the grill sits a long table covered with food, drinks, and a bluetooth speaker currently playing chill R&B. A little further behind him is a blue canopy to block the blazing sun from your sensitive skin, chairs littered underneath it.
This area of the beach is privately owned, for hotel residents only. Despite how large the hotel is, only a few other families dot the shore, all far enough away that your little party is practically secluded.
You drop your bag onto a chair and dig into it, pulling out a bottle of sunscreen. You rub it into any skin of yours exposed before walking out of the canopy, holding it up for everyone to see. âWho needs some?â
Sehun and Jongin come running towards you, both only wearing swim trunks. You suck your teeth, their backs are probably already screaming at them.
Jongin gets to you first. You turn him around and begin to apply the protective lotion onto his back, where it will be hard for him to reach.
âWe missed you last night,â he says.
âI know,â you reply. For some reason, your throat constricts, dragging your voice down to a deep mumble. âIâm sorry for leaving. I justâŚ.â
âI understand,â he says, patting one of your hands. Throwing his head back, he tosses you a sweet grin. You return his smile before handing him the bottle so that he can cover the rest of himself.
With Jongin preoccupied, Sehun makes his way over, already trying to get a read on you. He understands the language of your body enough to fill in blanks you donât even know are empty.
âGood afternoon,â you greet, keeping your voice neutral.Â
âHeâs in the water,â is his reply.
âWho?â Damn this man. Heâs good.
He scoffs. âPlease, youâve been scanning the area non stop since youâve arrived. Baekhyun had to drag him out as soon as he got here. He was getting pretty worked up about something. Iâm assuming it was the fact you werenât here.â
âWeird,â is your convincing response. You push his arm, leading him to turn around so that you can attempt to save him from skin cancer.
âWeird, indeed.â Despite not being able to see you, his curious gaze can still be felt. âMakes me wonder what happened after you left the reception.â
âNot something I really want to talk about.â You wince, knowing youâve slipped up and said too much. The simple sentence bares a lot to unpack, and Sehun loves other peopleâs dirty laundry.
But, in Sehun fashion, he doesnât push. Itâs one thing you love about him. Instead, he faces you and grabs the sunscreen, silently lotioning the rest of his body. When heâs done he reaches over to you, pulling at the black kimono you had meticulously put on over your swimsuit, to return the favor.
âSehun!â
He yanks the thin fabric and it falls off your shoulders. You both freeze. He only lifts an eyebrow as his eyes rake down the expansion of your exposed skin littered in harsh dark bruises. His gaze lingers for an uncomfortably long time. You want to pull away, but find yourself paralyzed, a mouse caught in the stare of a hungry snake.Â
âStop staring.â
The voice is gruff. A wet hand pulls at your arm, ripping the kimono from Sehunâs frozen hand. You stumble backwards until you hit a chill wetness that makes you hiss as it soaks into your back. Sehunâs eyes are the only thing to move as they shift to the person protectively hovering behind you. His expression is cool, but you catch the way his eyes alight in amusement. Swallowing thickly, you work the courage to see whoâs caught his attentionâŚ.
Chanyeol stops glaring at Sehun long enough to spin you around so that youâre facing each other. With gentle fingers, he fixes your pullover, maneuvering it so that itâs covering your neck, hiding most of the damage.Â
He clicks his tongue in dismay. âThis wonât do.â
âI have a shirt,â you inform in a small voice. âIt doesnât have a collar though.â
âOne second.â Chanyeol walks away, no longer blocking the radiant view of crashing teal waves, powdery sand, and miles of blue sky. White clouds speckle the troposphere, the negative image of your neck and chest. Off to your right, Sehun still stands, a glorious statue made of pale marble.
You canât bring yourself to acknowledge his presence.Â
Chanyeol returns. In his hands is the ugly Hawaiian shirt Jongdae was wearing.
You become aware of the rashguard covering his torso. The collar is high, covering the base of his neck where any hickeys can be hidden, although you can just barely see the start of one peeking out. You curse yourself for not thinking of buying one.Â
âMay I?â He gently asks. Is that not how he asked to strip you last night? The reminder takes your voice, as does the reserved look in his eyes. Heâs testing the water, trying to see where you both stand at the moment. You nod, allowing him access to touch you, lost in his grim expression.
Gently, ever so gently, his fingers brush over your shoulders, sneaking under the thin garment. You battle a shiver as he lifts the back of his hands, knocking the fabric off with his knuckles. You roll back your shoulders, helping him make the cover cascade onto the sand below.
Chanyeolâs bright eyes wander over your flesh. He grunts in satisfaction at the sight of the marks heâs made, pride coloring his features. And youâre transfixed, gulping back saliva flooding your mouth like high tide. Your breathing grows erratic, fingers itching to touch him in return. Apparently that tension hasnât fully gone away. Looks like youâll be attracted to him for life.
You want to say something, want to voice an excuse to get your hands on him, but a sharp whistle cuts through the air before you can speak, breaking the spell Chanyeol has you falling under. You blink away your thirst, remembering where you are, of the audience you have.
âLooks like you got into some fun last night!â Jongdae, the culprit of the whistle, points out in a yell.Â
Youâre now hyper aware of all your friends. Baekhyun, who youâre just now noticing, sits in the shallow part of the water where the waves roughly push him, dressed identically to Chanyeol. Heâs looking in your general direction, squinting against the sun to see what all the commotion is about. Seulgi stands beside Jongdae. Sheâs in the middle of applying sunscreen, one of her legs lifted like a flamingo. She doesnât have to say anything for you to hear her âoh shitâ, wobbling as she balances on that one leg. Sehun is still staring right next to you, but the whistle was able to jolt him back from stone. Then there is Jongin, who jogs back to where everyone is congregated to curiously see what is going on.
Being the only one moving, your head spins over to him, seeing how his mouth slacks and his eyes widen in shock.
âWhat happened?â He asks, concerned.
Embarrassed, you snatch the shirt out of Chanyeolâs grip, rushing to put it on so that everyone will stop staring at you like you just told them you murdered someone.
âMind your business,â you snap. You regret it instantly when Jonginâs face falls like a kicked puppy. It canât be helped, you have a tendency to lash out when embarrassed.
âDae! The meat!ââ
Gratefully, a hard gust of wind blows in, lifting the aluminum foil with the cooking meat off the grill, falling onto the sand.
That distracts everyone from you. You thank a higher power.
Jongdae stares forlornly at the meat, watching sand coat it like seasoning.Â
âWhat are you doing!â Baekhyun yelps, rushing to his feet. âPick it up!â
That pulls Jongdae out of whatever trance he was in and he lurches forward, grabbing the hot foil and tossing it onto the end of the table. He hisses and shakes his hands, sticking a reddening thumb into his mouth.
Baekhyun rushes over to the table for quality control and his shoulders slump at the damage.
âThis batch is no good.â
âWay to go, Jongdae,â Chanyeol chides. He then peeks over to you, surreptitiously checking your reaction.
âShut it!â Jongdae snaps back.
Seeing a good opportunity to escape, you go to make your way over to Seulgi. Chanyeol is not having that, and you only get one step in before heâs snatching your wrist, holding you in place in front of him.
âDonât go,â he begs under his breath.
You refuse to look up at him, knowing that whatever expression he currently wears will kill what little resolve you have. You know you need to discuss what happened the night before, and why he woke up alone this morning, but you hate confrontation and don't want to have this conversation right at this moment. To be honest, you just want to relax for a bit. Is that so wrong?
You remain silent, not really sure what to say to get him off your back for the time being.
âJust talk to me,â he urges. âYou were gone when I woke up, andâŚ.â
He falls silent, and you canât resist the temptation any longer. You break and lift your chin, sucking in a breath at what greets you. Itâs that same tortured expression from yesterday. Nerves, apprehension, and defeat swim in his opaque orbs, purple his lips. And you know you can no longer prolong with conversation. Heâs hurting. Youâre hurting him, and itâs not fair to keep tormenting him like this.
âDid I do something wrong?â He asks dejectedly, intently searching you for the answer.Â
You open your mouth to answer him. To tell him no, he did nothing wrong, but then Seulgi is calling your name and running up to you. She grabs the arm Chanyeol isnât holding. âLetâs get in the water. Itâs hot.â
She completely ignores Chanyeol as she heads for the shore, dragging you with her.
âIâm sorry,â is all youâre able to get out before youâre pulled completely from his gentle touch. He releases your wrist without a fight, letting you retreat glumly.
âIâm going to have to talk to him eventually,â you tell Seulgi, rolling your eyes. You hit the water and hiss from the shock of the freezing temperature.
âYou two donât get much talking done when youâre together,â she answers, breathless from the cold of the water.
Ignoringâand also maybe even embracingâthe pain from the waves chilling your warm skin, you both run until youâre thigh deep and then dive right in, swimming deeper into the abyss.Â
You float on your back and try to focus on the paradise youâre in, instead of the devastated look in Chanyeolâs eyes. To no avail.
Thereâs some crashing noises that pull you upright to see Baekhyun running in to join Seulgi and you.
When heâs close, he jumps onto Seulgi, pulling her under water. Not one to miss an opportunity, you hop onto his back. The three of you break the surface, sputtering for air.
You stay secured around Baekhyun as you all catch your breaths.Â
âWhat the hell,â Seulgi coughs, splashing him in the face. He laughs, but chokes on the sea salt, and you squeal when youâre caught in her attack.
Letting go of Baekhyun, you swim back around so that Seulgi and you are turned towards the shore with him facing you both.
âIs he still sulking?â He asks.
You dare a glance over to where Chanyeol is, refusing to acknowledge how quickly youâre able to seek him out. Heâs in the chair you had claimed, watching the water with a sullen pout as he rests his chin in his hand.
âOh yeah,â Seulgi answers. âThe clouds around him are turning gray, heâs in such a mood.â
âHe wouldnât be like that if youâd stop avoiding him, you know?â
âIâm not avoiding him,â you say. âWe just spoke.â
Baekhyun snorts. âYeah and I can tell youâre both on the same page. Nice talk.â
He throws you a sarcastic thumbs up, you stick your tongue out at him.
He grows solemn. âPlease, say something to him. The poor man is beating himself up right now.â
You sink further into the water, dipping in until your mouth is submerged, and run a hand over the tiny waves bobbing you.Â
Beside you, Seulgi sighs. âI may have ruined their talk.â
Baekhyun throws his head back and groans. âYouâre killing me, Smalls.â
âHow was I supposed to know?â She asks. âIt looked like they were about to ditch us and fuck again. Iâm just trying to help her not make another decision sheâs going to instantly regret.â
âWhatever happens between them is their business, Seulgi,â Baekhyun says, sounding uncharacteristically reasonable. âYou have to let them work through it their way.â
You wave your hand above your head like a needy sim. âIâm right here, you know?â
Seulgi pouts like a chastised child. âYouâre right.â
Both Baekhyun and you spin your heads towards her in surprise.
âDid you just say Iâm right?â Baekhyun asks. His shock quickly morphs into cockiness, if the grin splitting his face is any indicator.
Sheâs now the one to groan. âI will not be repeating myself.â
âIâll cherish the moment for the rest of my life.â Baekhyun turns to you and his smile softens. âTalk to him soon. Heâs getting annoying.â
âI will. I promise.â You assure. âThank you, Hyunnie, for doing this. I know it isnât easy for you either, being in the middle like this. I appreciate it.â
He shrugs. âYouâre both my friends. I want to see you happy. I just hope you can work it out.â
Jongin and Jongdae come barrelling towards your group. As soon as you see your sweet friend, you canât help but hold your arms out for him.
âNini!â You cry. He laughs and falls into your embrace, tackling you back into the depths of the sea. When you both emerge, you apologize for yelling at him.
âYouâre forgiven,â he says, never taking anything to heart. âBut I was surprised. I didnât expect to see all your bruises. It looks like you got beat up.â
You whine his name. âYouâre making it worse.â
âHey, they do say that weddings are the best place to pick up chicks,â Jongdae says. âWell, I guess dudes for you. UnlessâŚ.â
He gives you a wicked smirk and you splash him.
âAnyway, good on you for getting some. You deserve it.â
âThanks, Jongdae,â you say dryly, rolling your eyes. âAlso, my bad on the shirt. I forgot I was wearing it before I got in here.â
He takes notice of his button down floating around you and gasps dramatically. âYou better wash it before you give it back. It was expensive.â
You look at him skeptically. âThis tourist shirt?â
âDo you really think itâs a good idea to have those two cook the meat?â Baekhyun asks, putting your incoming argument with Jongdae to a halt. All five of you turn to the last people still on dry land. The tall boys stand over the grill, Chanyeol with the tongs in his hand. His eyebrows are scrunched as he listens to Sehun adamantly speaking, nodding and answering occasionally. itâs a deep conversation you donât want any part of.
Jongdae shrugs. âI need a break. Itâs hot.â
You all play in the water for some time. Once hunger becomes too great to ignore, you swim back to the beach. Immediately, you crack open a cold beer, nearly moaning when it hits your belly. Now this is what you need. Youâve been sober far too long.
Jongdae wasnât lying about the heat. Even under the canopy, you canât escape the sunâs harsh rays. You succumb to the weather and peel off Jongdaeâs now dry shirt, not caring anymore if the otherâs see your marks, itâs already old news.
Slowly, you all make your way to the table. itâs out in the open and everyone is a bit hesitant to sit out there, but thatâs where the food resides. Both Baekhyun and Chanyeol take off their shirts, overwhelmed by the temperature.
âHoly shit, Yeol,â you hear Jongdae say. âWhat happened to you?â
Everyone glances over to the tall man and your heart sinks at the sight of his exposed back. Itâs hard to miss the rows of scratches you carved down his shoulder blades, red and angry.
At the mention of his name, Chanyeol turns around, revealing his neck, shoulders, and chest that look exactly like yours. Actually, his marks are deeper, darker. You were really letting him have it. In your defense, he did encourage you to do your worst, so it is hard for you to find any sympathy to send to the giant.
A loaded silence fills the area as he locks eyes with you. You sigh. Thatâs enough of an answer for everyone.
Giving up, you chug your beer empty as the extra heat of everyoneâs attention bounces back and forth between you both, connecting the purple and blue dots.
âNo wayâŚ.â Jonginâs fingers trace the trail of his eyes. âDid you twoâŚ?â
You close your eyes in dismay. Youâre going to hear it now.
âWait a damn minute!â Jongdaeâs loud ass voice echoes over the speaker. âYou mean to tell me Chanyeol was the one who left those hickeys on you!?â
He gives you an impressed grin. âYou naughty girl.â
You simply sink lower into your chair.
âAre you guys together now?â Jongin asks, bouncing on his toes in giddy excitement.
âI meanâŚ.â Chanyeol searches you out in hopes youâll answer that question for him as well.
The attention has you awkwardly laughing, readjusting yourself so that youâre sitting properly again.Â
âPlease, you guys,â you say, laughter coating every consonant. âItâs nothing.â
Chanyeolâs head tilts at that, eyes fluttering in confusion. âWhat do you mean ânothingâ?â
Your heart sinks as you realize youâve made matters much worse. Chanyeolâs getting worked up now, and the last thing you want is to fight in front of everybody.
âI just mean itâs not a big deal.â
If your first sentence was you putting your foot in your mouth, this one is the whole damn leg.
âNot a big deal?â He repeats skeptically. He turns so that heâs properly looking at you, making sure heâs understanding correctly. âYou think us having sex is ânot a big dealâ?â
âOkay,â Jongdae drawls. âNot together then.â
âThatâs not what I meant,â you begin to explain, really wishing this conversation wasnât happening like this. âIt was a big deal to me, okay? But they shouldnât expect more because of it.â
âLike us getting back together?â He continues to question in a monotonous tone. âYouâre saying that they shouldnât get their hopes up about us getting back together just because we had sex.â
âExactly!â You clap, glad he understands.
âSo that wasnât us getting back together?â
His disappointment is hard to disguise, and it makes you feel bad. Again youâre reminded that if youâd just talked before this wouldnât be happening. You sigh and prepare yourself to explain where youâre coming from.
âChanyeolââ
âMeatâs getting cold,â Sehun interrupts, ending the real conversation before it can start. Youâre grateful for it, still not mentally prepared to break Chanyeolâs heart any further, although it seems you may be past that point. Chanyeolâs jaw is tense, honestly everything about him is tense as he nods his head like he finally understands something before stomping over to the table, sitting at the end furthest from the canopy. He grabs a beer, cracking it open and guzzling it down rather aggressively.Â
Everyone else reluctantly takes Chanyeolâs lead. When Baekhyun passes you, he grimaces, politely letting you know that you messed up. Sehun is the last to walk past. He stops and reaches a hand out for you to grab. You sigh before taking it, allowing him to pull you up.
âThe last thing I want right now is a lecture,â you tell him.
âIâm just checking on you,â he assures. âYou good?â
You stare at him. âDo I look like Iâm goodâ written all over your face and he grins, gaining the reaction he wanted. Itâs gone as quick as it comes, an air of seriousness taking over.
âI thought we talked about this.â He starts.Â
You point a finger at him. âLecture.â
He purses his lips and lets his attention wander to the table. Everyone is trying their best to lighten the mood. You look also and are surprised to see Seulgi attempt to make small talk with Chanyeol, although he doesnât appear that interested in the conversation.
âOkay, no lecture, but let me say one thing.â You groan. âDonât leave this island with unfinished business. Thatâs only going to hurt you both more.â
Youâre still taking in the table as he speaks, and Chanyeol must feel it because heâs looking back at you. He holds your stare for a few seconds, then catches himself and breaks the contact. Itâs selfish, but youâre comforted by the familiar longing still lingering there.
You nod at Sehunâs words, turning back to him. âYeah. Got it.â
He doesnât believe you and his expression says as much.
âHey! Hurry up and grab a plate!â Jongin orders you both.Â
Sehun pats your arm and heads over to the table, you follow a few steps behind. The food is delicious and the alcohol starts flowing. Soon the sun starts its slow descent, and with full bellies, you all relax more. At this moment, you canât help but to miss Junmyeon. Heâs always the one taking pictures, annoying everyone by forcing you all to pose for what feels like hundreds of photos. Sehun, his successor, makes sure to take as many candids and selfies as he can. You find it easy to smile whenever the camera is focused on you, even when Chanyeol is also in the frame.
Speaking of Chanyeol, the beer, good food, and friendship seems to be working in lifting his spirits. His loud voice carries throughout the beach, and you catch his boisterous laugh from time to time. Youâre relieved to know that you havenât completely ruined this trip for him.Â
By this point, the sky is a lovely pink and orange, and youâre a bit tipsy. You close your eyes and sway to the beat of whatever song is playing, snapping along. Someone holds your hand, causing your eyes to spring open to see Jongin gently urging you out of your seat. You allow him to drag you into a clear patch of sand near the waves. You start dancing with him, connected hands swinging between you both as you reluctantly laugh. Jongin is your designated dance partner. Heâs one of the better dancers of your group, and youâre shy. He got into the habit of getting you out onto the dancefloor to loosen you up in college. Now is no different. You both roll your bodies and sway your hips to the beat, encouraging each other. The longer you dance, the closer you get, until your forehead rests on his collarbone, arms wrap around each otherâs waists, and Jonginâs cheek presses atop your head.
âAre you okay?â He softly asks.
His question causes your vision to blur. You stare unseeingly into the now gray sea, waves crashing urgently and tighten your hold around his torso.
âI donât think so,â you confess.Â
âI donât understand,â he says, sounding both confused and frustrated. âYou both love each other, right? Why fight?â
âItâs not that simple, Nini. I wish it was, butâŚ.â You shake your head, not really knowing how to finish the sentence.
âIs it because of her?â He presses.
You close your eyes at the reminder of Yerim, another person your actions will hurt, and sheâs yet to find out of your betrayal.
âPartially,â you admit.
Jongin rubs your back. âIt'll work out. As long as you know what you want.â
You wipe your face and pull back to smile up at him, clipping his chin affectionately.
âNow that weâve had that talk,â you say. âLetâs dance! Weâre on vacation! I need to feel like it!â
He chuckles and spins you around so that your back is pressed against his torso.
âTurn the music up!â He orders. Whoever is in charge of the tunes obliges and youâre pleased when a song you can grind to comes on. You throw your arms up into the air and instantly lose yourself to the music, dancing back on Jongin who matches your moves easily.
Not really paying attention to your surroundings, you fail to notice someone joining your little party, but they make themselves known by gripping your arms, ripping you out of Jonginâs hold.
âWhat theââ
For the second time today, Chanyeol has pulled you away from someone. His hands are wrapped so tightly around your forearms, you wince from the pain. He doesnât catch your discomfort, too busy giving Jongin the fiercest stare youâve ever seen.
âGet the fuck off of her!â He snarls, dragging you even closer to him so that your face is pressed against his naked heaving chest.
You lean back and attempt to stare him down, but all you see is his sharp jaw.
âWeâre just dancing,â you explain defensively.
That makes him look down at you, and you nearly gulp from the fury reflecting in his black orbs.
âThatâs not how you âjust danceâ with someone!â
Thatâs when you notice the way his words slightly blend together, notice how unsteady he is on his feet.
âYouâre drunk,â you point out disappointedly. Remembering how good that did you both the last time he was under the influence.
He chuckles darkly at that. âSo are you.â
Ugh, you arenât anywhere near as faded as he currently is. You attempt to free yourself from him, but heâs holding onto you too tightly to break. There is no escape.
âChanyeol, Bro, I swear thatâs all we were doing,â Jongin calmly reassures.
âDonât call me âbroâ,â Chanyeol hisses. âYouâve always been like this, Jongin. You were always touching her! Donât think I never noticed.â
âSheâs my friend,â he says slowly, carefully, as if heâs speaking to a child.
âAnd she was my fiance!â Chanyeol all but roars. âBut that never stopped you!â
You glance around. His outburst draws everyoneâs attention and they watch the three of you curiously. Baekhyun and Sehun start to get up from their seats, probably intending to de-escalate the situation, but you donât want to get anybody else involved. This is between Chanyeol and you. What is happening now is the consequence of you stalling the âwhat are weâ conversation you shouldâve had the night before.
âLeave him alone, Yeol,â you mutter. âHeâs not the one youâre mad at. Itâs me.â
He doesnât even spare you a glance, too focused on the man behind you. âWhy wonât he answer me then? Iâm right, arenât I?â
âI promise Iââ
Before Jongin can finish defending himself, you cut him off by putting your hands on Chanyeolâs chest, throwing your weight to shove him. In any other circumstance, he wouldnât have budged, but his inebriation works in your favor, making him stumble a few steps. Unfortunately, he takes you with him, and you fall forward. He lets go of your arms to catch you by the waist, steadying you both.
âYou okay?â He asks with worry.
âYeah,â you huff. You pat his shoulder. âWhy donât we go for a walk?â
Thereâs a boardwalk a few meters away that looks deserted, that is probably the best place to have this discussion. Not waiting for an answer, you easily break his hold and start walking towards it. Chanyeol says something to Jongin you canât catch over the sound of the sea, but it sounds smug enough that you sigh deeply in dismay. Youâll apologize to Jongin tomorrow, you promise to yourself.
When you pass the table, you lock eyes with both Baekhyun and Sehun.
âItâs okay,â you assure them, not even sure if you believe it. Itâs enough for them, they stand down and nod, trusting you.
The journey is silent. The sun has disappeared completely by the time youâre on the worn wood, enveloping you in an almost foreboding darkness. The crashing of waves are intense beneath you, doing nothing to soothe your nerves. When you reach the end of the walk, you turn around to the man you know was following you the whole time.
Heâs on you before you can even speak. His mouth moves roughly against yours, urgent and desperate. His frustration is felt, as is his still present affection. You fall easily into his kiss, giving into him as naturally as you always have. Your hands curl around his neck, pulling him closer. He cups your face, the palms of his hands squishing your cheeks, puckering your lips more for him to devour. He walks you backwards, until your bare back hits the splintered wood of the banister. it digs into your skin, making you whimper, but itâs not enough pain to distract you from the punishing pressure of Chanyeolâs lips.
The groan he lets out in response is tortured, long fingers desperately begin pulling at the band of your swimsuit bottoms, eager to feel all of you again.Â
In sync, your mouths fall open, tongues colliding and lewdly twirling together. God. Fuck. You want him. You want him so bad itâs driving you crazy. Youâre going to fuck him again. Youâre going to fuck him right here on this damn boardwalk, space be damnedâ
But, thatâs exactly the problem, isnât it?
âStop,â you gasp between kisses.
He hums before tilting his head to kiss you even deeper. Those wandering hands of his slide down to squeeze your ass. You shutter and press yourself more against him, slipping your arms fully around his neck to drag him lower so that heâs curved over you. A sheen of sweat the only thing between your boiling bodies.
Still, you canât bring yourself to fall back completely into the make out session. Disappointment floods you. Seulgi is right, the two of you canât be alone for even a second without falling into this toxic habit.
Now annoyed with how weak you are, you finally muster the strength to shove Chanyeol back, officially breaking the kiss.
With much needed space between you, you feel the fog of lust begin to clear and can think better. Chanyeol doesnât say anything or make a move to resume what you interrupted. No. He just stands there, watching you with an expression you find hard to read as you both attempt to catch your heaving breaths.Â
âWhat?â He finally asks, voice hoarse and deeper than hell. âYou donât want me anymore, Mel?â
Thereâs no sorrow, none of the longing or anger heâs shown throughout the day, which is surprising. Itâs almost as if he knew this was how the night was going to go. Like he knew you were going to push him away.
âThatâŚ.â You swallow thickly. âThatâs not it.â
âThen whatâs the problem?â He asks, taking a step towards you. You try to counter it, but that leads to more wood stabbing you. Youâre sure some break the skin. He takes another step and now heâs directly in front of you, a mere breath away. He lowers his head to be more level with yours, giving you a close up view of his wound up fury.
âThe problem,â you nearly stutter, overwhelmed by the hostility now coming off of him in waves. Heâs never directed his anger towards youâthe situation maybe, but never youâitâs intimidating and scary. You lick your dry lips, trying to find your voice, and he watches detachedly. âMy problem is the opposite, Chanyeol. I still very much do.â
âThat doesnât seem like a problem to me.â
âLook at us!â You say. âWe canât be alone for five seconds without being all over each other! Last night was not supposed to happen the way it did! We werenât supposed to sleep together!â
âBut we did,â he snarls through clenched teeth. âAnd that means something, whether you want it to or not!â
âAll that it means to me is we need space. This is too much for me, Yeol. We need time apart to figure out what the hell we actually want.â
âWhat is too much for you?â He asks, sounding exasperated. âThe way I feel about you? The way you still feel about me? What is there to figure out? We still want each other, nothing else matters!â
âWe still want each other physically!â You clarify. âI can agree with that, but the longer weâre together, the more I think thatâs all we want!âÂ
âOf course not!â He finally yells. You flinch from the volume and that makes him catch himself. He huffs out a breath before repeating in a much gentler tone, âof course not.â Â
He grabs one of your hands, thumb caressing your knuckles. âYou are way more than that. You always have been. This is more than physical to me.â
Everything inside of you is screaming to believe him, and he himself is asking for that. For you to have faith in this, and to give it a chance.Â
âThen why didnât you say it back?âÂ
He doesnât answer. Instead, he stares at the forming tears in your eyes and the slight wobble of your lips in confusion. He searches for the context to your question. It takes a minute, but then his eyes widen in realization and his mouth falls open, a slight âohâ leaving before heâs snapping it back shut. The look he gives you after that is something akin to pity.
And there is your answer. You pull your hand out of his grasp, using it to wipe away the tears that slipped past your waterline. âWhatever. It doesnât matter.â
He scrambles in alarm from your withdrawal. âCan you please stop saying shit like that?â
âWhy?â You snap. Your irritation grows with every second he doesnât give you the answer you desire. âIt doesnât. I didnât mean it anyways. It just slipped out, soâŚyeah.â
You fidget nervously and try to make out the waves crashing against the wood underneath you. Youâre so focused on that, you miss the way Chanyeol recoils in shock. You also miss the reigniting flames of his dimming anger.
âSo when you told me you loved me, you didnât mean it. Yet, youâre mad at me for not saying it?â
Him saying it out loud makes you cringe in embarrassment. As if he hasnât done enough, you sense mockery in his tone. When you meet his eye again, the anger is still there, but itâs mostly frustration you notice.
âIâm not mad that you didnât say it,â you deny.
âYes you are!â He lets out a humorless laugh. Yeah, heâs definitely frustrated. âIs that what all this is about? Why you left this morning? Look, Iâm sorry! It wasnât because I didnât feel the same, I was justâŚpreoccupied.â
âPreoccupied with what?â You ask in disbelief.
He gives you a steady look, eyebrows raised in a way to say, âyou know whatâ. It takes a minute for you to decipher what heâs alluding to, but then you remember what happened right after your little confession and groan his name, appalled.
âSee?â Heâs grinning like a madman now, pulling at your arms in an attempt to catch your attention. âThatâs all I ever wanted to hear. And once I did, I couldnât control myself anymore. You telling me you love me made me cum.â
âBe serious right now,â you say, frowning in disgust.
âOh, Iâm very serious right now,â he says, that gleefully large grin still on his face.
You throw him a skeptical look. âYouâre smiling and talking about cum. You think this is a joke.â
That makes his smile slowly disappear. He says your name. âI donât think this is funny. Iâm telling you the truth. You want me to prove it to you? Hm? Iâll say it right now. I loââ
âI donât want to hear it now!â You interrupt in a shout. âIf you had said it then, things mightâve been different, but you didnât. I donât care why you didnât either. That was all the confirmation I needed. We have no idea what we want from this.â
âHere we go again,â he groans, walking a bit away from you.
You jut your jaw at that. âIâm going to repeat myself until you get it through that thick skull. Whatever happened, happened. Itâs done. Weâre done.â
Chanyeolâs frustration is back with a vengeance. His fingers run through his dark hair, yanking at the strands as he starts pacing in front of you. âHow can you say that when you had your tongue down my throat minutes ago? You let me cum inside you! You told me you loved me! And thatâs it? Thereâs mixed signals and then thereâs whatever the fuck youâre doing right now.â
âThere you go talking about cum again,â you mutter to yourself. Louder, âIâm being realistic! Itâs only been three days. Three! And, what? Weâre just supposed to pick up right where we left off? Act like the past few years never happened? Thatâs not how this works, and I doubt thatâs healthy. We need more time.â
âI already told you that Iâll always love you, and I meant that. I know youâre scared, Mel. Hell, Iâm scared too. Youâre right, things are moving fast, but thatâs because we still care for each other. I know you still love me. You wouldnât have said it if you didnât. This wouldnât be us pretending we never broke up. This can be us realizing that weâre better together. That weâre even stronger now that weâve had time to figure out who we are apart. Isnât that what you wanted?â
âIt was,â youâre quick to emphasize the past tense. âBut Iâve changed a lot since the last time you saw me, Yeol, so stop acting like you know me.â
Something you say catches his attention, and he narrows his eyes suspiciously. âYou havenât changed much.â He says your name. âI still know you, probably better than anybody else here. Just like you still know me.âÂ
Heâs stilled from pacing, and itâs a bit ominous after watching him frantically walk for the past couple minutes. He runs a hand over his face tiredly and lets out a heavy sigh. âSo, thatâs really what this is about.â
You raise an eyebrow questioningly and he laughs, shaking his head.
âI was hoping it wasnât, but what you just saidâŚ. It all makes sense now.â Heâs muttering under his breath, talking to himself.
âWhat are you going on about?â You ask.
âThis morning, when I woke up and you werenât there, I knew. I didnât want to believe it, that you would do something like that, but I knew what happened the moment I realized you had left me.â
Your body begins to shake, and it isnât from the cold. Foreboding chills your spine, causing goosebumps to rise, sharpening once he locks eyes with you, the accusations hard to miss.
âYou still hate me.â
His hands curl into tight fists at his sides, tremblingâas are his shoulders, his voice. He closes his eyes, taking deep calming breaths you doubt help him much.Â
âAnd now youâre telling me you didnât mean it when you said you loved me. That you changed since the âlast time I saw youâ. Was that your plan all along? To seduce me? Make me think you still gave a shit so that Iâd let you fuck me and then leave? Was last night revenge sex?â
âNo,â you gasp, genuinely shocked by his conclusion. âI already told you, it was a lapse of judgmentââ
âIâm not playing this fucking game with you!â He shouts. His voice breaks, just like his heart currently does. âYou donât get to hurt me again. You canât play with my feelings everytime I allow myself to be open with you. Maybe youâre right, Mel. Maybe I donât know you anymore, because I never thought you could do something this fucking cruel.â
âMe? Cruel?â Your anger flares up. âWhat the fuck about you? You come here, bring some other girl you care nothing for, and then pretend like we never knew each other! Then proceeded to ignore her the whole time to flirt with me any chance you got!â
âWeâre not talking about this trip!â Chanyeol dismisses. âI should have never brought her, I know that now, but thatâs not what this is about. This is about the time before that, when you gave me back the engagement ring!â
Sehun mentioned the night before the wedding that you have a baseless grudge against Chanyeol, one that twisted the love you have for him, crossing that thin line over to hate. He was positive you made something up, a âlieâ he called it, to keep Chanyeol at armâs length from your heart in order to protect it. The truth is that Sehun grew cocky. He believed so deeply that you couldnât keep anything from him, that it was impossible to with the way he can so easily read you, that he never suspected when you did. It was only one thing. One thing you decided to keep to yourself, refusing to confide in even Sehun. The reason? To protect the man in front of you, the same way he protected you.
The last thing you want is to bring it up, but technically, Chanyeol is doing it first.
âGave it back?â Youâre in total disbelief. âYou took it back the morning after you slept with me and then completely ghosted like I was some one night stand!â
âThatâs what you wanted!âÂ
âWhen?â You ask, baffled. âWhen I invited you over? Or was it in the middle of us having sex?â
He runs a hand roughly through his hair. âOkay, but why did you invite me over?â
âBecause Iââ
He doesnât let you finish, his own anger from that day getting the best of him. âBecause you wanted to give me the ring back!â
His voice has risen, and it silences you completely.Â
âFuck!â Heâs saying your name again, but there isnât an ounce of affection. âYou wanted to return the ring. It was the one thingâthe only thing that gave me hope. I told you to keep it, because I knew as long as you still had it, there was still a future for us. But then you called me. It hadnât even been a year since our separationâbecause thatâs what we were, separated not broken upâand the first time I hear from you itâs to tell me you want to give me back your fucking ring!â
Your head is spinning, attempting to comprehend everything he just admitted, filling in blanks you have been trying to figure out for years now. You hate to admit it, but some things are starting to make sense.Â
âSo, which was it then?â You question rather calmly. âYou were still hurt from when I broke things off, so when I reached out you saw your chance to return the favor? Or was it because you thought thatâs why I asked you to come over, so you got upset, slept with me, and left as a big fuck you?â
âNeither,â he reveals, evident disgust from your thought process. âSleeping with you that night just happened. I didnât do it with the intention to hurt you.â
âSounds familiar,â you point out. He pinches the bridge of his nose. It feels like youâre going nowhere. Like youâre speaking in circles. âBut okay, fine, say I believe that you didnât do it to hurt me. Why did you leave?â
âBecause I didnât want what happened that night to become our normal,â he admits. âYou knew how I felt about you, and I didnât want you to take advantage of thatâof me. Come on, Mel, youâve always known the power you have over me. If you had told me that night that all you wanted from me was sex, Iâd given that to you. Hell, if you told me right now thatâs all you want, Iâd give it to you. Iâd give you anything. Youâre my Melody.â He takes a deep shaky breath. âBut I knew that if I reduced myself to that just to keep you, it would destroy me. I didnât want to lose myself like that. And I donât ever want to hate you. Thatâs why I ultimately left. Took the ringâlike you told me toâand ran before you could change my mind. That was me setting a boundary for myself. I had to let you go before I allowed you to use and break me.â
Your heart sinks at his explanation. âDo you really think Iâd treat you like that?â
âDo you really think Iâd make love to you and not mean it?â He counters.
Again, youâre back at square one. Blinking at one another, trying to figure out where you stand in each otherâs hearts. With the newfound knowledge of Chanyeolâs thoughts on that infamous day, you look internally. To be honest, his words donât sway you much. The hurt from that day is still painful. You vividly remember the way your heart shattered when he was nowhere to be found. To add salt to the wound, he had blocked you on everything, so that you had no way to contact him afterwards. Yes, you really did believe he was capable of doing that.
âNo matter what your intention was that day,â you start. âThe result is still the same.â
Once Chanyeol hears this, you watch him build up a wall, closing you off from him for the first time. Until right now, you believed he wasnât capable of doing that to you. That it couldnât be helped or that he felt comfortable enough to let his guard down in your presence. But watching all the vulnerability, all the honesty, all the affection he had for you vanish before your eyes, you realize you have been giving yourself too much credit.
âI guess that makes us even now, right?â He asks bitterly.Â
You turn away, partially out of guilt, but also because you canât stomach the haunted shadow dulling him. Heâs right, in a sick way. You both ran away, hurting the other despite the reasoning behind it.
âSo, thatâs it then?â He asks when you fail to say anything.
âChanyeolâŚ.â You turn back to him and instantly are bombarded with regret. You can so easily fix this. If you really want to, you can tell him that you forgive him for that night, that you truly never meant to hurt him and that the night before meant everything to you. You can walk off this boardwalk hand in hand, laughing with giddiness from falling back in love with your soulmate. Rejoining your friends who would be nothing but ecstatic and supportive of you working through your issues and returning to one another. You can do that. It will only take one simple sentence.Â
But you donât forgive him, and you havenât really resolved anything. Your new relationship would be built on the foundation of ignorance, avoidance, and lust. You didnât want that, not if it is the cost of having him back at this moment. You both have some healing to do before jumping into this again, and this conversation proved that. You arenât ready.
âIâyeah. I think it would be for the best if we end things here.â
âYeah,â he agrees in defeat. He sniffs and scratches the back of his head. âYouâre probably right. Thereâs not much else I can say to make you stay.â
He takes you in one more time. In his reluctance, itâs as if heâs giving you a chance to change your answer, but you both know you wonât. Guess he does still know you well. He clears his throat and without saying goodbye, walks away.Â
Heâs about to clear the walk when youâre yelling at him to wait.
He does. He faces you and watches with wide eyes as you run hastily over to him. You stop at a safe distance, close enough to see him under the dim moonlight, but far enough away that you canât feel the distracting heat of his body.Â
He observes you warily, probably wondering how youâre going to break his heart this time. Itâs that bit of doubt that made you run. Thereâs one last thing he needs to know, the one thing he needs to take away from this conversation, if nothing else.
âI donât hate you.â
Itâs the last thing he expected, and his reaction reflects that. His eyes grow glossy and he does his best to blink the unshed tears back, while also fighting the frown weighing the corners of his lips, causing them to tremble. Wordlessly, he reaches out to you, cupping the back of your head, and you let him. You allow him to touch you, to bring you close to him, relishing in his heat against the chilling bite of the oceanâs breeze. He pulls you in and presses a tender lingering kiss onto your forehead.
âThank you,â he whispers against your skin.
And then heâs gone, taking all the warmth with him.
And you watch, as his fire dims and he blends with the gray of your surroundings before disappearing out of sight.