#having a nice paying job doesn’t get you a planned marriage anymore

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

By Your Doorstep (Part 9)

Summary: The reader and Tessa spend their first Christmas with the Winchesters and their friends, resulting in an eventful night...

Pairing: Doctor/Neighbor!Dean x reader

Masterlist

Word Count: 2,800ish

Warnings: language

A/N: Please enjoy this final part! I loved writing this one and exploring everything this series had to offer!

_________

Reader’s POV

Christmas Night

“Hello ladies,” said Dean, popping his head out from the hall and into the room Tessa was staying in. “Mind if I steal your sister?”

“Go for it,” she said, jumping up from bed and rushing over to her suitcase. She pulled out a box and held it out. “I thought I left it at home but Y/N found it in the hall. It’s your other present.”

“The zip up was very nice of you already,” he said. He tore off the paper and you smirked from bed, Dean making a face as he looked at the box.

“It’s a mug. I made it in art class,” she said. He opened the package and went wide eyed, staring at her as he pulled it out.

“Tessa, this is really good,” he said, smiling at the little D.W. she’d painted on the side. “You made this?”

“Yeah. I’m good at ceramics,” she said with a shrug. “If you don’t like it that’s okay.”

“I have a new favorite mug,” he said, giving her a hug. “I can drink out of it, right?”

“Yeah. It’s fine for using and dishwasher, all that,” she said.

“Well I for one am glad you are getting your minor in art next year,” he said.

“Really?”

“School’s important but you gotta have some fun,” he said. “This is one of the best presents I’ve ever gotten.”

“I made everybody one,” she said with a shrug. “I gotta give Sam his still.”

“I think he’s out with Eileen and a few other people in the hot tub.”

“I was gonna go hang out with Jack, maybe we’ll head out there,” she said. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“Make smart choices,” he teased as she walked out. You stood up from bed and walked out to the hall, wrapping your arms around his waist. “She loves me.”

“Yes she does,” you said, a big smile on his face. “You like that, huh?”

“Yes, I do. Besides, I gotta get her on board if I want you,” he said. “How am I doing so far?”

“Oh so you’re curious if I love you,” you said.

“More than you could possibly understand,” he said. You smiled and stood up on your tip toes, throwing your arms around his shoulders.

“Dean. I love you.”

“Good because I love you,” he said.

“That’s very good,” you said. He gave you a kiss, resting his hands along your hips. 

“Wanna take a walk with me?” he asked. You nodded and let him take your hand, following him downstairs and into the foyer where you dressed in your coats and boats, hats and scarves. You walked out the front with him and down the driveway a ways until you were on the private road up there, twinkle lights adorned in the trees.

“This really is beautiful up here, Dean,” you said, your gloved hands laced together.

“It is. Never really thought this would ever be my life growing up,” he said.

“We had holidays like this when we were younger,” you said. “It’s not really about the presents or the lights at the end of the day though.”

“No, it’s definitely not,” he said. “I know we only got here yesterday but are you enjoying it so far?”

“More than. I don’t dread these things anymore. I don’t dread life anymore.”

“Can I ask what your plans are for once Tessa goes to school next year? I know she’ll be living at home but she’s gonna be out and about more often,” he said.

“I don’t really know,” you said. “What about you?”

“Sammy’s interested in the place two doors down across the street. He might put an offer in,” said Dean. 

“What ya asking Dean?”

“If you asked me six months ago if I ever thought I’d love someone, I’d have said no that wasn’t for me. But then I met you and things changed. I’ve never really asked if you’re a marriage kind of gal I guess.”

“If I loved him I would marry him. I’d have a family of our own with him too,” you said. Dean nodded and you bumped his shoulder. “Death is the price we pay for living. But I think what I’ve learned these past six months is that caring and loving someone is worth the pain at the end of the day. The pain subsides and it’s still there but it doesn’t destroy you anymore. So yeah, I’m definitely open to marriage and kids and the dog with the white picket fence thing.”

“My fence is brown,” he chuckled.

“I can look past that detail,” you said. “Would you ever consider marriage?”

“Yes. I absolutely would,” he said. You smiled and he squeezed your hand. “You think I’m gonna like...propose or something now?”

“I think I love you and anything else, whenever or if ever that may be, it would just be a cherry on top,” you said. “I don’t need a ring or to be Mrs. Winchester to tell me how I feel.”

“I figured as much. Safer to ask though,” he said. He reached into his pocket with his free hand and held out a small wrapped box to you. “Merry Christmas sweetheart.”

You dropped his hand so you could unwrap it, finding a black box inside. You took off the lid and smiled, looking back over to Dean.

“You like it?” he asked shyly, blush appearing on his cheeks. “Tessa helped me pick it out.”

“Dean are you proposing?” you asked. He cocked his head and you turned the empty ring back towards him, his face falling.

“Oh my God. Oh my God,” he said, covering his face. “I never put it back in the box. It’s at home. Oh my God I’m so dumb.”

“Dean,” you smiled, tilting your head and wrapping your arms around him. “Is there something you’d like to ask me?”

“It would make this idiot very happy if you decided to marry him,” he said with a smile.

“M’kay,” you said, pulling him down for a deep kiss. “That’s a yes by the way.”

“Even if I’m an idiot?”

“Told you I don’t need a ring, Winchester,” you said. “Just need you...Mr. & Mrs. Winchester has a nice ring to it though.”

“Technically it’s Dr. and…” he trialed off as you kissed him again. “God I love you.”

“I love you,” you said, throwing your arms over his shoulders. He tripped and fell back in the snow, laughing as you went with him. “Fuck I love the shit out of you.”

“I second that,” he said, rolling you to your back and kissing you. “Your sister is a hard nut to crack you know.”

“Did you ask her about this?”

“She’s very protective of big sis...but she said some very sweet things to me,” he said.

“She’s a sucker for you guys,” you said. “But she’s not the only one.”

You rolled over and meant to put him on his back but you ended up shifting and rolling down the hill with him, landing in a big pile of snow. You couldn’t see him at first but he was giggling like a kid and it was just about the best sound you’d ever heard in your life.

“I love you,” you said as you sat up. He propped himself up on his elbows and grinned. You jumped on top of him and rolled around in the snow, throwing snowballs and playing until both your jeans were soaked through and the cold was getting to be a bit much.

“Hey. You want to warm up with me in the shower?” he said. 

“Absolutely,” you said. You walked back up the hill with him, picking up the box from the road. He threw his arm over your shoulders and tugged you close into his side. “Maybe we can even have a little fun in that jacuzzi tub.”

“That’s my girl,” he chuckled.

“That’s my boy,” you said, taking off your hat and pulling it over his head. 

“I can get used to that.” He took off your hat and his baseball cap, putting the cap on you and tugging your hat back on.

“You’re never getting that blue Henley back by the way,” you said.

“You’re never getting your black hoodie back,” he said. You stopped and he pushed his hat down over your face. 

“Dork,” you said, pushing it up and wrapping an arm around his waist. You walked up the road, chilly when you walked back inside. You took off your coat and boots, tossing everything on the rack. 

You caught Sam and Tessa peeking their heads down the hall, both of them in their bathing suits. They stared at you and Dean, both dripping water.

“Yes we’re engaged,” you said.

“Yes!” said Tessa, Sam giving her a high five.

“Finally,” said Sam.

“Don’t you two have people to go make out with in the hot tub?” said Dean.

“Gah, like I’d do that in front of him,” said Tessa. 

“I was having a perfectly good time with Eileen until you and Jack-“

“Goodnight guys,” you said.

“They got engaged!” shouted Sam, different parts of the house shouting back. Dean pulled you up the staircase and down to your room, locking the door behind you. 

“Hi,” you grinned, kissing his nose.

“Hi. Wanna warm up?”

“After you, sweetheart.”

Three Months Later

“I’m beat,” said Dean, arm slung over your shoulders as the two of you walked up the street towards your house. You’d spent the day helping Sam and Eileen move into Sam’s new house just down the road, sticking around to unpack dishes and boxes long after everyone else had gone home.

“Our boy is all grown up,” you teased, Dean leaning against you. “Happy Sammy’s so close by?”

“Yup,” he said with a smile. “I think us older siblings did an alright job.”

“We still have to get Tessa through college,” you said.

“She’ll be fine. She wants to major in medicine sciences. I may or may not be able to help her out there some,” he said.

“Nerd,” you said, getting a smack on the ass from him. “Boy.”

“Girl,” he said, smirking and kissing your cheek. “It’s not the easiest thing in the world, I know, but she’s smart. We can all help her out. Except her art minor homework. I have no clue on that,” he said.

“First semester will probably be the roughest.”

“She’ll be okay,” he said. “What I am worried about it the fact she’s making us dinner tonight.”

“Ten bucks says it’s box mac and cheese.”

“Oh she informed me that it would be epic. I have high expectations,” he said.

“Hm, that must clearly be a good sign,” you said, nodding to your front porch where a very burnt tray of something sat on the step.

“Is it too late for takeout?” he chuckled.

“Let’s hope not,” you said, climbing up the steps. “We’re home!”

“How’d it go? We saw the...wait...it smells shockingly good in here,” said Dean, taking off his coat.

“I’m a better chef than you two give me credit for,” she said from the kitchen, humming as she worked over the stove. “I burnt the biscuits but everything else is nearly done.”

“If it tastes as good as it smells we should have you cook for us more often,” you said. 

“Laugh it up,” she said. Dean pulled you upstairs and you washed off the sweat of working all day, changing into something relaxing in time to walk downstairs and spot Tessa setting plates down at the table. 

“Oh. Fancy,” you said, Dean pulling out your seat for you. You sat and he took his own, Tessa humming as she pulled out a bottle of wine from the fridge and sat it down on the table. “Alright. What are you up to? This is way too nice.”

“Nothing. I knew you guys would be tired and you guys always make me dinner and stuff,” she said.

“Mhm,” you hummed, Dean smirking up at her. She rolled her eyes and sighed.

“This what I get for being nice. I’m going over Jack’s,” she said.

“Make smart choices kiddo,” said Dean with a wink. She groaned and messed up his hair before she took off, Toast trotting after. “Take my car if you want, Tess.”

“Thank you!” she called back, ducking out the door after a moment.

“Well this was very nice of her,” you said. You cut into your chicken and paused, showing it to Dean and giggling.

“Maybe tomorrow we’ll show her how to use a meat thermometer, make sure the food is actually cooked,” he chuckled, picking up the plates and scraping the food in the trash.

“It’s the thought that counts,” you said, picking up the bottle of wine.

“Yes it is. What are you thinking?” he asked. “Taco Saturday?”

“I want a big ass burrito,” you said. “With extra cheese. And nachos.”

“That’s my girl,” he said, washing up his hands at the sink. “Wine and Mexican food. Perfect combo if I do say so myself.”

Three Months Later

“You got me a car!” said Tessa, hopping up and down when she opened the front door. She ran over to it and pulled off the bow, sliding in behind the wheel.

“You were worried she wouldn’t like a used one,” chuckled Dean in your ear.

“I was not,” you said, slapping his chest, Toast running out past you. You watched Sam and Eileen come out of their house a few down, Sam staring over in your direction. “We’ll meet you there!”

He waved and they climbed in, driving past with a honk as Tessa squealed. 

“Alright, alright,” said Dean. “We got a graduation to get to, ladies.”

“Cheers,” said Dean, laying back on the lounger on the balcony, toasting his glass to yours. You stretched out and rolled over closer to him, kissing him gently. “You’ve officially survived the high school phase.”

“Why do I feel like the college phase is harder,” you laughed.

“She’s already got the college boyfriend down,” he said.

“Yeah but Jack is Jack. He’s sweet. She’s the one I worry about.”

“You’ll always worry,” he said, his arm hanging loosely over your shoulders. “Kids sound like they’re having fun down there.”

“She’s happy. It’s all I could ever ask for.”

“Are you happy?” he asked.

“I’m home,” you said, resting your head on his shoulder. You hugged his waist, Dean shutting his eyes with a smile. “You want to get married next summer?”

“Whatever you want, sweetheart,” he said. 

“Come on. You gotta have some opinions on this,” you said.

“I kinda like the idea of a spring wedding. Maybe May or something. I wouldn’t mind honeymooning somewhere on a beach,” he said.

“That sounds great,” you said, his fingers dancing along your arm. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Shoot.”

“I almost asked my dad if I could meet you once you know. The boy from the mail room. You seemed...I don’t know, like a really good person.”

“Did I meet expectations?” he asked.

“Blew right past them,” you said, getting a kiss on the temple. “You happy?”

“I got my girl. I got my brother. Got Tessa and Eileen and my friends and Toast and this little baby, Miracle,” he said, picking up the sleeping puppy beside him. “I have never been so happy in my life.”

“Good,” you said, kissing his cheek. “Want to go see if there’s any graduation cake left? Bet it’d go good with this bourbon.”

“God I love you,” he chuckled as he kissed you. “So fucking much.”

“Me too, Dean. Me too.”

_________

#supernatural #spn #dean x reader #dean winchester #doctor!dean #au!dean x reader #supernatural fanfiction #dean winchester x reader #dean #spn reader insert #supernatural reader insert #winchester #dean spn #doctor!dean x reader

[birdwonder]

Could I get life with the Bucci gang + Trish headcannons from after they defeated Diavolo? Like what do they do after they have freedom to do whatever they want now? Everyone lives AU of course because I miss my children 😔

|| i am a tumblr n00b who can not find a way to directly link my rules into my bio but i don���t take part 5 requests juuust yet. BUT. i have been wanting to write for part 5 so i’ll probably make an exception for you, lovely anon, and do some headcanons/fics i’m able to do in the future, until i’ve finished Golden wind ~! also - you hit my feels man.

 i made them s/o related bc i’m so used to them that i didn’t realise that the request wasn’t specified for that :,) 

Bucci Gang | Happy Ending Headcanons 

Bruno Bucciarati 

- God, he wants nothing more than to finally have some peace and quiet. Remaining in the mafia isn’t even the least of his concerns, instead he wants to know what you want. Whether you joined him on his journey to take down Diavolo or not didn’t matter as he knew that either way, the stress of him dying and you being tangled up in his mess would have been enough to cause premature grey hairs.

- Even if he does return to the mafia as a Capo, he wants a vacation, just perhaps not somewhere in Italy. With Giorno’s new status, and his own being fairly high ranking, he has the funds to take you somewhere away from any gangs and drama. His first idea would be a holiday island so the two of you can relax on the beach and feel the cool water from the pool washing away all the anxieties you once had; a couple spa day would not be out of the question.

- A change in scenery such as a cold country wouldn’t be too bad either, though he feels like the preparation for that would be a little harder as he doesn’t own many winter clothes.

- During the holiday, the two of you would spend every evening in a 5-star restaurant, dining in front of the sunset with joy in your hearts. On your final night of your stay, Bruno seems to be the happiest he’s ever been the whole trip and you can only assume that the effects of taking a break had finally worked on him. “It’s so nice to see you smiling, amore,” you tell him, resting your hand over his own on the clothed table.

- “It’s all thanks to you, [F/N],” Bruno softly explains, standing up while taking your hand into his own, glancing at the slowly falling sun. “I feel like I’ve been through Hell and back, and yet every moment with you so far has been Heaven.” Your heart melts at his words, eyes softening when he turns to look at you. “I’ve risked everything ever since my father died, and it’s made me realise how short life can truly be…”

- You can only gasp when he lowers himself to a single knee, one hand intertwined with your’s and another holding a small, velvet box with a ring fit for you. “I want to cherish every day, hour and second with you, amore. Will you marry me?”

- Whether you say yes or no, he respects your decision and makes it his goal to enjoy ever last day with you in a beautiful house. He still works alongside Giorno and his gang, but never once steps into a fight or situation without you and both of your safeties in mind.

Leone Abbachio

- He needs a drink, and bad. Yet, you stop him and instead force him into your arms on a couch and hold him until you’re crying tears of joy that it’s all over and even he’s close to shedding one or two; his face buried into the top of your head and muttering that he’s so grateful he hasn’t lost you.

- From there, his need to live for something or someone changes. His goal is no longer to be on hand and knee for an authority, but to be with you.

- His loyalty to Bucciarati remains, especially when they had been through so much together, yet much like his friend, he takes things easier. Leone’s mood is not as bitter as it once was and he softens every time he comes home from work to see you waiting for him or you return from your own occupation - both of you ready for some serious intimacy.

- If you’re apart of the mafia, he might pressure you to leave and live easy with his support, but he knows that you’d have to be pretty hard-headed to join the Passione, so leaving won’t be easy.

- After a year or so since the Diavolo incident he’d really want to settle down. Officially, the two of you would be living together by now but the house is just too quiet, which says a lot for such a silent, kept to himself man. During dinner one day, his cheeks are flushed red and he can’t even bring himself to eat or look at you. Worried that you’ve done something wrong, you ask what was causing this mood and the response of “I want children,” makes your fork drop to the floor.

- It’s entirely up to you if you both have children but if you do want to start a family, he’ll be overjoyed. He wants to commit to you and a rugrat or more. After all the shit he’s been through, having the ideal happy family dream is everything he could want. Also, he’d be an incredible father and husband. Nothing comes before his family, not even a mission. 

Pannacotta Fugo

- oh shit oh fuck he’s lost. what does he do?

- There’s a good chance he hasn’t announced his love for you yet, so that’s probably the first thing on his to-do list. He knows he shouldn’t wait for life to take it’s course anymore and that he knows to be with you. Sooo, with pure fear, he pulls you aside and yells out that he loves you and starts to ramble that it’s ok if you don’t feel the same. You shut him up with a kiss and tell him you feel the same.

- After that, he has no real plans. It’s ironic seeing as he’s a strategist who has everything planned out, but he doesn’t have much in mind. Would he stay in Passione? Maybe, maybe not. Fugo has realised that he’s missed so many opportunities when it comes to his education and that he could be using his high IQ for something good, yet he knows no where could handle his anger issues quite like Bucciarati and the others could; aside from you.

- He’s young still, so marriage and a settled life style is too early however he still wants to be with you a lot more. As awkward as they may be at first, Fugo takes you on many dates and makes sure they all end with him shyly telling you that he loves you.

- If he keeps up working with the Passione, he continues to mentor Narancia for sure. Still just as aggressively if the poor boy gets anything wrong.

- Might try to practice using Purple Haze in a way that doesn’t affect the others around him. After all, if he can’t develop himself academically in a educational field, then he wants to grow in other ways. His anger issues and reluctance to use his stand? He wants them gone, or at least manageable to a satisfactory level. Fugo knows it won’t happen quickly or maybe at all, though that doesn’t stop his efforts.

Narancia Ghirga

- He’s going to go to school, baby !!

- And you’re coming with him, whether you were already in it or not. He’s going to become smarter and at least try to experience a portion of a normal growing up experience with your’s and Fugo’s support. Both you and the strawberry man will be begged for tutoring, to which there’s no hesitation for agreeing.

- Narancia is so happy that the whole mess is over and takes you into his arms, kissing you at least hundreds of times, telling you in-between each kiss that he loves you and that he can’t wait to go back to how things were. “I (mwah) love (mwah) you (mwah) so so so (mwah) much! We’re going to (mwah) kick back and relax (mwah) and watch all our favourite movies and (mwah) eat all our favourite foods!” “Narancia, stOoOoP!”

- You don’t have a choice in the matter when it comes to sticking by him. You both are going to live free and happy, with no cares aside from homework and upcoming tests. 

- He’ll probably stay in Passione but makes time for school. It’d be a waste to not use Lil’ Bomber/Aerosmith and he wants to stay close to his gang until forever.

- Celebratory torture dance anyone?

Guido Mista 

- Both he and his sex pistols are all over you once they realise that you’re all free from the gruelling mission. His hands are under your arms and he picks you up, swinging you around with so much cheer that hearing anything but his joyous yells of, “we did it!” is impossible. At the same time, his sex pistols are crawling up your arms and towards your face, hugging your neck and face with their own mini cheers of victory. Eventually, they each place an individual kiss on your cheek while Mista plants his own right onto your lips.

- He sticks with the Passione as Giorno’s right hand man, living in the joy of being a top dog and working alongside his friends. With all that they sacrificed, he’s enjoying everything that he does.

- Much like Fugo, he feels as though he’s still too young to marry or start a family immediately. Instead, he helps set you up with your own job and visits you every lunch break to spend time together. If you’re in the mafia, he begs Giorno to let you work alongside him, which was probably the new Don’s plan from the get-go, otherwise he visits wherever you work whenever he can. If he doesn’t have the time, he’ll text you with a cute image of him at work to which you reply with your own.

- Oh, even without starting the family, Mista’s mini stands definitely act like you’re their mother. Everytime they see you it’s constant cries for food and attention, and sometimes they can only be calmed down by your affection, not even Mista can make them work well without them at least seeing you recently. Suppose that’s all apart of a stand being the true nature of a person. 

- Mista likes to spend his new raise in pay on himself and you. More rented movies, more lavish items, tons of gifts and bouquets that you insist you don’t need! 

- You guys would probably move in together just because he likes coming home to you and telling you about his day, or seeing your smile after doing nothing but stand around next to Giorno. He’ll lie at first and say it’s for the sake of controlling his sex pistols because they can’t get enough of you. 

Giorno Giovanna 

- Aw yeah, who’s head bitch now? This guy.

- He works day and night to make sure his dream becomes a true reality, not letting the opportunity that his gang members and you have given him by risking your lives by even associating with him. 

- Giorno’s head is in the game and he hits the floor running as soon as he’s the new boss, not wasting any time in claiming land and setting people straight with his new rules. 

- This leaves you a little down in the dumps. After all that, and he still wants to work… It’s only right that you grab him by the face and tell him that he deserves at least some sort of a break, preferably with you.

- Realising that he really does, and so do you, he complies by having at least a week of resting, eating fine food and doing whatever you want as money was no longer an object to him.

- Mafia or not, you’re his right hand aside from Mista and the others. He’s had a bad day or really doesn’t know what to do with all the work he has? You swoop in and relax him, telling him that it’ll be ok and suggesting ways that he could deal with things. 

- Mista jokes by saying you’re like his secretary like in those cheesy romantic movies and you come in the next day in a formal, assistant like outfit and Giorno’s heart stops. All and every ‘appointment’ for that day is cancelled.

- “I’m so proud of you Giorno, you got what you wanted.” You tell him, brushing a hand through his hair. “The love of my life and a fulfilled dream? Definitely, amore.” 

Trish Una

- She’ll probably want to stick by the you and the Bucci Gang since you all supported her so much. Plus, she wants to improve on using her stand, especially if it’s for good.

- The two of you are glad to be together and spoil yourselves rotten with a shopping trip and a long spa day or two. You spend a lot of hours hugging and comforting her as she definitely breaks down in tears after all she’s been through has caught up. Even if she tries in front of the others, she can’t hide the stress that’s been hitting a rubbery wall and waiting to break through.

- If you cry too, she’ll laugh and say “look at us. Aren’t we just the perfect mess?”

- She isn’t really sure about how or where she wants to live though she wants to see you a lot, maybe not 24/7 just yet but at least close to where you live. If you do end up living together, she’ll enjoy it all the same but will make sure she works hard or longer outside of the home so coming back to see you is a breath of fresh air. 

- Trish would want to have a committed, set life after all the bumps she’s had before. She knows who she is now, so from here on she’s going to be finding new parts of herself. From finding new hobbies and interests to doing some exploring across Italy and maybe the world, she really wants to come to terms with herself. 

#trish and a few others are short bc im not quite sure yet how things are for them ! #trish una #trish x reader #guido mista #mista x reader #narancia ghirga #narancia x reader #panacotta fugo #fugo x reader #giorno x reader #giorno giovanna #leone abbacchio #abbachio x reader #bruno x reader #jjba x reader #jjba headcanon #request

[amostimprobabledream]

Why I hate Grace.

I was giving my thoughts on Peaky Blinders a few weeks ago and I danced around the subject of my dislike for this character but didn’t have time/room to get it all out. So here it is! Grace fans, you probably want to look away now. So to me, Grace is kind of symbolic of the bad writing on Peaky Blinders, which is especially egregious because usually the writing of the show is good. But right off the bat, her arrival creates a number of plotholes that don't resonate with Tommy's character. Just for a start, nobody seems to find it suspicious that an apparently attractive woman (seriously, people go on and on about how pretty Grace is and while it's not as though she's ugly at all, you can't help but wonder if the Peaky boys merely think so because she's the only woman of significance not related to them) is so determined to be a barmaid in The Garrison, where Tommy, upon seeing her, immediately asks her if she's a whore. Grace is understandably offended by the question, which again makes you wonder why she'd want to work somewhere where such a question isn't just an assumption, but the first thing Tommy asks - we know she's a spy, but the other characters don't.

Then, Tommy corners Grace and starts asking why she keeps being so nosy about the Blinders and their business. They go for a walk and Tommy asks Grace if she's a Catholic. She says she is, but when Tommy points out that no good Catholic girl would walk into a church without making the cross, he immediately exposes her as a liar and points out he also knows that she lied to him about what town she was from, because he asked around and nobody had ever heard of her. So what does he do? He...promotes her to being his secretary? What?

Okay, so you might argue that Tommy puts her in said position to keep an eye on her, or thinks she might be useful if she has the balls to lie to him, but she tells such an easy-to-unravel lie and her excuse is because she wants to "fit in". Again, he lets her off the hook but she covers up a lie with an even more obvious one  - if Grace cared about fitting in, she'd make more of an effort to do so, but she keeps demanding Tommy let her sing in the pub and asks questions above her station to Arthur, which got reported back to Tommy. Sure, it's her job to spy on the Peaky boys, but she's so transparent about it that it's honestly ridiculous that Tommy would ever put her in a position that close to his personal affairs. Not to mention, Grace is so inexplicably haughty towards Tommy, telling him, "You disappoint me" when he kisses her. You'd think if she was good at her job, she'd learn to shut her mouth and keep her head down like a decent spy, but she always acts as if she's better than Tommy because, like Polly points out, she's a spoiled little rich girl at heart and she does think herself above the Shelby's.

Then Tommy completely inexplicably chooses to give Grace a fucking gun and tells her some men are going to come in and try to kill him and he's relying on her to bail him out. I know the cops were meant to come in at the stroke of six and they fuck up, but WHY would you ever place that level of trust in someone you already know is a liar? Sorry, but I just don't buy that Tommy was blinded by "love". I can buy that maybe he was curious about Grace, possibly even fancied her a bit, but definitely not so stupid that he thinks it's a good idea to put his fucking life in the hands of a woman he knows basically nothing about. She could have fallen out of the sky for all he knows. Tommy even continues to trust Grace after she kills an IRA guy right in front of him because she sobs, "I didn't know I had it in me like that", yet she disobeyed his instructions and whenever Arthur or John do that, Tommy gives them a bollocking. He lets Grace off, again, for seemingly no reason other than she played the damsel in distress role and he buys it. This doesn't make Tommy look like a smart man blinded by love, it just makes him look like an idiot around Grace.

Also, there seems to be an uncomfortable level in Tommy/Grace of Tommy getting a kick out of using Grace to piss Campbell off. It's pretty obvious Campbell has a creepy crush on her, and Tommy exploits that for all it's worth when he explicitly rings Campbell to inform him that he's going to bang Grace. (Incidentally, their sex scene made me go, "Oh, I guess they're gonna fuck now. Yup." It was like they did it because the screenwriter said so.) He's basically cucking Campbell and I think it's a big reason why even Grace fans admit that she's "not as good" in Season Two - Grace just doesn't work without Campbell around. At least in Season One you can argue that every shitty thing Grace does to Tommy/the Peaky Blinders is partly because of her job as a spy and Campbell is her boss. In Season Two, there are no excuses for the way Grace acts. She's a selfish, self-righteous hypocrite. She jumps at the chance to go to Birmingham on the offchance it was Tommy who called, then acts all offended when he assumes she came to sleep with him, to the point she actually smacks him in the face. What does Tommy do about this? Nothing. When Grace complains they could have run away to New York together, all Tommy says is, "I had things to do", instead of asking Grace why she thinks he'd abandon his family, business, friends and country all to chase after the woman who sold him out to his worst enemy. Grace honestly expected Tommy to put her first after everything she did to him. I won't act like Tommy is a saint in this - he did nearly pimp her out to Billy Kimber - but at least he acknowledges it was wrong of him to do and he never acts like he occupies any moral highground like Grace does. When Grace admits she sold Tommy out, she sobs she "did a terrible thing," yet never tries to actually help him out in a way that would put her at risk - she quit her position, sure, but Campbell's creepiness had gone so far as to propose marriage to her, Grace was still looking out for herself when she left, because it got her away from Campbell. She asked Campbell to spare him, knowing full well that Campbell has wanted Tommy dead since day one. She plays the damsel in distress again and she's pissed when Tommy doesn't fall for it a second time. Then when she talks about her husband, she tries to rub it in Tommy's face how he's “a good, kind man”, but then quickly backtracks on that to fuck Tommy anyway because her husband is impotent - and Grace just can't deal with not getting what she wants. Tommy's rich enough to afford to buy a house for Ada and Polly by this point, he's running Birmingham and seeking to expand into London, so Grace pulls the oldest trick in the book and gets pregnant - then Tommy has to do the responsible thing and marry her, because the baby is his and it's literally the only piece of leverage she has over May. (May even points out that she's been stringing Tommy along and all Grace can do is throw the fact that "Grace's Secret" is the horse's name at her. Again though, did Tommy call it that to piss off Campbell? This was before Grace returned to Small Heath but after Campbell had, so I think yes.)

Then in Season Three, again, Grace is pretty much a pointless character, because she has no purpose anymore outside of being "Tommy's wife". Campbell is dead and so the conflict of her character in Season One, as contrived as that was, is gone. People complain about Grace being stuffed into a fridge and whatnot, (and tbh, you could say that about Freddie, but Freddie also served his purpose in Season One after he buried the hatchet with Tommy), but honestly I think that it was all they could think to do with her because Charlotte Riley was unable to pick up her role as May for Season Three, so they had to work around it. It's the only explanation I can think of about why Grace is just such a blatantly awful person in the Second Season - I've heard people say before that Tommy leaving the field after his assassination was prevented would have been the perfect ending to the season, but that scene at the end where he returns to The Garrison and announces he's getting married seemed really hastily tacked-on - I feel like it was added because they were forced to rewrite the drafts for Season Three and put whatever plans for May they had on the shelf. Not to mention, Grace's actress Annabelle Wallis has apparently stated she hates May because she's "annoying" and "gets inbetween Tommy and Grace". No, Grace got in the way of Tommy and Grace - she's the one who chose to leave Birmingham after she got exposed as a Mole instead of taking the consequences! And also, how is May the annoying one? At least she doesn’t whisper all her lines. It's just so immature of the actress to bash on the character and encourage ship wars, especially considering Grace comes out the winner of the love triangle, so what's the bitterness about? (I've not heard what her opinion is on Lizzie, but I doubt it's as hostile, because it's made obvious in the show that Tommy doesn't love Lizzie the same and the poor girl is constantly competing with a dead woman for her husband's love.) Plus, in Season Three, the wedding is all about not upsetting Grace, Tommy's family have to play nice with Grace's family, and Polly is once again the only person who knocks Grace's smug ass down a peg by reminding her that the family haven't forgiven or forgotten Grace's crimes against them - the only reason they're putting up a pretence of tolerating her is for Tommy's sake. Not hers. Not everybody in the world wants to accommodate Grace. Killing Grace was honestly the highlight of the entire Season, because I couldn't stand watching her smirking over how she got everything she wanted when she didn't pay for any of it. (Polly is also the only one who comments on how Tommy has conveniently forgotten all the shit she pulled on him and Tommy acts like she was a totally innocent bystander when she got killed and it’s like, no, Tommy, baby. Grace knew what she was getting into when she married him and he knew that - it’s pretty much common knowledge that everybody who is even tangentially associated with the Peaky Blinders gets hurt eventually, just look at how Ada was nearly gangraped even though she hadn’t been involved with the family business for two years.)

Come Season Four and Five and there's already a problem here - there is still more to talk about with Grace, even though she’s dead and Tommy spends most of Season Three rampaging over her death. But he just inexplicably won't let go of her. And again, this doesn't come across as Tommy being so in love with Grace he can't fathom a world without her, it comes off like her actress has dirt on the director or something. He constantly hallucinates the bitch, we hear her singing all the time, it's kind of implied that Tommy prefers Charles over Ruby because Charles a boy and has a saintly dead mummy while Ruby is the daughter of a former whore (not that Tommy doesn't love Ruby, obviously, because he absolutely does), and what really annoys me about Tommy hallucinating Grace is that she's the only character he does this with. He doesn't dream about Greta, his first love, he doesn't dream of Danny or Freddie or his mother. He doesn't even fucking dream about John! Remember John, Tommy's little brother he knew his entire life? Apparently nobody else does! No, it's always all about Grace, who keeps helpfully telling Tommy to hurry up and kill himself so he can be with her again. This doesn’t seem like an out-of-character, guilt-induced vision - it mimicks her attitude in Season Two, that nothing else in his life can be as important as she is.

And that's why I hate Grace. (Please don’t send me rude or hateful messages over this post, it’s just my opinion and it’s pretty much irrelevant anyway since I doubt Stephen Knight is going to stop using Grace up as some kind of martyred dead saint anytime soon. I just wanted to get this rant out of my system.)

#Peaky Blinders #Grace Burgess #Tommy Shelby #May Carleton #Rant #Chester Campbell #Polly Shelby #Blogging

[twix-tom]

Dancing On My Own

A/N: Hello! here’s some angst. You’re welcome.

Word count: 1711

So far away but still so near

The lights come up, the music dies

But you don't see me standing here

I just came to say goodbye                                                                                         

He regrets leaving his house an hour before even stepping a foot out of it. Now he’s standing in the corner of this pub in downtown London and doesn't know what makes him shiver more, the cold whiskey in his hand or the sight of her in another man arms.

It was her birthday and some of their friends were going to this pub. Whilst they got close to hug her and wish a happy birthday he stood by the bar, looking around, trying to disappear.

His eyes landed on her again. She looked beautiful, wearing a dress that he knew if it was him beside her he wouldn't be able to keep his hand away from her. Just when he was thinking of what kind of idiot this guy must be to seem so relaxed beside her looking like that, the guy turned around and grabbed her, attacking her face with kisses, his hands everywhere he could grab, she giggled in his arms and, even if the situation made him feel sick, he smiled seeing her smile. Her head was tilted back and her eyes closed at how big her smile was.

He remembered her smiling like that for him, and along with that memory came the one that broke his heart. The one that made him not want to be there.

Tom never wanted to break things up. She was the love of his life, everybody knew that, from their parents to his fans. But things weren’t easy with his life style. So he decided to break up with her, tell her she deserves someone better that could be there for her when he couldn’t. The thing was that when he made that decision something in his heart told him that it wasn’t going to last, everything would be back to normal when he came back home.

The next time he knew about her was through their friends. She was going on dates, finding someone who was there for her. I guess I took too long. And then it was his “new life” as he liked to call it, because his life would never be the same without her in it. That's not the life he was used to. So now he was moving to L.A, far away from her, searching for a new beginning, that's what people do, right?

Before leaving he thought on saying goodbye. Maybe not to her face, wasn’t sure how she was gonna to react now with all the time that has gone by, but he couldn’t deny himself of seeing her for one last time. That’s the actual reason of him being there.

He drinks what is left of the whiskey and looks up at her again for the last time, and when he sees her she sees him too. Her eyes go a little wide and he smile drops a little, she leans to the man holding her and whispers something in his ear and before Tom can think of a escape plan she is making her way through the crowd towards him.

“Hi” her voice sounds sweet almost shy and his chest shakes a little with his breath.

“Hey… happy birthday” he leans to give her a hug and feels every muscle in his body tense up. She just hugs him not like they haven’t spoken in almost 3 years, but like they saw each other last week and she was totally expecting for him to show up in this bar for her birthday. As weird as it sounds he doesn’t recognize the smell of her shampoo and that fact didn’t help his crumbling heart but does make him let go easier from the hug. “It’s been a long time, how is life?”

“Busy, but you must know about it, don’t you?” her tone wasn’t bitter, but rather playfull “Haven’t seen you much around here”

“You said it, have been busy with filming and movies coming out, press tour and stuff, just found some time to come back here”

“Yeah, it must be crazy.” There’s a soft smile in her face, the same smile that treasures his favorite memories. He can see her in front of him but knows that she really isn’t paying attention that much to what he’s saying, just making polite small talk. At the back of his head he hears her voice say: It’s a nice thing to do Tom, makes the guest feel welcome into your space. “Congratulations by the way on the movie, and filming… and stuff. The guys told me how crazy everything is, I can only imagine how much you miss home”

“Yeah, spend a lot more time in L.A now, so… yeah, moving out there actually” This seems to caught her attention, her eyes go wide and one of her hands reaches out touching Tom’s upper arm, squeezing a little.

“What? When? Congratulations, I guess?”

“Yeah, I mean my job is mostly there and it kills me having to travel so much” He doesn’t say the real reason, but he hopes she can feel that it is a lie, she used to be very good at knowing him. “I’m leaving tomo-” and the he sees it.

Mocking him sitting in her left hand is a ring. It looks perfect, like her fingers were made to hold such a sacred promise of forever, just like he pictured it would look, but it doesn’t bring him the same feeling he imagined he would feel at seeing it.

“Oh, wow” her eyes follow his and land on her hand holding her drink. Slowly she leaves the glass in the bar and extend her hand for him to have a better look.

“Yes”  She says, the air becomes thick around them and for a moment the music doesn’t feel so loud “I’m getting married”

“To him?” He looks at the guy over her shoulders, he is talking with her friends -probably his friends now too- he must feel their stares on him cause the next thing he does is look at both of them with a polite smile on his face and lift his glass, she waves back at him with a small smile.

“Yeah…” she sighs “His name i-”

“When?” he interrupts her, mostly because he really doesn’t want to hear her talk about him, not thinking that she talked about him the same way.

“Oh, we don’t know yet. We’re planning it for summer maybe?” she is looking at her ring whilst talking and the smile on her face is what makes his heart stutter with every beat “Nobody is hurrying us up so…”

“Congrats. I hope he makes you happy” his voice is softer and it shakes a little.

It feels like for the first time during their whole interaction she sees him, really him. The him that used to take her out to silly dates, and spoil her rotten every chance he could. Him that planed pizza nights for bad days and helped her study even if he could barely understand what she needed help with. Him that promised to love her forever and the one that once -what felt to her like a long time ago- promised to put a ring in her finger the same way that other man has already done.

“Tom-”

“I mean it, i really do” his eyes burn with tears and she can sees them. But instead of hers filling up like his, her mouth raises in a small sympathetic smile and her hand goes to touch his cheek. Just as soft as he remembered.

“Thank you” her voice is soft, and when he closes his eyes enjoying her touch she retreats her hand.

“I… uh…” he clears his throat and takes a deep breath, trying not to cry “I-I just came to say goodbye”

“Oh, okay, you’re leaving right now?” she asked something in him expected for her to sound more disappointed on him leaving so early

“Yes. I have an early flight tomorrow and have to check I’m not leaving anything…” he looked behind her one more time, the fiancé wasn't looking at them, not even worried about the two of them being so close “you know, not leaving anything behind”

“Well, it was nice to see you then, thanks for stopping by and everything”

“Yeah, of course” He says, his feet feel stuck for a moment in the ground under him. Like the roots that once connected  them where growing again, making it impossible for him to move. He turned around, giving her a small nod with the head, before seeing the door. His final goodbye. Both of them knew it was.

Ask me to stay, please tell me to stay he repeated in his mind over and over again making his way to the heavy looking door I will do it, just say it.

“Hey Tom” she calls behind him. He thanks his lucky stars or whoever is above, he turns around slowly this time, she is standing a few steps away from him  playing with her ring. Before he can say anything she speaks, her voice is steady, not how he expected “Good luck with your new life” there was a smile in her face telling him that she really meant it and her voice was sweet, oh so sweet, he could drown on it if he wasn't already feeling his chest collapse. That was it.

“Thank you, good luck to you too. Wish you a happy marriage” His smile not as genuine as hers but he couldn't lie about his feelings anymore, he refused to lie to her again about them. She lifted her hand with the rock that made his heart feel heavier than before ⎼he didn't know he could feel even worse⎼ and waved at him, before turning around, grabbing her drink and walking into the awaiting arms of her fiancé. Nothing but love and adoration for her in his eyes. He would know about that.

“Yeah,” he whispered “you deserve to be happy” and with that he turned around for the last time, leaving his whole life behind.

#tom holland #tom holland blurb #tom holland fanfic #tom holland fic #tom holland x y/n #tom holland x reader #tom holland x fem!reader #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland imagine #tom holland one shot #tom holland imagines #tom holland x you #tom holland angst #ella writes

[tsarinastorm]

Stare Blankly-Adam Sackler/Reader-Chapter 3

*This is the first part of a two part series, So We Beat On 

Chapter 1           Chapter 2

          You finished setting out the wine and snacks, and were pulling up your streaming services on your television. You were having your first real girls’ night since moving to the city, and it was your first time hosting your new friend, Marnie. You met Marnie and Elijah at the same, boring networking event for young women, and bonded over the wine bar. The three of you started chatting about how lame the event was, but at least there was free wine. You became fast friends and grabbed lunch. You were missing your friends from back home so when Marnie mentioned a girls’ night, you thought it was a great idea. Marnie was bringing the nail polish, and face masks, and you supplied the apartment and snacks.

               You had a small one-bedroom apartment in Tudor, and you couldn’t wait to move somewhere else. Your library hardly fit in this apartment and you weren’t ready to give up any part of the collection.  The books, broad in topics, helped you win a few episodes of Jeopardy, enough to pay off your law school debt, and it gave you a chance to focus on writing instead of practicing law. You had written a modern Shakespeare series, some historical fiction and another novel which was released last year, and became a best seller. You freelanced on the side to keep things interesting and to be able to afford living in New York City.

               You were sitting cross-legged on your couch with a glass of wine in your hand and some kind of specialty mask on your face. Marnie was sitting next to you, posed in a similar fashion but with a cucumber mask on. You had some cheesy romantic comedy on but were too busy talking to pay attention. She recounted the breakdown of her marriage and music partnership with Desi, and talked about helping Hannah raise her baby upstate. She said she moved back to the city because upstate just felt suffocating to her. You tell her you understood, you had moved to the city because you wanted more.

“Y/N, you’re a writer, right?”

“Yes I am, are you in need of writing services? Isn’t one of your friend, Hannah, a writer too?”

“Hannah is a writer but she couldn’t help me. I need to work on song lyrics, and I’d like some help. You’re such a great writer maybe you could help me tweak some stuff.”

“Sure, no problem. I know nothing about music so that’s my disclaimer if it’s terrible.”

“I can appreciate any help I could get. It’s so hard to work on music while I have to look for a normal 9 to 5 job too. Working at the coffee shop just isn’t cutting it and it sucks to see Ray every day.” You had heard her talk about her past with Ray, and you couldn’t blame her for not wanting to see him all the time. You remembered that she had an art degree and you had some connections to galleries in the city.

“Wait, don’t you have a degree in art or curatorship? I have a friend who manages artists and is getting ready to open a new gallery featuring his artist’s work. He’s also a professor at Columbia so he always needs some help.”

“That would be great, that’s originally what I wanted to do. Do you think you could get me an interview, or send him my resume?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” You really don’t want to speak to Marc again, but if Marnie needed a job, you could suffer through a conversation. You and Marc had a unique relationship, with ups and downs, and it was currently over. You weren’t prepared for what talking to him again may entail.

               The café was cute, artsy, and seemed to have a variety of drinks and foods catered to hipsters. It almost makes you laugh, but you see your crew motioning for you. You go to the table where you see Marnie, Elijah, a girl with short mousey hair, a cute baby, and another girl with dark hair. You sit down and you can feel the two girls you don’t know watching you curiously. Marnie starts the introductions.

“Y/N, these are my friends, Hannah and Shoshanna. And Hannah’s baby, Grover.”

“It’s nice to meet you guys, I’ve heard so much about you both. And this must be Grover, I’ve heard all about him too. He is adorable.” You say as you watch the baby who’s struggling with his sippy cup. You quickly find out that Hannah has recently moved back to the city, lives on Long Island, and works as an editor now. Hannah also adds that she is single and open to relationships, even potentially getting back with an ex because she thinks she needs closure. Yikes you think, getting back with an ex almost never works well. Elijah is busy entertaining baby Grover and chimes into the conversation every now and then. But you and Hannah are able to have a good discussion about writing and the struggles of being a female writer. Shosh talks about her fiancé, how perfect he is, how she wants to go back to Japan, and about how stressful planning a wedding is. You decently like Hannah and Shosh, but you didn’t know how close you’d be with them, you just had different lives. Everyone at your table then turns to look at some blonde with a British accent coming towards the table.

“Who invited her?” Elijah says icily. Shoshanna answers saying, “I mentioned this to her but she was not invited.” The blonde takes a seat at the table and she introduces herself to you.

“I’m Jessa, their other friend, the bad friend, the one who steals boyfriends.” She says and you watch to see if she’s joking but you’re alarmed when you realize that she is not. You introduce yourself to her, and you can feel that the resentment at the table is practically sizzling.

“Jessa, are you and Adam still fucking or whatever your thing was?” Hannah asks with an edgy tone. You immediately pick up that there’s some drama there, specifically between Hannah and Jessa. Your instinct appears correct because everyone else looks tense as they watch the exchange. Jessa just smiles as she answers, “No, we’re just friends now, but I still talk to him. I hope we can all be friends again now that I’m not with him anymore. Are the rest of you satisfied now?”

“That doesn’t make it any better that you stole her boyfriend.” Elijah snaps at her and rolls his eyes. Marnie and Shosh just watch her, and choose not to respond to her. Jessa turns to Hannah, and says, “Can we talk somewhere?”

“There’s not much to talk about but alright.” Hannah quickly packs up Grover’s things and rushes to leave, she’s obviously frazzled and wants to get that conversation over with. Hannah tells you that it was nice meeting you, gives you a quick hug then is gone. Jessa tells you the same thing, but doesn’t hug you, and it feels like brunch is ruined. That Jessa came in like a hurricane, then left. You must look shocked, because Marnie starts laughing nervously before she explains, “Welcome to the disaster that is our friendship. Adam is Hannah’s ex, then Jessa dated him for a while, it’s a testy subject as you can see. No one wanted Jessa here, and apparently even Adam is sick of her.”

Shosh and Elijah both shake their heads in agreement with Marnie. The remaining four of you continue chatting for an hour or so. You decide that you don’t particularly like Jessa simply because of her history, but to you she seemed decent. You’d keep her at a distance though.  Shoshanna was super sweet, a bit chatty, but well-intentioned, you thought you could be friends with her. You thought Hannah was a bit self-absorbed but good company, and you had a lot in common. Marnie promised to fill you in on the friendship drama later.

“I have a job interview with Marc this week, thank you so much for sending him my info.” Marnie says as she hugs you.

“I hope it all works out, it was really no problem.”

“I have a gig this weekend, you should definitely come, I’ll be performing a new song!”

“Alright, send me the details,” you say as you’re trying to decide if you’re excited or not. You’re excited to support your friend, but will her other friends be there? You weren’t sure if you were interested in their group drama, you had enough of your own issues going on.

*************************************************************************

               Adam walks into the bar, and looks around. It’s definitely not a place he’d normally venture into on his own. He was here for Marnie’s singing gig, he never particularly liked Marnie but Ray encouraged him to show up. Ray was Adam’s only friend, if he could even call him a friend. Jessa claims she’s his friend now, but she’s not. He’s the one who broke up with her, and she was desperate to stay in his life so she convinced him to be friends, but he knows she’s hoping to make it more than friends again. He looks up at the upper level of the bar, and he sees one of the most beautiful girls he’s ever seen.

               She’s standing up there perched against a high table, but she’s clearly enjoying her view over the whole bar. She’s wearing a beige crop top and black skinny jeans, Adam thinks she somehow looks both confident and vulnerable. He makes up his mind that he’s going to talk to her. When he makes to the edge of her table, he asks, “May I join you?”

               “Sure.” She nods and looks at him, and continues, “This is the perfect spot for people watching.”

               “Definitely, do you see that guy down there in the blue shirt, he looks the typical hipster, he probably complains about being ‘friend-zoned.’”

               “That girl there is probably coming off a bad break up and is looking for a rebound. She’s trying to figure out how to look fun but not too desperate.” She laughs, and then her phone buzzes and she says, “I’ve got to go meet my friends but it was nice talking to you, I’m Y/N.”

               She reaches out her hand and he takes it introducing himself, “I’m Adam, I hope I see you around.”

********************************************************************************

You go meet up with Shoshanna, and Hannah. Marnie’s getting ready to go on stage, so the three of you stand off to the side of the platform and wait for her to come out. Shosh and Hannah are talking about how Marnie must be nervous before going on stage, and then you hear Shosh say that she doesn’t even know why Jessa showed up. You think that’s great, let’s bring the drama train back.  Speaking of drama involving someone named Adam makes you think of the Adam you just met. You figure that you’ll see him at some point tonight, this place is only so big. You’re thinking about his perfect imperfect smile when you see him walking your way. He comes up and stands besides Hannah and they talk as you realize that he must the Adam that she and Jessa have the rift over. Hannah then turns to you, and goes to introduce you to Adam, but you stop her saying, “Oh this is the Adam? I just ran into him a couple of minutes ago.”

“Yeah, we talked for a few minutes. How do you two know each other?” Adam asks as he motions his hands towards you and Hannah, you can see the moment it clicks in his head that you must be friends or acquaintances with Hannah. Hannah answers for you telling him “She’s our new friend. We just met her the other day. Did you know that she’s a writer like me?”

“No, we didn’t have time to talk about that,” he says sheepishly. You try to diffuse the situation by asking Adam what he does, he tells you that he’s an actor.  He asks you where you’re from and he responds to your answer by joking that your home might be the only place worse than Indiana. You surprisingly don’t disagree.

“What have you been working on? Every actor I’ve met is like every writer I’ve met: they have projects.” You say coolly, leaning in so he can hear your question over the music. He laughs as he answers your question, “I did a production of Hamlet, and just finished a Death of A Salesman at Minetta Lane. I have some other auditions and projects coming up.”

You recognize him from the production of Hamlet you went to a few months ago, that’s why he looked familiar. Hannah and Shosh has backed away slightly from you, as if to give you privacy to talk. Adam as steps closer to you as you inadvertently take a step towards him too.  You definitely found Adam hot, and you were impressed by his work. You’d seen Hamlet and read the rave reviews for his part in Death of a Salesman. It was the first time in a long time that you felt nervous around someone. It was a good nervous, but still it was making you more self-conscious than you’d like.  You tried to ignore his past with new friends because you could tell that could be a stressful nightmare, but you really wanted to get to know him better. Adam seemed to be smart, non-traditional and interesting. You thought that a compliment was a safe way to start a conversation, or it is with ninety-nine percent of the population.

You take a long sip of your drink and lean in closer to him so he can hear you, “I saw the production of Hamlet, and you were really great. One of the best performances of Hamlet I’ve ever seen.”

“Thanks, I appreciate the compliment. It means a lot, you said you’re a writer so you know about the arts. I’m a fan of your work too, your book was one of the best books I’ve read this decade. ”

“I appreciate art, but my perspective is different from yours because I’m not an actor. Isn’t that the great thing about art though: it means different things to different people, but it’s also universal?”

“I agree, it’s supposed to make people feel something, that’s why I don’t do mainstream stuff. It tends to be shallow.”

“I like modern interpretations of Shakespeare like your Hamlet. It’s timeless and universal.”

“I’ve never understood the allure of Shakespeare, he’s overrated and pretentious.” He states like it’s a known fact. You have to watch his reaction to see if he’s joking with you, but you see he’s being dead serious. And things were going so well until he dropped that bombshell opinion.

“He’s the greatest writer of all time. And what writer isn’t pretentious? Most of them are pretentious by default because through most of history a majority of the population couldn’t read or write so writers always represented the upper classes.”

“Okay I’ll admit that Shakespeare is good, he’s made a lasting impact or whatever. But he took works from others, and anytime you have to have a modern interpretation to understand the point, the writing probably isn’t as good as you thought.”

“He wasn’t pretentious in his time. When he wrote it, the people understood it. English has drastically changed in 500 years. He appeals because he used universal themes and timeless human emotions.” You can feel your anger rising, but you can’t help it. He’s was so stubborn, and resolute in his convictions.

“I still disagree. There are thousands of writers who do the same thing and don’t get the credit. But Shakespeare is untouchable because a lot of elitist academics think he is.”

“And the whole world should listen to you. Am I supposed to believe that all of the scholars who study Shakespeare and literature are wrong and you alone are the only one who is right? Who sounds pretentious now?”

“You’re sounding like an elitist. I’m curious, who’s your favorite author?”

“Okay I’ll play along, Dostoevsky or Fitzgerald.”

“That’s my point exactly.”

“Do you think Dostoevsky is pretentious too? He did not go through exile in Siberia to be insulted by some yuppie actor in modern day New York.”

“Did you seriously call me a yuppie?”

“I did.” You say as you raise your eyebrows and take an exaggerated drink from your cup. It added a dramatic flair to your comment, and you felt like you needed a drink with the way this conversation was going. Apparently your yuppie comment struck a nerve because Adam’s voice deepened when he responded, and his new tone was accusatory.

“I know what your problem is. You’re so used to being the smartest person in the room that you can’t fucking handle it when someone is just as smart as you. Because you feel that way, you assume you’re always right and you refuse to let anything go.” You can’t tell what makes you madder: his tone, or the fact he presumes to know everything about you, when he doesn’t. The nerve of him! You’re going to get him back from that comment, so you try to give him a low blow too.

“And I know what your problem is. You’re so used to playing the ‘starving’ artist, waxing poetically. Oh you poor tormented soul! You use it to excuse yourself from real responsibility and you think it makes you different, but really you’re just like everybody else.” You point your finger to emphasize your last point. You can’t tell if that was the worst conversation you’ve ever had, or one of the best conversations you’ve had in a long time.  You were somehow both infuriated by him and intrigued. You were a lawyer after all, maybe that’s why you weren’t totally put off by the argument, and a part of you actually liked it.

You become suddenly aware of how close you’re standing to him, you can count all of his freckles and can practically feel his breath. Assuming that he would move back, you stood your ground, but he remained still as his honey irises bored into yours. This was too much, you thought to yourself and willed yourself away. You grab your drink off the table and turn to leave. Adam looks like he’s going to say something, but instead he keeps a smug look on his face as you watches you walk away.

You then walk off to go congratulate Marnie on her great performance, even though you have be too distracted to listen to most of it. You presumed Adam would still be around after you’ve congratulated Marnie, and you’d have a chance to finish your chat. But when you got back to where you last saw Adam, he wasn’t there. You scanned the bar for him, and he was nowhere to be seen. You guessed you wouldn’t get to finish that talk.

#adam sackler x reader #hbo girls #girls hbo #adam sackler fic #adam driver #adam sackler

[outerspaceisbetterthannothing]

Truth To Be Told [Ashton One Shot]

Warnings: slight cursing

Pairing: Ashton Irwin x Reader

A/N: this was supposed to be Anne’s @bringmethehorizonandpizza​ birthday present, but i’m the most awful friend, so i’ve finished it only now, hope Anne doesn’t hate me as much as i deserve to be hatedfor that  🙈 i also hope you’ll enjoy this cliche bff to lovers story. My prompt was “I wanna eat you up like a candy” 😈 Feedback is extremelly appreciated, as always! Happy reading!

You were rushing through the rain in the busy downtown, being awfully late to your date. You looked at your watch and cursed under you breath. You just couldn’t get how it all happened.

And what happened was you simply forgetting about the date in the first place. Unbelievable, but you did. It wasn’t like you didn’t like the guy, completely opposite for that matter. You and Nate had been seeing each other for almost three months now and everything was going great. He was smart, but not a snob, had nice sense of humor, normal job and usual interests. He was absolutely normal and you often thought you liked that most about him. And it definitely wasn’t like you didn’t wanna go on this date. Nate booked a table in that Greek restaurant you wanted to visit and you anticipated that evening. You just… forgot. 

It happens, right? Sometimes people forget things and there is nothing criminal in that. To be honest, it wasn’t even your fault. You had woken up with mild headache that morning and it really distracted you. You also had a really tough time at work, and by the time you actually realised it wasn’t just Friday but also that Friday, the Friday you had a date, you were already late. And yes, you felt awful. Because you liked Nate. You liked him enough to really wish for things to work between the two of you. So you were almost running. Cause you cared. You really did.

The restaurant was full, which didn’t surprise you as it was Friday night, but the waiter didn’t make you wait any extra minute. Nate smiled when he saw you and you felt the anxiety knot in your belly weaken. He wasn’t angry, he understood. He kissed you and helped with your chair and joked how he had some extra time to choose wine, so it was even better that you came late. He was a perfect gentleman, you wondered how you could even wish for anything more. And even though the annoying voice in the back of your head was nagging you about that ‘more’ you were wishing for, providing you with images and memories, you pushed it all back and focused on Nate. You didn’t quite know what was about to happen, but you had the feeling that tonight was somehow important for your boyfriend. 

The waiter brought you wine and you felt that was the moment. Nate coughed and fixed his watch, he was always doing it if being nervous. You tried to guess what it was he was about to say. You’ve met his friends already, but it was too early to meet his family yet. You never had the exclusivity talk, but from the beginning of your relationship you both understood it was implied. Was he about to hand you the key to his apartment? Or was it also too soon? Or maybe he wanted to suggest going on holiday together? You felt your insides tremble in anticipation.

Nate cleared his throat again and started, “Y/n, you look wonderful today.” You smiled. He lied. You looked usual, but you were thankful to him for this little lie.

“And you always look wonderful, I have no idea, how you manage to do that, but you do. And I just wanted to take this opportunity to express my feelings to you,” he took a pause and you felt ice cover your still slightly trembling insides. Good God, was he about to say the L word? But you sure as hell wasn’t ready for the L word, no no no, how could you stop this? “You’re beautiful, and incredibly funny, and you’re smart, and kind, and caring. Honestly, you’re picture perfect. And I’m even not going to say how you’re the most sensible woman I’ve met in my entire life,” he paused again. You were just looking at him, feeling flattered and scared at the same time. And then he said it. “And all of that only leaves me utterly surprised why we don’t work.”

You felt the air leave your lungs. You even thought about asking him to repeat, but there was no need, as he continued. “I mean, please, tell me if I’m mistaking, but there’s just no spark between the two of us, is there?”

You looked away from him, moving your sight to your slightly shaking hand on the table. He covered your hand with his and, suddenly, you calmed down. You looked back at Nate and shook your head. 

“No, there is no spark,” you admitted with a smile. “We’re more like a quiet couple with 15 years of marriage experience.”

Nate giggled. You liked his giggles, the sound fresh and light. But not as wonderful as your favourite giggles.

“This is unbelievably cruel,” he said. “I mean, we should be perfect together! We fit wonderfully and you’re gorgeous! What’s wrong with us?”

You shrugged, sipping on your wine. “No idea, Nate. To be honest, I haven’t felt so comfortable with a guy for a long time. So I’m just as confused as you are. And a little disappointed,” you admitted to your wine glass.

“Hey, don’t be, please,” he asked you, squeezing your hand. “If you think we need more time-”

“No, Nate, you’re right. I don’t think time will help here,” you forced yourself to smile again. Nate didn’t deserve your sad face, it wasn’t his fault after all. “What are we gonna do now?”

Nate laughed. “To be honest, I have no idea. That’s like, the most civilized break up in my life. Usually it’s scandals and tears and friends picking up your stuff from your ex.”

You laughed too, it was sincere this time, cause you knew that pattern just as well. 

“What people do when they just stop dating without all the drama?” he asked. 

“Well, I still have your sweater,” you reminded. “And you have my book.”

“Which I hope to finish by the next weekend.”

“So,” you started timidly, “maybe I could step by around the weekend and exchange your sweater for my book?”

“And we could then go and drink some coffee,” Nate nodded in agreement. He probably saw the slight hesitation in your eyes, as he added, “Don’t get me wrong, I just don’t wanna lose you completely. As I said, you’re one of the best people I know. Do you think we could still be friends?”

Of course, you could be friends. Obviously, you were a wonderful friend. And never a girlfriend. But, Nate didn’t need to hear that from you. So you agreed and smiled and you just spent a great evening enjoying the food and chatting about everything and nothing at the same time. When the night was over and Nate was paying the check (he insisted on doing it himself, as, technically, you were still dating while ordering) you thought, that the dinner went just as smooth and enjoyable, as you could expect. Only you weren’t a couple anymore. But it didn’t change anything, nor in the mood, neither in your feelings. And if what Nate said didn’t persuade you that breaking up was the best decision, that indifference you had now inside finally did. 

Nate waited for your uber with you. He hugged you and wished you good night and promised to text next week. And just like that another unremarkable relationship in your life has ended. 

***

Ashton started talking before he came up to their place at the counter.

“I do think we need to add more guitars to that song.”

Calum rolled his eyes. This conversation had been going all day long. And even now, late in the evening in a bar, where they decided to spend the night just to relax a little, Ashton couldn't let it go.

“You know what? You’ll tell that Mike and Luke on Monday. And now you’ll finish your drink and we’ll go home.”

“If you disagree, mate, you should just say so,” Ashton frowned. “No need to be passive aggressive.”

Calum chuckled, taking a look around the bar. He had no agenda, they weren’t expecting any friends, he just took a meaningless look around. And he wished he didn’t.

“Hey, Ash, isn’t it-” Calum started, but just as abruptly stopped. What reaction would Ash have? Calum knew about his feelings and wasn’t sure if it was so smart of him to show this to Ashton.

“What?” Ash looked at him quizzically. 

“Nothing,” Calum shook his head and downed his drink. “You ready to go?”

Ashton chuckled nervously and looked at his best mate. “No, I’m not ready. And what did you want to say?”

“Nothing. Just thought I saw a familiar face, but obviously I’ve mistaken.”

But that was enough for Ashton to start looking around.

“You haven’t,” he informed Calum, his voice dropped. He turned back and looked into his glass.”

“So it is Y/N’s boyfriend?” Calum stated, confirming his earlier suspicions. They both looked on their right to the further part of the bar, where the guy they’ve met only several weeks ago as Y/N’s new love interest, was sucking on some girl’s face who was definitely not Y/N.

Ashton nodded and finished his whiskey. 

“Come on, man, we should go,” Calum tried and patted his friends shoulder. But Ashton changed plans already. He beckoned the bartender and ordered one more round for him and Calum. 

“Ash, don’t think it’s a good idea,” Calum frowned. “We better go, mate.”

“Hey, we’re just spending an evening. Promise, I won’t do anything, just let’s stay for a while.”

Calum sighed and let his friend pay for his drink. He knew it was a bad idea. But he also knew he’d rather die than leave his friend in a state like that. They were stuck together even through the worst ideas ever. So he stayed. But no matter how hard he tried to discuss new songs or studio work or his sister’s life (for the lack of topics), Ashton kept staring at Y/N’s boyfriend.

“I mean, how does she manage to do that?” Ashton finally muttered halfway through his glass. 

“What?” Calum scrunched his face, looking away from his instagram feed.

“How does she manage to always choose such losers?” Aston turned to his friend. His gaze was already a little fogged by the alcohol.

“He didn’t seem a loser when we met him,” Calum shrugged. It wasn’t like he didn’t feel bad for Y/N, he just learnt long ago not to get into other people’s relationships. But Ashton was different, of course. They were much closer friends with Y/N and there were some other, well, pretty obvious reasons.

“He’s dating one of the most wonderful girls in the world,” Ashton started, looking at his friend like he was a complete idiot, “but instead of being with her and loving her, like she deserves, he’s in a bar cheating on her.”

“You don’t know everything, Ash,” Calum shook his head, while trying his hardest not to get into this argument. And pretty much failing.

“Like what? You think she deserves that?”

“Jesus, Ash, of course no!” Calum huffed in his glass. “No one deserves this. I just-” he threw another glance at the guy. “Maybe he has a twin brother.”

Ashton laughed, loudly and quite sad. He looked at Y/N’s guy again and his face fell.

“How am I gonna tell her that?” he asked.

Calum looked at his friend, thinking of a better answer. “You can keep it to yourself,” he finally said what he really believed in. Calum knew Ash would never agree on that, but honesty was one of the main principles of their friendship, and Cal wasn’t ready to break it, even for the sake of a girl his brother was in love with. 

Ashton gave him a long heavy stare. “Are you even serious right now?” “Dude, not all the people wanna hear such things, you know,” Calum tried to explain. “Have you had a talk with her about that? Are you sure she would like to know and to know from you? You won’t believe how many people would choose to live in ignorance.”

“No, you don’t know what you’re talking about, mate,” Ashton was fast to dismiss all his arguments. “I know her, okay? I know Y/N, she would like to know. I just need to figure out how to break it on her,” he sighed. Then he downed his whiskey and ordered one more.

“Hey, buddy, that’s not the best idea,” Calum tried to stop him, but it seemed like Ashton didn’t even hear him.

“I just don’t get it,” the drummer huffed and went on drinking. “She’s smart and funny and it’s so easy to talk to her. I can literally talk to her about everything. And she’s the kindest person ever, so supportive and thoughtful. How can they keep doing this to her?”

Calum sighed. He knew for sure what was gonna happen next. “She’s your friend, Ash, obviously for you she’s one of the best-”

“No, you don’t get it. She’s not one of the best. She is the best,” he stated passionately. “She’s the most beautiful woman in the whole world. And, god, I shouldn’t think this way about her, but she’s so sexy, Cal! It’s like-” he took another gulp of his drink. “It’s the hardest part of being her friend. She’s unbelievably hot. And he can have her, but chooses to have that,” he motioned to Y/N’s boyfriend. “Seriously, man, what’s your problem?” he exclaimed loudly enough. 

“Okay, buddy, let’s keep it low, shall we?” Calum cooed, patting his shoulder and turning him back to the bar counter. “We don’t need a scene.”

“I’m alright, I just-” Ashton stumbled.

“You just what, buddy?”

Ashton sighed and looked at his best friend, his eyes full of sorrow. “I just love her so much, Cal, how can I break her heart like that?”

Calum smile softly and answered, “Here’s a revolutionary idea, Ash. How about telling her all that?”

“Of course, I’m gonna tell her, did you even listen to me?” Ash rolled his eyes.

“No no no, not about her douchebag of a boyfriend,” Calum shook his head, smile still on his face. “About how you love her. And all the things you’ve said about her, how she’s the best, you know?”

Ashton sent his way another heavy look and indulged in his drink. 

“You know I can’t do that,” he mumbled couple minutes later. “She deserves someone better than me.”

***

You were sitting on your couch with a glass of wine in the shittiest mood ever. 

And what was not to be angry and upset about. You’d just been dumped after all. You huffed in your wine glass, recollecting on your most civilized break up. The worst thing was that you couldn’t even blame Nate. No, he didn’t do anything wrong. The only fault he had was not being the man you truly wanted to be with. 

You rolled eyes on yourself. How pathetic you were in this longing after your own friend. Each time you were starting a new relationship, you did everything to finish them as soon as possible. Of course, not intentionally. You truly wanted to be with someone, to love someone who could love you back. But each time you were too restrained, too closed off. And naturally your partners felt it. No matter how much you wanted your relationship to work, you just couldn’t devote to them fully. Cause deep down inside, in your subconscious, hidden from the light, there was a question. The question you’ve kept asking those long sleepless nights. If you ever had a chance with Ashton, how would it be? Would it be different? Would you feel different? Would he make you feel like you, real you, and not like you were playing a role you’d never bothered to learn properly? Whatever the answer was, one thing you always knew. If Ashton showed up on your threshold asking for a chance with him, you’d break any relationship in an instance. 

So every your breakup was your doing. It was your fault. And what was even worse, you wasted your partner’s time shamelessly. You wasted Nate’s time. And Nate didn’t deserve that. He was kind and caring. And he was always honest with you. You treated him ill, you knew it. 

You poured yourself more wine. Maybe you should have stopped dating for some time? At least till you could look at Ashton without lusting after him. You emotional status wasn’t healthy, obviously, so it was better to wait till Ash would be out of your system. You just needed a break. Just for now. 

Harsh knock on your front door startled you. You looked at the door, not fully getting what you had to do. But when the knock repeated, followed by muffled “Oh, fuck, don’t tell me you’re not home!”, you realized you had to open. 

“You’re home, great,” Ashton mumbled, basically falling into your apartment, as you opened the door for him. 

You fixed the bathrobe you were in and looked at the drummer, who managed to stumble twice on the way to your couch. 

“Are you drunk?” you asked wearily. Drunk Ashton always scared you a little. He was either super sad or super angry, and you weren’t sure yet which one you got tonight.

“Nah, just had a couple with Cal,” he answered and by how slowly he was speaking, you understood he had more than couple glasses.

“And where’s Cal?”

“He dropped me off here and went home,” Ashton yawned, slowly slouching down on the couch. “He’s been saying I should go home all night. But I needed to see you.”

You came closer, thought for a minute and sat on the coffee table in front of him. Ashton  smiled to you drunkenly and fully lied down, fixing a cushion under his head. 

“Need to tell you shit,” he went on explaining. “Bad shit. Really, really bad shit. You’ll hate me for it,” he added, his voice sad and low.

You looked at him with a smile. “I could never hate you, Ash,” you answered quietly, thinking he was already asleep. 

But then he opened his eyes and looked at you, confusion on his face. It looked so funny, drunk and confused Ashton lying on your couch, you even wished you had your phone with you to take a picture. 

“How can you be so sure? You don’t even know what I’m about to tell you.”

“Whatever you tell me, it won’t be enough to make me hate you.” 

It was almost sad how true those words were. You’ve loved him for years, let him call you his friend, saw his half naked one night stands leave his bedroom in the mornings. You were positive, nothing in this world could make you hate him, if even your broken bleeding heart couldn’t force you to do it.

“I was in a bar with Cal,” Ashton stated.

“Yeah, you told me already.”

“No no no, you don’t get it,” Ashton scrunched his face. “I was in a bar with Cal. And there was that wanker you’re dating, what’s his name again?”

“Nate?” your insides froze. Was it possible, that Nate actually knew about your feelings to Ashton. Did he say anything to him?

“Yeah, that wanker. How do you manage to choose such losers, doll?” Ashton asked you, but before you could come up with at least some answer, he already continued. “So he was there and he was kissing some other girl.”

You kept gaping at Ashton.

“There, you can hate me now,” he finished, yawned again and closed his eyes.

You stroke his hair and smiled again.

“I don't hate you.”

“But I just told you your guy is cheating on you!” Ash exclaimed.

“He was not cheating on me, we’ve broken up.”

“What?” Ashton opened his eyes again. You nodded in confirmation of your words. “That doesn’t matter, he could wait, show you some respect. Why do you always choose such losers?” he repeated his question. 

You sighed, not really knowing what to answer to that. Were they really losers? Or was it you, a loser in love with your own friend?

“You deserve so much better,” Ashton muttered, while you were thinking about your answer. His speech was getting quieter and slower, he was slowly drifting off to sleep. But then he added with sorrow, “If only I could love you, I’d treated you like a queen you are.”

“You wanna love me?” you shot back before you could think what you were saying.

“Of fucking course I wanna love you, doll,” he frowned, his eyes are still closed. “I wanna love you and care for you. I wanna come back home to you every night and call you seven times a day from the tour like Mike does to Crystal. And I wanna touch you and kiss you, wanna kiss every inch of your body. Hell, I wanna eat you up like a candy. But oh well, you’ll never know anyway, so what’s the point.”

He tugged himself further in you couch, let out the final yawn and fell asleep. Leaving you stare at him mindlessly. You felt like some part of your world, really important part of it, had just crashed down, but you had no idea what it meant for you or what you felt about it. 

You stood up, your limbs hardly moving. Looked at a six foot tall giant, crouched on your too short for him couch, and thought how he’ll be sore in the morning. You covered him with a blanket, which was thrown over an armchair, and went to your bedroom to spend yet another sleepless night because of Ashton fucking Irwin.

***

Long moan, full of pain and regret, was the first thing you heard from Ashton in the morning. You were surprised he woke up so early, it wasn’t even seven yet, but you were also extremely happy about this fact, as you didn’t manage to find your rest last night. You spent several hours staring at your ceiling and guessing if he really had said all those things, or you just imagined them. And trying to predict what it would mean for your friendship. You were angry and confused. You felt a newborn hope inside, starting to bloom from his drunk confessions, but were so scared to let it grow. He did keep all those things from you, obviously he had a reason. Judging by that, he didn’t want to be with you. But still he said he wanted to love you. So did he? Or didn’t he?

God, you were tired. Not only from the last night, full of discoveries and doubts. Standing in your kitchen and listening to his moans and curses, you realized you were tired of Ashton, of all the sadness and distress he brought in your life. 

Ashton appeared in the door frame. His shirt was crumpled, just as his face. He was rubbing his eyes, messy curls falling on different sides of his face. He stumbled over to the chair and gave you a hard look.

“Hey,” he muttered.

“Hey,” you echoed. 

You felt a change in your feelings. You had no idea how much of last night he remembered. And it wasn’t like seeing him made you less angry. If anything, your annoyance only got stronger. But at the same time you felt nervous, you were almost scared of everything that was about to happen. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m really glad I woke up on your couch and not on the pavement somewhere,” Ashton said, distracting you from your worries, “but how did I get here?”

So he didn’t remember. Or was he just acting he didn’t remember not to discuss it? You shook your head lightly. The questions were endless, fueled by your fear of losing something you’d spent years dreaming about. You just had to shut your subconscious up and go with the floow.

“You came,” you shrugged, rushing to answer his question. “Said Calum dropped you off.” 

“Can’t remember a thing,” he mused out loud, hiding his face in his hands.

“So, why did you get so drunk?” you asked, your slightly shaking hands clenched in fists. 

Ashton put his hands away from his face and frowned, remembering what he could from the previous night. 

“You know, the day was hard, and the week even harder.”

“So it wasn’t because you saw Nate kissing some other girl in the bar you were with Cal at?”

He closed his eyes and let out under his breath, “Shit, Y/N, I’m so sorry, you shouldn’t have found out like that.”

“Old news,” you dropped, examining his reaction. You’d know Ashton for several years already. Hell, you’d loved him almost all this time. You knew he wasn’t lying or acting. He didn’t remember last night. 

“How is that old news?” Ashton frowned, more surprised by your tone, than your actual words.

“We broke up, so he can basically kiss whoever he wants,” you explained and crossed your arms, feeling insecure under his stare all of the sudden.

“Okay,” Ash said, his eyes not leaving your face. “What else did I say?”

You chuckled, anger spreading over your face. “Well, after informing me about Nate’s dissolute behaviour, you went on how I always choose losers-”

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” Ashton interrupted you, “I swear, I’m never drinking again. I-”

“But I think the highlight of the evening,” you kept telling him, not paying any attention to his apology, “was definitely the moment you stated you want to eat me up like a candy.” 

Ashton choke on his own breath. He looked up on you, eyes full of pure terror. He didn’t say anything, and neither did you.

“You-” he started in whisper, but hesitated. 

“Is that true?” you rushed him.

“What exactly?”

“That you want to eat me up like a candy!”

He winced. “You don’t have to repeat that.”

“Well I’m sorry. I kinda spent the whole night playing on repeat my best friend telling me he wanted to eat me up like a candy! Can’t get it out of my mind now!”

“You weren’t supposed to know. Especially not like this.”

His words were full of regret and that was what hurt you the most.

“Obviously, that was the only possible way for me to find out,” you shrugged. “Why?”

Your sudden question took him by surprise. Ashton looked at you, confusion on his face.

“Why wasn’t I suppose to know?” 

He sighed, and looked down on his hands. You waited. A minute passed, but he kept sitting there in silence, the lack of answers playing on your nerves.

“Why, Ashton?” you almost yelled at him.

“Because I’m not the one you need!” he threw back.

You gaped at him as he went on. “I’m out of the city seven months a year. You deserve someone who’d be there for you. Not the guy for whom late night calls and occasional facetimes are the only option. I have no idea what other shit I told you yesterday, Y/N, but I guess you could read between the lines, if I didn’t say this,” he took a deep breath and admitted, “I love you. I’m in love with you. And I know better than anyone, I don’t deserve you a bit.”

You nodded, looking at him. Then looked at the kitchen island, separating the two of you, picked up a mug you’d taken out of the cupboard earlier and threw it right in Ashton’s head.

He dodged by some miracle, not less, his reactions are naturally slowed down by his hangover. 

“What are you-” he tried to question you, looking back at the pieces of ceramics on the floor behind him, but had to stop, as the next mug flew in his direction.

He stepped aside, dodging from this one, and looked at you. You opened the cupboard, took the first piece you could find and prepared to the next throw, when he yelled, “Not this one, that’s your grandma’s set!”

You looked at the old china cup, put it down on the counter carefully and turned to the pile of IKEA plates.

“Jesus Christ, can you stop? What is-”

But you threw the plate, making him hide behind the island.

“You don’t deserve me?” you yelled at him. 

Ashton peeked from under the kitchen island, but instantly hid back as you send another plate his way. 

“Are you fucking kidding me? Stand up and face me like a man, Ashton!” 

He stood up carefully, took a step to the side of the island. “I would love to face you, if you weren’t about to tear my head down, doll,” he chuckled cautiously while keeping moving.

“Well you fully deserve that, asshole!” another plate was smashed on the wall behind him. You were getting better at aiming with every other throw, and that was making Ashton nervous.

“Can you, please stop trying to kill me?”

“How dare you say things like that to me?” you shouted back, not even getting what he was talking about, your full attention on your own pain and fury. “I’ve been going crazy for years, Ashton!” you threw another one. “Feeling guilty for falling for my best friend! Getting insecure cause you’ve never even looked my way, brining all those models and groupies at my parties. Breaking up with normal guys cause I couldn’t get you out of my head!” you threw the last plate you had in your hands and looked around in search for the next shell.

“And all of these for you to spill your drunk guts one night? For me to learn that you actually had feeling for me accidentally?” you picked up a small pan from your stove and threw it. “Fuck you, Ashton!”

“Okay, this is too much!” Ashton muttered, looking at the pan flying past him. “Do you- Do you love me?” he asked, turning to you, realization creeping up him slowly. 

You stopped, breathing hard and met his eyes. “I don’t. I hate you. I can’t put into words how much I hate! Why haven’t you ever told me? Not even given a hint?”

“And why haven’t you?”

You felt a hole left in your heart by this question. You were standing in your kitchen surrounded by shattered dishes, both wide-eyed, breathless and shocked. You couldn’t believe the words he’d just said. He was afraid of the reaction they may cause.

“Get out, Ashton,” you whispered, feeling the lump in your throat. Your eyes burnt with tears about fall.

He took a step towards you.

“Get the fuck out,” you repeated.

He smirked, covered the distance between you two in couple more steps and pulled you into him. What he didn’t envisaged was that you had just enough time to grab a spatula and start hitting him with it.

“Can you- just- not-” he stumbled through his words, one hand grabbing yours with the spatula, and another trying to keep you close to him. You two struggled for some time before he bent down to you and covered your mouth with his. 

Even the kiss was a struggle. Your knees were shaking from the feeling, but you kept trying to bite him. Ashton huffed, let go of your lips and looked at you, his sight heavy, but you recognized little devils dancing deep inside his eyes. 

“Try to bite me or hit me again, and I won’t eat you up,” he threatened.

You froze. You were still furious with him, you really were. But not to the point of risking the prospect of being eaten up by this man. After everything that asshole put you through, you were positive you deserved some special treatment.

He looked you in the eyes and smirked, taking in your obedience. 

“Good girl,” he mused and kissed you again, this time deeper, with more passion and lust. “Now, how about moving this argument to the bedroom?” he asked, picking you up from the floor and turning around. “What do you say, my little candy?”

“Oh, gosh,” you chuckled into his neck, you face turning bright red. You knew the nickname would stick, but right now, in the arms of the man you’d been dreaming about for so long, you had nothing against it.

***

Taglist: @myloverboyash​, @bringmethehorizonandpizza​, @calumamongmen​, @lfwallscouldtalk​, @empathycth​, @calpops​, @talkfastang​, @cthoodsthetic​, @ariannawoodxoxo, @dreamer-loves-lyrics​, @fluffsshawn​, @cals-cigarette​, @easierfor5sos​, @outlandishnerd

#anne's21st #5sos #ashton irwin #ashton irwin imagine #ashton irwin one shot #ashton irwin fanfiction #ashton irwin fic #ashton irwin blurb #ashton5sos #5 seconds of summer #5 secondss of summer fic #5 seconds of summer fanfiction #5 seconds of summer imagine #5 seconds of summer blurb #my writing

[bangtancentricsblog]

GoodGirsl AU

min yoongi x f reader

i had this thought while watching the latest episode of GoodGirls on NBC.

tagging @boymeetsweevil this isn’t part of my plan but i was feeling it and bam here it is

The park is empty, and why wouldn't it be when it's past 10 PM on a Sunday. Still it’s nice, you think as you bask in the cool breeze that's picked up in the past half hour you’ve sat at the picnic table. You shouldn't think too much, it makes you question your actions over the last year and a half but you shouldn't. It's not that you regret them, couldn't even be tempted to because the truth is you don’t. Sure you’d endangered your best friends but they’d needed the money just as bad as you had. Jisoo with her failing marriage, Lisa with her mounting debt and you a single mother who worked way too many hours and didn't have enough time to spend with your sweet little boy. So you’d gotten mixed up with some bad guys, it hadn't been your decision to rob the grocery store, but you wouldn't let Lisa take the blame either. 

So imagine your surprise when a handsome albeit petite man shows up at your door, a single brow arched as he takes you in. He’d been quick to let himself in, on a Wednesday morning no less. He’s accompanied by another man one who easily towers over both of you they pace the length of your small but humble living room the shorter of the two stops to take in some picture frames you have on the wall. 

“can i help you?” you ask crossing your arms at your chest. 

“yes, actually i’m here because you stole money from me.” the shorter one says looking over his shoulder at you. 

“i think you have me mistaken.” 

“nah, i’m sure i have the right person. how about you RM, what do you think?” 

“seems right to me boss.” 

“see, so why don’t we take a seat and have a nice little chat ____.” he says taking a seat in the armchair across from your couch. Your eyes have widened significantly because this stranger not only knows your name but he tracked you down all the way to your house. He doesn’t say anything just waits patiently for you to take your seat gaze fixed to the stiff peaks of your nipples since you were sans bra. You do as he says slowly lowering your body onto the couch, your gaze darting down the hall just in case. RM stands in front of the door blocking your only escape should you even think about it. Instead you turn your attention to the man who had addressed you the one RM had called Boss. 

“I didn’t know.” you say and hope that the fear you feel isn't evident in your eyes. 

“It doesn’t matter now, what matters is that i want it back.” he says voice cool drifting into your ears and its oddly soothing. He speaks slowly as if he has all the time in the world, as if speaking to a child. He speaks in a way that you know he means business, the tone is non threatening but one you can easily recognize is respected. 

“i understand that, but i don’t have all of it.” you say just as your son Jaehyun comes sleepily shuffling down the hall. He whines rubbing at his eyes and easily making his way to you taking no note of the tense atmosphere he’s just walked into. 

“mama.” he says pulling himself onto the couch and snuggling into your lap, your arms wrap around him automatically a hand running through his hair as he sighs before falling back asleep.

“you have four days ____, i don’t care how you do it.” he says gaze falling to your son before he stands and leaves you alone in the apartment. 

You don’t get the full amount in time, but he takes pity on you, if thats what you could call it. Lisa spends a good time calling him sexy while you do all sorts of odd jobs for him, but it does get better, he eventually cuts you in and pays you a decent amount. You’ve gotten to spend more time with Jaehyun since working for him and you don’t mind as much as you thought you would. You learn his name in Yoongi when he finally thinks he can trust you and he’s actually really charming, underneath all the bravado he likes to cloak himself in. 

Jisoo likes to think that your new employer has a bit of a crush on you and even though you deny if, you can’t help but hope that maybe he might. He sweet with Jaehyun and most days (when your not working) he’s sweet with you too. The two of you had been tip toeing the line of something more for the past year and a half now. Which is why you hadn’t hesitated in showing up to the meeting place when he’d texted you after putting your son to bed nearly two hours ago. You’d asked Lisa to watch him, she had wiggled her brows at you as you hurriedly shimmied into a pair of jeans and a cuter top claiming this was reminiscent to when you’d been crushing on Jeahyun’s father. 

You didn’t pay her much mind, especially with what had happened between and the Y chromosome that had made up your baby. You’d promised her you’d be back soon as the door closed behind you and now here in the cold staring up at the starless sky you wondered if maybe you had been stood up. A chuckle slipped past your lips because Lisa had been right, you’d been acting like a school girl with a crush on a very dangerous man and by now you should’ve learned your lesson. Bad boys were meant to be stayed away from, not fallen in love with.

“god i’m so stupid.” you sighed watching the way your breath curled in the breeze before disappearing. 

“i wouldn’t say that.” Yoongi murmurs as he takes a seat beside you instead of the usual in front of you.

“i didn’t think you were going to come.” you say, tone falling into something more neutral, something safe.

“i got caught up.” he’s looking at you, you can feel the way his gaze takes in your side profile. Even here in the dim of the moonlight he thinks your beautiful, you’re made of the purest of diamonds, a woman fit to rule beside him. He knows he’s toed the line too long, longed to touch, to taste, to please you in the way a king would his queen. Because that’s what you’ve become to him, his queen and RM had called him crazy for taking someone so pure so unlike them under his wing. Hadn’t approved of the way he’d groomed you to play the part, hadn’t liked the way he’d softened around your son who he could see himself raising as his own. To put it simply he likes you, and the fact that you seemed to be made for this life, his life made it all the easier to fall into your soft touch. 

“we could’ve rescheduled.” you mumble resting your cheek in an open palm and finally turning your head to meet his stare. 

“we could’ve, but i couldn’t wait anymore.” he says before he leans in and kisses you. Its a hard press of his lips against yours at first, he waits a beat, until you kiss him back to really kiss you. Its tongue and teeth and soft whimpers, his hands pulls your body closer to his, till your almost sitting in his lap. Your hands have tangled in his hair his own rest on the nape of your neck and another has slipped underneath your sweater his fingers spread over the skin of your waist feeling the softness under his fingertips. You want to do more, you want him to fuck you, here in the park, in his car you don’t care as long as he does. 

You’re so lost in your thoughts you don’t realize he’s pulled away first lower lip between his teeth soothing his tongue over the swollen flesh before really pulling away with a light kiss. Your hands pull at his hair and he hisses at the feeling but you want more, no you need more, you need him. 

“___, look at me” he whispers in that tone that always gets to you, the one that you’ve imagined when you touched yourself to the thought of him. Your gaze settles the fog clearing slightly when you finally meet his stare. Its now that you realize your chest is heaving, your lungs crying out for the air they’ve been deprived of for who knows how long. He’s still holding you close breath fanning over your lips and cheeks, his nose nuzzling yours teasing you with the prospect of another kiss. “i have to go now, but i’ll let you know when we can meet again.” he says thumb running over the round of your cheek. You nod mutely your brain still playing catch up, he pulls away from you completely helping you up and walking you to your car. He’s leaning through the window, you don’t remember getting in but your seat belt is buckled and he’s speaking to you. 

“Be a good girl for me and head straight home, okay?” he asks planting another kiss to your lips this one is softer less desperate his tongue caresses yours muffling your whine when he starts to pull away a smile quirking at his lips. You gaze dreamily at him as he rises walking backwards to his own car thats shrouded in the darkness “Drive safe mama.” 

#min yoongi x reader #mine #mine works #new wips #in the moment wips #i wrote this one so fast #good girls au #emm writes

[my-lady-knight]

Going off @hethrewmyheartinthecut​ and @deadendtracks​ posts about Lizzie, I wanted to explore the topic of sex work in of itself in Peaky Blinders, and specifically Tommy and Lizzie’s relationship to Lizzie’s sex work, and how the show has Tommy be unhesitant to utilize women *as* sex workers when a job requires it and acknowledge sex work as a part of the world they live in, a part of both the dirty underworld and the poverty of Small Heath, while also having him look down on sex work itself outside of its immediate utility to him (as a client or as part of his plans).

It’s unclear in season 1 if Tommy hadn’t needed to mend things with the Lees by offering up John’s hand in marriage if Tommy wouldn’t have deliberately inserted himself into John’s plan to marry Lizzie by propositioning her and catching her out when she agrees to it, after she said “the past is the past” and that she didn’t want to lose John. But it’s also clear that the fact that she *was* a sex worker, even if she intended to stop (and someone who Tommy himself had slept with in that context) prejudiced Tommy, and Arthur and Polly, against her as prospective bride to John. That the fact that Lizzie agreed to sleep with Tommy one last time for money means she doesn’t “really” love John, because if a woman loved a man, she wouldn’t continue having sex for money, even if that’s how she’s been earning her livelihood all this time and presumably had no other options available, even though Lizzie’s decision is both practical and desperate - it’s practical because in what universe do you turn down eight pounds when you’re poor as dirt and it’s desperate because Lizzie isn’t thinking about the future per se where she’ll be married to John and financially secure, she’s thinking about here and now and she needs to eat now, and so she continues to see other customers, “to keep the wolf from the door”.

None of which the show presents as “understandable” or “the other side of things” - the viewer has to do the work to understand Lizzie’s actions because even as the show allows Lizzie to yell at Tommy afterward for what he did, the show nevertheless affirms that, after John found out the truth and was upset over it, that Tommy was right to do it, and that Lizzie wouldn’t have been a good match for John.

In season 2, he continues to see Lizzie and pay for her services until he offers her a job as his secretary and tells her she can stop all the other work too “this time, no exceptions” - deliberately calling back to the last time she was going to stop seeing clients but accepted his proposition, but also identifying himself as the “no exceptions”. A command he has Lizzie break the moment he needs her to distract Field Marshall Russ to carry out the assassination. Again, the show lets Lizzie be angry and bitter that Tommy is reverting her back into a sex worker when she didn’t want to, but, as you said, never implicates Tommy as having done the wrong thing for using Lizzie to kill the field marshal and putting her in harm’s way such that she was beaten and almost raped, and as @marsza​ and @hethrewmyheartinthecut have said, the show doesn’t give Lizzie the space to reckon with the aftermath of it all the way it did with Polly.

(With Grace at least, Tommy went back for her - he dared to upset his plan to woo Kimber and and get him to agree to do business with him to rescue Grace from his clutches. But then again, he was falling in love with her, and Tommy was never in love with Lizzie.)

Tommy’s aversion to sex work as a profession (apart from when he’s utilizing the service himself) is IMO largely in the context of respectability and moving up - Lizzie was an unsuitable wife for John both because she continued to see clients and because the fact that she was a sex worker to begin with would have made their marriage a laughingstock. (Tommy, Polly, and Arthur’s first reaction to John’s announcement is to snicker uncontrollably.) And when she becomes Tommy’s secretary, he orders her to stop his sex work because she won’t need to anymore, the implication that she’ll be earning enough money and she’ll be working a respectable job. And she does become a woman of (relative) class with a high position in the company come seasons 3 and 4, to the point that Tommy pulls a “not like the other girls” on her when she tells him that nice girls aren’t sex workers and he says “you were”. It’s also why in season 5 when Mosley threatens Tommy with Lizzie’s past and propositions her, Tommy tells her she may know him from “before you became who you are” - Lizzie has elevated in status alongside Tommy such that her past is as a sex worker really is that now - the past. The past has finally become the past. And it’s also part of why in that moment Tommy tells Lizzie he’ll kill Mosley if he lays a hand on her, because Mosley is threatening to make her past become the present again.

(That moment in season 5 when Tommy tells Lizzie he still pays for her in his head is IMO not so much an instance of his specific hangups with sex work and more him lashing out in general, since in that scene she’s threatened to leave and reminded him that she now has almost as much power as he does over the house, the finances, and the kids by virtue of being his wife, and so Tommy, feeling threatened, attempts to undercut her. (This scene also includes Tommy’s crack at Lizzie that she couldn’t spell in the letter she wrote to him, which still makes no goddamn sense - she was his *secretary*, for years, presumably she was a decent speller after all that time??? Maybe that was meant to be another indication of Tommy’s poor mental health, but idk it didn’t make sense to me.))

It’s also season 5 where IMO the show finally allows Lizzie to use her past as a sex worker as a fact, as a part of who she is and was, without being a source of shame, and in some ways as a source of power - specifically in episode 3 in which Lizzie tells Tommy she’s decided not to file for a divorce, that since he says he still pays for her in his head, she’ll treat their marriage as the transaction it is - she gets financial safety and security and privilege, as well as sex with Tommy, he gets (from her perspective) whatever it is he gets out of his marriage to Lizzie - power? control? familiarity? a mother for his kids? Regardless, if Lizzie is still Tommy’s sex worker, then he will have to pay a price (that he doesn’t fuck anyone in the house or soon after being with the kids and he lets her into his head sometime).  Everything is for sale. She is always for sale. By season 5, she may have become respectable, she may no longer fuck men for shillings, but she’s decided to once again make Tommy pay for the privilege of having her in his life. 

I’m not sure how to wrap this up, but suffice to say, the show doesn’t do right by Lizzie as a sex worker in seasons 1 and 2 and Tommy doesn’t do right by her in that context pretty much all the time - even when Tommy develops IMO a genuine fondness for Lizzie, he still uses her on an emotional level without reciprocating or minding the feelings she has for him. The show falls down in that it fails to write Lizzie as a sex worker outside of being specifically Tommy’s sex worker, and so every bit of her sex work in seasons 1 and 2 is processed through Tommy’s POV, which is in turns uncomplimentary or pragmatic without much care for the consequences to Lizzie. Again, season 5 is the only season where we see her relating to her sex work through her own lens and not Tommy’s. 

#I take waaaay too long to write meta #and so can't directly participate in conversations as they happen in this format #anyway here's a thing #Lizzie Stark #disaster human Tommy Shelby #Peaky Blinders

[alj4890]

Quote Prompt/Joey Tribbiani Quote Friends Prompt

(Thomas Hunt x OC*Amanda) with the quote: "You guys are perfect for each other. Y'know, we look at you and we see you together and it's just... It fits. Y'know? And you just know it's gonna last forever." As requested by @krsnlove

Thomas x Amanda with assistance from Maxwell 😏

A/N Alright, let's see what kind of shenanigans I can cause for these characters. And yes, James Marsden will always be Maxwell Beaumont in my mind and heart 😂 Just look at those dimples! *sigh* Adorable. Just the fluff for you bff!

@lxaah11   @alleksa16   @penguininapinktuxedo   @blackcoffee85   @stopforamoment     @hopefulmoonobject     @krsnlove     @annekebbphotography        @hopelessromantic1352   . @sunflowergirl05   @desireepow-1986  @greywitchyshots   @lilyofchoices  @moodyvalentinestories  @emceesynonymroll   @my-heart-beats-for-ya @aworldoffandoms   @ab1901     @lolablackwrites     @flyawayboo   @i-bloody-love-drake-walker   . @trappedinfandoms   @kate-mckenzie​

Masterlist

Epic

Amanda's head jerked up as the door to her study flew open.

"Maxwell! What--"

"We're going out!" He came around her desk and picked her up. He threw her over his shoulder and marched past a chuckling Hudson.

"Would you put me down?! You can't keep doing this everytime you want to go out." Amanda muttered.

"This is the first night in forever that neither of us has dates." He responded, a little skip to his step as he walked out of her duchy. "Tonight is the night for the Beaumont/Bridgerton Epic Extravaganza!"

"But--"

"No but's unless they are shakin'" he dropped her into the waiting car's backseat. He waggled his eyebrows making her laugh and hopped in beside her.

"To the boutique!" He ordered.

Their driver nodded and took off.

"You dragged me out to go shopping? I hate trying on clothes." Amanda grumbled. "Can't we go out like normal people to a bar and not worry about outfits?"

"You're slowly killing me with this kind of talk." His voice held a hint of exasperation. "Have you forgotten what it's like when we go out?"

"No, I remember it well." She folded her arms. "I can't act like that anymore. I'm too old to be drinking to the point of turning into ---"

"The craziest, dancing-est, most funnest party girl in Cordonia?" He finished for her.

"Yes." Despite her efforts she laughed and squeezed his hand. "We did have so much fun when we went out."

"Always. We were the ones who brought the party to these places." His dimpled smile slowly disappeared. "Tonight will probably be the last time we ever do this."

"What makes you say that?" She asked.

"Thomas." He reminded her.

"Thomas? What does he have to do with any of this?" She asked.

Maxwell let out a heartfelt sigh. "He's going to propose to you."

"No he's not!" She laughed and shook her head. "He hasn't indicated anything remotely close to that."

Amanda sobered when she noticed Maxwell's serious expression. "Come on," her voice squeaked, "he hasn't even said he loves me. Marriage is the furthest thing from his mind."

"You never read the entertainment news, do you?" He pulled up a set of pictures of Thomas in a jewelry store.

Amanda refused to even hope that these were true. "He could be in there for anything. Like--"

"Like a diamond ring?" He argued. Maxwell noticed her hesitancy and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Anyway. Let's focus on our last night together as the dynamic duo."

"It won't be our last." She promised, a slow smile forming. "Unless you're planning on making Nadia an honest woman."

His smile turned tender. "I intend to do that very thing when I take her out for a romantic night on the town." He opened the car door and grasped her hand. "Come on. We need one dress to rock the night away."

************

"Maxwell, I've tried on eight dresses." Amanda groaned when he handed her another armful. "If you're trying to get me to the point where I’ll drink the night away to forget this torture, you're succeeding."

"One of these is it." He pushed her back into the changing room.

She stepped out in the ninth one and did a quick spin. It was halter top, dark green silk dress that had hints of black shadows hidden beneath the light dusting of crystals. It had a high slit and open back.

"That's it!" He exclaimed. "That's the dress for our epic night out!" He flagged down a worker and quickly paid for it.

"What are you doing?" Amanda asked once the tag was removed.

"Call this an early engagement gift for my bff." He replied. He held his arm out and gave a slight bow. "Shall we Lady Bridgerton?"

She couldn't contain her smile and slipped her arm within the bend of his. "We shall, Lord Beaumont."

*****************

"We're flying to America?!" Amanda exclaimed as the private plane took off "Why?"

"New York nightlife is calling my name." Maxwell stretched his legs out in front of him. "By the way, your bags are near the bathroom in case you want to redo your makeup."

She touched her face. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing. It just doesn't scream Epic Extravaganza." He grinned innocently when she narrowed her eyes and rushed into the private plane's bathroom.

Amanda washed her face and completely reapplied her makeup. She made certain to add more smokey eyeshadow, adding a touch of dark green under her eyes to make her hazel eye color pop. She frowned slightly at her hair and curled it once more. She stepped out and did a slow twirl.

"Well?" She asked with a wink.

Maxwell sat up and whistled. "Now that's an epic look! Tonight is going to be unforgettable."

"Aren't they all?" She teased sitting across from him.

"You're not wrong." He turned some music on. "But tonight will be extra epic. Just you wait and see."

***************

"A limo?" Amanda climbed in and sat down. "Max, just how much is this epic night costing?"

"Ten grand or more." He shrugged when she gasped. "My royalties are rolling in from The Royal Romance. This is chump change."

"I wouldn't ever call ten grand chump change." She searched through her purse. "Maxwell, you didn't pack my wallet!"

"I only grabbed your passport." He popped a bottle of champagne. "That's all you need." His grin flashed. "Early engagement present, remember?"

"I'm paying you back when we get home." She insisted.

He handed her a flute filled nearly to the brim and tapped his glass against hers. "No you're not. Now," he placed a finger over her lips when she opened them to argue. "Let me practice my Man of Honor toast."

She noticed his hopeful expression and smiled. "Hit me with your best toast."

"Yeeeeessssss!" He straightened his posture and cleared his throat. He turned his blue eyes all around the limo. "Attention please! Man of Honor about to say a few words." He waited and rolled his eyes. "If the hot Hollywood people at table eight would direct their attention up here," he smiled flirtatiously, "I promise you won't be disappointed."

Amanda cleared her throat and cocked an eyebrow. She motioned to the empty spot beside her. "Thomas and I are waiting."

He grinned at her pretending along with him. "I grew up with what might possibly be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

"Max..." Amanda placed her hand over her heart. "That's so sweet--"

"And I also grew up with Amanda." He teased. He ducked when she tried to hit him. "Kidding!"

She laughed and sank back into her seat. "My champagne is waiting to be sipped, may we hurry this toast up?"

"Seriously though." He continued. He reached for her hand. "My best friend is the most beautiful bride in the world tonight. When she first met Thomas, I knew this was it. She would never find anyone who could love her like he does. No one could come close to the adoration he has for her."

Amanda squeezed his hand.

"And I've never seen her fall so hard or so fast for anyone but Thomas. He could search the world over and never find another who finds him perfect. One who believes his talent is unmatched. One who loves him with everything within her."

"You're about to make me mess up my epic makeup job." She sniffed, dabbing at her eyes. "I wish all that was true."

He squeezed her hand. "And I know--" the limo stopped. "We're here." He downed his glass and urged her to do the same. "We don't want to be late, come on."

He held tight to her hand and dashed into the hotel.

"Max, why would we be late?" She asked once they were in an elevator. "We've never had a timetable on our nights out."

"True." He said, grinning. "I guess I can't wait for our epic night to start."

She hugged him tight. "Careful. You're going to make me demand more Epic Extravaganzas."

"Something tells me nothing will top tonight's awesome epicness." He linked his arm with hers. "Time to get our party on." He stepped out of the elevator and pushed open the doors to the rooftop party already underway.

"Nice choice!" Amanda yelled over the music.

He snagged a couple of drinks from a passing waiter and handed her one. "To tonight!"

"To the dynamic duo!" She added. She finished her glass quickly and the refill he pressed into her hand. She then grasped his hand and pulled him with her. "Dance with me!"

He followed her out onto the crowded dance floor. He smiled at the people he noticed over her shoulder and quickly spinned her into his arms before dipping her.

"Hey!" She squealed with laughter. "You can't pull those type of moves yet." She stumbled upright. "I have to have at least two more drinks and lose these shoes to be able to keep up with that."

He calmed his moves down as a slow song began. "Alright, no more goofing off. This song calls for us to respect the love."

She shook her head. "Right."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Not feeling the love?"

"Not really." She replied, grinning. "I love you, but not the way this song is describing it."

"Wrong partner, huh?" He teased.

"Definitely." She responded. Her smile grew bigger when he twirled her.

Maxwell let go of her hand and watched as she tried to stop herself from crashing into the man behind her.

The tall, dark haired man wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her.

Her eyes widened. "Thomas! What are you--I thought you were filming in Hollywood."

"I took some time off." He replied, pulling her closer to him.

She looked over her shoulder at Maxwell and saw his proud smile. He turned around and gathered Nadia in a hug and kiss while swaying to the music.

She felt a sense of excitement thrum through her at what the night now held and turned back to Thomas. "Well, this is a nice surprise." She glanced around and suddenly recognized those dancing and mingling. "What’s going on?"

"I believe it is an engagement party." Thomas told her, his lips brushing hers.

She wrapped her arms around his neck when he deepened the kiss. "Who's engagement?"

He gave a slight shrug as he took in her appearance. "You look beautiful."

She rose up on her toes and kissed him again. "Thank you. All Maxwell's doing." Her eyes drifted down his body. "As usual, you look very handsome."

His smile turned tender. "You make it difficult to concentrate when you look at me like that."

She laughed softly and rested her head on his shoulder. "Better?"

Another slow song started and he rested his head against hers. "There's only one way to make it better." He pressed a kiss to her ear. "Marry me."

She jerked her head up. "What?"

He caressed her cheek as he continued to sway with her. "I'm in love with you."

Amanda's brow furrowed as she looked up into his achingly handsome face. "I love you too."

His lips curved. "Then, marry me."

"Is that a question, Mr. Hunt?" She teased.

"It's what I hope." He whispered in her ear.

She gently pressed her lips to his. Her eyes lifted to his dark gaze and she nodded. "Yes."

He cupped her face as their mouths met in a passionate kiss. She smiled against his lips when he asked for her hand. Thomas slipped a ring over her ring finger and lifted her hand for a sweet kiss.

"WOOOOO!" Maxwell was up on the stage with a microphone, witnessing the entire proposal, and pointed down toward them. "She said yes, people!"

Amanda shaded her eyes when a spotlight was shined down on her and Thomas. The crowd cheered, only becoming silent when Maxwell motioned for them to do so.

"A lot of thought went into this epic night out." He began. "We got all our Cordonian family partying here with our new Hollywood bunch."

Addison yelled out at him. "WE LOVE YOU GUYS!"

"We love you too!" He shouted back. "Anyway, everyone raise your glasses!"

Thomas handed Amanda a glass of champagne then wrapped his arm around her waist. She was smiling up at him as she whispered how happy she was. He tenderly kissed her cheek while  whispering his own happiness.

Maxwell smiled down at the couple. "I already kinda began this as a practiced wedding toast in the limo, so let me just add one more thing." He held his glass up. "You guys are perfect for each other. Y'know, we look at you and we see you together and it's just... It fits. Y'know? And you just know it's gonna last forever."

Maxwell swallowed down the lump of emotion in his throat. "I already saw two people I love marry." He motioned toward Liam and Riley then faced Amanda. "Seeing my best friend in love with a man that truly sees how perfect she is..." He lowered his head for a moment. "It's all I ever wished for you." He took a deep breath. "To Thomas and Amanda!"

"To Thomas and Amanda!" Everyone else yelled out.

Amanda walked toward the stage and intercepted Maxwell as he hopped off. She threw her arms around him and thanked him, laughing when he spun around while hugging her.

“I can’t believe you actually told me Thomas was going to propose.” She teased.

“That’ll teach you to never doubt me again.” He playfully scolded. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to pretend I didn’t know what was going to happen. It would have slipped out at some point, so I figured I might as well tell you, knowing you wouldn’t believe me.”

She laughed and hugged him once more. “This night out really is the best we have ever had.”

"Told you this was going to be the most epic night ever." Maxwell bragged. He took her hand and twirled her back into Thomas’s arms. He then grabbed Nadia and held her close. “Now we party.”

#thomas x amanda #thomas hunt #maxwell beaumont #maxwell x nadia #thomas hunt x amanda #thomas hunt x oc #joey tribbiani prompts #trr maxwell

[gyeomork]

Change

(mark tuan x reader)

genre: fluff, smut, angst, soulmate! au

warnings: sexual content, cursing

word count: 6k

a/n: i got sooooo carried away with this one but the way mark was really looking tasty in the concert i just- anyway his new tattoo ugh i guess that kinda inspired me. mark is my second bias so i really had fun with this. i wrote actual smut this time so sorry/ you’re welcome (depending on what you like or dislike). anywHo i’ll go. enjoy ^3^

ever since we were children, mark and i were very close because of our parents. our moms were there for each other all through high school and college and marriage and labor. so i guess mark and i were kind of bound to become best friends. and we did. and all through middle school we kept trying to find each other’s soulmates. we were obsessed with the tattoos on our wrists; mark has a small heart and i have a rose. everyone was born with some sort of item on their wrist and according to my parents, when they turn 20 the tattoo will glow when they’re near their soulmate. when we entered high school, we decided to give it a rest and that we’ll find them when the time is right. up until high school, mark and i stayed below the radar; only hanging out with each other and not talking to anyone else really. but once high school hit we made two different friend groups. we didn’t drift apart, we still hung out but not as much as before. then mark joined the basketball team and it became a whole different story. he barely had any time for me anymore because he was always with ‘the guys’. between freshman and senior year we probably only hung out once a month and that was because our parents wanted to see each other.

during junior year i got a boyfriend and it was the first time i was ever in a relationship, i was willing to do anything to make him happy. we didn’t show each other our tattoos because we wanted to have a relationship without the pressure of being each other’s soulmates on us. we were a month or two in the relationship when he asked me for nudes. i was hesitant at first but i sent him some under the pressure of my so called ‘friends’. the next day at school everyone stared at me with wide eyes as i walked down the hallway. i made it to my boyfriend and asked him what was with everyone today. he said to me ‘maybe you should keep your goodies to yourself and then they’d stop staring’. i soon found out that he took my nudes and posted them all over my social media because i trusted him enough to give him my password. mark runs up to me and embraces me and curses out my now ex-boyfriend. he walks me out of school as everyone was laughing at the scene. he drives me to his house and comforts me with my favorite ice cream and cheesy rom-coms for the rest of the day. that was the closest i felt to him in the past 3 years.

we started hanging out like we used to again and everything was great. until senior year started. he was back to hanging out with ‘the guys’ and me with my group. we still saw each other often enough for me to ask him to come over and watch one of our favorite shows together, ‘stranger things’. but when i asked him he was with ‘the guys’ and i guess he wanted to show off or make himself seem cool. he said to me ‘why would i want to with a whore? if i wanted you to suck my dick it would’ve been done already’. and it was like i felt and heard my heart shatter. i never felt so betrayed in my life. the person i trusted the most, felt the closest to, loved from the bottom of my heart and was best friends with since practically birth was now my worst enemy. a tear dropped from my eye without even having to blink. i just walked away, i couldn’t even get out a ‘fuck you’. nothing. i walked home in devastation. i blocked him on everything possible and avoided him as much as i could for months. my parents started to worry about us but i just used the ‘i’m busy’ excuse.

this went on until i absolutely had to see him, which was his 18th birthday. his parents were having a little get together with only family and close friends before his actual birthday party with all of his friends. we were in the middle of dinner when mark’s parents decided to give speeches about how proud they were of their son. when they spoke on his kindness, i had to bite my tongue so hard i thought i tasted blood. i let everything they were saying go through one ear and out the other until somehow they reached the topic of soulmates. for some reason that caught my attention. i find out that mark has found a girl in our school that has the same small heart on her wrist as him. huh. so these are the important things i miss out on. i start thinking about other things that i’ve probably missed out on in mark’s life and begin to get kind of sad. i quickly shake away those feelings and go back to fazing everything out. thankfully i make it home without having to make eye contact with mark.

prom quickly approaches and i am reluctant to go because that one day of junior year still haunts me. my friends ensure me that no one remembers or cares anymore and that i should go because if i don’t, i’ll regret it for the rest of my life. i finally agree to make them stop bothering me. the night comes faster than i expect and i’m already inside sitting down watching everyone have fun. my friend spots me sitting down by myself and drags me out to dance. i’m enjoying myself until it feels like everyone has their eyes on me and is laughing. i try to ignore it but the feeling soon gets so overwhelming that i have to walk out to catch a breath of fresh air. i walk out the door and spot someone on the stairs. i guess they’re having just as a bad night as me. they turn around to see who came to join them. it was mark. if i thought my night wouldn’t get worse, i was unfortunately wrong. he looked as of though he’d been crying. i freeze and contemplate going back inside and scratch that idea out of my head. i walk down the stairs past him and plan to continue down the block but he calls out for me “y/n”. his voice sounded like it was on the verge of breaking. “what could you possibly need?” “to talk to you, i need my best friend back” “oh really or do you need me to suck your dick?” i ask in a bitter tone and walk off. i take an uber home and spend the rest of the night crying; i fall asleep to the sound of my own sobs.

the following morning someone rang my doorbell. my parents weren’t home so i took the responsibility in answering it. and it wasn’t a surprise who i opened it to. “what do you want?”  i say flatly. “y/n, i know you’re upset but i just want to talk to you” he looked distressed and i almost felt sorry for him. “upset is a fucking understatement” i say crossing my arms. “i know that doesn’t even begin to explain how you must be feeling-” “feeling?” i scoff “since when did you ever care about my feelings?” “i always cared about your-” i cut him off. “oh really? let me ask you this then. did you care about my feelings when you called me a whore so loud for everyone and their mom to hear?” he opens his mouth only to close it. he looked like he was struggling trying to find the perfect words for his pitiful excuse. he looks up at the ceiling and blinks away what seems to be tears. “nice, mark, nice” i begin to close the door. “wait” he holds his hand on the door “please” his voice fragile. i close my eyes and take a deep breath. when i open them i look straight into his glassy ones. i somehow see all the emotions he’s feeling in them. but everytime i look into those dark chocolate orbs, i remember the cold asshole behind them that completely invalidated my feelings and i just couldn’t deal with that right now. “no” i say simply and close the door.

i manage to avoid mark all summer and my first year of college and the summer following. so much so that i didn’t think he went to the same university as me. and for a moment in my life i actually forgot about him and was content.

i decided to apply to a job at a cafe close to my dorm to help pay for my books and tuition. fortunately i got the job and would be starting the next day. when i enter the following day and see who is training me, it almost made me want to quit immediately but i thought of the greater good. “hi, i’m y/n the new trainee” i pretend like it’s my first time meeting him and hold out my hand for him to shake. he slowly takes my hand and shakes it, a stunned look on his face. “mark” my heart begins to race because it feels like i haven’t heard that name or thought of his face for decades. i have to admit, mark has always been cute but now that i’m looking at him for the first time in two years, i’m only now noticing his attractive features. it seems as if his face structure has gotten manlier though. his features have definitely gotten darker and intimidating and god we were still holding hands and staring at each other and it’s making me sweat. i let go and avert my eyes elsewhere. he clears his throat “so uhm i’ll be training you today. follow me” i follow him to what looks like the break room. he retrieves me an apron and hands it to me. I put it on while he also grabs a slip of paper, a marker, and badge holder from some drawer. he writes on the paper in all caps ‘trainee’. “y/n you said your name was?” he looks up at me. i nod; happy that he’s also acting like it’s our first time meeting each other. he writes my name on the paper, slips it into the badge holder, and reaches to clip it on my apron. “you have to wear this raggedy thing for a little while but in due time” he points to his name tag and taps on it “you’ll have one of these bad boys” i snicker and he smiles at me. we go back to the front and he’s showing me all the gears. all the while he was very friendly like the old mark i used to know and it brought me back to the days where we’d push each other on the swing so hard that the other almost fell off. but one time mark actually did fall off and broke his arm and my ass got beat… anyway, he shows me most of what i need to know for now and suggests we do a practice run.

he walks out the door and walks back in, pretending to be a different person. he bounces to the counter and says enthusiastically “hey! how are ya!” i laugh and reply “i’m doing well how are you?”. he flips like a light switch “did you just laugh at me?” he furrows his eyebrows and raises his voice. “no sir i-” “no! because that was a disrespectful manner towards a customer!” good thing other co-workers haven’t shown up yet because they would’ve genuinely been worried with the way he was yelling. “i apologize sir-” “i would like to speak to your manager!” he returns to his normal self “and see just like that you’re fired” i just stood there with my mouth agape. “coffee deprived customers could flip on you in an instant so just be aware of that ok” i just nod. “so its best to just stick to the script” he reaches over the counter and taps on the script he gave me. “let’s do this one last time before someone comes and is like what the hell are you doing you’re supposed to be training her” he says while walking towards the door.

the next practice run i follow the script exactly and i make it without getting yelled at again. “that was good but try not to read-it-like-this” he says mocking my choppy reading. we both laugh and i lightly push him. our laughter dies down and we’re left smiling at each other with gleaming eyes. mark clears his throat and checks the time. i look away and purse my lips from the borderline awkward atmosphere. “the others should be getting here around” someone walks through the door “now”.

it was around rush hour and the cafe was bustling. i was kind of having a hard time working the cashier efficiently so mark came to assist me. he was close to my side, close enough for me to feel the warmth of his body heat. one hand was on his hip and the other resting on the counter ready to tap something on the monitor if needed. it got to a point where there were too many people coming in and i wasn’t moving fast enough. mark put his hand on the small of my back and guided me away from the cashier “hey it’s getting really busy right now how about you go on break” he nodded and smiled reassuringly. i went to the break room kind of embarrassed that i couldn’t work quick enough. i felt like this, a job where you just take money and tap stuff on the monitor, was something i was incapable of. i bit into my sandwich with a frown on my face. mark soon joins me in the break room. i sits next to me with a huff. “today has probably been the busiest day all year” i just hum in response. then he notices the expression on my face. to anyone else they would think i was fine but mark has know me for too long to not catch on to my antics. “hey what’s wrong? what happened?” he turns his whole body towards me and puts his hand on my shoulder. “hm? nothing” i shake my head. “y/n” he says in a recognizable serious tone. “i just.. i felt like i couldn’t do it. like i wasn’t fast enough” “y/n, it’s your first day, i was the same way. the manager at the time made me go home because i was so slow” i chuckle “and the line was still backed up when i was doing it by myself just now. one guy asked for the manager and i told him he’s looking at him” i try to hide my shock. wow so those two years i avoided him he went and became a manager. i really should’ve done something instead of watching ‘the office’ in my spare time. “so don’t worry, i’m not going to fire you. i know these things take time. good thing i’m training you it’ll take less time” he smirks at me and i smile. butterflies let loose in my stomach from the smirk but i quickly catch them. oh how i missed the magic mark possessed that could take me out of a bad mood in almost an instant. i missed his humor. i missed his stupid self. i missed my best friend. i missed him.

the rest of your shift went smoothly and you didn’t need to ask mark for anymore help. he still teased you on occasion though. we both leave the cafe together. i get ready to ask mark where he’s going but a girl runs up to mark and embraces him. she kisses him and interlaces her fingers with his. “oh sorry y/n but i have plans, see you tomorrow” and with that they walk off in the opposite direction i was headed. that must be the same girl that was mentioned in mark’s 18th birthday dinner. that’s his soulmate. for some odd reason i feel a knife go through my heart. i try to brush it off as i walk home but the feeling is persistent. so persistent i shed a couple tears and my tattoo starts to burn.

months pass of me working at the cafe and i am no longer a trainee, obviously. mark and i have relit our old flame. i unblocked him on everything and we begin going to the movies, the park, and even each other’s dorm rooms. school has been in session for god knows how long now and we found out we live in the same dorm just the other day.

mark came over because he was suddenly in the mood to bake some cookies. he takes the cookies out the oven and tried to take one and eat it immediately. he hisses when his finger makes contact with the baking pan. “you have to make it cool stupid. god you’re about to be 20 in 4 days and you’re acting like you’re 4” i laugh. “why didn’t you stop me! you know this is how i am, ever since we were little” i stay quiet, trying to act like i didn’t hear what he just said. he sighs “y/n, i can’t keep acting like this” “like what” i act oblivious. “like we don’t have a past” “well frankly mark, i can” “well frankly y/n, i don’t want to” he started getting defensive. “‘don’t want to’” i repeat his words. “ want.. do you ever think about what i want? hell do you ever think about what i need? have you ever thought about what i need?” “ yes all the time” “that’s bullshit and you know it because if you thought about what i needed you wouldn’t have embarrassed me” i feel tears well up in my eyes. “y/n you’re still on that, that was junior year!” “yeah and that one moment in junior year ruined the rest of high school for me. everywhere i went i felt like people just looked at me and saw whore written across my forehead. and my quote on quote ‘friends’ didn’t help, they just told me to get over it. so that’s why i don’t believe you thought about what i needed all the time. because you would’ve thought about what i needed and i needed you” the tears finally spilled and i could see the guilt on mark’s face. “y/n..” he stands up and reaches out for me. “no you’re right. it was junior year. water under the bridge” i choke out a laugh. “no i’m not-” i cut him off “if you really care about what i need you should go because right now i need space. away from you” mark freezes. he puts his hands on his hips, looks up at the ceiling, and lets out a deep breath. he looks at me one last time and leaves my dorm.

four days pass and it’s mark’s birthday. in those four days, our works schedules were supposed to overlap but he hasn’t come to work. i kind of miss him there poking me in my side to make me jump in front of the customer. i contemplate whether or not i should text him happy birthday, instead i get a text from him.

mork ❣️:”y/n i know you need space right now and i do care about what you need but this is a friendship so i think the feeling should be mutual. and right now i need you more than ever right now” [8:47 pm]

mork ❣️:”im scared y/n” [9:03 pm]

mork ❣️:”please.” [9:04 pm]

a period at the end of the last message. oh it’s serious. i decide to put my pride to the side for his sake.

y/n :”i’m coming” [9:04 pm]

i make it to hs dorm room and the door was slightly open so i just walked in. i went straight to his room and walked in without knocking. the lamp on his desk was the only source of light. mark was hidden in the darkest corner but it was visible that he was crying and still is. “mark” he sniffs. i make my way over and sit next to him on the floor. “what happened?” i caress his back and do my best to fix his messy hair. “my.. my tattoo disappeared” he manages to get out between sobs. “what? how?” i remember when i was younger my parents told me that if i were ever mean to someone else, my tattoo would disappear but i always thought that was a way to scare me into being good. i never knew these thing actually happened. “i called my parents about it and they said it happens when one person or the other doesn’t deserve the tattoo, they both lose the tattoo. they asked me what i could’ve possibly done to make it vanish like this but i couldn’t think of anything. somehow i still feel like i did something wrong” he runs a hand half way through his hair and keeps it there. “can you think of anything that she could’ve done?” i ask sympathetically  “i don’t know” he says quickly and i can already tell he’s lying. “mark” i look him straight in the eyes. “i don’t want to tell you. you don’t like talking about the past so i want to respect that”. “i don’t care anymore. that was the past and i’ve come to realize that there’s nothing i can do about it. so go ahead, tell me what happened”. “prom night” as soon as he says that i remember. “that night i took the girl you always see me with to prom” i nod knowing who it is. “we thought we were perfect for each other because we had the same tattoo. so it was only right we went to prom together. half way through she went missing and when i found her she was making out with your ex” i tense at the mention of him. “i was heartbroken. when i was on the stairs my tattoo was fading in and out. when you blew me off that night i was devastated and felt like i had no one. i couldn’t really blame you, i was a complete dick” “i’m sorry i should’ve been there for you” “no it’s fine, you’re here for me now, that’s what matters” he gave me a small smile. “it’s not your fault” he furrows his eyebrows at me. “she made your tattoo disappear” he becomes sulky. “will i ever find someone y/n? what if i stay without a tattoo for the rest of my life? i want to love someone, i want someone to love me” he’s about to cry again so i hug him, letting him bury his head in the crook of my neck. “shh no don’t say that. i’m sure you’re going to find someone. the universe wouldn’t be so cruel to someone like you”. we stay in each other’s arms for a while without saying anything. then mark breaks the silence “thank you” “anytime. also happy birthday” he chuckles out a thank you, the vibration from his chest spreading throughout my whole body. i break the hug “personally, i don’t think this is the way to spend a birthday” i get up from the floor and put my hands out to help him up. “i think we should eat cake” “i don’t have cake” “we’ll make cake”.

we get to the kitchen and put some music on. i make the cake batter all by myself and throw it in the oven because when it comes to baking, mark is hopeless. we have our own little dance party and karaoke while waiting for the cake. when i take the cake out and go for the frosting mark gets a text. his facial expression automatically turns sour. “what is it?” i walk over to him. “she texted me” i take his phone from him.

my love 💝:”sorry markie i got caught up with family issues, i’m coming right now” [10:24 pm]

“family issues? has she ever told you about said ‘issues’?” i finger quote issues. he shakes his head. i scoff and tap my fingers across the keyboard.

mark :”i don’t think it’s a family issue if you want to suck someone else’s dick, i think that’s a you issue and if you can’t read behind the lines, we’re done, over, finished, broken up” [10:26 pm]

i start giggling and mark snatches his phone back. “what did you do-” his eyes widen at what you replied and he started giggling too. “anyway let’s get back to this cake”. we begin frosting the cake and i couldn’t fight the urge to smudge frosting on his adorable cheek. i laugh and start running when i see him with frosting on his fingers. the chase doesn’t last long because mark grabs me by the waist from behind and smears frosting all over both my cheeks. we were both weak from laughter to fight each other anymore. i leaned back onto mark’s chest and he didn’t make an effort to move so neither did i. the rest of the night was spent watching movies, me doing mark’s makeup, face masks, wrestling, awkward positions.. a lot of awkward positions.

work days at the cafe somehow became even better because we no longer had to act like we didn’t know each other. the hours went by quicker and the work didn’t feel as burdening. since mark was one of the managers, he made sure that our schedules damn near always overlapped. when we had to close together, he’d walk me back to my dorm room. if he didn’t have class the next day and he was too tired to go to his room he’d stay with me. he has a small space in my closet for his ‘sleepy sleep’ clothes as he likes to call it.

summer came around and we both went home to our parents. since we’re older now, we hang out whenever we want and wherever we want. this included a lot of trips to the beach because he wanted to watch the sunset and look at the stars. he loves to talk about our lives and where we might end up. he has now accepted the fact that he no longer has a tattoo so he doesn’t talk about that too much. he says that ‘it’s ok, as long as i have you by my side as my best friend i think i’ll be alright’.

the night before my birthday mark took me to my favorite spot. the cliff that looks over the beach where we love watching the sunset and stars. he lays a big blanket for the both of us to sit on. the sun had already set so the moon was reflecting off of the almost still water. the light was highlighting my prominent features and i didn’t even notice. out of the corner of my eye i see mark staring at me with a small smile on his face. i look over to him and smile “what?” he just shakes his head and looks down at his hands in his lap. “why did you take me so late? we missed the sunset~” i say with a pout. “it was kinda a last minute decision” “wow so you didn’t have this planned for my birthday beforehand! it was last minute and rushed huh?!” i push him playfully. he laughs that damn beautiful laugh that could cause world peace “no, no i did i just didn’t know if i should do it”. “well what is it?” i say curiosity in my voice. “y/n i..” he signs. “i don’t want you to turn 20” i open my mouth to question him but he continues. “i don’t want you to find your soulmate. because i want you. i like you y/n. i don’t want you with anyone else. but i don’t want to ruin your happiness with my selfishness. so i wanted to say this before you turned 20 so it wouldn’t jeopardize you losing your tattoo like me. i was so blinded by that tattoo i didn’t realize what i had right here” he lays his hand on top of mine. i was so taken aback that i just sat there and stared at him. “say something, please”. “i.. i like you too mark” we were inches away from each other. the moon was acting as a spotlight and the sound of the waves created an atmosphere that felt like we were the only people on earth. “god i just want to kiss you right now” he slightly furrows his eyebrows. i take the initiative and kiss him first. his lips were ever so soft as well as his hands cupping my cheeks. the kiss was passionate and filled with longing. he licked my bottom lip and i granted him access into my mouth. his tongue explored every inch of my mouth. i threw my leg over him to straddle his lap and the kiss got even more heated. he put one hand under my shirt and gripped my hip. the other hand was grabbing my ass, both were pulling me closer to him. “you’re so beautiful” he kisses down my jaw to my neck. i remove my shirt to give him more access and he kisses lower. i bite back a moan. i feel him start to grow beneath me and i grind down onto him. he groans and flips me onto my back. he takes off his shirt and i stare at his bare chest in awe. he returns back to my lips and slides his hands down to my shorts and damn near rips them off. my hands were lost in his hair while trying to deepen the already deep kiss. he slips his hand inside my underwear and sinks a finger inside me. i gasp at the new feeling. “fuck babe you’re so tight”. he continues working wonders on me and slips in 2 more fingers, stretching me out. at this point i’m a moaning mess. he feels me getting close and removes himself. i whine at this but he pays me no mind. he slides down my underwear and tosses them to the side. he opens my leg and connects his mouth to my heat. i moan out his name and i can feel him smirk against me. he works on me until i feel a knot tie in my stomach and unravel itself. he looks up at me as i release myself “i love seeing you like this” he gets rid of his pants and boxer briefs. my eyes widen at the sight of his dick. then is when i realize that i’ve never actually had a dick inside of me before. he sees the worry in my face “babe what’s wrong? if you want me to stop just tell me”. “no it’s not that it’s just that, i’ve never done this before” he raises his eyebrows at me. “baby” he kisses my cheek. “are you sure you want to lose it to me?” i nod “i’ve never been so sure in my life”. he kisses my forehead “i’ll go slow. don’t be afraid to tell me to stop if it hurts too much ok” i nod. “i need to hear you” he cups my cheek. “ok”. he grabs my hand entwines our fingers. he lines himself up with my entrance and i close my eyes, preparing myself. “no, babe, look at me” i open my eyes for his to hold mine. he slowly eases his tip in and watches my face twist from discomfort. he waits for me to give him the ok to keep going until he’s completely in. he buries his face in my neck, concentrating on not moving until i was ready. he was clenching his jaw hard and fisting and unfisting his hand. then i was finally ready for him to start moving. he went as slow as i needed until i wanted him to go faster. he was thrusting into me at a speed i didn’t think was possible. i wrapped my legs around his waist hoping that he would go even deeper. my free hand was holding onto his shoulder for some leverage. he began kissing and sucking on my neck again and i was in heaven. i was practically screaming his name and i was glad no one was around because they would’ve thought it was a murder going on. “i’m close princess, you’re doing- so- so good” he said between groans. his breathy moans were going right into my ear and it was turning me on even more, if possible. he raised my hips even more and snapped his hips at a new angle that brought tears to my eyes. the amount of pleasure mark was giving me was unbearable. i felt my walls contract and hold onto him. i shut my eyes tight and released with a yell of his name. he kept going to reach his high though and my legs started to shake. i could tell he was getting ready to pull out when i tell him i’m on the pill. this is the only time i’ll thank my period cramps for being so deadly. he kisses me deeply after i tell him that. he releases inside me with a loud groan. he rides out his high and finally pulls out. we lay next to each other for a few moments to catch our breaths then he gets up and opens his car. he comes back with clean clothes. “i forget you always have extra clothes in your car” i chuckle. “it’s convenient” he smiles at me. “i thought i had clothes in there too, why is it just your clothes?” i look at him confused. “because you look cute in my clothes” he pecks me on the lips.

we get dressed and lay back down on the blanket. i lay my head on his chest and my leg between his. his hand is lightly caressing my side with his fingertips, the other was checking his phone for the time. “we have three minutes before your birthday” he says with a frown on his face. i look up at his moon lit face “i’m gonna miss this mark” i brush the hair covering his eyes away. “really why does destiny have to be so cruel?”. “i don’t know. i must’ve been a serial killer in my past life to be so mistreated” i smile at his ridiculous joke. “i hope your tattoo comes back and you find someone that you love from the bottom of your heart. i hope that they make you happier than i ever could” “you too” his eyes begin to water. he checks his phone again. “we have one minute, can i get one last kiss?” “of course” we kiss one last time and we felt every single one of each other’s emotions in it. finally, the kiss breaks. we sit up straight and mark checks his phone. “happy birthday” he smiles while a stray tear falls down his cheek. “thank you” i smile at him. i feel my tattoo start burning and i wince. we both look at it glow in anticipation. the rose turns into an infinity symbol and stops glowing. mark winces too and looks at where his tattoo use to be. it starts glowing and soon forms the same infinity symbol. then our tattoos glow together. we look up at each other and smile. “i love you” mark says before kissing me the first of many kisses to come.

#mark #mark tuan #mark tuan got7 #mark tuan fic #mark tuan fanfic #mark tuan fluff #mark tuan angst #mark tuan smut #mark tuan imagine #mark tuan scenario #mark got7 #got7 #got7 fic #got7 fanfic #got7 fluff #got7 angst #got7 smut #got7 imagine #got7 imagines #got7 scenario #got7 mark #soulmate au #mark tuan soulmate au #mark soulmate au

[purplesurveys]

1035

survey by tickticktmr

Do people spell your name wrong very often? LOL, of course. When your name is the less-common variant, expect it to be misspelled all the time. Only like 2 out of 10 times do people ask me if my name is spelled with an i or y, but it’s them I appreciate the most.

Who will your next phone call be with? I’m not expecting any phone call for a while.

Would you rather be taken or single? Ugh, taken. I love being in a relationship; I always enjoyed looking after someone else and doing things to make them happy. Being independent has its perks too, but I always feel lonely at the end of the day.

Do you plan to move any time soon? Nope, I’m taking it slow.

Would you rather have pink or green hair? I’d go with green but only if it’s a dark shade, like the color of seaweed. I wouldn’t appreciate neon green on my hair.

Do you miss anyone's smile right now? I saw it again yesterday, so I’m good.

Do you want kids? I used to, but now I’m back to the drawing board when it comes to kids.

Do you know who sings 'Let it rock'? It’s not ringing a bell, and honestly the first thing I remembered was the Goofy Goober Rock song from the Spongebob Movie HAHAHA. Sorry to disappoint.

Do you think stargazing is a romantic thing to do with someone? Sure, but I think it also works platonically. Stargazing is generally a nice and relaxing thing to do whether you’re alone, with an SO, with a friend, or with a bunch of friends.

Do you want to tell someone something right now? Yes, but I can’t.

What's your opinion on sex before marriage? It’s whatever. People can do what they want, and the only things they should watch out for are consent and being safe.

Do you own a car? I don’t own it, i.e. I didn’t pay for it, but it was given to me so I can have a car to drive myself when I need to go to places.

What is something that is always in your kitchen cupboards? Rice.

The last person you spoke to: have you ever lied to them? For sure. Growing up with strict parents taught me how to lie convincingly.

Have you ever made out with them? That person is my mother. No.

What woke you up today? I did so naturally.

Have you ever had a pet rock? No. People do that? How do rocks become pets?

Have you ever been lost? LOL like the lost-in-life kind of lost? Sure. I’m going through it at present because life threw a shit ton of curveballs at me over the course of two months.

How long is it until your sibling)s) birthday? My brother’s birthday is in 5 months; my sister’s is in 10 as she celebrated her birthday just last September.

Are you lazy? I can be if I want to. But I’m not always, of course.

Do you read the newspaper? No.

Have you ever heard of the song 'Teeth the size of piano keys'? No.

Who was your last thought about? You got me thinking about my sister because of the earlier question about her birthday.

What made you in the mood you are in right now? I’m relaxed at the moment and that’s thanks to the fact that it’s Sunday, I’ve recently gotten into a new hobby and a show I can dive into, and tomorrow’s a holiday so no work for me :) Gonna make the most out of this evening for sure.

Have you ever told someone to go to Hell? I’ve most likely done so, but only as a joke.

Do you know anyone named Jos? As in, pronounced ‘Jaws’? No. That’s one of the more unique names I’ve heard.

What's your font on MSN/AIM? I don’t use either. I never used either, either.

What's more important to you: books or music? Music.

Do you have any magazine subscriptions? Nah. Even when I still collected magazines, I preferred physically going to magazine stands and buying new issues. It was more exciting that way.

Has someone ever really hurt you without even realizing? Yeah.

What do you sleep in? A bed, most often. Sometimes I’ll pass out on the couch but that doesn’t happen too much anymore.

Have you changed in the past six months? Yes, both naturally and forcibly. It’s been... quite a year for me, even if we put Covid aside.

Do you bite your nails? When I’m anxious. I haven’t had to do this for a while though, and I mostly did when I was in school awaiting a presentation I had to make.

Do you like the name Natasha? I used to like it when I was younger, but it slipped out of my favorites for no real reason at some point; it just did.

What's a food that starts with the last letter of your first name? Naan.

Does your house have a white picket fence? It used to, but we had them removed after a string of typhoons increasingly deteriorated their quality over the years.

Have you ever been given flowers? Sure.

Do you have a YouTube account? How many videos have you watched on it? I do. Is the second one a real question lol? I’ve watched thousands, as I’m sure most people who use YouTube have done as well. This is like asking how many tweets in total I’ve read on Twitter since I first signed up.

Do you know anyone who is really, really conceited? My mom can be one. She likes to act as if she can do no wrong.

Who’s the last person you told off? My manager at work. I did something she asked me to do and followed the instructions down to a T...and then she said I shouldn’t have done it? That kind of thing happens at work every now and then and it’s fucking exhausting. It’s like every move I make has its own script and the script changes every five minutes. 

Are you optimistic? Sure, but not always.

How do you get to school/your job? I work from home, but under normal circumstances I would’ve been driving myself to the workplace.

Love or lust? Love.

Do you smoke cigarettes? Yeah, but I keep my use of it at an extreme minimum. I’ve only done it socially and I’ve only asked for cigarettes from my friends who have their own packs (and were willing to give me a couple of sticks, of course).

Have you ever been so mad at someone you hurt them? Like, physically? Yes, but it’s only because I was hit first.

Have you ever met someone you met online in person? This is on surveys a lot...yes. I’ve met several online friends who were once in the wrestling circle with me; and one time I bought a product from someone online so we had to meet up for that, too.

Have you ever not studied for a test and gotten 100%? Probably not a 100%, but close. I never studied for my Language exams in middle school because it was just literal English grammar, which I was already good at by that point.

Where is your boyfriend/girlfriend right now? I don’t have any.

Have you ever won a contest for public speaking? No, but I’ve joined one. I got a little frazzled by the middle of my speech (it was impromptu and I didn’t know my question until I got on stage) so in the end that cost me first place.

Are there any woods near where you live? Nah, it’s a private village so it’s super suburban and no hidden woods or forests anywhere.

What did you do today? So far I’ve watched 3/4 of an episode of Start Up, cried, washed my face, washed the glass that I drank soju from last night, and sat up in bed and continued this survey.

Have you ever considered suicide? Yes.

Do you have a lot of myspace friends? No. I never really used my account.

What was your favorite subject in grade six? Science was fun then. Partly because I could tell the teacher liked me, and partly because her method of teaching was big on memorization of terms and processes which was always more my speed.

Hot chocolate or coffee? I could go for coffee right now. Hot chocolate is best when I’m on vacation and having breakfast at a fancy hotel.

Do you like your neighbours? I don’t dislike them, that’s for sure.

Did you do something stupid today? Not yet. 

Name a five letter word that starts with the same letter as your first name. Ripen.

What time did you go to sleep last night? Around midnight. That soju/Yakult combo knocked me out.

Did you have fun yesterday? It was an okay day, sure. I got productive and even drank for a bit last night just because.

How many people are online on your MSN/AIM right now?

Would you like to/did you drop out of school? No, that was never a part of my plans.

What was your favorite book as a child? If we’re talking kids’ books, I never got tired of rereading Corduroy and The Giving Tree. I also had a book of poems and nursery rhymes and I remember taking a liking for The Owl and the Pussycat because it was the longest poem in the book and it helped me train my English.

How far away does your best friend live from you? Both live around 20-30 minutes away, just in different directions.

Do you think you could write a book? A memoir, yes. Anything fictional, no.

Is it hard to tell someone you like them? Yes.

How many bedrooms does your house have? 4.

Do you know anyone who can't speak French? Nearly everyone I know.

When's the last time you brushed your teeth? Last night.

Are you the same religion as your parents? Legally. But I disowned Catholicism/Christianity a long time ago.

Would you do anything for a certain person? Yes, I would.

Do you know anyone in your science class? The last science class I took was a course on chemistry, and I only knew one person in that class.

Describe your room: Cozy, starting to get a little cluttered, big enough for one person.

Do you still write letters to Santa, even when you know he's not real? No, and I never wrote letters addressed to a Santa.

Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Nope.

Have you ever been lied to by a girlfriend/boyfriend? I’m sure she did.

Where is your dad right now? I can’t tell whose turn it is to make breakfast today, so he’s either in the kitchen cooking or in their bedroom watching TV.

Are any of your relatives pregnant? As far as I know, no. But I also haven’t been on Facebook in a while, so I’m poorly updated on what my relatives have been up to.

How many garabe buckets are in your house? I have no idea what this is talking about.

Would you want the truth if you asked if your pants made you look horrible? If I asked that then yeah, I obviously would want to hear the truth.

#survey #surveys

[protectserve]

velouria here, finally writing the bio of everyone’s (or nobody’s) favorite police captain! he’s been in charming for twelve years, but only became captain two years ago. tries to run a clean station, focused on stopping the gangs of new york charming from hurting innocent people. an emotionally distant father that’s trying to rectify that with his daughter minnie coming back to town. very dour, but ultimately an okay guy. here’s his details, it’s LONG AS FUCK so if you read it all i will give you five gold stars!!:

content warnings: cancer, death, depression, brief mentions of alcoholism, classism

born in detroit, michigan on february 3rd, 1967. the third in a line of five boys, rick was a bit of a quiet, unassuming child. his childhood was relatively normal, he liked star trek and riding his bike, listened to new rock records with his older brothers, but he didn’t realize how poor his family was until he was in middle school—not that he was particularly unobservant, it was just everyone in his neighborhood was poor.

he hadn’t dreamt of being a cop like some kids did, his parents were vaguely anti-government, and with the attitudes towards cops in the seventies, rick never thought he’d become one. it wasn’t his plan, but after he graduated high school, he was working a series of dead end jobs. by 21, he was utterly aimless, and his other brothers hadn’t fared any better, some even turning to crime. he was looking for structure, a reason to get up in the morning, and some buddies from high school applying to the police academy was enough for rick to follow suit, much to his family’s dismay.

rick didn’t start out the same cop he is now. literally, because he’s a captain now, but his ideals have shifted greatly. at the start, even after the academy indoctrination rituals, it was only a job to him. it wasn’t great money, but he was a single man and really, for any kelleher child, any money was good money. he really didn’t take it seriously, or not as seriously as he was supposed to, but he figured it was just a job for awhile. he didn’t know it would become his life.

just because he wasn’t fanatical about it didn’t mean he wasn’t good at it, or that he hated being a cop. it was hard to have a family that belittled his profession and then beg him to save them whenever they got into trouble, and it was a dangerous job. no one wanted to be a beat cop in detroit, but rick started to gain a real appreciation for his city. a job that was supposed to be just a job became important to him. he wanted the people he saw on the streets every day to be safe, he wanted them to live in a nice place, a guy that needed meaning in life found it in the police force.

it wasn’t always so meaningful. sometimes, like most of his fellow officers, he debated quitting. he saw his friends in the department get shot, get stabbed, die in many different ways. he had to be cruel to be kind, and sometimes just cruel. it wasn’t exactly a fun job, but a brotherhood did grow between him and his fellow officers, and soon he wasn’t sure if he could be anything other than a cop.

his priorities shifted instantly the moment he saw zhilan ‘lilian’ wu, a student at wayne state university. she was with her friends at a chicken shack on a regular tuesday night in 1991 and rick had never seen someone so beautiful in his entire life. lilian didn’t think much of him when she first saw him, really. he was cute, but he was a cop and a bit of a dorky one at that. frankly, she was out of his league, but they kept running into each other while he was on patrol and when her apartment was broken into, she called 911 and hoped he would be the one to respond. lucky for the both of them, he was, and he didn’t leave until he gave her his personal phone number. (they never did catch the person that broke in.)

from that first date, they were inseparable. they fell madly in love, the sort of kind that happens only once, the kind that happens in movies or romance novels. for a guy that didn’t give much thought to starting a family one day, really he thought it would be a bad thing if he was to work such a dangerous job, all he wanted to do was marry lily. to his eternal surprise, she wanted to marry him, too. they were married the same year he was to be promoted to a detective, working on the vice squad.

just a short year after they were married, lily became pregnant. they were both excited but incredibly apprehensive. they were barely out of the honeymoon phase, she was away from her family, and he had just been promoted to detective. they fought a lot, his job was different but just as stressful, and rick wasn’t sure their marriage was going to last. as the months grew on and lily’s belly got bigger, they tried hard to work through their issues, but there was a lot of fear and a bit of resentment. when lily finally went into labor, rick was working a case and only had a matter of an hour to make it to the hospital before baby amelia came. when she did, it was like everything else fell away. every bit of resentment, anger, worry, it all went away like it never existed in the first place. they had been scared, but above all, rick and lily loved each other. deeply.

that doesn’t mean everything was peachy-keen. things were still incredibly stressful, a new baby that lily didn’t have a lot of help with, and rick trying to show his superiors that he was still incredibly devoted to his job while trying to be part of amelia’s rearing as much as humanly possible. by the time their daughter was five months old, lily was at her wit’s end. she wanted help, and while rick’s mother was around to babysit or grocery shop, it wasn’t the same as having her own mother there. lily didn’t set down an ultimatum so much as she begged to go back to boston where she was originally from, and like hell rick would let his wife and baby leave without him. with a bit of persistence, his request for transfer to boston went through, and the kellehers left for another wintry city.

the transition to boston was a little difficult for rick; getting used to a new department, new ground, he hadn’t spent a lot of time with his wife’s family before. lily had her own difficulties, but she took to it better, happy to be near her mother and in the town she grew up in. rick missed his little slice of detroit, but he’d rather be dead than away from lily and minnie (as they began to call her), so he chalked it up to needing a little time to get used to it. it got better once they moved out of his in-laws’ home into an apartment of their own.

assigned to the vice squad like he was back in detroit, it became apparent that it wasn’t a good fit anymore. long stakeouts were easier when he didn’t have a baby at home, and his wife hated it when he went undercover for long periods of time. he put in a request to transfer to the homicide division and while that proved its own set of challenges, it made his family happy that he wasn’t so in the line of fire anymore.

while minor things happened day to day, a partner getting shot, criminals getting off for various reasons, seeing dead bodies practically daily, rick can confidently say it was the happiest time of his life. he got to watch his little girl grow up, he was still so madly in love with lily, and he was even promoted to sergeant after passing his exam. five years later, he was promoted to lieutenant, and it was all just so wonderful before it all came crashing down.

2006, the kellehers move to charming. not that rick particularly wanted to, he was very happy in boston, but his hand was forced. transferred because things were getting notoriously bad in charming, an outlaw motorcycle club clashing with a rising new gang, the police department was basically begging for new blood to help them after several officers died or quit. with the promise of a pay raise and the chance to possibly move up to captain, something he’d never get in his boston precinct, rick tried to think of it as a new opportunity. if he could go back in time, he’d tell himself to never take the job, never even come to the west coast. 

charming would never be detroit in the eighties or boston in the nineties, but he was mistaken when he thought a small town police department would make his life easier. this wasn’t a place to ride out into retirement, save cats from trees and settle disputes between elderly neighbors. he didn’t go into it blind, he knew what plagued the town, he had worked cases staking out gang warehouses and testified against the irish mob once, but charming was like something else entirely. the motorcycle club was so intertwined with society that often the citizens trusted them over the police department, and the ones that didn’t hated the department for not forcing the club (or the gang) out for town once and for all. it was an adjustment just like any new transfer, and just like before, he had to shift his ideals.

things were not easy at the start of his tenure as lieutenant, some didn’t like some hotshot cop from boston coming in and trying to clean up the streets of charming, and navigating the tense relationship between the club, the gang, and the department had a steep learning curve. he didn’t always agree with the previous captain, but they had been working charming for a lot longer than he had. even so, if he was to ever run the pd, it would be run differently.

things were not easy at home, either. not that they were horrific, lily and rick had dealt with adapting to a new place before, but the dangers of charming seemed a lot closer to home than back in boston. he feared for his daughter’s safety, almost a teenager, though she was so excited to move to california at the start. his wife was getting weaker, chalking it up to age. his job was difficult, he missed big cities and cold weather and dunkin’ donuts for breakfast. he automatically felt protective over charming and its people, as it was his job, but he didn’t love it like he had detroit, and boston to a lesser degree. rick was noticeably unhappy, but he committed to charming, and even with her faults, she didn’t deserve to be overrun by criminals.

as rick settled into life as a charming cop, his wife was also noticeably unhappy. she missed boston, she missed her family, and she wasn’t feeling well for quite some time. they didn’t find out until it was too late that lily had ovarian cancer. by the time they knew about it, it was like she was already gone. chemo was an option, but it seemed to just be delaying the inevitable and lily refused it, despite how much rick had begged her to at least try it. after only four years living in charming and eight months after being diagnosed, lily kelleher went peacefully in the middle of the night, in bed at home with the two great loves of her life sleeping next to her.

to put it plainly, rick was a fucking mess. he tried to keep it together when lily was still alive and put on a brave face, quite frankly he was in utter denial, but the cracks were visibly showing and after the death of his wife, he went off the deep end. completely swallowed by his grief, he was given bereavement leave but either way, he couldn’t get out of bed. he couldn’t look at his daughter, she looked too much like lily, and the idea of his wife not being around to make dumplings on christmas with minnie or wake him up when he fell asleep watching a western on tv after dinner broke his heart completely. when it was finally time to come back to work, he was a completely different cop, the kind of cop that he hated, aggressive and cruel at no provocation, he began to drink heavily and sob randomly. his captain finally gave him a kick in the ass: either get some help or get off the force. 

taking another three weeks of leave, rick spent the first few days still swallowed by grief, but he knew he had to get help, this was no way to live. he started going to a therapist, tried to clean himself up and be there for his daughter. it wasn’t instantaneous and rick began to resent others, as if he should so easily get over the death of his wife, the only woman he’s ever loved, will ever love. he wasn’t better, just going through the motions, and eventually he was able to go back to work. he wasn’t the cop that he was before, and wasn’t the cop he was immediately after, but focusing on his job was the only thing that really got him through his grief and sorrow.

and minnie. he didn’t forget her, or love her any less. the decision he made was a hard one, one that’s hard to justify, but it felt like the only option. before lily died, he saw potential in charming. after, all he could see was its dark corners, as if that’s all there was. tensions were rising between the club and the gang and the department, rick didn’t see an end in sight to the violence, and it was hard to do his job when his mind was constantly drifting to his daughter, fearing for her safety, fearing for mind after losing her mother. four months after lily died, rick had a discussion with minnie, though it was more just telling her what was going to happen. minnie was going to move in with her maternal aunt back in boston, at least for a little while, until rick could get things back in order. 

unfortunately a little while ended up being ten years. he didn’t want her to stay away that long, often he missed her so much that he wanted to demand that her aunt send her back, but he knew it was better in the long run. rick could focus on his job and minnie could finish out high school in a much more stable household, near her mother’s family to take care of her and keep her connected to her chinese side. with her safe, far away from charming and well taken care of, rick could dig deep into his work. when he was working a case, he didn’t have to think about how quiet his house now was, or that he was missing minnie’s later teenage years. when his whole life was protecting charming, he was protecting himself. it wasn’t as if he never saw minnie again, he flew out frequently and attended her graduations, but the short term plan for her to live with her aunt quietly turned into a lot longer, and rick got used to his empty house.

his dedication to his work wasn’t all for naught. in 2018, the previous captain retired and rick was promoted in high esteem. since taking command of the station, rick is trying to change things as best as he can, as much as the station and the club/gang will allow. rick is harsh on organized crime, doesn’t believe in fostering a relationship with either syndicate, and will fire anyone he finds out is in their pockets. he wants them out of charming—he doesn’t care if they exist, he just wants them out of his town. and it is his town.

he’s not all tough, though. captain kelleher cares deeply for his officers, his door is always open if they need to talk (or want to transfer), and he’s a warm presence for those on the force. (#cop dad.) it could be said that because he sent his daughter away, he views those under him on the force as his surrogate children, somewhere to put all his paternal affection, but it’s also possible that he’s just a good man at heart. though he hates the crimes that the gang and club commit, he doesn’t want them individually hurt; in fact, he wants them to be better, he wants them to give up the life and go clean. or at the very least, fuck off.

as of a few months ago, his daughter minnie has returned to charming, moving in with rick. though he was apprehensive at first, things in charming actually worse than when she left, and the fact that he hadn’t lived with her in a decade, he’s so happy to have her back, happiest he’s been in a long time. he has gotten quite used to being alone, though, so it’s been a bit of an adjustment to have her back. he really cherishes the time he gets with her but has a hard way of showing it, just like he does with practically anyone; it’s harder with his daughter, though. so much time has passed, so many regrets, he has to get to know his daughter all over again, this time as an adult.

he wasn’t totally alone before she returned, actually. two years before becoming captain, he adopted a black and tan coonhound after her original owners died, the station taking care of the case. with petula (as she was named before he got her) having nowhere to go and hating the idea of her going off to some shelter, rick took her home. there was also the fact that some of his detectives remarked that he was far too lonely and should get a dog lol. sometimes he brings tula to the station so she can hang around in his office, but mostly she just sleeps. she’s a sleepy girl in general, but has a loud ass bark. 

hasn’t dated much since lily died. no one will come close to her, obviously, and he’s just a tough nut to crack in general. has a hard time opening up emotionally to anyone, even before lily’s death (it was a frequent problem in their marriage). does have some friends, but they’re also emotionally distant dads in their 50s. they go on an annual fishing trip to just drink some beers and watch airplane disaster reenactment shows and talk about tom clancy novels or whatever it is that dads do.

his job as captain is more administrative than any position he’s had before. he deals with the mayor’s office and the district attorney’s office frequently, so he’s not out on the street visiting crime scenes often unless it’s a huge crime that warrants it, or something officer involved.

secretly smokes despite telling everyone he doesn’t. wears the latest in dad fashion, Dadshion™ if you will. doesn’t smile very often but that doesn’t mean he’s not happy or that he’s mad, he’s just got resting bitch face. tho he is often mad. catch him walking his dog or irritating his daughter!!

wanted stuffs:

if ur character is part of the police department, let me know bc ur character now has a dad. unless you’re a dirty cop, then he’s a very disappointed dad. we’ll plot it all out individually, they can hate or love rick, they used to get along but something happened that soured the relationship, they don’t respect his authority, they think the department should work with the club/gang, whatever!

the constant criminal: if ur muse is constantly in and out of the holding cells at the station, they’ll often see rick. basically at this point when your muse is arrested, he’s rolling his eyes like “kid, we’ve talked about this. if you like here so much, just apply for a job as a file clerk or something.” they’ve got the antagonistic but borderline friendly, familiar relationship that ya see on all the cop shows.

the informant: so i guess this would be a whole thang, your muse informing on either the club or the gang, but someone’s gotta let the pd know what’s going on!! maybe your muse is in the club/gang but has become disillusioned over time, maybe they’re just close to someone in either, idk there’s plenty of reasons! of course their meetings will be in secret, but they’re on file as a CI. 

enemies: i mean, he’s the police captain in a town full of criminals. pretty much everyone is an enemy until proven otherwise lol, but y’know your character hates cops and rick doesn’t really care about their opinion. we can discuss the details or maybe they hate cops in general.

friends: rick isn’t like, a totally miserable person. of course his friends would be more around his age and i’m pretty sure rick is currently the only person over 50 lol, but he’s gotta have a pal in someone on the dash!

someone he used to date: as mentioned above, rick isn’t good at dating and has only had like one or two relationships since his wife died, so obviously this relationship didn’t last very long. again, he’s in his 50s and i don’t think there are any female characters over 45, so this one’s a long shot but if you ever wanna bring an older lady and have her date rick in the past, i beg you to do so!! or just more older characters in general!!

someone that remembers minnie from ten years ago and is like “damn dude, that was rude af to send her away the same year her mom died” and he’ll be like suddenly i can’t read.

obviously this post is long as fuck so i don’t need to add to it anymore, but i’ve got tons more ideas! message me here or ask for my discord!

#charming.intro #hold your horses honey. i've got coupons for the pringles. ( ooc. ) #it's so long that i only proofread it twice so if there's any glaring typos my stephen king universe twinner did it #just know that i love rick deeply and if you hate him. ur right to do so #but it will hurt my feelings!!

[lovely-nctzen]

can we still be friends? • three

↬ After splitting up, Johnny and Y/N struggle to detach their lives from one another. Their relationship as a couple lasted for almost five years until they both decided to breakup. As they start dating other people the ex-couple consistently check on each other under the guise of "friendship." Only to find out that one of them is still in love with the other.

It was the morning after and Y/N was sitting in front of her vanity with her dress halfway zipped and applying on lipstick. Meanwhile Johnny was sitting on the couch with Mark playing video games. Y/N turned her head to look at him after she finished fixing her makeup.

“Love, I’m going to be paying our bills today.”

Just then, Johnny paused the game and glanced at Mark for a split second before he sat there quietly, with the controller still in hand. And not a second later he pressed play and continued gaming with Mark.

“Maybe you can...you know,” Y/N started. It got kind of awkward with Mark sitting in the living room and it didn’t help that the door was opened and Y/N could talk to him as like it was nothing.

“Uh Babe, is it okay if I give my share next month? My paychecks came in late. Once they arrive, I’ll pay for everything,” he said, as he focused his attention to the game in front of him.

Turning to face her vanity, Y/N let out a light sigh. She was upset that nothing was going right, so she put away her makeup and left the situation alone. Y/N walked out and sat on the arm of the couch next to Johnny. “Love, can you zip me up?”

Johnny paused the game once again and did as he was told. Mark sensing the slight tension. He got up from the couch and bid you and Johnny farewell. “See you guys, I’ve got stuff to do with the frat. I’ll see you there later right Johnny?”

Looking up at Mark, he nodded his head. “Yeah, see you there man.”

Once Mark left, Y/N started up a conversation again. “Babe, you know how there are vacancies in the office where I work right? You might want to apply there because every time I see you, you’re always playing video games and hanging out with the frat. I’m sorry, but we have bills to pay,” Y/N said softly.

After fiddling with zipping her up, Johnny gave up and stood up from his seat leaving the room. “This doesn’t fit you anymore. If I were you, I’d change it.” Y/N sat there surprised and watched him leave the room. Frowning, she stood up and went to go change into a different outfit. This time Y/N picked out a nice blouse and white skinny jeans with a pair of flats to match. She grabbed her bag and walked towards the office where she worked which was unfortunately kind of far. Today was the day her boss was going to announce a new promotion in the office. Most of Y/N’s coworkers thought she would get it since she worked so hard.

However, when her boss called someone else in to their office, Y/N knew that she wasn’t getting the promotion. And her assumptions were correct when another female coworker came out of the office and announced it to everyone. Y/N dropped her pen and pushed her hair out of her face. Today was not her day.

It got even worse when Johnny forgot to pick her up that night. She totally forgot that Johnny was doing something tonight with the boys. He forgot to remind her that he wasn’t going to make it this time. So when she called him, Y/N became frustrated and it got worse when the girl who got promoted stood near her on the sidewalk. Y/N discreetly looked at her from the corner of her her eyes. Her hair was down and she was wearing a dress that hugged her curves. It seems like she was waiting for her boyfriend as well. Great.

Y/N felt small compared to her. Her boyfriend got out of the car and greeted her with a bouquet of flowers to congratulate her on the promotion. Y/N couldn’t help but stare at the couple as they started to kiss; she was jealous. Johnny was always late when he picked her up, blaming it on traffic. He even parked on the other side and made her cross the busy street as she waited so long for him to arrive. Not putting up with this, Y/N called one of her closest friend, Doyoung. He too was in the frat, but she knew that he would help her even if he was busy.

Once Doyoung came to pick her up, he sensed that she was stressed. “So how did the promotion go?” he asked. Groaning at the thought of it, she started to rant to him. “I was so sure I was going to get it. My boss even told me himself that I was going to get it and now he gives it to someone else? What kind of bull is that? And then Johnny didn’t pick me up because you guys had a frat thing tonight.” Doyoung took one hand off the wheel to comfort his friend. “I’m sorry you didn’t get the promotion, but I’m sure you’ll get it next time. You’re literally working while going to school still. I could never.”

Leaning her head back against the head rest, she turned her head to look at Doyoung. “Thanks, you’re the best.” Her comment made him grin and they soon arrived back to her apartment.

Taking off her shoes she sat at the kitchen table. She needed to talk to Johnny, but he wasn’t going to arrive until late, so she waited. She didn’t have class until 10:30 in the morning anyway. And when he finally did get home, Y/N was waiting on the couch. He did the usual greeting, asking her how her day was and if she ate dinner already, but Y/N went straight to it and ranted her whole day to him. When she told him about the promotion, he interrupted her. “Babe, if you’re not happy with your job then just quit.”

Y/N gave him a pointed look when he finished his sentence. “Quit? Do you even know what you’re saying right now?” This was unbelievable. How can she just quit when they have bills to pay, tuition to pay for. “You’ve been complaining about it. You’re toxic.” That made her burst into flames. “Of course! I’m so tired and frustrated. My job isn’t easy Johnny! If you want me to quit then I’ll quit. How are we going to pay for the apartment?”

Johnny became quiet and didn’t speak. Neither did Y/N until she came to her senses. “Love, I’m sorry.” She grabbed his hand, but he still stayed silent. “I’m just so tired and busy. My mind is all over the place,” Y/N said as she rested her head on his chest. Still not saying anything, he just listened. He gave her a small hug and patted her head. “Come on, let’s just sleep it off. We have a busy week ahead of us.”

Just like always, the two kissed and made up, but each passing day got harder and harder which put a strain on their relationship. It was the weekend and Johnny and Y/N planned to meet up with some friends who were planning to get married once they graduated.

Pulling up to the restaurant, Johnny went inside her with Y/N trailing behind, but once she got to the door, it closed on her and hit her in the face. “Johnny....” Y/N said to herself in frustration when he didn’t hold the door for her. Opening the door for herself, she met up with them at the table. Everything was fine, but when they asked Y/N and Johnny when they were getting married, things went down hill. Y/N and Johnny have been together for a good five years now and they’re still in school so they never even thought about marriage. “So when are you guys getting married?” They asked. Y/N looked back and forth between the two couple and said, “Why did we suddenly become the topic? I thought this was about you guys?”

The two gave her a knowing look and grinned at her without saying anything which confused her. Suddenly Johnny spoke up and turned to look at Y/N. “Love,” Johnny started. “Do something grand when you propose to me, okay?” He said jokingly. Y/N narrowed her eyes at him and gave him a slight scoff before laughing. “Hah! you’re so funny Johnny,” she said as the other joined along in laughing with her, but she was upset on the inside. She drank her water and stopped laughing along with them, but they didn’t notice.

They say that if you’ve been together with someone for over five years you’ll know if they’re the right one, right?

Y/N didn’t even know at this point.

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#can we still be friends #neowritingsnet #nct #nct scenarios #kpop #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #nct imagines #nct 127 #nct 127 scenarios #nct reactions #nct blurbs #nct fluff #nct angst #nct smut #nct au #incorrect nct #incorrect nct quotes #nct johnny #nct 127 johnny #johnny seo #johnny #seo youngho #johnny fluff #johnny angst #nct soft hours #johnny x reader #nct mark #nct doyoung

[antcassese]

Whats been going on in my life? Can you handle it?

Everyone knows the rules.... song choice first and foremost!

All My Life - Foo Fighters, damn this song gets me going.

The last 6 months feel almost like a blur. I think a lot of us can relate to this? Im certain I’m not the only one that had a crazy 2020. I’ve literally watch so many of you fall victim to job loss, relationships falling out, and just all around chaos. I’ve witnessed you guys experience this! Just like you’ve watched me, from a distance you’ve watched me.

You’ve watched as my marriage crumbled. You’ve heard about me moving into a damn shed. You watched me walk away from a well paying position. You seen me cry, you’ve seen me talk ill of people in a way not even I condone, unless otherwise provoked.. You’ve been there for me, and didn't even know it. I knew it though. 

Starters, I lost my dad around Christmas in 2019. This man didn't take anyone's shit, even if they had him by the balls. He was sweet, loved his family, but absolutely took no shit. He was the fucking man, but as life goes. We all live to die. During this time, I was still with my wife. A time that I needed to focus, I needed to keep my family together. I was the man now, and it was time to act. 

I had a hard time being intentional having my wife constantly hold me back. It was hard to mourn when I had a significant other who insisted the attention be on her over my parent I lost. This was the the beginning of the end for my marriage, sadly.

I married into what I believed was someone who had the same morals, same ideologies as me. I was sadly mistaken, and after learning the we were on two different wavelengths, the universe did it’s thing. In a matter of a couple months, after many disturbing dealing’s with my wife, I had to cut my losses. This simply was a bad investment and I had to get the fuck out of dodge.

I'm sure you’ve been there, hell, you may be dealing with this as we speak. Constantly asking yourself, “Is this it?” “Is this person really for me”? 

Or maybe you are 10000% certain about what you have, in that case, I am happy for you.

BUT if you’re asking yourself those questions, there's already a problem. Run while you have a chance.

My dad died, god bless his soul. He was a dad, with shortcomings but still, a dad. Losing him crushed me. My marriage? Shit happens! It obviously wasn’t meant to be, and no it wasn’t a mistake! Never! I don't regret it for one second. It just didn’t quite pan out. It’s okay, I had bigger plans waiting for me....

One door closes, another opens! Always be willing to go where the wind blows you, never know where it could take you.

In the mix of a divorce, came leaving my well paying job. I really enjoyed the work I did, having worked in Manhattan for sometime was a huge accomplishment that not many people can say they’ve done. But frankly, It didn't fill me up anymore. It didn’t cut it for me. 

As much as I love money, as most of you know. Some referring to me as even frugal at times, the money couldn’t buy my sanity. Everyday I fought the demon in my head to quit. I wanted to quit because I wanted to dedicate my life to making an impact, not just making money. This was hard for anyone to understand from the outside looking in, it was hard for even me to understand what the hell I was attempting to accomplish by quitting my job to pursue, what? Making an impact doesn't pay the bills? Know what I mean. But I stopped thinking, and one day I snapped. 

I snapped, I was done thinking about my plans, and instead. It was time to start acting. Simple as that

To me, making an impact is and always will be more important then money. I hear from many of you everyday thanking me and praising me for writing, my vlogs, my one on one conversations. THAT SHIT MOVES ME!

You wouldn’t believe how full I am after hearing I made an impact in a strangers life. 

That's what is important to me. Making a difference, one soul out of time. The money is nice but it doesn't move me the way it moves some. I have to know I helped someone at the end of the day or I feel empty.

This is how I’ve found myself. and these days, I'm not playing games. It’s crunch time, come along or get the fuck out of the way.

These last few months have been devastating for me though.. They have torn me in directions that I didn’t know were even possible. I can’t stress how hard life has hit me.

But guess what?

I am so fucking thankful for it. I literally couldn’t be more happy that my life has played out this way. 

My dad passing hurt so bad, hurt. But his passing finally revealed to me what it’s like to be a man. He showed me, and since December, I’ve been a bull. Everything that was meant to break me, only fueled me.

Every set back only made me buck harder, every single day.

My marriage was important because my parents never got married, and I owed it to myself to get married and live a happy life. Being married doesn't necessarily bring happiness though, reality check! 

No job? Whatever

You see, living amongst chaos is normal to me! I love this shit.

I literally strive off of the chaos. My best friend turned out to betray me, as I suspected he would. Never felt betrayal so great. I couldn’t be more grateful for his choice, as life has a way of revealing itself guys.

find solace in the hell you might be in. we all feel hell somewhere in our life. double down, get a plan together, and be ready to execute.

Don't be a victim, no one likes a sissy. 

Next blog isn’t about whats happen to me this year, it’s alllllll about what is going to be happening!

#ONLYTHEFUTURE

Buckle up. Love yall

#onlythefuture #family #divorce #love #motivation #makeanimpact #fuck the rest

[ill-skillsgard]

The Offer - Henry Deaver x Mistress

Warning: 18+ brief mentions of sex/public teasing/cheating/etc.

Soooo here’s another Henry x mistress imagine that nobody asked for. And just so you all know, I will continue to use your prompts in these imagines as they fit the timeline I’m going for. So if you’ve sent an ask about this dirty cheating bastard, I haven’t ignored it! I just have this world unfolding in my brain and I have to make the pieces fit accordingly. Thanks for reading and, y’know... Not jumping down my throat about the content. Enjoy! PS, I wanna know who sent the original Henry and his mistress prompt. You have single-handedly ruined my life and I love you for it. 

Enjoy!

The drive to the next city over started out great. Henry had picked you up at your apartment building exactly when he said he would and smiled brightly as you came out trying to hide your own eager grin. His eyes followed you, entranced for a moment until he snapped out of his short-lived daze, whipped his seatbelt off and got out of the car so he could open the passenger side door for you. You went red in the cheeks when you realized what his intentions were and stood next to the running car. Trying to get a good look at him before he approached only made you seem like you were checking him out, and you were, and he bubbled inside knowing that your stare was on him.

"Henry, you don't have to open the door every time. I promise you won't lose any gentleman points if you just let me do it myself," you lightly chided.

"Non-sense. I'm picking you up for a date. I pick you up, open your door, walk beside you, pay for dinner and then hopefully by the end of the night, I'll get a kiss."

"You'll get a lot more with that attitude," you joked.

"I don't see the mystique in allowing you to do everything. Open your own door, get in while I'm still sitting, split dinner and whatnot... No. That's not how a man takes a woman out on a date."

"If you insist, Mr. Deaver."

You loved the way Henry fumbled with his bottom lip and tried not to act like you referring to him so formally turned him on. He probably heard that all day long from his employees and peers but never in a context such as the subtle ribbon of seduction you wove around the title. You gave it a lustrous ring, a potent flick in the groin that made him want to hate you for tainting such an everyday greeting. 

The drive drew out before you realized that Henry was taking you into the next town over. He didn't have to tell you why because you already understood his motivations. It was too risky for him to be seen with you in the city where so many people he might know had the chance to happen upon you. This he did not speak, but you were in silent agreement. The guilt you had been successfully suppressing so far was starting to leak out of the seams, threatening to bust out and flood your head with more than just a pang of liability. There was a monster of shame growing in you and you could feel it squirming already in its early stages. You could only imagine the size of Henry's own iniquitous beast; it must have sprouted legs by now.

Henry ordered whiskey and implored you to go nuts and order whatever you wanted regardless of the cost. The wine was brought to the table and you dove into your first glass with no hesitation. After he had had a thorough look around the restaurant, he settled into his seat, relaxed his shoulders, stretched his legs out under the table and reached one hand between the water cups and the centrepiece of shell white calla lilies until you threaded your fingers through his. The pads of your fingers rested on his knuckles and you smiled as he began stroking the web between your index and thumb.

His ring was off and you could only wonder whether he had been keeping it off or if he was trying to spare you the reminder again. You didn't want the answer as much as the question flapped around in your head like a bird caught in a flag. This was supposed to be a nice night— your first one together since Paris.

"What are your plans after dinner?" You asked.

Henry smirked, a weak scoff leaving him in the process. "You're already thinking about the end of our date, huh?"

"No, not like that. I just want to know what you're thinking."

Henry leaned in closer, tightening his grip on your hand and whispered, "Well, I was hoping to take a pretty lady back to my place."

"Your place?" Your whisper was rash with disbelief.

"Yes. The condo. It's officially all mine."

"I get to see where you live?"

Henry bobbed his head back and forth, weighing his words. "I'd hardly say that I live there. Most nights I'm in a hotel living out of a suitcase. But, yes. I'd like to take you there... If you would allow it."

You scrunched up your face jokingly. "I'll allow it."

"Great," his eyes sparkled as he raised your hand up to kiss your knuckles.

He only let go of your hand when your food arrived and he had properly thanked the server. You both ate and chatted about average topics, skirting around the fact that ninety percent of your exchanges as of late had been heavily laced with explicit details of how bad you both wanted to fuck each other. Was he ignoring that, or was he too much of a gentleman to bring it up in public?

Taking matters into your own hands, you slipped off your right shoe and lifted your leg up until you found his thigh with the ball of your stocking foot. Henry straightened in his seat, nearly choking on a piece of pasta. He grabbed his linen napkin to wipe at an invisible splotch of food at the corner of his mouth while you ran down the inseam of his pants and didn't stop until thigh met groin. 

"Insatiable woman," he whispered.

"Sexy man," you countered.

Henry looked down to see your painted toes encased in nylon, pressing at his groin until he ran the risk of becoming too aroused. He clamped one large hand around your foot, halting you from rubbing at him.

"Hey, now... I have to ask you something. Let's uh... Save the tickle time for home... Or the car," his tone went dreamy.

You gave him your best evil smirk and withdrew your foot only because the premise of him having a question to ask you temporarily stole your attention.

"What is it, Mr. Deaver?"

He shivered slightly, trying to shake off the butterflies hosting a grand waltz in his stomach. "I've been thinking about you lately."

"I certainly hope so," you giggled.

"Not like that. Well... Yes, like that but also in a more professional way."

You were intrigued. Unsure of what he meant, you sipped your wine and listened intently for him to continue. "I know you don't particularly enjoy your job and I can't stand the thought of how people treat you... So I was racking my brain trying to think of some solution. There's school, apprenticeships, night classes... And then I thought of something else."

Henry paused for you to answer but you were caught up in the anxiety of what he might say next. "I'm all ears!" You urged him on.

"My assistant is going on maternity leave soon..."

"Oh... My god."

"Don't jump yet... Just listen. She's going on maternity leave for a few months and I need to find someone to replace her. She's had no time to train a stand-in, so I've been charged with hiring somebody that I think would fit the slot."

"Henry..."

"Let me finish," he raised his hand to quiet you down. "Look... I know it's a dumb, stupid, idiotic idea but I can't think of anyone better to fill the position than you."

"I don't know the first thing about being an assistant," you claimed.

"You know your way around a computer, yes?"

"Of course."

"And you can work a cell phone, I've gathered. You can write, you know... And read. All qualifying traits," Henry chuckled. "It's really just a glorified secretary job. Only... You get to travel with me and... Book my hotels, flights, dinners, lunches... set up my appointments, take my calls when I'm busy."

"Henry, that is absolutely ludicrous."

"I know," his eyes brimmed, and for a moment he looked like a vibrant young man that had just fallen in love. "It's really stupid! But... God, I just want you around me and I don't want to think of you making half of the minimum wage at a job where people don't even thank you."

"But an assistant? That's really playing with fire."

"Look... You don't have to say yes or no just yet. Have some time to think about it. She's not leaving for another couple of weeks. And if you still hate the idea then I'll find you something else."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"I told you... I don't want you working in the café anymore. You're too good for that."

"What about—?"

"I'm taking care of everything."

"Maybe you should take care of your own business before you try taking care of mine," you looked down at his ringless hand.

"What do you think I'm in the process of doing?"

"I don't know," you admitted.

"As far as I'm concerned... We're separated. My business is my own. I can have dinner with whomever I want... Hire whomever I want. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Does she know that you're going around telling everyone that you're separated or is that just what you're saying to me?"

Henry withdrew into his seat, grimacing at you for the gentle accusation. It was to be expected. Your incredulity was not unwarranted and he knew that. With a sigh, he lifted his tumbler and sipped his whiskey slow.

"Nobody knows yet. It's not really something you can just casually bring up in the office."

"That's why we're in another city having dinner at a place that's nearly impossible to get a reservation for, isn't it? You haven't told anybody."

"Do I need to?"

"I guess not if you're still worried," you grumbled.

"Hey... Come on. This is all still very fresh. It's not like I'm going to parade through the streets telling people that my marriage failed and I've already fallen for somebody else."

The last part of his statement made your heart clench tightly in your chest. He had fallen for you. And now he wanted you by his side to oversee his day to day proceedings. It was a roundabout way of him saying something that he wasn't sure if he could say yet. Suddenly your skepticism faded and you chose to look at the endearing side of his offer.

"I hate you," you said with a wry smirk.

"If you hate me so much then why don't you put your foot back in my lap and try to get me hard again?"

"Yes, sir."

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