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neptuneiris · 8 months

Text

sparks (04/04)

But I promise you this I'll always look out for you

pairing: business-boyfriend!aemond x fem!reader

summary: at the beginning your relationship with aemond is perfect and there were no worries. until he becomes the Heir of his father's company, the most important in the whole country and certain events and certain people start to interfere in the relationship.

word count: 9.0k

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now yes, the epilogue is officially coming soon haha

hello loves! hope you are having a wonderful day!

I made an announcement about the change in the story so if for some reason you didn't read it, don't worry, here I will explain again what happened:)

the reason why I decided to add a part 4 to the fic is very simple: the chapter was too long for the epilogue and when I say too long I mean really long. and I didn't want to bore you or fill you with too much, believe me that the epilogue was exaggeratedly long:(

I'm sorry if it wasn't what you expected, but I decided the best and I really hope you like it a lot, after all it's not the end yet😚

that's all, I won't keep you any longer, enjoy!

Aemond Targaryen had never felt so miserable in his life.

The trip to Casterly Rock was one of the most important in his entire working career and yet it was the worst trip he had ever attended in his life.

His mind would not leave him alone and the urge to cry along with the anxiety and desperation he felt was too much. And it was so much that he couldn't control it.

But outside of that, he didn't care too much about the event, socializing and having conversations with other important businessmen, as if it wasn't something he did every day, nor did he attend to the press which was what he avoided the most nor did he care about Larys Strong and Alys Rivers.

He honestly didn't care about anything.

At least nothing outside of the important thing that was his meeting with his partner Jason Lannister and attending his conference with the board of directors.

He didn't care that this would later lead to 'serious consequences,' if you could call it that, with his grandsire.

Even after he caught up again with Jason Lannister and properly attended the conference with the board of directors, as soon as it was all over, he took his flight back to King's Landing in a needy and desperate manner.

And the first thing he did after landing was to look for you and try to talk to you. Although he must have known that you would not let him find you.

Your university is extremely large and although he tried to find you by asking the administration and coordination of your university for your varied schedule, they did not give him anything, as they cannot give out their students' personal and private information so openly to strangers.

They only do so on occasions that require it and are extremely necessary with hard evidence, such as to a family member of the student for an emergency or something like that.

And Aemond honestly didn't blame them, as he looked extremely desperate and like a madman, especially when they told him they couldn't give him that information.

So he went to your work, where he knew it would be easier to find you, but again… he was unsuccessful because you wouldn't let him.

"Uhm… I'm sorry, but she's not here."

Your coworker told him and judging by her face, he knew instantly that she was lying, especially by the pitiful face she was giving him amidst the assurance she wants to create by saying her words.

"Please, just tell her I need to talk to her," he tells her pleadingly, feeling like he will burst into tears at any second.

She lets out a long breath, as she looks away from his gaze for a moment, looking hesitant, nervous and even watching him with pity.

"I'm really sorry but… she hasn't presented for days now and I haven't really seen her."

"But I need to talk to her as soon as possible," he insists, sad and still with a hint of hope that he can fix this, "Do you know where I could find her after her classes and work?"

"I-I…" she starts to say nervously, biting her lips, then completely avoiding eye contact with him "I'm sorry but I don't know. Like I said, I haven't seen her, so I'm not aware of her plans after work."

He takes a deep breath, as he runs a hand through his hair and also over his face, feeling his heart beating too fast, losing patience, losing hope, feeling completely desperate and frustrated.

"Please," he begs, not knowing what else to do, "Please tell me. I really need to see her and talk to her. I'm worried."

Sophia, not knowing what else to say, can't help but feel uncomfortable and again averts her gaze from his.

"I'm sorry but I haven't seen her and I really don't know where she might be."

Aemond watches her for a few seconds without saying anything else even with his sad and desperate face, understanding perfectly that he wouldn't get anything from her about you.

He sees how she is more than willing to keep lying for you and even though he feels completely desperate and frustrated, he knows it's not her fault, so he decides not to push her too hard.

So he took a deep breath and tried to sound calmer.

"Okay, I understand, thank you," he says resignedly, "But if you see her, please tell her that I came looking for her and needed to talk to her," he tells her one last time, "Tell her to please consider it."

And Sophie nods with a sympathetic nod, still watching him with that pity.

"Sure, I will."

And he nods back.

"Thank you."

That time Aemond came out of the coffee shop completely disappointed, having the foolish hope that you would come out of hiding and stop him after the little show he gave to your coworker completely sad and desperate.

But of course, that didn't happen.

Upon returning to the apartment, nothing felt the same anymore. Aemond now all he feels now is a deep loneliness and sadness that eats him alive inside as he finds himself alone in that place, a place that was once home to him and you, where you both started a little life together as a couple.

With loneliness in his chest and in the middle of the apartment, he sees everything around him with his melancholic eye and face.

Everything now felt like a painful reminder of what he had lost.

The place is completely permeated with memories where every room and corner tells a story of his relationship with you.

The cushions on the couch where you used to cuddle and watch movies together, the kitchen island where you shared with each other your day to day separately and the kitchen where you made food or washed dishes together, laughing and talking about anything.

Aemond then goes to the bedroom, where he now sees your empty desk where there is no longer your laptop, your lamp and all those pens and markers with which you used to make notes for your classes, nor the various sheets and folders with which you used to do your projects and research.

So he understands why you decided to leave him, because even though it was never intentional and the least he wanted to do was hurt you, he still did.

Your vanity is also completely empty, where so many times you spent hours doing your makeup happy and energetic singing your favorite songs.

And other nights you would remove your makeup crying for him and because he never put a serious stop to his work by standing you up.

And as he looks at the bed, only the memories invade him more, beginning to feel his eye watering.

The two of you cuddling, him taking refuge in your arms after a stressful day at his job or you taking refuge in his arms after a stressful day at college. Also before bedtime, the two of you would talk about anything silly until you fell asleep, where the moment felt more intimate than anywhere else.

And Aemond loved those moments, as did you, where you both shared space on the comfort of your bed.

Aemond then wanting to return to the living room, he stops in the middle of the hallway looking at the door with a serious and at the same time pained expression, where he also remembers that day when you were here and he was at the entrance waiting for Cole, where everything happened.

But it's also where you both made love and showed that love to each other with that passion, with that affection and with that deep intimacy of just the two of you that was nothing ordinary or common.

You were just two people in love loving and enjoying each other with that complicity and that unique union that characterized them.

Letting out a huge breath, he then plops down on the couch, staring at a spot in the living room in silence, feeling completely alone and hopeless.

And he hates it.

He absolutely hates the feeling.

Just as he hates the feeling of emptiness in his heart that seems impossible to fill. Because he knows it can never be filled by anyone else. Only you.

And that's when Aemond starts to really break down, realization and acceptance slowly creeping into his mind, eating him alive, destroying him, leaving him with nothing.

Until it happens and in the midst of his silence and loneliness, he starts to cry without being able to help it anymore.

He hates everything, his job, his grandsire, the association with Alys Rivers, the press, absolutely everything and also himself, for letting you slip through his fingers and not doing anything more efficient from the beginning to avoid the breakup.

Because if he had, you would still be with him.

It's only until Aemond really feels miserable and like he can't breathe that he decides to call the only person who can get to him sooner, really not wanting to be alone, needing someone to be able to reassure him.

So he calls the one person he thinks might be able to help him and reassure him.

He would have called you, of that there is no doubt, you would be his first choice, but you have blocked him from everywhere, from every social media, calls and messages.

He would have called Hel too, but she's in Highgarden, Hells, he would have even called Aegon, but he's in Storm Ends.

"Yes, Aemond?"

Rhaenyra Targaryen answers on the other end of the call, and Aemond really can't formulate coherent sentences for every sob.

He tells her your name, that he can't find you, that you've blocked him from everywhere, he mentions his grandsire, the company, loneliness, sadness and that it all happened too fast, that he needs her and doesn't know what to do.

And soon after that Aemond says he doesn't want to be there anymore, so they both leave the apartment and with every step he takes away from the place that used to be a home for him, he feels an increasingly heavier weight than before in his heart.

Soon Rhaenyra arrives at the apartment to help her half brother, not asking him anything about what has him like this while he continues to cry and holds her hand tightly.

Rather Rhaenyra tries to reassure him by telling him that she is there for him.

It is only a matter of time before his entire family knows of his breakup with you, instantly Hel calling him, as does Aegon, Hel being the more surprised and incredulous of the two, wanting to know what has happened.

Since Aemond has no vacation and can't afford to miss work with a few extremely important and one hundred percent justifiable exceptions, he soon finds himself setting foot inside the building.

Though they both know, as does their whole family, that it was because of their grandsire and everything to do with the company, also because of Alys Rivers.

And they are not surprised when Aemond implies he had something to do with it, not saying anything else, clearly because he doesn't want to talk about it.

All his workers notice the down and serious mood of the next boss, as it is also noticeable that he doesn't want to talk to anyone and doesn't want anyone to talk to him more than necessary, so he just locks himself in his office to continue with his work.

But as soon as he starts his work day, inevitably having that hope by looking at his phone screen from time to time that you will call or text him, Eleanor calls him and warns him that he has a meeting in ten minutes with his grandsire.

This makes his mood worse, even though he knew it would only be a matter of time, but he reluctantly gets up and heads for the conference room.

And the moment Otto enters the room, clearly with his annoyed and frustrated face, the whole place fills with tension. And when Otto makes it clear to him that he is not happy at all, still Aemond maintains an emotionless and indifferent face.

"I can't believe how irresponsible you're being, truly."

Otto begins to say with incredulous surprise and a frown on his face, watching him completely annoyed.

"I asked you for one, just one thing on your trip to Casterly Rock."

"The only important thing on that trip was to attend my meeting with Jason Lannister and also the conference with the board of directors, in both of which I did perfectly well," Aemond says still completely indifferent.

"Don't you want to play dumb with me, Aemond," he warns him through his teeth, "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about."

"Look, I'm not in the mood for this right now—

"And you think I am?" he inquires instantly, "You think I'm not tired of telling you the same old thing over and over again?" he says annoyed, "Wasn't I clear with you when I told you I didn't want Rivers to cause a scene for me again because of you and what's the first thing she does when she comes back from that trip?"

"For fuck's sake, you close your fucking contract with her!"

Explodes Aemond annoyed against him without being able to control himself anymore, tired and annoyed of him, but of course Otto also responds in the same way.

"No, this is your job! She wants you, not me! And now that you're finally done with Y/N, you can do something about it, something more than necessary, but you do nothing!"

Then again something inside Aemond snaps at the mention of your name and the breakup, leaving him completely silent and watching his grandsire with his parted lips.

Everything in his mind is still fresh, his emotions are still running high and that he has mentioned the breakup as a good thing so that he can finally whore himself out to Alys without any guilt and restraint, as his grandsire has asked him to do, only makes his gaze turn dark and one of complete anger towards him.

And Otto, as he is looking him straight in the eye, notices that change within him and in his gaze, but he doesn't move, doesn't flinch, and continues firm.

"So you know."

Aemond says in a low but firm tone, watching him intently and without even blinking, even with that dark and determined look, making Otto watch him silently for a moment, then swallowing hard and finally speaking.

"Of course I know. Just because I'm not home much, doesn't mean I'm not informed of what's going on with my family."

"And you're happy now?"

He inquires him really without much emotion, with an incredibly calm and soft tone of voice that surprises Otto, while now Aemond's gaze reflects the slight pain, watching him completely attentively, being strong and as much as he can in front of him, clenching his jaw.

And Otto says nothing, just watches him, which Aemond considers him a coward, as what he wanted so badly has finally happened and he says nothing.

"I bet you do," he answers her question for him, watching him bitterly.

Otto lets out a long breath.

"Look, I know you cared about her, and I feel sorry for you, but the company—

"No, that's not true, you don't feel the slightest bit sorry for me," he interrupts him with a disinterested tone, "She broke up with me because of you, but also because of me. And I'm sure when you found out, you were so pleased and had more hope that I would finally do something about Rivers and the association," he says dispassionately.

"Aemond, I'm just asking you to be professional and fulfill your obligations as heir to this company. I'm asking you because I care about you and because you can't get stuck thinking about a girl, instead of your job, your company."

"Don't mention her," he tells her instantly serious and with a threatening tone and look, "I don't want you to talk about her, ever again."

Otto lets out a long breath.

"Rivers has given us a warning and a deadline for you to convince her to sign those papers. She's already upset and unpleasant enough thanks to you," he tells him seriously, "This whole process has gone on long enough, so either you act now or we lose her forever. And we're not going to have the conversation again about why it's important to partner with her company, are we?"

Aemond looks away from him, completely pissed off and annoyed, and then gets up from the swivel chair, intending to finally get the fuck out of here.

"I'm talking to you."

Otto tells him in a higher tone of voice, watching him seriously.

"Yes and I've heard enough."

"You will do as I have told you and you will do it now," he warns him.

Aemond scowls at him, then puts on an annoyed and more threatening face than before, placing his hands on the very expensive refined wooden table then leaning towards him as well with his threatening posture.

"You're not going to order me around anymore."

"Aemond, do you really want to force me to do something I don't really want to?"

"Don't worry, I know you really do want to and I honestly don't care. But believe me it wouldn't be good for you, after all… I remind you that you're forgetting your place."

The fight and silence builds the tension further, as Otto and Aemond stare menacingly and defiantly at each other, each with their differences being more than clear, when suddenly the door to the conferences bursts open.

This breaks all the tension and also draws the attention of both of them, who look towards the door and under the doorway stands Rhaenyra, whom Otto observes slightly surprised and completely confused.

"Sorry to interrupt," she says as she places a soft smile, "I hope it's not something important."

Aemond turns his gaze back to his grandsire for a moment with his jaw clenched, who continues to stare at Rhaenyra confused and this time with a questioning look, showing his annoyance at the sight of her.

"No, we were done," Aemond makes clear, his voice in a serious and low tone, to turn his gaze back to her.

"And what are you doing here?"

Otto inquires Rhaenyra, who is not surprised by his attitude towards her, as she is used to it and doesn't really care.

"I came to speak with Aemond," she says then turns her gaze to her half-brother, "Your secretary told me you were here and I thought maybe you could talk to me, if you're not busy."

He nods in her direction.

"Sure," and she nods back, waiting for him as well.

But Aemond turns his gaze to his grandsire, who also looks back at him, confused and questioning to see that in his gaze he still intends to fight him with his threatening posture.

Again they both stare at each other, where Otto stares at him completely serious without saying anything and Aemond continues threatening, completely serious.

"If you pay someone to notify all the press and all the media anonymously of my breakup with Y/N or tell only Rivers to take advantage of me, believe me I will publicly announce and tarnish your image about how you tried to whore me out to Rivers with proof."

He threatens and Otto gasps for a moment.

"And i will tell worse, that she was also seeking an intimate relationship with me, a woman who has almost my twenty years on me."

And without saying anything else, Aemond leaves the room together with Rhaenyra without waiting and without hearing any answer back from his grandsire, for the first time in a long time having won the fight and leaving him completely speechless.

"What? You thought I didn't know?" he asks, "She doesn't say her age and she doesn't look nearly forty, but she is, so we don't want any of that, do we?"

He observes him expectantly,

"It will be a disastrous scandal. And it won't be good for her, nor for you and the company. I also know it won't be good for me, my mother, my siblings or my entire family. But I will do it if you leave me no choice and I won't give a fuck, because it will all have been your fault," he makes it clear.

At that moment he feels liberated and empowered, as he has finally left him in his place and has not done what he always ordered her to do, while he experiences a sense of relief and renewed self-confidence.

But unfortunately, that feeling doesn't last forever. Or at least it doesn't last once he's outside the company walls.

And that's because he's still thinking and longing for you.

He tried a few more times to try to find you, asking all the people he and you have in common where you might be or where you live now saying he needed to talk to you, but no one would give him an answer, making him miserable.

Even at work, he couldn't concentrate, because all the time he was thinking about you and if he could do his work, it was all thanks to Eleonor, who would notice his tired face and the bags under his eyes, as well as notice how hard he was trying.

She would see him drinking coffee more than usual and it worried her, but knowing how stubborn he is, she knew there was nothing she could do.

And once he got home, no one knew the sadness and loneliness that consumed him completely.

Even sometimes when he couldn't sleep, he kept looking at the selfie of you and him on his phone screen that he hasn't taken down, both of you smiling and more than happy, instantly feeling the pain in his chest and the tears about to run down his cheek.

It's going on a month since you decided to end the relationship but Aemond is still haunted by the moments you both shared and the 'what ifs' that haunt his mind.

Every day, the pain of the breakup seems to increase rather than decrease. At every moment of distraction, also at work or doing the most ordinary thing in life, like making a coffee, Aemond gets lost in his thoughts, remembering you.

And in every memory, he blames himself for what had gone wrong, thinking of all the ways he could have acted differently and done more for both of you, for you.

And he couldn't accept that he would simply never see you again, that it was all over, he needs you and he needs you so badly every time he starts crying and blaming himself at the same time.

He feels completely trapped in the memory of what the relationship was and feels unable to get over you, the woman who had and still means everything to him.

It is not until Rhaenyra and her mother began to notice Aemond's instability and begin to worry about him that even Helaena decides to fly to King's Landing to be there for him, reporting everything to Aegon.

And fortunately Aemond doesn't push her away when she visits him by surprise, telling him that she has come to stay with him as long as necessary.

And he hugs her tightly and cries on her shoulder, asking her not to leave him alone, to please help him recover you, that he needs you, that he understands that everything was his fault but that he deserves at least one more conversation with you.

The people Aemond cares about are there for him, even Rhaenyra, but Helaena is the one who is almost all the time with him at home and also at the company, running the Highgarden company from there, helping him heal at the same time.

Unfortunately you never responded to Helaena's messages, neither to Baela's.

So even though it hurts Helaena to see her brother like this, she knows that you are hurt too, she knows your reasons why you did what you did and she doesn't blame you for it.

But Aemond can't.

And though he doesn't know it and doesn't even think about it, you are just as or worse off than he is, trying just as hard as he is to cope with the breakup, barely being functional in your day to day life and in having enough energy, being completely broken inside.

He is still immensely in love with you and every day that goes by and he doesn't see you or hear from you, it's complete torture.

He even stopped being seen in public and stopped attending events, focusing entirely on the company and nothing else.

It's not until another full month passes that one day, when Aemond wakes up to find Helaena in the kitchen with her face completely pale, her eyes wide open and her lips parted with her phone in hand, she gives him the news that he knew would happen someday but still takes him by surprise.

His father has died.

And he knows what that means, everyone knows.

He is the successor and literally overnight, he is now the boss, officially. And with that begins the real chaos for Aemond Targaryen.

It was a moment he was looking forward to but at the same time not because of the great responsibility that would fall on him, all the great weight.

But first of all, the whole Targaryen family is busy with a funeral and taking an indefinite rest, all of them and him especially hiding from the press and everyone.

1 month later

"So…

Speaks the calculated voice of Alys Rivers with a condescending tone, looking expectantly at Otto Hightower in front of her as she slowly turns in the swivel chair she is sitting in, having her uncle Larys Strong next to her, who in comparison to her is calmer.

"He won't show up?"

She inquires as she fiddles with the pen in her hand, twirling it between her fingers with her perfectly painted dark scarlet fingernails, raising an eyebrow in Otto's direction.

"Of course he will, he knows how important this is to us," he tells her immediately, "It's just that with the death of his father, he and his siblings still need a little more time. It's been very recent still."

"We still mourn the death of Viserys Targaryen," Larys Strong says in a soft tone and Otto nods in his direction.

But Alys is not at all pleased, for months now.

"We've been waiting for almost fifteen minutes."

"Yes, I know, I'm sorry, honestly—

The door suddenly opens, interrupting Otto and drawing the attention of the three in the conference room who turn their heads and see Aemond entering the room unhurriedly and calmly.

"Sorry for the delay," he says as he approaches his place, "I was taking an important call."

Rivers instantly looks at him in a penetrating manner as she continues to fiddle with the pen in her fingers, while his grandsire watches him seriously.

"More important than this?" hisses Otto quietly through his teeth.

And still not caring, he takes a seat to adopt an equally nonchalant posture, looking even annoyed that he has to be in this room with these people, causing Rivers stress and frustration, as well as his grandsire for his attitude and lack of interest.

"Yes."

Aemond replies to him without dissimulation and without caring.

"I don't think you have understood the gravity of the matter, Mrs. Targaryen," Alys Rivers speaks, catching the attention of the three, looking directly at him, "I gave you a deadline to sign the association papers and you still haven't given me one good reason why my company should be associated with yours."

Aemond shrugs, observing her indifferently.

"That my company is the most important, innovative and efficient in the entire country is not reason enough for you?"

"That's not what I meant."

"We're talking about business and what's in the best interest of our companies, aren't we?"

Rivers clenches her jaw.

"I think you know perfectly well that a partnership requires more than that, it's also about building interpersonal relationships."

"As far as I know, you are a co-owner of Riverlands Group and the one who actually founded the company was you, Larys Strong," he observes the man, "You shouldn't decide if you want to sign these papers or not?"

Otto throws daggers at him with his eyes and an utterly deadly stare, but Aemond doesn't even notice, as well as Rivers starts to get annoyed. So before Larys Strong can speak, she speaks first.

"We both work as a team and make decisions together," she tells him instantly, wanting to make it clear.

"You seem to make all the decisions."

"Aemond—

"As far as I know, it's not in your best interest to lose this opportunity to be able to partner with my company," Rivers speaks with a firmer, more serious and determined tone, "And I've been very patient and accessible for months now."

"Also as far as I know, months ago we attended an event together and it was you who announced how proud you were to have a partnership between us in process to everyone, yet you are the one who hasn't signed the papers, so what exactly is it that you need or want from me or the company for you to sign them?"

He dares in asking with a challenging tone and look, watching her completely intently, wanting to know how bold she is, pushing her a little to say or not to say what she really wants from him.

As Otto hides in his chair and holds a hand to his face, not being able to believe this is really happening.

And Rivers looks completely serious and annoyed at Aemond, who starts to look amused by his lack of response. So the next thing he does is point to the contracts on the table in front of him, extending them to both of them.

"So… do we have a deal or not?"

He inquires, not wanting to waste any more time and wanting to get this over with once and for all, watching them expectantly.

Strong and Rivers exchange a glance, where Rivers still has his serious and annoyed look, but also has something else on his mind after fully analyzing this new Aemond now that he is he boss.

So he silently nods in his uncle's direction, making Strong extend his hand to place the papers in front of him to sign them.

But just as his fingertips touch the paper, Aemond abruptly puts them back in front of him, leaving them out of his reach, drawing the attention of all three instantly and more so of his grandsire who already feels completely relieved after so much.

But Aemond's attitude is alarming just then.

"Before you sign, I need to tell you something important."

All three of them frown, especially his grandsire.

"And it can't be after the two finally sign?" he inquires without having the patience for any more of this.

Aemond lets out a long breath, looking at his grandfather and then Rivers directly, wanting to be completely clear with his words.

"I want you to know that in another occasion I would have really appreciated having the opportunity to work with you and partner with your company, I really would," he tells her honestly, "But you never acted the right way, neither did you," he turns to his grandsire to focus back on Rivers, pausing slightly, "So I don't need this association anymore."

Surprise and disbelief completely takes over the three of them, but more so on Rivers and Otto, who exchange confused and puzzled looks.

"Aemond, what are you saying?" his grandsire inquires.

"I'm saying that I don't care and I'm not going to do what you tell me anymore nor am I going to let people like you intrude into my personal life," he then tells Rivers with determination.

Rivers looks at him completely offended.

"Me intruding in your personal life? What are you talking about?"

"I think you know perfectly well what i'm talking about, so since you have nothing more to do here, I'm sorry for wasting too much of your time, but you can go now."

His grandsire looks at him in complete surprise and disbelief.

"Aemond—

"If you think I'm going to sit here and allow this treatment of me by you, you are very wrong, I will not tolerate it for another second," Rivers says, getting up from her chair, annoyed and offended, "You need me but this is your loss. Let's see how long it takes before your company goes bankrupt and you lose everything."

Aemond lets out a bitter laugh.

"No, in fact I don't need you," he makes it clear, amused, "And if I needed you, believe me I wouldn't have partnered with you even as my last option," he tells him decisively, "Do you think you're the only company that has partnerships with Essos? Not only you, but also Rodrik Greyjoy, the owner of the Pike company in the Iron Islands, my new partner".

He says and Otto Hightower looks on in complete surprise, not expecting that at all. And this only causes more anger and indignation in Alys Rivers.

"You're going to regret this," Rivers tells him humiliated and annoyed as she grabs her purse and then heads for the exit with big strides, "And my company is never going to be associated with yours, ever!"

"Have a nice day."

Aemond tells her not forgetting his manners and the doors slam shut with a loud slam that still doesn't completely flinch, then looks at his grandfather who looks like he's going to explode at any moment.

"You can leave too," he tells her nonchalantly, rising from his seat, "I've had enough of this shit. I expect your resignation by tomorrow at the latest."

"My resignation?" he repeats, completely bewildered and surprised.

"Yes, your resignation," he affirms him" "Rhaenyra will now take your place while Daemon is left running Dragonstone."

"W-what…? Aemond, you can't do this! I helped you, I supported you, I broke my back for you, I made you what you are now and I put you where you are!"

"Actually yes I can and in fact I already have," he says dispassionately, heading for the exit, "I'm the boss now."

And even hearing their protests and shouts, he leaves the room with him following, causing a huge scene, but once he makes his way to his office, he slams the door in his face and asks Cole to take him out of here immediately and he instantly complies with his order.

And when Aemond sits in his chair, he lets out a long sigh and closes his eye as he drops his head completely on the backrest, no longer feeling that weight on his shoulders and that tension he felt every day all over his body, finally feeling free, relieved and at peace.

It honestly feels good, after so long.

And he sees the positives of him finally being the boss, as he can now do these kinds of things, things he couldn't do before and finally give him that needed balance to his life and work.

But as soon as he leaves his work space and gets home, he again feels that emptiness in his chest and that sadness, not feeling full and like him, knowing full well that you are missing for his life to finally be perfect.

He wishes he could have done all this with you by his side. He still wants to fix everything between him and you, but you being off his radar, it's just impossible.

And he still loves you too much to use money to try to find out where you are, knowing he couldn't do that to you, the woman he still loves with every fiber of his body and heart.

He still misses you, very much. He wants to have one more reason to be this new person he has become, a better person really.

But he respects your decision, even though he still thinks he deserved more.

That same day he sends a message to Helaena asking her when she will come to King's Landing and if she wants to stay with him at his house and that same day at night he receives a message from Floris Baratheon, a friend he and you have in common, finally things being in his favor.

The moment he so deserved arrives when Floris invites him to a pub in the center of the city to celebrate his birthday. And since he knows you and Floris are close friends, he knows you'll be there.

You thank the driver for dropping you off at your destination after paying him, then you get out of the car, close the door and head towards the entrance of the pub that Floris has chosen to celebrate his birthday.

Today you don't know what's wrong with you, as you suddenly have a very positive mood and attitude that hasn't been seen in you for months, clearly since what happened that day.

But today you have all the willingness to have fun, celebrate with Floris, have a couple of drinks and see what else the night takes you to, you really need it.

So you open the door of the pub to enter, instantly ringing that typical bell that announces a new customer, which draws the attention of some people already inside the place, but you focus on finding Floris and his friends at all the scattered tables.

"Y/N!"

Suddenly someone shouts your name and you turn your head, seeing that it's Floris, calling you from the table they are at and you start to smile, about to head towards all of them, when suddenly, your gaze crosses with a blue eye that you know all too well among all the people at the table.

A blue eye you haven't seen for months.

And your whole world around you fades away.

You freeze completely and a shiver runs down your entire back as you stare at him in shock, attentively and with your lips parted, definitely not expecting to see him, at all.

Your heart starts pounding, your legs turn to jelly and your throat goes dry. You don't know what to do, let alone what to say, you just can't speak or react, nothing.

You don't feel any more that mood of before, that disposition and that attitude, you simply feel like a little girl who wants to hide behind her mother's legs.

The memories of the relationship, the happy moments, the painful moments, everything you went through together comes back to you in an instant. Just as you remember that day, when it all ended, feeling sick to your stomach, suddenly no longer feeling strength in your whole body.

You feel completely trapped in a sea of emotions flooding your mind. The feelings that you had tried to suppress for months, now overwhelm you.

But not only does your whole history with him come back to you, you are also affected by seeing him again physically after so many months because you had not even seen him through a photo on the social media after the breakup.

And to see him now after the passing of his father and that he is now the owner of the most important company in the country, is just more of a surprise for you.

You try not to let the surprise be so noticeable on your face, although you probably already failed at it, seeing now his gorgeous short platinum hair, giving him a completely different air and look, although not in a bad way.

So you assume that those are the reasons why now he has changed. You can't say the same for yourself as he has really changed, physically.

You had never imagined an Aemond with his hair cut short, you never thought about it and now seeing it… it makes you feel a sensation all over your body that you really can't explain.

He looks more… mature and like… an expert in business, which is what he really is. He looks even younger for his age, also more handsome. He looks like a big businessman.

Unable to help yourself, you still can't move, just standing there, clearly affected after seeing your ex-boyfriend again, who Floris immediately jumps to your rescue, while at the same time you see how Aemond says something under his breath to Liam, a friend of his and also yours, to then get up and head towards the bathroom without looking any further in your direction.

You follow him with your gaze, swallowing hard and starting to tremble, while Floris stops in front of you with a small reassuring smile.

"Hey, I'm so happy you came."

She hugs you and you let her, as you really need it and she knows you need it too.

"Easy," she murmurs comfortingly in your ear, "You've got this, take a deep breath."

You blink, as if to clear your thoughts that way, then drop your head defeatedly on her shoulder, inhaling deeply, as she has told you to.

"I'm sorry," she tells you with some pity, feeling your body tense, "The guys mentioned it to him but he said I still wouldn't tell him anything, so in order not to make him feel bad, I decided to invite him too," she tells you sadly.

"No, no, it's okay."

You tell her instantly, turning away to watch her, seeing Floris as your eyes are full of emotions and with effort, you try to nod and understand her, although you really do, since after all, Floris is not only your friend, she is also his friend and you can't blame her, you would never do that.

"I-I… I… I know, I just… I didn't expect it," you confess, trying to compose yourself.

At least he's out of your sight now and that helps a little but still, you know he'll be back soon.

Floris takes your hands gently, offering you his physical support that she hoped would be enough for you in comforting you.

"I know it's all still very fresh in your mind, so if you need to leave, that's fine with me, I'll understand perfectly, don't worry."

"No, no, I mean, yes, it all still feels very fresh but…" you let out a long breath, "Sooner or later it was bound to happen, you know? And it's your birthday!" you exclaim out of nerves, "I-I can't just leave, I-I…" you bite your lips, "Happy birthday, by the way."

Floris smiles.

"Thank you bestie."

You smile back as best you can, still feeling your mind working at full speed, your body feels it more tense than usual and you unconsciously keep on the lookout for him, because he might come back at any second.

You give her the gift you bought for her, then she gives a few words of motivation and finally she leads you with almost everyone to the table.

You greet old friends and also meet other friends of Floris, trying to look calm and relaxed at all times, when in reality, inside you are a bundle of nerves and not calm at all, not at all.

You can see that all your friends… and Aemond's friends too, know that he and you are no longer together, which causes you some discomfort, but for Floris, you decide to face it, him too.

"At any point in the evening you can leave if you need to, really," she reassures you again before you take a seat and you nod in her direction, understanding.

Meanwhile Aemond in the bathroom leans fully into the sink as he breathes through his mouth and closes his eye for a moment, trying to calm himself, letting a sigh escape his lips.

He honestly doesn't understand what has happened to him.

He thought he could, that this is all he's ever wanted so he could have you back with him, but… when he barely laid his eye on you the moment you walked into the place with five meters in front of him, he felt like he was going back to the past.

For all these months, even yesterday, I was waiting for this moment. He was waiting to see you again, to try to talk to you, to try to get you back and now?

He just felt like a scared little boy.

His heart broke into pieces again as he remembered that day, when you decided to break up with him.

And how he felt at that moment, besides the weeks after when he tried to look for you and you wouldn't let him and blocked him from everywhere, he relived it again, feeling every emotion, remembering every tear he shed and all the other pressures he had on him because of his grandsire.

Not to mention the death of his father and his promotion in the company, all in a matter of days, making everything worse.

And although everything is totally different now, he still recognizes that he did not prepare for this moment.

Everything still hurts him, he no longer feels capable, he feels that you will break his heart again, although no more than he broke yours, where he did nothing about it, he only asked for forgiveness, as if that was enough.

Aemond looks at his reflection and tells himself that he must keep calm, keep his posture and not make this any more uncomfortable than it already will be.

But at all times he has this longing in his heart to be able to get you back.

While you now find yourself sitting, having a place at the big table, basically at the other end, away from where he is sitting, trying to calm yourself down from now on, although it is costing you a lot.

And not a moment too soon, Floris places a beer in your hand, murmuring in your ear that your mind needs to stop thinking and worrying too much.

And just as you take a sip, Aemond returns.

You try not to look at him too much, just the same way he tries not to look at you too much as he takes a seat next to Liam again, but unconsciously it's impossible.

The table by the others is full of laughter, while the pub is full of music, with a party atmosphere that really contrasts with your whirlwind of emotions and also with his.

Even though you don't want to, yet when he doesn't notice, you watch him. And this frustrates you. You want to enjoy Floris' birthday, but you can't help the tension you emanate along with him even though they are extreme to extreme.

Every time his gaze meets yours, you avert yours to the other side, nervous and alert, telling yourself that you can't let this disturb you for the entire time you'll be here.

"We're just here to celebrate Floris."

You repeat to yourself in your mind constantly.

On the other side, Aemond's mind doesn't stop spinning. Every time his eye meets yours, he feels a knot in his stomach and in order not to feel too much, he takes a sip of his beer as well and tries to appear unconcerned.

You both feel completely vulnerable, you don't want to make the atmosphere more tense and uncomfortable, so you make an effort to think about Floris and his friends.

You try to distract yourself by talking to other friends, talking to Floris and observing the whole place, but Aemond is always on your mind.

And even though you shouldn't, you ask yourself inevitable questions, unable to control it.

How is he doing?

How is he coping with the fact that he is now the boss?

Did he suffer a lot because of his father's death?

Must he hate me for ending things with him like that?

Did the association with Alys Rivers' company happen?

You let out a long breath, hating your mind at that moment, but you also inevitably begin to answer those questions with assumptions.

You assume he must be fine, since he's here, which surprises you since he didn't have time for almost anything before, so his new position at the company must give him a little more free time, although you don't really know.

You think about whether he must hate you for breaking his heart in such a cruel way, taking advantage of the fact that he had to leave to get on his plane and you guess he must still be seeing Rivers, even the breakup probably made things easier.

You bite the inside of your cheek and scold yourself, since you don't really know anything and take a long swig from your beer bottle, having had enough of you.

Aemond, on his own, in his mind was trying to find a reason or a good excuse to approach you, but he couldn't find the right moment. He wished the words would flow naturally, but every time he imagined a conversation, he felt blocked and unable to utter a word.

As the night progresses, the tension between the two persists, but fortunately it also becomes a little more bearable.

Although you have not spoken and have only exchanged glances, you had taken an important step in facing the past in that same place. But although the purpose was to have fun, neither he nor you did, it was impossible and you just sat in your places for Floris, nothing else.

Luckily everyone else didn't feel uncomfortable or tense because of you two, as little by little the table fills up with more drinks, the guys and he also smoke, the music helps and most of them are getting drunk, except him and you.

Until the hours go by, it's a little past midnight and already some people are starting to leave, Floris' night of celebration slowly coming to an end.

When only Floris, Liam, Sarah, Jenna, him and you are left, therefore, Floris considers the night over. And that's your cue to leave, so you say goodbye to her and everyone except him, taking the opportunity to leave the pub as you see him busy asking for a cigarette.

As you leave the pub, you lean against the wall with your phone in hand and the Uber app on the screen, waiting for a driver to accept your ride, but it keeps asking you to wait every long minute, making you feel desperate and worried.

You know it's only a matter of time before they and he come out and see you here and that's what you don't want.

But luck in that regard is not in your favor.

After continuing to wait for five more long minutes, you grunt under your breath in frustration as the application doesn't tell you anything, besides it's too much to ask for but you don't blame that either as you recognize that your dorm is far from here and you also take the time into consideration.

When then, Floris and all of them leave the pub, instantly her and also him noticing you.

Floris instantly turns to you and you give her a tired and distressed look.

"What's wrong?" she asks you in a low voice.

You bite your lips as you stare at your phone in frustration and answer her in a low voice as well.

"No driver accepts my ride. I don't know what to do."

"Well, Aemond has offered to drive us," she tells you with some caution and even in a low voice, "I'm sure he'll have no problem driving you too."

And here's just what you didn't want.

"No, I-I…" you let out a long breath, "Maybe I should try another app or walk a little further."

"Have you lost your mind?" she reproaches you in a whisper.

"I'm not going to ask him to drive me too," you clarify, frustrated and sad, "I've had enough."

"Come on, Y/N. I'll ask him."

Aemond, actually hears everything from a distance and realizes the situation, so he notices how Floris watches him and also how you try to watch him from the corner of your eye, noticing how you move your fingers across the screen of your phone in a desperate way.

And just then Liam speaks in his direction.

"I don't think we're all going to fit," he tells him as he points to his car.

He lets out a long breath as he pulls his keys out of his pocket, unlocking the doors.

"Get in, everyone."

He says in his voice loud enough for everyone and especially you to hear, without even looking at you, he also says it with a nonchalant tone, then starts across the street, heading to his car, which is big and spacious enough for everyone.

He listens as you and Floris speak again, but it's not so audible to him anymore, with the others following him to the car as well.

Tonight hasn't been the best, neither was the way you both ended it, but he still cares about you and your well-being, as there was no way he was going to leave you here alone, at almost two in the morning.

And when he gets in the car, he thought he would have to stand still, waiting for you, to the point of having to tell you himself that he will drop you off at home, but in the end he sees you following Floris with a look that he can't really describe.

Liam gets in as co-pilot and all the girls settle in the back seats, you too.

And pretty soon he's driving through the city, watching you in the rearview mirror from time to time, unable to help himself, while you watch him too when he doesn't notice, biting the inside of your cheek and feeling completely nervous.

And you don't know if it was intentional, but it really wasn't, Aemond just started asking for directions and those who had their houses closest to them spoke, leaving Sarah first, then Floris, Liam and at the end there's Jenna and you.

"My dorm is in Walden Residence, it's on the first block of the university," she indicates to Aemond and then she looks at you, "You live in a dorm too?"

You nod, feeling unable to speak.

"In which residence?"

You swallow hard, as you lick your lips.

"Westbridge."

"Oh! Then you'll drop me off first, her dorm is further in the back," she says to Aemond, who starts the car again.

Oh fuck.

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#aemond fanfiction #aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen fanfic #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x y/n #aemond targaryen x you #aemond x fem!reader #aemond x oc #aemond x reader #hotd aemond #aemond targaryen angst

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theetherealbloom · 1 month

Text

BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM - CH.3

Chapter 3: Dutiful Daughter, All My Plans Were Laid

Summary: After harboring a crush on your dad's charming best friend, Joel Miller, you graduate college only to be confused by something he supposedly said to you, but then he and his daughter Sarah, reluctantly move away due to his work. Six months later, Joel returns to town, and you're desperate to confirm if his words were real. Both you and your dad eagerly await his arrival but for entirely different reasons. As feelings intensify, you realize that falling for him might not be temporary after all.

Paring: Dbf!Joel Miller x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Angst, AGE-GAP Romance, Reader is Early twenties and Joel is in his late 30s to early 40s, Secret Romance, Sneaking Around, FLUFF, LOTS OF SMUT, SMUT, SMUT, Heavy Make Out Session, Oral Fem Receiving, Kissing, Barely any plot, NOT A SLOW BURN AT ALL, Relationship, Swearing, Depression, Anxiety, Crying, Suggestive content, Flirting, Flattery, Awkward, Virgin reader, inexperienced reader, slightly Self Deprecating, Suggestive Content, Size Kink, Reader is “smaller” than Joel but no further descriptions, Breeding Kink, PWP (wrap it up), Body worship, declaring their love for each other,

Word Count: 10k

A/N: THERE ARE SO MANY OF YOU… UHM, HI! We’re nearing the end of the mini-series. I believe I have one or two more chapters to write and then we’ll have the epilogue. Thank you for all the comments, reblogs and likes! I look forward to reading all the feedback from ya’ll, it really does give me the motivation to write. Thank you all again!!! 🤍☺️

Side note: I’m dyslexic and English isn’t my first language! So I apologize in advance for the spelling and/or grammatical errors. As always, reblogs, comments, and likes are always appreciated. Thank you and happy reading!

Song: But Daddy I Love Him by Taylor Swift

Previous Chapter → Next Chapter | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

As you lay there, wrapped in Joel's arms, you can't help but steal a glance at the small alarm clock on the nightstand. The glowing numbers tell you that it's nearly 3am, and as much as you don't want to leave the warmth of his bed and his embrace, you know that you can't stay forever.

Your dad is expecting you for breakfast in just a few hours, and the thought of him having a heart attack if you don't show up is enough to make you sit up and take notice.

"I don't wanna leave," you murmur, your voice barely above a whisper as you snuggle closer to Joel, inhaling the intoxicating scent of his skin.

"I don't wanna let you go," Joel replies, his accent thick and heavy as he tightens his arms around you, pulling you closer still.

You can feel the heat of his body, the strength of his muscles, and the warmth of his embrace, and you know that you could stay there forever, wrapped up in him.

But reality calls, and you know that you can't ignore it forever.

"I wish we could stay like this forever," you say, your voice filled with longing and sadness.

"Me too, darlin'," Joel replies, his voice filled with emotion. "But we both know that we can't."

You nod, your heart heavy with the weight of the decision you both know you have to make.

"I guess I should get going," you say, your voice barely above a whisper.

"I guess you should," Joel replies, his voice filled with regret.

As you reluctantly pull away from Joel, he surprises you by gently tugging you back into his embrace, his lips seeking yours in a kiss that is both passionate and intense. The taste of him lingers on your lips, a bittersweet reminder of the connection you share.

With a soft sigh, you finally gather the strength to untangle yourself from his arms, a pang of longing tugging at your heart as you begin to get dressed. Joel watches you, his gaze filled with a mix of desire and tenderness, his southern drawl adding a soothing cadence to his words.

"Let me help you, darlin'," Joel offers, his voice warm and comforting as he assists you with your clothes, his touch gentle yet possessive. The intimacy of the moment lingers in the air, a silent acknowledgment of the bond you share.

Once you're dressed, Joel's arms wrap around you, holding you close as if reluctant to let you go. His embrace is both clingy and sweet, a silent plea for you to stay a little longer, to prolong the inevitable parting.

"I wish you didn't have to go," Joel murmurs, his voice filled with longing. "I could hold you like this forever."

You lean into his embrace, savoring the warmth and security he provides. "I wish I could stay too, Joel," you whisper, your voice filled with emotion. "But I have to go."

As you prepare to leave, Joel's gaze lingers on you, his eyes filled with a mixture of love and regret. He presses a soft kiss to your forehead, a silent promise of his affection and devotion.

"I'll be counting the minutes until I can see you again," Joel says, his voice filled with sincerity. "You mean everything to me, darlin'."

As you step out onto Joel's front porch, the cool night air brushes against your skin, a stark contrast to the warmth of his embrace. You take a deep breath, savoring the scent of the night, your heart heavy with the weight of your decision to leave.

You make your way quietly and quickly to the back of your house, tiptoeing through the darkness, your mind filled with thoughts of Joel and the intense connection you share. As you slip back into your bedroom, you can't help but feel a sense of bliss and excitement, knowing that you'll see Joel again in just a few short hours.

The anticipation builds within you, a simmering heat that courses through your veins, fueled by the memories of your time together. You can't wait to feel his touch again, to lose yourself in the passion and intensity of your connection.

As you lay in bed, your mind drifts to thoughts of Joel, his drawl echoing in your mind, his words of love and devotion filling your heart with warmth and joy. You know that what you have together is special, a bond that goes beyond mere physical attraction.

You close your eyes, drifting off to sleep with a smile on your face, your dreams filled with the promise of a future filled with passion and love.

As the morning sunlight streams through your window, you wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, the memories of the previous night still fresh in your mind. You can't wait to see Joel again, to feel his arms around you, to lose yourself in the intensity of your connection.

With a sense of excitement and anticipation, you get ready for the day, your heart filled with hope and joy, knowing that you have found something truly special in Joel.

You make your way downstairs to find your dad had gotten up extra early today. He glances at you and asks, "Well, someone's happy this morning. Did you sleep well honey?"

"Huh, what? Oh... yeah, I was pretty tired from yesterday so I just kinda passed out," you say, trying to be nonchalant. But you can see your dad give you a suspicious look before taking a long sip of his coffee.

"So... you and Joel..." Your dad begins, and you feel blood rushing into your ears, making you feel dizzy.

You raise your eyebrows at your dad, waiting for him to continue.

He clears his throat and says, "You gonna go with him to pick up Sarah later?"

You nod and smile at the mention of Sarah, "Mhm! I'll text you when we're leaving."

"Alright then, just..." Before your dad could finish that sentence, the doorbell rings, and you watch as your dad moves to the front door. When he opens it, Joel is standing there in a grey tee and those tight jeans with his hands in his pockets.

Your heart skips a beat as you take in the sight of him. "Fuck. He looks so good," you think to yourself, your body responding to his presence in a way that you can't control.

"Hey there, darlin'," Joel says, his deep Southern accent sending shivers down your spine.

"Hey," you reply, your voice barely above a whisper as you take in the sight of him standing on your doorstep.

Your dad has his eyes narrowed between the two of you, before saying, "Be sure to tell Sarah hi for me, I'll be going now."

You and Joel say goodbye, and watch as your dad hops into his car and drives off to work, leaving you alone with Joel.

"I missed you," Joel says, pulling you into a tight embrace.

You melt into his arms, feeling the warmth and strength of his body against yours.

"I missed you too," you reply, your voice filled with longing.

As you pull away, Joel's gaze lingers on you, his eyes filled with desire and affection.

"Let's go pick up Sarah," he says, his voice filled with excitement.

You nod, your heart racing with anticipation as you make your way to the car. The feeling of gratitude for the connection you share with Joel washes over you, knowing that it's something truly special and rare.

As you approach the car, Joel grabs the keys from your hand and gives your ass a playful smack, causing you to jolt in surprise.

"Hey!" you exclaim, looking at him with mock indignation.

Joel's smoldering gaze meets yours, filled with a mischievous glint that makes your heart race.

"Darlin', you just sit back and relax," he drawls in that deliciously Southern accent of his, sending a shiver down your spine. "I'm in charge of the driving, and you're in charge of lookin' like a damn goddess."

You can't help but smile at his playful banter, feeling your heart flutter with excitement as you slide into the passenger seat. Joel's eyes follow your every move, and you can't help but feel a little self-conscious under his intense gaze.

As he starts the car, you can't help but feel a sense of contentment and happiness wash over you. The connection you share with him is electric, a magnetic pull that draws you in and makes you feel alive.

With one hand on the steering wheel, Joel reaches out to place his other hand on your thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. You let out a soft moan, biting your lip as you feel a spark of desire ignite within you.

"You like that, don't you?" Joel murmurs, his voice low and husky. "You like when I touch you like this."

You nod, unable to find the words to respond. Joel's touch is intoxicating, making you feel dizzy with desire.

"Good," he says, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "Because I love touching you, feeling your body respond to my touch. You're mine, and I'm never letting you go."

You lean back in your seat, feeling a sense of contentment and happiness wash over you as Joel's words of love and affection fill your ears.

"So... darlin'... how'd you feel about tellin' Sarah about us?" Joel asks, his Southern accent sending shivers down your spine as he rubs his thumb gently on your thigh.

You play the thought through your mind, considering the implications of sharing your relationship with Sarah.

"You want her to know?" you ask, looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

Joel nods, his eyes filled with warmth and affection. "Of course, darlin'. Do you?"

You take a deep breath, thinking it over. "Will she be okay with it?"

Joel smiles, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "With you and I? Yeah. To be honest... I talk about you to her... a lot."

Your heart skips a beat at the thought of Joel sharing his feelings for you with Sarah. "Really?"

Joel nods, his thumb still tracing lazy circles on your thigh. "Yeah, darlin'. I can't help it. I'm crazy about you."

You can't help but smile at his words, feeling a sense of belonging and love that you've never experienced before.

"Okay," you say, your voice barely above a whisper. "Let's tell her."

Joel's face lights up, his eyes shining with happiness. "Really?"

You nod, feeling a sense of excitement and anticipation wash over you. "Yeah. I want to share this with her. I want her to know how much you mean to me."

Joel leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to your hand. "Thank you, darlin'. I promise you won't regret it."

As you and Joel make your way to the parking lot of the airport, the anticipation of reuniting with Sarah and Tommy fills the air with excitement. The energy between you and Joel crackles with anticipation as you head towards the arrivals area, scanning the crowd for their familiar faces.

And then, there they are. Sarah and Tommy, standing out in the crowd like beacons of joy. You can't contain your excitement and start waving your arms wildly, practically bouncing up and down with anticipation.

Sarah's eyes light up as she spots you, and she breaks into a wide grin, her steps quickening as she rushes towards you and Joel. Tommy follows closely behind, a smile playing on his lips as he takes in the scene before him.

"Hey, you guys!" Sarah exclaims, throwing her arms around you in a tight hug, her excitement contagious.

Sarah then turns to Joel, her eyes sparkling with joy as she throws her arms around his neck, embracing him with her whole body.

"Hi dad," she says, her voice filled with warmth and affection.

Joel's face lights up at the sight of his daughter, and he wraps his arms around her, pulling her in for a tight hug.

"I missed you too, baby girl," he says, his voice filled with warmth and affection.

He presses a gentle kiss to her forehead, his love for her radiating off of him in waves.

You watch the exchange between Joel and Sarah, feeling a sense of warmth and happiness wash over you. The bond between father and daughter is something special, a testament to the love they share.

Your gaze shifts to Tommy, and you make your way over to him, a friendly smile on your face. You wrap your arms around him in a warm embrace, feeling the strength and warmth of his body against yours.

"Hey there, it's good to see you!" you exclaim, your voice filled with genuine warmth and affection.

Tommy returns your embrace, his arms tightening around you for a moment before releasing you.

"Hey, it's good to see you too!" he replies, his voice filled with genuine warmth.

You take a step back, your hands still resting on his shoulders. "So, how was the flight?" you ask, your curiosity piqued.

Tommy shrugs, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh, you know, the usual. Turbulence, crying babies, and the occasional snoring passenger."

You laugh, the sound rich and full. "Sounds like a blast," you say, your voice filled with sarcasm.

Tommy grins, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, it was. Trust me."

As you all make your way to the car, the banter and teasing flow freely, the shared history and inside jokes adding to the sense of closeness between you.

Joel takes the lead, helping Tommy load his and Sarah's suitcases into the trunk of your car. His strong arms lift the heavy bags with ease, his movements fluid and efficient.

Sarah watches him with a proud smile on her face, her eyes filled with admiration and love.

"Hey dad, can I sit up front with you?" she asks, her voice filled with excitement and hope.

Joel shakes his head, a gentle smile on his face. "Sorry, baby girl. It wouldn't be polite to do that since it's not my car."

Sarah pouts, her bottom lip sticking out in disappointment. "But I want to sit up front with you!"

Joel ruffles her hair affectionately. "I know, but we have to be polite. Maybe next time, okay?"

Sarah nods, her disappointment forgotten as quickly as it appeared. She climbs into the back seat, her eyes sparkling with excitement and joy.

Tommy follows suit, his movements easy and relaxed. He slides into the back seat next to Sarah, a friendly smile on his face.

As you all settle into your seats, the car is filled with laughter and chatter, the shared excitement of the journey ahead palpable in the air.

As Joel navigates the car out of the airport and onto the road leading back to his house, a sense of contentment washes over you. The familiar sights pass by outside the windows, the hum of the engine providing a soothing backdrop to the lively conversation inside.

You feel Joel's hand on your upper thigh, his touch warm and reassuring, a silent declaration of his affection for you. Your heart flutters at the intimate gesture, and you steal a glance at him, meeting his gaze with a shy smile.

In the rearview mirror, you catch Tommy raising his eyebrows playfully, a knowing look in his eyes. Sarah, oblivious to the silent exchange, gazes out the window, her expression one of wonder and excitement.

The dynamic in the car is one of comfort and familiarity, each person bringing their own energy to the mix. Joel's presence is a steady anchor, his touch a source of comfort and reassurance. Tommy's playful teasing adds a lightness to the atmosphere, while Sarah's infectious enthusiasm fills the space with joy.

Eventually, you arrive back at Joel's house, the journey from the airport filled with laughter and chatter. As you all step out of the car, you lend a hand to Joel and Tommy, helping them with the suitcases and other items as you all make your way into the house.

Tommy excuses himself to put away his things in the guestroom, while Sarah does the same in her new room. You take the opportunity to help Joel fix up a few snacks for Tommy and Sarah, the two of you working together with ease and familiarity.

As you put the finishing touches on the snacks, you feel Joel's arms wrap around your waist, pulling you close. His lips find your neck, peppering kisses along the sensitive skin as he inhales your scent.

You lean back into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his body against yours. The connection between you two is intense, a magnetic pull that draws you closer together.

As Tommy makes his way back into the living room, Joel releases you, a playful smile on his face.

"I see you two found each other," Tommy says with a wink, a teasing glint in his eye.

You feel your face heat up, but Joel just chuckles, his arm draped around your shoulders.

"Can't help it," Joel says with a shrug, his gaze lingering on you for a moment before turning back to Tommy.

Tommy raises an eyebrow, a teasing glint in his eye. "You gonna tell Sarah?" he asks, grabbing a potato chip from the ceramic bowl on the counter.

Joel nods, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, when she gets down here," he says, his voice filled with warmth and affection.

Just then, Sarah appears from around the corner, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I knew it! Finally! He's been talking about you non-stop and was an absolute grump for the past few months!" she exclaims, a wide grin spreading across her face.

You feel your cheeks flush at the mention of Joel's infatuation with you, but Sarah's excitement is infectious.

Joel chuckles, his arm draped around your shoulders. "I guess the cat's out of the bag now," he says, his gaze softening as he looks at you.

Sarah claps her hands together, her eyes shining with joy. "I'm so happy for you two!" she exclaims, pulling you into a tight hug.

Tommy joins in, a warm smile on his face. "Welcome to the family," he says, his voice filled with genuine warmth.

You quickly send a message to your dad, updating him on your whereabouts and letting him know that you'll be having dinner with the Millers, and that he's welcome to join you all.

The rest of the evening is filled with laughter and conversation, the four of you sharing stories and memories as you get to know each other better.

As you were nearing finishing dinner, you hear a knock on Joel's front door, and he excuses himself to answer it. You continue to laugh loudly at Sarah's jokes while Tommy rolls his eyes playfully.

But then, you hear a familiar voice call out your name, and you find your dad standing by the entryway of the dining area. The room falls silent as all eyes turn to him.

"Hey Dad... we just had dinner. Do you want anything? I'm sure I can fix you up a plate," you say, standing up to greet him.

Your dad shakes his head. "No, just had dinner with some of the guys back at the shop. I wanted to say hi to Sarah and Tommy. Didn't think you'd still be here... thought you'd be home already," he says, giving you and Joel a pointed look.

Sarah, bless her heart, quickly jumps in to save the day. "Oh! That's my fault. I insisted she stay here for dinner since I missed her so much," she says, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Your dad chuckles, his gaze softening as he looks at you. "Well, I'm glad you're having a good time. I'll let you all get back to it, just don’t be home too late," he says, giving you a quick hug before turning to leave.

As the door closes behind your dad, a sense of calm settles over the room. You all let out a collective sigh of relief, the tension dissipating as you begin to help clear the table and clean up the dishes. You insist that Sarah and Tommy take a break and get some rest after the meal.

Just as you're elbow-deep in soapy water, scrubbing at a stubborn spot on a plate, you feel Joel's presence behind you. His strong arms wrap around your waist, pulling you gently away from the sink.

"I'll wash 'em, darlin'," he says, his voice soft and reassuring. "You can rest too. You've done so much already. I can take it from here."

You turn to face him, a grateful smile on your lips. "Are you sure? I don't mind helping," you say, your voice filled with appreciation for his thoughtfulness.

Joel's gaze meets yours, his eyes warm and filled with affection. "I'm sure. You've been a big help today. Let me take care of this," he says, his drawl adding a soothing cadence to his words.

"I'll help dry the dishes and put them away," you say, grabbing a towel from the drawer next to the sink.

Joel chuckles, his arms wrapping around your waist as he presses a gentle kiss to the side of your head. "Fine, darlin'," he says with a wink.

You bump your hip with his, a playful grin on your face. "Come on, slowpoke. Let's get these dishes done," you say, sticking your tongue out at him teasingly.

Joel laughs, the sound deep and rich. "Alright, alright. Let's get to work," he says, his arms still wrapped around you as you begin to dry the dishes together.

The warmth of Joel's body against yours, the sound of his laughter, and the easy banter between you creates a sense of comfort and familiarity that you cherish.

As you work together, the pile of dishes slowly dwindles, the kitchen gradually returning to its former state of cleanliness.

Finally, the last dish is dried and put away, and you turn to face Joel, a satisfied smile on your lips. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" you say, your voice filled with playful teasing.

Joel grins, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "No, darlin', it wasn't. But I think I'll let you do the dishes next time," he says, his arms still wrapped around you.

You laugh, the sound rich and full. "We'll see about that," you say, your voice filled with playful challenge.

You and Joel make your way back to the living room, the sound of laughter and chatter filling the air. Tommy and Sarah are settled on the couch, their attention focused on the TV as they watch some show they had found.

Sarah turns her head, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she tilts it at the two of you. "So... when are you gonna tell your dad?" she asks, her voice filled with playful teasing.

You glance at Joel, a mixture of emotions swirling in your chest. "I'm not sure... but hopefully... soon," you say, your voice filled with uncertainty.

Joel nods, his arm draped around your shoulders as he pulls you closer. "Yeah, we'll tell him when the time is right," he says, his voice filled with confidence and reassurance.

Tommy turns his head, a knowing look in his eyes as he takes in the exchange between you and Joel. "Well, whenever you're ready, we'll be here to support you," he says, his voice filled with warmth and affection.

Sarah nods, her eyes shining with excitement. "Yeah, we can't wait to see what the future holds for you two," she says, her voice filled with genuine happiness.

The room falls silent for a moment, the weight of the conversation settling over you all. But then, the sound of laughter and chatter fills the air once again, the tension dissipating as you all settle in to enjoy the rest of the evening together.

As you lean into Joel's embrace, his arm wrapped around you, you can't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over you.

"I had a lot of fun today," you say softly as Joel walks you back home, the short distance feeling longer with each step as a mix of excitement and nervousness swirls within you.

Joel's hands are tucked away in his jeans, a subtle restraint evident as he refrains from intertwining his fingers with yours, a silent acknowledgment of the need for caution in the presence of your father.

He hums in agreement, a small smile playing on his lips. "I did too," he replies, his voice warm and filled with affection.

You glance up at him, a hint of longing in your eyes. "Wish I could stay over tonight, but y'know... my dad," you sigh, the reality of the situation sinking in as you step onto the familiar steps of your front porch.

Joel nods, understanding the unspoken boundaries that need to be respected. "I get it. We'll have plenty of time for that," he says, his gaze lingering on you with a mix of desire and restraint.

You smile, your heart filled with gratitude. "Yeah, definitely. Thanks for walking me home," you say, your voice soft and sincere.

Joel leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. "Anytime, darlin'," he murmurs, his deep baritone sending a shiver down your spine. "I've been meanin' to ask you... d'you mind comin' with me to grab a bite to eat and then head to the store to pick up a few more things for the house tomorrow?"

You nod, a smile spreading across your face. "Of course," you reply, your voice filled with eagerness. But then you remember, “You know what small towns are like. People talk.”

“I can’t guarantee anything,” Joel admits. “But we can only do our best to keep our hands off each other until it’s the right time to have everyone know. If you think that’s for the best,” he susgests, and only try to make you feel better.

You let out a small sigh and eventually nod and give him a small smile in agreement.

Joel's eyes sparkle with affection. "I'll see you soon, darlin'," he says, sweet as whiskey.

As you watch Joel's retreating figure, a smile tugs at the corners of your lips, a silent acknowledgment of the warmth and affection that fills your heart. Reluctantly, you turn and head back towards your house, the day's events still lingering in your mind.

The familiar surroundings of your home envelope you, the sound of the television filtering in from the living room. You pause in the entryway, taking a moment to gather your thoughts before making your way towards the comforting glow of the screen.

"Hey, Dad," you call out, your voice filled with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

Your father looks up from the television, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Hey, kiddo. How was your day?" he asks, his eyes filled with genuine interest.

"It was good," you reply, trying to sound casual. "I'm going with Joel tomorrow to help him pick up some stuff for his house."

Your father raises his eyebrows, a hint of a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Oh, alright. Sarah and Tommy coming too?"

You shake your head, feeling a slight flutter in your stomach. "I don't think so... I think they wanna fix their things and rest up a bit."

Your father nods, his gaze studying you for a moment, a hint of a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Just the two of you, huh?" he says, his voice laced with slight concern.

You feel your cheeks flush, but you hold your father's gaze, determined to be honest. "Yeah, just the two of us," you confirm, your voice soft but steady.

Your father leans back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Alright," he says, his voice calm and reassuring. "Just text me when you leave, okay?"

You nod, a grateful smile spreading across your face. "Thanks, Dad," you say, your voice filled with appreciation.

You feel a warmth spread through your chest, the weight of the day's events finally starting to catch up with you. "I'm gonna head to bed," you say, stifling a yawn. "I'm kinda exhausted."

Your father chuckles, the sound warm and familiar. "Get some rest, kiddo. You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow," he says.

You nod, leaning in to give your father a quick hug. "Thanks, Dad. I love you," you murmur, your voice filled with emotion.

"Love you too, kiddo," he replies, his arms tightening around you for a moment before you pull away.

You tuck yourself into the cozy comfort of your bed, a big smile spreading across your face as you let out a contented sigh.

As you settle into the familiar softness of your pillows, your mind can't help but wander to Joel. The thought of spending the day with him tomorrow fills you with a sense of giddiness and anticipation that you can't quite contain.

You hum a soft, lilting melody to yourself as you move through your morning routine, the excitement for the day ahead bubbling within you. The sound of your father stirring in the kitchen reaches your ears, and you know he's likely headed out for an early shift at the shop.

After quickly whipping up a simple breakfast, you hear a familiar knock at the front door, and you can't help the grin that spreads across your face as you practically bound towards it.

Pulling the door open, your eyes are immediately drawn to the sight of Joel standing there, his tall frame leaning casually against the doorframe. His silver curls are neatly pushed back, and he's dressed in a different colored flannel than the one he wore the day before, paired with his well-worn jeans.

A smirk plays on his lips as he takes in the sight of you, his eyes sparkling with a mix of affection and mischief.

"Mornin', darlin'," he drawls, his deep voice sending a shiver down your spine.

"Hi," you breathe, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious, yet unable to tear your gaze away from him.

Joel chuckles, the sound low and rich. "You ready to head out?" he asks, his arm reaching out to gently brush against yours.

You nod, your heart fluttering at his touch. "Just let me grab my bag," you say, turning to retrieve it from the nearby table.

As you turn back to face him, you catch a glimpse of your father in the kitchen, offering you a warm smile and a subtle nod of approval. The gesture fills you with a sense of comfort and reassurance.

Turning your attention back to Joel, you can't help but feel a surge of excitement and anticipation. "Okay, I'm all set," you say, your voice brimming with enthusiasm.

Joel grins, his hand finding the small of your back as he guides you out the door. "Then let's get goin', darlin'," he says, his touch sending a thrill through you.

As you step out into the crisp morning air, hand in hand with the man you've come to care for so deeply, a sense of anticipation and uncertainty lingers between you.

"What are we gonna do, Joel?" you ask suddenly as you settle into the car's passenger seat, the weight of the situation pressing down on you.

To be honest, it's the last thing Joel is thinking about, and your question catches him off guard. But he can see and feel how it's affecting you, the worry and doubt etched in your expression.

"You could just sneak over to my house every night. Make sure you're back home in time for breakfast," Joel suggests, trying to lighten the mood, but he knows deep down it's not as simple as that.

"Do you think your dad might already kinda know?" he asks, his voice soft and filled with concern. "Deep down, I kinda mean, darlin'."

You shrug, a mix of emotions swirling within you as Joel drives. You feel annoyed at yourself for even bringing it up, but Joel is grateful that you did.

"Or we could just go. Take off," Joel says, thinking aloud. He feels you turn to look at him, his hand still rubbing comforting circles on your thigh.

"You mean... just leave?" you ask, the idea not entirely foreign to you.

"It's not something we have to think about right this minute, but do you really wanna stay here, in this house? In this town, tutoring kids for a few bucks an hour?" Joel questions, his voice tinged with a hint of restlessness.

He remembers one of the main things he doesn't miss about small towns – how everyone seems to know everyone else's business. And in the case of you and Joel, that would be none of their damned business.

"But you only just bought the place, and Sarah and Tommy just arrived, and I guess the only thing I'm really worried about is Dad. Screw tutoring," you say, your brow furrowed as you grapple with the weight of the decisions ahead.

"I only bought the place... only came back to town to be closer to you, remember?" Joel explains, his voice filled with sincerity. "Sarah's school transfer papers haven't been processed yet, and Tommy has to go back anyways. I didn't think in my wildest dreams that I'd have you all to myself on day one, darlin'."

"You're a pretty fast operator, that's for sure," you tease him, a hint of a smile playing on your lips, but the underlying tension remains unresolved between you.

The realization that you are well and truly Joel's, the depth of your connection with him, fills you with a sense of contentment and joy. It's a problem, but the best kind of problem to have, a testament to the love and bond you share.

Unbeknownst to you, Joel hasn't checked his messages yet, but he's confident that the call he made to boost your dad's business will yield positive results. It may not all happen today, but he's hopeful it will help your dad regain his confidence and pride in his work.

In the meantime, Joel is adamant that you shouldn't do anything you're not comfortable with. He inquires if you're the only tutor available at the college.

"Of course not," you sigh, a hint of resignation in your voice. "It'll just mean a couple of college kids keep their tutoring money from Mom or Dad, is all," you reflect, the weight of the situation settling on your shoulders.

From your perspective, the real challenge lies in explaining to everyone that you've been with Joel the whole time. The thought of facing your father's reaction weighs heavily on your mind, and Joel is keenly aware of the potential conflict that may arise.

He knows that your father's protective instincts will be triggered, and navigating that aspect of your relationship will require patience and understanding from both of you.

"Well, if we're gonna burn for it, we may as well burn together," Joel tells you, his voice filled with a mix of determination and tenderness.

"But there's no point makin' it harder on ourselves either," Joel adds, his tone thoughtful. "Let's just wait and see, huh?" he suggests, his eyes meeting yours with a reassuring gaze.

The idea sinks in – it isn't the end of the world if you stop tutoring, and if nobody has caught on to the fact that you two are together, why stir up unnecessary trouble?

Relieved when you agree, you relax back into your seat, the weight of the situation lifting slightly. Joel parks the car on a street lined with small stores and cafes, the hustle and bustle of the town adding to the charm of the moment.

Despite the external distractions, it feels wrong to be near you and not show you how much you mean to him. The subtle touches and stolen glances have evolved into something deeper, a connection that demands to be acknowledged.

By the time you graduate from those fleeting moments to a full-blown kiss once you're back in the car after your meal, the intensity of your feelings for each other becomes undeniable.

Just as the moment seems to crystallize into something special, a female voice interrupts, shattering the private bubble you and Joel had created.

"Oh! Hi, Professor," you squeak, the sudden intrusion jolting you out of the intimate moment.

Joel, his expression darkening, turns to face the unexpected visitor, a protective instinct rising within him as he assesses the situation with a keen eye.

As the scene unfolds, Joel quickly grasps the situation at hand. A mildly annoyed college professor, Professor Hannah Bennett, catches her star tutor – you – in the arms of a man, instead of where you're expected to be.

The initial tension softens as Professor Bennett's gaze meets Joel's, her expression shifting from annoyance to curiosity. Joel, ever the gentleman, gulps slightly before extending his hand in introduction.

"Professor Hannah Bennett," she says, regaining her composure, though Joel feels her hand limp in his for a brief moment, a sign of her surprise.

Her eyes flicker from Joel to you, who has momentarily lost your voice in the unexpected encounter. The professor, quick to regain her professional demeanor, decides to leave you two to your own devices.

"Your dad mentioned you were helping his friend... uh, new neighbor," she stammers, a deep blush coloring her cheeks.

"Just maybe more notice next time if you're not up for tutoring for the day, that's all I ask," she adds, her tone taking on a more authoritative air as she reverts to her professorial role.

"I think I'll take a rain check on tutoring for a while, Professor Bennett," you declare in a clear, resolute voice, your hand slipping into Joel's for support.

Joel's pride and satisfaction are evident as he grins at your decision. The old professor huffs in disapproval, muttering something about the younger generation, before swiftly retreating from the scene.

"You quit?" Joel asks, his eyes filled with a mix of amusement and admiration, leaning in to kiss you deeply before you can respond.

"I guess I did," you reply, a hint of amazement in your tone at the sudden turn of events.

"Was it hard?" Joel teases, and you shoot him a sidelong glance, a hint of amusement in your eyes.

"The professor's the soul of discretion," you assure him. "But if we're caught like that on our first time out together..."

Joel knows exactly what you mean. The potential fallout from such a public display is looming, and he can feel the weight of it pressing down on you both.

"C'mon," Joel urges, determined to enjoy the moment despite the impending challenges. "Show me around town. Take me grocery shopping," he suggests, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

"We can fill up both our pantries and maybe we can cook up a storm for dinner?" he asks, but he can see the worry etched on your face.

"Hey, your dad was alright with the idea, right? To come with me for the grocery run?" Joel reasons, hoping to ease your concerns.

Relieved when you finally yield, a smile spreading across your face as you relax. "You're right. He did," you agree.

"But easy with those kisses," you're quick to add, a hint of playfulness in your tone. "What if it was Dad that happened by just now?"

Joel bites his tongue, and to keep you happy, he agrees to the new terms and conditions. No aggressive public displays of affection – a small price to pay to maintain the delicate balance of your relationship.

Your little run-in with the professor has only affirmed Joel's feeling that small-town eyes and ears are always connected to big mouths. He knows they'll have to be cautious, at least for now.

"Say," Joel asks once you're back in the car, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Is there like a lingerie store or something in town too?"

You raise an eyebrow, unsure if he's teasing you or not. "I think there is, but I don't think that's where you wanna be seen hanging out, is it?" you ask, a playful challenge in your voice.

Joel chuckles, his gaze focused on the road ahead. "I'll keep it in mind for future reference," he explains, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

As he navigates the quiet streets, Joel makes a mental note that you're going to need a ready supply of all things underwear. The memory of tearing yours off is still fresh enough in his mind to remind him that he wants to make it a regular occurrence.

As you and Joel make your way through the quiet streets of the town, you can't help but feel a growing sense of unease. It must be your imagination, you tell yourself, trying to push down the nagging feeling that something is off.

But as you step into the local grocery store, the truth becomes undeniable – everyone is staring at the two of you. You're nowhere near touching, and you definitely don't have a sign around your neck proclaiming your newfound intimacy, but the curious gazes and hushed whispers are impossible to ignore.

You keep forgetting that a man of Joel's stature and presence is bound to turn heads in a small town like this. But as quick as the locals are to stare and gawk, they're just as fast to look away, especially when they lock eyes with Joel's unwavering gaze.

"Grab whatever you need, whatever you want. For your place, too, darlin'," Joel says, his voice warm and reassuring, though you can see the strain in his expression, the desire to reach out and touch you palpable.

He focuses his attention on filling the biggest cart he can find, his movements efficient and purposeful. You can't help but wonder how you're going to explain a houseful of food to your father, but you're sure he's well aware of just how naturally generous Joel is by now.

After filling up not one, but two overflowing carts, you can't help but protest the sheer volume of groceries Joel has insisted on purchasing. But he's quick to reason with you, his voice low and conspiratorial.

"The less I have to go out to shop, the more time I have to work on my new house," he says, his words laced with a hidden meaning that's clear to you.

You nod in understanding, realizing that his reasoning is not just about efficiency, but also about maintaining the appearance of propriety in the eyes of the small-town community.

As you check out, the total on the receipt makes your eyes widen, but Joel simply shrugs it off, his focus on ensuring you and your home are well-stocked. You actually think it's a great idea – if you both stock up now, you won't have to venture out for anything later.

No tutoring, no errands to run, at least for the next week. The thought of having all that spare time with Joel has your heart racing with anticipation, and you're pretty sure he has a few ideas of his own.

But as Joel pulls into your street, your breath catches in your throat. There, parked out front, is your father's truck. You swallow hard, the weight of the situation suddenly pressing down on you.

"Your dad's home," Joel says, his voice strained, but there's no hint of worry in his tone. If anything, he sounds more like an animal guarding its prized possession than someone afraid of getting caught.

Taking a deep breath as Joel pulls into the driveway, you brace yourself for the moment of confrontation you've been dreading. But as you both start to unload the groceries, the anticipated showdown never materializes.

Far from it, your dad practically leaps out of the house, a huge smile spreading across his face as he welcomes you both. Joel's mood instantly shifts, a sense of relief and contentment washing over him – if your dad is happy, so is Joel.

And just like that, you're off the hook for now.

"You're home early, Dad," you observe, but he's way too pumped up about something else to ask you two where you've been. He's grinning like a maniac, and you can't help but wonder if he's finally cracked.

Catching Joel's knowing look, you realize that this must be good news somehow. Whatever it is, it's clearly put your father in an exceptionally cheerful mood.

"I dunno what you did, Joel, but it worked!" your dad almost shrieks, pumping the air with his fist before high-fiving Joel, who doesn't seem surprised at all.

"What did you do?" you ask them both, but it's as if you've disappeared or something. Your dad has gone into full Joel-best-buddy mode, slapping his back and whooping and hollering. It's not until you're all inside that you can finally get any sense out of him.

"I'm booked solid for the next three months!" your dad exclaims to Joel, who's trying his best to look excited for your father's good fortune.

"And that, uh, client of yours? The one who collects all those vintage cars? Guess who he wants to be maintaining them all?" your dad asks, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"That's great news. I'm glad I could..." Joel begins, but your dad is on a roll.

He's re-hiring the mechanics and workers he's laid off, and he's going to "expand the business." He's going to do better than ever from now on.

He's going to...

He's going to make you vomit if he keeps going on about it.

"Dad," you finally say, talking over him to get his attention.

"Yeah, sweetie, what is it?" he asks, holding his thought so he can keep telling Joel all about his fresh business plans.

"Nothing." You smile. "But are you gonna stick around, or do you still have that tractor to fix?" you ask, wondering if you and Joel will have any time alone now.

And you haven't even thought about what's going to happen when it's time to go to bed.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks, honey, but I've got Lucas going out to do it now. Boy! Is he glad to have his old job back!" your dad exclaims loudly, beaming up at Joel.

His admiration for Joel makes you feel like you're not the only one who thinks he's pretty amazing, which he is to a lot of people. But to you, he's the only one.

"You've done the hunting and gathering," your dad proclaims, his eyes sweeping over the abundance of meat and groceries you and Joel have just started to unload. Sarah and Tommy quickly make their way outside, greeting your father and offering to help with the remaining items that belong to them.

"So I'll start making us all a feast to celebrate," your dad announces, asking you if you can finish bringing in the groceries while he and Joel "catch up."

The subtle way he singles you out of the conversation is not lost on you. If this had been a day or two ago, before you had just lived through the best twenty-four hours of your life with Joel, you wouldn't have minded. But you hadn't counted on your dad being home early, nor did you expect him to hijack your man as soon as he saw him again.

You look to Joel for help, but he only shrugs, a strange expression crossing his face when your dad's back is turned that has you stifling a giggle. Instantly, you find yourself forgiving the entire group for being in this crazy situation.

You do as your dad asks, leaving out the items he calls for, the ones he'll need to amaze you all with his cooking skills. But once that task is complete, you're left awkwardly hanging out in the kitchen, feeling miles away from Joel. Maybe you should just go to your room.

No sooner do you glance towards the hallway leading to your bedroom, Joel's stern look stops you in your tracks. The message is clear – he wants you right where he can see you.

"I might just go change," you tell the room, knowing your dad is not paying attention, still talking a million miles a minute to Joel, who gives a little nod of approval.

You haven't seen your dad this excited, ever. Whatever Joel did has clearly done the trick to help your dad out, but are you really going to have to hear about it all night? It feels like you are.

By the time you change clothes, trying to look nice but not overly dressy for Joel, your dad stops long enough to notice you for a change.

"Sorry, honey. I've just been so pumped all day. And I've just gotta talk to the man who made it all happen," he explains, shooting Joel another glowing look.

"Don't let me do all the talking, though, and don't worry about skipping tutoring today. I already spoke to the professor," he adds, making your heart freeze in your chest.

"So? What have you two been up to all day?" he asks, snapping off a celery stalk from one of the brown paper sacks, crunching it loudly as he leans back against the counter.

Now, he's all ears, eager to know what it is that you and Joel have been up to.

He looks from you to Joel, and you can feel your mouth hanging open. You're waiting for Joel to save you both, which he does without effort.

"I had sweet darlin’ here help me run some errands, we did some grocery shopping, and then she showed me around town," he says, and none of it is a lie.

Your dad's brow creases with attention as he listens, already looking bored if he can't keep talking about his own good news. Joel does skip some parts, though, including the more intimate moments you shared – your father wouldn't be interested in those details.

But once Joel suggests you help him out like you did today more often, especially with all the plans Joel has for his new house, and hanging out with Sarah and helping her by tutoring her, it starts to sound more like a job offer than anything else.

"Well, it's up to you, hon," your dad says thoughtfully after a moment, not even a hint of suspicion in his voice anymore.

As your dad busies himself selecting ingredients for the meal he's going to prepare, you can't help but feel a mix of emotions swirling within you. The prospect of spending more hours talking and eating with your family and Joel looms ahead, a bittersweet reminder of the newfound dynamics in your life.

Joel's pivotal role in saving your dad's business is evident, and it's clear that your father is more than willing to follow Joel's lead from now on. Despite the relief and gratitude you feel, there's an underlying longing for the quiet moments alone with the man who has quickly become the center of your world.

"I wasn't getting paid very much to tutor, Dad," you remind him, shooting a playful glance at Joel when your dad's attention is elsewhere. You can't help but ponder what your hourly rate might be if you were to accept his unofficial job offer, a hint of mischief dancing in your eyes.

It takes some time to adjust to the new dynamic in the kitchen with Joel and your dad. You find yourself fighting the urge to seek out Joel's touch every few seconds, a silent reminder of the growing connection between you.

As you call Sarah and Tommy over for dinner, the atmosphere shifts to one of camaraderie and relaxation. It feels good to simply talk, eat, and goof around without the weight of other concerns pressing down on you.

Throughout the evening, you notice the subtle strain on Joel's face, a reminder of the complexities of the situation. Yet, your dad remains your dad, unwavering in his friendship with Joel, creating a unique bond between the three of you.

As the meal progresses and conversations flow, you find yourself washing up alongside Sarah, the men engrossed in their post-dinner discussions out on the porch. Sarah decides to head back to the house early, leaving you with a sense of peace and contentment in the quiet moments that follow.

The realization hits you like a ton of bricks – you might have to spend the night away from Joel, not just tonight, but potentially every night until you both figure out what to do. It's not a happy thought, and you know Joel is thinking the same thing as the time for bed draws closer.

You've spent more hours today not touching and kissing than you two have actually been able to do so, and you just know Joel isn't happy about that either. So when your dad comes back inside without Joel or Tommy, you try not to sound panicked as you ask where they both are.

Your dad chuckles, "He went home, sweetie. He lives next door now, remember?" he asks, stifling a yawn and scratching his belly, letting you know he's about to turn in.

"I gotta huge day tomorrow, so I might not even see ya before or after work, but thanks for helping Joel out. He's really saved our bacon," your dad says, pecking your cheek before stretching out another yawn and heading to his room.

Not long after hearing his door close, there's a light rapping at the back door. You spring around and see Joel, his finger pressed firmly to his lips before he stalks over to you in two steps, kissing you with a desperation that takes your breath away.

"Wait 'til he's asleep again... Then come over," he murmurs, cocking his head and darting back out the door before your dad shuffles down the hall again, this time in his pajamas on the way to the bathroom.

Once your dad goes back to his room, you know he won't be coming out again. And if he does, he'll think you're asleep. So, tidying up the rest of the kitchen in record time, it isn't long before you hear your dad blowing bubbles in his sleep, and you're hot-footing it next door.

The need for Joel's touch is overwhelming, the hours spent apart feeling like an eternity. As you step into his home, the familiar scent of him envelops you, and you can't help but feel a sense of relief and excitement wash over you.

Without a moment's hesitation, you find yourself in his arms, your lips crashing against his in a desperate, passionate kiss. The world around you fades away, and all that matters is the connection you share, the hunger for each other's embrace.

Joel's deep, southern drawl sends a shiver down your spine as he leans in, his lips brushing against your neck. "You gotta be quiet for me, darlin'," he murmurs, his warm breath caressing your skin. "Can you do that for me?"

You nod eagerly, your heart racing with anticipation. The need for his touch is overwhelming, the hours spent apart feeling like an eternity. As his strong arms wrap around you, pulling you flush against his muscular frame, you melt into his embrace.

Joel's calloused hands roam your body, igniting a fire within you that threatens to consume you. His lips crash against yours in a desperate, passionate kiss, his tongue exploring your mouth with a primal hunger. You whimper softly, the sound muffled by his searing kiss.

"That's it, darlin'," Joel growls, his voice dripping with desire. "Let me hear how much you want me." His hands slide down to your hips, gripping them firmly as he grinds his hardness against you.

You gasp, the sensation sending a jolt of pleasure through your core. "Joel," you breathe, your fingers tangling in his silver curls. "I need you, please..."

He chuckles, the deep rumble vibrating against your skin. "I know, sweetheart. I'm gonna take care of you." Deftly, he lifts you, your legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he carries you towards the bedroom.

The world around you fades away, consumed by the raw, primal need that pulses between you. Joel lays you down on the bed, his calloused hands caressing your curves as he hovers over you, his eyes dark with lust.

"You're so damn beautiful, darlin'," he murmurs, his lips trailing featherlight kisses along your jaw. "I've been waitin' all day to have you like this."

You arch into his touch, a soft moan escaping your lips. "Then take me, Joel," you whisper, your voice dripping with desire. "I'm yours."

With a growl, Joel captures your lips in a searing kiss, his hands roaming your body as he slowly, methodically undresses you. The air is thick with the scent of your arousal, and the sound of your ragged breathing fills the room.

As he buries himself deep within you, you cry out, the sensation of being so completely filled sending waves of pleasure coursing through your body. Joel stills for a moment, his forehead pressed against yours.

"That's it, darlin'," he murmurs, his voice strained with restraint. "Let me hear how much you love it."

You whimper, your hips rolling against his. "Joel, please," you beg, your nails digging into the taut muscles of his back. "Don't stop."

With a groan, Joel begins to move, his thrusts slow and deliberate, driving you higher and higher towards the precipice of ecstasy. Your bodies move in perfect harmony, the world around you fading away until all that exists is the two of you, lost in a haze of passion and desire.

The room is filled with the sounds of your shared pleasure, the heady scent of sex hanging in the air as Joel's movements become more urgent, more primal. Your bodies move as one, a symphony of desire and need as you reach the pinnacle of ecstasy together, the intensity of your release washing over you in a wave of pure bliss.

As you come down from the heights of pleasure, Joel holds you close, his heart pounding against yours as you both catch your breath. In the aftermath of your passion, you're left feeling sated, fulfilled, and more connected to Joel than ever before.

In this stolen moment, you know that no matter the challenges that lie ahead, as long as you have Joel by your side, you're equipped to confront almost anything. The future may be uncertain, but in his arms, you've never felt more at home.

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eitaababe · 4 months

Text

EVEN IT'S A LIE !

epilogue.

[ a / n ; i finished! who would've thought. ]

series masterlist. | previous.

— two years later !

after having to deal with the baggage from ao'nung, the past couple of years had been nothing short of focusing on yourself. with the help of your friends, you were able to find yourself again, assuring yourself you'd never let a man dictate the way you felt about yourself ever again.

of course, avoiding ao'nung when you go to the same university is nearly impossible. you see each other in passing every few months or so, trying your best to limit any sort of contact with each other.

you'd grown closer with rotxo, with him being a better friend to you than you ever could have expected. it's strange, how well you're able to avoid ao'nung when your best friends with the two people closest to him.

still, the limited contact keeps the damage to a minimum.

because you'd be lying if you said you didn't think of him from time to time, the three words he claimed to be nothing but the truth. and how you were deceived into feeling the same.

but you're content, and over time you'd started to find yourself again. making it a weekly thing to just go out on your own, to your favorite cafe for some alone time.

so when you walk in, the last thing you expect to see is ao'nung's face behind the counter, an apron tied around his figure.

you feel your throat go dry when his eyes widen, and he tries to keep as professional as he can, clearing his throat before speaking up. "what can i get for you today?"

"uhm," you stutter, blinking multiple times before bringing yourself back to reality. it's more than a shock, seeing him in a place that was supposed to bring you peace, and now is making your head spin in such a way it makes you forget your usual order. "just a iced chai, please."

"you wanna take a muffin with that?"

you're surprised as the question slips out his mouth. you've always liked to pair your drink with some sort of muffin over the years, a small detail you definitely didn't expect him to remember.

"uh, yes please. how about a-"

"blueberry." he says quietly and in sync with you as he jots it down casually. you don't understand how he seems to be so nonchalant over this, like the interaction isn't so out of the blue for him.

you both stand there silently as he finishes up the order, and you pay, your eyes meeting after. and when they do, it's like you could fall into him all over again. his eyes are like the ocean, waves so dangerous yet you can't help but want to jump in. you have to pull your gaze away, breaking you both out the trance.

"look, i'm- i'm really sorry," he breathes out, and taking this as an opportunity as nobody else is in line behind you, and the cafe is experiencing its dead hour. "i know it was years ago, but i was an asshole. really. and i just- i've worked on myself, and i've had time to reflect, and i still can't believe i did what i did."

you smile at the sincerity of his voice, and you can do nothing but believe him. it's true, he's grown as a person in the past years and so have you. you can practically see how he's matured, carrying himself with a calm sense of confidence, different from the cockiness that once was.

"it's alright, really," you assure, nodding as you're finally able to hold a civil conversation after all this time. "i mean- we're both really different people now. we've grown, and learned, and it's water under the bridge, honestly. and i know it might not mean much," i chuckle. "but i was finally able to bring myself to forgive you."

"it's a lot," he admits, smiling back at you with a certain sweetness behind it. "it's everything. really." he assures, and this time, you're sure he means it.

after a few smiling moments you glance down, deciding to take a leap.

"would you like to join me? maybe for just a bit, i know you're working. but.. just as friends."

because despite what ao'nung did to you, there's always a soft spot for him in your heart. always a part of you that will know him, no matter how much he changes. and maybe you don't realize it either, but it's just the same for him.

his smile grows even wider at the invitation, and you can feel your heart swell at the sight.

"i'd love to."

[🏷️ ; taglist. / closed ] @loaksbitch @8resa @n7ytiri @yukichan67 @dearstell @halibanana @teyums @lightskinloak @ipoopedmypants47 @aonungmybf @il0veheartz @chittakii @jjkclub @universal-s1ut @ilovejakesullysdick @calums-betch @izuoyarmin @yeosxxx @cl0esblogg @alwayswndr @iheartamajiki @jenniferdixon05207 @manumanulau @myh3artttt @sugarrush-blush @be3flow3r @cupidsl0ve

#[ — ⌛️; even if it's a lie ! ]#[ — 🌎 ; avatar ]#ao'nung avatar #avatar x reader #ao'nung smau #ao'nung x reader #ao'nung series #ao'nung #ao’nung fluff #aonung avatar #aonung x reader #aonung fluff #aonung angst #ao'nung angst #ao'nung x y/n #ao'nung fluff #avatar angst #avatar smau

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reashot · 2 months

Text

And As Promised. An Epilogue to Final Goodbye.

A New Beginning...

Ruby Rose stirrs in her sleep. Having a dream about an adventure she had with other 3 girls in her teams and many others. But for some reason she remembered her time fondly with a boy whom has a hair that are the same color of the sun.

Smol Ruby: ...... Mom?

Summer: What is it dear?

Ruby: I had a dream...

Summer: What dream?

Ruby: I dreamed that I was a huntsman. And that I go on numerous adventure with them. And I also dreamed of a boy with hair as bright as a sun.

Summer: A boy. Oh my. Is my little Ruby finally showing an interest in boy?

Ruby: No! I hate boy they're gross.

... But when I saw him. I felt something throbbing inside my chest.

And I kinda want to see him to know what is it I'm feeling.

Summer: Oh Ruby... That means you're in love with him.

And with another blonde too. I guess the Apple didn't fall far from the tree after all.

Ruby: What. No I'm not in love. I don't even know him!

Summer: It's okay don't be shy. Dear look, Ruby is in love.

Tai:

Jaune's version.

*knock, knock*

*door opening*

Smol Jaune: Dad. I had a nightmare.

Papa Arc: You're fine. Now get back to sleep so I can go back porking your mother.

*slams door*

Jaune: I guess. It's fine then?

Wonder what's "porking" mean?

Years later On Beacon.

Jaune: You took quite a fall there, you okay?

Ruby:

Uhm... Hey... (He's the boy from my dream)

Jaune: You look familiar. Have we met?

Oh by the way my name is Jaune... Huh?

*runs up and hug him*

Ruby: Jaune! Jaune! Jaune! I remembered you.

Jaune: Uhm... Ruby why are you hugging....

Wait how do I know your name?

Ruby: Jaune you remembered me too? I knew it.

Summer: Oh look dear, our Ruby finally meets the boy of her dream.

And they're kissing in public. Oh my, how bold of them...

And they're now... Taking each other's clothes off?

Honey I think we need to separate the two of them

Tai: (How about if I separate the boy from his life while I'm at it.)

#rwby #jaune arc #ruby rose #lancaster #lancaster rwby #jaune x ruby #ruby x jaune #rwby lancaster #summer rose #rooster teeth #papa arc #tai xiao long

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silentglassbreak · 4 months

Text

Anonymous

Noah Sebastian x OFC

Here we are, folks. This is the final part to this piece of Noah & Leena’s story. I’ll write an epilogue, once I’ve made a final decision on if I want there to be a sequel or not. If you want one, let me know. Thank you for coming on this journey with me. This story brewed in my head one night, and I had to get it out. This one is fluffy, some smut, and how I wanted this story to end…for now?🖤

Warnings: Alcohol abuse, overall abuse, mild violence (ie. bar fights), smut, swearing, and altogether just a lot of fuckery. **TW: light kink content (spanking & hair pulling, dirty talk, S&M to a degree)

+It goes without saying. This is a work of fiction. My words are mine. Plagiarism is a crime.

Taglist: @flowery-mess @lma1986 @myownthoughts12

Part 11 - Just Pretend

The rain made the loveliest soft thumping sound on the ground all around the porch. My legs crossed under me, the heavy quilt covering me to keep warm against the fifty-five degree air. I held my steaming mug, the smell of the coffee’s comfortable aroma satisfying my senses. The world was so quiet here, and I couldn’t believe I had been missing this for so long.

“Leena?” I turned to glance at the front door, my dad hanging his head out. “Breakfast is ready.”

I swung my legs off of the swing, pulling the quilt off, and walked into the house. The smell of bacon and pancakes filled the air. My stomach grumbled in response. I sat down opposite my Dad at the table, grabbing the syrup bottle and pouring a healthy amount over my pancakes before tearing into them, ignoring the eggs and bacon on the side of my plate.

Dad munched his own breakfast, carving the slices from his grapefruit carefully with his spoon. "So what time is your guy supposed to get here?"

"Mm," I swallowed the bite in my mouth. "His flight gets in at 12:15. He'll probably be here about an hour later? He's got to get his rental."

"Still don't get why we don't just pick him up." Dad mumbled under his breath.

I shrugged. "Daddy, you're going to be nice to him, right?" I lowered my fork and pressed my hands together in a praying position. "Pleeeease!"

He huffed. "As long as he's nice to you."

I smiled, then. "He is."

"Better be." I narrowed my eyes at my Dad, opening my mouth to speak when my phone went off on the table next to me.

I swiped it and stood from the table.

"Hey!"

"Hey, beautiful." Noah's voice was smooth. "I just got through TSA and to my gate. I've got about an hour until my flight leaves."

"Okay! I can't wait for you to get here."

I could hear the smile in his voice. "Me either. Hey, uh, I meant to ask you," He paused. "Your Dad, is he going to like...kill me in my sleep?"

"Uhm," I glanced over my shoulder, watching Dad slip Angel a strip of bacon under the table, and rolled my eyes. "no, no, of course not."

"You hesitated."

I sighed. "Baby," I walked out of the doorway, the screen snapping shut behind me. "he's just protective, but he's harmless." I chewed my lip. "Mostly."

"Mostly?" His voice was clearly apprehensive.

"Just don't ask him to show you the gun room."

"He has a gun room?!"

"It's going to be fine, Noah." I snickered. "Besides, he leaves tomorrow for three days. He's going on a fishing trip. So we'll be alone."

"Who fishes in February?"

I laughed loudly. "That's what you were thinking about?"

"Well, thinking of screwing you in your father's house scares me, so..."

I lowered my voice, "Oh yeah? That's wild, cause all I can think about is you bending me over the balcony railing and fucking me in the pouring rain, but, I mean, if you have questions about fishing..."

"Jesus fucking Christ, Leena!" His voice was hushed, and I cracked a wicked grin. "Not a good place to get an erection! It's hard to hide here!"

I busted out in laughter. "Sorry, babe. It's too easy."

"You just wait until I get you alone, girl."

"Yeah? I don't know, I'm not too worried." I was playing a dangerous game.

"No?" I heard him snicker. "You fucking should be."

A chill ran up my spine, and I heard the door behind me open. Angel ran past me, headed for the lawn to use the bathroom. It startled me.

"Well, we'll just see how it goes when you get here." I brought my voice back up to it's normal decibel.

"Mhm, we sure will."

"I've got to go, babe. I'm having breakfast with Dad."

"Okay, love. I'll see you soon."

"Not soon enough."

I was twirling around the kitchen, getting Dad's lunch cooking. The soup boiled in the pot while I poured in the cream, stirring in parsley and thyme. The smell of the potatoes and cheddar cheese filled my nostrils, creating an absolutely heavenly aroma.

"You didn't have to make lunch, baby. I am capable of feeding myself." Dad stood on the other side of the kitchen counter.

"I know that, but I’m nervous, and need something to do. So you're getting soup."

He nodded. "Smells good."

I smiled, "It'll be ready soon. I'm just waiting for the potatoes to soften up a little more."

He turned his head, something catching his eye. "Hey Lee?"

"Hmm?" I hummed, looking into the pot.

"I think he's here."

My head snapped up, eyes darting out the dining room window, a dark blue sedan pulling up next to my Dad's Ford F150. I broke out in a thousand-watt smile, setting the spoon in my hand down on the counter.

"Angel, come!" He had already nearly beat me to the door. I opened the latch and stepped onto the porch as the driver's door opened.

He stood out of the car, being greeted by Angel, who had already ran down the wooden steps and across the lawn. Noah crouched down, letting him put his front paws on his chest, scratching up and down his sides.

"Hey buddy!" He let Angel lick his face, smiling widely. "How you been? Good? Taking care of your mom?"

He looked up then, eyes catching me. I couldn't hide the excitement on my face. I broke out in a full sprint, nearly tripping off of the porch.

He stood, arms open, and I launched myself upon him. He wrapped me up, picking my feet off the ground. He squeezed me, his fingers digging into my sides.

"Ugh, I missed you so much." My words were muffled in his neck.

He finally set me down, and I reached my lips up to press a quick, solid kiss to his lips.

I heard a throat clearing, and turned my head to see my Dad standing on the steps, looking absolutely unamused. I felt my cheeks tinge pink, but I grabbed Noah by the hand, noticing he was now looking a little green. He really was nervous.

"Daddy?" He hopped down onto the grass to meet me halfway. Noah trailed a step behind me. "This is Noah."

I moved to the side, and my Dad brought his hand forward, Noah slipping his own in easily. "Lorne Richards. Nice to meet you." His voice was stern, testing the waters.

Noah nodded, giving his hand a firm shake. "Noah Sebastian, sir." He gave one of his absolutely mouthwatering smiles. "Thank you so much for having me."

My Dad let his hand go, and put his own in his jeans pockets.

"Leena was just making lunch. Come on in." Turning around, he trotted up the steps, Angel following him.

I could see a visible relief in Noah's posture.

"See?" He glanced down at me. "No biggie."

He smirked. "Did he say you were making lunch?"

I nodded. "Cheddar potato soup."

He raised an eyebrow. "You can cook?"

I swatted at him, laughing. "Oh shut up."

I sat on the couch, side pressed against Noah’s, the movie playing on the screen ahead of us. I heard the footsteps sliding down the hallway, and I glanced up to see Dad looking at me and pointing a finger at Noah.

“Someone’s tired.”

I raised an eyebrow and turned my attention to my now sleeping, slightly drooling boyfriend. His head was leaned against the back of the couch, his eyes closed gently, mouth very slightly ajar. I smirked.

“Yeah, he sure is.” I stood off the couch gently, following Dad into the kitchen.

He pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and took a long pull. He peeked at his watch, and snorted.

“It’s only eight-o’clock. Kinda early isn’t it?”

I leaned against the countertop, arms folded over my chest. “Yeah, he just got back from Europe a few days ago, so I would bet he’s still jet lagged.”

Dad nodded. “He was quiet at dinner.”

I snorted. “He’s terrified of you, Daddy.”

Dad raised his brows in surprise. “He is? I wonder why.”

I hung my mouth open, amused. “Are you kidding? You’re my Dad and my sponsor. He knows how important you are to me, and how much your opinion matters.”

Dad waved me off. “I’m just a guy, Lee. No different than him.”

“Psh, yeah, okay.” Our voices were hushed. “He wants you to like him.”

Dad raised one brow now. “Is there a reason for that?”

I deadpanned. “Because he loves me? And that gets complicated when the most important person in my life doesn’t like him?”

Dad seemed to accept that, but still looked up at me through his lashes. “You ain’t gonna run off and get married or somethin’ are you?”

“Married?!” My voice came out louder than I intended, and I slapped a hand over my mouth when I realized. My eyes shot back to the living room, seeing Noah still snoozing.

Once I gathered myself, I cleared my throat. “No. No, absolutely not.”

He looked at me incredulously. “Yeah? Seem a little defensive there.” He cracked a grin, making me shake my head laughing.

“Dad, Noah and I have only been together for a few months, not including earlier in the year.”

He padded over to me, placing his hands on the tops of my shoulders. “I get that, baby.” He then lowered his head to catch my eye line. “I also know you love that boy.”

My expression was surprised. “You do?”

“Well, of course. Watching you two together, it’s like teenagers in high school.” This made me blush. “I also don’t doubt that he loves you too.”

This made me grin, like a little girl hearing her first crush actually liked her. “Really?”

“Mhm. Can tell by the way he looks at you.” He then turned his attention back to Noah, snoozing. “And also that he could be at home sleeping off that tour he just did, but instead he’s here for two weeks, facing your very scary Dad.”

He had puffed his chest, which cracked me up. “Seriously? You’re not so scary.”

He huffed out a gruff laugh. “Wait till he sees my gun room!”

Dad had said goodnight to Angel and I, reminding me he’d be gone by 4AM to meet with his fishing buddies. He was leaving food in the fridge, a whole pack of bacon specifically for Angel.

I walked over to the couch, leaning down, touching Noah’s arm and giving it a light squeeze.

“Baby?”

He roused quickly, startled, his eyes popping open. They softened quickly, back to the sleepy squint.

“Oh, hey.” He rubbed his eyes and a hard yawn came out. “When did I pass out?”

“A little bit ago. Let’s get you to bed.”

He stood off the couch, stretching his arms. “What time is it?”

“About 8:45.”

He nodded, yawning again. “I’m sorry, I know it’s early for you.”

I took his hand, leading him toward the staircase. “It’s no biggie. You’re exhausted.”

He scoffed. “Well, it’s almost 6AM in Paris, and I haven’t slept since last night. So, maybe a little?”

We walked up the stairs and straight into my room. I had brought his duffle up earlier, and it was perched on the bed.

He grimaced. “You’re sure your Dad is okay with me sleeping in your room? I don’t want to make him uncomfortable.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh hush. He’s fine. He’s old, not stupid.”

This made him shake his head, unzipping his bag and pulling out sweatpants and a t-shirt.

He looked at me. “Bathroom?”

I pointed him in the direction, and he left quickly. I took the moment to grab my own pajama pants and shirt out of my closet, and slipped my shirt over my head. Back turned to the doorway, I slid my jeans over my hips, standing in my bra and underwear.

I shivered in the cool air of the house, slowly pulling my hair out of the ponytail I had kept it in all day. I took a moment to scratch at my scalp, enjoying the sensation of my hair finally being free and falling loose.

I reached back and unclasped my bra, letting it fall to the floor. Reaching my hands over my head, I stretched my arms and spine, shaking the day off of me.

“Mmph.”

I whipped around, nearly jumping out of my skin. Noah stood in the doorway, hip leaning against the frame, a dark grin plastered on his face, his eyes locked on me. Instinctively, my hands reached up to cover my exposed breasts, making him intentionally frown.

“Would you knock it off!” I said playfully, chucking my shirt at him.

He caught it mid-air and just shook his head. “Sorry. If you’re going to look like that, then I’m going to ogle. My right as the boyfriend.”

I quirked a brow, letting my hands fall to my sides. His smugness faded while I walked over to him.

“Oh yeah?” I stood only inches in front of him now, my hardened nipples brushing the front of the fabric of his shirt. “Go ahead, then.”

He stared at me, cool expression on his face. He stepped forward and pulled the door closed behind him. He was pressed against me now, fingers of his right hand trailing up my side, grazing the side of my chest. Fresh goosebumps raised on my arms, and I inhaled a hard breath.

“So fucking pretty.” His dark eyes, nearly completely blackened, searched my face. “I can’t believe I went without this for so long.”

I snorted. “Hasn’t been that long.”

His voice was deadly, baritone. “Long enough.”

His lips attacked me then, catching my mouth and pulling me toward him. I stood on my tip-toes, so he caught me off-kilter and pushed me down onto the bed, leaning over me to catch my left nipple in his mouth, his hand coming up to pinch the other.

I gasped, wrapping my fingers in his hair. My hips bucked against his stomach, searching for friction. I felt him lean down onto me, his erection pressing into my leg. A deep, guttural growl escaped him, and he stood up.

I hastily grabbed at him, but he took a step back from the bed, rubbing a hand over his face and through his hair.

I laid back on the bed, eyes blown wide. “What?” My breathing was labored. “Why’d you stop?”

“I just…can’t.”

My mouth hung open in disbelief. “What?! Why?”

“It’s disrespectful!”

I threw myself back on the bed and snarled. “No fucking way!”

He shook his head, hands out in front of him. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Just…not with your Dad in the next room.”

I sat up on my knees, grabbing the front of his shirt.

“Noah, he isn’t going to know!”

“Dads always know.”

“Oh, come on!”

He threw his head side to side. “Nope. I can’t. Not until he’s not here, at least.”

I almost teared up, rejection stabbing my chest. I crossed my arms and stood off the bed.

“Fine.” I grabbed my pajama pants, pulling them on angrily.

“Babe…”

I ignored him, pulling my shirt over my head and stomping over to the bed.

He chuckled. “Tantrum, much?”

I sniffled, turning my head so he wouldn’t see the lonely tear running down my cheek. “Let’s just go to bed.”

My voice betrayed me, cracking at the end. He scrambled over to sit in front of me on the bed.

“Hey, hey,” He lifted his fingers to grab my face. “you don’t think that I don’t want it, do you?”

I didn’t respond, just averted my eyes.

“Oh babe.” He smiled at me, cracking my hardened exterior. “You can’t possibly believe that.”

I, again, didn’t answer.

“Look.” He grabbed my hand then, leading it to the middle of his pants, pressing my palm to his stiffened cock underneath.

My eyes widened, and I gasped.

“I want it. Badly.” He shrugged and squeezed his eyes shut, freeing my wrist. “I just don’t want to disrespect your Dad like that. Him liking me is a big deal.”

I smirked. “That big of a deal, that you’re willing to let that go down on its own?” I pointed to his crotch.

He groaned. “Unfortunately.”

I shook my head, leaning my face into his chest. “Fine.”

He circled his arms around me, rubbing a hand up and down my spine.

“But once he’s gone, your ass is mine.”

I was woken by a paw to the face, causing me to startle. I cracked my eyes open to see Angel’s honey brown eyes staring directly at me. A low whine came out of him, and my brain clicked together. He had to pee.

Noah was laying heavy next to me, facing away, a quiet snore coming with the rise and fall of his chest. I slipped myself out of bed silently, Angel making a mad dash for the staircase.

I trotted down the stairs barefoot, unlocking and popping the door open to let Angel out. I closed the door behind him and turned to the kitchen. The coffee pot was on,the carafe full with a fresh brew. I noticed the time, 6:00AM. Dad had left me fresh coffee, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

As early as I fell asleep last night, I was sure that I wasn’t getting back to sleep anytime soon. I grabbed a mug from the cupboard, glancing out of the kitchen window. I noticed Dad’s truck was gone, leaving Noah’s rental alone on the lawn.

A scratching at the door came as I began sipping my coffee, so I let Angel in. He looked at me, and I smiled.

“Go on, go keep Noah warm.” He darted up the stairs in the direction of my pointed finger.

I needed to brush my teeth, and shower. No need to wake Noah, as he still needed to sleep off the jet-lag. There was very little light in the kitchen, as the sun had yet to rise completely over the mountains.

I decided to use the downstairs shower, so I wouldn’t wake Noah. I let the warm water wake my muscles and brain, slipping my pajama pants and shirt back on, minus the underwear from the day before.

Carefully toeing up the stairs, I slipped into the room and pushed Angel to the edge of the bed. He had curled up on my side, pressed against Noah’s back. I slipped back into bed and pulled my phone off of the side table. After checking that my volume was down all the way, I opened TikTok.

Something about the algorithm was strange, since I never looked up Bad Omens content, yet it still managed to cross my For You Page whenever I was with Noah, or thinking about him, or singing one of his songs to myself.

I sat, scrolling through clip after clip of shows from the recent European tour, Noah jumping around stage. He head banged viciously, he screamed until his throat gave out, and he even threw random items at the crowd. The video of him tossing an entire bag of marshmallows played, and I laughed quietly.

After about half an hour, I felt the bed shift, and an arm curl around my midsection. I smirked, and set my phone down on the table. I felt him press his body against my back, his face burying in my neck.

“Well, good morning.” I closed my eyes at the sensation of his breath on my neck.

He inhaled, squeezing me tighter. “Did you shower?”

My hair was still damp. “Yeah, I’ve been up for about an hour.”

He mumbled into my hair. “Should’ve woken me up.”

“Nah. You needed rest.”

I felt him pressing into me harder, his dick stiff and pushing against my lower back.

“Are we alone?”

I smirked. “Mhm.”

His lips started leaving soft kisses across the back of my neck, his fingers now playing with my belly button ring over my shirt.

I tried to center my thoughts. “You want breakfast?”

His hand then gripped my hip, flipping me onto my back. I didn’t realize what had happened before he was kneeling next to me, his eyes half-open and smoldering. He was smiling, a terrifying grin.

“As a matter of fact,” His hands ripped my pants down without mercy, leaving me completely bare in front of him. “I would love some.”

He pulled my thighs open, leaned down onto his stomach, and buried his face between my legs with absolutely no warning.

My eyes burst open, my hips jumping off of the mattress. “Oh my god!”

I was so stunned, I barely registered that his hands had my legs in a death grip, fingers digging into the tops of my thighs. His tongue worked, laying flat, long strokes over my lips, lingering with very specific pressure to my clit.

My knees bent instinctively, pressing my pussy against his tongue, my hand in his hair pushing him closer to me. He obliged so graciously, latching onto my clit and sucking wildly. I squealed a harsh, raspy moan.

“Oh fuck, Noah. Oh fuck. That’s so fucking good, Jesus Christ.”

I wanted to watch him work, his dark eyes flashing up under those sinfully long lashes, but the sheer vibrations from my core made me throw my head back and squeeze my eyes shut.

Just before I thought I would die of stimulation, his hand released my legs, and pressed them upwards, bending my knees toward my chest. This pressed my pussy forward, and I felt his tongue dive inside, his head moving back and forth ever so slightly. My vision went white, and the sounds leaving my mouth were a mix of whimpering and crying.

“Noah, please, I’m going to come. Please don’t stop.” His tongue came back to my clit, attacking me so deliciously while I felt one finger penetrate me. He curled the digit, pressing into the sweet spot. I exploded, a loud scream ripping from my throat. My fingers nearly ripped the hair clean out of his head.

He didn’t let up for at least a minute, making me attempt to thrash around, held down by his too strong hands.

Once he had tormented me enough, he sat up. My legs fell back down to the mattress while my lungs fought for oxygen. I wasn’t given long to recover, as I was quickly flipped back onto my stomach.

His hands hooked under my hip bones, lifting my ass in the air, and I swore I heard the sound of a condom being ripped open. My brain was still swimming from such an intense orgasm, that I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening until he spoke to me.

His voice was deep, full of lust. “Best fucking meal I’ve ever had.”

I felt the head of his cock nudge the entrance of my pussy, and I adjusted my knees wider, lifting myself up on my hands.

He continued to press against me, not quite sliding in. I felt a hand reach up my back, fingers wrapping in the hair on the nape of my neck. I leaned back against him, wanting to feel him inside me so badly I could cry.

At that moment, his fingers tightened in my hair and pulled my head up so I was nearly standing on my knees. His voice was against my ear now.

“Don’t be so impatient, princess. I’ve been waiting for this for months. We’re doing it my way.” His voice was so deadly, my only response was a soft moan.

He didn’t let go of my hair, but did slowly begin pressing into me, and I could hear a harsh breath being sucked in.

“Fucking Christ, baby.” He slid all the way in, pressing hard against my cervix. “Missed this pussy so fucking much.”

He let go of my hair now, letting me fall forward, my face burying in the pillow.

“Hold still for me baby, want to feel you.”

I did my best, I promise I did. But he was sliding in and out so painfully slow, and my body ached for him to just go a little faster. Involuntarily, my hips pushed back against him. I closed my eyes, but opened them when I felt a hard slap come to land on my ass. I sucked in a hard breath at the sting, but felt my walls twitch. I liked that. I liked that a lot.

“I told you to be patient.” His fingers were digging into the spot that he had slapped, but in all fairness, I’m not the best listener. I rocked my hips back again, and then braced myself. The slap that came down was harder, making a bolt of lighting shoot up my spine. I shivered, enjoying the sensation of his palm on my hot skin.

“Having a hard time hearing me, baby?” His hand rubbed over my flesh, and I carefully shook my head. “No?” His hand stopped abruptly, another hard smack landing on my ass.

“Ahh, I see. You like that, don’t you?”

I didn’t respond, only pushed back into him again, mouth watering at the feeling of his cock filling me, when his hand came down again.

He chuckled, a dark, wicked laugh. “I see what you’re doing.” He let go of my ass, but instead of another slap, he pulled out entirely, leaving me whimpering in distaste.

I felt his palm rubbing over my skin, my legs spread wide, hips rocking for him. There was nothing to push back on, and I sighed.

“You poor, eager girl. Must’ve been missing me just as much.” He nudged me with his cock, then, and I held still, not wanting him to move away.

I waited there, patiently, and felt him finally press back inside me. I moaned loudly, gripping the sheets with white knuckles.

“That’s it.” His voice was oddly comforting, although he sounded so evil. “See what happens when you’re patient?”

He was now thrusting at a steady pace, and my eyes began to roll back from the coil tightening in my belly.

“God damn, look at you.” He ran a hand up my back. “So fucking needy. So fucking beautiful.”

My body shook, another hard orgasm building. “Noah, God, Noah, please.”

“What do you need baby?” His hand came down to spank me again, a sickening sound filling the room. My eyes rolled back and I hissed at the sting.

“Yes, fuck!” I screamed.

“Love being spanked, don’t you?” He slapped me again, harder.

“Mmm,” Forming words was getting harder.

Another slap. My legs started to shake.

“So good for me, baby. So fucking good.”

Slap.

“Could fuck you all God damn day.”

Slap.

“So fucking tight. So fucking wet.”

Slap.

His breathing was becoming more erratic, his rhythm slipping. He was close.

“Fuck, Noah, I’m going to come.”

He fucked me harder, his hips barreling against me at an alarming pace. He gripped my hips for support.

“Fuck, baby. Come on my cock. Come for me, Leena.”

Slap.

That was it, I was gone. My brain was bursting, my screaming wild. My fingers were digging into the mattress now, chanting his name over and over.

I felt him stiffen, his hands gripping me hard enough to bruise.

He slowed his thrusts, his body half-collapsing on my back. My knees gave out, making him fall on top of me completely. I rolled on my side, my eyes half-masked and staring at him. He was breathing heavy with his mouth open, face showing me how spent he was.

“H-Holy fuck.” Was all he could say. I waited a moment for my heart to calm down. He stared at me, an expression I couldn’t place on his face. “Are you…” He trailed off. “Are you okay?”

I smiled, then. He was worried. It was cute.

I answered him with a soft kiss on his lips.

The day had passed so easily. Noah and I had made breakfast, playing 80’s music, him singing very dramatically to all of the Bowie songs. We had taken Angel on a long walk around Dad’s property, and came back in once the rain really started coming down. Needless to say, we spent a fair amount of time on the balcony in the downpour.

We fell asleep watching The Walking Dead, starting from the first season, as Noah had never watched it.

The following morning, I awoke feeling funny. I couldn’t place the feeling, but it was almost dizzy. The sensation made me salivate, similar to when I used to drink too much, and fell asleep before emptying my stomach.

After a tall glass of water, I unfortunately did the same, everything I had eaten the night before being left in the bowl. I cursed under my breath. Being sick was not on the agenda for mine and Noah’s days alone together.

During my mad dash to the bathroom, I had to have woken Noah, as he was now knocking on the door. I had already flushed my vomit, and was brushing my teeth.

“Babe?”

I opened the door to see him looking at me, sleep still heavy in his eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He shook his head, dismissing me. “Are you alright?”

I nodded, my lips still clammy and my color too pale. “Yeah, just not feeling great this morning.”

He walked over to me, wrapping his arms around my stomach while I scrubbed my tongue.

“Dinner, maybe? The pork might’ve been under?”

I nodded. “Probably.” I spit out the toothpaste and rinsed my mouth out. “I’ll be fine. I’ll just take it easy today.”

He gently turned me around and placed his lips to my forehead, furrowing his brow. “You’re not warm.”

I leaned into him. “Nah, it was the pork.”

The following days, I spent laying on the couch or in bed, my stomach fighting against me at the most inopportune moments. I would feel great, back to normal entirely, and then would be hit with a wave of nausea that I couldn’t escape. Once I had vomited, I would be slapped with an overwhelming fatigue that had me napping for at least an hour each time.

I could see Noah getting increasingly worried, but I continued to remind him that I was fine, it was just a stomach bug (the possibility of it being food poisoning less and less as the days went on), and that if I went a week with no improvement, then I would go to Urgent Care.

He seemed satisfied with that, but then Dad came home.

“You’ve been sick for how many days now?”

“This is the third day.” Noah spoke up from behind me where he leaned against the back of the couch. I shot a death glare in his direction, to which he just shrugged.

“Mileena, you need to go get checked out.”

I groaned. He used my full name, which meant he was being my father right now.

“I’m fine, Daddy. I feel good!”

“You’ll be throwing up soon. You always do about an hour after you eat.”

I rolled my eyes and hissed at Noah. “Not helping.”

He threw his hands up in his defense.

“He’s right, I’m driving you to town.”

I scoffed. “Hello?! I am not a child. You can’t just force me to get checked out.”

“You’re my child. I can do anything I want.”

I crossed my arms and stomped a foot, narrowing my eyes at my Dad.

“Daddy, I am nearly thirty years old. You cannot make me see a doctor if I don’t want to.”

“Oh no?” Dad grinned at me.

He then turned his attention to the man behind me.

“Hey Noah, you ever hear the story of when Leena was little and went roller skating for the first time?”

My eyes bugged out. I looked at Noah, whose brows were raised, an amused smile on his face.

“I haven’t, actually.”

My head whipped back around. “Dad! You can’t blackmail me with embarrassing stories!”

Dad laughed. “The hell I can’t! Now you get in the truck, or I will tell him about when you sat on an ant hill.”

I heard an amused giggle behind me, and I growled in frustration.

“Ugh, I hate you both!” I turned and stomped up the stairs. “Let me get my shoes on!”

It had taken ten whole minutes of arguing with Noah to get him to stay back at the house with Angel. I didn’t need him hearing that I had E. Coli, or Salmonella, or just a really bad case of the stomach flu. Him and my Dad ganging up on me had me fuming the entire thirty-minute drive down the mountain and into town, soft country music the only sound in the cab of the truck.

When we pulled up to Urgent Care, I took note of the one other car in the parking lot. With any luck, we’d be in and out quickly.

“I’ll wait here for ya.” Dad settled into his seat and turned the music up a few notches.

I rolled my eyes and hopped out of the truck, walking up to the entrance begrudgingly.

“Hi! What brings you in today?” The redheaded girl behind the counter looked no older than eighteen, and I internally sighed in annoyance.

“I’ve got some kind of stomach thing, a virus or something.” My tone made it clear I was not happy to be there.

She nodded. “Okay, sure, we can help with that. Let’s get you checked in.”

I went through the tedious process of giving her my information before sitting down in the small, plastic chairs of the waiting room. I pulled out my phone, opening my texts.

Me: You may not know this about me, but I fucking hate doctors.

Noah started typing almost immediately.

Noah: Same, but you need to get checked out.

I slumped down into the chair.

Me: Teaming up against me with my Dad is fucked. Gonna kick your ass for it when I get back.

Noah: As terrifying as that sounds, I’m sure it’s worth it.

He started typing again immediately,

Noah: I’m getting those stories out of him still.

Me: Over my dead body.

“Mileena Richards?” A female voice called to me. A short, skinny woman in scrubs called me from the door leading to the exam rooms.

I stood up and walked toward her. She smiled warmly at me, and I tried to return the gesture.

She led me to a room where she took my weight, blood pressure, and pulse ox. She then sat back and asked me to describe my symptoms.

“Well, I’ve been throwing up a lot. It seems pretty random.”

“Okay, and have you noticed it happens after anything specific? Like eating or exercise?”

I shook my head. “Maybe about an hour or so after eating? But not every time.”

She nodded. “Any cramping? Gas? Diarrhea?”

I just shook my head. “No, but right before I vomit, I get pretty lightheaded.”

She was typing into her computer. She turned her attention back to me.

“Okay, honey, and when was the first date of your last menstrual cycle?”

She pushed a small calendar toward me, and I wracked my brain. I was so bad at remembering this stuff. I flipped back a month, looking at January. What day in January?

I remembered buying tampons at Target. Where was that? Laura was with me. It was about five days before I moved. We had gone to Target for packing tape, microwave popcorn, bubble wrap, and tampons. I wasn’t due for my period for another week, but I didn’t want to be on a flight to Seattle, and it show up early while I was unprepared.

But…I never used them. My period wasn’t exact, but it came at about the end of each month. We went to the store on January 22nd. 23rd? That means my last period was just before Christmas, which I remember, because I was extra cranky when I woke up Christmas morning at Laura’s, spending the holiday with her and Will. It started on Christmas Eve…

“I, uh…” I stared at the calendar, small and tinted green with little peonies on the corner. “I think it was Christmas Eve.”

The nurse raised a brow at me over the rim of her glasses. “Any chance you could be pregnant?”

I shook my head, staring at the floor, bewildered.

“No.” She didn’t seem satisfied with that answer, her face not moving an inch. “I wasn’t sexually active much at that time.”

She pursed her lips, and pushed herself away from her desk.

“Okay, honey, follow me.”

I stood up, my brain scattered. Noah and I were always careful, so it’s just not possible.

“Alright dear,” She held a plastic cup in front of me. “I need a urine sample from you, in case we need X-rays on your abdomen, we just need to be sure.”

I nodded, accepting the cup and heading toward the bathroom she directed me to.

“Doctor will meet you back in the exam room. Just leave the cup on the tray that’s next to the sink.”

I locked the bathroom door behind me, and stared at the cup. The unnerving instinct to run out of the office and into my Dad’s truck, lying and telling him it was the stomach flu, flooded through me, making my face go numb.

My logical sense took over, and I meticulously peed in the cup, replacing the lid and scrubbing my hands in the sink.

Once I was sat back in the room, opting for the chair, rather than the paper-lined bed, I sat in silence. My phone buzzed in my sweatshirt pocket, and I lifted it with a shaking hand.

Noah: Any news?

My fingers trembled so hard that I screwed up my words and had to keep deleting and retyping.

Me: Not yet.

I didn’t lie, because there wasn’t any. I was just going absolutely insane, and the power of suggestion was making my mind play tricks on me.

I replaced my phone in my pocket and forced myself to take a deep breath. I was fine. Just sick. Nothing serious. Nothing life-changing about it.

A short rap on the door made me startle before it cracked open.

“Mileena?” A tall, older man entered the room. He wore dark green scrubs, a white coat, and a stethoscope around his neck. Very stereotypically doctor-looking.

I nodded in response.

He stepped in with a small stack of papers in his hands. “I’m Dr. Allen.” He was looking down at his documents. “I hear you haven’t been feeling well?”

I coughed to clear my throat. “Yeah, for the last few days.”

He nodded, clicking his tongue while he flipped through the forms.

“Okay, well, I’m going to do an exam, but I’m pretty sure I know why you’re feeling crappy.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

He looked up at me, a smile on his face. “Yep. Your hCG levels are pretty elevated, and you’re also very dehydrated.”

What the hell is hCG?

I shook my head. “Uhm, okay. What does that mean exactly?”

He moved to sit at the desk, handing the stack of papers to me.

“It means that you’re expecting.” His eyes were sincere, likely seeing that mine looked like they were going to pop right out of my skull.

The air rushed out of my lungs. My response came out nearly inaudible. “What?”

He sat back in his chair. “You’re pregnant.” He glanced at the computer, clicking something with his mouse. “Judging by how late your cycle is? I’d say about six weeks? Maybe a little less?”

I could feel my head spinning on my shoulders, unable to tear my eyes away from the doctor. When I didn’t speak, he continued.

“I would guess that what you’ve been experiencing is morning sickness. It is a little early, however. I still want to do a quick exam to make sure we don’t have any other issues.”

I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. The world had fallen out from under me.

The drive home was utterly silent. I had only spoken to Dad to tell him that I was fine, and we could head home. He didn’t press, but I could feel he was growing increasingly uncomfortable.

“Leena?”

My eyes darted to him. We had pulled onto the lawn and parked already.

I didn’t answer him.

“Is it what I think it is?”

My eyes started tearing up, my lower lip trembling.

“I don’t know how this happened.” My voice was so small, I couldn’t be sure he even heard me.

“Well,” Dad huffed, adjusting in his seat. “I thought you knew this already, but, honey, when a man and a woman love each other-“

My head snapped over to my Dad, tears now rolling down my face. “Are you kidding me?!”

He sat back in his chair. “I’m sorry, just trying to lighten the mood.”

“Lighten the mood?” I scoffed. “This isn’t fucking funny!” My voice was reaching the level of a scream.

“Alright, now honey calm down.”

“Calm down?! What do you mean, ‘calm down’?!”

He lowered his eyebrows then. “Mileena Jane, I understand you’re upset, but you will not scream at me like that.”

His even, stern tone brought me back down, but my chest still heaved with sobs.

“Daddy…” I was lost for words. I was lost for thought. “What am I going to do?”

His eyes adjusted out the windshield, and I followed his gaze.

Noah stepped out of the front door, Angel heeling his left, a small smile on his face. He waved a hand at us.

“I’m not sure, baby, but you better figure it out fast.” Was all he said before opening his door to leave the truck. My hand flew over to him, grabbing his arm.

“Daddy?” He looked at me. “Please, for the love of God, don’t kill him.”

He snorted, swinging a leg out of the truck. “No promises.”

He left me alone, and I watched as he approached Noah, and clapped a hand on his shoulder politely. I couldn’t hear what he said, but he pointed at the truck, and went inside, calling Angel to him.

Noah then made his way down the porch, and across the grass. I opened my door and, slowly and shaking, hopped out.

His face fell when he saw my tears. “Hey, what’s going on?”

I wiped my face, and tried to put a calm smile on my face. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

He reached out and grabbed my hand. “Something’s up.” He glanced back at the house. “You fight with your Dad or something?”

I shook my head. “No, no. Nothing like that.”

“Okay, so what’s up? What did the doctor say?”

My stomach bottomed out, that familiar dizzy feeling hitting me.

“He said, uhm,” I swallowed hard, trying to push down the nausea. “that my exam was normal.”

He raised an eyebrow. “So they don’t know what’s wrong with you?”

I stared at him, eyes wide and wet. “They do.”

He furrowed his brow. “And?”

I shrugged, not knowing what the fuck to say.

“Noah, do you…” I closed my eyes, building the nerve. “do you remember the night of the concert? The last one I went to? The night we got back together?”

I had worked it through in my head. The night he sang to me on stage, and kissed me in the green room.

We had gone back to his house, and it’s obvious what happened there. We didn’t have a condom, and I told him I’d go to the drug store the next day for the magic pill. The problem is, when I woke up the next morning, in his bed, Laura had called frantic. Angel had thrown up four times the night before and wouldn’t eat or drink anything. Noah and I rushed him to the vet, learning he had eaten some plants in Laura’s backyard. He needed to be kept overnight, and we almost had to reschedule our flight to Seattle. I got distracted. I forgot.

I watched the gears in his head turn, his face growing increasingly bewildered.

“I remember we…” He trailed off before he raised an eyebrow. “You took the pill…”

I shook my head. “I forgot. Angel was sick.”

He raised his eyebrows, his eyes growing wide as saucers.

“Oh my God, you’re right.” For as surprised as he was, his voice was so even.

“Noah, I’m so sorry. I forgot.” I swallowed again, my stomach threatening to spill all over the both of us. “I’m pregnant.”

Noah had been sitting on the porch since I told him, swaying slowly back and forth while the rain fell around the house. Dad suggested I give him space, give him time to wrap his head around it.

I was trembling, sitting at the dining room table and obsessively munching on pistachios. Dad had already gone to bed, exhausted from his trip and still chewing on the news himself.

It had been five hours. Five hours since I told him the news, and there he sat, unmoving. I was crawling out of my skin, the fear and anxiety slowly turning into anger. He needed time to wrap his head around it?! I was the one growing a fucking fetus inside me! I was nauseas, dizzy, fatigued, and so fucking scared. But he got to take space?

Fuck that.

I stomped away from the table, bursting through the screen door. I walked over to the swing, standing directly in his line of vision.

“Hey!” He looked up at me, face void of emotion. “Look, I get this is a lot, alright? So if you want to bail, that’s fine. I don’t expect you to want to deal with this.”

His face was now twisted, confused.

“If you’re going to leave, however, leave now. I can’t sit in there and wait for you to get up the nerve to tell me you’re not sticking around!”

I was crying again, hot angry tears.

His voice was quiet. “What?”

I crossed my arms. “What do you mean, ‘what’? You can’t ruin your career over this, Noah. The band is just starting to get huge.”

He shook his head at me, standing to his feet. “You think I’m thinking about the band? About my career?” His words were angry, making me shrink slightly.

“I mean, yeah! How could you not? You’ve been out here for hours!”

He blinked rapidly, completely in disbelief.

“You’re fucking joking, right?” It was a half-yell, but it was enough to make me take a step back.

“I’m not out here worried about my fucking band, Leena. I’m thinking about what kind of father I’m going to be!” He gestured between us. “What kind of parents we can be to that baby!” He pointed at my stomach.

I was confused now. “What?”

He rolled his eyes, turning and pinching the bridge of his nose. “We’re alcoholics, Leena! I’m less than six months sober!” He coughed then, a choked sound. “I don’t know if I’d be any good as a father.”

He sat back down, and my entire mood shifted. He was concerned about being a good Dad? Did that mean he wanted this? He wasn’t worried about his job? His music? His reputation?

“Noah,” I sat next to him, but still at least a foot away. “you don’t have to worry about that.”

He looked at me then, a look of concern on his face. I gave him the wrong idea.

“I just mean that,” I shrugged, frustrated. “you’re an amazing person, Noah. Your addiction doesn’t change that.”

He leaned back on the swing, leaning his face up to look at the ceiling. “That’s your opinion, Leena. I’ve done horrible things.”

I nodded. “We all have.”

I grabbed his hand then, his face turning to look at me. I gave him a small smile.

“Do you want to do this?”

He sighed, waiting a few moments to answer. My heart pounded in my ears.

“I really do. I’m so fucking scared, but,” He squeezed my hand in his. “I can’t help feeling really fucking excited.”

He cracked a grin, and I returned it. “Me too.”

“Leena, I know this isn’t how this was supposed to happen. And I’m so sorry that I put you in this position.”

My tears came back, then. “No, I’m sorry. I was supposed to get the Plan B. I forgot.”

I hung my head, ashamed.

“Uhm, excuse me?” I looked back up at him. “I was the one who didn’t insist we use protection. And I also forgot to get you the pill.” He lifted my face with his chin. “We both did this.”

I nodded, leaning my head on his shoulder.

“So.” He sighed out, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

I leaned into him. “Yeah.”

“Well, we’ve got to move in together.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but the thought of going through a pregnancy, and all the fun that was sure to entail crossed my mind. Doing that alone felt miserable. I also thought about the morning sex I got from Noah the other day, and smiled.

“Well, I did rent my house out…”

He huffed triumphantly. “Then that’s settled.”

I smirked. “You still going to want me when I’m all fat and moody?”

He chuckled, pulling me in closer. “You won’t be fat, you’ll be pregnant.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “With my baby.”

I groaned. “Oh no, you don’t have like, a breed kink, do you?”

This made him laugh loudly. “No, not really. It’s just my masculine instinct to be more attracted to you while you’re carrying my child.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Mr. Neanderthal.”

We both laughed, but quickly became quiet again. The sound of the woods and rain around us filling the space.

“I love you, Mileena.”

I tucked my face into his side, nuzzling against him.

“I love you too, Noah.”

“You promise?”

“Always.”

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! This story was a journey, and I can say I’ve honestly come to really love these characters. Cant decide if I want to continue their story or not, so let me know if you do. If you’ve followed it, I appreciate you! Till next time, my loves. 🖤

#noah sebastian #noah sebastian fic #bad omens fanfiction #bad omens #fanfic

56 notes · View notes

filthyjoetini · 1 year

Text

Love is in the Air(BnB)

a/n: This one was a bitch to write. It took me a while. Sooooorry! The usual thanks goes to my lovely beta-reader as well as my kick ass editor (hehe) @barfightzanddiscolightz ! Also, Wes is back in action!

warnings: none

wordcount: 5.5k

part 1 - Friday night - part 2 - Saturday - part 3 - Sunday - part 5 - Tuesday - part 6 - Wednesday - part 7 - Thursday - Epilogue

Monday

“Hello there, love.”

You let your shades-covered eyes move up and saw Wesley standing in the doorway between the living room and balcony, looking like he had just gotten out of bed. You were sitting on a lawn chair, feet tucked under your bum, sipping your tea while you enjoyed the warm sun. The weather really meant well for you the past couple of days and today should also be warm enough to finally wear proper summer clothes. You were used to London’s sky being covered in clouds, foggy alleyways, and rain-soaked pavement. But not this time; this time you were graced with sunny skies and warm air. You pushed your sunglasses up to your hair and greeted Wesley.

“Good morning…. Or rather noon, Wes.”, you corrected yourself after glancing at your wristwatch, which showed you that the time was 12:18pm., “Did you sleep well?”

He nodded and sat down in the chair next to you, rubbing his eyes.

“Yup.”, he yawned. “Like a log…Do say, what’s on your itinerary for today? Planned anything exciting?” He turned to you with a small smirk on his lips.

You didn’t really have an itinerary for this trip. The only thing you really had planned was the play you wanted to see, which you did last night. Other than that, you would just do things spontaneously.

“Not really.”, you replied honestly, “I thought I’d hit the city to do some light shopping, you know?”

“Yeah, I know. Except you won’t.”

Wesley’s statement made you look at him in confusion. He wasn’t even looking at you, he just picked at his nailbeds and stared across the rooftop of the house next door.

“I won’t?”, you questioned him with one eyebrow raised, “And why is that?”

“Because!”, he turned to you, a big grin on his face, “It’s my day off and you’re coming to the lake with me. Joe will be joining us later in the afternoon and the guys and Becky will also be coming after they’re done with work for the day.”, he explained as he suddenly got up to lean against the balcony’s railing. “I usually go alone and just wait until everyone arrives but you’re here now so you can keep me company. I really hope you packed a swimsuit.”

For some reason, unbeknownst to you, you did in fact pack a bikini. You remembered holding it in your hand whilst packing and almost putting it back. Something within you told you to pack it so you threw it in your suitcase.

“I packed one, yes. I don’t have a towel though.”, you remarked.

“No worries, you can borrow one of my beach towels.”, Wesley replied as he let go of the railing and walked over to you. Stopping next to you, he motioned for you to get up. You slowly untucked your feet, letting them down onto the ground. You placed your hands on the chair’s armrests and pushed yourself up. Your movement made a small clang sound which made both Wesley and you look down to where it came from. It was the wooden beaded bracelet you had put on while exploring the flat yesterday.

Wesley narrowed his eyes at it and then moved his glance to your face.

“Hey…where did you get that?”

“Uhm”, you started, suddenly worried you had done something terribly bad by putting on the bracelet. You swore to yourself you would put it back again, but it had slipped your mind that you were wearing it. “I…I found it on the commode in the hallway. I swear it was never my intention to keep it. I just…forgot about it. Sorry.”, you clarified, a small frown grazing your lips as you slid it off your wrist, holding it out for him to take.

Instead of grabbing it, Wesley suddenly burst out laughing which irritated you to no end. He was such an unpredictable man. One day you’d get sweet and caring Wesley; you experienced that Wesley on the evening you arrived as well as the day you had to move to the living room. The other, you get the jokester who was just waiting to catch you off guard like on Saturday. Today must be yet another jokester day. You really hoped Joe wouldn’t catch Wesley’s mood and team up with him, as he was a bloody menace on his own and you had already blushed enough for a lifetime.

“I’m just taking the piss, love!”

Oh, I figured, you thought while he was still howling with laughter. He finally took the bracelet from you but instead of keeping it, he put it back on your wrist. “Christ, you should’ve seen your face. All worried.”, he giggled and took his hand in yours. “I’m sorry, but I had to…also, keep it. Consider it a token of our friendship.”, he winked and let go of your hand to walk inside the flat again. You were just standing there, looking at the bracelet with a soft smile on your face. Friendship… Wesley considered you a friend.

“ARE YOU COMING?!”

You heard him yell from inside the flat which startled you a bit.

“COMING!”, you shouted back and stepped inside the living room, closing the French doors behind you.

---

Huge beach bag slung over your shoulder and the opposite hand holding onto a cool box, Wesley and you exited the supermarket next to the train station. He was carrying two shopping bags filled to the brim with drinks, snacks, and foods to put on the grill in the evening. The group had decided to throw their first barbie of the year at the lake and had appointed Wesley as the designated food-and-drinks-provider. He had a list of everyone’s favourites on his phone and even asked you what you wanted. When you had said you’d eat anything, he got offended and forced you to tell him your preferences. At first your stubborn arse didn’t want to be a burden, but he just kept on bugging you until you caved in.

The beach bag, whose weight was currently pulling you down, was almost bursting from the number of things you had packed. You usually packed lightly, but Wesley insisted on taking basically half of the swimming inventory they owned. Apart from the towels and sunscreen, he demanded you also put in a deck of UNO-cards, a half-tent, snorkelling equipment, flippers, and even sand toys. It was beyond you as to why they even owned sand toys, but all he had said was that you would see, while grinning like a maniac. You assumed there must be a patch of sand at the lake.

Wesley led you into the station’s building where you got your tickets. He had explained that the lake was a little outside of London and taking the train would be the fastest way.

Once you got off the train it was only a five-minute walk until you were able to spot the lake. It was surrounded by a park-like setting with a playground, a children’s pool, barbeques, picnic tables, and changing facilities.

Wesley led you away from the facilities to an area almost at the end of the lake underneath a huge tree. It was the perfect size and even lent some shade so you wouldn’t be completely exposed to the sun. You put down the cool box close to where Wesley had placed the shopping bags. He immediately started to fill it with the ice he had bought and placed everything that needed to be kept cold inside.

You busied yourself with unpacking the beach bag. Once everything was placed around you, you called Wesley over.

“Where do you want all this to go?”

“Uh…. the half-tent can go by the shore, it doesn’t need to be under the tree.”, he explained whilst grabbing the sand toys and bringing them to the cool box, where he crouched down and placed them neatly next to the paper plates, plastic cups, and disposable wooden cutlery. What the hell is he doing with those?, you asked yourself and eyed him suspiciously. “Everything else, we don’t need yet. You can put those back in the bag.”, he instructed and got up again, hands now on his hips while grinning at you.

You took your eyes off him and shook your head, starting to put the snorkelling equipment and UNO-cards back into the bag. Suddenly, a hand shot out next to you and grabbed one of the beach towels that were lying on the grass next to the beach bag. You knew it was Wesley because no one else had been there with you, but he still made you jump a little.

“Sorry, I didn��t mean to startle you.”, he apologised, balancing the folded-up beach towel in one hand. The towel was a well-used The Lion King one from the 90s with thousands of loose threads, seams that were coming apart, and frayed corners. Back in the flat, whilst packing, you had asked him why he still had it and didn’t just throw it out. He explained that it was the first thing he had ever bought with his pocket money and that’s why he kept it. Then he wanted to impose an ancient Princess Belle beach towel on you which he explained belonged to his older sister. You had declined his offer politely with your nose scrunched up while he was laughing his arse off. You ended up opting for a simple one with a pretty shell pattern.

Grinning you accepted his apology. He then smiled at you softly, turned around, and placed his towel on the ground a little further away from you, making himself comfortable.

You decided to place yours next to the beach bag and took off your shirt and shorts and stowed them away in it, leaving you dressed in only your bikini and the sunglasses on your nose. Just as you wanted to lie down on your towel, a shirt was thrown at you followed by the word catch!

“Christ, Wesley!”, you exclaimed in feigning frustration. Picking up the shirt and scrunching it up in your hands, you got into position to throw it back at him when he held his hands up in surrender. Instead of going through with it, you let it drop into the bag and stuck out your tongue at him. He mirrored your childish gesture while laughing wildly before he planted his bum back on his towel. Laughing almost maniacally yourself, you finally lay down on your back to soak up some rays of your own.

---

Joe joined Wesley and you shortly before 3:00 pm. You saw him slowly approaching. He was dressed to the nines in slacks and a dress shirt. He had ditched his suit jacket, which now hung limply from his arm. In his other arm he held his own towel, swimming trunks, and a bottle of sunscreen. As he was passing by you, he looked you up and down over the rim of his sunglasses, clearly checking you out. You acted like you didn’t notice but your squirming body betrayed you. Yesterday’s bathrobe incident and his very obvious arousal because of it was still fresh on your mind, so you tried to cover yourself up a little. Joe though, picked up on your movements and grinned to himself as he made his way over to Wesley, who had his ear-buds in. He bent down to his knees and flicked his best mate’s nose with his fingers and pat him on his shoulder. Wesley, acting like the nose flick had hurt him immensely, flipped him off before he pushed away a giggling Joe who stood up again and made his way back to you.

“Hi.”, he greeted you as he placed his towel right next to you.

“Hi.”, you replied, smiling., “You look like you just came from a photoshoot...”, you continued, sitting up a little whilst pointing at his attire.

“Well.”, he said, “I actually just came from one...and an interview also. May I put my things in here as well?” He held up the beach bag in his hands.

“Ohhh...right. I keep forgetting what your actual job is… sorry. And yes, you may. It’s Wesley’s bag after all.”

He thanked you, stuffed his jacked inside, and placed it back on the ground.

“I’m going to get changed real quick.”, he stated and pointed towards the facilities, “I’ll be back in a second.”

Before you could answer him, he took off and disappeared into the changing room. You lay back down again and studied the tree’s foliage above you for a little bit before you turned your head towards Wesley. Eyes closed, he seemed like he was totally engrossed in his music or whatever media he was consuming. Since you didn’t want to bother him, you turned your head in the other direction and kept your eyes on the door, which Joe had just gone through.

After about three minutes, not that you had counted, he stepped out into the sunlight again. Bare-chested, swimming trunks on, and sunglasses covering his eyes, he strolled over to you.

As you were gawking at him, your almost-collision in front of his bathroom on Saturday morning crept back into your mind, making your face heat up again. As he got closer you couldn’t help but stare at his groin. Luckily, he had a towel around his waist that day, otherwise you would have probably fainted on the spot because he was packing. As much as you wanted to, you couldn’t tear your gaze from him. You fortunately were wearing sunglasses, so your ogling wasn’t that obvious…at least you hoped it wasn’t.

As Joe approached you, he threw his clothes haphazardly on the bag and his bottle of sunscreen on his towel. Then he sat down on it and turned to you.

“My eyes are up here.”, he declared, grinning at you. You slowly peeled your eyes from the lower part of his body and lifted your head up to his face. Motherfucker, how did he even notice?, you thought almost panicky, while the heat that threatened to creep up your neck to your face now did exactly that.

“I could see your eyes from the side of your shades.”, he commented, as if he had been able to read your mind, which made you cover your face with your hands in shame.

He let out a chuckle and you suddenly felt a hand on both of yours as they were peeled away from your face with a soft tug. You looked over and saw Joe’s face dangerously close to yours.

“Don’t be ashamed…we all constantly stare at other people. It’s just what people do.”, he whispered. “And…some stares bother me, and some don’t. Yours sure as hell don’t. So, keep on staring, darling.”

All you could do was nod and let out a choked-up chuckle. Joe let go of your hands and you pushed yourself up once again, almost headbutting Joe in the process. Joe leaned back a little to avoid getting hurt and you gasped out an apology, which made him giggle softly.

“Uhm…you have some sunscreen on your cheek…here, let me.”, you breathed, bringing one of your hands to his face, gently rubbing your thumb over his left cheek. Your tender touch made him close his eyes and lean into it. You both stayed like this for a while, not daring to move.

“Speaking of sunscreen,” Joe suddenly spoke up whilst you still had your hand on his cheek. “Would you mind helping me with my back? I couldn’t reach all parts of it.”

“Sure.”, you replied, slowly taking your hand from his face and sitting up straight. Joe turned around so his back was toward you and handed you the bottle. You squeezed a good amount of it onto your hands and then slathered it across his back. As you were thoroughly spreading the sun protection on his back, you noticed that he had freckles on his shoulders and neck. A little further down were a couple of birthmarks and moles. Mesmerized by his back, you started to massage the white liquid into his skin which elicited a mixture of a groan and a moan from his throat. The sound made you stop your motions momentarily and you felt a small flicker of lust forming in your lower abdomen. Pressing your thighs together you quickly finished your task.

“All done.”, you announced taking your hands off his back and rubbing the leftover cream onto your arms. He thanked you with a grin, turned towards you, and held the sunscreen bottle to you questioningly. You shook your head.

“I’m not due for another round yet. Wesley just helped me a couple of minutes before you joined us.”, you explained.

“Alright.”, he replied, dropping the bottle onto the pile of clothes which sat on top of the bag. Then he lay down onto his towel and slightly turned his body towards your still sitting one. “If you need another round, let me know. I’ll gladly help you.”

---

Breaking through the water’s surface you threw your head back and with it your hair. The water was still very cold, and you kicked your legs to keep warm and afloat. Swimming closer to the shore you heard someone yell at you.

“WHOOO! YES ARIEL!”

It was Wesley, who was still sitting on his towel, clapping enthusiastically at your show. He then said something to Joe you couldn’t hear, got up, and walked down the narrow dirt path where the playground and other amenities were located. You chuckled and shook your head as your feet found the lake’s sandy ground and waded out of the water. Joe who had moved his towel around to always get the most amount of sun, ended up next to Wesley when you had decided to take a quick dip in the lake. Now he was just putting it back down next to yours and made his way towards you.

“It’s freaking cold.”, you warned him when he came to a halt in front of you.

“Is that so?”

“Yes! Look!”, you retorted, teeth clattering. You quickly grabbed his forearms with your cold and wet hands, and he let out a small yelp.

“Fuck, darling. A warning would have been much appreciated.”, he chided faintly with a frown on his face, and you let go of his arms. Then suddenly, his expression changed into a mischievous one and you started to panic.

“What are you doing?”

“Me? Nothing. Why do you ask?”

“Joe…please…what ar ̶ AHHHH”, you screeched as he picked you up by your waist and slung your body over his shoulder with an oof. You slid down his back, head almost hitting the ground below you. Fortunately, he noticed and pulled you up a little before he started running towards the water.

“JOE!”, you shrieked, as his body slowly submerged into the water. “LET GO OF ME! I SWEAR TO GOOOO ̶ “

Before you were able to finish your sentence, he pulled you off his shoulder, wrapped his arms tightly around your waist and took a dive.

When you both re-emerged you were coughing and spluttering, and your hair was covering half of your face. Joe was cackling like a mad man, breathing hard. You had your body wrapped tightly around his with your thighs around his waist and your arms around his shoulders. To keep you up, Joe had placed his arms under your bum, holding onto you.

When your coughing didn’t subside, his laughter stopped, and his face turned serious.

“Are you alright, darling? You’re holding onto me like a spider monkey.”

Still coughing, you shook your head. One of his hands came up to your face to wipe your hair from it. Your eyes were closed when he gingerly rubbed his thumb across your cheeks.

“I’m sorry.”, he apologised cautiously, moving his hand to your neck and shoulders to continue rubbing there.

The pressure on your neck felt nice and you let out a small whimper as you took deep breaths. When your breathing returned to normal, you opened your eyes and saw Joe’s worried chocolate ones.

“It’s OK.”, you whispered, fearing your voice would crack. Then you suddenly grinned at him, pushed yourself off him, and dunked him under water by his shoulders.

Cackling like a maniac you swam away from him to the shore. Joe quickly came up again and shouted, “You cheeky minx!”, and came after you. To your misfortune he was a better and faster swimmer, so he caught up to you rather quickly. Just as you wanted to run through the soggy ground out of the lake, he grabbed you around your waist and swung you back. You shrieked with laughter, begging him to put you down.

Wesley came back just as Joe lifted you up, followed by Rebecca, Dan, Felix, Oliver, and Jack.

“Have they kissed yet?”, Jack asked Wesley to which he shook his head.

“Ugh, I wish they’d had. It’s annoying how they tiptoe around each other.”, Wesley replied, rolling his eyes. Cupping his hands over his mouth he took a deep breath and shouted:

“Hey! Lovebirds! The party’s full! Time for supper!”

Joe and you promptly halted your movements and let go of each other, protesting Wesley’s collective nickname for you.

With Joe hot on your heels, you stomped out of the lake towards your towel to dry yourself off. When you picked up the bag with your belongings, Joe’s clothes fell to the ground.

“Shit. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”, Joe said and picked them up, putting on his dress shirt without drying off first. You slung the bag over your shoulder and picked up your towel. Then you turned to the others.

“Hey guys! Becky! Nice to see you.”

They greeted you back in unison, each of them had a huge, suspicious smile on their face. You scrunched up your face in confusion and then turned to Joe again.

“Uhm, I’m gonna go get changed. I’ll be back in a few.”

Smiling, he nodded at you, and you walked off.

---

You returned to the group about 15 minutes later, freshly showered, dressed in your shorts and a t-shirt, your hair hung loosely and almost fully dry off your shoulders.

When you placed the bag back down on the ground, you saw that everyone was sitting in a circle, the sand toys and the UNO-cards laying in the centre of it. Confused, you joined them and sat down next to Joe. You looked up at him with questioning eyes.

“It’s a drinking game.”, he explained as he picked up his hand of cards, “You basically play UNO and when someone wins, the others have to drink. The person with the most cards in their hands has to drink out of the bucket, the person with the second most out of the castle mould, and so on…Do you also wanna play?”

“Oh, yes, that sounds fun.”, you answered as Oliver handed you your cards.

After a couple of rounds everyone had a good buzz in. Some more, some less. You were on the ‘some less’ side of the group and giggled at the ones who tottered around after what Wesley had decided was the last round. Joe, who was equally as tipsy as you, grabbed you by your arms to pull you up, when Wesley walked over to the both of you.

“Hey, Wi-Fi. Can you come help me with the food, please?”

“Wi-Fi?”, you asked, giggling, turning to Wesley.

“Yeah. Look at his fucking forehead, man. A bloody Wi-Fi signal… it’s not that strong, but it’s there.”, Wesley explained as Joe slapped the back of his head.

“Shut the fuck up, mate.”

“WI-FI!”, you yelled as you burst out laughing, holding onto Joe’s arm with both of your hands, swinging it back and forth.

Following Wesley, Joe pulled you with him since you hadn’t let go of his arm. You insisted you also wanted to help with the food. Eventually you let go of him so he and Wesley could handle the barbie while you, with Becky’s help, were setting the picnic table which was located a bit further away.

“Soooo, tell me. What is going on with you and Joe?”

Becky’s question made you stop in your tracks, pulling the stack of paper plates to your chest.

“Uh, nothing.”

“Ah, stop lying to me. I can sense that there’s something between you two from a mile away.”, she replied smirking, not buying your answer. You blushed lightly at her statement, and she walked over to you and rubbed your shoulder gently.

“Go for it.”, she encouraged you.

“I can’t. I’m going home soon…how are we supposed to make it work?”, you asked, frowning deeply.

“You’ll make it work.”, she explained, rubbing your shoulder once more. “If you don’t make a move, I will force him to.” Her voice changed from encouraging to threatening in an instant and you chuckled and nodded nervously.

“Good.”, she said as she finished placing the last of the wooden cutlery on the table. Without further ado, she walked off to join Dan, Felix, Jack, and Oliver, who were all trying to pile themselves into the half-tent. She yanked them out of it one by one and scolded them, demanding they all go sit at the table. You quickly finished setting the table before any of them could sit down and walked over to Joe and Wesley who were just finishing up at the grill.

“Hey there, love.”, Wesley greeted you as he placed sausages and burger patties on the platter Joe held out to him. “What were you and Becky talking about?”

“Nothing.”, you replied nonchalantly.

“Hmmm…”, he hummed. “Alright…didn’t seem like nothing.”

“It really was nothing. Just girl talk.”, you firmly answered, ending the conversation. Wesley placed down the tongs and held up his hands in defeat, lips in a thin line.

“Alright. Sorry.”, he apologised and walked off towards the table sitting down between Oliver and Jack with Felix on the far end of the bench.

Joe, meat platter still in his hands, still stood next to you, a concerned look on his face.

“You alright, darling?”

You gave him a quick nod and made your way to the table as well. The only two spaces left were next to Dan and Becky, so you sat down next to Becky. Joe followed you quickly and placed the platter in the middle of the table. Before his behind had the chance to touch the bench, the guys were already grabbing various meats off the platter and Becky chided them loudly, even slapping their fingers away. You came to the conclusion that Becky was most certainly the mum of the group and without her, nothing would get done.

Joe’s thigh brushed yours as he finally sat down, and it made you jump a little. Automatically, he placed a hand on your thigh to keep it from bouncing up and down and you instantly stiffened. Becky, who was sitting right next to you noticed the change in your body language and smirked to herself, looking down at your thigh where Joe’s hand was still positioned. You looked at her and she had the audacity to wink at you. Swallowing thickly, you tried to relax, which you eventually did. Joe rubbing his hand slowly up and down your thigh also helped, and you felt yourself zone out a little.

“…Sausage, burger, or chicken skewer?”

“Huh?”, you asked looking to the person who asked you the question. It was Joe who pointed to the platter with one hand, while the other one still unconsciously rubbed your thigh.

“Oh, uh…I’ll take a burger, please.”, you answered softly. He took his hand off your thigh to shovel a burger patty onto your plate and then helped himself to two of them. You pushed up a little and helped yourself to the various sauces and salads that were scattered around the table.

Dinner went by smoothly with lots of laughter, jokes, and more alcoholic beverages. By the time everyone had finished eating, it got quiet around the table and the temperature had dropped significantly. Joe had even put on his suit jacket again. When he noticed you shivering next to him, he took it off and placed it around your shoulders. Perplexed at first, you eventually wrapped it around yourself, soaking up his body warmth and smell.

To set the after-dinner mood, Wesley had put on some low music to be played in the background. Becky put Felix and Jack in charge of cleaning up and throwing away the disposable dishes and cutlery. After much resistance, moaning, and threatened punches, they eventually started cleaning up under Becky’s constant observation.

Joe, lit cigarette dangling from his lips, was immersed in a conversation with Wesley, Dan, and Oliver. You didn’t really understand what they were talking about, so you just sat there, watching everyone silently.

As you sat there, lost in thought, your earlier conversation with Becky came to your mind again. Joe and you had gotten really close over the past couple of days. The touches, the hugs, the soft kiss to your hair, the teasing, the way he held onto you in the lake this afternoon, hell you even kissed him on the cheek last night, that must mean something, right? Well, to you it did. You weren’t sure if he felt the same though. Maybe it was just playful banter for him. But if it was, he wouldn’t act this way, right? As if he were in love.

Frustrated with your thoughts you let out a deep sigh.

Excusing yourself, you got up which made Dan, Oliver, Wesley, and Joe stop their conversation. Wesley noticed the pout on your face and frowned.

You walked towards the lake’s shore where you sat down on the small patch of sand between the grass and the water. Digging your fingers deep into it, you let out a defeated groan as your eyes welled up with tears.

At the table, Wesley stared at Joe and nodded in your direction.

“Mate, go after her!”, he hissed, Dan and Oliver mouthing go, go, go as Joe put out his cigarette and got up, almost jogging after you.

You heard footstep behind you and looked up to see who had followed you. It was Joe. When he saw that you had tears in your eyes, he frowned deeply and sat down next to you.

“Hey. Are you alright?”, he asked, pulling your fingers from the sand, and taking your hands in his. You shook your head slowly, tears now flowing freely down your cheeks and dripping off your chin.

“Whoa, hey. Darling, what’s wrong?”

He tried to pull you into his lap, but you resisted and pushed him back a little, so he let go of your hands.

“I don’t know what to make of you.”, you replied honestly, and confusion set on his face.

“What? What do you mean?”

“I…”, you started, letting out a shuddering breath. “I’m not sure what you want from me, and it’s driving me insane.”, you continued, wiping the tears off your face. “The way you tease me, the touches, the embraces…your eyes. Oh my God. Your eyes. Joe, they hold so many emotions and I just can’t pinpoint them exactly. I’m scared…”, you rambled on, voice barely a whisper.

Joe stared at you, mouth hanging open, unable to answer you.

“I’m scared, because I’m leaving in a couple of days, and I don’t want this to just be a fling. And I’m scared that if we give this a go, distance will tear us apart. I’m scared Joe, so fucking scared, because I’m slowly but surely falling for you.”, you kept explaining in a whisper, still wiping your face. “Hell, I don’t even know if you feel the same. I am really putting my heart on the line here…”

Joe, totally stunned by your confession, scooted closer to you. Then, all of a sudden, he grabbed your tear-stained face in his hands and leaned in close.

“Babe, if I didn’t feel the same, would I do this?”, he asked, pressing his lips to yours. You immediately kissed him back and slung your arms around his shoulders and he finally pulled you into his lap. As your kiss grew more passionate, he let his tongue swipe across your bottom lip, and you slowly opened your mouth to let him deepen it. You kept on kissing until you ran out of breath and both your lips were bruised and swollen.

He reluctantly pulled back and grinned against your lips, wiping away the last of your tears with his thumbs.

“You’re such an idiot for ever thinking I wouldn’t feel the same.”, he whispered against your lips, pecking them softly. “A total and utter idiot.”, peck. “The biggest idiot of all idiots.”, peck.

“I got it, I’m an idiot.”, you giggled against his lips between pecks.

“FUCKING FINALLY!”

Wesley was shouting, pumping his fist into the air whilst the others where whooping and hollering behind him.

Joe lifted his hand and flipped them the bird before he leaned in to capture your lips with his once more.

---

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@ohmeg @daleyeahson @lma1986 @palomahasenteredthechat @mandyjo8719 @aysheashea @eddiebaemunson @xlilithb @freakymunson @sidthedollface2 @i-wont-run-this-time @plk-18 @avatarghost666 @kylakins88 @deadspellz @thehillzhaveeyez @kayleeelena97 @foreverjosephquinn @punctualhowell @icallhimjoey @ghostinthebackofyourhead @siriuslysmoking @hollster88 @cancankiki @definitionwanderlust @eriancrow

the ones who are crossed out are the ones I can’t tag, soz

#joseph quinn #Joe Quinn #joseph quinn fanfic #joseph quinn x reader #joseph quinn fanfiction #joseph quinn x y/n #Joe Quinn x reader #joe quinn fanfic #joe quinn x y/n #joe quinn fanfiction #rpf #love is in the air(bnb)

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elejah-wonderland · 4 months

Text

elejah_au

_time travel au_fanfic

a/n: I think that finally I got a name for this fic that was here introduced in random snippets.

Finding Forever

_an epilogue will follow this one

Mystic Falls, Fell's Church Graveyard

"De cineribus ad corpus eduxi te nunc!" Bonnie waved up her hands to the circle. A zillion magical particles surged like a whirlwind in the center. Like the phoenix bird, so did Elijah rose from the flames.

He breathed in deep, looking at the witch in front of him confused.

"Hello," Bonnie muttered, pointing to the side of the circle, "uhm- here are some clothes"

Elijah picked up the clothes and swiftly put them on. And then, he felt suddenly sickly and fell on down on his knees. He held his head in his hands.

"Here. Have some of my blood" Bonnie offered the Original a small potion bottle. "You need it. It will help you clear the pain from a spell I made to clear some of your memories."

Elijah took the tiny bottle and downed the potent Bennett blood.

Elsewhere

Boarding House

"Did you hear this? Kai is back? JEREMY!" Damon said, focusing on hearing what is said below them.

"What the Hell?" Elena turned around stunned.

Meanwhile, in the study, Jeremy dragged Kai in, holding the astrolabe. "You got to send me back."

"I'm half dead." Kai said breathing heavy.

"I got to stop Bonnie" Jeremy shot at the witch.

"Even if I could do that, she made sure noone could break the timeline again. And the ancestors are behind her." Kai said.

"I can't believe this." Jeremy pushed Kai aside.

"Believe what you want. The Bennetts allowed it. They need Elijah. The four evil Gods of the Undetworld are let loose." Kai said.

"You're lying." Jeremy sifted angrily.

"Why do you think the Bennetts let me free?" Kai said.

In Fell's Church, Bonnie had to cut debriefing Elijah short.

"Craziness in Mystic Falls never stopped. I got to go. Your family still owns the Mansion - here is a phone with our numbers, as well as your sisters. Kol, too. Though I didn't tell them I'd bring you back. They would probably not agree. This was my call. I got to go. Later" Bonnie apologized for having to run.

Elijah straightened his sleeves and after a moment to himself made his way to the Mikaelson residence.

There, he pulled his phone out of the jeans back pocket. He inhaled sharply. He wasn't ready to face anyone just yet.

He inhaled and exhaled deeply once again, allowing his brain time to process all the emotions that hurled back in explosively, mixed in with the new memories, memories he had of his time spent with Elena in 1988.

Flashback

New York, 1988

"What has you staring at me like there's no tomorrow?" Elijah said.

"It's just - you." Elena said.

"Care to elaborate" Elijah's lips curled a curious smile up.

"I love you. And I wish I can have forever with you." Elena said, sighing inwardly. She stood up and walked over to him. She took his face with her hands and kissed him deep and hard.

"Elijah" Elena muttered with a burning throat as she staggered in the room, breaking the Original's thoughts. She wanted so desperately to run into his arms, squeeze him tight, kiss him zealously. But - there was the cloud above them. The cloud of covertness. No matter that what she had done was absilutely unintentional on her part, she knew him all too well. He hated being lied to. Another breath shuddered through her, "Elijah - I"

What was there to say. His quiet demeanour spoke louder than words.

She was guilty of erasing his memories of her, of them, everything that had happened between them from 1988. But like Bonnie had explained. The timeline was not to be shifted.

"I know what I said, but the message Bonnie left me that night was ademand. I had to do it." Elena said.

"Yes. She said so." Elijah said in his very distinctive low voice.

"It was the toughest decision I ever had to make. It killed me. I missed you. I missed us. My heart ached like crazy. And then Freya found a letter you wrote to me. It blew me away - because - the last time we saw one another was in Willoughby. And you left for New Orleans." Elena paused for a split second. She tilted her head, her heart thrumming warmly, citing part of it, "You had my heart spellbound the moment I have set my eyes on you."

Elijah's warm brown eyes glistened at the memory of the letter. And the night he wrote it. The night, he had let all of his feelings he had kept bottled up for such a long time loose. Or rather put them in order.

"Please, say something," Elena narrowed the gap between them, "Elijah?"

_to be continued

#elejah #elena gilbert #elijah mikaelson #alternative universe #fanfiction #tvd imagines #elena and elijah #time travel au #finding forever

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nomatterwhatnomatterwhere · 8 months

Text

What a (Not so) Strange World - V

Prev Next

The more you looked at the statues the more you wanted to laugh.

It wasn't the awkward laugh you'd give when you look away when someone compliments you, nor the laugh when someone makes you laugh.

It was the laugh you'd have when you don't understand something and your brain thinks the most logical reaction is to laugh.

Damn, if Neige could be related to Snow White due to the similarities the two scared, here there was not the slightest doubt that those the statues depicted were the ones you had known firsthand.

Hell some of them had raised you.

“Madam Biche, are you interested in the Great Seven?”

Oh, that's right, Rock was with you, you almost forgot.

“Yeah, I guess you can say that…uhm, what did they do to become the Great Seven?” you asked, continuing to let your gaze wander between the statues

(The Queenie statue was a little burnt, now that you looked at it carefully…)

The boy narrowed his eyes slightly, but continued to smile at you

“ Never heard of them? I guess you must be from very far away”

Now he was calling you ignorant right?

You weren't sure you should have heard him, since he was whispering, but you had heard him and you felt a little offended.

It wasn't as if you had grown up with the stories of these Great Seven, in fact, the stories you knew certainly wouldn't have earned them statues. You were sure of it.

On the other hand, however, Rook did not know that you were not of this world, and therefore it was probably strange that you did not know the deeds of these great Rulers.

But you didn't like being called ignorant - even if in this case it was true.

(Rook was amazed that you didn't know who the Great Seven were, but not for the reason you thought; no, when you approached the statues you stopped to look at them with a confused expression, as if you didn't understand why there were statues with those features. You became more and more interesting)

He told you the events that had made the Great Seven ,well, the Great Seven and the more he told you their stories the more genuinely confused you seemed.

The information Rook had given you was what you knew, it was generic information, but it matched the personalities of your world, yet the epilogues were completely different.

You should do some research

Ahh, you could already foresee the big headache that all this would bring.

The universe must have wanted to have fun with you, it was obvious

While you cursed everything that came to your mind, Rook wondered if all your emotions could be seen on your face; your expressions were cute

Rook later accompanied you to the president's office and greeted you, inviting you to have tea with him in the Pomefiore common room, and as soon as the name of the dormitory left his lips, the blond could see your eyes light up and your smile form

Très Magnifique

And he walked away with a feeling of warmth.

You on your side recognized the name of the dormitory and knew that Vil was its Housewarden.

You didn't know what the characteristics of each dorm were, but you could imagine that being charming was one of Pomefiore's characteristics, if Rook and Vil were part of it.

You knocked on the office door several times, but no one answered, so once you confirmed that it wasn't completely locked, you entered.

The room was decidedly dark.

The curtains were open, but there were some kind of grates on the windows and therefore natural light was reduced; this explained the chandelier on the ceiling, even if the amount of lights out made you doubt the functionality of the object

And definitely messy.

The desk was covered in documents, open folders and scattered papers.

You'd get a headache just looking at them.

But beyond the paintings of the Great Seven there wasn't much else to look at.

There was really something bothering you about the room and you weren't sure what it was.

“Luckily for you, I am kind enough to not make you feel guilty for entering my office without permission, but please, know that such a violation wouldn't normally go unpunished.”

It took a lot of willpower not to yell at him that it was his fault that you had entered his study

The man in front of you seemed rather theatrical to you, had he not clearly said that this was his office you would have doubted he was a principal.

He must have liked crows given his…peculiar clothing. Was he stylish? Perhaps. But in your eyes that feather cloak was very tacky… but the claw rings were really pretty, you could give him that

Crowley – “Dire Crowley” - after having ascertained several times that you were the student that he had kindly and compassionately agreed to host – he had literally asked you if you were from the RSA, with a rather annoyed look you could add – he had pushed you out of the room, highlighting how lucky you were at that moment, after all it wasn't every day that the Headmage himself acted as a guide around the school

You doubted that having such a character as a guide was a blessing, but the RSA HeadMage had warned you that Crowley was peculiar.

The man gave you a tour of the school, showing you the classes in which you would have lessons and underlining several times how he had insisted on certain classes, for the good of the students, because he cares a lot about their well-being.

He also explained to you that since you were a special case, your accommodation had been prepared especially for you, but in a hurry and therefore it shouldn't surprise you too much if there were some small jobs to do.

Your quarters hadn't been made especially for you at all - but you didn't need to know that - it was the Ramshackle Dorm, because unwanted guests were now residing there - you didn't have to know that either - Crowley did it for you, you would have definitely feel lonely if you had a room of your own - and he didn't have the slightest desire to renovate one of his closets, er, staff rooms - at least you'd have someone to look after you - he was a Headmaster, not a babysitter.

(Crowley had totally forgotten, however, that both Crewel and Trein had in fact brought one of the teachers' quarters back into use, that they had told him so, and that he had also given permission to do so. He had been oh so busy, that it had completely slipped his mind)

As you moved, however, you began to hear several screams coming from what you soon discovered was the Cafeteria.

You also discovered that the man could be quite scary when he was angry.

You weren't really sure of what had happened, but there was a chandelier on the floor and then there was Crowley yelling at three students that they had been expelled, then they all started talking in lower voices and you didn't quite understand what they were saying to each other.

All you knew was that then the three – four if you counted the unconscious weasel – had run away and one of them, the one with the red hair, had bumped into your shoulder and hadn't even apologised.

Rude.

(Actually Ace hadn't seen you, he had other things on his mind, but Deuce had turned to apologize, but you had your back turned and hadn't seen him)

You had heard Crowley complaining about the paperwork he would have to deal with for the expulsion as he looked at the now destroyed chandelier.

When he realized that you were there too, he apologized for having made you see this not so nice side of him, ' but sometimes you have to have an iron fist with the students ', and then he returned to his jovial tone as you headed to the place where you would have stayed.

The Hall of Mirrors was…different, you had expected it to be more majestic than it actually was, but nothing would surpass the look of disgust you had as soon as you saw Ramshackle.

(Crowley couldn't blame you, the place was in terrible shape, but he was committed to making it habitable, more or less.)

And so your tour of the school ended.

In front of a creaking door of a dilapidated building…

Had Trein and Crewel really agreed to this being your arrangement?

It wasn't that you were spoiled or anything, it just didn't seem like a very safe building to live in.

Hmm, you would have talked about it with your guardians

When you walked through the door you kicked up so much dust that you started coughing and thinking you were going to die from it.

The wooden floor – which was probably not moldy thanks to some magic – creaked with every step you took, and you admired how most of the furniture was covered in sheets to protect it from the dust.

You approached the kitchen area, which seemed a little less abandoned than the rest of the building, but you couldn't do much, because a ghost had approached you

(he had emerged from the kitchen fires while you were trying to light them up)

When he came out you opened your eyes wide, but he didn't seem very happy with your reaction, in fact he seemed to be quite upset about it.

You must have looked a little worried as you heard a voice that reassured you

Well, hearing that voice scared you and all your worry about the ghost in front of you was gone, as the said ghost was laughing like a maniac – if you wanted to be mean, he probably died laughing before becoming ,well a ghost .

The voice belonged to a rather skinny ghost with well-pronounced cheekbones and dark circles under his eyes – you didn't think it was possible, but the universe was having fun proving you wrong.

“We've been alone for sooo long, we had to find a way to pass time. Sorry for scaring you”

While the other ghost was still laughing at your expense, the ghost with the dark circles gave you a little tour of the building pointing out everything that was wrong – that is, everything.

You were quite satisfied when among all that dust everywhere - on the stairs, on the windows, on the floor - you found a decent room; okay it was dusty and there were several cobwebs, but its condition compared to the rest of this room was perfect.

(apart from another little ghost, slightly stockier than the others, who came out as soon as you grabbed the door knob. Yes, they must have been here for a long time and they certainly had a little fun)

You were almost about to change your mind about Crowley's good intentions, okay, the place was what it was, but at least the man had deigned to give you a room in good condition, when the ghosts told you that that was Yuu and Grim's room

It took you a few seconds to realize that you would have roommates, that they were nowhere to be seen at the moment, that Crowley probably hadn't thought about you and your living arrangements at all, and that you had no idea how or why Yuu and Grim were willing to live in this place that would probably fall down at any moment.

As soon as you recovered from the very heavy attack of dust that had overtaken you as soon as you opened the window of the room you had claimed as yours, you set to work cleaning up and thank goodness Frau Grimilde was a bit of a clean freak and you had learned a few little spell of order and cleanliness and in that moment you were so grateful for it, given that without the help of magic it would have taken you three times as long to make that room livable

(Grimilde is not a cleanliness freak, but she demands that the place she is in is tidy - a queen cannot live in a stable - also because making potions in a messy and disorganized place creates nothing but disastrous results)

And okay, if Crewel and Trein didn't complain about your accommodations, it meant there was effectively nowhere else they could have you stay. But it was rude not to put even a bottle of water in the fridge or a pack of biscuits in the pantry - suppose you have to recover from having cleaned a room in terrible condition.

Forcing your guests to do the shopping, this was new.

You probably would have liked to be on good terms with your new roommates, so you asked the ghosts if the two had any preferences

(Apparently Yuu ate little and none of the three had any idea of their preferences, they told you about Grim that he had a strong obsession with Tuna, what the heck was him,a cat? Was it even healthy as thing?)

Remembering the way to Sam's shop - also thanks to some students you had asked for information - you started shopping at the place.

This place was also dark – it must have been the aura of the school – but it was difficult to concentrate on just one thing in particular. You obviously picked the ones that reminded you of home because there, in that shop in another world, there were Madame Tremaine's earrings and ring, but in what from the outside looked like a mouse's hole you could find literally everything .

You'll probably come often, it seemed like a nice place.

When you paid – in addition to noticing a shadow moving strangely – the clerk, who you realized was Sam, you gave him Crewel's credit card number, and he laughed as he looked at what you had purchased.

Just a few seconds later you got a call from Crewel

“My dear Pup, could you explain why it's look like I've bought 10 cans of Tuna?”

“Cause I did buy 10 cans of Tuna…”

“And you did it because…”

“Because I have to make dinner, I guess”

You heard a very heavy sigh before hearing Crewel say he would be there shortly

When the man arrived at the store – you were waiting outside though – Crewel gave you a look somewhere between disgusted and confused.

(Crewel had given you his card number for emergencies, because he would actually never send you out without a Madol, but he wasn't totally convinced that buying Tuna was considered an emergency)

He took your bags and you started walking, you wanted to try to explain why you made these purchases, but you forgot everything as you realized that you were heading in the opposite direction to the Hall of Mirrors

“Didn't you come here from your room, pup?”

“Yeah, my room in the Ramshackle Dorm”

“Sorry, your room in where pup?”

Omake

(“Hi” “Hi little one” “Do you accept credit cards?… Good, put it on the Crewel's one, I'm kind of his daughter if you're wondering” “Thoose seems kinda heavy, lucky you, I have these auto-portable bags at 30%” “No, thanks, and dad would kill me if I ever bought something that ugly, sorry” “Not even if it is twofer?” “Only this one though”)

#twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #twst x reader #disney #reader insert #twisted wonderland x reader #rook hunt #rook x reader #vil schoenheit #divus crewel #crowley

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insufferable-talkstuck · 10 months

Text

in Yiffanys defense

the majority of the original characters created for the epilogues and HS^² aren't well liked, among those characters lies a controversial girl named Yiffany longstocking lalonde harley, in this post i will defend her honor

Yiffy is the biological daughter of Rose lalonde and Jade harley, she is hated by the fandom because of the fact Rose was married to Kanaya during Yiffys "making", birth, and entire life. Rose hid her secret daughter from Kanaya for 15 years.

however that being as it may, Yiffy still has not done a wrong thing herself, she was hidden away from the public and later kidnapped she's the victim in this entire situation.

tho it was awful of Rose and Jade to hide this for so long, Kanaya was still okay with it after the confession, and frankly didn't care for the cheating part of it as much as the lying

now that we've covered that Yiffy has literally done nothing wrong, was just a hurt hidden kid, and ruined zero marriages, let's get to excusing Jades actions shall we

Yiffy was fucked into reality during the time everyone in the Candy timeline was having children, Jade having male genitals could not have a child with Dave or Karkat who she was with at the time, tho she really wanted to. In her desperate craving to become a mother she contacted Rose [ Daves sister ] to help her, which she did in good friend fashion. Not everyone will agree that this was okay of Jade but i think it's totally forgivable i mean,, god forbid women do anything jeez! just let her be a mom—i mean uhm,, Kanaya said she understood Jades pain and was forgiving so let's not be mad in Kanayas name

#homestuck #homestuck epilogues #hs^2 #yiffany longstocking lalonde harley

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titstraction · 12 days

Note

hiii laura, how are you!! 11, 17, 24, and 28 please 🪲💞

helloooo y im good i just got a new haircut!!!! how are you!!!! <333 thank you for dropping by!!! sending a million kisses!!

(for the Yet another writing ask)

11. Three tropes that are fine but overrated.

omg idk I'm a lover not a hater... I'll say that uhm 1) fake dating never really did it for me, often the reasoning behind it does not convince me enough and I can't move past it :/ 2) kidfic/ wolfstar raising harry LOOK I think it makes for an interesting dynamic between them but I get bored with all the practicalities of having baby.. 3) I'll go with enemies to lovers, there's this one slytherin!sirius fic that I love but often the enemieship is based off nothing orrrr one of them is absolutely detestable... again I'm a lover not a hater and I much prefer a friendship or (god willing) a meet-cute...

17. Past or present tense? Why?

Present! I think it's nicer to write and read, adds a certain vividness to the text and a pace I like best. But sometimes I'll switch between them unconsciously and have to edit it back, so it's not really a deep rooted preference.

24. Thoughts on flashbacks/ flashforwards.

Slayyy flashbacks I love a little lovey dovey flashback when it's all angsty in the present. Flashforwards hummm I don't think I encounter them as often but gotta confess I'm not the biggest fan of an epilogue where all it's sweet and dandy. Prefer a neat end.

28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

Hm kill your darlings but bury them in a word doc you can revisit later is a good one. And always remember that whatever you do, there is worse out there that is still deeply appreciated (my favorite writer reccing fanfic that's a little uhmm sure has given me unparalleled confidence).

#y tag

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little-birdseeker · 17 days

Text

Growing Wings - Epilogue - Journey's End

[<- Chapter 11: Growing Wings]

What a wonderful day to be back in Limsa! Has there ever been a better one?! Certainly not in the few days she had been here lately, that was for sure! And Isabelle enjoyed every last bit of it, every ray of sunshine she could get!

Just a few moments later, Isabelle spotted her first target! “Fooorwin! Heeey!”, she shouted while waving at the old fisherman. He hadn’t changed a bit, as she saw it from the distance, except for some signs of the coming age.

“Oh that’s a surprise. Isabelle!”, he immediately responded before even turning around, as he knew only one girl with such an enthusiastic voice.

“And I thought you might have forgotten me, after Luca and Miara have told me that you have returned to them”, he laughed and stepped out of his boat at the pier.

“Whaaat? How could I eeever forget about you?! I could neeever forget about the saaails and the rooopes and the fiiish!”

“Right, right. Ah, don’t look so sulky, Isa, that was just me teasing you a bit. I- Really, it was a joke, okay? Got all your letters! Thank you, for all of them!”

Isabelle immediately stopped sulking and showed her beaming smile once again.

“You diiid? Yay! I did nooot know how to address them weeell enough, but the moooogles did a greeeat job, yes!”

“They sure do, even though nobody can see them… Anyway now, come here!”

He gave a big hug, to which she responded likewise. How many years had it been? About six years? A lot of time had passed since then, that was for sure.

“Looook! I stiiill got the peeendant you gave me!”, Isabelle said and very proudly showed off the little seashell that was decorating her neck.

“Ohh, yeah, you are right. Seems like it protected you well.” “It diiid!! And it wiiill protect me even longer!”, she responded with a happy grin.

“So, how have you been? Your parents haven’t told me yet, besides some major things. Like… magic? For real? And an own shop?”

“Mhm!! Looook!!” Proudly, Isabelle concentrated on her magic and formed a little ball of light, which rose slowly above them, just to explode in a warm shower of sparkles.

“Isn’t it greeeat?!”

“Uhm… sure, it looks great, but-” “It iiis great!”, Isabelle insisted - what else was magic good for if it did not look, like, magical and sparkly?! “And besiiides that I can mooove things and clean my hooouse and my dreeesses and fight eeenemies and-” “Okay okay, I got it, I was wrong”, Forwin laughed. “So you have become a great magician, I can see that. No need to show me all of it. But how? Tell me, how was your journey?”

“Oookay!” Her voice certainly carried some sort of disappointment with it - after all, showing of her magical skills was something she was very proud of - but she also knew that Forwin was right. She could also show off later, when the time was right.

“Sooo, wheeere to start…? Riiiight, Uuul’dah!”

And so, she started telling him about her journey.

The one year in Ul’dah. The people she met, like Nalama and Tion - even though she had no contact with him anymore, she might need to change that. The weavers guild. About Ricky, her very own (red!) Chocobo. And the thaumaturges, of course.

About Gridania. The druids and the leatherworkers. About all the trees, how it felt to be so far away from the ocean.

About her journey to Ishgard, her hatred for cold and snow which nearly got herself killed. The man that saved her life and became her first love, the man she married - Forwin was shocked by that one - and how much she despised him now. A despicable man that had only been interested in her body and in acquiring women!!

How Azura and Wickid met her in Ishgard and introduced her to the free company. All the adventures she lived through, how they ventured to the far far east where the free company resided now.

And of course, how she had started her own shop in Kugane, about two years ago. Oh, and all of the things she knew about the city. The harbor, the hot springs, the market, especially all of the clothes there, and how tasty all the meals were.

And how the meeting between her and Iana ended. She sniffed a bit while telling Forwin the story, calmed down by some strokes over her head. Forwin knew about Ianas death. Luca and Miara had already morned a lot while also being overjoyed by Isabelles return. It was a hard time for them, for sure. Scars would remain, but until then he would be there for them. And Isabelle as well, he was sure of it. Or else, she would have not returned, after all.

“What a journey”, the fisherman concluded as the barrage of words had finally come to end. “So I assume it had been a good one?”

“The beeest!”, the catgirl responded immediately.

“No regrets?”

“Hmmm… sooometimes. But I would stiiill do the same! Nooot change a thing!”, she answered truthfully. Lies were bad, after all! Most of them, at least.

“And now? Any new plans?”, Forwin laughed, expecting the most surprising things, just like it was usual with Isabelle.

“Uuuhm… for nooow I will take care of my shop! Aaand train and try new enchaaantmens!” “Oh, enchantments? Is there something you can’t do?” “Flyyy! For nooow!”, she chuckled together with Forwin.

“Well, that’s a matter of time, isn’t it.” “Mhm!! But for nooow…”

“The rogues?”

Nodding showed he was right.

“Well, great Namo from me! And your parents, if you visit them today.” “Wiiill do! And take caaare of you, Forfor! Bye bye!” “Oh Isa, don’t ca- there she goes. Whatever…”, he sighed and had to laugh. Some things never changed.

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

“Can’t let you in without the password, sorry.” “Oswin, you knooow me! Come ooon, how can I knooow it?!”

“How do I know you are not someone else?” “Looook at me! Hooow many girls do you know that have suuuch fluffy taaail, sooo beautiful red haaair, are sooo cute… and have suuuch a deep cleavage?!”

With the last words, Oswins eyes twitched for a moment, but he kept his mouth shut and stood still, which annoyed Isabelle even more.

"Oooswin! If you dooon't let me in, Namo will be sooo furious! You wiiill regret it, and she will nooot apologize!"

That was the last straw. He knew R’namo, and even though she had grown to be nicer to him - or anyone, on that matter - in the last… ten years? Well, he sure knew he did not want to be the one to tell her he did not let in her beloved pupil daughter. Who knew what she would do to him, and he wasn’t eager to find out.

“Fine. Here, go in. But if you are an imposter-”

“Thaaank you! I will tell her how niiice you were!”, Isabelle said as she darted in.

Honestly, it sounded like a threat. At least to Oswin. Probably his imagination. Isabelle wasn’t like this. Instead, she would tell the whole truth, which was bad enough for him.

Hopefully, R’namo had some mercy on him.

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

Tip Tap. Tip Tap.

She was wide open, and could have never been prepared for Isabelles assault. Well it wasn’t like nobody was watching - A'nissa was sitting in the corner and was overjoyed to see one of her missing friends being back. But she wanted to see the chaos unfold as Isabelle flung herself onto her victim. It was far too much fun to watch it!

“Goootcha!”, Isabelle shouted as she threw herself onto R’namos back, resulting in the most violent and soft hug the rogue has gotten for quite a while.

“WHA-?!”, she almost screamed as she felt the catgirl on her back. “ISA?! You damn- Where-?! How-?! OH COME HERE!”

In a matter of seconds, the one sided hug was changed into a consensual one.

“I am baaack!”, Isabelle laughed and smiled.

“Thanks, I have noticed”, R’namo tried to hiss, but just had to laugh as well.

“Damn, I thought you would never come back here. After your letters stopped and so on.” “I was buuusy Namo! I am sooorry!”

“Busy with what? Sewing new dresses?”

“Yeees! That takes some tiiime, you know?”

“So you were busy with dresses and distract boys and men alike with that cleavage you are sporting”, A'nissa darted in, still cackling from the assault she had witnessed.

“It’s a diiirndl, it haaas to be this way! And it looks greeeat, right?”

“Well if you say so…”

“R’namo please, look at her, it looks great! Especially on our Isa here, in contrast to you if you would wea-” “Oh shut up Nissa, as if anyone could challenge her on that!”, R’namo hissed at the laughing Miqo’te.

“Mhm!”, Isabelle agreed with a good deal of laughter from herself. “Told you I am going to become sooo big!” “That’s not what you mea- oh, whatever. You seem very confident about that now, so do you-” “Knooow why people liiike them?”, Isabelle interrupted her old mentor. “Well becaaause-”, she started to talk and somewhat demonstrate her gathered knowledge about this topic.

Which made A'nissa laugh, as she loved how confident Isabelle spoke, while it made R’namo blush ever so slightly - which in turn made A'nissa laugh even more. Isabelle, however, proudly grinned at her friends. She had learned a lot, after all, and every bit had to be shared - even such things like this!

“Gods, okay, guess you know”, R’namo sighed. “Well, good that Jon wasn’t here…” “Oh i could get him, should be around somewhere.” “Oh should i tell him-” “NO!”, R’namo shouted at Isabelle, making both other girls laugh. “Oh you- You have grown into a fine yet mischievous woman, have you?”

“I leeearned from the best!”

That left R’namo speechless. Especially as Isabelle wasn’t completely wrong, after all. Plus the other girls had helped at that as well, to be fair, but still.

“Whatever”, R’namo sighed. “Don’t want it to be any other way. That’s our Isa.” “Hehe!”, Isabelle chuckled with a grin. “But I stiiill want to meet Jon again!”

“Well of course, let’s find him. Just keep those things for you, kay? Having both of you tease me like that is more than enough.” “Oookay!”, Isabelle chuckled. “Prooomised!”

“And I shall find Agness, I think she is somewhere on the market. Shouldn’t be hard to find her”, A’nissa threw in.

“And what about Leeena?!”, Isabelle asked, worried about the lalafell.

“Oh, uhm, she… is gone”, R’namo told Isabelle. For a moment, the red girl was shocked about this news, until A’nissa stepped in.

“She stopped being a rogue and now works in The Bismarck. Wanted to become a chef. Stabbing people wasn’t for her, so now she stabs fish I guess.”

Outraged, Isabelle stared at R’namo, who in turn grinned at her. “Ha, gotcha!” “Ruuude!”

“Could say the same about you!” “Pah!”

For a moment, everyone kept silent, but it didn’t last long until they burst out in laughter.

“I was wooorried, okaaay?”

“Yeah, sorry. Thanks for clearing that A’nissa. Oh, what about we meet up there, in The Bismarck? Yeah, let’s go there and eat together, and talk about the past years!” “Oh I would looove to! Let’s search for the others and gooo! Jooon, where aaare you?!”, Isabelle shouted and dashed through one of the doors.

“Isa, please, stay- you know where we meet, A’nissa. I’ll have to catch this whirlwind here. And have to ask her how she got through Oswin.”

“Right right! See ya later!”

“Yeah, bye!”

With that, they parted ways, just to be reunited later. An evening full of stories was about to start. And surely, she had made them proud. All of them.

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

(To everyone who has read the whole thing: Thank you so much!! I hope you enjoyed the ride! <3 This has been on my mind for quite a while, and I am happy to be able to share something about my girl! So, every reader: You get the best hug Isabelle can give! You earned it! <3)

(If you are interested in some other stuff i wrote or want to know more about Isabelle, you may want to take a look at Isabelles story page!)

#Isabelle Birdseeker #Writing #My Writing #Growing Wings #about her~#final fantasy xiv #ff 14 #long post #thanks to everyone who read it!#and thanks to everyone who shared the story as well!

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