#oval shaped mirror | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

joelsgreys · 1 day

Text

flutter

Post Outbreak! Joel Miller x Pregnant! Female Reader

snapshots masterlist

summary: When you finally start to show, Joel has a tough time with it as the reality sinks in—he’s going to be a father again.

warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI. JACKSON ERA. (TW) PREGNANCY. established relationship. no mention of reader’s age, however in other works for this universe, it is implied she is younger than Joel, her specific age will never be stated so do with that what you will. brief descriptions of a pregnant woman’s changing body, brief mention of morning sickness, mention of breastfeeding (it only comes up in a conversation very briefly) these subjects can possibly be triggering, especially mentions of a changing body, so while i try to handle everything with the utmost care, i still ask that you proceed with caution. domesticity, reader enjoys taking care of her family, ellie is a little shit, grumpy joel, he’s sort of a dick at first? but only because he’s working through some feelings so let’s forgive him, okay?

word count: 3.5k

a/n: this is part of the snapshots universe, but it could absolutely be read as a standalone too. minimal editing, this has been sitting in my drafts and i did a quick edit during my lunch hour, so please excuse any mistakes.

“Shit.”

You almost can’t believe your own two eyes. Staring at your reflection in the large, oval shaped mirror hanging over the porcelain bathroom sink, your gaze widens in complete surprise. “Jesus Christ,” you mutter, turning to the side. It takes your brain about a good minute or two to process, really process, the way that your belly strains against the thin, white cotton of your camisole. It had seemingly swollen overnight—because it hadn’t been this prominent the day before, had it?

Over the last few months, there’d been changes.

Some subtle and some not so subtle.

“Ellie! Stop fucking staring at them,” you’d scolded the teenager late one evening during yours and hers weekly game night. For as hard as you tried focusing on what move you should make next, it was hard to concentrate on the chessboard in front of you when you could feel the way her eyes were fixed on your breasts. “I mean it! Quit staring at my boobs, you little shit.”

She held up her hands, her mouth full of popcorn.

“Hey, in my defense, they’re just fucking there, man. If anything, they’re fucking staring at me, okay?”

During your chess rematch the following week, you had accidentally knocked one of your pawn pieces off of the table. When you’d stood up and bent over to pick it up, she had made the observation that your butt seemed to have gotten a little bigger too.

“Bet Joel’s liking these changes,” Ellie had smirked. “It sure as hell explains why the headboard’s been banging against the wall more than usual lately.”

You threw the pawn at her, smiling in satisfaction when it bounced off her forehead and landed into her glass of lemonade.

One part of your body, however, hadn’t changed.

Not until now.

“Hon, trust me, you have nothing to be worried about,” Maria had assured you with confidence when you had brought up your concerns about your stomach. “Every woman, and every pregnancy, is different. I didn’t start showing until I was around six months, remember?”

“I guess you’re right.” You’d been around four months, then. “Doesn’t help that I haven’t felt the baby move.”

“You will,” Maria had promised. “Just be patient”

Biting your lip, you place a hand on your belly.

It’s always been one of the softer parts of you, but now, it’s firmed into a perfect, round bump.

“Maybe soon I’ll feel you move,” you murmur, giving it a gentle pat. You tug the lace hem of your camisole down as far as it can go and then pull at the elastic waistband of your blue, terry cloth shorts.

Shutting off the lights in the bathroom, you slip out into the bedroom where you find that Joel’s still tangled up in the sheets, fast asleep. He had been assigned to the afternoon patrol route today—normally an early riser, if he was still snoozing, it meant that he really needed the rest. Deciding it was best to let him keep sleeping for a little while longer, you quietly tiptoe out of your shared bedroom and head downstairs into the kitchen.

After making yourself a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice, and one for the kid as well, you prepare the coffee maker for Joel. You spoon dark roast grounds into the filter and set the timer for the coffee to start brewing in thirty minutes.

He should be up by then, you think, pulling a basket of eggs out of the refrigerator.

You’re starting to get used to this. Domesticity.

Despite your protests, Maria had made the decision to pull you off patrol that same afternoon you had shared the news of your pregnancy. “I’m putting you on leave,” she’d told you. “Effective immediately. I don’t want to see you outside of these walls. Got it?”

“That’s not fair, Maria. You were out on patrol until—”

One stern glare from her had shut you right up.

“Fine.”

Sure, you missed it and looked forward to the day when you’d be able to get back into the saddle with your rifle in hand, but this way of life had grown on you. Certainly a lot more than you thought it would.

You enjoyed taking care of the house. Packing Ellie her lunch for school and checking her homework. Having a nice a meal on the table for the three of you to enjoy in the comfort of your own home instead of having to go down to the crowded mess hall for supper because you and Joel were both always much, much too tired after a long day out on patrol to bother with cooking.

With the baby due to arrive in the winter, looking after your little family had become your purpose, and you did not mind it one bit.

As strips of bacon sizzle in one pan on the gas powered stove, you crack a couple of eggs into another, knowing the kid is already on her way downstairs. You can hear the sound of her old, tattered low top sneakers that you have been trying to throw away for almost a year now squeaking on the kitchen tiles just as you finish plating her breakfast.

“Morning!” Ellie pipes, the loud plop of her backpack into a chair prompting you to turn around. “What’s for brea—whoa! Holy shit!” Her brown eyes widen in shock when she sees you and her jaw drops. “Dude.”

“Ellie,” you say her name warningly as you walk over to the table. “Don’t.”

“You’re bigger!”

With a playful glare, you set her plate down, along with her glass of orange juice. “Thanks a lot, you little jerk.” You feign offense. “You’re making your own eggs from now on.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry.” Ellie’s cheeks flush a shade of red and she squirms, sputtering apologetically, “I swear, I don’t mean it like that at all. It’s just, your stomach, it didn’t—you didn’t look like this last night, you know?”

She’s fucking lucky that your raging hormones decided to take the morning off duty.

“You look different. I mean, you look great—”

“Ellie?”

“Yeah?”

“Just shut up and eat.”

“Deal.”

She shoots you a sheepish grin and sits down, scarfing down her food in her usual manner.

“You get your fractions homework done?”

“Yeah.” Ellie huffs, rolling her eyes. “Took me forever. I was up until fucking midnight.”

Amused, you offer, “Want me to check your work?”

“Sure.”

As Ellie inhales the rest of her breakfast, you pull out a green, single subject notebook from her backpack and look over her homework for miscalculations.

“So, uh, how are you feeling?” she asks after a minute.

“I’m feeling alright. I think the morning sickness finally stopped, so can’t complain.” Shrugging, you close the notebook and stick it into her backpack. “You did good, kid. Only got two problems wrong.”

“Man, I really wish we knew whether it’s a boy or girl,” Ellie mumbles through a mouthful of scrambled eggs. “What do you want to have, anyway?”

“It doesn’t matter to me, Ellie,” you answer, honestly. Clocking the skepticism on her face, you laugh and say, “It’s true. As long as the baby’s healthy, that’s all I care about.” And you mean it. As an expectant mother in the post outbreak world where medicine is scarce, supplies are limited, and the closest thing you have to a hospital is the town’s old clinic, the only thing you can hope for is the smooth, safe delivery of a healthy child.

Before she can say anything, you both catch the sound of Joel’s heavy boots as he descends the staircase.

She quirks an eyebrow. “Uh, has Joel seen you yet?”

Grimacing, you shake your head. “No.”

“Well, I don’t wanna be here for all that awkward,” Ellie says, chugging the rest of her orange juice. She stands up and snatches up her backpack, along with her lunch bag, which you’d packed for her earlier that morning. Just as she’s about to whirl around on the heel of her sneaker and make a run for the front door, she pauses, watching as you make your way back over to the stove to light another flame. “Unless you want me to be?”

“I’ll be fine, Ellie,” you assure her. “Go on, get to school. Maybe you’ll be on time to class for once.”

“If you say so.” She wishes you luck and then bolts out of the kitchen, throwing a quick goodbye at Joel on the way out. “See ya later, old man!”

Nervously, you turn around and start cracking another two eggs into the pan. There’s no telling how he’s going to react.

Joel’s been fairly supportive since you’d found out you were pregnant, considering how unplanned it was. But you know him like the back of your own hand, and you know, despite the numerous times he’s denied it, that it has been weighing heavily on him. Each time you’d try to sit down to talk to him about it, he would brush you off and insist he was fine. But he wasn’t fine.

And you wish he would spit it out and tell you why.

In your periphery, you notice the stained glass butterfly he had hung in front of the window above the sink, the ornament catching and refracting the sunlight. Flecks of color dance across the walls in captivating patterns, brightening the space. You think of the sweet little girl he’d hung it for, the little girl he rarely talks about, that he keeps tucked away safely in his memory.

You bite back a small sigh.

By now, you’ve learned not to push him. Especially not about what he was feeling. He would tell you when he was ready.

“Who the hell lit a fire under her ass this mornin’?” Joel asks gruffly as he walks into the kitchen. “She ain’t ever this fuckin’ eager to go to school.”

“Not sure,” you reply in the most nonchalant tone you can muster as you use a spatula to scramble the eggs. Transferring them onto a plate, you add three strips of bacon, and then pour his coffee. “I have your breakfast ready, Joel. Have a seat.”

You hear a chair scrape against the tile.

“I keep tellin’ you I can make my own breakfast, darlin’.”

“And I keep telling you I don’t mind making it for you,” you quip, and you hear him grumble something under his breath.

Inhaling a deep, calming breath through your nose, you take the plate of eggs and bacon in one hand, and his cup of coffee in the other. Your fingers grasp the handle of his ceramic, owl mug in a near death grip. You exhale slowly, and then turn around to face him.

He sees your swollen middle and stiffens in his chair.

The tension is instantaneous. Palpable.

Uncomfortable.

Awkwardly, you shift from one foot to the other.

“Your belly,” Joel murmurs, a visible tick in his jaw as his gaze drags over your midsection. “S’bigger.”

“Yeah. It is. Guess I’m going to have to start trading for maternity clothes soon,” you remark, shuffling over to the table. Setting down the plate and mug of coffee in front of him, you take a seat across the table. Your eyes try desperately to meet his, but they refuse. There’s no way for you to decipher what he’s thinking. You let out a small, nervous laugh. “Can you please say something?”

He lightly clears his throat. “I’ll take you to Main Street on Saturday,” he tells you, picking up his mug. “I’ve got the day off from patrol. I’ll, uh, pick through some of my own things and see what I don’t need so we can make a trade for some clothes.” He pauses, then offers quietly, “In the meantime, you can wear my shirts. They might be more comfortable for you.”

You flash him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Joel.”

Sipping his coffee, he continues to avoid your gaze.

“Mhm,” is all he says.

Your smile falters.

It’s the middle of August.

The afternoon heat is sweltering. Unforgiving.

“Jesus, it’s a fuckin’ scorcher,” Tommy sighs, glancing over towards the lake where his mare, Maxine, is taking a drink beside his brother’s stallion, Phoenix. His raven curls are damp with sweat, plastered to his forehead. “Hotter than the devil’s fuckin’ balls out here, ain’t it?”

He’s met with silence.

Looking over his shoulder, he sees Joel leaning against a tree, his rifle in hand as he stares at the Grand Tetons in the distance almost like he’s in a trance. “Joel?”

Blinking furiously, Joel shakes his head. “Sorry, you say somethin’ to me just now?” He asks in a daze, pushing away from the lodgepole pine. “We headin’ out?”

“You’ve been actin’ real strange all afternoon,” Tommy observes, walking towards him with his own gun slung over his shoulder. “Either the heat is startin’ to get to you, or you’ve got somethin’ on your mind, big brother.”

Joel hesitates. His dark eyes flit to the other side of the lake where the other members of their afternoon patrol group are refilling their canteens with water.

“S’alright,” his younger brother says. “Don’t worry ‘bout them. Can’t hear us.”

Joel’s chest heaves with a heavy sigh. “She popped.”

“Huh?”

“Her belly finally popped. She’s showin’ now.”

Amused, Tommy lightly shakes his head. “Y’shouldn’t be so surprised, Joel. Was ‘bout time,” he remarks with a shrug. “What is she—like six months along now?”

“She’ll be six months in a couple weeks.” Joel wipes the perspiration off his brow with the back of his hand and sighs once more. “Look, I ain’t stupid, Tommy. I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, but it still caught me by surprise. When I saw her, it became real for me. She’s got my kid in there. I’m gonna be a dad again.”

“You’re scared.” It’s not a question, it’s a statement.

“Shitless,” Joel confesses, feeling his chest tighten.

“What are you afraid of?”

Joel almost laughs.

He doesn’t know where to start.

He’s afraid of everything.

“All of it, Tommy. I’m afraid for her, havin’ to give birth with no medicine,” he tells him, his voice breaking. “I’m afraid I won’t remember what to do with a newborn or that I won’t know how to help her durin’ those first few months—”

“This ain’t your first rodeo,” Tommy reminds him. “You did it once, and you did just fine, Joel.”

“That was over three fuckin’ decades ago. And it was a different world. If Sarah—” He stops, taking a second to catch his breath. The image of his daughter’s little face flashing in his mind feels like a violent punch to the gut. Even after all this time, it still knocks all of the wind out of his lungs. “When her mom had trouble breastfeedin’ her, I could head to the grocery store and buy her baby formula. If she got a real bad fever, I could load her up in the truck and drive her to the emergency room.” He glances down at his broken watch. “Besides, I was a lot younger, then. And I wasn’t half fuckin’ deaf like I am now. When Sarah would wake up cryin’ in the middle of the night because she needed a diaper change, I’d hear her. What if I can’t hear my own kid cryin’?”

“Joel—”

“I’m in my fifties. What if I can’t keep up because I’m too fuckin’ old?”

Tommy reaches out, clapping a hand onto his shoulder.

“Brother, I need you to take a fuckin’ breath,�� he says, chuckling softly. “You’re puttin’ the weight of the world of your shoulders right now—you need to put some of it down. Look, we might not have everythin’ we used to before the world ended, but we make do with what we do have. Considerin’ just how many growin’ families we have and how many little ones we’ve got runnin’ around our town, I’d say it’s workin’ out pretty fuckin well.” He gives his shoulder an encouraging squeeze. “And as far as your ability to be a good dad, you’ve still got it, Joel. You know what to do, and so does she. I’ve seen her in action with my little boy, and it seems like she’s already got those maternal instincts, y’know?”

“Yeah, she does,” Joels agrees quietly, thinking of how you had stepped up to help him care for Ellie.

“Trust me, between the two of you, it’ll be alright.”

He peers at him. “You really believe I still got it in me?”

“I do.” Tommy smiles. “You never stopped knowin’ how to be a father, Joel. You’re gonna be just fine.”

Their patrol shift extends into the evening, turning into a double, and it’s late when he gets home.

“What the hell are you still doin’ up?” Joel asks when he finds Ellie sitting at the kitchen table, cursing to herself as she flips through the stale, yellowing pages of an old life science text book.

“What does it fucking look like, man?”

“Shouldn’t have waited until the last minute, kiddo—”

Ellie holds up a hand and cuts him off.

“Save the lecture for another time, dude. I’m busy.”

Joel rolls his eyes. “Finish up and get to bed. S’late.”

Without waiting for some smartass response, he turns on the heel of his boot and then heads upstairs to your shared bedroom. He flips on the lights only to find that you’re already in bed, fast asleep, wearing nothing but one of his t-shirts and a pair of panties. He toes off his boots and leaves them by the door, being as quiet as he possibly can as he rummages through his top drawer for some clean boxers to sleep in.

He slips into the bathroom where he takes a quick, hot shower, scrubbing off that day’s sweat, dirt, and grime. After he’s dressed and his sopping wet, salt and pepper curls are haphazardly towel dried, Joel walks back out into the bedroom where he switches off the lights and climbs into bed next to you.

He lays on his side and he’s just about to close his eyes when he feels a light shift beside him. You roll over and curl into him, your belly pressing up against his curve of his spine.

He stiffens, freezing as if someone had just placed the barrel of their pistol against his back, their finger over the trigger.

Christ, get a damn grip, he thinks silently to himself.

Joel thinks about that morning in the kitchen.

He knows his reaction had hurt you. Or rather, his lack of a reaction. His shitty ways of coping aren’t your fault, and his struggle to come to terms with your pregnancy sure as hell isn’t your fault, either. He owed it to you to try harder to be the man you needed.

The man you both needed.

Joel’s train of thought comes to a screeching halt when he feels a soft flutter against his middle of his back, the spot right where your tummy is nestled—did the baby just move?

He lies still, waiting to see if he feels it again, and when he doesn’t, he rolls over to face you, causing you to stir.

“Joel?” you mumble his name, sleepily. “What time—?”

“Shh,” Joel soothes, pulling you into his bare chest. He kisses your temple. “S’okay, baby. Go back to sleep.”

He doesn’t have to tell you twice.

Within seconds, you’re asleep again, snuggled into him and snoring softly.

Lifting a hand, he hesitates, then rests it on your belly.

He waits.

And waits.

Until the minutes turn into hours.

Until dawn’s light filters in through the lace curtains.

Until he finally feels that little flutter again.

He feels it against the palm of his hand. Faint, nothing more than a brief whisper against his skin, but there is no mistaking it.

He’d just felt the baby’s movement.

There’s a sudden shift.

Tense muscles that had been painfully wound up since the moment you’d mentioned to him your period was a week late back in the spring loosen slightly—the breath he had been holding since he’d picked up that positive pregnancy test from the bathroom counter finally falls from his lips, fanning over yours.

His fears, his worries, his uncertainties about what lies ahead, they’re all still there, of course, but he finds they are now accompanied by a glimmer of hope, a sliver of optimism that maybe, just maybe, Joel doesn’t have to be as afraid as he is.

Joel’s eyes glaze over your face, warmth radiating in his chest when you breathe a little a sigh of content in your sleep as he gently rubs your stomach through his shirt.

With his hand still splayed over your belly, he closes his eyes and begins to drift off, falling into the most decent sleep he’s had in the last few months.

Maybe his brother’s right.

Maybe he will be just fine.

divider credit to @saradika 🤍

#tw pregnancy #joel miller x you #joel miller x reader #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x pregnant reader #joel miller one shot #joel miller drabble #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller fic #fic: snapshots

810 notes · View notes

explicit-tae · 4 months

Note

could you pls write a drabble for ungodly hour couple where jungkook takes y/n shopping and he’s being all cute and complimenting her 🙊 but then they run into the rest of members and they all start teasing him for being a simp (especially jimin)

yes i can! 💜

Ungodly Hour

word count: 2.533

warning: kissing, just simp jk as always, jimin and mc bantering because why not, "public indecency",

“I think these would look amazing on you!” says the jeweler with a bright smile. She’s an older woman with amazing skin, you noted, and freshly blown out hair that bounces when she walks. “Don’t you think?” she turns to Jungkook to ask for his opinion.

You could only laugh humorlessly. You knew what the woman was doing - trying to sell an expensive product to you and you weren’t falling for any of it. Before you could protest, Jungkook answers. “Yes, it would look nice.” he murmurs, eyes wide and sparkling at the necklace. “Can she try it on?”

“I’m not-”

“She can!” the jeweler is already pushing you towards the small rounded mirror on the glass countertop for you to look at yourself in. She takes the necklace and wraps it around your neck. “It’s 18 carat white gold with mixed cut diamonds.”

You huff - the necklace did look nice on you, sure. It’s wrapped in diamonds entirely, sparkling underneath the store’s lights and at the center of the necklace lay a large, oval shaped diamond. However, you didn’t need it.

Jungkook and you were out shopping - something he enjoyed doing more than you. He stated countless times how he enjoyed buying you things and you weren’t going to deny him that satisfaction. However, you’d draw the line at jewelry as expensive as this. Your eyes only glances at the jewelry store with a name you’d never be able to pronounce and Jungkook took it upon himself to drag you inside the store. “You can’t even hold any more bags.” you exclaimed upon entering.

“I just want to see what they have in here.” Jungkook responds with a shrug of his shoulders. An obvious lie - as long as you and Jungkook have been shopping together, he’s come to realize that whatever your eyes linger on for longer than five seconds is a sign that you’re interested in it.

The jeweler had made her presence known upon witnessing Jungkook with both hands filled with bags mainly belonging to you - which only meant that her full attention would be on convincing this man to spend even more money.

“How much is it?”

Your eyes widen in the mirror's reflection at Jungkook. “I don’t want it.”

“Is it not to your liking?” the jeweler asks, a pout on her lips. “We even have matching earrings.”

Jungkook nods his head. “Can we see those?”

The jeweler doesn’t acknowledge you as she excitedly strolls away to get the earrings. You turn around to face Jungkook fully with furious eyes. “What the hell are you doing? This necklace alone probably costs-”

“But it looks so nice.” Jungkook touches the necklace on your neck with a smile on his lips. “I’m not sure why you’re overreacting.” he states. “Majority of my money goes to you anyways.”

Your eyes widen slightly. “Oh,” you huff with a shake of your head. “that lady probably thinks I’m some type of slut.”

Jungkook is taken aback and for a moment only blinks in your direction. “Why would she think that after just meeting you?”

“Because,” you hiss, giving Jungkook a reaction that says ‘you should know already’. “you’re already obviously spent so much on me. She probably thinks I fuck you for materialistic items.”

Jungkook snorts.

“I’m not giving her the satisfaction-”

“Y/N.” Jungkook places the shopping bags onto the floor and places a hand on your shoulder. “Baby, please. You’ve done this in almost every store we walked into.” Jungkook pleads. “No one thinks I’m your sugar daddy. We’re literally the same age.”

You cross your arms and huff.

“Okay!” the lady returns with a smaller, rectangular box. She opens it and showcases the diamond earrings, sparkling just as bright as the necklace. “What do you think?”

“They’re so nice.” Jungkook nods his head, his hand gliding down your back encouragingly. “Wanna try them on?”

The majority of the day continued exactly like this - you and Jungkook going into stores and him swiping his card carelessly. You, of course, refused to allow him to buy the jewelry and made every excuse.

When you told Jungkook you didn’t have any clothes to wear with said jewelry, he retorted with, “I can buy you some.” When you told him that you didn’t go anywhere that you needed jewelry, he didn’t back down either, “I can take you somewhere.” It was exhausting.

“I can’t believe you didn’t like the necklace.” Jungkook says, stand besides you as your eyes lazily look through the purses. “We’re not leaving this store unless you buy at least 2-”

“I don’t need 2 purses.” you hiss at Jungkook as you and he stand in yet another store he forced you into.

“Items.” Jungkook finishes his sentence. “2 items. Maybe a purse and a wallet?”

You roll your eyes.

“I wish you’d be normal.” Jungkook sits at a leather chair, setting down your shopping bags besides him. “A normal girlfriend would just swipe my card aimlessly.”

“I do.” you say, feeling the leather of one purse beneath your fingertips.

“On food.” Jungkook deadpans. “Are you calling me fat?” you ask - not truly offended in the slightest.

Jungkook's eyes widened at your words. “You’re changing the subject!”

The next half an hour consisted of you looking at purses to satiate Jungkook who sat and waited patiently. You began to think that the leather chairs inside the high-end store were for people like Jungkook - boyfriends (or sugar daddies) who enjoyed spending endless amounts of money. All they had to do was sit and wait for their girls to decide what they wanted.

The following half an hour consist in another store - nearly vacant - and Jungkook sitting (in yet another leather chair, strangely enough) and waiting for you to emerge from behind the door.

“I like that one.” Jungkook compliments, a small smile on his lips.

“You said that to all of the dresses I tried on.” you deadpan with yet another roll of your eyes.

“I liked them all.” Jungkook shrugs. “Do you like it?”

You did like the dress. It was draped in the front and created a slight v shape in the front. It’s metallic and sparkles when light hits it and the back is completely backless , another aspect that Jungkook likes. It stops mid thigh and Jungkook enjoys the way your legs look in the dress. “It’s nice…” you trail off, turning slightly to get a better look in the mirror.

All Jungkook heard was it was something else he should be getting you - and he was fine with it.

“I think the white heels would look nice.” you add. “I’m going to try the other color of this dress on with the heels.”

Jungkook watched you scurry away and snorts. Finally, he thinks, you’ve accepted your fate - him buying you things because it’s an act he actually enjoyed doing.

“That color’s nice.” Jungkook hums as you come from behind the door. It’s the same dress as before, this time a pink metallic instead of the silver. The heel’s you’re wearing are white and are meant to be tied up around your ankles. “Do you need help typing them?” Jungkook asks, uncrossing his leg and motioning you to come forward.

You lift your leg slightly so the bottom of your heel is on Jungkook's knee. He proceeds to tie to heel up your ankle. “You look really beautiful.” he murmurs, tying the lace in a knot. “I think you should get both dresses.”

You snort. “Of course you think that.”

You switch legs and Jungkook begins to tie your other heel. “Is it wrong for me to want to buy you things?” he asks. “My girl…so pretty.”

Jungkook finishes tying the heel and his hands rub up your leg, the soft feeling of your skin shooting goosebumps up his arms.

“I know what you’re doing.” you groan. “We’re in public.”

“No one’s here but us.” Jungkook retorts, playfully gripping your thigh. And he was right. Even the employees had decided to leave you two alone and shop in peace. “You really are so beautiful.” he murmurs, leaning forward to kiss your knee. “My beautiful girl.”

Your body heats up. “Shut up and give me my leg back.”

Jungkook notices the tone in your voice and the slight stutter in your words. “My pretty girl...” he kisses your knee again playfully, slightly chuckling as you attempt to free yourself from his hold. “…I can’t wait to take you home.” he kisses up your knee, eyes on yours.

“You cannot be serious-“ your eyes widen at his actions. “A dress and heels shouldn't make you this down bad.”

“You have me just as down bad when you’re stuffing your face with food.” Jungkook retorts, kissing even higher, his hands gliding upwards slowly. “The things I’d do to you if we weren’t here-“

“Public Indecency.” a voice behind you says and you jump, shrieking at the sudden new voice.

Jungkook jumps to his feet to catch you from falling, arms wrapping firmly around you.

“Please tell me what you’d do to her.”

Jungkook takes a deep breath, coming face first to Jimin and behind him, Hoseok and Taehyung.

“Why are you here?” Jungkook seethes , a crimson tint to his cheeks.

Jimin crosses his arms. “Why are we in a public boutique?”

Your body radiates humiliating heat. You know Jimin - he and you still often engage in banter. You would text him to get off of hulu because you were trying to watch your show and he would respond back snarkily.

However, you didn’t know the other two - you knew their names and they had since followed you on social media. But this wasn’t how you wanted your first official meeting with his friends with the two of you appearing like a teenage couple that couldn’t keep their hands off of one another.

“Fly on the wall.” Hoseok murmurs with a shake of his head.

“Can you stop saying that?” Jungkook hisses, his grip on you tightening. “Fucking pervert.” he says under his breath.

“Hyung saw you walk in here.” Taehyung says, tilting his head at Hoseok. “Decided to come and say hello.”

“Finally we get to meet the infamous Y/N.” Hoseok offers you a smile, heart shaped lips displaying a set of perfect teeth. “The woman that has our Kookie barking-“

“Y/N, change so I can buy the dress.” Jungkook turns his back on his friends, his nightmares coming to life. “And we can go home and I’ll cook-“

“Haven’t had a home cooked meal in so long.” Jimin sighs dramatically. “Now I know why. You’re giving her-“

“Fuck you.” you cross your arms and point your nose away. “I thought our beef was settled when I gave you the password.”

Jungkook furrows his brows. “What password?” he asks you before turning to face Jimin. “Surely not the password to the streaming services that you continue to guilt trip me about?”

Jimin rolls his eyes and shrugs, not concerned. “It’s the principle that you chose pussy over our friendship.”

“Yawn.” you retort that causes Hoseok and Taehyung to snicker. “He loves this pussy and you’re mad.”

Jimin’s eyes widen at your response, as does Jungkook’s. Hoseok and Taehyung are the first two to laugh loudly.

“I can tell.” Jimin snorts. “Risking it all in the middle of a boutique like a horny teenager.”

Jungkook bites the inside of his cheek, his face already shades darker than it needs to be. “Can you two-“ he’s interrupted by Jimin once more.

“I hope I don’t find your pictures in the sex offenders registry since he loves your pussy so-“

“Can you stop?” Jungkook hisses, head darting around for anyone listening. “Y/N,” Jungkook turns back towards you with a sympathetic look in his eyes. “Let’s buy the dress, yeah?”

Your eyes look past Jungkook to look at Jimin who only snorts at you. Taehyung offers a short wave while Hoseok remains smiling. “It’s nice to meet you two.”

Jimin hums.

“Always a pleasure, Jimin.” you respond sarcastically. “Do you like the heels?”

Jimin glances down at your feet and shrugs. “They’re nice. I hope you fall in them.”

Taehyung watches the back and forth between you and Jimin and now understands what Jungkook had told them, experiencing it first hand. You and Jimin bantered like old friends of the same personality.

“I’ll never fall when Kookie’s around.” you give Jimin a smirk, placing your hand against Jungkook’s chest. “Right?”

Jimin snorts the loudest he’s ever had watching Jungkook’s eyes widen and the man forgets about any embarrassment. He hastily nods his head, his hand placing itself right on top of yours on his chest. “Of course!”

You turn around to walk off and back into the dressing room while Jungkook turns back to his friends. “You can leave now.” he deadpans. “It’s bad enough I have to deal with you in the groupchat.”

“You really are whipped.” Taehyung says, eyeing the amount of shopping bags that are surrounding Jungkook.

“How much you’ve grown. It was just yesterday you were humping your pillows-”

“Fuck. Off.” Jungkook grits his teeth, head whipping around to the closed dressing room door. “I was like 12.” he hissed lowly at them.

Taehyung laughs, as does Hoseok.

Jimin only snickers. “I want dinner.”

“I’m cooking for Y/N tonight…” Jungkook crosses his arms over his chest, avoiding the eyes of the two men behind Jimin. “...I promised her already. Can’t go back on my word.”

“Oh how I hate simps.” Jimin scoffs. “She won’t mind. Maybe we can make you jealous again so you two can fuck it out-”

“I bet you would like to watch that.” you emerge from the dressing room, both dresses in your hands. “You guys should come. Me and Kookie were going to watch Homicide Hunters-”

“Nevermind.” Jimin turns away from you. “There’s only so much true crime I can watch in one week.”

Jungkook is satisfied when his friends leave after bidding you and him their farewells. He sighs and turns to you. “Sorry about them.” he murmurs. “I thought you agreed to watch Secret Invasion with me...” there's a pout on Jungkook’s lips.

“I did.” you nod your head. “They would come if I told them the truth.” That and you already know that you would grow bored watching whatever it was that Jungkook wanted to watch - and to get out of watching it meant that you were going to have to fuck the boredom out of you.

Jungkook smiles widely and nods. He’s holding both dresses and now the heels in one hand. With his free hand he takes it upon himself to catch you off guard, gripping your ass entirely and bringing you closer to him. “My pretty girl,” Jungkook presses a kiss against your forehead. “can’t wait for you to sit on my face tonight when you get tired of my nerd shit.” he murmurs low to you, pressing another kiss to your cheek.

Fuck Jeon Jungkook and him knowing exactly what you intend on doing with him to get out of watching what he wants to do. Nonetheless, you’re excited and highly anticipating for what’s to come.

#ungodly hour drabbles #ungodly hour #explicit-tae #jungkook x reader #jungkook x you #btswritersclub #bangtanwritershq #btswriterscollective #btswritingcafe #bangtanwriters net #fake tweets #bts college au #simp jungkook

732 notes · View notes

random0lover · 1 year

Note

Hi! I was wondering if u can write how simon ghost riley reacts to if u want to fem!reader being all dolled up for an event or sumn. you imagine the rest 😭😭😭😭😭. love ur writing btw 🙏

A Day for First’s and Adding a Second

Pairing: Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley x wife fem!reader

Summary: It’s your and Simon’s son’s kindergarten graduation so you have to dress nicely and Simon loves it. Also a little surprise at the end.

Word Count: 1,686

Warnings: slightly NSFW (grinding while fully clothed) so 18+, established relationship, fluff at the end, reader is called love once, Simon being all hot and bothered, Price is your dad 🫣, pregnancy mentioned towards the end, is fem!reader and should be POC friendly! If you notice anything that makes you feel otherwise please let me know! I never want anyone to feel excluded with/in my work ♡

Notes: This is my first Simon fic and I honestly don’t know how to feel about it. Part of me adores it and the other thinks it’s trash, either way I wanted to respond to this request as it’s so sweet and the idea is adorable. I hope I was able to do your request justice my love! Also flashback are in italics.

You don’t often dress fancy but today your and Simon’s son was going to be graduating kindergarten. He goes to a private school at the moment so there were certain expectations and dress codes that you had to follow whether you wanted to or not.

The kids were all to wear navy blues and the parents were all to wear white or black. Everyone dressing formally.

You were currently getting ready in yours and Simons shared bathroom while Simon was helping your son finish getting ready.

You decided pretty quickly that while you would’ve loved to wear a white dress, being around children for up to three hours did not go well with the color white.

So you went with a black dress that reached right above your knees with loose sleeves that went down your arms to help make sure that you wouldn’t be cold with a neckline that was set right above your chest. The dress wasn’t to form fitting so that you would be able to sit for an hour or two without being uncomfortable or feeling constricted.

You were just finishing up your preferred makeup look when there was a light tap at the bathroom door.

You call out a small come in but start digging through the jewelry box on the counter that Simon had slowly been filling up over the years that you had been together no matter how much you protested against it.

You heard the door click open but didn’t hear Simon come in but you could feel his presence there, you always could.

“Hey Si, which necklace do you think I should wear?” You’re holding a necklace in each hand. The one in your right hand was the first necklace he had ever gotten you for your 6 month anniversary. It had two pear-shaped diamonds at the center surrounded by round-cut diamonds on a sterling silver chain.

The one in your left was a necklace that had been passed down through your family line and not too long ago your dad gifted it to you as a birthday present. It has 20 round shaped diamonds and in the center sits an oval shaped diamond with a white gold setting on a Singapore chain.

You usually didn’t have a hard time choosing a piece of jewelry but today you were slightly conflicted and his silence wasn’t helping.

You finally look up from the jewelry in your hand to look into the mirror and find Simon leaning against the bathroom door frame in an all black suit with gloves to match. He usually wears a black face mask out in public but he doesn’t have it on yet leaving it off until you were all ready to leave.

You feel his gaze slide along your body leaving a hot trail in its wake and you patiently wait until his eyes connect with yours in the mirror. Once they do you can’t help the sharp breath that escapes your mouth from the intense look he is holding in his dark brown hues.

A hum starts in your core when he steps towards you in three large steps and slightly leans his weight into you causing you to lean over the counter slightly.

You squeeze your eyes shut relishing in the heat surrounding you. Your lips part in a silent gasp when he slides his hand down your spine leaving it to settle on your hip and in the same moment runs his mouth along the arch of your neck and up to your ear.

“If we didn’t have somewhere to be I would take my time ravishing you against this sink.” His deep voice wraps around your body making goosebumps trail the lengths of your arms.

The impact of his words on your hazy brain makes you grind back against him, he lets out a small groan and rocks his hips into you while tightening his grip on your hip and pulling you back against him causing the perfect amount of friction.

You’re both lost in the moment trying to keep your moans and his grunts as quiet as possible so that your son didn’t hear.

Your body is getting hotter the longer you both claw at each other. It has been too long since the last time you’ve had the chance to feel each other's skin without being interrupted. You can tell that he’s getting close from the way his breath is puffing at your ear and he’s pulling you into him harder and harder, almost lifting your feet up off the ground.

Your ears are starting to ring from the pleasure and the rope in your stomach that is pulling taut when you hear little feet running across the house combined with giggling when you yank yourself away from Simon and open your eyes for the first time since this whole ordeal started.

You're busy trying to fix your dress and Simon is adjusting the bugle in his slacks when you hear the running stop outside yours and Simon's shared room before picking up again and the giggling sounding farther away.

He’s staring at you again when you look up at him making the fire in your body that was slowly sizzling out to start up again.

“The one your dad gave you.” You look at him confused for a moment and he smirks lightly, “the necklace.”

You look over at the two necklaces that had been carelessly tossed onto the counter during your moment. You pick up the necklace he said and offer it to him while moving your hair out of the way making your neck available for him.

You face the mirror and once he’s behind you you look into his eyes in the mirror, “Speaking of my dad,” you let out a sigh,”he offered to babysit tonight.”

He pauses mid wrapping the chain around your neck, his eyebrows lifting, “Price actually offered to watch him?”

You roll your eyes, “How many years have we been together and how old is our son now? I’m pretty sure my dad being mad at you is gone by now.”

He latches the necklace and slides his hand around you to grip your chin making sure your eyes stay connected in the mirror, “I don’t know,” he moves his mouth right up against your ear making you shiver, “I can still hear how mad he was when he found out his lieutenant was doing more than helping his captain's daughter move into her new flat.”

You sigh, mind flashing back to the day that all the tension between you and Simon finally snapped.

You had found a flat to finally move into and your dad was supposed to help you but something came up at work that was a bit more important so he sent over a man he knew he could rely on. What he didn’t know is that you and Simon had been fighting the urge to give into one another and you two being alone all day? It was bound to happen.

Price had walked in when Simon was helping you put the last of the furniture in which was your couch. You weren’t in a compromising position or anything but your neck was littered with love bites. You had a glow to you that you didn’t have that morning when you saw Price, and you were wearing Simon’s shirt leaving him with just a black wife beater on.

The man flew into a rage slamming his fist into Simon's face and a shocked Soap was left gawking until he kicked into gear yanking his captain up off of his lieutenant which was not an easy feat.

Simon didn’t fight back one bit as he knew that this was the reaction he was going to get. The captain had made one rule with his team, “Don’t touch my fucking daughter.”

It took months for your dad to even be okay with seeing you together at all. He could see how in love with each other you were and so the day Simon asked for his blessing he of course said yes.

You're pulled out of your thoughts from Simon sighing into your neck and gently kissing a sensitive spot. “Was thinking we could maybe make your favorite dinner and watch a movie?”

He nods, stepping away from you, “sounds good to me love.”

You give him a smirk in the mirror, “I also have a surprise for you.”

His eyes glide over you again focusing on how the dress hugs you in all the right places, “oh really? I’m going to hold you to that so no getting all cuddled up in my lap and falling asleep early.”

You know he’s teasing so you snort and roll your eyes before shooing him out of the bathroom trying to keep a knowing smile hidden, “I’m almost ready so why don’t you go get our little energy ball in his car seat.”

He gives you a quick kiss before walking out of the room and you hear him calling for your son. You listen for a moment to make sure he won’t be coming back and once you're sure you pull out a little key to unlock a part of the jewelry box.

You dig your hand into the open drawer and pull out a light blue rectangle box with a pink ribbon tied around it. Inside the box were three positive pregnancy tests. You wanted to be sure and didn’t want to get your hopes up so you wanted to take more than one.

You were so excited to tell him about the pregnancy as a few weeks ago he came to you asking if you would ever want another baby. You were hoping for a little girl this time around, the perfect addition to your family of three. Adding a second bundle of joy to your lives.

You hear Simon calling into the house for you and you yell back that you were coming. You put the little box back into the drawer and grab your purse and leave the room thinking about how your life is so different than what you thought it would be and honestly you couldn’t be happier.

Hi my lovelies, I hope you liked this little fic! I wasn’t sure how to go about the ending so personally don’t know how to feel about it and would love some feed back. Anyways I hope you all have amazing days <3

Requests are open! I can not promise when or if I will write them but I do prefer requests that are slightly more specific as I find them a little bit easier to write but it’s not required. Thanks for reading my darlings ♡

#cod mw2 #simon ghost riley #call of duty #simon ghost riley x reader #ghost x reader #simon riley x reader #task force 141 #simon riley #captain john price #Price is your dad #mw2 #cod #ghost simon riley #simon ghost riley x you #fem!reader #wife fem!reader #simon riley x wife!reader #ghost cod #random0lover my writing

1K notes · View notes

transgenderer · 3 months

Text

A jitsuin (実印) is an officially registered seal. A registered seal is needed to conduct business and other important or legally binding events. A jitsuin is used when purchasing a vehicle, marrying, or purchasing land, for example.

The size, shape, material, decoration, and lettering style of jitsuin are closely regulated by law. For example, in Hiroshima, a jitsuin is expected to be roughly 1⁄2 to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm), usually square or (rarely) rectangular but never round, irregular, or oval. It must contain the individual's full family and given name, without abbreviation. The lettering must be red with a white background (shubun), with roughly equal width lines used throughout the name. The font must be one of several based on ancient historical lettering styles found in metal, woodcarving, and so on. Ancient forms of ideographs are commonplace. A red perimeter must entirely surround the name, and there should be no other decoration on the underside (working surface) of the seal. The top and sides (handle) of the seal may be decorated in any fashion from completely undecorated to historical animal motifs, dates, names, and inscriptions.

Throughout Japan, rules governing jitsuin design are very stringent and each design is unique, so the vast majority of people entrust the creation of their jitsuin to a professional, paying upward of US$20 and more often closer to US$100, and using it for decades. People desirous of opening a new chapter in their lives—say, following a divorce, death of a spouse, a long streak of bad luck, or a change in career—will often have a new jitsuin made.

The material is usually a high quality hard stone or, far less frequently, deerhorn, soapstone, or jade. It is sometimes carved by machine. When carved by hand, an intō ("seal-engraving blade"), a mirror, and a small specialized wooden vice are used. An intō is a flat-bladed pencil-sized chisel, usually round or octagonal in cross-section and sometimes wrapped in string to give a better grip. The intō is held vertically in one hand, with the point projecting from the carver's fist on the side opposite the thumb. New, modern intō range in price from less than US$1 to US$100.

The jitsuin are kept in secure places such as bank vaults. or hidden in a home. They are usually stored in thumb-sized rectangular boxes made of cardboard covered with embroidered green fabric outside and red silk or red velvet inside, held closed by a white plastic or deerhorn splinter tied to the lid and passed through a fabric loop attached to the lower half of the box. Because of the superficial resemblance to coffins, they are often called "coffins" in Japanese by enthusiasts and hanko boutiques. The paste is usually stored separately.

A ginkō-in (銀行印) is used specifically for banking; ginkō means "bank". A person's savings account passbook contains an original impression of the ginkō-in alongside a bank employee's seal. Rules for the size and design vary somewhat from bank to bank; generally, they contain a Japanese person's full name. A Westerner may be permitted to use a full family name with or without an abbreviated given name, such as "Smith", "Bill Smith", "W Smith" or "Wm Smith" in place of "William Smith". The lettering can be red or white, in any font, and with artistic decoration.

Since mass-produced ginkō-in offer no security, most people either have them custom-made by professionals or make their own by hand. They were traditionally made of wood or stone; more recently of ivory, plastic or metal, and carried in a variety of thumb-shape and -size cases resembling cloth purses or plastic pencil cases. They are usually hidden carefully in the owner's home.

A mitome-in (認印) is a moderately formal seal typically used for signing for postal deliveries, signing utility bill payments, signing internal company memos, confirming receipt of internal company mail, and other low-security everyday functions.

Mitome-in are commonly stored in low-security, high-utility places such as office desk drawers and in the anteroom (genkan) of a residence.

A mitome-in's form is governed by fewer customs than jitsuin and ginkō-in. However, mitome-in adhere to a handful of strongly observed customs. The size is the attribute most strongly governed by social custom. It is usually not more than 20 millimetres (0.79 in) in size. A man's is usually slightly larger than a woman's, and a junior employee's is always smaller than his bosses' and his senior co-workers', in keeping with office social hierarchy. The mitome-in always has the person's family name and usually does not have the person's given name (shita no namae). Mitome-ins are often round or oval, but square ones are not uncommon, and rectangular ones are not unheard-of; irregular shapes are not used. They can produce red lettering on a blank field (shubun) or the opposite (hakubun). Borderlines around their edges are optional.

Plastic mitome-in in popular Japanese names can be obtained from stationery stores for less than US$1, though ones made from inexpensive stone are also very popular. Inexpensive prefabricated seals are called sanmonban (三文判). Rubber stamps are unacceptable for business purposes.

242 notes · View notes

existencebringsonlypain · 10 months

Text

I love the attention to detail in this show, down to even how everyone blushes differently.

We've got classic tomato face Amity who blushes with her whole face, and Luz who only blushes on her cheeks.

Willow also blushes on her cheeks. Hunter's blush is oddly inconsistent, but it's generally his cheeks and ears, though sometimes only on his cheeks when he's less flustered and more embarrassed. We never see Gus blush to my knowledge.

Rains blushes on their cheekbones and nose, Eda only on her cheeks.

We never see Masha blush, but Vee has a tendency to blush around her cheekbones.

Darius just has the anime lines as a blush. Alador, of course, is the source of Amity's tomato face.

So much diversity in something as ubiquitous as blushing, which you tend to think only has two kinds, lines and airbrush pink on the cheeks.

Now look back through at the eyes. Amity has heavy eyeliner but the same eye shape as Alador, formed by two curves and an angled curve connecting them on both sides. Hunter's is similar, but it's just two curves, one much larger than the other.

Luz, Gus, and Willow both have oval eyes, but Luz has two eyelashes on the lower curve of her eyes whilst Willow has one lash on the top. Gus has no eyelashes.

Raine's eyes are essentially a flipped version of Hunter's, a shallow curve on the bottom with a larger curve on the top.

Eda's are just tall "almond" shapes, wider toward the nose. Lilith's, though not pictured, are a mirror image- wider toward her ears. It's also worth noting that Eda's lower lip has visible lipstick, contrasting Lilith's upper lip- to drive home the similarities between them.

Masha's eyes are a lot more squinted and upward-tilting, wider toward the nose. Vee has near circles as eyes, though they look a bit down-tilted, and she has two lashes near the top.

Darius has nearly the same eye shape as Alador.

There's so much variety in the designs in this show. The eyes, the blushes, heck even the noses and eyebrows and chins if you go back and look. There was so much thought put into the designs of these characters, I'm frankly astounded that more people don't recognize it.

379 notes · View notes

pasukiyo · 1 year

Note

Hello hello 😊 How are you doing? I love so much Your writing! ❤️0❤️

Can you please do a Sebastian sallow x reader?

Sebastian and the reader would be on a mission baby sitting, there would be two children one who would be in love with the reader and who would annoy Sebastien to have only the reader for him and another who would ask Sebastien and the reader to play the princess, the reader would be asleep like the sleeping beauty and Sebastian the magnificent knight save her 😂

I'm really sorry for the spelling mistakes I'm French haha 😅

𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 | sebastian sallow

sebastian sallow x f!reader 2,466 words warnings: nothing but fluff summary: much to sebastian's dismay, you agree to watch the krindle children while their mother is away. while telling the old muggle fairytale of sleeping beauty, you get an idea to hopefully lift sebastian’s spirits…

“Why would you—“ Sebastian pursed his lips together and crossed his arms over his chest, brows furrowed. “—I thought we were going to have the day all to ourselves. You came here to see me, you know.”

She jutted out her bottom lip in a mocking way as she grasped his folded arms and rocked her body into his. “Don’t be mad?” She whimpered, making her eyes bigger, resembling more of a sad puppy. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise! But I already told Mrs Krindle we’d come.” Sebastian tore his gaze away, knowing full well he wouldn’t be able to resist when she looked at him like that. She sighed and tossed her head back in a groan, giving his arms a shake. “You know Mrs Krindle will pay us, right?”

Sebastian stole a glance towards his lover from the sides of his eyes, lips still pressed together until they formed thin, white lines. His chest heaved when he sighed and he shook his head, throwing his hands in the air. “Merlin, why do I even bother?” He sighed. “Fine. I’ll watch the little brats with you,” he eventually agreed in a grumble, and she smiled, reaching for his hand to envelope it in hers. “Brilliant! I told her we’d be there as soon as possible!”

Sebastian groaned as she tugged him forward, and she pursed her lips— it was just like lugging around a sack of bricks, dragging him by the hand toward the Krindle house on the far west side of Feldcroft. It was no easy task, but she eventually managed to haul the irritable boy to Mrs Krindle’s front door, and she released his hand to tap her knuckles against the rugged wood.

“Perseus! Do not pull on your sister’s hair!” They could hear Mrs Krindle exclaim from behind the door, and Sebastian, with his arms once again crossed, couldn’t help but roll his eyes in their sockets.

“He sounds delightful,” Sebastian mumbled just as Mrs Krindle swung the door open, soothing the wrinkles of her skirt down with her palms as her lips curved into a weary but friendly smile. She exclaimed the girl’s name before glancing behind her where Sebastian stood, a skeptical gleam in her eye at the infamous boy.

“Sebastian Sallow,” she nodded her head in greeting as she welcomed either of them into her home. “Always a pleasure to see you.”

Sebastian snickered at the greeting— it was no secret that Mrs Krindle was not his biggest fan. “Mrs Krindle,” he bowed his head. “Tell me, how are your peonies?”

His lover turned to narrow her eyes at him, nudging his foot with her own. “Sebastian!” She hissed in warning, turning back to Mrs Krindle to grin in hopes that she wouldn’t pay any mind to Sebastian.

“Hm,” Mrs Krindle glared in Sebastian’s direction before turning back to the girl, reaching for her knapsack on the dinner table. “Right, well, if all goes well, I should be home by midnight,” she sighed, glancing over at the oval-shaped mirror on the wall and running her fingers through her shoulder length brunette hair. “And I’d like for them both to be in bed by ten.”

“Eleven!” The little girl behind Mrs Krindle’s legs exclaimed, a boy emerging from one of the rooms on the far wall to shout, “twelve!”

“Ten!” Mrs Krindle spoke sternly this time, narrowing her eyes at either of her children before turning back to the girl standing before her. “I really do appreciate you,” she sighed, reaching for her hands and giving the back of them soft pats. “But I must get going, I’m already running terribly late!”

They watched as the older woman turned and kneeled down to give either of her young children kisses on the crowns of their head, patting their cheeks. “Now, Cornelia, do not play in the mud please, I’ve grown very tired of scrubbing it out of your dresses. And Perseus…,” she turned to her son. “…just… don’t mess with your sister. You tease her too much.”

The children scrunched up their faces as their mother rose from the ground, dusting off her skirt. “Thank you again,” she said to the girl. “I’ll be heading off now. I trust that they’re in good hands.” Mrs Krindle gave Sebastian a skeptical look as she passed, and they watched as she pushed the door open and when the door closed, she turned to Sebastian.

“What did you do to her peonies?” She leaned in to whisper, and Sebastian tittered, the corner of his lips quirked in a smirk. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

She scowled, a remark on the tip of her tongue, just itching to be spoken until it was interrupted by a tug on her skirt and she blinked. She peered over her shoulder at the little girl, Cornelia, blood biting at her small cheeks as she ground her teeth against the nails of her middle and forefinger.

“Hello,” she said, kneeling down so that they could be eye level. She could hear the shuffling of Sebastian’s feet behind her. “Cornelia, is it?”

The little girl nodded, using her hand not between her lips to swipe loose strands of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear. Her brother peeked at her from behind his sister’s shoulder, big and round green eyes boring into hers. She leaned to the side to wave at the little boy, and he turned, disappearing behind the doorway off on the far wall, most likely his room, she guessed.

“Um, miss?” Cornelia’s small voice was hardly audible, but nevertheless, she gave the little girl her full attention, ready to listen to whatever it was she’d say next. Sebastian shuffled his feet behind her again, undoubtedly growing more impatient as each moment skipped past. “Mother always plays hide and seek with us. Will you play?”

A grin painted her face and she rose from her spot on the floor, nodding towards Sebastian. “Of course! Sebastian and I love playing hide and seek, especially with our friends at Hogwarts,” she chirped, giving him a sharp jab in the arm when he raised an eyebrow to his hairline.

“No we don—“

“Shall we go fetch Perseus, then?” She suggested as she reached for Cornelia’s hand, narrowing her eyes over her shoulder at Sebastian as the little girl led her towards the room the boy had run off to.

Sebastian puffed his lips in a pout as he watched them walk away— this wasn’t how he planned for the day to go! Her time in Feldcroft was limited before she had to go home, Sebastian could practically hear the clock ticking in the back of his mind. He had her stay all planned out, plans for just the two of them, together. What more was there to want?

The last thing he wanted was to look after the pesky Krindle children— was it so much to ask for just a little alone time with his girlfriend?

“Perseus, that’s mine!” Cornelia shrieked once they’d entered the bedroom where Perseus sat on the small mattress tucked away in the corner, a small, leather doll with stringy blonde hair clutched in the boy’s fist. Cornelia wiggled her hand out of her grasp and lunged for her brother who held the doll high above his head, sticking his tongue out at his sister’s failed attempts to snatch the toy.

“Oh, this is wonderful,” Sebastian grumbled as she gestured for him to help her pry the siblings away from one another. She scowled over her shoulder as she grabbed Cornelia by the waist, tugging her back whilst Sebastian seized Perseus by the shoulders. “This is exactly how I imagined my evening going.”

“Let go!” Perseus screamed, digging his heels into the mattress as Sebastian wrapped an arm around his chest and pressed him down while his opposite ripped the doll from the little boy’s clutches. “Hey!”

“Will you give it a rest, Sebastian?” Her tone clipped as she snatched the doll from Sebastian’s hand, pressing it into Cornelia’s. “Just think, come midnight, you’ll be a few sickles richer than you were before.”

Sebastian scoffed as he shoved Perseus off of him, “sickles. You couldn’t even pay me a hundred galleons for this.”

Once Perseus’ feet had hit the floor, he turned to scowl and stick his tongue out at Sebastian. He narrowed his eyes at the child, “yeah, not too fond of you either.”

“How about we play a game?” She interrupted before Perseus could remark, and the children’s attention snapped to her. Sebastian gnawed at the flesh inside of his cheek, his eyes rounded and pleading, wanting nothing to do with games or children. “Cornelia suggested we play hide and seek.”

Both of the children shared a look, suddenly seeming bored at the idea of the game their mother ‘always’ played with them. “I don’t feel like playing anymore,” Cornelia said simply, sinking down onto the small mattress on the other corner of the room, adjacent to Perseus’. She glanced down to the doll in her hands and began to work her fingers through the toy’s dirty, stringy hair.

“I want mum to come back home,” Perseus huffed as he plopped down on his own bed, and she made her way over to where he sat, the mattress dipping beneath her weight. “Your mum will be home come the moment you open your eyes in the morning,” she tried to reassure, but the boy turned away, playing with his fingers in his lap.

She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, her mind swirling with ideas of what she could say. She turned to peer at Sebastian where he stood, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. She scowled— he couldn’t have been even the slightest bit interested.

“Well, if you don’t want to play a game…” she began, slow to speak to make leeway to think. “…then how about a story? Do you like stories?”

Cornelia perked and blinked over at her at this idea, her fingers halting their movements, woven in her doll’s hair. “A story?”

Relieved she seemed to have piqued their attention, her face split into a smile, nodding. “Oh yes,” she wracked her brain for a story she could tell, “in fact, there’s a muggle fairytale I read called Sleeping Beauty. I wouldn’t guess your mother has told you about it, no?”

Perseus and Cornelia each shared a glance, “mum hasn’t told us any stories. She’s not home a lot, and when she is, she’s tired all the time… she plays hide and seek sometimes but…” Perseus replied solemnly, and her expression softened. “Well, perhaps when she gets home, you two can tell her all about the story of Sleeping Beauty. It all starts with the newborn daughter of a king and a queen… and an evil, wicked fairy.”

Sebastian’s eyes seemed to be just as glued to her as the children’s. Her hands were animated, flying about as she told the tale of Sleeping Beauty, and the kids hung onto every single word. Cornelia gasped at the part where the evil, wicked fairy cursed the newborn baby while Perseus’ face split into an amused grin.

“The princess has to sleep for how long?” Cornelia jumped, her little feet hardly making dents in the mattress. “A hundred years, weren’t you listening?” Perseus snipped, narrowing his eyes up at his sister. She giggled behind her hand as the little girl plopped back down onto the mattress, eyebrows knit. “But that’s gonna take like… forever!”

When she turned to glance over her shoulder, her eyes illuminated with mischief as they locked with Sebastian’s.

“But, one of the good fairies tried to reverse the curse the evil one had set upon the princess,” she said, rising from her seat on the mattress, and the children stared as she sauntered towards Sebastian, presenting her hand for him to take. He eyed her warily and when she hardened her gaze, he had no choice but to slip his hand in hers, her fingers encasing his in their warmth. “After a hundred years of the princess’ long, deep slumber, a king’s son may be the one to break her from her curse.”

Cornelia’s lips fell agape in another gasp while Perseus pressed his lips together into a firm, thin line, anxious to hear more. “A prince!” Cornelia shrieked, her face aglow with zeal. “But how will he wake her up?” Perseus questioned and she beamed, turning to peer at Sebastian.

“When the princess pricked her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel,” she began, outstretching her forefinger and pricking it on one of the wooden bed posts, her other hand still grasping onto Sebastian’s as she dramatically fell onto the unoccupied mattress, peeling a single eyelid open as the children giggled. Sebastian's face hardened in a glare, blood biting at his cheeks when she looked up at him. “The princess may only be awoken by a true love’s kiss.”

Perseus scrunched his face in a grimace as Cornelia jumped back to her feet, springing up to Sebastian and slapping his arm repeatedly. She tried to suppress her laugh watching this as she closed her eyes, pretending to be in a deep slumber.

“You have to wake her up! You have to kiss her!” Cornelia squealed, pointing at the girl on the bed with one hand, gripping onto the sleeve of Sebastian’s shirt with the other. “Or else the princess will die!”

Sebastian pressed his lips together, closing his eyelids to sigh. This could not be happening. What a tease.

His cheeks burned with scarlet as he shuffled his feet closer to the bed where she laid, and he settled himself down into the mattress beside her. His face hovered over hers, and when she felt his breath linger on her skin, she peeled an eyelid open again. Her lips curled into an amused smile. He glared down at her, his lips buzzing with how close they were to hers.

All of a sudden, he didn’t seem to care that there were children present. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her right now.

“Are you going to glare at me all day or are you going to kiss me?” She finally asked in a whisper, cocking a brow to her hairline. Sebastian rolled his eyes, “shut up,” he muttered back before his mouth was surging into hers and somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear Cornelia’s shrieks and Perseus exclaiming, “gross!”

When he pulled away, she finally peeled open both eyelids, her teeth unveiling from behind her lips. “My knight in shining armor,” she murmured teasingly and though still flustered, the corner of Sebastian’s lips quirked into a smirk. “How about another story?”

a/n; i don’t really like my writing here so i’m sorry if this seems super rushed 😭 i really liked this idea though, it was so cute! thank you for the request anon, i hope you enjoy it! (ps, i’m doing alright, thank you for asking!)

| 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 |

@darkmoviesquotespizza @upsidedownspidey

#sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x you #hogwarts legacy sebastian #sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian sallow fic #wizarding world #hogwarts legacy #harry potter #harry potter fandom #hogwarts legacy x reader #hl

419 notes · View notes

wallmirror1 · 1 year

Photo

This Mother of Pearl Decorative Mirror is a handcrafted original mother of pearl (seep) collected from ocean. It gives Luxurious feel to your home.

#Round Shape Mirrors #Oval Decorative Mirror

0 notes

loveharlow · 1 year

Note

Hey I have a request love. I was wondering if you could write a fic based off the song “Die For You” by the weekend. I’m imagining it being JJ Maybank x Heyward! or Black!Reader. I imagine reader being part of the pogues and is close with pope but she’s pope’s younger sister. I imagine reader being pretty confident and really into makeup and sorta stubborn and independent. She also doesn’t take shit from anyone. I imagine her being close with JJ and there’s something more going on between them but she’s not the type to do hookups she’s more of a relationship girl. JJ knows that too and he’s trying to get over her and distance himself, but it doesn’t work. He’s hooking up with girls that look and act like her. But nothing works. Eventually she notices what’s going on and she calls him out, and JJ confesses, but right as they are about to kiss, she says she doesn’t know if she could betray Pope like that if they don’t work out. But JJ reassures reader that he’s only interested in her, and that she’s it for him. Then boom they kiss.

I hope you like it. 🤍🤍

HATE THAT YOU WANT ME

PAIRING ‧₊˚ JJ Maybank x Fem!Heyward!Reader

SYNOPSIS ‧₊˚ [7.2k] Y/n Heyward has had a long time crush on JJ Maybank, one which she thinks he reciprocates. One problem? He's her brother's best friend.

WARNING(S) ‧₊˚ pictures above do not depict the physical appearance of TR, swearing, mentions of betrayal, mutual pining, slight angst (mini-argument, confrontation), mild violence, unwanted advances, mentions/use of drugs & alcohol, Y/n being blunt (aka jealous), fluffy ending

A/N ‧₊˚ Hope I like it? Honey, I love it. I would have made this a multi-part if I had the time but this idea was perfection and I can only hope I executed this well enough for your brilliant mind. I got carried away...and if I'm not mistaken this is my longest fic to date.

˗ˏˋ jj masterlist ˎˊ˗

PULLING MY SWEATSHIRT OVER MY FRAME AS I SAT DOWN AT MY VANITY, I SCANNED MY EYES ACROSS THE MULTIPLE MAKEUP PRODUCTS I HAD SCATTERED ACROSS THE SURFACE. I was due to meet my brother and our friends at The Wreck soon to hang out and I was on a time-crunch. I had told Pope not to wait up and head out without me.

We’d all been pretty busy lately and even though we wouldn’t admit it verbally, we missed each other. So, Kie invited us to her dad’s restaurant near closing so we could catch up. So, lightly pampering and giving myself a once over in the oval-shaped mirror, I grabbed my phone off the bed and rushed out of the house, wanting to get there before it got too dark — knowing Pope would give me a dad-type lecture about, one, being late and two, walking alone in the dark. Especially on The Cut.

I WAS MET WITH PLAYFUL CHEERS AND GREETINGS THROUGH MOUTHFULS OF FOOD AS I ENTERED THE WRECK, EVERYONE ALREADY GATHERED AT THE TABLE NEAR THE BACK.

I turned to my left to see Mr.Carrera wiping down the counter where the register sat. Flashing him a warm smile, he returned it with a small one of his own and a welcoming wave. Heading towards the group of island delinquents I called my friends, I took a seat between my brother and JJ.

“Look who finally showed up.” John B teased, to which I rolled my eyes.

“You said you’d be here in thirty minutes. That was an hour ago.” Pope reprimanded with as much sternness in his voice as possible.

I smiled and snatched the baseball cap off the top of his head. “Sorry, my favorite big brother in the whole world.” I jested, putting the hat on my own head and crossing my arms over my chest before kicking my feet up on JJ's lap. He glanced down at my ankles across his thighs before raising a curious brow at me, throwing a fry into his mouth.

“I’m your only brother, you moron.” Pope shot back, swiftly taking his hat back for himself.

I scoffed, reaching forwards to grab the untouched glass of water that I assumed was mine. After taking a long sip, I held the glass in my hand as I used the other to stir the straw mindlessly. “What’d I miss?”

“Well,” JJ started, swallowing a mouthful of the burger he had taken an unnecessarily huge bite of. “Bree got back with Sarah. So, we don’t have to pick sides anymore. Well, at least you and Kie don’t.”

“No surprise there.”

“Wha-Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” John B babbled, his face contorting in mild frustration.

I rolled my eyes as I sat up straight, removing my legs from JJ’s lap. “Be honest with yourself, JB. You and Sarah are like.. a light switch. One minute you’re on, the next you’re off. It’s like a game to see how long you’ll keep the lights on.” I joked, John B only gave me a sour look to which I gave him a half shrug. “Y’know it’s true. I may be the youngest here, but I think you all could learn a thing or two from me.”

I was met with muffled chuckles beside me. Turning to see JJ trying to hold back a laugh. A look of bewilderment etched itself onto my face. ”What?”

He looked at me sideways, cocking a sarcastic brow at me. “All this talk from a girl that I had to bail out of jail last week for vandalizing a house on Figure Eight. You are quite literally worse than me. And that’s saying something.”

I groaned and threw my head back. “You what?” I heard the voice of a stunned Kiara.

“And you still owe me for not telling dad.” Pope reminded me to which I waved him off and he lightly pushed my head to the side.

I lowered my head to turn to the scruffy-haired blonde next to me with a death glare. “Well, at least I know not to ask for your help again.”

“You say that every time.” He smiled mischievously.

“Okay, we are not brushing past this.” Kiara spoke up, hands splayed out on the table in frustration, face scrunched in confusion. “When did you get arrested? And why did you vandalize a kook house?”

“I’d like to know, too.” John B added, raising his hand with a look of innocent curiosity.

I sighed deeply. “For one, I wasn’t arrested. I was detained. Barely there for two hours.” I denied. “And two, they over exaggerated the whole thing. I spray painted a kook’s garage because she fucked with me during gym. Tripped me when we were running laps and stole my shirt from my locker.”

JJ’s eyes went wide and I could see his entire body go tense beside me. “You didn’t tell me that.” I looked at him for a brief second without responding.

I didn’t tell him because I knew how he could get. The pogues were all over protective of me and although I appreciated the sentiment, I could handle my own. If the girl wanted to pull some grade school prank on me, so be it. I didn’t need my brother and our friends to come to my aid every time something happened.

Before I could even attempt to elaborate further, Mr.Carrera was calling over for two of us to go help him put stuff in the back so he could lock up. John B and Pope practically jumped from their seats, Pope wanting to get on the older man’s good side, totally not because of his crush on Kiara, while John B just wanted to get more food.

My attention was pulled from the two fools racing towards the front of the restaurant when a warm, firm hand landed on my shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I just shrugged sheepishly. “So you could get in trouble with me? You don’t have too many chances left with the law yourself, blondie.” He remained silent, knowing I was right and he would’ve encouraged my behaviors instead of trying to stop them. It was the dynamic we had. Partners in crime, if that’s how’d you like to describe it. We backed one another. I was closer to JJ than anyone in the group, sometimes even my own brother.

“Just…” He sighed, his hand dropping from my shoulder to my thigh in, what seemed to be, a subconscious movement. “Just tell me the truth from now on. Can’t be the Robin to your Batman if I’m not in the loop.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed shortly at his cheesy and childish analogy. “I’m totally the Robin to your Batman, though. I just go AWOL from time to time. For the thrill of it, y’know?” I joked.

We laughed with one another before letting it fade into a comfortable silence, his thumb rubbing my thigh mindlessly.

Okay, so I may have downplayed the dynamic between JJ and I. I’d be a fool to deny the tension. I’d had a crush on him for years but he was Pope’s best friend and I always had the presumption that he was off limits in that sense. But in recent years, it seemed that JJ had started to feel the same for me.

He liked me. I knew he did. But I didn’t mind because I liked him, too. More than I knew I should.

I don’t know what gave me the confidence to make such a claim. Maybe it was the way I would catch him staring at me from time to time and even when I made eye contact and he wouldn’t look away. Or maybe it was the fleeting touches that walked the fine-line between friendly and romantic, similar to the way he was touching my thigh now.

All I knew was that somewhere down the line, the wall between friendship and something more than that had started to fall for us. I was no longer Pope’s little sister than he hung out with because Pope brought me along. I was Y/n — his best friend, his partner in crime.

I was too lost in my thoughts to realize that his hand was inching further up my thigh and his entire body grew closer, my eyes flickering down to his lips. Is JJ about to kiss me?

“Guys?” Kiara piped up, making her presence known once again. Too caught up in our conversation, we had completely disregarded the third person still sitting at the table. JJ immediately straightened himself out before removing his hand from my leg, leaving a cool sensation in its place. “I don’t know what I just saw. Or what I was about to see. But Pope is less than ten feet away…” She said cautiously, eyeing the both of us skeptically. “Is there something I should be aware of?”

“I thought there was something in her eye, Kie. Chill.”

She threw her hands up briefly in surrender, but not before raising a curious brow at the both of us. Quiet and flustered, the moment was now gone and replaced with a heavy awkwardness.

IT’D BEEN A DAY SINCE MY ALMOST-KISS WITH JJ. Kie tried to press me about it after we’d left The Wreck but, surprisingly, I’d convinced her to drop it. That didn’t stop her from shooting me suspicious glances anytime JJ and I were together.

John B had thrown a kegger and I was currently nursing my cup, filled with whatever concoction he had thrown into the keg tonight. I was hot and flustered from dancing with Kie and Sarah for practically half the night, leaning against the trunk of a tree near the shore. The breeze brought a welcomed chill over my warm skin.

My eyes scanned over the party-goers, not looking for anyone in particular yet, my eyes seemed to find him as they always do. Across the beach, JJ was in a stance similar to mine. Back against a tree except there was a joint his hand, lifting it up every now and then to take a hit. His eyes scanned the beach like mine had previously.

When his blue eyes landed on mine, I sent him a smile and barely took a step, with the intention to join him, before a big, brawny frame was blocking almost my entire view of the beach.

“Hey, pretty girl.” The guy drawled. He didn’t seem drunk but his ego alone was enough to nauseate me.

I attempted to side step him, only to have my view blocked again. Huffing harshly and rolling my eyes, I looked up at the guy. He was creepy, and that was me being polite. He had this unsettling smirk and some kind of stupid, preppy, figure-eight ass haircut that swayed me all the wrong ways.

“Do you need something?” I sassed, crossing my arms with my cup still in hand.

“There are a whole lot of things I need and you are one of them.” Ew. Ew ew ew. I couldn’t stop myself from visibly cringing at this guy's lame and unwanted advances. I just wanted to go talk to JJ.

“Well, then you’ll just have to cope. 'Scuse me.” I dismissed him with a tight-lipped smile, not sparing him another glance. I attempted to walk around him only for him to follow my every step. I was growing more and more agitated at this point. This guy had seconds, at best, before I showed him just how uninterested and unamused I was by his antics.

“C’mon, little lady. I can show you a real good time.” He trailed off, his eyes traveling down my body without a trace of shame, stopping at my semi-exposed cleavage. My eyes caught sight of his hands coming up and reaching out for my waist.

I bit the inside of my cheek before tossing my cup to the sand — Kie could kill me later. When his hands hit my waist, I slid my arms over his shoulders as his lustful gaze shifted to mine. I gave him a sickly sweet smile before bringing the boy closer and kneeing him in the crotch.

He soon retracted from me, doubling over in pain with a deep groan. Bending down to level my lips with his ear, I whispered. “Next time, get out of my fucking way.”

I stood to my full height before walking off, hearing the guy call out behind me.

“Bitch!”

“Your mother!” I called over my shoulder, straightening out my top.

My eyes scanned the crowd, which had seemed to grow more dense in the moments I was distracted, looking for JJ.

But when I spotted him, he wasn’t alone. He was leading some girl to The Chateau, holding her hand as he guided her up the steps. I felt a sharp pang in my chest before turning around to get my eyes off the scene before me, refusing to cry in the middle of a party. There was only one reason why he would be taking her up there. I wasn’t stupid. But I also wasn’t going to have a shitty night because the guy I liked left with another girl and some asshole wouldn’t leave me alone.

So, spotting Sarah and Kiara chatting with John B and my brother, I made my way over to my group of remaining friends and continued my night as normally as possible.

JJ’s actions only serving as a harsh reminder of why we would never work out. Why we couldn’t.

THE FOLLOWING DAY, AFTER THE KEGGER, WAS NORMAL AS ONE WOULD EXPECT. Although, the thought of JJ with that girl had crossed my mind practically all day, as much as I hate to admit it. I knew he’d slept with her. It’s JJ. He wasn’t exactly celibate, in any sense of the word.

Despite my racing thoughts, the school day had ended and my dear brother had waited until the last minute to text me that he left early to help our father with catering and couldn’t pick me up. I sighed, throwing my head back as my shoulders slumped. I shook myself off before dialing my mother.

Unsurprisingly, I was met with her voicemail after a full two rings and a text following right after.

Busy. Can’t talk.

Per usual. Our mom was there but she was never really present. Always working or on business trips. She was in and then she was out. Sometimes I wondered if she even remembered that she had kids that still needed her.

Nevertheless, I knew Kie had a shift at The Wreck right after school and I had already seen John B and Sarah run off as soon as the dismissal bell rang — leaving me with only one option.

Scrolling to find the contact that stuck out, I hesitated slightly before pressing ‘call’, my nerves jumping as the phone barely rang before the click of the line being picked up was heard.

“Y/n? What’s up? Are you alright?”

“Yeah, JJ, I’m fine. Are you busy?”

“Uh…”

…

“JJ?”

“Never too busy for you. Why?”

His uncertainty through the phone had me uneasy but I ignored it. “Pope left early and I need a ride. Would you mind?”

I could hear mutters and shuffling over the line. “No, it's cool. I’ll be there soon. Stand in front of the school. Be there in 10. Okay?”

“Okay.” And with that the call ended.

And just as he said, ten minutes later and the distinct rev and rumble of his beat up truck was heard as it pulled up to the front of the school. I smiled brightly but it soon faded when I got a full view of the scene in front of me.

In the passenger seat of his truck was the girl that I’m pretty sure I saw him disappear with last night. Her hair was a mess and she looked like she barely had time to wipe the remnants of her makeup off of her face.

I felt an unfamiliar feeling bubble in my gut — jealousy mixed in with…something else. It wasn’t that I was threatened by her presence or anything. JJ had slept with many girls before her. But I had never had to face any of them. Certainly none that... reminded me oddly of myself?

It was like looking into a warped mirror. I didn’t notice I was still standing on the curb until JJ piped up. “Yo, Y/n?” He seemed hesitant, as if he knew his error. I’m sure he did. “Hop in, kiddo.”

I raised a brow at him with an incredulous expression. “Kiddo?” I spat. Kiddo? What the fuck?

His face pleaded with me to just get in the car and I did but not before rolling my eyes and giving the girl in my unofficial seat a small glare. Maybe she noticed, maybe she didn’t. I didn’t care.

The ride was tense and silent, dreadful really. Mine and JJ’s eyes meeting in the rearview mirror every 5 minutes, exchanging wordless glances. The girl shifted awkwardly in her seat, speaking every few minutes to tell JJ where to turn.

We ended up in front of some huge house on Figure Eight. The girl hopped out, not quick enough for me, and shot JJ a shy smile. I couldn’t stop myself from audibly gagging in the backseat and muttering to myself, both of them shooting completely different looks at me.

Once the door was shut and JJ was changing gears to pull off, I climbed over the center console to sit in my seat — the one that was now oddly warm and felt tainted. Was I being dramatic? Yes. Did I care? Not nearly enough.

It was unusually silent during the ride back. I only spoke once and that was to tell him that he could take me back to The Chateau, since being home alone was something I hated.

However, I broke the ice when it became unbearable. “Is that why you weren’t at school today? Screwing some kook you picked up at the party?” I spoke, not even attempting to hide the malice in my tone.

He sighed, glancing at me as I stared out the window watching the houses and trees pass by. “Her name is Angela.”

“Angela.” I mocked in a disgusted tone. “I didn’t ask for her name.” I reminded harshly, snapping to face him, his focus on the road. His visual focus anyway, it was clear to see he was hanging onto my every word. “I asked if she was the reason you bailed on school today. But I think I’ve got my answer.”

IT HAD ONLY BEEN A FEW HOURS SINCE JJ PICKED ME UP FROM SCHOOL WITH HIS RECENT RENDEZVOUS IN THE CAR. I had gone home as soon as Pope had texted me that he and my dad were back home, wanting to escape the awkwardness of being with JJ alone in The Chateau after our odd exchange in the car.

The only thing that made this worse is that we were headed back there now because I forgot it was Friday and John B planned a movie night. Even though he always talked through them while we all told him to shut up, they were one of our favorite ways to hang out. Especially during the weekends where we could doze off in his living room and wake up to head down to the beach.

Walking up the porch of The Chateau, I could hear a couple of voices inside. Pope and I didn’t knock, instead walking in knowing the door would be unlocked.

When we walked in, I immediately rolled my eyes and muttered under my breath. I hadn’t realized how loud my moan of vexation was in that moment, my brother turning to me as his expression turned into one of worried confusion.

“You okay?”

Shifting my gaze to his instead of the three people in front of me, I locked eyes with Pope. “'M fine. Just wasn’t expecting her to be here.” I spoke lowly, throwing my head in the direction of the girl I saw earlier as she stood talking in the kitchen with JJ. Don’t tell me he invited her here. A kook he met less than 24 hours ago?

“What, you know her?” Pope asked quizzically, probably sensing the frustration radiating off of me.

“You could say that.” Was all I replied before walking further into The Chateau, making my brother and I’s presence fully known.

“Yo!” John B hollered excitedly as he stood in front of one of the only TV’s in his home, crouching as he looked for a movie to watch. “Surprised you’re on time, Pope. Considering that one is with you.” The brunette boy jested.

I walked over to him, a playful smile on my face, before gently swiping one of his crouched feet from under him causing him to slip on his ass with an audible but not seemingly painful thump.

He huffed harshly, rolled his eyes and glared up at me. “And you wonder why I bother you.” He uttered, plucking my calf.

“You started it.” I shrugged with a smug smile. John B just mocked me in a high pitched, borderline unintelligible voice that made my face scrunch and tell him that I do not sound like that before walking off. It was all jokes, though. John B was like my second brother. However, unlike Pope, he couldn’t go 5 minutes without teasing me. I think he liked how much more immature he could be around me sometimes.

Taking my time to stroll over to the kitchen and lean against the counter of the kitchen, JJ, who had been oddly silent and not greeting me with a bear hug as he normally would, wasted no time in lifting his stare to meet mine.

It looked like he and his honorary movie night invitee were preparing a bowl of popcorn and drinks.

“Hey.” I said, jutting my head up in a small greeting as I leaned my elbows against the rough surface of the counter.

But JJ didn’t have time to reply before the girl was answering in a cheery tone, her demeanor and personality doing a complete 180 from what I saw just hours ago. “Hi!” She squealed. “I’m Angela. We met earlier?” She asked as if it was a real question, obviously knowing it was me she had seen in her less than put together state in my seat- the passenger seat of JJ’s truck.

She began to round the corner to get closer to me, dusting her hands off against each other, until she was mere inches in front of me. I moved to lean off of the counter with an odd expression etched all over my face. I wasn’t a fan of new, and frankly uninvited, people — especially kooks.

But having a closer look at Angela now, I could see now that she wasn’t just some kook. No, she was some kook that I’d seen around school tormenting all the pogues in her grade. Despite being a kook, she went to Kildare High with the rest of us. And I was 90 percent sure she ran in the posse run by the girl who tried to punk me during gym that later landed me in a holding cell.

So this little miss perfect, happy go lucky act that she was bombarding me with suddenly filled my entire being with disgust. I couldn’t hide the unamused and rather uninviting expression in my face.

And I wasn’t just treating this girl this way because she had slept with the guy I had a thing for. My best friend. She just stuck around too long for my liking. I’m actually friends with one or two of the girls JJ has had a night with. How? I couldn’t tell you. It just happened. But Angela here swayed me the wrong way the second I saw her. Maybe it was my gut all along, trying to stir up the exact memory that I hadn’t exactly committed but suddenly made itself known again.

I was stuck in my head but was quickly pulled out of it when I saw she was going in for a hug. Before I could stop her she was encasing me in her arms. It didn’t last long before I was shimmying the girl off of me.

She hesitantly let me go, her hands still resting on my shoulders which I swiftly brushed off. I shrugged and sent her an effortless, half-assed smile. “Not much of a hugger.”

I could see JJ tilt his head and speak before he could think. “Since when?”

My annoyed gaze snapped to his in an instant, my face contorting in mild anger. “Since you started trying to integrate your one-night stands into our friend group.” All three of us went silent. John B and Pope too caught up in their own conversation to even hear ours. I could hear Angela scoff and saw her retreat back around the counter to stand next to JJ.

“Y/n.” He said firmly, not knowing where this sudden agitation came from.

I chuckled bitterly before running both of my hands down my face. “I’m gonna get some air.” I muttered, leaving the two of them behind me as I walked by John B and Pope.

“Where are you going?” Pope piped up inquisitively.

“Outside.” Was all I said as I stepped foot onto the back porch, the flimsy door making a loud noise as it shut behind me.

I sat myself down on the steps of the wooden platform, my legs stretched out in front of me crossed over one another as I let my thoughts wander.

I don’t even know why I’m so worked up about this. Technically, I just assumed JJ liked me. He never said he did but all of the signs were there. And yeah, I get that I’m at fault too but this is so hard to manage. I know why I haven’t acted on anything.

I don’t want to jeopardize my relationship with my brother. Pope always had a hard time making friends and the pogues were like our home away from home. They’d stuck by us through thick and thin and I didn’t want to complicate that, for him or myself. And beginning something with JJ? Well, that was a sure-fire way to complicate things.

But in protecting my brother I was hurting myself. As conceited as it may sound, I knew if I said the word that JJ would be with me. Same with me, if I’m being honest with myself. All he had to do was say that he wanted me and he could have me.

But now, I’m not so certain. With him bringing this girl around, one who reminds me eerily of myself? I hate it. I hate the way it makes me feel. And maybe I was being a bitch to her because I knew she wasn’t half the saint she was pretending to be. But most of it was the fact that we were so similar, yet JJ was fooling around with her.

It was making me, truthfully, see some insecurities in myself. Trying to pinpoint what was so drastically different between us that he picked her in one night. What was she displaying that I lacked? And for me, someone who found themselves to be relatively self-assured and confident, it was a hard pill to swallow.

I wasn’t stupid. I knew he picked her because she reminded him of me in some sense. But as I said previously, if JJ wanted me he could have me. Not some weird ass, carbon copy of me. Was he as scared as I was? Of hurting Pope? Was this his way of finding some kind of loophole around that? And if it was…was it working?

Suddenly, I heard the front door of The Chateau close. The cheery, unmistakable voices of Kiara and Sarah booming. A small smile came to my face as I took a deep breath and stood up to head inside.

And it seemed I had re-entered the home at just the right time, seeing Kie squeal my name and run up to Angela, bear hugging the girl from behind with her hands around her neck.

And, honestly, I had noticed before but when you couldn’t see her face, even I thought she was me. Angela had her back turned as she poured the drink into the glass, Kie making her spill it slightly on the counter. I could see JJ try to reach his hand out and warm the cheerful girl but it was too late.

“What the hell?!” Angela screeched, slamming the can down and turning as she pushed Kie off of her. Angela had soda on her top and was eyeing Kiara with a death glare.

“I thought you were…” Kie trailed, her eyes searching for me before they found me standing at the door in the back of the house watching this whole thing unfold as the house fell relatively silent.

She stared at me briefly before whipping back to the fuming, soda-covered girl in the kitchen. “Who are you?” Kie asked with her eyebrows furrowed, A stunned Sarah standing right behind her, mouth slightly agape and eyebrows raised, holding a bag full of candy and chips.

“I’m JJ’s girlfriend. Who the hell are you?” Angela spat back and JJ’s eyes went wide, I mean extremely wide. He suddenly put his hands up and backed away from the girl as if she had burned him, shaking his head.

“Woah, woah,” He looked around to gauge our reactions, that’s when he caught sight of me by the door. It almost seemed like he was speaking to me, and me only, when he opened his mouth again. “She is not my girlfriend.”

Angela swiftly redirected her fiery gaze from Kiara to JJ. “Oh, I’m not? After you slept with me and drove me home?”

JJ looked utterly confused, as did the rest of us. He lowered his eyes to look at the girl. “You asked if I could take you home. I could, so I did. Doesn’t make you my girlfriend.”

“Then why did you invite me here?” She spoke defensively.

“I didn’t…” He trailed off frustratedly. “You caught me at the gas station when I was picking up the sodas, asked where I was going and when I told you, you hopped in my truck and said ‘count me in’. I didn’t invite you here, you invited yourself.” He explained. “I didn't wanna be an asshole and turn you down. I honestly had no intentions of ever seeing you again.”

This elicited a laugh from John B that he quickly covered up with a cough when Angela looked at him. She laughed bitterly. “Y’know what…” She muttered, snatching her purse and phone off of the counter. “That’s fine by me. I don’t know what I was thinking coming to this shit hole on this side of town anyway. Hope you pathetic ass losers have fun watching your little movie.” She quarreled.

“Will do.” I shot back at her with a lazy, two-finger, mock salute that came off as more of a wave and a smug smile, her gaze whipping to mine as she curled her lip and elicited a sound of disgust. She swiftly walked out the front door without another glance back, making an effort to slam the door behind her that had John B calling out in desperation.

“Could you be careful? I just fixed the hinges!”

With Angela gone, along with her brewing storm of rage, the house was still.

“Well,” Sarah spoke, shaking the bag of goods in her hand for us to see. “show's over. Can we start the movie?

The room broke into an infectious laughter as we grabbed our snacks, drinks, and rushed to the couch to start our marathon.

I DON’T REMEMBER WHEN WE ALL FELL ASLEEP. All I knew was that I woke up, my head on Kie’s lap and her head on Pope’s shoulder. John B and Sarah entwined with one another, so much so that you couldn’t tell where he started and she ended.

Sitting up slowly with a quiet groan, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. The sun seemed to have risen not too long ago, casting an orange hue over the sleeping figures in the living room.

Though, one of them was missing.

It wasn’t even seconds before my sore eyes spotted him across The Chateau, in the kitchen, hunched over the counter with his elbows on top of the surface, head in his hands with a glass of water next to him.

Standing from the couch, my sock-clad feet made a soft pattering noise as I made my way over to him. The tired blonde looked up from his hands when he sensed my shadow looming over him, me leaning my own elbows against the counter as I stood across from him on the opposite side.

“Mornin’, blondie.” I chirped, although my voice was still mildly raspy.

“Don’t start.” He spoke exhaustedly.

“What d’you mean?”

“Don’t bring up what went down last night.” He demanded in a tired tone. His gaze shifted to look me in the eyes directly. “I can see it in your mischievous little eyes. I don’t wanna hear it.”

I sighed over-dramatically and stretched my hands out across the counter-top. “Well,” I drawled. “When you are ready to talk, and by talk I mean finally admit that you’ve harbored an enormous crush on me for years, then I’ll be outside.” I saw his eyes go wide and flicker to the sleeping figures on the sofa, specifically Pope’s. “It’s your move, blondie.”

And with that, I was making my way out of the kitchen area and through the back door of The Chateau.

IT WASN’T LONG UNTIL THE SOUND OF THE CREAKY SCREEN DOOR SHUTTING WAS HEARD BEHIND ME AS I SAT ON THE STEPS OF THE PORCH. It could’ve only been a mere 5 minutes after my vague bomb-drop in the kitchen with JJ.

The Outer Banks breeze hit me almost immediately after I walked out of the door and I plopped myself down on the worn, wooden steps without caution as I waited. And it wasn't long before my waiting was over.

I caught sight of the sleeveless tank and ruffled, blonde hair as he sat down next to me. A small smile made its way onto my face, for a reason I simply could not explain. It wasn’t long before I spoke, not wanting to waste time.

“I’ll admit, I was confused at first.” I started, looking ahead at the beach in front of me. “I thought we had something. A little brother’s best-friend, forbidden romance, will-they-won't-they type thing goin’ on, y’know?”

At this he snorted. “You’re ridiculous, y’know that?” He joked, side-eyeing me with a small smile.

“But then,” I dragged, dipping my head to the side to look at him. “You fell back into a terrible habit. That habit being using sex to distract yourself from your life problems.” I spoke honestly. Bluntly. I saw his smile fall slightly at my veracity. “But something was different. I just hadn’t connected the pieces yet. But what stuck out the most was your choice of hook up. She seemed familiar. Too familiar.”

I paused, letting him catch up to what I was hinting at.

“She reminded me of myself. Physically, anyway.” I shrugged. “Now, call me overly-confident, whatever — but you chose the worst replacement ever-” I began with a cringe.

“Oh my god-” He groaned, running his hands down his face with a low chuckle. “Really? That’s where your head’s at? Seriously-”

“Uh, yeah, seriously.” I started, an astonished expression plastered on my features. “She was a bitch. And she only really looked like me when you couldn’t see her face.” I muttered in mock-offense, that was somewhat authentic.

We laughed for a beat before letting it fall into silence, replaced by the sound of the water hitting the shore from afar and the wind whipping by.

“So, what now? You basically told me everything that I could've said. Why did you want to talk out here?” He asked casually, trying to hide his nerves that shone through his leg that was bouncing furiously. I put my hand on his knee gently to halt the rapid movement.

“It’s simple, really,” I started, a hint of roguery behind my eyes. “I want to hear it from you. All of it.” I declared.

His eyes scanned mine, going from one to the other to assess my seriousness — more so, if I was in fact asking him to admit how he felt about me. When, I assume, he found no trace of humor or trickery, he took a deep breath and looked out in front of him.

And although I wouldn’t let it show on my features, my heart was racing furiously behind my chest. I could hear it.

“You’re... right. For the most part, anyway.” He kicked off his statement. “I’ve had a thing for you for a while now. It started as a small crush, I thought you were cute and feisty and we got along. I thought it would go away because all crushes do, or at least that’s what I thought. So when a year passed and nothing had changed, I knew I was in for it.”

He paused to pace himself, looking down at the hand I had yet to remove from his knee and placing his own on top of it.

“It was my freshman year when Pope caught me staring at you a little too hard, giving me the typical ‘gross, that’s my sister’ spill.” He mocked, prompting both of us to chuckle. “Then, John B made the stupid ‘no pogue-on-pogue macking’ rule and it seemed like the world was working against me. And when it came to thought of us alone, no rules or brothers in mind, I just thought we were too…different.” He said with a frown.

“I had a random hook-up every weekend, chicks coming up asking if I remembered them or even their names and you were always on about how all you wanted was one person who would stick with you through anything and I just thought that I couldn’t be that for you. So, I told myself that I’d let you go, or try to. But it was so much harder than I thought it would be. There’s nothing you could do that could make me stop loving you, and I realized that. Angela…was a mistake, to say the least. She was the closest thing I could find to you without her being you and that wasn’t nearly enough. She looked a little bit like you, sure, but she was selfish, rude as fuck, and she did not think I was funny, like at all. Kinda hurt my ego, not gonna lie.” He joked.

“I’m in love with you. And I should’ve said it sooner.” He spoke gently, finally meeting my eyes with his own. They were shining with vulnerability, a rare form of it I had never seen from him.

I didn’t know what to say. I had coaxed this long, honest confession out of him and was too stunned to speak. Although, I had a few words on the tip of my tongue. “I love you, too.”

It was so much of a whisper I barely heard it myself. But the second a bright grin broke out on his face, I knew he’d heard it. And before I could process his actions, his lips were against mine in an instant.

I was about to kiss him back but the logical side of me pushed him away before I could. My hands on his shoulders with my eyes blown wide. “We can’t. Pope, he's…this isn’t-”

His hands pulled mine from his shoulder so he could hold them. “Pope will be fine. I know he’s your brother, he’s my best friend, but you have to make a choice for you.” He reassured me firmly.

I was silent, looking into his eyes as I weighed my options. Although, I knew there was only one I was going to choose.

Pope would get over it.

I took JJ off guard when I crashed my lips into his this time. His hands coming up to cradle both sides of my face as my own trailed up the length of his chest. I could feel him smile smally into the kiss before he murmured something between us. “Good choice.”

There was nothing else in that moment, except us.

And the random camera shutter we both seemed to have heard as we pulled away with confused expressions and swollen lips. Looking over towards the door, there stood a grinning Kiara and Sarah leaning against the door frame. Kiara’s phone in her hand, held up landscape-style as we caught sight of it just as the flash went out.

Her eyebrows rose and she threw out a hand towards us. “Oh, by all means, please continue. I just needed a photo for the scrapbook I’m making for your wedding where I'm obviously gonna be your maid of honor.” She smiled sweetly with a wink before turning on her heels and going back inside.

Sarah shrugged with a smile and pointed a finger, wiggling it between the both of us. “I did not see this coming, at all, by the way.” She claimed before squinting her eyes playfully. “But I kind of like it. Okay, I’m leaving now.” She said before following Kiara inside.

I sighed harshly as JJ tried to hold in a laugh. “It’s not funny.” I reprimanded, although my expression was full of humor itself.

JJ slid his arm across my shoulders to tug me into him, kissing the top of my forehead.

“Oh and small warning,” I started, looking up at him. “You let another person, girl or guy, sit in my seat in your truck again or call me 'kiddo'? I’ll demolish it in the worst way you've ever seen. I'm talking 'Before He Cheats' style and then some.” I spoke threateningly with a smile on my face.

“Noted.” He smiled adoringly, even though I had just threatened to utterly decimate his vehicle. I rolled my eyes at him but snuggled closer into his side as we sat in comfortable silence.

“JJ WHY DOES KIE HAVE A PICTURE OF YOU KISSING MY SISTER?!” Pope’s voice boomed from all the way inside the home, his heavy and rapid footsteps approaching the door causing JJ to jump from his place beside me and nearly tumble down the steps as he skipped down them.

When Pope came outside he looked at me. Sitting on the steps, unbothered for the most part but a hint of amusement that he could only spot in my face. “You kissed him?!” He asked as if he couldn’t believe it. But in all honesty? He didn’t even look upset, not really.

I was one-hundred percent sure he was just trying to be a protective older brother.

Then his gaze whipped to JJ who looked apprehensive. “You kissed my sister?”

JJ put a hand on top of his head to act as a shield from the sun as he looked around. “It’s really nice outside. We should surf today. And the water? Oh man, the water looks amazing.” He tried to deflect in a ramble.

Then Pope was bolting down the stairs as JJ ran off, both of them kicking up sand in their wake. “I’m gonna kill you and her next!”

At that, my brows furrowed and I stood from the steps to lean over the railing and watch them run around like chickens. “Why me?!” I called in offense, throwing my hands out. A smile breaking out when Pope tackled JJ to the ground and they wrestled before breaking out into a fit of giggles themselves.

General taglist;@livlaughquinn

JJ Maybank Taglist; @ronnieissupermegafoxyawesomehot @maybankslover

feedback is appreciated! thanks for reading.

©loveharlow

484 notes · View notes