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#relatives that got the lab puppy less than six months ago only had that puppy for like less than a week before they gave it back bc it was
darkwood-sleddog · 1 year
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you know what. i do not feel bad that family/friends delay telling me their dog acquiring news because they fear i'll be judgmental. 1.) like hmmm. why do we have something bad to judge i wonder?? 2.) i have never been incorrect in my judgements of people's backyard breeder buying habits being bad ideas for those individuals. and it's so clear that the family/friends of mine that delay their dog news know they are getting dogs from less than reputable sources just based on their behavior. like c'mon people. let's set you up for success instead.
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harringtonstudios · 4 years
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best friend’s ex.
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plot: he’s your best friend’s ex and you should stay away. 
A/N: i wrote this in one sitting and it’s very long <3 took some creative liberty here so imagine 2020!kells but he hasn’t made it just quite yet in the industry. this is heavily based off the song release tonight with blackbear so enjoy (maybe while listening!)
masterlist!
The circles in New York are different than the ones in Los Angeles. There’s a hint of familiarity in the New York circles, everyone seems to know each other connected by one person or a distant story of that one night the whole crowd tripped on molly. It’s dizzying, intricately knowing every single person backstage or at some club without recognizing them exactly.
You haven’t gotten used to the life, not yet acclimated with the high-fives and looks thrown your way at a party, or the nameless phone numbers crowding your text messages. It’s all new, fun and exciting and you have no one to thank but your best friend.
She’s made for this life, for the late nights and the rushes, the sticky floors and glittery lipgloss. This is her environment, where she thrives, and sometimes when you look at her in the club, necklaces shining with the overhead lights, you find it hard to connect this Domi to the one who you’ve seen crying on your bedroom floor after watching a despairing animal shelter commercial. But then she throws you a grin, crowds close, drapes her arm over your shoulder, and it just makes sense.
It’s been years of friendship, ever since you two met at freshman orientation for college. Her roommate was terrible, and more often than not, she’d be camping out on your twin-sized bed, offering you bites of her snacks in exchange for a safe haven. You both hadn’t really been into the party scene at school, too busy scrambling for reports and fibbing results for the endless lab sessions.
Domi graduated a semester early, spent an entire summer taking accelerated classes so she could go fly off to New York right before the new year started. That’s when things seemed to change. You’d been upset with her, hints of jealousy tinging in when she’d send you pictures of fancy clothes and people she was hanging out with, the nicely decorated venues she’d find herself in. She invited you to come to the city a few weeks in, buzzing on Facetime about backstage passes.
Then you were graduating yourself, packing two suitcases and jetting halfway across the country to live in the shitty apartment Domi’d been renting out with a couple of strangers. It had been hard to settle down at first, the air was different in the city and you’d had to up your resting bitch face game when you sat on the subways late at night, but before you knew it, you were enjoying the city that never sleeps, best friend right by your side.
Colson had stumbled into your life a year ago, and then been ripped out six months after. He was a up and coming musician (self-proclaimed) and had taken a chance bet on the city, moved from Cleveland with his friends and a mixtape. He was beautiful in a rugged way, angled cheekbones and lanky limbs, but Domi had taken one look and called dibs, so you tampered any attraction down.
It hadn’t taken long for them to start dating, even if Domi claimed they were just fooling around, it was clear to see that there was some level of intimacy there, a relationship itching to be formed. You’d been happy for her truly and it was easier than you’d expected to fall into a camaraderie with the guys.
Colson’s friends were funny, quick on their toes and absolutely chaotic. They fit into New York better than you did, and almost every single night, you would find yourself at their apartment, playing shitty drinking games and jamming to loud music.
Domi kept the relationship as lowkey as she could, and at some point, you would hear less and less about Colson. It didn’t really hit you then, but it was the beginning of the end in a way, and then she was walking in, eyes red and wet before yelling out the fated words, “We broke up.”
Everything you had gotten used to was suddenly taken away. You spent weeks consoling her, reminding her that she was better than this guy, stronger and that time was the only way this would heal. She begrudgingly listened, and then took your phone from you, casually blocking Colson’s number along with all his friends.
At first, you’d been mildly upset. She was the one who’d fucked up, the one who’d decided to break up with him, so why was this effecting you? It didn’t make sense, they were still your friends and you liked them more than anyone else you’d met here.
But then she’d given you her patented puppy dog eyes, and you’d dismissed it, decided that if this was what she wanted, so be it. You could stand to lose the drunken nights, your liver would thank you.
Colson Baker and his friends disappeared from your life as fast as they had appeared into it. You spent your nights cooking at home instead of going out, focused on building back your sleep schedule instead of getting drunk off your mind, and the days went by.
-
Of course, nothing lasts forever and six months later, your coworkers’ are begging you for a night out, like the old times. Everyone’s antsy for your reply, know that you haven’t been to a social function with them in ages, and you take one look at their faces before sighing and agreeing.
The entire office claps, you flip them all off before catching sight of your boss, who simply smiles and shakes his head. There’s a faint flutter in your stomach, memories rising from months ago, parties and late nights, flashes of lights and thumping music. You shrug it off, tap your pen against the desk, bring your focus back to work.
Three hours later, you’re catching the train back home. It isn’t exactly rush hour yet, you’ve gotten out a little earlier than usual, Friday evenings usually being dull at work anyway and you’re glad because there’s less people mulling around in the sticky heat of the train station.
The station doesn’t smell great, there’s a tinge of stale pee filling up the air and you discreetly move to the other side of the station, trying to get as far away from the smell as you can. New York City man.
The train pulls in, and you automatically put in your headphones, music blasting in your ears as you sidle into the train car, passing the passengers coming out. It’s relatively empty, being near the front and you thank the train gods before sliding into an orange seat near the door.
There’s a couple of guys sitting at the other end, they’re loud and boisterous, shoving each other and you give them a once-over before settling into the seat. The train moves, and you pull your purse onto your lap, patting it once before letting your eyes fall close.
The next stop comes abruptly, jolting you out of the little dreamscape you’d created. There’s a shout as the doors open and you pause your music trying to tune into what’s going on. It’s still the group of guys, but now there’s more of them and you roll your eyes at the banter drifting across the car.
The music starts up again and you lean your head back, try to get comfortable again, but it doesn’t work. There’s a weird feeling in your gut, making you uneasy but you brush it off, raise the volume until all you can feel is the dirty bass.
A minute later, someone kicks at your shoes and you open your eyes, ready to angrily scold at them until they can feel the rage across the car.
The words die in your throat. Colson Baker’s standing there in all his glory, lanky arm leaning against the metal, blonde hair puffing around his head, grin lighting up his face.
His nose is pierced now and you take it in, the way it brings out his eyes and you pause the music mumbling out, “Nose ring looks good on you.”
You bite your tongue right after, embarrassed that after months of silence that’s the first thing that falls out of your mouth. He laughs, body shaking and you’re flashed back to nights in his apartment, watching him laugh on the other couch, head thrown back.
“Thanks,” he murmurs before going, “How’ve you been?”
“Good,” you answer honestly and there’s another shout from across the car, Colson turning to wave a hand.
“It’s the guys. They didn’t think it was you, but I could tell yanno,” he explains and you raise your eyebrows as he continues, “They’re all still kinda pissed you blocked us.”
The statement falls between you two, awkwardly as the train car rumbles on. You wince a little as he fake coughs to fill the empty space.
“Yeah, I’m sorry about all that man. You guys were like family,” you carefully mention, hands playing with the hair tie on your wrist.
“It’s cool. I get it, I mean we both know Domi,” he stammers out and his own hand goes to rub at his chin.
This conversation isn’t what either of you expected and you shift up in your seat, trying to change the topic at the mention of your best friend.
“So what’ve you been up to?” you ask and he smiles at the gateway question, eager to get rid of the uncomfortable energy.
“Got signed to a record label,” he murmurs and the smile that takes over your face is unreal. There’s pride blooming in your chest.
“No way!! Oh my god, congrats dude. That’s killer,” you gush out and his cheeks taint red at your words.
“Thanks,” he says, eyes meeting yours.
“I knew you’d do it. You’re immensely talented,” you continue on as the train comes to a stop.
It’s not yours but it seems to be his. The guys all shout over at him and he’s looking up and then gazing at you, caught between the two options before he makes up his mind.
He doesn’t choose you, you’re not surprised.
“I appreciate you!” he shouts out before running off the car, joining the rest of the guys on the station.
You turn in your seat and wave at them, catching a couple of glares and hesitant waves back before the car pulls away, to the next destination.
The music starts up again and you will your heart to slow down for reasons you can’t even comprehend.
-
Domi gives you a look as you rush into your room. Usually after work, you spend time in the kitchen, milling around grabbing little snacks as she cooks, but you actually have plans tonight.
It’s the first time you’re going out in months and you take a quick shower before pulling out all the old outfits you’d shoved into the back of your closet.
There’s a nice dress, black with faint traces of glitter and you eye it for a second before deciding against it. This is a fun night with the coworkers, not your insane best friend who’d always managed to get you to dress your very best.
There’s a pair of skinny jeans tossed into a dresser, and you eye the rips in it before pulling it on. It looks good, tight in all the right places and you root around for a shirt that can be just fancy enough.
There’s a nice purple one tossed in the closet, slipping off of a hanger and you grab it before pulling it on and tying it up in the front.
It’s pretty, makes you look just right and you play around with your hair before sitting down and committing to a makeup look.
Fifteen minutes later, you’re throwing your keys, a pack of gum, gloss and your phone into a small purse. It hangs off of your wrist and you take a look in the mirror before stepping out of your room.
“Where are you going?” Domi asks, her tone slightly cold.
“Night out. Coworkers invited me and I couldn’t say no,” you explain, running your hands down the jeans.
“Oh,” her face falls.
“Do I-look good?” you ask hesitantly.
“Yeah. You always do bitch,” she half-heartedly adds and you smile at her.
“I’ll see you tonight,” you say, grabbing a carrot from the countertop.
“I’ll wait up,” she smirks and you nod before heading out the door.
The club’s only a few stops away and when you swipe your metro card again, you groan at how low the funds are running. You haven’t filled it just yet, and the $1.25 flashes up at you, taunting.
“I’m poor,” you scoff at the machine and the girl swiping next to you laughs.
You get in somehow, sneakily using the swinging baby stroller door and by the time the train pulls up, you’re only running a few minutes late.
It only hits you when you sink into the familiar orange seat that you didn’t tell Domi about running into her ex. You know she doesn’t care as much about Colson now, scorchingly refers to him as that one rapper, but it’s an unspoken rule. You always tell if you run into the ex.
Your fingers tap against your phone screen, wondering if texting her is appropriate but you drop it quickly. It’s not a big deal. You’ll just let her know when you get home tonight.
The doors open, you leave and then you’re stalking towards the club doors, eyeing the long line. The bouncer is staring everyone down, and you wade up to the front. You’ve learned enough tricks in the short party lifestyle you’d had.
“I’m with the VIPs,” you flash your ID and then a $5 discreetly tucked under it. He looks you up and down, grumbles slightly before taking the money from you.
The rope opens and you smile before stepping through into the dark. It’s loud inside already, the lights contrasting the slight evening colors from outside. You look around before you spot the team and walk over to them.
“Hey!!!” they exclaim and then you’re being handed a glass, cheering the night as everyone drinks it down.
It’s tequila, stings in the back of your throat and you cough before wiping your mouth, “God, I haven’t had this in so long.”
“See that’s why we needed you out tonight,” one of them goes, checking your shoulder with theirs. You laugh before agreeing and order your drink of choice, chiming into the conversation.
It’s going so well, the night seems to be twinged with good vibes. You feel nice and loose, arm draped over your nearest friend as you two sway at the songs playing.
There’s a commotion at the door and you guys turn towards the bouncer only to see people scuffling around, pushing to get closer.
“Hey dude! I’m playing tonight. Musical guest here!!!” comes a loud voice, and it rings familiar in your head. It’s faint, digging somewhere into the back of your mind and you get on your tip-toes trying to see.
“Fuck you,” someone else spits and it echoes around the club.
The crowd splits open then, and you get a glimpse at old friends, adjusting their hats as they stalk across to the stage.
Rook’s fuming as he walks past you, and you spot the tell-tale crease on his face, the grit of his teeth. It scares you, the memory of it all after late night game losses, the way he would blow a gasket about cheating.
Slim and Baze wander behind him, they seem cooler, always are, but the anger is brimming under and you look away as they pass you.
AJ isn’t there and you guess he’s already in the club. He’s always been the sensible one, stable and ready to take control of the situation when it inevitably turns bad.
Colson’s following the rest but his eyes are on the crowd, hand going out to meet people, smiling at everyone. There’s a faint cut on his lip, blood trickling out and you want to scream at him. He comes up around to where you’re standing, and you step back, let your coworkers high five him as he passes.
He doesn’t see you, it’s better that way.
You order up another drink, ignore the whispers of the pesky rapper as they fill up the air around you. He’s well known here apparently, people aware of him in the scene. They mumble about the fights, the way he never seems to show up without a cut or bruise.
You take a shot, sip at the alcohol, smile fading as your coworker ravishes on about how good looking the musician is.
It takes about twenty minutes, and then the music shuts off. There’s a squeal of microphone feedback and everyone around you ducks, hands rushing up to cover their ears.
“Fuck,” a mumble comes across the sound system.
There’s another shuffle and your friend grabs your arm, pulling you closer to the stage. There’s already people there, milling around, clutching drinks and you try to stay on the sidelines, out of view.
“We should go closer,” he determines and then you’re being pulled forward again, swimming around in the second row.
Colson is standing front and center in all his glory. The shitty lighting makes him glow, and he looks big, energy filling him up. He pulls the mic off the stand and steps back before going, “Afternoon. We are Machine Gun Kelly.”
The name isn’t familiar. You don’t know it and quite frankly, it doesn’t place anywhere either but that’s all you get before the music starts up. It’s weird, a pace you don’t expect from him and then he’s off, singing with a grit in his voice, fingers flying across a guitar draped over his shoulder.
Everyone seems to bob along in the crowd and you do too, losing yourself in the way he sounds, the tone of his voice as he croons. The music is great, drums harsh and strong, guitar loud behind the vocals.
The set’s over quick and you’re slightly sweating by the end of it. He thanks the crowd before jumping off stage, and you immediately retreat back to the bar, anxious to steer clear of him.
Even in your drunken state of mind, it’s a bright red flashing light: Stay away from Colson. Stay away from the guys.
You switch to water for a while, try to stop your head from spinning with the lights. Everyone you came with is somewhere on the dance floor, so when an arm drapes on your shoulders, you freeze up, still facing the bar.
“Hey,” and then you’re looking up at Slim’s face, sweaty and eager.
“Slim,” you breathe out, vice in your chest loosening at the fact that it isn’t Colson. You don’t know why this is better, but it is.
“What’re you drinking?” he asks, hand going up to call over the bartender.
You don’t have the heart to say water, know that he’ll laugh and then get you a beer, so you murmur, “Get me a shot of vodka?”
His smile widens and he shouts the drink order over the counter before dropping his arm, “You sipping the hard stuff now?”
Shaking your head, you respond, “I’ve always drank the hard stuff.”
“Yeah, back when we hung out,” he slips into the banter, and your heart stops. You didn’t realize it had hurt them this bad, that months later, drunk and high off of a good show, Slim still manages to bring it up, voice tightening slightly.
“Look, I’m sorry about all that. I really am,” you start, but then he’s passing you the drink and locking arms.
“Cheers,” he says and you clink your shot glass against his, tipping it back.
“I’m sorry,” you mumble out but he throws you a look.
“Don’t worry about it,” he says and then he’s shouting out, “Yo Kells!”
It clicks into place then, the Machine Gun Kelly. It’s his nickname, has been for years apparently since he was rapping in middle school hallways, but he’d always introduced himself as Colson to new friends, let them decide whether the Kells fit him or not.
You hadn’t called him Kells once, in the months of knowing him, had laughed about it a couple of times with Domi, who loved to mock it any chance she could.
“You stalking me?” Kells sleazes out, there’s already a drink in his hand, someone following him around with bright eyes.
“No,” you state, moving away from the counter. The red lights are in full effect, this could end up terribly.
“Seems like it,” he sums up, coming in closer to lean against the bar. His lip is still cut, looks swollen as he approaches you.
“You fucked up your lip,” you state, mind cursing at the lack of filter you seem to have around your best friend’s ex.
“What?” he goes, and then his fingers are rubbing at the fat lip, eyes scrunching, “Guess I did.”
“Well it was nice to see you again,” you try.
“I just got here, you leaving already?” he murmurs, brushing off the person following him.
Slim’s moved to the other end of the bar, Rook’s throwing you a glare.
“Don’t think your friends want me around,” you nod over.
He turns his head and makes some kind of motion. Rook drops his eye contact, head going to duck at the bar. Slim smiles.
“They don’t know what’s good for them,” he mumbles, head turning back. His fingers tap at the bar, and there’s a beer appearing. He smiles at the bartender.
“I’m good for them?” you scoff, there’s a hint of bitterness at your tone, but it’s not directed exactly at them. It isn’t their fault.
“Always have been. The good influence when we would try and do stupid shit,” he says thoughtfully. He’s almost as drunk as you, eyes slightly red.
You laugh at that, “You’re always doing stupid shit. Great set by the way, impressed the fuck out of me.”
“You didn’t expect it?” he says as if you were supposed to have known all his songs by heart.
“I haven’t heard any of your music,” you honestly reply.
“Not even the mixtapes?” he seems shocked.
“No, Domi never sent them to me and you all just assumed so,” you stop yourself, falling into dangerous territory.
At the name drop of his ex, he winces a little, “God she was a fucking head-case.”
“Hey that’s my best friend you’re talking about,” you shout a little too loud. You catch Slim slamming a hand onto Rook’s shoulder. The air becomes stifled.
“Sorry,” Colson offers, taking a long, pointed sip.
You sigh, “Don’t be. She can be a little much sometimes. I’m sorry for how it all ended.”
“You should hang with us tonight,” he calmly says, switching the subject. Your breath catches in your throat.
“I don’t know-“ you start.
He cuts you off, “I get it. If you want, we’ll be here for a while. Find us.”
That’s all you get and then he’s walking towards the gang, slipping into the crowd. You drop your head onto the shell covered bar, groaning out.
-
The night dwindles down, your coworkers trickle out, slamming messy kisses on your face before walking out. You’re left by yourself soon enough and there’s a pulsing in your head, matching the music vibrating under your shoes.
It doesn’t take long to decide. You want to hang out with Colson and them, with Machine Gun Kelly. It’s a bad idea, you can tell before you’ve even fully determined it, but it’s as if fate’s lined everything up for you. It’s gonna happen.
You push away the nagging thoughts, wander around the club trying to find someone, coming up empty. Everyone seems to have left and you roll your eyes before stepping out yourself. Maybe fate doesn’t want this to happen.
As soon as the thought crosses your mind, you spot Rook across the street, blunt in hand. He hasn’t seen you, looking down at his shoes but you know him well and if he’s around it means the others are close by.
You brace yourself, work up some form of courage and walk over. He looks up at the sound and there’s immediate dislike flashing across his face.
Out of everyone, Rook’s been the most temperamental. You’d thought it was going to be Colson at first glance, but were quickly proven wrong by his friend, by the harshness of his demeanor at times. He doesn’t hide his feelings, and while you respect that, you’re also intimidated by his posturing.
“Hey Rook,” you mumble.
“Y/N,” he bluntly states.
“How have you been?” you try, but immediately know it’s the wrong thing to say.
“Cut the shit. What’d you want?” he bites out, eyes hard.
“Was wondering if I could catch a ride with you guys?” you question. 
AJ usually drives them around, his black van large enough for the gang, and his self control strong enough to stay sober. You don’t know if it’s changed since the last time everyone hung out, but you’re hoping it hasn’t for the sake of your almost empty metrocard.
“Why’d you think we drove here?” he’s shrugs, giving you a hard time, and you shake your head wondering if your pride is worth this.
“Never mind dude,” you turn around but then he’s groaning behind you.
“Yeah we’ll take you back home. Kells’ kill me if I let you walk around here drunk. C’mon,” he says and you try to hide your smile as you follow him.
He takes a few more hits before tossing his blunt to the ground, and you’re glad he hasn’t offered you any. It would be too forgiving of him, too close to what you all used to be, and you wouldn’t know what to do if it came to that. Domi would kill you, hell she’d kill you if she knew you were getting into a car with them right now.
He stops in front of the familiar van, opens the door with force and everyone’s shouting inside, clambering over each other. You almost smile at the chaos, the familiarity of it all.
“Y/N!” Colson’s shouting and you do smile then. He slumps over long limbs and comes over to the door, reaching his hand out to you.
“You coming with us?” he asks and you nod before Rook mutters, “She needs a ride home.”
Colson purses his lips before looking back over at you, hand still outstretched, “Yeah, c’mon in. AJ got you.”
It’s late, later than you should be out and there’s a reminder that Domi’s waiting for you back home, wants to hear about your night. Your resolve flickers the minute his hand wraps around yours.
He tugs you in the van, and you follow, stepping in before they all scatter around, making enough space. There’s another girl with them, someone you don’t remember meeting or knowing but she smiles at you and curls into Rook’s side.
The music in the van is almost as loud as in the club, filling up the space. You wonder, not for the first time, how AJ drives like this, how he casually sings along, fist bumping the rest of the guys after a song.
Before you know it, there’s a blunt being passed around. Colson skips you on the first round, and you try not to let it hurt, remind yourself that you’ve stung them harder than this, hurt them worse.
He leans into your space after handing it off, whispers, “You still don’t smoke right?”
There’s a painful twist in your stomach at his question. When you all first met, you wouldn’t smoke blunts with them, hesitant about the strain and Domi’s eyes on you. She hated weed, despised the smell and would always remind you of that fact before you’d all spend the night out.
After the breakup, she’d loosened up on that, didn’t care if you smoked out on the fire escape, and sometimes even joined in, it was weird. Weirder than the fact that Colson somehow remembered all this months later.
“I do,” you whispered back, licking your lips, “smoke I mean.”
“Oh,” he softly says and then the blunt’s coming back around. He barely takes a hit before handing it off to you, pushing your hand slightly with his fist.
“Thanks,” you mumble, smoking it in. It’s strong, brings an immediate rush. You close your eyes.
When you open them, Colson’s too close to you. The red lights flash hard in your head and then the car’s stopping in front of their building.
You don’t even hesitate, “Is it wrong if I come up with you?”
His eyes look into yours, it’s quiet enough that you feel the weight of your statement sink in. This is bad, so bad.
He doesn’t say anything but everyone around you is moving, pulling off instruments and slamming doors. He carefully takes your hand, pulls the blunt out from your other one.
“AJ, we’re gonna chill for a while,” he says, towards the front seat, giving him the blunt. There’s a hum and then he’s opening the door, pulling you out just as he’d pulled you in.
For a second, you hesitate and then you’re falling into him. His arm wraps around your hips, pulls you back up on the sidewalk.
“You okay?” his voice is quiet, the world still moves around you both but it feels like you’re the only two people who matter.
“Yeah,” you nod.
“Wanna go home?” he says, and the words hit you for a second before you shake your head.
“No, this is cool,” you tongue out.
You’re both walking into the building then, satisfied with your answers. The manager gives you a once over at the front desk but that’s all before Colson’s thumbing the elevator button.
“What about everyone else?” you murmur.
He looks at them unloading the van and lets out a laugh, fingers tightening slightly against yours as he shakes, “They’re gonna be busy a while.”
You laugh back, try to tamper down the feeling of seeing him full-body laugh for the second time that day. The elevator dings and you step in, he follows.
It’s the same damn elevator as it was six months ago, but there’s something different in the air right now. It’s staticky, thrumming through you and it feels like you’re stumbling right on the edge of something.
The doors close, it’s just you and him. The feeling gets stronger, his fingers loosen against yours. You grip harder and he looks up straight into your eyes.
The door dings open again and he huffs a little, “Forgot to click the button.”
You smile but it feels thin. Your brain is flashing wrong, flashing red, screaming Domi’s name, but your heart is racing, pounding against your chest.
You screw your eyes shut.
He hits the button, the elevator starts going and you step closer to him. His back is against the elevator wall and there’s a calm look on his face, but you can tell he’s nervous, can feel it in the clamminess of his palm where it’s sticking to yours.
“I’m going to kiss you,” you blurt and you don’t even have time to regret the words before he’s pushing into you, lips finding yours within seconds.
They’re warm and softer than you expected. He lets out a groan as you kiss back, and you’re reminded of his cut, the swollen lip he’s sporting now. You move back, rest your forehead against his.
“Sorry, your lip,” you attempt to explain, but he shakes his head, forehead sliding across yours, twisting it.
“I like it,” he mumbles and you smile before kissing him again, feeling his arm wrap around you, pull you closer.
It’s the first time you’ve kissed him, he’s strictly off limits, a forbidden idea, but it feels like everything has suddenly fallen into place. The warning signs dissolve into bursts of serotonin as he makes little sounds, pressed up with your mouth.
The door dings open. You break apart and step out. Is kiss drunk a thing, or are you losing your mind? He grins at you, pulls your joined hands up for a soft kiss brushing on your knuckles.
Your heart flutters right then. If you’re losing your mind, you’re glad it’s with him. Dealing with the aftermath is something you’ll do later, so you push all thoughts of Domi and her complications aside and follow him straight into his apartment, consequences be damned.
-
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wendynerdwrites · 7 years
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Recovered Jonsa Fic #7: Steampunk/Gaslamp Fantasy AU
Another repost.
She stares out the window, over the immense landscapes of Northern France when he enters the overlook deck. It’s early morning, and aside from a few pilots at the helm and control board, there’s no one else around. The rising sun is behind them as they head west, the French sky a mass of purple this early in the morning.
Despite the hour being so early, his cousin is fully dressed: her leggings, corset, and half-skirt a stormy grey, her square-necked tunic white silk. Her half-skirt, which falls just to her knee, shimmers with the mass of steel tools fastened to it. Even her goggles are perfectly fastened above her brow, almost resembling a tiara. She’s dressed for practicality, but for her hair, loose-hanging, blood-colored river that falls almost to her waist.
Jon feels awkward. On his trips with Sansa, he generally tried to be as put-together and well-dressed as possible. Normally, he opted for simple trousers, tunics, and vests in which to store excess tools. More than once while traveling, he was mistaken for a laborer. It was hardly something he minded.
But Sansa had a way of increasing his standards. It used to simply be so he didn’t have to hear her whine, as she was wont to do back in the days when their relationship was more akin to that of siblings. Now it was because he wanted to please her. So, on this trip, there were more frock coats, ties, cufflinks, and shiny buttons.
He’d not expected to see her here this early, though. He’d worked so late in his lab that he’d ended up camping out in the bunk he had there. So when he’d rolled out of bed, he’d just thrown on the first thing he could grab off of his floor: the wrinkled remains of yesterday’s tunic and  a pair of brown trousers with scorch marks.
He almost ducks out to change, but she turns and catches him too quickly. “Jon?”
Jon crosses the deck, blushing a bit. But if his disheveled appearance bothers her, she gives no sign. Indeed, she grabs his hand the second he’s in reaching distance and pulls him to her. Jon stands close behind her, wrapping his arms about her shoulders and chest. He leans in and smells her hair--- there are the fashionable, rosy perfumes from Paris, but with the slightest undercurrent of oil and brass that she always tries so desperate to scrub away.
Sansa had been the only person he’d ever met who seemed utterly disinterested in being a Spark. Unlike her siblings, she did not wait eagerly for the day she broke through. The day she did, it came as an even bigger shock than normal. Even as she desperately, hurriedly assembled her hastily-designed decorating clank, yanking everything within arm’s reach off the shelves of Robb’s lab, she was crying out “I don’t want to be a Madgirl!”
But that was seven years ago. Sansa was a Spark, and a strong one, and she’d more or less embraced it. Every skirt, half or full, had pockets for her tools. And while her labs were tidier and prettier than most, she certainly spent many hours in them. She still played the perfect lady perfect socialite at every opportunity--- to the point where many didn’t even realize she was a Spark at all--- but she was still always ready with a wrench, hammer, or wires.
Jon loved smelling it on her. He loved watching her at work--- an activity which often led to either one of them clearing a counter of all instruments and shoving the other person onto it.
Now, though, his mind wasn’t on that manner of activity. He’d woken up this morning with the insatiable urge to look out over the countryside and watch for the first sight of Winterfell in the distance. Logically, he knew that was silly: they weren’t due to arrive until that evening. Nonetheless, he couldn’t help himself. They’d been away for so, so long.
“What are you doing up?” He asks her, settling his chin on her shoulder.
She sighs. “I couldn’t sleep. We’re so close, Jon. And I wanted to see home the first chance I got.”
“You too, eh?” He almost laughed. It still floored him how much he and Sansa had in common. Two and a half years ago, when he and Sansa set off on this trip, he’d wondered what they’d even talk about when they weren’t working. Out of all the Stark siblings, she was the one he was least close to growing up. But at this point, he now knew, to his amazement, that their differences had been almost entirely superficial. She was like a part of him.
“I was thinking… Do you think that maybe… Maybe Ghost and Lady will act differently, now that we---?”
Jon’s eyes widened. Since their relationship altered, they’d spoken at length over the reactions they’d face upon their return home. Everyone would be shocked, no doubt. Arya and the Duchess would likely be furious, albeit for very different reasons. Bran and Rickon would probably be confused, possibly grossed out. Robb might want to strangle him. The Duke would most likely act calm, but be internally mortified--- or worse, disappointed. The Winterfell Household would most likely be walking on eggshells. Some of those people had helped raise them, after all. And even though Jon had never technically been a Stark (at least, not in name), he’d still been with his mother’s family since early childhood.
But they’d never discussed this. Jon might have been raised with the name “Targaryen”, but never once was he made to feel different from the others. To the point that he’d been given a direwolf construct along with the other Stark kids.
Every Stark descendent got a wolf, a genetically-engineered direwolf construct imbued with some of its intended owner’s DNA and brainwave patterns. It was a tradition going back six centuries to Duke Brandon “The Bio-Builder” Stark, who first engineered a litter for himself and his children. It was something that was usually kept only to the immediate relatives of the main family--- cousins usually didn’t get one. But Jon had. The wolves were a part of their owners, and vice-versa. Leaving them behind at Winterfell had been painful, but Jon’s absurd father had refused to permit them in his court. As a result, Jon hadn’t seen Ghost in thirty months, just as Sansa hadn’t seen Lady.
It was perhaps their longing for their wolves that first brought them together, that made them realize that they were as connected to each other as they were to their wolves. It was certainly true that when they were together, he didn’t feel as incomplete.
Usually, when he thought of Ghost, it was in context of memories or longing. But now that he thought of it, Sansa’s question was a good one. How would Ghost and Lady react? The behavior of the wolves was designed to compliment and work with the mental state and lives of their owners. That’s how they were designed. A thought occurs to him.
“What if they’ve…. Connected?” He asks her. He wasn’t sure how long the range on the wolves’ instinct were in regards to their masters, but it was sizeable.
Sansa turns to him, wide-eyed. “I hadn’t thought of that. Constructs can’t procreate---”
“---Unless Wulfenbach gets his hands on them, apparently,” Jon cuts in, thinking of the miraculous alterations the heir to the Wulfenbach Empire had made to the famous Punch and Judy. He still couldn’t believe it, or half of the other things he’d seen and heard while on this trip.
“Well, I doubt he has, but even though Lady and Ghost won’t have a litter of puppies waiting for us at home, constructs can, um, feel the urge.”
“Are there any stories of this happening before?” Jon asks. Sansa would know. She loved history and legends. Sansa blushes.
“Well, there’s never been two owners that have, well…”
Jon pauses. “Oh. Oh, right.”
“But if they have… connected… then that might be good. It might give the family a clue. So maybe when we arrive, it won’t be too shocking when they find out about us.” She lays a gentle hand on his cheek.
Jon leans into her hand and smiles. “That would definitely be a relief.” He takes a deep breath. “Gods, that only makes me even more excited to see them.”
She leans into his chest. “Just imagine our first night home together, all four of us piled up in my bed… Nice and warm…”
He grins. “Well, hopefully, they won’t make too much of a habit of joining us there.”
She swats him on the chest genially. “Don’t be wicked.”
“Until I get to make an honest woman of you, I can be as wicked as I wish.”
“Oh, stop!” She sighs and rests her head against his chest again. “Oh, it’ll be so sweet, seeing them again.”
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