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gretavangroupie · 10 months

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Vigilance (Chapter 16)

Word count: 25.6k

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x OC

Warnings: 18+ as always, drinking, smoking, language, fluff, angst, smut, talk of violence and abusive situations, violence, blood.

This story is a collaboration with my best pal @gretavanmoon.

DECEMBER 2021

JAKE POV

Your eyes open, dry and scratchy, the morning light peeking in from around the curtains. You blink the sleep away and roll to your side, seeing her still asleep next to you. Her hair is splayed out behind her on the pillow and tangled in the straps of her silky pink tank top.

You resist the urge to reach out and touch her, wanting to let her sleep in for once. It was her birthday after all. You laid there for a while, scrolling through your phone, making a to-do list of all the things you needed to tackle before dinner tonight.

You gently pulled the blankets off of yourself, tucking them around her, as you slid out of the sheets and padded to the bathroom. You quietly shut the door behind you, before turning on the shower to let the water heat up. It was shockingly cold in Nashville this week, with a cold front pushing through, dragging the temperatures down into the twenties. The tile of the bathroom floor was cold on your feet, sending a chill through your body.

You brushed your teeth as you waited for the water to steam up the bathroom, smiling as you caught sight of her toothbrush in the cup with yours. It is what you told her you wanted, right?

Placing your toothbrush back into the cup, you stripped off your boxers and your t-shirt and threw them into your clothes hamper before stepping into the steamy water.

Closing your eyes as you let the water wet your hair, you tried to decide what you were going to make for her birthday dinner tonight. The both of you decided on a quiet dinner with just each other, before the chaos of Christmas ensued. You couldn’t think of anything better than having her all to yourself, spoiling her in every way possible. You had hidden her gift very well, almost forgetting yourself where you stashed it. The nervousness was growing in your chest at the thought of giving it to her. Would she really like it?

You opened your eyes reaching for your shampoo bottle only to be met with the sight of hers sitting next to it. Again, you smiled to yourself seeing her things mixed with yours. Slowly but surely more of her things were appearing in your everyday life, making their way into your routines. It felt real. It felt like she really wasn’t going anywhere this time. She was here.

Scrubbing the suds into your hair you closed your eyes letting your fingertips dig into your scalp. As the bubbles rinsed down the drain you lost the battle with yourself, finding your hand reaching for her body wash and flipping the cap to smell the familiar fragrance you’ve come to love. But it wasn’t lost on you that she suddenly started to smell like your body wash instead of her own, and as your bottle grew lighter, hers remained the same. But you wouldn’t tell her you noticed. You’d just keep buying it, in hopes that she would keep using it, wordlessly telling you she loved you.

As you spun the handle the water stopped and you pulled the clean towel from the hook, pressing the soft fabric to your face before wrapping it around your body. You stepped out wondering if she was still asleep, and tried to figure out how you were going to convince her to not join you on your errands. You knew she would want to join you, but you couldn’t ruin the surprise.

After a quick shave, you opened the door and stepped back into the bedroom, seeing her in a different position than you left her in, but still asleep nonetheless. You couldn’t remember the last time she slept later than you. A grin settled on your lips as you slipped into the closet and pieced together an outfit for the day. A few of her things hung in the closet and you found yourself wondering what your closet would look like with all of her things inside. Surely brighter with a lot more color, but more than that, it would feel full. She would inevitably take over your half of the closet, and you’d gladly let her.

Pulling on your coat you turned off the light and shut the closet door. You made your way over to the side of your bed, seeing her completely tangled into the mass of feather pillows and linen sheets. You sat gently on the edge of the bed, brushing the hair out of her face as she stirred beneath your hand.

“Good morning….” you whispered.

You were met with a groan, as her hand searched for yours. Her hand was warm, still shrouded in the heat of the sheets, as she twisted her fingers into yours.

You leaned down to whisper in her ear, “I’m going to run to the office for a bit, but I won’t be long, okay?”

You hated lying to her, but you knew it would be better in the end.

“You’re leaving?” she asks, voice thick with sleep.

“Just for a little. But I will be back soon, I promise. We can do whatever you want when I get home.” you offer.

“Also, happy birthday my love.” you say, pressing a kiss to her forehead and standing from the bed.

“Thank you, love you.” she replies, rolling to her side to look at you.

“I love you. I’ll be back.” you say, slipping out the bedroom door. You carried yourself upstairs and into the guestroom, opening up the desk drawer and digging around for a few minutes until you spotted the old tattered notebook. You pulled it out and flipped through the pages, smiling to yourself as you saw the old memories flash by. You closed it and made your way back downstairs, placing it into your backpack and grabbing your keys from the bowl by the door.

Stepping out into the cold air, you feel the goosebumps form on your skin as you make your way to your car. You knew you had a few things to get done today, and not a lot of time to do it, so as you threw your car into reverse, you hit the road determined to make this her best birthday yet.

—

You rapped your knuckles against the wooden door a few times, knowing good and well Sam was still in bed at this hour. You shoved your hands into your pockets and waited, staring off down the street as one of his neighbors walked their dog. You couldn’t hear any stirring behind the door, but you saw his car in the driveway. After a few minutes you pulled your keys from your pocket, and found the dull looking gold house key he gave you when he moved in. You had only used it a handful of times, the last time being the morning you found him with Y/N.

As you twisted the lock the door opened, and the house was silent. You walked down the hallway to his bedroom door, knocking gently a few times in hopes of stirring him awake.

“Sammy…” you called into the crack of the door.

“Jake?” he answered, voice groggy.

“Yeah, come out when you get a second.” you replied, making your way into his living room. You grabbed one of his acoustics from the wall, and took a seat on his couch, gently strumming as you waited for him to join you.

A few minutes later, a disheveled looking Sam sauntered into the living room, pulling a shirt over his head. “Why are you in my house so early on a Sunday morning…” he asks.

“I need a favor from you.” you reply, setting the guitar down on the couch.

“Okay…” he replies, tilting his head.

“You remember that notebook I used to carry around back in the day. I would write in it all the time…” you ask.

“Yeah, the one you would never show us…” he answers bitterly.

You laugh, “Yeah that one. I never let you guys see it because it was just all ramblings and shit I wrote about Y/N. Drawings, and affirmations and stuff like that. But mostly, it was songs. All songs I wrote about her, all through those years.” you explained.

“Okay so…How do I play into this?” he asks, waving his hands.

“There are photos in the notebook. Old ones, from our days at the lake, the nights we would all fall asleep together on the couch, all that. Before everything…” you paused. “You always took those photos. Back in Chicago, you forced us to take that picture together…”

“Oh, yeah! I just got all that film back a few weeks ago.” he replied.

“Yeah. I need it. For this notebook. I’m going to give it to her for Christmas– and before you say anything, yeah maybe it is kind of lame but I think she will like it. I have some special stuff to put in it.”

“No, Jake…I actually think you’re right. She’s going to love it. Think about it. If Flower Power and You’re The One made her cry, imagine what a book of songs about her is going to do to her.” he trailed off laughing.

“I have collected up pictures from all the way back, and was hoping to get my hands on the most recent one, the one you took, to finish it out.” you said.

He smiled at you, nodding his head as he stood up and walked into the kitchen. He pulled a white envelope from a shelf and started going through the pictures, pulling the one you requested and returning back to you.

But what he hands you is actually two photos. The one you asked for, the both of you side by side, your pinky twisted with hers, and one that you didn’t even know existed. The two of you tangled together on the couch, fast asleep in each other's arms. An almost exact recreation of the photo that got you through those first years of touring. The last minute addition as you slipped out the door. The photo that lived in that note book for years.

“When did you take this?” you asked, running your finger over the glossy image.

“The Fourth, sometime early. Something like one in the morning?” he answers.

You furrowed your brow as you looked at him.

“I snuck off to talk to Elle, came back a while later and found you two like that. Snapped the photo. Knew it wouldn’t be long.” he smiled.

“Thanks Sammy, I– I don’t know what to say, other than thank you.” you said, placing your hand on his shoulder. “This will be perfect.”

He smiled, and nodded. “Isn’t today her birthday?” he asks.

“It is, which reminds me I have about a thousand other things to do.” you laughed.

“Better go, sounds like you have a full day…” he says, standing from the couch.

“I do. Thanks again. For everything. You know….” you trail off, hoping he was catching your drift.

“You’re welcome.” he says, a look of genuine love painted across his features. “Make her happy.”

You nodded as you stepped through the front door and closed it quietly behind you, making your way back to your car with a heart full of pride for your little brother.

—

You pushed the shopping cart through the aisles racking your brain for an idea of what to make her for dinner tonight. You knew all of her favorites, but you wanted to do something different. Something you hadn’t done before. Letting your eyes scan over the produce you start to gather a few different vegetables, placing them in the plastic bags as you go, your brain beginning to formulate a plan.

You make your way down each aisle, collecting the things for your makeshift pasta, filled with all of her favorites, smiling to yourself as you select each item. Making your way back to the front of the store you pass the alcohol, and stop yourself. You collect three bottles of wine, and a bouquet of local wildflowers, and decide that your shopping is complete.

You make small talk with the cashier, explaining that everything was for your girlfriend's birthday and suddenly you found yourself blushing saying the words out loud. You could talk about her for hours, but for now, a few minutes would do. You slid your card through the reader and collected your receipt before heading out the door, flowers in hand.

After one last quick stop you pulled into your driveway, ready to unload the car full of items. As you spun the lock on your front door you could hear that she was up and about milling around in the kitchen as a record spun in your study. You grinned as you dropped your keys in the dish, and hummed along to the chorus of the song as you walked into the kitchen. You placed the bags on the counter as she spun around to meet you.

“Well there she is…” you smiled.

“You’re back! That wasn’t too long.” she replied.

“Got you something…” you said, handing her the bouquet of multicolored flowers.

Her face lit up as she took in the vibrant colors.

“I thought wildflowers were a little more fitting for you. Don’t know why, but they just felt like…you.” you said.

“Me? A wildflower?” she teases.

“You. You’re beautiful, wild, and free, and even in the most… unlikely of circumstances you always find a way to bloom. A thing of pure wonder.” you offer.

“So poetic, Jacob…” she laughs, “Thank you…”

��I’ll buy you flowers everyday if I can see you smile like that.” you smirk.

“Oh hush, what else did you get?” she asks.

You lay your arms over the bags, not wanting her to peek at your surprise, “Nothing, shoo, shoo. I’ll be done here in a minute. Leave the flowers, I will put them in a vase for you.”

“I can do the flowers, I–” she begins, but you abruptly cut her off.

“What gift is a bouquet of flowers if you have to do all the work to see the reward?” you say.

She smirks, and hands them back to you, sauntering off down the hallway in her silky pajamas.

You spend the next few minutes trimming the stems and placing the flowers into a vase, displaying them proudly on the kitchen table. You put away the ingredients for dinner, and heard the record come to a stop. As you made your way into your study, you saw her standing at the turntable, ready to flip the album.

“A good choice, one of my favorites…” you offer.

She turns away nervously flipping the black vinyl, “I just heard of him a few months ago… Sam…showed me…”

Of course.

“He has good taste. Wonder where he got it from?” you rub your chin knowingly as a smile sneaks across your lips.

She turns around to face you as the music starts up again. “He’s always wanted to be like you, you know…” she says, wrapping her arms around your neck.

You settle your hands on her waist and pull her close as you nod your head. “And I love him dearly for that...”

“What would you like to do today? Anything you want.” you say.

“I think…I’m going to take a shower, since someone decided to have one without me this morning, then I thought I might go do a little Christmas shopping.” she answers.

“You want to go buy gifts for people on your birthday?” you laugh.

“I do it every year. A birthday is only really special if you can share it with the people you love. What better way to share it than to buy them gifts?” she says.

“You are one of a kind, my girl.” you smile back.

“But, that being said, you can’t come. I also might get a pedicure. Haven't decided yet.” she giggles.

You reach into your pocket and pull out your wallet, flipping through for your debit card, “Well, here… Take this, get your nails done too.” you say, handing her the shiny plastic card.

“Jake, no… I can get it… I couldn’t possibly…” she shakes her head, pushing your hand away.

“Baby…please. It’s your birthday…” you plead.

“Jake, that’s your money! I can’t accept it.” she begs.

You grab her hand and pull her down next to you on the couch, “Y/N, listen to me. I’m only going to say this one time, so listen, okay?” you pause, twisting your fingers with hers, “Everything that I have… Everything… is also yours now.”

“Jake–” she starts.

“Ah, ah, I’m not done…” you interrupt, “I’m no millionaire by any means, but I live pretty comfortably. We will live comfortably, as long as you let me do that for you. I want to do that. Don’t want you to ever worry about anything. The money that comes with the job is just an added bonus to getting to do what I love. Okay?” you ask, treading lightly. “So please. Let me buy your damn pedicure. Let me spoil you a little bit. You deserve it. Plus, you know that if you were letting me come with you I would just pay for it anyways.” you smile cheekily.

She leans over and places a kiss on your lips, a smile growing on her face. “Fineeee……” she trails off.

You bring her hand to your lips and kiss her knuckles, “Thank you. Now, about that shower…” you say, raising your eyebrow.

—

As the clock hand slips over another hour, you anxiously prep the vegetables you bought earlier, knowing she is on her way back to you and will walk through the door at any second. The card is signed, and the gift is wrapped, sitting next to the flowers on the table. You must have rearranged the card and gift twenty times, anxiously waiting for her to finish her day of shopping.

You were able to keep yourself occupied all day, spending some time reading, practicing, and doing a few household chores you’d been neglecting. But when she sent you the text that she was on her way, you sprung into action to begin prepping the dinner you had planned.

Tossing all of the chopped vegetables into the pan, you let them saute as you filled a pot with water and set it to boil. You heard the chime on the front door sound, and you couldn’t help the smile that snuck up on you. You threw the kitchen towel in your hand, to rest over your shoulder as you shuffled to the door to greet her.

“Alright, let’s see...” you said.

She held up a few bags, and spun in a circle, the scarf around her neck catching the wind as she spun. She dropped the bags on the floor, and held her hands out to you, showing a dark crimson shade coloring her short fingernails.

“One of my favorite colors…” you say, flicking your eyes to hers.

Her cheeks are pink from the cold air outside, as she smiles, “Almost like… the exact color of your guitar, huh?” she winks.

You let out a small laugh, as your fingers tickle her sides, “Oh you think you’re cute? You think you’re funny? Huh?”

Her laughter rings through the house, perfect and echoey, before she calms down and wipes the tears from her eyes. She lets out a deep breath as she regains her composure, “I actually did try to find the color closest. I know it’s not the same color as your number one, but your number two made for a better nail color.” she laughs.

“It has a name, you know…” you say, returning to your vegetables, stirring them with the wooden spoon.

“What does?” she asks, leaning her elbows on the island.

“My number one. The brownish one…” you answer.

“And what would that be…” she asks.

You chuckle softly, “You’re going to laugh…It’s gonna sound stupid…” you trail off.

“Tell me….” she presses, “I won’t laugh.”

“I like to refer to it as ‘The Beloved’…” you answer.

“You going to elaborate on that, or…” she jokes.

“Well, that specific guitar is the one that got me to where I am now. It was a loan from a place in Chicago. I had never heard anything like it. Had to have it, until…I saw the price tag. At that point we hardly had two pennies to rub together. But, the owner, Andrew, told me to take it. Pay him for it when I could. He believed in me. In that guitar. Trusted me. Y/N, I’m telling you that day changed the trajectory of my career. I did eventually pay him back, with interest. Been collecting them ever since, but nothing will compare to my first girl.” you answered.

“Jeeze, sounds like I have some competition.” she giggled.

You pour the pasta in the water, and add some salt before turning to look at her, “No, there’s ‘The Beloved’, and ‘My Beloved’. Huge difference.” you wink.

“And I’m guessing the ‘My’ takes precedence?” she asks, cheekily.

“For as long as you want the title…” you say with a smirk, turning back to your cooking.

“What are you making for us?” she asks.

“Pasta Primavera. Has all of your favorites in it.” you reply. “Should be ready in about 10.”

“Okay, I’m going to go put this stuff away, and I will be right back.” she smiles, her voice trailing down the hallway.

A few minutes later as you are plating up the pasta, you hear her return back to the kitchen. You quickly grab two wine glasses and pour up two overly full glasses of her favorite white.

“For my lady…” you say, extending the glass to her, letting your finger brush hers as she accepts.

You walk over to the table, pulling a chair out for her, and ushering her to sit. You grab her plate and silverware, setting it down in front of her, before grabbing your own and joining her.

“Happy birthday my love. To many more…” you toast, tapping your glass to hers.

The pasta turned out far better than expected, both of you agreeing to keep this recipe in rotation for nights when neither of you knew what you wanted to eat. It felt very domestic in a way, planning meals for the future. Every part of you was screaming to ask her to move in, but you knew it was too soon for her. At least you thought it was. For now, you would just let her come and go as she pleased, which was mostly her spending almost every night with you, but to her, having her own place made her feel more secure. You were fine with that, you even understood where she was coming from. But the fact still remained that you wanted her here, always.

You cleared the plates from the table, and topped off her wine, before taking your seat next to her once again.

You sipped your wine, pursing your lips together as you turned to her, “You ready for your gift?”

She grins and nods her head, as she places her wine glass back on to the table.

“Go ahead…” you say, gesturing to the bag.

“I saw this, and…I knew it was made for you. I hope you love it.” you smile nervously.

She begins to pull the paper from the tiny purple bag, and you can feel your heart rate start to increase. She makes her way to the little black velvet box, and looks over to you. You nod your head for her to keep going, and as she begins to open the lid as you feel your heart pounding.

As the lid opens fully, you hear her breath catch. You swallow nervously, as her fingers run across the tiny metal pendant. A single white daisy, missing one petal, sits on a thin silver chain.

“Jake…” she breathes, almost a whisper. She turns to you, eyes filled with tears as she wraps her arms around your neck.

“She loves it, she loves it not?” you ask playfully, kissing the side of her head.

“She loves it! She loves it! Jake, it’s perfect. It’s beautiful I, I—” she stammers.

“Here, turn around.” you say, grabbing the small box from her hand. You remove the necklace from the box, and take the clasp between your fingers. You brush her hair over her shoulder, and bring the necklace around to the front of her neck.

You let your fingers rest on the back of her neck as you work to fasten the chain around her.

You let it go, and let it lay flat against her skin, before pressing a soft kiss to her neck.

“Do you remember the night in Bridgeport… I asked you to hold my necklace during the show?” you whisper against her skin.

She nods, turning around to meet you face to face. You let your eyes travel to the perfect daisy situated at her collarbones. You reach out, letting your fingers grasp it, centering it against her skin as you continue, “You came to my room, wearing it. It was so…perfect. Almost told you to keep it. Liked seeing you in something that was mine.”

“This is so so much better. My daisy. My wildflower.” you breathed, letting your thumb trail over her cheek bone.

“I love it more than I could ever tell you. I’ll never take it off…” she promises.

“I love you more than I could ever tell you.” you reply.

“Show me…” she breathes, placing her hand on your leg, letting it slide towards your hip.

“Show you? Want me to show you?” you say, grabbing her hand and pulling the both of you to stand.

“Mhmmm…” she hums, pressing a kiss to your neck as she begins to walk you backwards out of the room.

You turn and lead her down the hall to your bedroom, shutting the door behind you as she strips out of her clothes. You close the curtains and turn on a lamp as you begin to rid yourself of your own clothing, working yourself a few times before meeting her gaze.

She throws herself backwards onto the fluffy sheets, her matching set luring you in. How the fuck did you get so lucky?

“Come on, it's cold…come warm me up…” she whines.

You crawl onto the bed, hovering over top of her, looking down to see her shiny new necklace collecting around her throat.

“So pretty…” you whisper, leaning down to nip at her skin.

You feel her hands come up around your waist, fingers digging into the skin at your sides.

“Tell me what you want, baby.” you groan, feeling yourself growing increasingly harder as your eyes travel over her body.

“I want you… Want you to throw me around a little. I love when you get a little rough with me.” she says nervously.

“Is that right?” you smile smugly.

She nods, “But if you don’t touch me in the next five seconds I am going to burst.”

You cup your hand over her heat, feeling the soaked through lace on your fingers, “Where? Here?” you ask.

“Yes, please Jake…” she begs, arching into your palm.

“What if I don’t want to be rough with you? What if I want to be sweet and gentle and slow?” you ask playfully, running your fingertips under the hem of her panties.

“Okay whatever you want, just keep going, please!” she whines.

“Tsk, tsk…so eager.” you say, hooking your fingers into the fabric and tossing them to the floor. “I’ll give you what you want, my love. Just how you want it.”

You feel her shiver beneath you, and you grab the comforter pooled at the foot of the bed, pulling it over the two of you. Your fingers trace the lines of her bra, the lacy blue fabric a perfect compliment to her skin. You lower your mouth to press open mouthed kisses to the swell of her breast, dragging your tongue across the lace edges of her bra.

She’s breathing heavily now, her chest heaving into your mouth. You snake your hands underneath her, unclasping the hooks of her bra and sliding her arms out of it. You return your lips to her chest, before taking a nipple into your mouth and swirling your tongue around the hardened bud. Your hands grip into her ribs, holding her in place beneath you as she breathes heavily.

You drag kisses across her tits, sucking the underside of her perfect flesh into your mouth. You suck on the skin, releasing it with a pop, and you smile at the faint pink mark left behind.

Her eyes study you, “Do it.” she says.

Your eyes flick to hers in question.

“Do it. Leave a mark. Show me who I belong to.” she purrs.

Fuck.

You reattach your mouth to her breast, sucking a perfect purple mark into her delicate skin as you hear her moan at the sensation.

She drags her hand up to the side of her other breast, pointing at the skin above her nipple, “Here…” she breathes.

You shift your weight to focus on her other side, first kissing the soft skin before taking it into your mouth. With another mar to her skin you feel her hand sliding between the two of you, resting on her hip bone, “Here…”

“Baby…” you question.

“It’s winter, no one will see. No one but us…” she begs. “Don’t you like it? Seeing me all marked up with pretty little love bites from you?”

You let out a groan at the thought.

You wind your fingers into hers as you lower yourself over her body, letting your tongue travel over her stomach and swirl at the apex of her hip bone, sucking the skin into your mouth. You hold onto her hips, pulling her impossibly closer to you as you hear her whine into the dimly lit room.

As you pull away you see the deep purple mark settling into her skin, matching the two you left on her tits.

She reaches between the two of you, grabbing your cock in her fist, pulling you towards her, “Now, from the inside…”

“Jesus Christ…” you groan. Her words are almost enough to send you over the edge.

You grab your base, sliding your tip through her dripping folds, collecting the wetness before rutting into her with a grunt.

Her hands grip into your ass, pulling you further into her, where you’re sure you felt the place where she ends. “Baby…fuck…” you breathe.

You pull back, sliding out of her, before starting to snap your hips into her in an unrelenting fashion. She’s writhing beneath you, holding back the moans that so desperately want to escape.

You grab her chin with your fingers, snapping her face to meet yours, “No, fuck that. Let me hear you.” you say, forcefully pressing your pointer and middle finger into her mouth.

Her lips close around your fingers, sucking them further into her mouth as her tongue swirls over them. You can feel your dick twitching inside of her, as you bottom out time and time again. Her mouth opens and a loud cry escapes her lips as you meet her cervix with a gentle brush.

“God damn, I felt that.” you breathe. “Don’t want to hurt you baby…”

“No. Again…” she begs, garbled from your fingers.

You pull your fingers from her mouth and place your hand on her shoulder, pulling her down for more leverage. As you continue, rhythmic whines leave your sweat drenched chest, your eyes trained on her tits, bouncing with every meeting of your bodies.

“I can’t believe you’re mine…” you groan, snapping your hips into hers forcefully. You grab a pillow from the headboard, and pause your movements, tapping her side so she will lift her hips. You quickly slide the pillow underneath her. Just as she settles back into it, you let out a devious laugh, and use all your strength to swiftly spin her onto her stomach. You adjust the pillow beneath her waist, and as she settles onto her forearms, she turns to look at you over her shoulder.

You let your flattened hand connect with her ass, watching the skin ripple on impact, “God damn…”

She gasps, and wiggles her ass silently begging you to come back. You grab her right leg and hitch it up near her waist, before pressing back into her with a groan.

This new angle is bliss, and with the slight incline of her hips, you find yourself brushing her g-spot with every stroke. You begin long calculated strokes into her, bringing her to the edge of her release, as she chants your name into the sheets below her.

You can tell that you are close, and as her walls begin to flutter around you, you scoop your arm under her stomach and pull her up to her knees. You pull her back flack against your chest as you continue to fuck up into her. Your hand finds purchase around her throat, her daisy charm pressing into your palm.

With a few more pumps of your hips, she is teetering on the edge. You bring your left hand around, placing it flat against her pelvis, pushing hard into her skin to bring her closer. “God, I’m there baby. Right fuckin’ there. You feel me?” you ask.

Her walls start to contract around you and you know she’s about to let go, and with a little added pressure from your fingertips to her throat, you growl into her ear low and dark, “Give me what’s mine…”

With a gasp, she tightens around you, her body stiffening in your arms as you work to hold her up as you let go with her, flooding her with your release. You groan her name as the bliss washes over you, both of you caught in a moment you never want to leave.

She pulled off of you, and spun to your front, wrapping her arms around your neck as she pulled the two of you down into the sheets. She immediately connected her mouth to yours, letting her tongue slide into your mouth, as you spun onto your back. You pulled her on top of you, and let your mouth part from hers.

“I love you, Y/N.” you breathed, still panting.

“I love you Jake. Forever.”

“Stay here.” you said, pulling away from her and slipping out of the bed. You made your way to the kitchen, and opened the fridge, pulling out the single vanilla cupcake you bought from her from her favorite local bakery, just down the street.

You removed it from the pink cardboard box and placed it on a plate, inserting one single candle and striking a match.

You cupped the flame as you entered the bedroom, gently humming the tune of ‘Happy Birthday’ as you saw her face light up and her eyes fill with tears.

“Jake…” she cried out, sitting up in bed.

“I know it's almost midnight, and it’s not a peanut butter and jelly, but it’s from that place you like. You don’t even have to share. All for you, my love. Happy Birthday.” you said, holding the plate to her, as she blew out the candle.

She swiped her finger through the frosting and tapped your nose with a giggle, before pressing her lips to yours.

You smiled at her and knew you wanted to spend every birthday with her for the rest of your life.

—

HER POV

Finally, a little bit of normalcy again. You made your way into the office with a little pep in your step, halfway excited to regroup and recenter at your desk. It feels like it’s been years.

Your hands were full with your purse, work bag, laptop, coffee, and keys, and you struggled to get the door open without dropping at least one thing. You walked by the front desk worker Jenn, giving her a sweet smile and wave after not seeing her for a while.

“Hey Jenn! Good to see you!” You said as you passed her.

“Oh, hey, Y/N! Yeah, good to see you…” she looked surprised to see you, then went directly back to work on her computer.

You made your way through the maze of hallways and offices, finally finding your old trusty desk, and as tiny and hidden as it was, it felt like home. You placed your laptop down and opened it, connecting back to the wifi. You opened your emails, expecting to find at least 50 or so to file through for the day. Instead, your inbox only held five unread. Wow, that’s odd.

You flipped through them, taking your time and trying your best to update yourself with the company’s monthly newsletters. After a half hour or so, you realized you’d only seen three or four people walk through the office, none of which stopped to speak. It was oddly quiet for a Monday morning.

There was tons of paperwork to be filed, and you knew that you had to go and finish up every single report for each show. Your day would be busy, but drawn out nonetheless. Though you missed Nashville while you were gone, you found you’d grown to love being on the go; bouncing between hotels, bossing the guys around, and taking care of everything backstage.

You began to think about your next tour assignment, and who you would be working with. The thought made you anxious and you knew being away from Jake was going to prove difficult. But, this career is what you have always wanted, and excitement quickly overtook your anxiety.

“Morning, Y/N! How was tour?” A familiar voice startled you from your daydreams. Jeffrey, another coordinator that started about a year and a half before you, came and sat on the edge of your desk, coffee mug in hand.

“Hey Jeffrey! It was amazing, had a blast. Actually learned so much.” You said, stretching your arms above your head. “I’m so ready to find out where I’ll be next. Speaking of…I only came back to five emails…is that normal?”

He pushed his glasses up from the bridge of his nose. “Uhhhm, it can be! I think…maybe they just didn’t have much to pass along to you?”

You glanced back to your inbox. “Maybe…you’ve been on three tours, right?” You asked him.

He shook his head. “Mmhm.”

“How much time was there between your assignments? Did you normally get your official pairing email like, months in advance?” You asked.

“Um, the company typically sends you notification of your next assignment at least 3 months before the first show. And all my assignments were back to back, if I remember right.” He said, sipping his coffee. “I think it also depends on demand, and how many coordinators are hired at the time.”

Three months. You were still kind of in the correct time frame, but in the grand scheme of things, their first show was more like two and a half months away, if you were looking at it realistically.

You looked back to your laptop with a puzzled expression.

“Don’t worry, it’s the holidays. I’m sure things are just...busy.” Jeffrey said. “Your email will come.”

“Thanks Jeffrey. Oh, have you seen Allison?” You asked, remembering that you also have had little to no contact from her the past few weeks.

“No, but I think she’s coming in later.” He slid off the desk, shaking his coffee mug toward you. “Gonna get a refill, talk to you later!”

You continued your day as normal, answering what few emails you had and trying to reorganize your work life as best you could. Lunch time rolled around quickly, and you decided to see if Jake wanted to grab something to eat.

The phone rang out, and you heard his sweet voice answering the phone mid-laugh.

“Hey baby, what’s up?” He chuckled.

A huge smile crossed your face hearing him happy. “Whatcha laughing at?”

“Josh is an idiot, nothing new. What are you up to?” He said.

“Was gonna see if you wanted to get some lunch, but sounds like you might be tied up?” You asked.

“Ah, actually, Josh, you wanna go eat?” He paused. “Care if he joins us, babe?”

“Of course not, he’s always welcome.” You said.

“Ok, but we’ve gotta come back. We’re in the middle of something really good. It might be one of those late nights.” He said, laughing again.

You knew exactly what he meant. When those two got together, it could be hours upon hours until they got their thoughts on paper.

“Hey, I’m not trying to interrupt your process. Just trying to feed you!” You said, an idea popping into your head.

“We’ll meet you at your office in ten. Love you baby.”

“Love you too!” You hung up the phone, knowing that tonight might be the perfect night to execute your idea for Jake’s Christmas present. Well, the first half of it.

Your plan was to transform a little upstairs space in his house into the art studio he never got to have. The area was untouched, basically being used as storage at this point. So you had been quietly cleaning it out and moving things around slightly to make room for a large table in front of the window. Plenty of natural light and a nice quiet place he can get away from it all.

You’d finished up a quick lunch with Jake and Josh, and they were hastily heading back to the car to get back to work.

“What exactly are you guys working on?” You asked Jake as you walked through the parking lot of the restaurant.

“Ah, I don’t know, actually. It’s always just something, ya know?” He giggled. “Sometimes when we’re writing, we can both tell when something really good and solid is happening. And this is one of those times. It’s a feeling we both get and we have to stick with it until we hash it out. I think Sam and Danny are coming, too.” He went on.

“Ah, must be serious then!” You grinned as he took your hand and leaned you against the passenger door, bringing his face close to yours. He lifted his sunglasses to meet your eyes, and gently pressed his lips to yours.

“It’s very serious…” he whispered as a side smile threatened his face. He laid another kiss to your mouth before pulling away.

Josh honked the horn, rushing him on.

“How about you go back to my house after work? So that I can have something to look forward to when I come home…” he said as he reached for the door handle and raised his eyebrows.

“Hmm, I suppose I could do that.” You answered.

Perfect, you were already going anyway. But now you had an even better excuse than the lie you were going to have to make up.

“And how would you like to find me when you return, sir?” You asked, turning on the sass.

He brought his mouth to your ear. “In my bed, wrapped up in my sheets, with absolutely nothing on. Think you can do that for me, baby?” He growled in your ear before kissing the side of your head.

Damn.

“Yeah, yep I can do that.” You breathed as your eyelids fluttered on their own at the raspy sound of his voice in your ear. You wanted to surprise him with his gift as soon as he walked in the door, but this plan sounded a bit more intriguing at the moment. His gift would be there after.

“Oh, Jake! What’s your security passcode?” You remembered that you actually had no idea.

“I’ll text it to you.” He said as he climbed into the passenger seat, sending you a wink before they pulled away.

After leaving the restaurant, you went back to the office to finish up your tasks for the day. You planned on leaving just a little bit early to make it to the craft store before they closed. The list of duties dwindled, and you opened your email to check it again. Nothing. Maybe this is normal for a coordinator right after a tour...no plans to be made, no deadlines to meet. Maybe everything just wraps up.

Suddenly, you heard Allison’s voice traveling through the front door of the office. She came in through the hallway, seeing you at your desk.

“Hey! Long time no see!” You called to her.

“Hey Y/N, how was everything? Did you have a good time?” She was uncharacteristically cool.

“Yes, it was amazing. Everything was very smooth.” You stood up, walking closer toward her. “Hey…I wanted to thank you for letting me have this opportunity right off the bat. I really love this job, and I feel like I’m getting my footing being so new. I just wanted to say thanks for all your help and guidance through it.” You said.

She looked at you with a tiny smile. “You’re welcome, Y/N. I’m glad everything was smooth for you. Hey, I’ve got a bunch of stuff to do, I’ll talk to you later?” She scrunched her nose as she waved to you, and then she was gone.

She’s awfully busy.

After a couple more hours of work, you closed your laptop and placed all your things back into your bag before you grabbed your purse and keys, and headed out to your car. You had all evening to create Jake’s Christmas present to perfection, and you intended on doing just that.

The craft store provided. You found tons of felt tip pens, ballpoints, paintbrushes, acrylics, and tons of colored pencils on sale for the holidays. But you knew that was just the start. He would eventually fill his table with sketch pads and canvases and all types of media before long. You couldn’t wait to see his face tonight. After seeing his face when he finds you in his bed.

You rushed home to your apartment quickly, running inside to grab some clothes and things for the next day or two. Five minutes later you were back on the road, trying to beat the workday traffic and make it to Jake’s house to get started.

You pulled in his driveway and unloaded the bags. You reached into your pocket and grabbed your phone, bringing your texts from Jake up to key in the numbers to his security system. It was double locked down. Wow, can’t be too safe, I guess.

You suddenly felt giddy being in his house all by yourself. It was always so comfortable, homey and welcoming, but it felt different without him there. You ran up the stairs and dumped all the bags onto the floor. You stood back, assessing the room and how you wanted to arrange it. You pushed the big wooden table that was already there to sit in front of the window, satisfied when you saw the dimming sunlight hitting the tabletop perfectly.

You took a minute to unpackage all the pens and pencils, placing them neatly in cups and containers. The giant sketch pad went in the center of the table, the felt tips to the right. The paints went on a little shelf toward the wall, and all brushes fit into a tall glass that you’d found downstairs in the pantry.

Last but not least, you pulled the single most important part of the gift from your bag. You’d special ordered a thick, black leather-bound sketchbook for him, with a gold imprinted image of the Little Dipper right in the center. You grabbed one of the metallic pens from the container, opened the book, and wrote on the inside:

Christmas 2021

Nashville, TN

Merry Christmas to my one and only. I hope you’re filling this book with all your beautiful art for years to come.

I love you, and I’m so proud of you.

You signed your name at the bottom with a tiny heart, and placed the book standing up on its end right in front of the window.

You stood back, admiring your work and arrangement. Still needs something.

You ran downstairs and into the basement, rummaging through old cardboard boxes for something you knew he had to have somewhere. You felt a bit intrusive, but it was for a good reason.

Ah, jackpot.

You stumbled upon a box of old Christmas decorations sitting in the corner collecting the tiniest layer of dust. He had mentioned you helping him decorate his home just a little for Christmas, but everyone had been so busy that you hadn’t had the time. You pulled out a strand of white lights, and bounded back up the stairs.

Hanging the twinkly lights across the top of the wall and down by the windows was exactly the finishing touch the little studio needed. It looked perfect. Clean and organized, everything in its place only to be destroyed and utilized by the artist that was going to throw himself into the space in no time. He was going to absolutely love it.

You pulled your phone from your pocket to check the time. 6:30. Jake would most likely not be home for a few more hours, so you decided to rummage through his kitchen and fix a little something for dinner.

Chicken and rice, perfect. As you stirred the concoction together in the pan, you found yourself feeling overwhelmingly happy to be making Jake’s dinner in his home. How domestic of you. It’d never dawned on you that this could be your life, one day. It felt strange, given his lifestyle, and your ever-changing new lifestyle. But, it felt right. It felt good to be here, doing this for him.

You knew he would still be a while getting home, so you decided to dig in. After you were full, you opted for a shower to rinse off the day, before hopping into Jake’s bed to wait for him to come home. You let the mirror get steamy before stripping off your work clothes and climbing inside. You smiled when you saw all your things in the shower next to his, still ignoring your own body wash and instead using his. You wondered if he’d noticed yet.

It was nearing eleven o’clock when you heard the security system beep, alerting you of Jake’s presence. You must have drifted off after your shower, finding yourself exactly where he wanted you, undressed and tangled up in his sheets. You suddenly felt antsy, excitement bubbling up in your belly for some reason. It felt a little bit odd to be waiting for him like this, taking up his space. But he asked you to. And you loved him, so you did.

You heard his keys clank in the dish by the door, and his footsteps coming down the hallway.

“Honeyyy, I’m home!” His voice bellowed into the house and echoed off the walls.

You suppressed a giggle as he opened his bedroom door.

“Hey there, sweet thing.” He said as he tossed his things on to the table in the corner, and began undoing his already halfway unbuttoned shirt.

“Hey darlin’. There’s dinner if you’re hungry!” You replied through a yawn, rolling over to face him.

He began unbuckling his pants and let them fall to the floor, kicked off his socks, and flipped off the light.

In seconds, he was under the covers with you, his still-cold hands grabbing at your body as he entangled himself with you. Immediately connecting his lips to yours, and pulling your leg up to hitch across his…his fingertips burying themselves in your thigh and working the muscle. It felt like his entire body was heated, a stark contrast to his cold fingers.

“I am hungry…but dinner can wait.”

He rolled his body so that you were on top of him, knees at his sides and mouths still connected. He brought his hand between you, immediately pressing his icy fingers to your warm center. The temperature change made you squirm, chills immediately covering your body.

He tapped the backs of your thighs, signaling you to move toward the headboard while he moved lower toward the foot of the bed.

“I need an appetizer first. Climb up, baby. Hang on tight.”

You giggled and put your hands on the headboard and sat low on his face, letting him take you on one hell of a ride.

——

The two of you quietly climbed the stairs, still completely nude from your earlier escapades. You were too excited for him to see his gift, so you grabbed his hand and pulled him from the warmth of his bed to go upstairs. When you approached the door, you turned him so he was facing it, brought your hands to his eyes, and covered them tightly.

“Ok, no peeking! Open the door.” You whispered from behind him.

He blindly felt around for the doorknob, finally finding it and twisting it open. You shuffled him forward to the back of the room, making sure not to bump him into anything.

“I’m nervous.” He laughed. “Is something gonna jump out and scare me? Because I am very naked…”

“No, I promise.” You reassured him, smiling hard. You stood him directly in front of the table, taking one last look to make sure everything was in place.

“Okay ready? 1, 2, 3!” You pulled your hands from his eyes, and came around beside him to see his reaction. His jaw fell slack, his eyes scanned the table, and he let out a tiny exasperated huff.

“Baby, are you serious? This is…wow…” he breathed as he walked closer, taking everything in.

“You used to be so into this, I figured, why not give you a place to maybe pick it back up again? If you wanted to, of course…” you stumbled.

He grazed his fingertips over the books and pens, picking things up and inspecting them gently.

“It’s...absolutely perfect.” He met your eyes, a genuine look of happiness adorning his face. “Thank you, so much babe. I’m so excited.”

You watched as he looked through everything again, waiting for the leather sketchbook to catch his eye.

When it finally did, his eyes lit up, and he immediately reached for it.

“What’s this?! You’re kidding...” his voice was full of excitement, his fingers slowly drifting over the golden constellation. He opened the front cover and read your message, his face softening at the sentiment.

“Just a little something special, wanted you to have something nice.” You grabbed at your daisy necklace, latching your fingers onto the flower as you spoke. He put the book down and brought his hands to cup your face.

“Y/N, this is so perfect. How did…how did you know I was actually thinking about going to the craft store and getting a few things? Ever since our conversation in my parent’s basement…and looking at our old posters…I’ve kinda had a hankering to pick it back up again.” You smiled as he brought his lips to yours. “It’s like you read my mind. Thank you, love.”

“You’re so welcome, Jake. I hope you create the most beautiful artwork here.” You pressed your lips back to his. “But, until then…” you pulled away and laid your naked self across the old vintage couch in the corner, dramatically posing yourself. “I want you to draw me like one of your French girls…”

He threw his head back and laughed, joining you on the couch. “Okay Rose, I can try, but I’ve never been good with charcoal.”

You wrapped your arms around his neck. “Well, practice makes perfect, hm?”

——

You woke up fairly early the next morning, finding yourself wrapped up in Jake’s arms, still neither one of you with a stitch of clothing on. You were facing each other, your arms draped around his neck. His face was still relaxed and poised, his lips just barely open as he breathed. His eyes danced behind his eyelids, darting back and forth as he dreamed. You could stare at him for the rest of your life…

“Jake….baby wake up...” you whispered, hating to wake him from his dream. You tapped his lips with your fingertips, and gently tickled his face as he started to stir. “We’ve gotta get on the road.”

He rolled and stretched, letting out a groan. “Josh will be late anyway, five more minutes?”

You giggled as he cuddled himself into you, nuzzling his face into your neck as he took a deep breath. “You always smell so good.” He mumbled, still half asleep. “Let’s let them go home. Me and you stay here…” he was drifting off again.

You let him snooze for a few more minutes until his phone started buzzing on the nightstand, earning a grumble from his chest. “It’s fuckin’ Daniel, just let it ring. He’s just waking me up.”

“Ah!” You said. “Did fuckin’ Daniel forget that it was literally my job for months to wake you guys up? Does he have no faith in me?”

He laughed into your shoulder. “You’re off the clock, babe.”

An hour later, you were all packed up and waiting for everyone to pick you up; you’d decided to rent a car again to fit everyone together in one vehicle.

“You excited to go home again?” You asked Jake as you sat at the kitchen island sipping your coffees.

“Yeah, I am. I never thought I would be, again, but. I’m itching to get back there for some reason.” He said, giving you a knowing smile over his mug.

“Good. Me too. Hey, is Sam okay? I haven’t talked to him in a while...he’s been weird toward me since Thanksgiving.” You asked him. “Gosh, it's been almost a month now…”

“Yeah, he’s okay! Seems very normal to me, actually. Why is he acting weird?” He asked.

“I’m not sure.” You took a deep breath, feeling comfortable enough with Jake to have this conversation. “We kind of… talked about our...little span of time together for the first time since it happened. We hadn’t really brought it up because, well...” you signaled between the two of you. “Was a little bit of a serious conversation...I don’t want to bury it like it never happened, I guess?”

“I think you guys should talk about it, no need to keep it hidden away. I get it. Sometimes the past comes up in conversation.” He answered, trying to make you feel better. “Did he get upset with you for bringing it up?”

“No, I don’t think so.” You chose not to tell Jake every detail of the conversation, seeing as how those were secrets shared in confidence between you and Sam. “But ever since that night, he’s been almost ignoring me.”

Jake put his head down in thought. “Maybe he’s just…trying to concentrate on spending time with Elle? They seem really happy, maybe he’s giving you space? Still not an excuse to ignore you, though.”

“Yeah, it’s okay. Elle and I talked too, I’m just glad we keep everything out in the open and there are no weird feelings. I just hope Sam isn’t upset with me over something…” you went on.

Just then the horn honked out front, and the two of you stood to grab your things. You pulled your suitcases to the front step while he dumped your coffees into the sink.

“I’m going to go make sure all my windows and doors are locked, I’ll be right back.” He said.

“Babe, you’ve already done that like, twice. I think it’s okay…” you said, watching him dash down the hall.

“Can’t ever be too safe, love!”

—

Arriving back home in Frankenmuth was almost an exact repeat of Thanksgiving, tons of rounds of hugs and tears. It felt good being back again, and even better knowing you had longer to stay this time. It was still a week until Christmas, and you’d planned on staying a couple of nights with your parents, too.

Sam didn’t speak much to you on the long drive, only jumping in on conversations and answering your questions in agreement. He wasn’t being rude, just…distant. Not your normal Sammy. It had been going on long enough. And staying in this house all together again is what normally brought you closer. You decided to talk to him about it as soon as possible.

Karen and Kelly had cooked a big dinner, and after stuffing your faces, you all retreated to the garage instead of the basement. You and Elle took your normal spots on the old couch, cuddling up together like you always had. Suddenly, Danny came bursting through the door with two cases of beer in hand after visiting his folks for a bit.

“You just can’t stay away from us for too long, can you Daniel?” Sam asked, plugging his dad’s old bass into the crackly amp.

“Uh, no. I can’t. Plus I need to hit something. Really hard.” He slammed the cases of beer on the ground, ripped open a box, removed a can and chugged its contents. “Might as well take it out on my shitty old kit.”

“Uh oh, trouble in Heidi paradise?” Jake asked with caution.

“Always trouble in Heidi paradise, bro. Her flight was supposed to arrive tomorrow morning. Had plans to go get her and everything. She called just now and said she couldn’t find a flight and didn’t want to drive. Just another line in her laundry list of bullshit excuses.” The room went quiet while he finished the beer, and crumpled the can up. “Let’s play some fuckin’ music.”

“Yeah, let’s play some fuckin’ music…” Josh glanced at you and Elle, widening his eyes with surprise. You watched as they messed around, playing nothing that made sense at all. You felt bad for Danny; you used to hang around with Heidi a good bit back in the day, but never really enough to get to know her too well before everything happened.

“I haven’t talked to Heidi in ages…” Elle said into your ear over the music.

“Neither have I. But seeing how she treats Danny all the time, I don’t think I want to.” You responded, laughing.

You looked over at Jake, watching as his fingers worked tirelessly over the strings, walking around the garage slow and calculated. It was always so funny watching him play here or at home as compared to when he was on stage. His body language did a complete 180 as soon as he got in front of a crowd, leaning his body back, flipping his hair and yelling along with his instrument, completely taken by the sound he was creating. Watching him on stage was like watching another version of him that only existed when he was enraptured by the music and energy of the fans. Here, at home, he was quiet and normal, calm and cool.

You watched as they did their thing into the wee hours of the morning, your memory flowing back and forth to many years ago as compared to now. Who would have ever thought?

Elle had begun to drift off with her head laid across your lap, your fingers pulling through her waves mindlessly as you watched them begin to put their instruments to sleep.

Sam came over quietly, taking Elle’s hands and pulling her up to stand and walk with him back to the house. He met your eyes for the tiniest second, giving you nothing but a shy smile. You’d had it.

“Sammy.” You said quietly. You waited until he looked at you fully. “What did I do?” You were almost tearful.

His face filled with surprise, then instantly fell. He shook his head. “You didn’t do anything, Y/N.” he said dryly, dismissing your question. He sent you a tiny wink, signaling that you would talk later.

Your stomach instantly went into knots seeing his expression go from surprise, to sadness, to forced reassurance. You knew him. You knew him so well that you could communicate with nothing but looks and body language. It had only been amplified after you slept with him. He was lying.

“See you all in the morning.” Josh yawned. “Big day in town!”

Jake came over quietly, noticing your upset stature. He lovingly wrapped his arm around you, and you were off to bed.

——

The next morning, you joined everyone for a light breakfast in the kitchen before making the final plans for the day.

“Ok, so, let’s finish helping mom decorate the tree, then Bronner’s around noon?” Josh said.

“Yes, then you kids are going ice skating, aren’t you? Tell me you’re going ice skating…” Karen added, knowing it had been years since you all had skated at the rink in town.

“I think that’s the plan, Momma.” Josh said.

Jake turned towards Karen, “Where’s the old box of ornaments? Have you gotten them down from the attic yet?”

“No baby, you’re the only one who was ever brave enough to go up there and get them every year.” she answered wistfully.

“Well then who got them down the years I wasn’t here?” He asked passively. The room quickly fell silent. Jake stopped and turned to meet everyone’s eyes. You watched as the group suddenly became uncomfortable.

“Who got them?” He pressed, and was yet again left in silence.

“You’re telling me no one went up there? No one got them?” Jake’s words caught in his throat when he realized.

“You…you guys never decorated the tree?” He spoke through a strained voice, pain written across his features.

It was silent for another beat before Karen spoke, “It never felt right without you here, honey. It was always your thing….Braving the scary pull-down staircase to the attic. It was your job since you were little…to go get them.” She replies quietly.

“Didn’t feel right, someone else going to get them, so we just…stuck with lights.” Josh continued.

You wondered why every Christmas you came home that their tree wasn’t adorned in hundreds of old ornaments like it was when you were little. Just the colorful twinkly lights. It was because Jake never came home. He never went and got the box. Because you were there in his home.

You met Jake’s eyes, both of you feeling simultaneous overwhelming guilt that you’d come so accustomed to feeling as of late. He gave you a tiny smile.

“Well, I’m here now. And I’m going to the attic.” He said, turning and pulling the old string to drop the steps from the ceiling.

—-

A couple hours later, Jake held your hand as you strolled through the giant Christmas store, looking at decorations and gifts and the like. He had happily stopped to take a few photos with fans, and you wondered if they had seen the other three guys anywhere in the store.

“Thank you for taking our pictures, you guys are so adorable together!” the girl said to you as you handed her phone back to her.

“Oh, you’re so sweet! You’re welcome! Happy holidays!” You replied, continuing your stroll through the store.

“See anything we need?” Jake asked nonchalantly as your mind began to wander.

“Jake, do you ever wonder what would happen if your fans posted pictures of us together in public, and Collective saw them online?” you asked.

He paused for a second, obviously thinking. Quickly, he turned around and went back to the girl, stopping her and having a quick conversation. She smiled and nodded, and he came running back.

“What was that?” You asked him.

“I asked her if she would care to make sure she didn’t post any photos with you in them, that you preferred to stay off of social media. She said she absolutely respects that and not to worry.” He said.

You breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “Should we…stay separate tonight?” You hated to even ask the question, but the thought had honestly never crossed your mind. He bit his lip, taking it into consideration.

“If you think that would be best…we can blend ourselves together with the rest of the group?” He answered.

“Maybe, just in case. That’s the last thing I need is someone posting sneaky pictures of us and Allison finding them...” you replied, sadness taking over you that you might need to stay in hiding a little bit.

“Alright baby. Let’s go find everyone. You just...stick close to Elle.” He said.

“Okay. Thanks for understanding.” You said, sending him a wink.

“If anyone understands, it’s me, love.” He quickly took your hand for one last squeeze before exiting the store.

—

Once you found the group, you positioned yourself close by Elle, telling her about your predicament.

“Shit. I didn’t even think about that, Y/N. Well, stay with me. We can go get some fudge?” She said. You nodded in agreement.

The rest of the day was spent meandering in and out of stores, avoiding Jake but sharing sweet smiles to one another when you’d pass. You managed to pick up some extra wrapping paper, and a few gifts for your parents throughout the day. It started to get dark, and you could feel snow coming in the air. The streets were filled with people, and the true Christmas feeling was taking over your senses. You wished you were walking the streets with Jake, but Elle was a very welcome replacement for now.

“Do you know what Sam is getting me for Christmas?” She asked, taking you by surprise.

“Um, no I don’t actually. And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you?” You said, laughing.

“Ugh, I hate surprises. I always have. And you know he’s always messing with me, so he keeps telling me he’s getting me these outlandish gifts whenever I ask him. I’m already getting a pony, a Lamborghini, and a million gumballs.” She said, shaking her head.

You burst out laughing. “Elle, you’re so funny. Of course he’s not going to tell you, silly! He’s going to surprise you.”

“I knowwww, but. I just know it’s still going to be something goofy.” She whined.

“Why do you think that?” You asked her.

“I dunno, he’s been acting a little weird lately. Nothing bad, just kind of, distracted since after Thanksgiving.” She said. Ah. So it wasn’t just you, then.

“Don’t worry Elle, I’m sure he’ll get you something spectacular.” You reassured her, hoping that you were right.

She pulled her phone from her back pocket. “Oh, they’re heading over to the ice rink now. Let’s go! They’re going to have fans everywhere…I’m sorry you can’t skate with Jake…” she trailed off, her face falling into a frown.

“It’s ok! I’ll just stick with you. We will be near each other and that’s good enough for me.” You smiled.

——

The guys were all waiting at the rink, leaned against a table sharing a giant pitcher of beer, intertwining their arms as they sipped from the glasses.

“Hello, ladies. Find any treasures today?” Danny asked you.

“Yes, a few actually! We took our bags back to the car already. Are we skating?” Elle said. “And where are our steins, you beer hogs!”

“Geez, demanding little lady!” Sam scoffed. You laughed at their discourse, quickly catching eyes with Jake. It felt like you were flirting again, watching each other from afar like you did when you’d all come here and skate as kids. His face blushed when you smiled at him, the cold air blowing his hair in front of his face.

You all quickly and privately shared another pitcher of beer before heading over to rent some skates. You stuck by Elle’s side, ignoring Jake the best you could while fans approached them to take photo after photo. When you finally were all laced up, the alcohol had begun to hit your bloodstream. Yikes, it had been years since you’d skated on this rink, let alone put a pair of skates on. But, it was like riding a bike, and your legs remembered how to move without even a thought.

Elle took your hand as you did a few loops to get used to the ice. You laughed together, sliding and slipping and falling. Your face was red with the chill of the wind, the alcohol, and from laughing so hard you couldn’t breathe.

After some time, you and Elle both found yourselves sitting in the middle of the rink, exhausted and worn out.

“Elle, I’m sorry you can’t be back in your hometown for Christmas.” You admitted to her.

“Ah, it’s okay. It honestly feels almost exactly the same, remember?” She grinned. “Except for the cold, of course. All that’s missing is my dad. But, I have you guys. And you’re more family to me than my actual family ever was anyway.” She leaned back on her gloved hands, looking toward the sky.

You suddenly felt sad for her, but happy at the same time that she had found Sam. You realized right then that he had better not ever hurt her, or else he would have to answer to you.

“I’m glad you’re my best friend, Elle. You’re like the sister I never had.” You said finally.

“Don’t get sappy on me, Y/N!” She said, shoving her shoulder into yours.

“I’m serious!” You laughed.

“I love you, too.” She said after laughing through her sigh.

“Now go skate with Sam. He’s looking for you.” You said, nodding your head toward the group.

She stood up, holding her hands out to help you up. “I know your job is riding on it, but if I were you, I wouldn’t spend another minute not shouting your love for Jake from the rooftops. He’s crazy about you, Y/N, and I know you are about him too. Fuck your company if they find out. Life is so short. God forbid people believe in true love anymore, hmm?” She said matter of factly before skating away.

You made eye contact with Jake from afar as he stood by himself and watched you, people crossing quickly back and forth between your lines of vision. He was stoic, handsome as ever, and looking at you like you were the only person in his realm. You felt a fire burning in your gut, churning away and turning your brain into fuzz. You felt like the space between you was miles long, and in that moment you knew nothing but closing it.

Your legs began carrying you quickly, gliding with ease across the ice towards him. You zeroed in, keeping your eyes glued to his as you got closer.

Fuck it.

You got within ten feet, five feet, two feet…your heart was racing a million miles a minute.

Finally you crashed into his sturdy, waiting arms like a freight train, lips pressed into his like nothing else mattered in the world. He pulled you in tightly as you gripped your hands around his cheeks. You kissed him with fervor for a few seconds, not caring who saw. Finally you felt his lips turn into a smile on yours, giggling into your mouth as you came back down to earth and realized what you’d just done.

Finally you separated, meeting his eyes and feeling almost everyone in the entire rink’s on the two of you.

Suddenly the whole group erupted in cheers, yelling loudly and pushing their fists into the air.

“About damn time you said fuck it, Y/N!” Elle yelled, coming over to hug the two of you together.

Jake looked back at you, smiling ear to ear, still holding on to your hips.

You grabbed his face, pulling his forehead to yours. “Yeah, fuck it.”

——

You skated for just a little while longer, holding Jake’s hand as you went round and round. Something had switched in you when you heard Elle’s words. Life is short. You were completely head over heels in love with this man, and you wanted nothing more than to show the world.

“You guys ready to go home?” Josh asked, skating up to the two of you.

“Yeah, I think so. Been a long day.” Jake answered. “We’ll meet you back at the skate rental.”

Everyone turned their skates in and headed back to the parking lot, ready to crank the heat up and head home. Danny started the car and let it warm up while everyone filed in, taking their seats and shivering in the cold cab.

“Turn the heat up!” Josh called from the back.

“The engine is still cold, idiot. It’ll be like blowing A/C. How long have you been away from Michigan?” He yelled back as he climbed into the driver's seat.

You found yourself sandwiched between Sam and Jake in the middle row, Elle choosing to sit up front with Danny. Jake naturally placed his hand on your knee as he looked out the window at the houses decorated with Christmas lights. You felt Sam sigh heavily.

Finally, you got brave enough to turn and look him right in the eyes, raising your eyebrows in question of his attitude. He shook his head, looking out his own window. What the fuck?

“I think I’m going to have some tequila when we get home. Anyone want to join?” Josh asked the group.

“Yeah, actually, that sounds excellent. I’ll join.” Sam answered almost immediately. He crossed his arms over his chest and sat back. Ok, he’s definitely being weirder. You couldn’t wait to get home and out of this car.

As the car pulled into the driveway, you could see the breeze whipping the trees around gently. Everyone filed out and was walking down the walk to the front door ahead of you when you felt a hand grab yours, pulling you back toward the car.

You turned to find Jake, spinning you around to look back down the road the way you came.

“Look, baby.” He said as he pointed over the hillside. Through the dim streetlights, you could see giant snowflakes beginning to gently fall to the earth, slowly making their way toward you in tiny wisps.

You turned your head up to the sky as the big fluffy flakes fell onto your face. “Wow, it literally just started snowing, didn’t it?” You asked.

“Yes, it did.” Jake said as he took you in his arms from behind. The snowflakes had gathered into apple-sized clumps, falling slowly and silently to the ground. “It’s gonna stick, too.” You could already see it piling up on the grass.

You both stood and watched in wonder, your head rested back on him as he swayed with you. “It looks like the sky is falling, doesn’t it?” You asked him as you watched in amazement as a thick fog began to fall, making the space between the earth and the sky appear much smaller. He brought his lips to your ear. “Yeah, it really does...” he whispered.

“Babe, I’m really proud of you, for what you did tonight. It felt…really nice not having to hide you and ignore you.” Jake finally spoke quietly, squeezing you in his arms.

You let out a sigh. “I’m still not sure I made the best decision, but…” you turned and faced him, bringing his cold cheeks into your hands. “I don’t care, Jake. I love you, and I want everyone to know it. I don’t want to pretend anymore.” You admitted, watching his lips form into a smile.

“I love you too, baby. And I truly don’t think it’s going to get back to your company. And even if it does, we will be okay, you will be okay.” He answered reassuringly. You nodded your head in understanding, feeling confident that you were safe.

You continued to watch the steadily falling sky and sway in Jake’s arms, taking in the beautiful moment with your beautiful love, feeling thankful he pulled you back to experience it with him.

——

SAM POV

Tequila. The perfect holiday drink.

Ok, not really. But. It was the best choice to get you on the fast track to getting very drunk, so as to maybe get your racing thoughts out of your head for a little while.

It was still happening. Ever since your stupid dream about you and Y/N hooking up a whole month ago, your mind has been secretly muddled with thoughts of her. Some days you thought the feelings were going away, but then they would come back full force. A pull toward her, a need to be near her, ever-present and unyielding. And it sucked.

You wanted to rip your brain out of your own skull, trade it out for a stranger’s, pull your own heart from its strings in your chest and throw it off the closest high cliff. Those old feelings you had for her were back, though you told her they were gone. It hurt to lie to her, to your best friend. But there was absolutely no way you’d tell her this. Ever. You were disgusted with yourself and your emotions.

Elle was there. Elle was tangible. Elle was beautiful and perfect and yours. And you were wild about her. She was more than everything you could ever want in a partner, saving you from yourself day in and day out. Keeping you in line, on your toes and on the straight and narrow while simultaneously inspiring you to be the very best version of yourself, playful and youthful and free. She loved every facet of you. And she accepted all of you with open arms every single day. And it hurt.

What hurt even worse was that you couldn’t help it. As much as you tried to suppress it and forget about it, there Y/N was, the person you knew the best in the world, being positively head over heels for your brother, and he for her. And it hurt your soul like a dagger to the chest.

So, tequila.

You wanted to hug Josh for suggesting it tonight; for some reason watching them skate together made your unreasonable jealousy spike to a high level…and then when she publicly kissed him in front of God, 100 of your fans, and everyone? You felt like passing out. Everyone cheered for them, finally so happy she felt comfortable being open about their relationship. But you stood back and watched, seething silently as your girlfriend hugged them both. You felt like you were in the twilight zone. And your self loathing was only growing.

You’d managed to get fairly intoxicated with Josh, the two of you gathered in the basement passing the bottle back and forth while Elle slept sprawled out on the couch beside you.

You were surprised Josh was letting you drink with him, as things were still a little tense from Thanksgiving when he confronted you about your dream. You hadn’t spoken to him much since then, still feeling embarrassed and upset about your altercation. Actually, you had hardly spoken to Y/N either, feeling as though space between you was the best option until your weird headspace subsided.

“Are you still mad at me for pushing you last month?” You finally asked, handing the bottle back to him.

He took a swig. “Nah, I’m not mad at you. I was just pissed off.” He set the bottle down. “Listen, just make smart decisions, okay? Think about this six months from now, and where you want to be, and where you want Jake to be.” He was whispering, in case Elle were to wake up. “Do you want to jeopardize everything? You’re happy, he’s happy right? And vice versa…”

You nodded, looking at Elle with her face half buried in the couch.

“S’just fucked up dude. I can’t force it away. It came out of nowhere and my brain is in overdrive. I hate myself right now.” You admitted to him.

“I can tell you’re going through it. I’m not going to yell at you, because I can see that you’re already doing that to yourself. Just think about it this way…would you rather lose all three of them completely, or be happy with her being in your life for a long, long time? Just not the way you want her to be?” He asked.

You thought for a second while your thoughts swam in your head. “I can’t lose her, Josh.”

He pursed his lips together, studying your expression. “Can't lose who?”

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Your phone was ringing on the table. It took a few seconds for you to realize what was happening, the tequila taking more effect after Josh got you in your feelings again.

“It’s Daniel. What the fuck is he calling at 2am for? Hello?” You picked up the line.

“Hey dude. I know it’s late but have you looked outside? We got so much snow, man.” Daniel responded.

You hopped up from your seat to peek out the window. “Holy shit! We really did! That was quick!”

“Do you guys want to go sledding at our spot?” Daniel asked. “I know it’s late but we used to go every Christmas, and it’s not snowed like this in years…”

You looked over to Josh. “Josh and I are the only ones up, but I think we could make that happen. Give us 30 and we’ll meet you there.”

You hung up the phone. “What was that about? Where are we going?” Josh asked.

“Did we forget that we go sledding every Christmas or are we just too old to have fun now?” You replied.

You squatted down to shake Elle awake, gently saying her name as you ran your hand over her face. “Baby, wake up. We’re gonna go sledding, do you wanna come?”

She stirred awake, sending you a scowl. “What time is it?”

“Way too late. Or early, not sure. But I promise you won’t want to miss this.” You told her as she sat up and began rubbing her eyes. “Josh, you go get the tub of snow clothes, I’ll go wake up Jake and Y/N.”

“Thankfully I’m too intoxicated to say no to this!” Josh yelled, slapping his hands on his knees.

“Be right back, Elle. Try to wake up a little. This is a tradition we kind of forgot about...” you told Elle as you turned to dash up the stairs.

A few seconds later you landed at the top of the stairs, feeling excitement growing in your bones. You slowly approached Jake’s bedroom door, knocking a few times then listening through the door. You knocked a few more times then slowly opened the doorknob, sticking your face in with your eyes closed.

“Jake…hey! Wake up!” You said into the room.

“What? What the fuck do you want?” He said, his voice groggy.

You opened the door a little further. “Are you two decent?” You asked.

“No we’re not fucking decent you asshole, what do you want?” He said threateningly.

“We’re going sledding at the spot. We’re leaving soon. Wake up, Daniel’s meeting us.” You said.

“Oh my god, I forgot we used to go sledding every Christmas!” You heard Y/N say, making your heart flutter. “Let’s go Jake!”

A few minutes later, they sleepily joined you downstairs, and everyone began digging through the old tub stuffed full of snow pants, bibs, long johns, hats, and gloves.

“Wow, how old is this stuff?” Elle asked, pulling up a pair of bib overalls over her sweatpants.

“Mom and dad have been collecting this stuff for years. Those were mine, actually!” Josh replied to her, smiling and pointing to the old tattered pair of coveralls.

“Yeah, make sure you layer up, babe. It’s gonna be frigid out there.” You warned her.

When everyone was dressed in their layers, you all trudged upstairs to find snow boots.

“I can’t believe you drug me out of my warm bed and away from my hot girl for this…” Jake said, sending you a joking smile as he pulled on the ankle-high boots.

Your stomach sank. “Hey, you didn’t have to come...”

“I’m just kidding.” He said as he took the back of your neck in his hand. “I never turn down a good time.”

“Shh! Don’t wake up your parents!” Y/N said as Josh opened the door and barreled toward the garage, looking for more alcohol and the old sleds, you presumed.

“You going to snowboard, Jake?” You asked him. “I couldn’t find my old boots…”

“Yeah, I found mine. I hope I still remember how.” He laughed.

After manning everyone with sleds and snowboards, the five of you took off walking down the road through the knee-deep snow, high stepping your way toward the special spot. Everyone had grabbed a sled, and Jake had even grabbed a few trash bags for even faster trips down the hillside. The snow was still coming down, and showed no signs of letting up. You had truly missed this.

“So where exactly are we going?” Elle asked the group as she came to your side.

“There’s a spot right off the road about a quarter mile this way, we’ve been sledding here for years. There’s a cutoff right between some trees that leads down a huge hill, straight into a clearing surrounded by a bunch of pines. Perfect layout for sledding. And, this snow is heavy and wet. Once we get it packed down, it’ll be like riding on ice.” You told her, feeling out of breath already from the harsh trek.

Her eyes widened. “Riding on ice? Won’t we like, go too fast?”

“Yeah, it’ll be like a frozen chute.” You cheesed toward her. She hugged into your side, with only her eyes and nose peeking above her scarf.

“I’m excited.” She breathed, pulling harder into you.

When everyone finally made it to the spot, Danny was already there waiting.

“Took you guys long enough!” He called through the thick snow, leaning on his snowboard.

“Oh fuck off, you don’t have as far to walk.” You said back to him, pushing him down into the snow.

He quickly hopped back up, tackling you to the ground, which was only a few feet to fall into the fluffy white powder. The two of you tussled in the snow, finally rolling all the way down the steep hill and landing at the bottom in fits of laughter.

“You asshole.” You laughed as you stood, reaching your hand out to help him stand again. You both looked up to the top of the hill to the rest of the group laughing as you knocked the snow off yourself.

“Who’s next?!” Danny yelled.

The group continued to take turns traveling down the hill, Jake and Danny trying their best to teach themselves how to snowboard again. Elle and Y/N finally got the hang of steering the saucer sleds, carving out a flat pathway and packing down the snow in such a way that you didn’t need sleds anymore.

Thankfully, Josh and Danny had both remembered to stick plastic quarter pints of liquor into their jacket pockets, so you continued on your high from earlier. It was nearing 4:00am, and everyone was still having a good time romping in the snow.

At one point, you found yourself alone at the bottom of the hill with Y/N waiting as everyone caught their breath after walking to the top. The snow had begun to lighten up, and she plopped backwards onto her seat, looking up into the darkened sky. You watched as her eyes flitted open and closed as the tiny snowflakes met her face.

“You going to talk to me now that you don’t have a choice, Sam?” She asked suddenly, not moving her eyes from the sky. “I can tell that you’ve been ignoring me and avoiding me. But, would you look at this... Us sitting here alone. In an awkward silence.” She finally met your eyes.

Shit.

You knew this was coming sooner or later. You pulled the bottle from your pocket, nipping at the head before passing it to her. Your eyes had blurred and your movements were in slow motion; you’d allowed yourself to get way too drunk.

You truly didn’t know what to say to her. You couldn’t tell her the truth, that would ruin literally everything. You weren’t mad at her, but it probably seemed that way from the outside. Your stupid emotions had taken hold of you, and they weren’t letting go. So you stayed silent, afraid to say anything at all. You felt like you were about to combust.

“Alright then. Suit yourself. I thought we were able to talk through things, after all our years of friendship but. I guess not.” She said, standing back up to meet Josh who had started coming down the hill. She turned back around to face you, her face almost in tears. “Look I don’t know why you’re mad at me, and I’m sorry if anything I said to you at Thanksgiving was overstepping any boundaries, but I just need you back Sam. I need my friend. Please don’t shut me out, ok?”

Her eyes bored into yours, searching for any type of reprise to show her that you were still in there somewhere. After a long pause that felt like hours, you finally choked out the only words that came to your mind.

“I’m still here, Y/N. I promise.”

Josh came tumbling off the hill, hitting the bottom at a high speed. You watched as she helped him stand, the two of them laughing and gripping at each other’s arms for balance.

Behind him came Danny, finally getting the hang of his old snowboard and making it to the bottom in one piece.

“Hey, let’s build a fire! I’m freezing!” He said as the rest of the group landed nearby.

“Yessss, that sounds wonderful. Please please please. My hands are about to fall off.” Elle said through chattering teeth. You immediately went to her, wrapping your arms around her and moving your hands up and down to warm her.

“Aw, is Georgia having a hard time staying warm?” You teased.

“Be quiet, Samuel, and help your brothers build us a fire!” She laughed.

You and Danny took on the task of heading into the woods to find kindling while the rest of the group worked to clear the snow away from the ground on the edge of the forest. The thick pines and evergreen had shielded the snow from piling too high here, making a bed of dried pine needles the perfect spot for a campfire.

As you traveled deeper into the woods to find the driest wood, you could tell Daniel was struggling to start a conversation.

“Just say what you need to say Daniel, I know you’re trying to tell me something.” You slurred.

He stopped walking, turning toward you and stopped you in your tracks.

“I broke up with Heidi earlier.” He said, the words falling from his mouth quickly.

You were stunned. “Oh, shit man. I– are you okay? What happened?”

He sighed heavily, pulling his arms above him to rest behind his head.

“I don’t know, dude. I called her three times today before she finally picked up. I just wanted to tell her Merry Christmas...ask her what she was doing tomorrow. But she couldn’t even hear me overtop of the music that was playing in the background of wherever the hell she was. Didn’t even try to step outside to talk…say she would just text me…nothing. Just got off the phone with me really quickly. Said she’d call me later. Well. Later never happened.” He let his arms fall as he turned to keep picking up broken sticks from the forest floor and pile them in your arms.

“It was just snowballing, you know? Left and right, our relationship has become one-sided. I don’t think she loves me anymore, man. I dunno. I’m kinda over it, to be honest. So anyway, I got my shit together and stopped feeling sorry for myself, picked up the phone and called her back. She answered, and I told her it was over. I was done. Honestly feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”

You felt horrible for your friend, feeling unable to give him any comfort when he needed it most. “Fuck, man. I’m so sorry, are you alright? Do you wanna talk about it?” You pressed.

He shook his head, piling more sticks into your arms. “Nah, nothing to talk about really. Maybe later, once I get over the initial shock. So, rain check on that. So many years…down the drain…” he trailed off. You stood in silence, feeling truly proud of him for holding himself together.

“Anyways. Enough of my drama. We’ll save it for later. Tell me what the fuck is wrong with you?” He asked. Damn, you were afraid of this.

“Nothing is wrong with me, Daniel.” You lied.

“You’re lying.” He answered. Hah. Okay.

You turned behind you, checking to make sure you were still alone. You took a deep cleansing breath, the cold air hitting your lungs.

“Did Josh tell you to talk to me?” You asked him.

“Mmm, he mentioned that you were acting weird and that maybe you needed to talk. But, no. I noticed too.” He said.

You shook your head. “Then you probably think I’m a fucking idiot too.”

He walked up to you, landing a few more sticks into your grasp. “I’m not stupid, Sam. I’ve seen you like this before, when we were younger. When you were…you know..”

You felt rage boiling up in your gut, horrible unreasonable rage at no one but yourself as Daniel brought into light the thoughts you had barely spoken to anyone.

“When I was what, Daniel? Hm? Feeling things for Y/N? Because yeah, I guess it kind of looks that way again, doesn’t it?” You spat.

“Sam. You can’t. You do understand that, right? You literally cannot. She doesn’t belong to you anymore.” Daniel said through his teeth.

“Aha, no shit! I’ve been fucked up for a month because I’m so damn confused at why I’m feeling this way again. I didn’t ask for it! God, you don’t even understand...” You continued.

“No, I don’t understand, Sam! Why don’t you explain it? Because I don’t see why you’re having such a hard time with this.” He said, raising his voice.

“Because you’ve never been here, man!” You yelled quietly.

“Been where, Sam?!” he snapped.

“Been in love…with two people at the same damn time, Daniel. Okay? Have you ever felt that? Every single day I’m falling more and more crazy in love with Elle, while fighting my demons trying to stop falling back in love with Y/N!” You began pacing beside him, trying to keep your admission quiet under the cover of the trees. “It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. I know that. But I can’t deny it. It makes me feel absolutely insanely guilty, constantly. So yeah. I’m sorry if I’ve been an asshole.” You turned and began walking back toward the edge of the woods.

“Sam, stop. Listen to me. You have to end this right now. If you fuck up things with her and Jake, the band is over. Dunzo. Do you get that? He will never forgive you this time. Not to mention your relationship with him. And with Josh. And with Elle. This is not just your future you have to think of here, you hear me? I love you, man. But you actually need your ass kicked for even thinking that you could make that work.” He laid his gloved hand on your shoulder, looking into your eyes to make sure you heard him loud and clear.

Fuck.

“Goddamnit. Yes. I hear you. You’re right, and I know all these things. I’ve just, really been going through it. I feel like you really should kick my ass for it. It might help.” You said through a half-hearted laugh. “But I hear you. And I heard Josh when he told me, too. I’ve just...got to try harder. For Jake. Elle doesn’t deserve this. She deserves all of me.”

“She deserves the fucking world, dude. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you.” He joked, taking a few of the sticks from your arms. “Y/N is always going to love you. That much was proven the minute you, her and Jake could forgive each other and live normally again. But you need to show her the type of love she needs. And that’s being her best friend again. And, you need to show Elle, too. Step up and be a man for her, you know?” Daniel went on. God, when did he turn into an expert on relationships?

You sighed heavily. “Thank you, Danny. Seriously. I needed to hear that. Tough love, I guess.”

“Did you just call me Danny?” He asked, puzzled. “You’ve literally never once called me Danny in almost twenty years…”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m still a little intoxicated. But. I think you cleared my head a bit, man. Seriously… I think I know exactly what I need to do.”

The two of you returned to the group, hoping they didn’t notice you were gone for a little longer than you should’ve been.

JAKE POV

The room was cold when you woke up, even through your long sleeve shirt you could feel the chill in the air. You turned to your side, seeing Y/N still asleep next to you. You placed your hand on her cheek, to see if she was as cold as you were, but to your surprise, she wasn’t. She was warm and soft, and wrapped in your old flannel pajamas you never thought you’d see again.

You snaked your arm through hers, pulling yourself closer into her, hoping to leech off some of her warmth. You nestled your head into her neck, breathing in the scent of her, still a little smokey from sitting by the fire last night. As you laid there with her, feet tangled together in a mass of cabin socks, you thought back to last Christmas. Sitting alone in your house, sipping a glass of brandy as you watched the flames crackle in your fireplace. Wondering if that was how the rest of your life was going to be. Sitting there alone, thinking back on the days when you didn’t even know you had everything you ever wanted. You wished you could tell him that his luck would change, and that next Christmas he would be home, with the love of his life, tangled up with her in his favorite old pajamas.

Your eyes must have fluttered closed because the next time you opened them, she was stirring next to you, swiping the hair out of your face.

“Well, hello…” you groaned.

“Good morning lover. It’s Christmas Eve…” she grinned.

“Mmm, that it is. Did you have fun last night?” you asked, clearing your throat.

“More fun than I’ve had in a long time. Did you?” she asks.

“Oh yeah, definitely a story for the kids one day…” you laugh, but a flash of panic washes over you when you realize what you’d said. You sit up, and rub your chin, “Anyways, what do you want to do today?”

A pink blush had crept over her cheeks, “Well, I have to wrap a few gifts, and I told your mom I would help her bake. I think my parents are coming over later tonight too. What do you have planned?” she asks.

“Not much, just need to finish up a few things, wrap a few presents. Then I have a long standing tradition of helping my dad with the mulled wine…” you answer.

“Oh my gosh, I haven’t had that in years!” she says.

“None last year?” you ask.

“They didn’t make it last year. Haven't made it really at…all…since…” she trails off.

You wrap your arms around her and pull her in for a kiss, “Damnit. Well, we will have it this year. All you want.”

—

A few hours later, you watch from the couch as she sneaks down the stairs with her perfectly wrapped boxes, piled high in her arms.

“Need some help, sugar?” you call up to her.

“Nope! You stay there, and no peeking.” she giggles.

She makes her way over to the trimmed tree, and distributes the gifts underneath.

“I thought Santa was supposed to come tonight?” you ask, cheekily.

She pops her hip out and places her hand on her waist, “Aren’t you a little old to still believe in Santa…”

You laugh and shake your head, “Anything I can do to help?” you ask.

“No, just make sure you pour a little extra Brandy into the wine tonight...” she winks, returning back up the stairs.

Josh joins you on the couch, after completing his last minute errands, finishing out the end of the movie you were half paying attention to.

“Did you finish it?” he asks.

“Finish what?” you reply, turning your attention to him.

He looks over his shoulder, “The notebook?”

“How do you know about that?” you ask.

“Sam told me?” he says, realizing he slipped up.

“Figures. But, yeah, I finished it up this morning when she was down here with mom. Turned out pretty good. I think she will like it. I know it’s cheesy or whatever, but…I think it was always meant to belong to her.” you say.

“Goddamn Jake, you have gone completely soft.” he quips.

You throw a pillow at him, to which he returns with another pillow in your direction.

“Boys!” your mom calls from the kitchen, hearing the noise flowing out of the room. “Basement or front yard if you’re gonna fight. You know the rules.”

You both laugh and continue to silently throw pillows at each other, trying to see who would crack first.

After a few minutes, your mom peeked her head around the corner, and both of you immediately stopped, “And by the way…I’m happy you’re home.”

—

You watched as your dad poured the dark red wine into mugs with the ladle, as you added the orange slices and cinnamon sticks to each one. You grabbed two of the warm mugs and made your way out into the living room, seeing everyone talking and laughing on the couch. You began distributing the fragrant wine to those who wanted it, and after a few minutes everyone was sipping away at the festive beverage.

You took your place next to Y/N on the couch, wrapping your arm over her shoulders as she leaned into you. ‘White Christmas’ was playing in the background, arguably your favorite Christmas movie, but you hadn’t seen it in a few years. Never really feeling the Christmas spirit, home alone. The fireplace was roaring as you all drank and reminisced on years past. The house was filled with love and laughter for the first time in years, and as you glanced out the window you watched the snow start to fall.

You leaned over, and whispered into her ear, “Look, it’s snowing again…”

“Didn’t you get enough of the snow last night?” she giggled, cheeks pink from the wine.

“You know, it’s something I never thought I would miss, but being here at Christmas with snow falling just seems…right. Want to soak it in before we go back to Nashville.”

A while later after another round of drinks, and a heartfelt round of goodbyes, and see you tomorrows, everyone is making their way home before the snow gets much worse. As the door shuts behind them, you all return to the kitchen, standing around making plans for tomorrow.

Y/N makes her way into your arms, clearly feeling the alcohol in her system, as she wraps her arms around your waist, “I want to make a snow angel…” she giggles into your neck.

“What are we waiting on? Let’s go…” you say, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the door.

You grab your empty mugs and deposit them into the kitchen sink, before grabbing both of your coats from the tree by the door.

No one even notices the two of you slide out the front door, pulling your jackets on, and zipping them closed. The temperature had dropped significantly since this morning, and you were both shivering from the wind.

“Go ahead, you first.” you smile, gesturing to the fresh fluffy snow.

Next thing you know she is laying down into the freshly fallen flakes, gliding her arms and legs to make a perfect snow angel.

“Oh, take a picture!” she says, digging around in her jacket pocket for her phone.

She reaches out to you, and you grab the ice cold device, putting in her password and opening up the camera.

You snap a few photos of her, before joining her on the ground, pulling her close to you and taking a few more. You knew these would be something you would look back on in years to come.

You stand back up, and just as you go to lock the screen of her phone, it buzzes in your hand. Instinctually you look down at the notification, and you furrow your brow as you see the message come across.

Unknown

9:47pm: Don’t you just love Michigan at Christmas time?

Fuck.

You open the message and block the number, swiftly deleting the text before handing her phone back to her. Luckily the wine had made her a little less aware of her surroundings, granting you enough leeway to delete the evidence of the unwanted message.

You look around for any sign of him, knowing that if he sent that message, he knows exactly where she is. As you look you see nothing but darkness blanketed by snow. Your skin crawls at the thought of him here, watching, and suddenly you want to get out of sight.

“Let’s go inside, baby.” you urge, pulling her up from the ground.

You usher her in through the door, and take her wet coat from her, before making your way upstairs. The both of you change out of your cold wet clothes, opting for warmer, flannel options to warm your bones.

She crawls into bed, with a yawn, hugging the pillow to her chest as she reaches for you.

“I’m sleepy baby…” she yawns, as you pull the comforter up over her shoulders.

“I know sugar, that wine will do that to you.” you laugh, smoothing her hair over her head. Her eyes start to shut, and you kiss her cheek. “I’m going to go down to the basement with Josh, okay? You come down there if you need me. I won't be long though.”

A garbled ‘love you’ leaves her lips, and you smile, knowing that tomorrow you finally get to give her the gift you’ve been working on for weeks.

—

Leaned back in the recliner, you strum the heavily worn out strings of your dad’s old acoustic, as Josh rambles on about something from the couch.

Sam and Elle joined you for a while, but Elle surrendered to the same fate as Y/N, nearly passing out in Sam’s lap. After promising he would be back after putting her to bed, you and Josh knew better, and you were right. He didn’t return, leaving just you and Josh to burn the midnight oil.

The two of you just existed in this space together, feeding off of each other in a way you always have. You didn’t have to say much, just being near each other was enough. It was harder to come by now that the two of you lived separately, so when the opportunity arose to recharge your batteries together you always took it.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said. About going back to our roots…” he said, quietly.

“Yeah?” you said, turning to look at him.

“I think it's brilliant. I already have ideas swirling around…” he trailed off.

“Can I…play you something?” you ask hesitantly.

He nods, and you sit up a little straighter, playing the beginning notes to a song you wrote months ago.

The melody rang out through the small basement, the emotion palpable with every note. The chords bending and weaving into a delicate string of perfectly placed moments. The bridge tugs on your heart strings, the feeling behind it still so raw and fresh. As you finish out the final few notes, it grows softer until it's complete.

“Fuck Jake… that was…I don’t know what inspired that, but we need to dig deeper and see what else we can get.” he said, struggling to find the words.

“It doesn’t have a name yet. I just know it’s… about her. She caused that one.” you pause. “It’s lived in that notebook for a long time.”

“I think… I would like it to be on the next album. If we do go with the whole roots thing…” you confess.

“Do you have any lyrics in mind, or…” he asks.

“I haven’t gotten that far yet. How do you find the words to describe the situation I found myself in? How do you put to paper how someone can bring you back to a life you thought you lost? Something you searched for, waited for, never knowing if you’d get it back? Letting lifetimes pass before finally seeing a shred of hope…” you pause.

“I just… have a feeling about this one Josh. I think we need to see it through. You’ve always been able to put the words to my feelings, and I… need you for this one.” you plead.

“You’ve kind of done this with every album…wrote your feelings into a song for her…” he ponders. “Why stop there though?” he laughs.

“What do you mean?” you ask, placing the guitar on the floor.

“Well, how many songs have you written for her? Five, ten, twenty?” he pauses. “What if you went bigger than that?”

“Like, how?” you ask.

“What if you, I don’t know, dedicated the album to her or something…” he rambled.

“I doubt everyone would be on board with that…” you laugh.

“It’s your band Jake. Always has been…” he said.

“I don’t know, I…” you pause. “I love her so much, I can’t stop myself from writing about her. For her. To her…”

“Just think about it. Maybe we don’t even say anything. Maybe we just pick a title that resonates with you. With both of you.” he says, shrugging his shoulders.

“Yeah, maybe. I will think on it.” you reply.

“What better gift than something that will live on long after we are gone….” he says dramatically.

You nod your head. He is right, what better gift than something that will last forever.

A while later you dragged yourself back up the stairs and quietly crawled into bed next to her. She stirred slightly, feeling you join her, and cuddled into your side. You’d grown to love this. Her, attached to your side as you slept. You found yourself feeling almost empty on the nights she wasn't there. Tossing and turning all night without her presence, deeply relishing in the nights she was.

You pulled her closer to you, practically sharing a pillow at this point. Her skin was still warm from the alcohol, and you could feel her breath on your neck as she slept soundly in your arms. You closed your eyes as you held her tight, and for the first time in years, you couldn’t wait to wake up on Christmas morning.

HER POV

Christmas morning was always your favorite…waking your parents up as early as you were allowed to by sneaking in their room and jumping on their bed until they grabbed you and pulled you under the covers with them.

‘Did Santa come, babygirl?’

‘Yes! And he ate ALL the cookies I left out for him, too!’

Times had changed as you’d gotten older, but you didn’t feel sad about it. You’d planned to spend the next couple of days with your parents to make up for a little lost time.

Waking up on Christmas morning with your love was something new, that felt ancient. You’d woken up with Jake on Christmas this way before, but it still felt innocent back then. Now, it felt real. Waking up any other way wouldn’t be right.

You forced yourself to wake Jake up from his sweet slumber again, the both of you coming to life with a little bit of impatience to get downstairs with everyone.

You poured your coffee as you watched Sam hand out gifts from under the tree one by one, a genuine smile on his face that you hadn’t seen in weeks.

There was a tiny knock on the door as Danny came in, followed by his family and your parents, carrying piles of wrapped boxes and gift bags.

“Merry Christmas, everybody!” More hugs and more coffee, more gifts handed out and more sweet stories being told. It was traditional in the family that everyone opened their gifts individually, so as not to rush through too fast. Karen and Kelly had used this method to keep their young kids from ripping and tearing into presents, and it had stuck around.

“Ok, Josh, you first. This is from me.” You said as you watched him dig into the bag and pull out a long narrow box. He unwrapped it, revealing a whole slew of incense and a brand new burner. “Oh my gosh! Yes! I was almost out! Thank you, Y/N.” He walked over and kissed your head, smelling each stick as he did so.

“It’s from the store at the end of the road, they still hand make them! Oh, check the bottom of the bag.” You said. He pulled out another box and removed the lid. He pulled out a long string of beautifully strung white and tan mala beads. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He put it on immediately, adoring the beadwork and the tassel at the bottom. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” His smile seemed to radiate.

Next was Danny. You’d gotten him three vinyl records that you knew he would love, and a new cleaning kit, of which he was very excited about.

“Hell yeah, Y/N! I’ve actually been searching for this one! How did you know?!” He exclaimed, his gorgeous smile making your heart do flip flops.

Elle was next. A brand new pair of sunglasses that looked absolutely perfect sitting on her cherub face, and a piece of paper with a written note. She read it aloud. “This is a voucher for one girls’ trip to visit Helen, Georgia. Whenever you want. Ahhhh!” She stood and ran to you, hugging you hard in her arms. “So we’re really going to go? Just us? We’re gonna have so much fun! I can’t wait to make all the plans, and show you around. Oh man, I’m ready to go!”

Sam’s gift was simple; he’d always been the easiest to shop for. It felt strange, him opening it in front of everyone when you hadn’t really spoken to him in so many weeks. A leather camera strap with some extra rolls of film, a soft old oversized sweater you’d found while thrifting, and last but not least, a necklace with the Aries zodiac sign on a silver chain. You knew he’d love it when you’d seen it at a flea market back over the summer.

“Wow, Y/N. Thanks, girl. These are all excellent.” He sauntered over and gave you a small side hug, very different in comparison to the normal full-body embraces he usually gave you. “Maybe I’ll wear this necklace on tour...”

“You’re welcome Sammy. Yeah, maybe you could.” You gave him a soft smile.

Last but not least, you let Jake open his. Tons of extra art supplies, and a thick navy blue corduroy coat you’d found the day you found Sam’s sweater.

He immediately slipped it on, finding that it fit perfectly, and he would now be ‘wearing it every single day’. You didn’t doubt him.

Lastly, you gave him a circular box with a lid. “Hmm, this is interesting...” he said, inspecting its outside. He slipped the lid off to find a perfectly worn-in black hat, wide brimmed and already looking like it had been to hell and back. His eyes grew wide with excited surprise, and he grabbed it up immediately, sitting it on top of his bed-head hair.

“How’s it look?” He asked the room, turning his head side to side.

“Damn Jake, that looks good. That might be your new signature piece!” Elle said.

“Does it fit okay, babe?” You asked.

“Perfectly, I swear.” He moved his head quickly from side to side. “Thank you, my love. I’m ecstatic about this.” He pecked you on the cheek.

Elle was right, he did look really good in that hat…

Next, Jake handed you a shoebox, all wrapped up in old newspapers, taped haphazardly together and wrapped in a twine bow. So very Jake of him.

The smile on his face as he watched you unwrap it was like a kid waiting for his turn at the ice cream shop, overly giddy and excited to get to the good part.

You lifted the lid off to find more newspaper. You uncovered the contents, finding an old and tattered spiral notebook, the edges torn and ratty, things sticking out of the sides, and the thickness way more than a normal notebook should be. It looked fragile, and you were scared to touch it.

“Get it out of there babe! Take a look!” He said, shaking the box. You were sure it would disintegrate into a million pieces at the slightest touch, but you persevered anyway.

It looked like a normal notebook you would have had in middle school history class, full of notes and doodles, but the red outside cover had been ripped in half at some point, and taped back together with black electrical tape. There was a circular stain of some kind on the front, like a cup of coffee had leaked over the edges of a mug and set directly on top of the notebook. The metal spiral was bent, and had come unspun a little bit from its holes in the paper. The initials ‘JTK’ were drawn on the front in black ink pen, and there were tons of tiny scribbled little dipper constellations all over the back cardboard.

You looked at Jake with a puzzled expression, unsure of what to think.

“You don’t have to look through it all right now, but you can skim through…I’ve had this notebook for as long as I can physically remember. It’s where I first started writing songs, and guess who my muse was? Remember that book full of songs I told you about? This is it.” He peered at you from the tops of his eyes, his black hat still perched perfectly on his head.

You smiled shyly, slowly flipping through the pages of written sheet music, pencil sketches, lyrics, poems, and clippings from magazines. You flipped to a page with an old dried up flower stem, gently taped right on the inner edge of a page.

“Jake, no way. Is this…”

“Oh, yeah. The daisy that fell out of your hair that day we jumped in the lake, where we remembered we used to play ‘she loves me’...” He answered.

“Oh my god, you kept it? How in the world–” you were completely stunned he was able to swim back to shore, and keep it in his possession after all this time.

“It didn’t have any petals left, so I just tucked it behind my ear, and put it in my car when we went back. It rode on my dashboard for a long time until I could get it back to this book.” He explained.

Everyone had diverted to their own conversations at this point, giving you some privacy.

“Jake, this seems…really personal…are you sure you…” you asked, feeling like you were reading his private diary.

“Yes, I’m sure. There are probably twenty five songs written in there, more or less. Some of them are complete, some aren’t. Some are on our albums…” he smiled hard at you at that last part. “This is where it all started, and I want you to have it. I can play you some of them when we get back to Nashville.”

You grinned from ear to ear. “Wow, Jake, this is…so perfect and so meaningful...thank you...” you felt overwhelming emotion come over you, as you sat there and opened what was basically his heart, right there in a cardboard box.

“Here, check this out.” He flipped to near the back of the book, landing on a few pages with photographs glued in.

“This is the first one I ever had of us when we fell asleep in the basement all those years ago. It sat on my desk in my room for ages, until we went on tour and I kept it with me. That’s why it’s all ripped and bent…then I brought it home and glued it in here. Seems like it needed to live in this book.”

You smiled as he flipped the page, his fingers confidently turning the paper between them.

“This one is the one Sam took of us in Chicago. Remember, we weren’t speaking when he took it?” He laughed.

“Yeah, then you took my pinky and told me you still loved me...I almost passed out after he snapped the photo.” You admitted through a laugh.

“Well, you look happy, at least.” He smiled. “This one is the most recent of when we fell asleep on the couch together again on the 4th…thought it was cute it was on the same couch as the older photo. Like time repeated itself.”

“This one is of a rainbow I literally pulled the car over to take a photo of, the day we left to drive back home for the Fourth of July. I hadn’t been up that early in ages, and it made me think of you. I didn’t even know you were coming back home, too, remember?” He asked, his mouth close to your ear now.

“Yes, you got so mad at Sam.” You laughed.

“I did...” he laughed too. “These are just some random ones of flowers and dewy leaves from my morning coffee walks in my yard...”

“Your what?” You asked.

“I like to go outside early in the mornings and walk around and see what cool things I can find while I have my coffee. Started doing that right before we went on tour...the rainbow was a bit of inspiration…” he went on.

“We can look through the rest later. There’s probably a million stories in here. I’ll tell you all about them one day.” He put his hand up to brush your hair, giving you a genuine smile.

“Jake, this is truly the best. Thank you, babe.” You said, bringing him in for a tight embrace. “I love it so much.”

After everyone had opened every gift and drank way too much coffee, things started to die down as everyone sat gathered in the living room, sprawled on the couches and all over the floor.

“What a perfect Christmas. All my kiddos and friends in one place again…I didn’t think we’d have this until we had little grand babies running around!” Karen said, cuddling into Kelly on the loveseat. You felt yourself blush at her words.

“Oh, wait! I forgot one thing.” Sam said, springing up from his seat on the floor and running into the next room, returning quickly with his hands behind his back. He walked over to Elle, sitting back down on the floor in front of her, and pausing to meet her eyes. A silence fell over the room as everyone watched his actions.

He slowly pulled his hands from behind him, presenting her with a tiny cardboard box with a red bow on top.

“What’s this, Sammy?” She asked him, sitting up to take the box.

“Just open it...” he said, watching her with hope in his eyes.

She slowly and gently took the lid off of the box, wrapping her fingers around a small gold object that sat inside.

Her mouth fell open as she looked up to him, tears filling her eyes.

“It’s a key to my house. I…want you to move in with me. If you want to, of course…” he said bashfully.

She stared at him with her jaw on the floor for what felt like an eternity while the rest of the room held their breath waiting for her response. In seconds, she had her arms wrapped hard around his neck, pushing him backwards as she peppered his face with kisses.

You felt your heart swell with pride for them, but also felt a twinge of something else…you flicked your eyes to meet Jake’s, but he was already looking at you. He held your gaze while the two of you silently spoke, your heads both filling with wild aspirations that you prayed one day would come to life.

“Of course I want to move in with you, dummy.” She said through a laugh. You watched as your two best friends looked at each other with more love and admiration than you’d ever seen either of them have for one another.

Finally Sam was standing up for her, making big moves in his life, and you had never been more proud.

HER POV

Later that night you took your seat at the table next to Jake, flanked by Elle, and the rest of the ever expanding group of people you called your family. This Christmas had been one of the greatest you’d ever spent around this table. The love that filled the room was undeniable and you found yourself basking in the warm and comforting feeling swirling through air as laughter rang through the house.

Much of the dinner was spent with Jake’s hand resting on your leg, his thumb swirling patterns into the sheer black tights. You would occasionally rest your hand on his, feeling his fingers grasp into yours as he spoke of plans for tour, new music, and the like. His brothers joining in jovially, assisted by the ever flowing bottles of wine being passed around the table.

As dinner came to an end, you could feel the warmth in your cheeks, and you could see it in his. The perfect red blush painting the apples of his cheeks. His lips slightly stained and his eyes glossy.

Everyone began to make their way back to the living room to continue their conversations around the tree, but as you stood, Jake grabbed your hand and leaned into your ear, “Come with me…”

You followed him through the dining room, through the kitchen and to the back door. He grabbed your coat and held it up for you to slide into, before pulling on his own. He opened the back door, and you both slid out into the cold Michigan air.

“What are we doing out here?” you asked, gripping your hand into his.

“I have one more gift for you…” he answered, blinking slowly. “But this one isn’t shared. This one is just for us.”

“Wasn’t the last one just for us?” you asked.

“I mean, yes. But They all knew about it. I didn’t tell anyone about this. Only you and me.” he replies.

He removes his hand from yours, and pulls out his phone, flicking through the pages of apps, until he finds the one he is looking for. Opening it as secretly as he can, you watch his warm breath swirl into the cold air.

“Okay, here we go.” he says, looking up into the sky. He grabs your waist and spins you around to face away from him. He pulls you backwards and rests his chin on your shoulder as he brings the phone in front of you. As you glance down to look at the phone you see a screen with coordinates.

“Can you find it? Where is our little dipper?” he asks, directing you to look up at the sky.

You both spin around looking for it, and you catch sight of it. “It’s right there!” you say pointing to the cluster of stars.

“Okay, now…” he pauses, holding his phone camera up towards the sky. The screen refreshes and zeros in on an area. “Do you see that? Let me double check…” he says, referencing his phone.

“Okay, yeah, that’s it.” he says excitedly.

“What?” you ask, confused.

“Look at the tail of the little dipper. Count over four places, then down, one, two…” he says, pointing at a glowing white star, almost flickering in the dark sky.

“Yeah? I see it…” you ask.

“It’s yours. I bought it for you.” he whispers into your ear.

“You what?!” you ask, spinning to face him, eyes quickly looking back to the sparkling sky.

“It’s yours. All yours. I…bought it for you. The closest one to the little dipper I could find. I have the paperwork, and regist–” you cut him off, pressing your lips to his, ice cold from the frigid air.

A single tear sneaks out of your eye as you let the feelings rush over you as you pull away from his lips. “You–You bought me a star? Jake…” you cry. “I–I don’t even know what to say…I…”

“They would all be yours, if I could…Maybe I can’t catch them for you, but I can give you one to call your own.”

“Ours.” you correct, a small smile forming on his lips.

“I know it’s not something you can hold in your hand, but…I just thought…” he trails off.

“Jake…I love it. It’s the best gift I have ever gotten. You’re so…thoughtful, you know that?” you said, another tear falling from your lashes.

“Don’t cry…” he begs.

“It’s happy tears. I just can’t believe I get to love someone like you. There’s no one I would rather share this life with. I’m really so thankful I’ve gotten to wake up to you these past few days…” you say, blinking back the tears.

“I can’t believe I get to love you. Merry Christmas my love.” he replies, kissing your cold hands. “And, you know… you can wake up to me every morning, back home, if you want.”

You turned in his arms and as you both stared up at the twinkling star, your thoughts drifted back to the other morning and the comment that slipped from his lips.

“I know…Jake?” you breathed.

“Hmm?” he hummed in response.

“Did you…mean to say that… the other morning? About…telling your kids stories?” you asked nervously.

“Why do you ask?” he questions.

“Well…I just thought…I don’t know. I guess I just never imagined you wanting kids.” you replied.

“Honestly, I never really saw that life for myself. Figured I would be ‘the eternal bachelor’. I’d have my music and my brothers and that would be enough to get me through. But, recently…I have been feeling like that won't ever be enough. Not now that I have you. I want everything with you. Whatever you want, I’ll give you. But I only want that with you. So, I guess what I’m saying is, yes. I did mean it. Not right now, but someday.” he answers.

You smiled at him and nodded your head, “Someday…” you whispered, the wind carrying your words off into the perfect sparkling night.

—

JOSH POV

The drive home left you all weary and ready to sleep in your own beds. Returning to Tennessee was a drastic change in climate. While it was still cold in Nashville, it was nowhere near as cold as Frankenmuth. You had to admit you were growing more accustomed to the southern temperatures.

You spent a few days home by yourself after you all returned, just lounging and watching your favorite movies, with no one to interrupt or give their opinions. A rain storm had moved through, providing the perfect ambiance as you pressed play on the remote. The score began to play in the background as you relaxed into the plush cushions of your couch.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and the trees swayed outside of the windows, a sense of calm washed over you, but that would be short lived as your phone began to vibrate on the pillow next to you.

You picked up your phone and flipped it over to reveal a familiar name on the screen. You slide your finger across the screen and held the phone up to your ear.

“Hey Allison! Long time no talk! How are you? How was your holiday?” you asked, cheerfully.

“Hey…Josh. It was good, it was good. Hey, I…just need to speak with you…I have the unfortunate job of calling you with some news.” she said, hesitation in her voice.

You sat up straight from the couch, resting your elbows on your knees as you listened.

“Sadly, the board has come to the decision that Y/N’s employment with us will be terminated effective next week. We will have to deny the request paperwork you sent in back in October.”

“I’m sorry what, now?” you ask, heart pumping out of your chest.

“Well, it was brought to our attention that she has been in non professional relations with one of your band members...And as you know, that is against our company policy and in direct breach of the contract she signed.” she says.

It’s exactly what she was afraid of.

You are unable to find the words to speak, your mouth suddenly dry. “I–I…It came to your attention?” you ask, confused.

“We were… provided with undeniable evidence… that she was in fact breaching her contract with someone on your team, yes.” she answers.

“Allison, it’s Jake…He and Y/N…they… we have known each other our whole lives… it’s not what you think… They–they’ve been…” you stammer.

“The manner in which it manifested is unfortunate, I’ll agree. If Y/N had been up front about their relationship in the beginning maybe the contract could have been altered…things could have been different. But unfortunately that is not the case, and now, the board has to take action to find a resolution so that all parties are taken care of. Because of this decision, that means we will be actively looking for a new coordinator for you. If there’s anyone else yo–”

“No. It’s her. It has to be her, Allison.” you say, cutting her off.

“Josh. I’m sorry…The board has made their decision and the paperwork is done. We will be letting her know next week.” she says.

“No, please. There has to be some way to fix this… If they can just explain…” you beg.

“Josh, I’m sorry, there really isn’t anything you can say.” she explains.

“Who else knows? Has anyone spoken to Jake…” you ask.

“No, you were our first call.” she says.

You let out a grateful sigh, “I see, well. Let me tell Jake, if you don’t mind.” you ask.

“Sure, and listen Josh, I’m really sorry. I really liked Y/N, unfortunately rules are rules, and in a business like this, they exist for a reason. I will be in contact with you next week to go over a few new potential coordinators.” she says.

“Great.” you quip.

“Talk to you then, bye bye.” she says, ending the call.

You threw your phone to the end of the couch, cursing into the air.

Your mind was spinning. You were pissed off, confused, and defensive. How could this have gotten this far? This is exactly what she always feared, and it was actually happening.

You couldn’t let it happen. You had to take matters into your own hands. You quickly retrieved your phone, pulling up the contacts to get back to the correct chain of command. You decided to skip right over all the reps, and go straight for HR. You hoped they knew who you were.

After buzzing through a couple of transferred calls, the phone rang out to the head of HR for the company. You cleared your voice as you stood from the couch, and began pacing around the house.

A voice picked up on the other end.

“Hello, this is Johnathon Myers, how can I help you?”

“Hello Johnathon, my name is Joshua Kiszka, I’m with Greta Van Fleet, one of the bands that your company works with. How are you today?”

It was silent for a beat. “I’m good, Joshua, thanks. Uh, I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I’ve gotten a direct phone call from a band member in a very long time…I know who you are...Is there something I can help you with?” he asks.

Nerves coursed through your body. You cleared your voice again, “Well, I hope so, sir. You see, it’s come to my attention that our on-site tour coordinator that I specifically requested is being fired. Um, I’m not sure if you’ve heard...”

“I have been made aware of that situation, yes.” he answers, shortly.

“I was calling to see if there was anything you could do, anything I could do to change that decision, and keep her with us.” you ask.

“Well Josh, I know you know why we made the decision to terminate her employment, she breached her signed contract and broke company policy by fraternizing with a band member. It’s not something we tolerate as professionalism and we were forced to come to a resolution.” he says.

“I understand that sir, but… I’d like to explain that she did excellent work for us, Mr. Myers. She never missed a beat, kept us all on track, truly one of the best coordinators we’ve had thus far, it’s not an easy job, I’m sure you know, and the situation between her and Jake is more complex than it seems.” you continued.

You heard him sigh on the other end of the line as you tried plead your case.

“I fully understand and respect your policies, sir-” you start.

“But she didn’t.” He interrupted you. “We have photo evidence, Joshua.”

You thought for a second. “Photo evidence? Of what? From who?”

“The two of them together while on tour when she should have been staying in the assigned crew lodging. Your photographer turned in photos of her and your brother acting…unprofessionally, from as far back as September.” He replied, aggravation growing in his voice. “Listen, I’m really not even supposed to be talking to you about this, but you’re our main point of contact, so just know she will be notified soon. I’m truly sorry you’re losing a good coordinator, but my hands are tied. I’m just doing my job. The paperwork has been signed.”

“So there’s nothing I can do?” You asked, feeling extreme defeat, your heart racing.

“I’m sorry, there isn’t. Please contact me at any time if you have any other questions concerning the band. Have a good day, Mr. Kiszka.” The line clicked.

“Thanks…” you said to no one.

Fuck. You dipped your head low into your hands and fell back on your couch. She is going to be devastated.

You sat for a few minutes racking your brain. You got the idea to call Danny, knowing that he was always the voice of reason. You clicked his contact and waited for him to pick up.

“Hello?” his voice rang through the line.

“Hey, you wanna go get an early dinner? I’m starving. And I need to talk to you about something.” you reply.

“Yeah, man. Sure. Give me half an hour?” he asks.

“I’ll pick you up.”

——

Forty-five minutes later you and Danny were waltzing into the tiny backstreet restaurant, one that you’ve found you can hide away from fans fairly easily.

You made small talk, asking how things were going after getting back home from Michigan. But as the conversation reached a lull, you sat back with a sigh.

“Alright, what did you need to talk to me about?” Danny asked as he leaned one arm over the back of his chair and sipped his cocktail with the other.

You leaned back forward, folding your hands on the table.

“They’re firing Y/N.” You said quietly.

He nearly spit out his drink. “What?! Why? You’re kidding me!”

“No. They called me and told me she breached her contract by being with Jake.” You replied.

“Shit man. This is what she was terrified would happen. Damnit.” He said, shaking his head. “Is there anything we can do?”

“I already tried. I went straight to HR, to the top of the food chain. Nothing I could say helped.” You said.

“So she doesn’t know yet? Jake doesn’t know?” He asked.

“No, not yet.” You replied, defeat and guilt filling your gut.

Danny sighed deeply, putting his face in his hands. “So this is why she hasn’t gotten her next assignment yet, huh.” he asks, voice thick with realization.

You nodded. The two of you were silent for a few minutes while you picked at your food, suddenly losing your appetite.

Danny pushed his plate away. “Wait, how did they get proof? Don’t they need solid evidence?”

“Yeah, he told me they have photo evidence of them acting unprofessionally while we were on tour, just the two of them, I guess. I don’t know.” You said.

“Photos? So… Summer took those photos?! With her company owned camera? You’re telling me she…followed them whenever they were acting ‘unprofessionally’, and took photos of them without their immediate consent? Without their knowledge?” He said, dumbfounded.

You hadn’t quite thought about it like that. “Yeah, shit. I guess you’re right. It would’ve had to of been her…what a sheisty…” you bit back your words.

“Yeah Josh, she was… kind of a bitch. Hitting on Jake like that all the time in front of everyone…She physically touched him more times than I could count. But Y/N is the one getting fired? Sounds like some petty jealousy bullshit to me.” He spat, crossing his arms across his chest. “I’m telling you right now that when they learn about this, Jake will want to see those photos.”

You nodded. “Yeah, fuck, he definitely will. What should we do, should we… tell them? I don’t know…”

He shook his head side to side. “I mean, yeah, I think we should, but we’ve got to–” he stopped talking, quickly whipping his head to look out the window to the street. He stood up quickly from his chair, almost knocking it backwards. He made a mad dash to the front door, with you on his heels.

“Daniel, what? What is it?!” You called from behind him. “Where are you going?”

He continued out the front doors, and turned to look down the street. You pushed through the double doors, finding him a few buildings down already.

“Where the fuck?!” He held his arms up in question, spinning around. You were walking to him still confused as ever, you could hardly keep up with him.

He kept walking, then suddenly darted right down an alley. You took off in a full on sprint following after him. Next thing you knew, you heard his voice, threatening and loud echoing off the sides of the brick buildings surrounding you.

“Hey, motherfucker! Turn around! Come back here...” Danny yelled. When you finally caught up to him, you looked down the alleyway to find it blocked off by a fence and dumpsters.

And there standing in front of it all, was Andy.

You watched as Danny walked toward him quickly, bowing up and confronting him.

“Stop fucking running from me, you coward! Turn around and talk, I just want to talk.” Danny said.

You made your way to stand beside him. “Oh well… if it isn’t my sister in law’s stalker! Back again to follow us around, asshole?” You said, nerves coming into your throat as your spat, you could feel the rage flowing off of Danny’s body onto your own. You’d both been waiting for this.

Andy stood silently with his hands in his pockets, just looking at the two of you. “Hey, fellas.” He finally spoke, smiling and showing his teeth. “What a pleasure seeing you here in my new hometown! In an alleyway, nonetheless. If I would have known I’d been seeing you in such a rough part of town, I would have dressed nicer, being in the presence of rock and roll royalty.” He seethed, laughing to himself.

“Shut the fuck up, man. We know you’ve been following her...we’ve seen you at shows all over the country. So, do you have a problem or are you just turning into that big of a fan, hm?” Danny said, stepping closer, meeting his energy.

Andy stepped closer to him, not needing to crane his neck much to meet him, as they were about the same height.

“You’re making an awfully serious accusation my friend...stalker? That seems like a really big word…” Andy said in an almost whisper.

“Yeah, stalker. We’ve fucking seen you. We aren’t stupid. We know what you did to her all those years ago, so don’t play fucking dumb.” You added, trying to break him down.

“You’re right Josh, it takes one hell of a man to put his hands on a woman over and over…no matter how much she asked him to stop...” Danny added, putting his face dangerously close to Andy’s.

Andy stepped backwards, calm and cool as ever, laughing to himself, “It’s really cute watching you two come at me in an empty alleyway without your scrapper brother Jake here to defend you. How is his hand these days, anyway?”

Danny stepped toward him again, forcing his back into the dumpster. “Oh, you son of a bitch... I am not scared of you...you best believe that.” Danny said through his teeth. You could feel the situation heating up, and you were half tempted to let it continue.

Andy clicked his tongue, “Tsk tsk, you going to put your hands on me now, Danny? That wouldn’t be a good look for your pretty little drummer image. And I know Jake wouldn’t be too happy to hear about that either. Does Y/N know I’ve been coming to your shows? I really am starting to become quite a fan…speaking of Y/N, how are her nightmares? Haven’t heard her screaming in quite some time…”

Danny couldn’t take it, he shoved his back into the dumpster even harder, practically begging him to react. “You really are just fucking crazy, aren’t you?”

Andy lurched back, shoving Danny backwards. “How’s the single life, Daniel? You enjoying fucking around Nashville?”

Danny came at him again, forcefully shoving his shoulders back. “How the fuck would you know about that? What else do you know, huh? Tell me what else…”

Andy stumbled forward at the counter effect, pushing into Danny’s chest. You remembered the night in the bar, that Andy could fight. But, Danny could too.

“Hey, stop it Daniel! He’s just trying to get into your head! You’re giving him what he wants…” you yelled.

Danny stumbled backward at the force, and finally snapped. They began fighting, an almost exact replay of that night in the bar. You jumped between them, trying your best to pull them apart but not having any luck. They fell to the wet ground in a fit of fists. It was blurry and quick, but Danny held his own, having just a bit more reach and stronger arms than Andy. You caught sight of Danny’s face at one point, covered in blood and a busted lip.

“Tell me what the fuck else you know! Why are you here?! What do you fuckin’ want?!” Danny yelled, looking as though he was trying to end the fight and hold Andy back.

“I know a hell of a lot more than you think…” Andy said, finally standing up and separating himself from Danny’s hold. Quickly, Andy reached in his pocket and flipped a shiny silver object out, wielding it directly toward Danny, within inches of his throat. “…But I really don’t think you want to find out, do you Daniel?”

Danny stepped back at the sight of the knife. “You really are a fucking child, aren’t you Andy?” He wiped the blood off his lip as you stepped between the two of them again, holding your hands up to them both to attempt to de-escalate the situation.

“We’re fine Josh, he won’t do anything with that knife. He isn’t that stupid.” Danny said as he spat blood on the ground in front of him, both of them panting and out of breath. Andy’s eye was already blackened and his cheeks were scuffed and bleeding from rolling on the asphalt.

“Just leave our families the fuck alone, do you hear me? Stay away from us, or we’re going to be forced to do something a lot more drastic than this... Fuck, we probably already should have...” You said as you took Danny’s arm pulling him as you began to walk away.

Danny walked backwards watching him as the two of you made it back out of the alleyway, seeing Andy hop up a few stairs, open a door on the side of a building, and begin to make his way inside.

“Oh, and uh, hey…” Andy called back to the two of you, “Enjoy Y/N as much as you can... Your time with her is… limited.”

And with that, he threw his head back in laughter and disappeared into the building.

Chapter 17

Taglist:

@gretavansara@jordie-gvf-admin@starshine-wagner @eyelinerjake@gretavanfvckface@gretavanmoon@misshunnybeebee@fretaganvleet@gvfpal@joshkiszkas@ascendingtostardust@raviolilegs@sammysprincess@gvfpal@objectsinspvce@lallisonl@gvfpal@raviolilegs@jaketlover@ascendingtostardust @indigostreakmorgan@jakemarrymeibeg@fakeplastiqtree@radmads-gvf @fwzco @katelynn-gvf @writingcold @jakesgrapejuice @jakekiszkasbabymama @emsfallingsky @gretavanbear @ejoygvf @beebloopbleep @mackalah @weneedsomehealing123 @reesetrippingthelight @lightmylove-gvf @wetkleenex-gvf@fulltimecynical@ageofbajabule@ageofsinners@indigostreakslut @profitofthedune @katelynn-gvf @ohgodthefeeling-gvf @joshskittytickler21 @mp0801@starcatcherry @samsbirks @darianh07 @cassiesgreta

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letsgetrowdy43 · 10 months

Note

Can you do fantilli x Hughes sister draft day maybe?

Need you there—

Au Masterlist!!

"It's yours and your family's big day Adam, you've worked your ass off for all of it, I really don't want to intrude on it," she said quietly as her fingers raked through his hair. A content smile danced on her lips as his hand squeezed her upper thigh, his eyes held a pleading look as he caught her gaze.

"You wouldn't be imposing," he stopped his thoughts to place a short kiss to the inside of her thigh, "I promise you, I want you there," he lifts his head off of her lap, a sincere look on his face as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her shoulder, "it would mean everything to me if you were there alongside me and my family, and it would make me a hell of a lot less anxious too" he pleaded.

His fingers now played with her tank top strap as he repeatedly placed sloppy kisses on her jaw, a laugh erupting from her. "You swear you're family will be okay with it?" "Of course," he said in between kisses, his hands cupping her jaw, "They love you, I love you, we want you there," his nose brushing against her as she leaned forward to finally kiss him on the lips, but he backed away slowly to say one last thing. "And even if they didn't, it's my day, and I need you there," he finally gave in and kissed her on the lips.

She smiled into his mouth, fingers gripping at his cotton shirt, she pulled away and nested her forehead against his, “I'll be there," she mumbled as he moved up and once again kissed her sweetly.

ꕥꕥꕥ

The NHL awards ceremony was held in Nashville, two days prior to the draft, it was a nerve-racking day for the Hughes family as they awaited the outcome of the Lady Byng Trophy in hopes of Jack winning. This meant that her attendance at the draft worked out much easier than she had anticipated.

She had gotten herself a maroon-coloured body con dress, that matched his suit, a detail that she and Julia had worked out to make the couple’s outfits more coherent. Adam was at a loss for words when she appeared at his doorway just hours before his name would be called at the 2023 NHL Draft.

Her hair fell just past her shoulders, curled at the ends, and her makeup was done subtly to really bring out her flawless features.

“You look perfect” he stuttered with a grin as he shut the door behind her, his cheeks warm as he really took in how her dress complimented her curves. Hands finding her hips as she spun around to be face to face with him, Y/n smiled up at him before going up on her tiptoes to place a gentle kiss on his lips, “You don't look so bad yourself” she whispered as his smile grew.

Adam took her by the hand and spun her around to admire her one last time, “where are your brothers?” he mumbled as she grinned at his dazed expression. “Luke is with Gavin and Luca by the bus, and the other two are with our parents,” she said fixing the strands of hair falling into his face. He pulled away slightly panicked, “The bus is here?” “Yes but you still have twenty minutes till you have to be down there,” she said softly as she reached into her clutch for a wrapped gift box, “I got you a little draft present for your big day”

She pushed him down onto the hotel bed, Adam looked at her confused as he held his hands out, and she gently placed the box in his palms. “What is it?” “Just open it you dummy,” she grinned as he ripped the wrapping paper off of it, the smile on his face turning into a look of shock as he pulled out a gold chain.

He looked up, biting the inside of his lip as he stared up at Y/n, whose face was laced with pride, “You got this for me?” “It matches the one you got me for Christmas” She grinned as her finger hooked the gold chain around her neck, a tiny “19” charm that hung from it. Adam's face softened as he pulled her into his frame, his hands found her face as he kissed her softly.

"I love you," he mumbled in between kisses as her hands played with the hair at the back of his neck. She pulled away, her hand now on top of his as she intertwined their fingers, "I love you too," she smiled and kissed his temple, "I'm so proud of you, now let's go get you on that bus."

ꕥꕥꕥ

The Fantilli family found their assigned seats, "sit next to him," Luca whispered to Y/n as she shook her head and pushed him in the direction of the seat next to his brother. "You're his brother and best friend, this is your day just as much as his," she grinned and gave him a side hug before taking the seat two chairs down from her boyfriend.

Her three brothers who had also decided to attend the draft while they were still in town came up to the Fantilli's to congratulate Adam on his upcoming placement. Luke grinned at his younger sister as he watched her converse with Julia and Ellen, a small smile on his face as he watched their families mingling and getting along. A happy feeling for her in his chest, even after his short term of disapproval, he knew at this moment that she and Adam were a forever type of love.

Adam sat down by himself as their two families conversed, and stared off into space as he watched the minutes countdown. Y/n watched him from afar giving him a second to take it all in before she moved down a seat to hold his hand, "nervous?" she asked quietly. "It's overwhelming, but I'm so ready," he said, thumb rubbing against her knuckles as he finally looked at her. "This is your dream, enjoy it all," she said smiling before raising their hands to place a kiss on the back of his.

"I'm still not over how good you look in this dress," he whispered as his eyes raked over her once again. "Yeah?" "I don't think there is a single adjective in the English language that could tell you how hot you look in this dress" he laughed as her face heated up. "I would have been happy with a simple beautiful," she said fanning her face to stop any further appearance of being flustered, “you’re so cheesy.” "Beautiful doesn't even begin to cover it" he mused as he squeezed her hand.

An hour had passed and all of the draftees family's found their seats. The time had come. Nashville's head coach walked onto the big stage and started his opening speech, welcoming everyone who made the effort to come out in support of the draft.

It was well known in the hockey community that Adam was projected to go second or third to either the Ducks or the Blue Jackets, so as the general manager for Anaheim walked onto the stage Y/n couldn't help but find herself gripping the arms of her chair tightly, breath caught in her throat as she watched the man make it across the stage and to the microphone just to call out Leo Carlsson’s.

Her hand reached out for Adams as she watched his knee bounce in her peripheral vision. Two minutes now on the clock for the Blue Jackets

Jarmo Kekalainen cleared his throat as he stood in front of the microphone, "With the third pick overall, the Blue Jackets are pleased to pick from the University of Michigan, Adam Fantilli!" he announced over the mic making the entire family stand up with teary-eyes, cheering as Adam broke out into smiles.

He went down the line hugging his brother first, Luca was teary-eyed as he swayed his brother back and forth, then onto his parents who were still in shock. Finally, he made his way up to his girlfriend who smiled softly at him, tears in her eyes as she pulled him into a hug, "Take it all in, love" she whispered as he pulled away and kissed her quick on the mouth. "I love you, see you later" he couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he made his way up to the big stage, trading in his maroon suit jacket for an blue, white and red jersey, posing for photos before heading off for interviews.

"Looks like you're moving to Ohio," Luca laughed, wiping his eyes as he nudged Y/n. "Always knew I was meant for wag life" she mumbled as Luca pulled her into a hug, "I'm so emotional right now," she said still crying into his neck. "Me too," he laughed as the tears came back.

#tinydancerau!!#adam fantilli imagine #adam fantilli x reader #adam fantilli #trevor zegras #anaheim ducks #luke hughes #quinn hughes #umich hockey #jack hughes #umich imagine #columbus blue jackets

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spark-my-nature · 1 year

Text

Baby You Can Drive My Car - DRW

Hi friends! The boy's posting that picture earlier of them at the racetrack, ironically, nearly caused me to drive into a pole. This is entirely unedited and typed in a rush, but I absolutely could not stop myself, because... good god, Danny could run me over and I'd thank him.

Anybody notice the zipper sticking out of Danny's suit at the bottom? Implying it can unzip from there? I'm so normal about that little fun fact.

Words: 3.4K

Summary: Danny looks ridiculously good in the racing suit, and you show him just how good.

Warnings: Language, oral sex (m receiving), semi-public, Danny being unfairly gorgeous, that's about it

Cars were never of much interest to you. You could appreciate a cute old fashioned Volkswagen, and you loved car rides with your boyfriend, but that had more to do with his hand on your thigh as the wind tussled your hair, and the abandoned dirt roads outside Nashville that you went for some fun in his backseat. But the moment any of the men in your life started rambling about models and motors, you were tuned out faster than a radio playing pop music at Sam’s house. You weren’t necessarily ignorant to the subject, not when you’d grown up surrounded with auto enthusiasts like your granddad and father, but cars just never sparked your interest.

Daniel Wagner, however, singlehandedly may very well change your mind.

The boys’ time in Bahrain was just as magical as you’d hoped and expected it to be. Such amazing people showing the very love and community that made you so proud of the guys for inspiring. And Danny made every moment offstage with you just as incredibly magical, as he always managed to do. Even something you found as dull as racecar driving.

One of the things you loved about Danny was that he was the perfect balance of masculine and boyish, without being too much of a douchey bro-type guy. You knew he liked cars, and he spoke about his interest in a way that made your heart rush with affection. And who were you to complain that your sweet boy wanted to take you driving in his porsche? Especially when he looked so ridiculously delicious leaning his toned arm against the sleek black door of the car, eyeing you up so hungrily. Cars didn’t interest you, but Danny driving them certainly did.

You hummed to yourself as you came back down the steps between the bleachers of the racetrack after a trip to the bathroom. You’d left your sweet drummer in the management office area when you’d escaped for a bathroom break, drawing out a sweet goodbye kiss as long as was socially acceptable. His eyes crinkled with playful affection, and he murmured softly to you, “Hurry back, babe,” as he gave your ass a playful swat. You’d giggled and spun around, leaving him to sign waivers and listen to details about racing that, frankly, bored you to tears.

But as you returned now, you nearly dropped your phone as your eyes looked up, landing on your boyfriend. The four guys posed against the railing that separated the seats from the track, Josh hopped up of course, and Jake posing suavely as he leaned back beside him. You giggled slightly at Sam, the only one sporting a pink version of the suits they sported.

Your eyes kept coming back to Danny though, like a magnet. His large, callused hand easily gripping the globe of the helmet, the other hanging as he leaned an elbow on the rail beside his best friend. His heavenly mane of curls draped effortlessly down his shoulders, and his eyes dark and mysterious as he stood still, the boy’s photographer snapping away. You stood frozen for several minutes, drinking him in shamelessly. Hell, he was yours to ogle, you may as well.

Finally, the camera returned to it’s travel bag and the guys broke into laughter and jokes once more. Danny’s bright smile returned, lightly backhanding Sam as he no doubt teased him for the colour of his suit. Sam’s eyes found you before Danny’s did, and you would have noticed the smirk on his face if your own weren’t glued to your boyfriend’s. He tapped Danny’s shoulder with his fist, nodding behind him toward you, and Danny turned to look over his shoulder, finally noticing you.

Realizing you’d been caught drooling, you blushed and swallowed, all of a sudden noticing how flustered you were. Danny’s pleased smile could’ve brought you to your knees, and you nearly folded as he bit his lip, suggestively raising his brows at you, a silent “Yeah? You like this?”

You smiled bashfully, approaching him with your wrists held behind your back, a light skip in your step. You cleared your throat softly, looking up at him once he was in front of you, “Hi.”

He smirked wider, and his hands came to rest on your hips, his eyes raking up your body. “Hey,” he playfully returned. “Somebody got a staring problem?”

You giggled shyly, resting your hands on the material covering his chest. “I’m not allowed to appreciate my boyfriend?” You batted your eyelashes up at him.

He quickly glanced behind him, making sure nobody was still listening to your exchange, before turning back to face you with that naughty twinkle in his eye.

“I think you’re appreciating a little more than usual,” he observed coyly, letting his hands slip slightly down over the curve of your ass, stepping closer to your body.

You simply shrugged, letting out a flustered giggle. “You look good,” you said softly, rubbing his chest through the suit.

He raised a brow at you, his eyes lifting nonchalantly to gaze around the room as he quietly said, “And you look like you wanna eat me alive.”

As his eyes landed back down on yours, he looked far too smug for your comfort. You blushed, stepping closer, if only to hide your flushed cheeks. “Maybe I do,” you mumbled.

He hummed deeply in his chest, squeezing your ass quickly, his reply rumbling near your ear, “Be a good girl, and I might let you.”

Your breath hitched, and you could feel his lips twisting into an amused smirk, but he simply smacked your ass lightly, gave the apple of your cheek a playful bite and pulled away, winking at you before turning and following the rest of the guys towards the track.

That fucker.

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

You took a seat right up against the barrier, ensuring a front row seat as they readied up. You snorted, watching Jake and Sam’s slapstick comedy-like interactions, bickering over helmets and such. As the guys approached their assigned cars, Sam put an end to the argument with a skillful wet willy in Jake’s ear, tearing off to take cover behind Danny. You snickered, quickly filming the interaction to laugh with Danny later in the hotel, but you ended up focusing the camera on your boyfriend long after Sam had moved on. The screen magnified the mouthwatering sight of Danny shaking out his curls, then pulling the helmet over his head. He tugged at the racing gloves, opening the door of the car and slipping in.

You swalloed, shaking your head at yourself. Yeah, Danny was gorgeous, but why were you thirsting so hard over this?

You decided he might like some cool footage of himself whipping around the track, and so you started a new video as you watched the guys have their fun.

After the best part of an hour, they’d pulled to a stop in front of the barricade, hopping out as the whooped and hollered excitedly. You giggled at their adrenaline buzz, always finding them all so cute when they were all excited like this. Four puppies, honestly.

Then you caught Danny’s eye, as he sat in the drivers seat, having merely opened the door but not moving out. He was already watching you with a dangerous smirk crossing his face. Your heart fluttered, and you bit your lip as he nodded towards him, silently beckoning you down there. You took a breath and quickly hopped the barricade, descending the stairs and strolling towards him with an extra sway in your hips.

If Danny thought you looked like you wanted to eat him alive, he should see the look on his own face.

His eyes, dark and wild, lasered in on your body as you approached him, and as soon as you reached the car, he growled softly, “Get in and shut the door.”

Your eyes widened and you checked around you, seeing the Kiszka’s backs as they retreated into the office area of the facility, the door closing behind them. Danny and yourself the only people left in the track, you looked back at Danny questioningly but sat in the seat beside him, pulling the door closed behind you.

The second you turned to face him, he leaned over the console and his lips met yours in a rush. You whimpered quietly, your hand coming to cup his sharp jawline, instantly melting into his frenzied kisses. His lips were rough against yours, his hands reaching to grip and paw at your thighs and hips. His lips curled into a dark smirk against yours, and his tongue slipped between both pairs of parted lips to brush against yours. He moaned quietly through your open mouths, his hand sliding up under your shirt and scraping those rough fingers you adored along your belly and up your side. You shivered under his touch, breaking away from his searching mouth for a gasp of air, fluttering your eyes open.

“Danny,” you panted, a teasing lilt to your tone, “What’s gotten into you?” You ran your thumb across his smooth cheek, feeling another rush of heat in your belly as he shamelessly undressed you with his dark eyes.

He bit his lip, muffling a needy whimper, “Dunno,” he confessed, “Guess the adrenaline, and then I kept thinking about the way you were lookin’ at me before.” Your nose brushed against his as he teased his face close to yours, your brow furrowing with growing desire as he spoke. “Just wanna make a fucking mess of you… right here, in this car.”

You whined softly, your eyes darting all over his face. “God, baby,” you breathed, kissing him quickly, “I want that too, but… we can’t, the car… the guys,” you looked over your shoulder, double checking you were still alone. He grabbed your jaw, forcing your gaze back on him.

His voice deeper and breathier, he looked directly into your eyes. “Windows are tinted, and they’re getting a drink in the casino.” He licked his lips, brushing them against yours as though he couldn’t get close enough to you. You felt his hips shift in the driver’s seat, his thighs brushing and squeezing his growing erection. “Need you so bad, please babe,” he breathed.

You tugged his lips to yours by his hair, your hand at the back of his head. He kissed you frantically and you moaned against his lips, barely breaking away as you nodded quickly, whimpering, “M’kay.”

He let out a sigh of relief, quickly running his hand up your shirt and cupping your breast through your unlined bralette. His thumb rolled over your nipple as you kissed, moving his lips down your jawline at your quiet whine. Your free hand that wasn’t tangled in his silky curls ran down his chest slowly, your nails making the meshy material of the racing suit whine as they dragged downwards. It came to rest over the hard bulge in his crotch, earning a growl from deep in his chest. You squeezed it needily, moaning rather pathetically as Danny pinched your nipple and sucked at your neck in teasing retaliation. He chuckled darkly at your reaction, his dark eyes finding your as he pulled away from your neck.

Wordlessly, he held eyecontact as he guided your hand on his crotch slightly over, where he smirked as you found the zipper with a shaky breath.

Your eyes dipped downwards then back up to his. “It… it zips from there too?” you whispered. He nodded, simply smirking so smugly at you. You bit your lip, your brows knitting together as you breathed, “…fuck…”

You wasted no time, quickly pulling that zipper upwards, abandoning it at his abs in favor of slipping your hand inside. His sweats blocked your access though, and he snickered at your frustrated huff, lifting his hips for you as you wiggled them down slightly. “So many fucking layers,” you grumbled, then finally, pulling his cock out over the waistband and spreading open the hole you’d made with the zipper. He shuddered slightly as your hand wrapped around his base, so achingly hard and hot. You ran your fist up and down his length slowly, your lips parted in a shaky breath.

“Fuck sweetheart,” he sighed, shifting and slumping down in his seat a little. His hand reached down and pulled the small adjustment lever, moving the seat back a few inches for more room. You let out a breathy giggle, looking up at him. “What? You want something?” you nodded to the extra space between him and the steering wheel.

He smirked, giving you a playful eyeroll. “You want it just as bad as I do,” he smugly teased.

You blinked innocently, squeezing him tighter before swiping your thumb over his little slit at the tip. “Want what?”

His eyes watched your hand’s movements for a moment, biting his lip hard as you teased at his tip. Then he looked up at your face through his lashes, “To suck my cock.”

You closed your eyes before he could see them roll back.

Focusing back on his lustful face, you licked your lips. “Wanted to get on my knees for you the second I saw you earlier,” you confessed.

He groaned, leaning back into the seat further, as though in invitation. “Fuck babe,” he rasped, “go ahead, then. Make me feel good, make me cum in that sweet mouth.”

You whimpered softly, brushing your hair to one side and leaning forward across the console. His abs tightened and he gasped softly as you licked at his tip. His hand gathered up your hair, holding it back out of the way. He would tell you it was for your sake, but you knew he loved to watch himself sliding in and out of your throat.

You hummed softly, taking the head into your mouth, letting your tongue slide over his sensitive underside as you sucked gently on him. He groaned softly, shifting impatiently. “Oh fuck yes…”

You giggled around him, making him jerk slightly, letting your fist pump him as you suckled teasingly on his velvety head. Releasing him with a wet noise, you peered at him through your lashes. “Feel good baby?” you said darkly.

He hissed, watching you squeeze and twist your fist the way he’d trained you. “Yes, so fucking good for me,” he breathed, pushing your head back down. You moaned at his forcefulness, that aggressive side of him that rarely made an appearance but was oh so fucking hot when it did. You took as much of him as you could in your mouth, beginning to work up a rhythm. Up and down, slicking up his length with your spit and the accumulating precum leaking from his tip.

Danny’s jaw fell slack, his head falling backwards against the headrest as his hand followed your bobbing head, your hair his leash on you, controlling your speed. You moaned against him, feeling his head nudging your uvula, triggering your gag reflex. The wet cough you let out egged him on even more, as he grit his teeth and stared darkly at you as you descended even further around him. “Good girl, fucking choking on my cock,” he growled, shifting around slightly as he rolled his hips into your mouth with your movements. Not quite fucking your mouth, just toeing that line.

You nodded around him, filthy wet slurps echoing in the otherwise silent car. You let your hand that was resting on his knee slide up and down his thigh, squeezing at the muscle as you held your head down, swallowing around him. You gagged and pulled off him, jerking him quickly in your mouth’s absence.

Finally getting a good look at him, you panted softly. His eyes glazed over and dark as night, watching you through hooded eyelids, and his curls slightly frizzed from tossing his head against the headrest. He focused on your swollen lips, his jaw clenching in time with his fist tightening in your hair.

“Did I say stop? Fucking suck me,” he growled through gritted teeth.

With a shove that would have been easy to resist if you wanted to, you moaned as his hot, slick cock slipped back into your mouth. His words sent a rush of heat straight to your core, and your thighs shifted together for friction.

He chuckled, although it sounded shaky in his current state. “Wish I could watch you grind that pretty pussy against the seat.”

You whined pathetically, sloppily bobbing your mouth around him as you rhythmically squeezed and jerked his base. He groaned, biting his lip before sighing. “Mmm, you like that idea, huh?”

You nodded around him, resulting in a filthy slurping noise, pulling off him momentarily with a broad lick up his length. You gasped out, “I could cum just from this, I swear.”

He let out a feral sounding grunt, looking down at you hungrily. “You could cum just from sucking my cock? Fuck baby that’s so hot,” he whined, his panting getting heavier.

You groaned into him, angling him so his tip pushed into your cheek with each movement. He watched with his jaw hanging open as his cock stretched your cheek, his brows knitting tightly together in the centre of his forehead. “Oh fuck,” he gasped, his eyes squeezing shut as his head fell back.

You pulled back, jerking his cock frantically, filthy wet fapping noises sounding everytime your fist met his pubic hair. “Fuck my throat Danny,” you begged breathlessly, a whine coloring your words.

He grunted, nodding his acquiescence. With a tightened fist in your hair, his other hand held your jaw and he began thrusting his hips up into your face.

“You’re gonna have to swallow, baby,” he reminded you, sounding delicious fucked out. “Can’t get cum in this car.” He managed a breathless chuckle. You moaned softly against him, nodding your understanding. No problem at all. As if you’d waste a drop anyway.

His hips sped up, fucking into you desperately now, chasing his peak. “Ohh… Uh-“ He cried, holding your head in place as your tongue worked him while he thrusted. “Fuck… ohhh my God, fuck, I’m cu- OH fuck, I’m cumming,” he whined loudly, bucking into your mouth with reckless abandon, shallow quick thrusts filling your mouth as you moaned into his thick length. Then with a final, animalistically growled cry, he pushed deep into your throat, holding you there and spasming slightly with the intensity of his orgasm, spurting into your mouth as you swallowed and gagged around him.

You pulled off as soon as he was through the peak of it, stroking him to work him through it as he came down from his high, both of you panting heavily. He let out a feeble whimper as he jerked away from your hand, becoming sensitive in his afterglow. You released him gently, pressing a kiss to his softening cock. Straightening out, you stretched your back, then smiled lovingly as you leaned into your boyfriend. He smiled lazily, pulling you into his chest and kissing your hair sweetly.

Once he caught his breath, you pressed a kiss to his warm neck, nuzzling into him affectionately. He hummed contentedly, whispering into your hair, “Thank you baby…” He kissed your temple, “you’re so good to me.”

You giggled softly, lifting your face to look at him. His eyes had gone back to that soft, affectionate glow, his soft smile absolutely melting your heart all over again. “I love you so much,” you told him softly, gently cupping his jaw and running your thumb over his cheek.

He turned his head so his lips were under your hand, and he kissed your palm while holding eye contact from the corner of his eye. Facing you straight on again, he smiled brightly, mischief dancing in his eyes. “So should I buy one of these suits?”

You groaned dramatically, playfully holding your hands over your heart. “I don’t think I could handle it.”

He giggled, tucking himself back into his pants and zipping up. “Have I changed your mind about cars then?”

You bit your lip, eyeing him up. With a teasing finger tracing down his chest, you cocked your head thoughtfully.

“Mmm… not yet, I’m gonna need more convincing.”

#greta van fleet fic #greta van fleet smut #greta van fleet fan fiction #gretavanfleet #greta van fic #greta van smut #danny x reader #danny wagner smut #danny gvf fic #danny gvf #danny wagner #daniel wagner #daniel wagner fic #daniel wagner smut #danny gvf smut #danny wagner fic #danny wagner gvf

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suzy-queued · 5 months

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"Habit" by Louis Tomlinson

This week's @galladrabbles prompt comes from @spacerockwriting. Last week, on No Sleep 'Til Nashville ... they crashed.

-----

Ian took inventory. He was conscious. Neck pain. Bleeding nose.

He scrambled to unfasten his seatbelt. To wave away the airbag dust.

He pawed at Mickey’s leg, arm, chest. “Are you okay?”

“I’m scraped up.” Mickey coughed. “What happened?”

“Someone clipped our bumper. We spun out. Hit the guardrail. I was out of control.”

“Why are you pulling on my eye?”

Ian lowered his hand. “Checking for a concussion.” He tried to steady his breath, calm his panic. “I’m sorry. I let you down.”

Mickey set his injured hand on Ian’s, offering shaky reassurance. “Better than being worm food, man.”

#galladrabbles #galladrabble #100 words #gallavich fan fiction #ian x mickey #no sleep til nashville #no103

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idesofrevolution · 1 year

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These Boots Are Made for Rockin’

Cory took a deep breath as he turned the corner, eyes tightly shut. Passersby likely stared with aloof confusion, but he didn’t care. This was the moment he’d dreamed of for almost fifteen years. Broadway, Nashville: the dream strip of country music nightclubs, southern apparel, moonshine, whiskey, and instruments. The gentle hum of twangy ballads tickled his ears, played by talented singers in the honky tonks along the street. It was now home. And as he opened his eyes, that dream was now reality.

The street was bustling, even in midday. Tourists, buskers, musicians, and surely a few stars strolled past entranced in their own worlds they’d taken for granted. It took everything for Cory to get here- or rather it had cost him everything. Not that he minded. The move, to him, represented the beginning of the life he’d always dreamed he would lead: becoming the man he fantasized in his head. With his first steps, they were the first steps toward that goal.

Walking slowly, he made his way down Broadway, aimlessly enjoying the ambience and palpable culture. Not that he was oblivious to his surroundings; this was his reconnaissance mission for today. Looking for prospects, opportunities, or a cheap souvenir for his new apartment. The latter became his focus, as there on the corner sat a clothing store. His first intention after all was to fit into the community, so dressing the part was the primary objective. As he walked up to the front doors, pulling the door open, the scent of leather, cedar, and smokiness flowed out of the open door. He took a deep breath, entering the wide open store. The two story atrium was filled with racks of denim, flannel, and rhinestones for the more flamboyant of folks. This was heaven. Surely he’d be able to find the authentic Nashville look here.

Pushing past rows of bootcut jeans and plaid button ups, suspenders and denim jackets, he stumbled upon the footwear department. Shelves wall to wall, filled with the freshest and most pristine of cowboy boots. Each gave such a different vibe. One pair had intricate embroidered designs up and down the tall funnel of the boot, another was fastened with harnesses upon thick rubber treads. Finding the right pair would be quite the task, as he stared nervously down the long aisles.

“You need some help, friend?” Cory spun around, startled at the sultry low voice from over his shoulder. Standing behind him was an employee, and the precise man he’d want to emulate. Muscled below his tight button up shirt, messy hair below a leather Stetson hat, tight bootcut jeans of heavy denim and topped off with a pair big well worn cowboy boots. He oozed a sense of stereotypical Southern Masculinity, stoic and unfazed by the world around him. “You lookin’ for a pair? I can help you find one if you like?” His twangy accent paired with a deep, low timbre nearly made Cory breathless for a moment.

“Uh, yeah. What’s the price range here?” The man raised a confused eyebrow at Cory, until it was clear on his face that he was helping an ‘out of towner.’

“Well, most boots like these go for a few hundred at least. That’s mostly what we carry.” The man put his massive boot onto the seat next to them, worn heavily but precisely what the doe eyed customer was looking for. He clutched at the wallet in his pocket- knowing full well that a few hundred was far outside his budget. Immediately taking notice of the flushing of Cory’s face, the man smiled. “Here, I think I have just the pair for you.” A glimmer of hope. Walking toward the back of the store, past the elaborate embroidered boots and jean jackets, the duo came across the clearance section.

“So these are our vintage pairs. They’re recycled… kinda. So since a lot of them were pre owned they tend to be a lot less than our newer models.” As he looked up and down the racks, finally the man stopped and pointed to the very last pair on the wooden shelf. They were clearly well loved by their previous owner, the glimmer and luster of any shine on the brown leather had long since been washed away with heavy use. The tips were scuffed, the heel and soles were annihilated… but for whatever reason, they seemed to beckon out to Cory. “My guess is they’re gonna be a bit big on you, but no harm in seeing if you like em! Give ‘em a try and I’ll be back to check in on you.”

The associate walked away, the click clack of the Cuban heel of his boots would soon mirror his own footfalls. Gingerly grabbing the left boot, he pryed the boot open a bit more, seeing the size marked US 14. That was almost twice his own shoe size. Taking a deep breath, he was prepared to let out a sigh of defeat… perhaps it wasn’t meant to be. That is, until the subtle scent hit his nostrils. It started as just the slightest hint of old leather, perhaps a smidgeon of tobacco… but just that little whiff was enough to encapsulate Cory. Looking around to ensure that no wayward glances would catch him, he brought the boot to his face, closed his eyes, and inhaled.

What was subtle from a short distance quickly turned strong as he took in the scent from the source. Hidden beneath that candle like quality was the unmistakable odor of foot musk. His eyes clamped shut, Cory envisioned in his mind’s eye what the original owner of these books would look like… some southern stud, handsome and rugged, a confident swagger in each step: the man he was destined to become. He opened his eyes and plopped down onto the small bench, removing his cheap Walmart sneakers and eagerly slipping his foot into the boot.

Unsurprisingly, his feet were minuscule in comparison to their cavernous confines. They certainly did not fit. Yet, looking down at his feet within them, the electrifying power he felt from simply sporting them, the idea of his own feet soaking up some of that incredible smell… it was a done deal. He’d stuff some cotton in the toes to help them fit, never mind the appearance to any objective bystander that they were clown shoes on this lanky dudes feet. Preparing to walk to the checkout counter to finalize the purchase, he tugged on the soles to pry them from his feet. They would not budge. Confused, he yanked a bit harder at the heel… no dice. His feet were so small compared to these boats… how could they be stuck?

His body began to ache, as if he’d run a marathon just a moment before, his breath became bated and shallow, his legs wobbly and unstable. A wave of incomparable exhaustion crashed over him like he’d never before experienced. A small moan escaped from his mouth as he felt his feet begin to spasm within the boots. Quiet cracking sounds began to emit from within them. Cory began to panic, feeling his toes slowly move to fill out the entirety of the boot. Gasping and groaning at the dull but pulsating pain, the sensations began to climb further up his legs. He watched in horror as his ankles slowly crept out of the bottom of his jeans, the firm material slowly growing tighter and tighter as his calves and thighs swelled and grew beneath it.

His core and chest became seized by a tightness he could compare only to a heart attack, watching his shirt slowly compress against the increasing size of his lean abdomen. The sounds of snapping stitches and ripping fabric echoed in his ears, nearly drowned out by the hastening beats of his heart growing stronger and louder. His arms convulsed, stretching and contorting into impossible angles at the joints, while pinpricks of black slowly began to rise from beneath the skin.

In his mind, Cory imagined himself in a sort of medieval stretching machine he’d read about in his studies years before. Every part of his body was being pulled outward, downward, side to side… while it was painful and incredibly difficult to endure, within the recesses of his subconscious, the dulcet, twangy sound of plucked guitar strings began to overtake him. The sound soothed him in a desperately needed respite from the cracks and creaks emanating from his bones. The music grew in intensity, the guitar growing in crescendo and tempo. It was becoming a comfort, a release, a passion… while it soothed his mind, his body was finally nearing its final state of metamorphosis. The formerly strained, constricting fabric of his cheap clothes began to loosen and change. His shirt turned dark; the sleeves had retracted into a comfortable tee shirt, casual but striking. His jeans stretched downward, the pristine denim flaring out into a bootcut style, flattering his long, toned legs.

Cory couldn’t help but mimic the struts with his calloused fingers, expertly performing the riffs as if his Stratocaster was in his hands. His head began to sway and crest to the beat of the song in his mind, letting his lengthening hair gently caress the side of his face and beard as he played. All thoughts exited his brain. The music had overtaken him. The need to rock. The need to perform. The need to write his soul in musical form became his only goal, while the remnants of who he once was slowly drifted away.

….

The employee strutted back to the clearance section, wondering if the strange little guy had made his decision. He’d been back there for quite some time, and the boss lady reiterated the “no loitering policy” to him once again. Turning the corner, he was surprised. Who stood before him was clearly not who he’d helped before. The tall, toned, bearded stud confidently posed in front of the mirror in the worn boots he’d shown the prior customer. Guess he wasn’t interested after all.

“They sure are beauties. Hard to find someone who fit them, they’ve been here quite some time.” The man turned, a smoldering grin shellacked upon his face.

“Yeah, man. I’ve been needin’ a new pair. These are perfect.” His twangy southern drawl tickled the associate’s ear. The customer turned to him, that bright, confident smile beaming as he looked him up and down. “Hey. I got a gig after this down the street if you’re not doing anything after your shift. I’ll get you the first round?” He suavely slid closer to the associate, the salty sweet scent of tobacco and masculine sweat wafted from his inked skin. How could he say no? Smiling, he tossed his arm around the associates shoulder. “Maybe afterward we could stop by my place, if you’re interested.” Winking, he strutted toward checkout. The associate blushed, catching his breath. Most definitely he’d be taking him up on that offer.

#male transformation #body transformation #original #transformation #musk #boot transformation #southern #country #tattoos #gay transformation #mental changes

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maturemenoftvandfilms · 5 months

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Lt. Governor Randy McNally

Featuring Tenn. Lt. Governor Randy McNally

Here I am on a trip to Nashville, TN to hook up with a guy who happens to be Tennessee Lt. Governor Randy McNally. We've been communicating through Instagram which have been mostly supportive, and arguably flirtatious. Nowhere near cyber-sex, but I had the 79-year-old grandfather so horned up with my pics that we had to meet. And I’ve always been daddy fodder.

When I got to Randy's room, he was ready and waiting. He was still in his suit, watching porn he’d ordered and already sporting a big hard cock too which was already turning me on. I walked further in and he followed me with his eyes. Hmmm, this might be fun, I thought.

"You look sexy." I said in a playful manner as he got up to greet me with a kiss. As I began to kiss him back, I slowly felt the silky smooth texture of his tongue sliding in my mouth. I felt his hands grab my bare ass and pulled me closer to him. I could feel his cock growing hard as my own stiff cock rubbed against him.

“Finn, you can turn a rainy day into rainbows and sunshine!” He said as we momentarily broke our kiss.

Quickly, he started unbuttoning my shirt, unzipping my pants, and basically tearing my clothes off as he moved his tongue around inside my mouth. This are not the actions of a ‘grandfather’ working to ‘encourage’ Tennesseans. These are the actions of a perverted 80-year-old man looking to fulfill his closeted sexual desires. And I love it.

I asked him if he’d been with a lot of guys before, and he told me just one and that all they’d done was jerk off together. I told him he was in for a treat.

By now he was working his shirt off as we made our way back to the bed. He was hopping on one leg as a shoe came off, followed by his sock. He shook his shirt off his arm, as he got his other shoe and sock off. His pants fell to the floor. His jockeys were tented out, as he stepped out of his pants. He slipped them down, and I had to stop undressing, and stare at his wonderful dick. All six inches of it pointed out and was framed by his grayish brown pubic bush. His nuts were hanging low to his body. He spun around, like a dancer and showed off his butt grinning before saying, "It's all yours, Finn."

I was just staring at his body. The body Randy was giving me. I was overcome with lust as all my blood had to be in my 7- inch dick. I broke my trance when Randy moved to me, and as he was undoing my belt, he whispered, "Like what you see, do you?"

I could only nod. I placed the palms of my hands on his chest, as he opened my pants. His hand was on my hard dick, feeling and testing the size.

"Oh, yeah." He moaned, as he ran his hand down my tender, sensitive cock. I was afraid I was going to cum right then.

Slowly, Randy lowered himself until his mouth was at my crotch, and he ran his tongue up all seven inches, before gently pushing me towards the bed as our bodies melded into one. His hard dick was teasing mine, as once again, our tongues found the other's mouth. We squirmed up onto the bed, without letting go of our grip on the other. Hands everywhere, as we hugged and rocked each other.

Randy started kissing my chest, travelling lower and lower. He took my cock into his hot mouth, and I knew this was what I wanted. His mouth left my hard dick, as his tongue licked my nuts. I had to tell him that I wanted to taste his cock. But this married grandfather was a ferocious cock hound. He couldn’t get enough of sucking my cock, and from the way he was doing it, mine wasn’t the first dick that old Randy had sucked.

I grabbed his head and started fucking his mouth. No mater how hard I shoved my cock down his throat, the old cock sucker took it and pushed his face against my crotch for more. His mouth was so hot I thought it was going to burst. I couldn’t remember it getting a blow job this good. I was getting close to cuming when Randy suddenly pulled away.

At first I thought that he had enough, but then he turned his cotton white ass toward me and said, "Do it, Finn. Fuck me. Fuck me now. Please, Finn. I need to be fucked."

I took one look at his hairy ass with his set of bull balls hanging down between his legs, spit on my hand and slicked up my cock the best I could. Seeing his hairy ass and his huge balls started my cock throbbing. Hell, I thought I was going to shoot off before I could get my head into him. But damn if his hairy asshole didn’t almost suck my cock inside. I knew then and there that Randy had been doing more than just sucking cocks. And talking about hot!

Then I was holding his hairy ass with both hands and fucking him so hard that Randy was shaking his head and moaning like a two-dollar whore. Suddenly, this 79-year-old East Tennessee Republican was screaming, "fuck me" over and over again. Every so often he would squeeze my dick with his ass muscles, rocked left and right, spreading his legs a bit wider as I continued to pick up the pace.

I was close to emptying my seed, when I put him on his back, and fuck his ass the way he would have fucked his wife, missionary style. I begain running my hands all over that wonderful, hairy chest while my cock repeatedly drilled his ass as old Randy grabbed his cock and started jacking it. By the time I was getting close, my married man was begging me to fuck him harder. And from the look on his face, he was getting close too.

I double my effort and pounded his butt even harder. That did it. With a loud cry, he grabbed the bed sheets and his cock spewed cum all over his chest and stomach, his body convulsing with each spurt. It was only another three or four strokes before I slammed up against him and held myself there, my dick in him as deep as it could get.

"Fuck!" I gasped as my cock began to throb, pumping my load into his ass. Another married man conquered and another notch on my bedpost.

#Randy McNally #fan fiction

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ourpickwickclub · 6 months

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B, Explain more about how every year it's sinking in to ML about her screw ups. I agree with the anon that stated ML is spiraling like she did in 2018. It is obvious with the stalking and selfie gate last July. Now she acknowledge the pink pistol in TX. It only took 7 years. Weird. Any insider information from Nashville regarding ML or her fake marriage recently

My feeling is that Blake kept trying even after he found out about ML’s long term affair at the Grammys (same night Gwen found out about GR and his long term affair with the nanny). Blake didn’t end the marriage then (and neither did Gwen). But then ML stopped wearing her wedding ring, stopped thanking Blake at shows, was not trying at all. And she most likely started the affair with Anderson during the time the Southern Family album was being recorded in March or April of 2015. She was pretty openly having a relationship with another man while married to Blake. There are lots of theories and stories from OK people about July 4th 2015. It seems he found something then. Maybe that she really was in another relationship. They both played at the Greenbrier golf thing on July 4. ML and then Blake was the headliner. By all accounts they did not interact or come onto the stage with one another at all. He flew in and out without her. Timing seems to show that he filed for divorce right around then.

I think ML realizes on some level that Blake tried and tried. At the time I believe she thought that they could become a country legendary love story where they divorced, stayed friends, and eventually reunited after she had had her fun. I don’t know if that would have happened because that would require Blake sacrificing a lot more pride the. He did (which was a lot). But I’m sure ML believes it would have worked that way.

And I think Rat was barely trying also, because he was sure that they had three kids and she was Catholic and would not leave. But then Blake announced his divorce to the other coaches and two people that had chemistry they would not have acted on because they are loyal, were free to act. It’s no coincidence in my mind that Gwen announced right after Blake. They had from taping in June to early August to talked and flirt and see if there was something real there. There was. GR feels like he was the one betrayed (ridiculous asshat) because he was “trying” to work things out and it wasn’t enough for Gwen. And I think ML’s world began its slow descent into stalker crazy regret because she never considered that Blake would fall madly in love with a worldwide icon and that icon would become his whole world. And she would feel the same about him. Giddy, in love.

If someone had told ML that she would lose Blake to Gwen if she continued her affairs, I think she would have acted differently, at least for a while. She never meant to lose him forever. I think he was her best friend in a lot of ways. She commented once on thinking they were going to share custody of dogs, but that didn’t happen. She tried following Gwen to get a wedge in there. Gwen brilliantly only liked a post of hers about family, but never followed her back. It was war from then on. Pistol Annie’s retooled their account and came back only following two people… Gwen and Blake. She was so mad she was barely even hiding her crazy. But her team had effectively spun Blake and Gwen as the cheaters so they overlooked her copying Gwen’s videos and the weird follows and how she tracked down people close to them both and used them for her projects, or how she mimicked their posts, copied Gwen’s fashion. Etc etc.

ML thought Anderson would be the next big thing. Bigger than Blake (laughable) but he wasn’t. She used him as a cover but when she got him to insult Garth publicly and all that got her was her and Anderson dragged and Blake got a coveted GB collab, she dumped him and tried for the next person she thought would be a big thing. Evan. She didn’t count on Staci not folding easily. She married the cop to save face and he clearly is not into her. He is with her because she is famous and that’s it. So, now, she may be seeing how badly she messed it all up.

I just laid down pretty much my whole theory. Not saying I’m 100% correct but I think it’s a pretty good base idea at what happened. And yeah, I think she is coming with something big. Whether it works or flops, we will see. She and Marion will not let her go down professionally as easy as she does under the ugly lights (I had to get one in there). 😂

But once she is out of options, she will start writing a tell all and that tell all will paint Blake as the bad guy (and Gwen too) in very unspecific ways and with no evidence. Just enough to get headlines. When I say she was the worst thing that ever happened to Blake, I am not kidding. She will never stop.

- B

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age-of-greta · 10 months

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The Moon

The Moon represents illusion and deception, and therefore often suggests a time when something is not as it appears to be. Perhaps a misunderstanding on your part, or a truth you cannot admit to yourself.

Author’s note: hi!! Welcome to the last part of The Moon, the epilogue. I hope you have loved this fic as much as I did. Thank you all for following along. With that being said, I am working on a new fic (where my Josh girls at?)! Originally I planned to start it at the end of next month, but upon further reflection I might postpone it because… I am working on a very spooky Halloween series!! I plan to release one special a week in October. So stay tuned for that!! Again, THANK YOU & enjoy The Moon <3

Paring: Sam x reader & Jake x reader

Warnings: adult content, cursing, alcohol consumption, fluffffffff, maybe slight angst?

Word count: 4.3k

EPILOGUE

ONE YEAR LATER:

“Shit! Sam, can you check the oven?” You yell down the hall, still grasping for the zipper on your sundress.

“Got it out five minutes ago my love! All is well here I promise!” Sam yelled back from the kitchen.

You took a deep breath. Thank god. You had been running around all day like a chicken with your head cut off; cooking, cleaning. Now you have to make yourself presentable in twenty minutes or less. Well, that was when they were supposed to be here anyway. Realistically, you knew it would be at least thirty to forty five minutes before someone walked through that door. It was your housewarming party, sort of. You and Sam had moved into your own house in Nashville around three weeks ago. As much as you tried and worked, things still weren’t fully unpacked. Moving was dirty work, it was even harder when Sam would pause from unpacking to “christen” a new room. As stressful as it was, it had been blissful. Except now you were all sorts of stressed. When you had planned this party surely you thought everything would be in order and decorated. That wasn’t the case. Sure, some of it was. The kitchen was in okay shape and the living room. Yours and Sam’s bedroom was okay too, it was really the spare rooms and basement that was a disaster. All of that swam through your mind, but your biggest enemy today was this goddamn zipper on your dress. It wouldn’t budge.

“Motherfuck.” You spat. Then, you heard laughing in the hallway.

“Need some help?” Sam said, leaned against the door frame with an amused look.

You gave him a glare and nodded. He scooped your hair to the size and ran his hands over your back, grabbing the zipper and tugging at it with ease.

“There.” He said, looking at you.

You were wearing a pink linen sundress, it was sort of short, but it complimented your body and tan gracefully. It was a square neckline with fun ruffled sleeves. You had crimped your hair and pulled some of it back in a golden butterfly clip. You wore a gaggle of gold necklaces and a medium sized pair of hoops. Your makeup was dewy and glowy, with your eyebrows brushed ever so slightly up. You felt pretty. Genuinely pretty. Sam must have thought so too, as you could see the way he was looking at you in the mirror.

“You smell good.” He said, as he spun you around and placed his hands around your waist.

“Thank you Sammy.” You said, beaming a smile up at him.

He smirked at that familiar nickname and pecked a kiss at your neck.

You giggled. “It’s almost five and I have so much to do!”

“Relax.” Sam said, still kissing up and down your neck while his hands roamed. “I got the cheese board out of the fridge, the green beans are in the crockpot, pasta salad in the fridge, and the fish is in the oven on warm. Besides, they're always late anyway.”

You start to give in, you’re always putty in his hands.

Then the doorbell rings.

“Goddamnit.” Sam says, tearing his face away from you. “Really? The one time they’re actually on time?”

You laughed and pressed your forehead to his.

“Get the door. We can finish this later.” You said with a smile.

He kissed your nose. “Yes ma’am.”

Then he’s off and you're cleaning your appearance up. He didn’t do too much damage, thankfully. You exit the room and walk down the hallway with your woven platforms thudding against the hardwoods. You see that familiar black curly hair and smile big.

“Hi cousin, welcome to our home!” You say.

He smiles back and wraps you in a hug.

“So this is the harlot’s den that stole my best friend and roommate from me?” Danny jokes.

You roll your eyes while Sam chuckles.

“Just you?” You ask.

Danny laughs. “Yeah what do you think? I thought I’d come by early and help a bit.”

“Early?” You say furrowing your brows. “Danny it’s 5:03. Everyone was supposed to be here at 5.”

“And yet here I am, the only one here. I would say that constitutes as early.”

You groan a laugh. “Okay fine. Sam, can you give him a tour?”

It had in fact been 45 minutes until that doorbell rang. In that time Sam had given Danny a whole tour, had a few beers, then started eating the fruit off of the fruit pie you had made. You figured the next to arrive would be Jake- and he was bringing his girlfriend. When you heard Josh’s boisterous voice from the other room you smiled and headed out of the kitchen.

Standing in your doorway was Josh with a bottle of wine with an obnoxious red bow. But next to him was Jake, his sunglasses still on, and his girlfriend with a plate wrapped in tin foil in her hands.

You swallow before speaking. “Well nice of you to join us!” You say, making your presence known.

“My apologies for being late, my lady.” Josh says, handing you the bottle of wine and pecking your cheek.

“You’re forgiven, but only because you brought wine.”

“Hi, Jake.” You lean in giving him a light partial hug.

“Birdie.” He retorts lightly tapping your back.

“Gwen!” You exclaim, pulling her into a hug.

She hugs you back. “Sorry we’re late. Jake didn’t turn the oven on before he popped these in.”

She unwraps the plate and displays an array of cookies. Gwen was always well intentioned, but her cooking skills were awful. You couldn’t help but think that Jake may have intentionally turned off the oven.

You chuckle at her. “Sounds like him. Wanna come pop these in the kitchen with me?”

“You bet.” She says, offering a smile.

Gwen and Jake had been dating for about three months now. You liked her, you really did. She was very kind, a little soft spoken, and she was pretty. One night Josh drunkenly leaned over and said: “You know she kinda looks like you.” This caused Sam to grip your thigh a little tighter, but you brushed it off. If you were being honest, she did resemble you slightly. Except your style was a little more refined or extra if you will. Gwen loved the basics and she could effortlessly pull it off. Perhaps that’s why Jake was attracted to her. You didn’t think Gwen knew anything about history with you and Jake. Why would he tell her? If she did know, she didn’t seem too concerned with it. She was always kind to you. You couldn’t help but like her, but personality-wise you two would never be beyond surface level friends and that was okay.

“Where do you want these?” Gwen scanned the room for empty counter space.

“You can put them on the stove, it’s not on. Thank you for making them by the way, you didn’t have to do that.”

She waved her hand at you. “Happy to. I love this kitchen by the way. Your style is so eclectic.”

You laughed. “Thank you. Wanna grab the guys and start the grand tour?”

You two made your way back to the group making small talk on the way there. You took your place next to Sam, who absentmindedly wrapped his arm around your waist.

“Birdie, where’s Margo?” Josh asked, furrowing his brows slightly.

“Florida. She got called into a travel meeting yesterday. She was upset about it to say the least.”

Josh groaned. “Oh boo.”

“Tell me about it.” You replied.

Josh and Margo were… friends? They hung out randomly it seemed. You didn’t believe anything romantic had popped up, but truthfully you didn’t fully know. They seemed like the opposite version of the other but also somehow the same. But in group settings you could find them side by side joking and cackling in a corner somewhere.

“Alright!” Sam exclaimed with a clap. “Ladies and gentlemen prepare yourselves for a once in a lifetime tour this evening where your tour guides will show you every square inch of this lavish home. Except for the basement, because all of the weird sex shit is down there and my partner here gave us a red flag for that part.”

You scoffed and lightly smacked his chest. “Oh my god that’s enough beer for Sam tonight. Our basement is still a disaster right now, but next event I promise it will be open to the public.”

“So you need time to clear out all the weird sex shit?” Danny asks, in an amused tone.

You huff and roll your eyes. “Okay right this way everybody.”

After the tour had come to a natural conclusion everyone was sipping beers on the back porch.

“This is where we’re going to put a pool in.” Sam announces, talking with his hands.

You look at Gwen and smile. “So what did you think?”

“It’s really nice. I can’t wait to see it once you get everything finished. You should come by and decorate their house.” She says, nudging Jake.

He offers her a small smile and nods in return.

“I actually sort of did for a few days when they moved in last year. It was absolutely hectic.”

She chuckles. “With this group? Never.”

You felt as if you needed to keep the conversation progressing. “I really like your jumpsuit. Where did you get it?”

She was wearing a navy sleeveless jumpsuit and sandals with her hair pulled up in a ponytail, a few whispys framing her face, and pearls on her ears. She looked cute, sort of nautical.

“Ah, thanks. It’s from Nordstrom Rack I think? But I mean look at you. You look and smell like a birthday cake.”

You laugh at that. “A birthday cake? That’s a new one.”

“She’s just as sweet as birthday cake too.” Sam smirks, putting his fingers in his mouth and pretending to lick them clean as a lewd gesture.

Your cheeks turn pink. “Jesus Christ okay seriously no more beer for you Sam.”

Gwen laughs with no thought behind it as Jake looks off in the backyard.

Sam didn’t typically act this way, but you assumed he was taking a chance to say something like that in front of Jake. Almost as a reminder. He never brought up what happened, but you could tell sometimes he still felt some way about it. You couldn’t say you blamed him.

“I’m going to cut up some more fruit to top the pie with.” You say excusing yourself away. “Danny, no more beer for this one.” You point at Sam.

He laughs and salutes you as you walk inside.

Once back in the kitchen you take a breather and pour yourself a small glass of wine while grabbing the fruit, cutting boards, and a knife. You take a sip and begin washing the produce. You hum absentmindedly as the water runs. Once washed you begin to dry the fruit and start to chop up some strawberries. Then you cut up pineapple and decide to clean up the mess before you get to your last fruit.

“Wine?” A voice pops up from behind you.

You jump, slightly startled. Then you see Jake standing in the doorway with his hand up on the frame. His sunglasses are finally off and he has a beer in his other hand.

You huff a breathy laugh. “Yeah. Just something to take the edge off I suppose.”

He steps closer towards you. “Want any help?”

You shake your head and look back to the fruit. “I think I’m good. I just need to cut the kiwis now.”

You begin placing the sliced strawberries and pineapple on the top of the pie.

“Nonsense. I’ll cut these up for you.”

You both reach for the kiwis at the same time and your hands touch, grazing by one another. You look over and Jake’s eyes are staring back into yours. Silence. Mere seconds have passed and you feel as if it’s been forever.

“Hey Jake they’re playing cornhole if you wanna-“ Gwen states stepping into this kitchen. “Oh sorry if you’re helping I can just partner with Josh.”

You rip your eyes away from Jake and shake your head. “No, no. Go play Jake. I’ve got it from here.”

You can see in your peripheral he glances back down at you. “Okay yeah. Let’s go.”

Then he leaves the kitchen and grabs Gwen’s hand wrapping it in his.

You chug the rest of your wine and cut the kiwis.

“Fuck that was so good.” Josh states, leaning back in his chair.

“Yeah it really was. You two could call yourselves chefs.” Gwen says, taking a sip of her water.

You and Sam laugh simultaneously.

“What? Did you poison us or something?” Josh asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Something like that.” Sam starts. “The fish filets? They’re plant based. We’re full veg now baby.”

Sam wraps his arm around you as you continue to giggle at his antics.

“Oh son of a bitch. You two have somehow now become more annoying.” Danny teases.

“I mean what a better opportunity to make this announcement than at a dinner party where you actually enjoyed your vegetarian food?” You ask, lifting your wine glass off of the table.

“I think I would rather have been poisoned.” Josh jokes.

You all laugh at that.

“I think I’m going to grab some pie. Anyone want some?”

Jake asks, starting to get up.

Everyone raises their hand.

“Well shit let me just go put on my butler uniform and I’ll get to work on bringing that out for you all.”

Gwen laughs. “I’ll get a bell for you babe!”

You tip your wine glass towards her and nod. “Now that is a good idea.”

She lets out a laugh and inches closer to you. “Right? He’s been so weird today, it’s good to see him smile. I think he’s just tired, they were in the studio last night.”

You force a smile. “Oh definitely. They might as well take overnight bags when they go.”

Except, they weren’t in the studio last night. Sam was at home with you and you knew Danny went ax throwing. It was seldom Jake or Josh went without the other two, especially since they had their own studio in their house. You tried not to read into that too much.

Jake returned a few minutes later with the pie cut and portioned. He plopped a slice down on everyone’s plate. You all ate with an array of small talk bouncing around the table. When you were finished Josh and Danny did the dishes and cleaned up while you and Sam had gotten the fire pit going outside. Jake had grabbed one of Sam’s guitars and was sitting by tuning it. Gwen stared at him in awe, you remember those days.

But your head was glued on Sam. Watching him try to light some fancy logs you two had bought as he cursed under his breath. A smile curled up on your lips and a light laugh left you. Sam turned around and beamed a smile at you. “Hush.”

You threw your hands up in defense. Finally, he got it to light. Then everyone gathered around the campfire while Jake softly strummed. You laid your head on Sam’s shoulder while he held your legs. He smelled so good, just like himself. You swear you would turn his scent into a candle if given the opportunity.

Josh and Gwen were talking about something in depth while Danny entertained Sam. There were a few bottles of wine that were brought out, so everyone poured a glass. Sam took the light sweet liquid and brought it to his lips, softly humming and running his thumbs over your skin. He glanced down at you and gave you a wink as you grinned back at him.

You were so in love and you felt so at peace. Surrounded by the people you love the most: your friends, your soulmate, your family.

THREE YEARS LATER:

Wedding planning was a bitch. You shut your laptop and groaned. If you got on Pinterest one more time you might have thrown up.

“Hey it’s okay. I don’t care what anything looks like. All that matters is that it’s you and me up there.” Sam offers in a kind voice. “I’m going to make you some tea.”

You sighed. “I know Sam, it’s just so fucking stressful. I thought us having a tiny wedding would be easy. I stand corrected.”

Sam chuckled and placed a teabag in a mug. “Baby nothing with me is ever going to be easy.”

That brought a smile to your face. “I know. That’s why I’m marrying you.”

He placed your tea down next to you and placed a gentle kiss on your lips.

“Just a few short weeks and you’ll be mine forever.”

“I already am.” You remind him with a grin.

The day had arrived. It was hectic to say the least, but you and Sam had spent last night together cuddled up in bed discussing how no matter what everything would be perfect. You were all back in Michigan, choosing to get married at a lake house you had been to as kids. It was secluded and beautiful. There weren’t many people invited to your wedding and you and Sam had chosen to skip the groomsmen/bridesmaids aspect. Per tradition, you hadn’t seen Sam all day, but you could hear him. He was getting ready on the third floor while you were on the second floor. You could hear him pacing about and raising his voice at his brothers. It made you giggle. He was nervous, as if you would ever say no.

“Makeup and hair is here. You ready?” Margo asks you.

You smile and nod. “Send them in.”

You were about to begin your getting ready process. You had already had various hair treatments done, your teeth whitened, nails done, toes done, spray tan, you had even gotten a special facial (not from Sam). All that was left was makeup, hair, jewelry, then dress. The dress of your dreams. It was just a plain and simple white silk dress that hugged your body perfectly. The train was rather small and you opted out of a veil. Sam would be in a classic black suit, tailored specifically for him. You had seen the previews of the suit and it made your heart skip a beat. The theme of your wedding was florals. Really just purple, blue, pink, and orange wildflowers. These flowers were scattered amongst white roses on the small wooden arch and dusted around the aisle. You would be married right in front of the lake, with a small reception at the lake house after. It was simple and small, but everything you could have wanted and more.

Your hair sat in rollers while the makeup artist rolled a nude pink lip liner over your lips.

“I’m going to run something down to Josh.” Margo announced, leaving the door slightly ajar.

You gave her a nod as you heard her click down the stairs. The makeup artists continued to focus in on your lips and you stared at yourself in the mirror. You looked beautiful. Dewy plump skin, natural contour and blush, light warm smokey eye with lashes, paired with this nude pink satin lip.

“Margo hold up!” You heard your fiancé almost yell out.

“What’s wrong Sam? Getting cold feet?” She asked with a laugh.

You heard him scoff. “No. I probably have the hottest feet in the history of feet right now. I need you to please come and fix Daniel’s tie. He thinks it’s straight and it isn’t.”

You chuckled at Sam’s concern. He had tried to be the calm one about this wedding. But deep down you knew he was just as much of a perfectionist as you were. He had been there to ground you through the stress of the planning, but you had secretly heard him get snippy with his brothers on the phone when they chimed in on the wedding. He had put a lot of thought and effort into this day, but didn’t want you to stress about it.

You sat in your chair as your rollers were taken out and your hair was sprayed and teased. Truthfully, you loved the way your hair had turned out. It was full of volume and light curls. You added your gold and pearl earrings and sprayed perfume onto your hair and body. The last thing you had to do was put your dress on. You smiled as you slipped the white fabric up your body and Margo got to work on pinning.

“Oh fuck. You look so beautiful.” She said, giving a small sniffle.

Margo looked beautiful too. She was in a light green midi dress that tied in the back. Her light pink hair contrasted it perfectly.

“Stop it right now.” You say, pushing a tear away. “I’m not crying on my wedding day.” A half sob half laugh escapes your throat.

Margo wraps you in a hug and then clears her throat. “So we’re ready then?”

You nod and give her a smile.

“I’ll go rally the troops.”

Margo heads down to get everything in motion and you stare out the window at the arch and the beautiful scenery around it. There would be no more than twenty people attending, but you still felt a little nervous.

Just then you heard a knock on the door frame. You turned around to see Jake. He had an indescribable look on his face with a soft smile.

“Wow.” He breathed. “You look absolutely breathtaking. Sam is going to cry his eyes out.”

You laughed at him. “He better.”

“I just wanted to come down and say, I’m happy for you. I’m happy for you and Sammy both. It’s a beautiful day.”

You smiled brightly at him. “Thank you Jake.”

He returned the same smile. “I’ll see you down there.”

Then he’s off down the stairs filing in with everyone else.

Only one thing left to do now, and that was to get married.

Sam did cry; borderline sobbing. That melted your heart. The ceremony was beautiful. Your family, Josh, Danny, Jake and Gwen, Sam’s family, Margo, aunts, uncles, a few cousins, and a photographer friend were in attendance. They all followed you and Sam into the “reception.” Which was really just the large outdoor patio. Josh rigged up speakers and acted as the DJ.

“For the first time Mr. & Mrs. Kiszka!” He bellowed into the small karaoke microphone. Everyone collectively cheered. There was the first dance, a few speeches, and of course food. You had catered a vegetarian burger joint and a modest sized vanilla cake. Everything was delicious. After the champagne toast, you took a few pictures before a majority of the crowd shuffled out knowing once the alcohol began to flow things would get out of hand. You hugged your parents and family who came, promising to meet for brunch tomorrow. Then turned your attention back to Sam who was more than eager to have you to himself. He kept his hand around your waist the whole night while everyone played drinking games and danced. Gwen had gotten incredibly intoxicated as she swayed around in her lilac dress. Jake eventually had to sit her down and force water and bread onto her, before resuming his drinking activities.

Josh was pouring more tequila shots for everyone while his vape hung out of his mouth. “Gather round! Gather round! I have the nectar of the gods!”

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother and turned towards you. “I can’t keep my hands off of you Mrs. Kiszka.”

Sam’s eyes were a little red and he had the slightest smell of alcohol on his breath. He had been incredibly diligent with pacing himself on the extracurricular activities, as you know he wanted you both to enjoy your wedding night.

You smiled mischievously at him. “We’re married, Mr. Kiszka. You don’t have to.”

Sam reached down and scooped you up while you erupted in giggles.

“Sorry Josh! No can do! I’m taking my wife to our room. An apology fair in advance to everyone staying in this house tonight. We won’t be quiet!”

You lightly smacked his arm as he walked into the house, still carrying you. “Sam! Goodnight everyone! Thank you for coming!”

You and Sam both laughed giddy with each other. He finally got you both into your room. Then, he unzipped you out of your dress and let it fall to the floor. You had on white lace lingerie underneath and Sam gave your ass a light smack as you plopped down on the bed. He sat beside you with soft eyes.

“I can’t believe I get to call you my wife. Forever.”

You grin at him. “Forever baby. I love you.”

“I love you. You’re so beautiful. Ethereal even.”

“Don’t make me blush. Why don’t you get out of those clothes? Do a little strip for me.”

He smirks at you while starting to undress. “Your wish is my command. Happy wife, happy life right?”

You playfully roll your eyes. “Shut up and come here.”

The next morning you woke up next to your husband sleepy eyed and well rested. You glanced over and saw him sleeping peacefully bathed in sunlight, his arms still wrapped around you. You looked over at your ring sitting proudly on your finger and couldn’t help but smile. This was your life. He was your life. You would follow him to the ends of the Earth, and he would for you as well. You started to scoot over slightly and he subconsciously pulled you closer into him. You nuzzled into his chest, content to lay like this all morning as your breaths synched. It was a preview as to how your life would go.

You and Sam, moving together fluidly as one.

Forever.

***

Fin

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joe-moi · 1 month

Note

So kategate has ended and unfortunately it’s not good.

She just announced that she’d been diagnosed with cancer and the reason why she hasn’t been seen for a while is because she was undergoing chemo

So I was talking to somebody about this earlier today, and I hate TikTok and Twitter detectives. The ones that make these elaborate videos acting like they know stuff…. It’s getting a little bit dangerous. The way that they had spun this Kate story into making people believe that Kate and William were getting divorced, and that William had children with some other woman, and it’s just very detrimental to every single person involved. Every single name that was brought up was slandered, including Kate.

and then you can also go back and think about when that girl disappeared while living off the land with her boyfriend, and he went home and it was pretty obvious he had killed her and yet the TikTok and Twitter detectives went all in on a bunch of different theories and acted like the cops weren’t telling us everything, and they weren’t because they’re doing their job! They knew what had most likely happened and they didn’t need to tell the public . And then the Idaho murders the same thing happened. People on TikTok and Twitter went out of control, looking into a bunch of different theories and convinced everybody one thing when it was really the other, and it almost was like they were hindering the police investigation. It just happened again today with that boy that went missing in Nashville, it was obvious he was drunk and fell into the river, the cops knew it, The general public knew it, but TikTok and Twitter were convinced that something else had happened .

It’s just wrong. And Twitter and tik tok should really be ashamed of themselves for telling everybody that it was a marriage problem. And the fact that they’re still thinking that there’s some lie behind all the madness, no! She’s sick. That’s the end of the story. She’s sick and she has a very young family that deserves their privacy.

actually, the only person who even hinted that this might be the case was DM

#anonymous asks #🛼answers

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writingcold · 2 years

Text

Neapolitan Pt. 12

A/N: Well, hello there. Welcome to the last part of Neapolitan. Yup - finally the end of this brick. There are two Jake blurbs and a lot of story to wrap up. So, let’s finish this bitch.

The last time I’ve got to say this, I do not know any of the gentlemen of GVF. This is a piece of fiction, through and through. Jake is just my blueprint to a very interesting character to me. A muse if you will.

Content Warnings: Saying goodbye is hard to do, angsty, adult situations, partying, you know it. Mentions of sex, along with a nice shower scene.

Word Count: approx. 8700 words, can you believe this whole story is just shy of 69K words. I almost want to see if I can add that 300 words that I’m short just to be gross about it.

Thank you for hanging in there through all of it. Let me know what you think, please and thank you.

Pt. 12

Returning to work had not been the best idea. Everything was for shit. It was chaos at the golf course. Even though Violet had a schedule in place for the entire time she was off, there were three of the shop clerks that quit, and two of the caddies did not bother to show up aside from collecting their last checks. The event planner had double booked a wedding and a birthday party that left absolute chaos behind for the crew. At LPs, Tony had the schedule so messed up that Tom quit, and Bonnie only wanted one day a week - Thursdays. He was trying like mad to cover what he could, and patchwork people together, but she could tell that he was ready to call it quits and join her dad in golfing and fishing. It hurt to tell him that she was leaving, but like the second dad that he was for her, they celebrated instead. He asked for only one week of her time, not two. The owner of the course only asked that she train Emmy in her job - which took all of three days. Violet supposed the courtesy was extended to her since these were places where she was considered family. Jobs she had grown up with and returned to when she needed their shelter.

When she talked to her parents about her news, her dad asked about Jake, much to her mother’s surprise. Violet smiled and said nothing, much to her mother’s surprise. Her heart flipped at how her father had pressed that button, leaving her brain to wonder what exactly had been said during that round of golf. They were happy for her and had to go out for celebration drinks. The guys had dropped into LP’s on Friday, with Jess in tow to a very crowded bar. She spun Jess around as the boys bowled. She was leaving Saturday afternoon from Grand Rapids to return to Nashville.

��Violet, you promise me here and now,” she said, drunk off her ass. “You promise me that we’ll see you again, okay? I mean, seriously. You belong to us. I mean, you belong to us. I … shit. You know what I mean.”

Violet laughed at her as Sam tried to peel the woman off the bar as they were trying to leave. Jake stayed behind to go home with her. Her brain, over the course of the past week, had been very pleased with her human. Her heart was in silent protest, but her brain was happy that Violet was keeping her shit at bay.

She had one week. They would be leaving on the following Tuesday. The guys were working hard, coming up for air only when absolutely necessary. Violet had started to close down her house a room at a time. Her folks would check on it weekly during her time away. Her passport was current, thankfully. She had sore ass arms and thighs from updating her shots. She was in contact with the new boss a few times on her progress of getting ready and catching up on the current standards and practices that she would be expected to follow.

Jake was hers every night. It may be only for a few hours, but he was hers. Somehow, the war going on between her heart and brain had turned a brutal corner with the brain doubling down on the whole logical approach and underplaying anything that the heart was trying to lead her to realize. At some point the brain said that the heart was only basing her whole theory of ‘love’ on sex. To which her cunt pointed at Jake and said she could not be blamed that the man was a genius in her department. With that argument, Violet had seriously debated her level of crazy.

Friday night, Jake asked if she would be able to be with them the whole day on Sunday. They were going to have time on the water, as well as try to take in the trail behind the house one last time, maybe clean out the fridge as much as possible… She agreed, but only if they would all be over to her house in the evening on Monday - their last night. She could feed everyone and just relax.

Sunday, Violet was to their place early, wearing the tiny black bikini that Jake loved. She had brought a cooler of beer while they supplied food and more libations. In a repeat of nearly eight weeks prior, she found herself on the massive raft with Josh, snuggled into his side because where else is a girl supposed to go when that man was around? He was humming softly against her hair while Sam, Danny and Jake were in competition over how far out they could go in the deep water.

“The lovely Jessie and I had quite the conversation before she left,” he started, breaking her out of her void.

Violet tried to act normal. She was pretty sure where Josh was heading. “Yeah…?”

“She’s blossomed into quite the outspoken lass since you came around. I mean, she could be tough before, but now, just damn. She’s got poor Sammy coming and going,” he laughed. “She’s particularly outspoken when it comes to you. She’s very protective of you.”

“Well. She is pretty great. I’m happy to call her my platonic girlfriend.”

“She’s under the impression that there’s more than just animalistic driven sex going on between you and Jake.” She laughed against his warm skin. His hands tightened on her. He was quiet for more than a few moments. “I think she’s right.”

Her eyes drifted closed. Her heart did a triple double with a flirty bow at the end. Her brain stuck her tongue out. “Josh,” she whispered.

“I know it was not being looked for by either one of you. You, especially, were not looking for this. I don’t know what happened, but… You make him happier than he has been - ever.”

To one up the ante, her heart pirouetted around her brain before flipping off her imaginary middle fingers. Violet sighed, rising up on her elbow to look down at Josh. “He makes me happy, too. I think you’ve seen that. We’ve made no secret of that.”

He shook his head, his mouth in a fine line. “So, why the time limit?”

“It was to protect us both,” she answered.

“Bullshit.”

Violet felt her stomach lurch as Josh’s firm tone let her know that there was no point in sugar coating it. “I did it to protect me. I was not in the same place as I was even a few weeks ago. I was serious when I said that Jake was all I could handle. But I knew that you all were something special and needed a way that I would be able to remain friends with you. And I mean friends with all of you, including Jake.”

“Jessie was right - you belong with us.”

“Aw, you mean not ‘to’ you?”

He laughed one of his big belly laughs that set her back to right. “God you got her so smashed. Poor baby was probably hung over for days.”

They fell into quiet once more. Violet looked around for Jake, finding them way up the beach, sprawled out like they had raced to shore. Her insides ached just watching him, playing around with his brothers.

“You’re going to break my brother’s heart, aren’t you?”

She took in a soft breath in an attempt to not cry. “I would shatter my own before I hurt him.”

Her brain released a stream of obscenities directed at her heart, cunt and every other organ that was trying to mutiny to get in the Jake lane, while her heart was reading Violet’s words over again, pointing out that she would take the hurt over harming him. Wasn’t that love?

“Vi, there’s got to be a way through this. Give him a chance. He may just surprise you.”

“I’ve got too much damage to deal with,” she admitted, her voice thin and catching as her throat fought the words. “I will not give the bastard the satisfaction of putting a mark on what makes me happy with Jake.”

“Oh, sweet girl,” Josh whispered against her cheek as he pulled her back down.

The afternoon found her hiking. Sam was nonstop talk, pointing out things of interest and things of his own imagination. He tried to convince her to step into the magical realm of pink fluid that heals all. She swatted at him and said that she was telling Jessie on him for trying to trick her into walking through poison ivy.

The evening swirled around in a haze of music and food and cooking and booze. Jake brought up his acoustic and Danny accompanied him on a mandolin while they cooked on the grill. Sam and Violet were working in the kitchen on sides while Josh danced around, singing songs that no one really understood. Looking out onto the deck, she was just caught up in how Jake’s smile tugged at the rest of his face in such a way that he just radiated light. The laughter he shared with Danny left her feeling bruised at its soft beauty.

Sam bent to press his chin over the crown of her head, snaking his arms across her shoulders. “You okay?” he asked.

“No,” she whispered. “It’s going to hurt like hell to see you all leave.”

Sam held onto her for a long while. Jake caught her looking, and his face grew still. She felt her insides constrict. The connection that he had cast upon her was yanking her, forcibly, to him. Her heart was a beggar in her chest, weeping at her to find relief in his touch.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Sam practically shouted as he evaporated from her. “We have something for you that I think you’ll love!”

“Are we doing this now?” Josh asked, semi annoyed as he waved at the other two. “You know, dinner’s gonna burn, and just… what a waste… and another thing… why aren’t they looking this way? Goddamn, why don’t they ever pay attention to me?”

Violet felt the mix of needing to cry and laugh boil within her. Josh could turn on Peepaw without notice, sending her into hysterics. Tonight, however, it made her want to bawl. Everything was happening so quickly that she just was not ready for these men to drift back out of her daily life the same way they had drifted in. Josh was at the door, snapping his fingers at Jake and Danny who just flipped him off until they saw Sam carry in this huge card looking thing with a smile that would kill off a small county of Sammy girls.

“I thought we were going to save this until tomorrow night,” Jake said, his voice tight.

“She needs this now,” Sam responded, setting it down on the kitchen island.

“Just give me a minute,” Danny said with his hands raised.

He went back out and pulled everything that was on the grill off. Jake helped him cross through the door with the mammoth sized tray of food before he turned back to her, his eyes searching her face.

There was a huge bow across the front of the gift that she tugged at. “You guys did not need to do this.”

She felt Jake’s hand press into the small of her back as she pulled back the fancy wrapping paper to reveal a ‘card’ that was made of two poster boards. The front was a drawn picture of the woods beyond their deck with Josh’s name scrawled down in the bottom corner. Sam helped her open it to reveal pictures of their time together. There was a picture of Sam and her debating fiercely at the bar, while another one was Danny winning the night’s bowling. There was a picture of her and Josh out on the raft. Another featured Josh and Max dancing around the bonfire like they were insane pyromaniacs. There was one with Jake standing with Ollie and John. There was another of all four of them sitting at the fire pit with Violet walking away. They all had the goofiest faces possible that made her laugh.

On the opposite side, there was a picture of Jess and Sam waving with happy smiles. Danny carrying his golf clubs hugged a corner. Josh was posing in a feral god like manner in the center picture. Towards the bottom, there was one that stood out, made all the more-so with a thick marker drawn border around it. In the picture, they were dancing close to each other. Jake was wearing a look of adoration that made her feel like he had tied a rope around her waist to keep her from flying away. Her heart whipped out a ball ping hammer and a big ass foam pointing finger and screamed at the picture as evidence.

Her fingertips flew to her mouth as Jake pulled her in close to his side. “You fuckers totally planned this.”

They laughed as tears welled up in her eyes. Josh turned it to the back to reveal more artwork. He pointed out his ‘doodle’ piece that went with the cover with grand flair. It was a lovely picture of a field of violets and other wildflowers. She noticed a piece of paper that had nothing on it. She reached for it, flipping it up along the taped edge to reveal a pencil drawing of her. Jake’s name was down at the bottom corner. A nervous laugh bubbled out of her as tears hit her cheeks. The guys cheered like it was mission accomplished, while Jake kissed her hairline. Sam had his phone out and was taking a picture of her to text back to Jessie.

“Hey - food’s getting cold,” Danny called out trying to maneuver people around.

They took their plates down to the fire pit. Jake sat close, but seemed distracted. Josh was telling stories in his typical loud fashion, while Sam struggled to get words in when he could. Danny just laughed at them all for the dumbasses that they were. Violet and Jake quietly cleaned up the kitchen, allowing for some time away from the group. She moved back to her ‘card’ on the island to take in more of what she knew she missed the first time around.

“It’s how I see you,” Jake said quietly from the sink.

Violet looked over at him. He was looking out the window, the last of the sunshine was streaming through on him making him look golden. “It’s beautiful.”

“You are,” he said, still not looking at her. “I think we need to really talk, Violet.”

Her heart sat up at attention with a ‘yes, sir!’ flair. Her brain stood back, arms crossed and skeptical. “Do you want to go back to my place?”

He nodded, his mouth pursed like he had more to say but was holding back. They finished with the kitchen. Violet stepped out on the deck to find Josh dancing around the fire like no one was watching, while Danny and Sam were off in the field taking pictures.

From behind her, Jake let out a booming “HEY!” Violet watched as three sets of eyes turned towards them. She waved and blew them kisses. Jake held up keys to one of the vehicles and they all gave him a thumbs up.

“I’ll be right behind you,” he said, helping her to get her card into the truck.

She smiled as he closed her door, before reaching back in and touching her cheek. She took off down the road, passing LP’s with a glance. She was going to have to stop and talk with Tony before she left in a few weeks. The man was a saint and did not know what he had done for her for a year. She kept checking her rearview for Jake, but he was nowhere in sight. Getting home, she sat for a moment before getting out and wrangling the card into the house. She spread it out across the dining table, looking once more into the memories that they picked to cherish. Turning it to the back, she pulled the heavy paper of Jake’s drawing away, carefully removing the tape that had held it into place. Turning the overhead light on, she took time to really look. The woman in the picture was strong with a fierceness in her eyes and a smile that was flirty, but her hands looked gentle, graceful. Her heart pounded against her ribs. If this was how he saw her…

Violet heard the car pull into the driveway before the lights cut across the windows. She set the picture down before going out to the deck to meet him. She leaned against the rail as he strolled up. He took her hand, pulled her flush against him and kissed her deeply. Her brain was waving red flags of warning, but her heart said to fuck off and just enjoy the moment. He continued to hold her close.

“Do you want a drink or anything?” she asked as he traced the ridge of her cheek.

“No, thank you. I need to be clear at the moment,” he said before kissing her once more.

Her brain took note of the comment with a reluctant nod. Her heart was bouncing and clapping. Violet felt his arms loosen before he took her hand in his, looking at the deck chairs and motioning towards what had become their spot.

“Funny that we are here where this all started,” he said with a smile.

She settled back against his side. His fingers skimmed back and forth along the length of her arm. She breathed him in, smelling the sunshine and feeling the summer day waning from his skin.

“Why is talking about emotions so damn hard,” he started, then paused. “I feel like it’s like the weirdness of starting to talk about sex.”

She smiled, seeing his parallel to their talk seven weeks prior. She felt her heart begin to slosh around while her brain was giving her the stink eye.

“At the risk of sounding sappy,” he continued, lifting her chin to look into her eyes, “I care too much about you for this to end here. I’m thinking that you may be feeling the same.”

He skirted the weighted word that her heart was waving around like a picket sign. ‘Care’ was just as fragile, but manageable. Her brain stepped in, pushing her heart back into place.

“What if it’s only because of sex?” she asked, while her brain glared at her for using such a tiny voice.

Jake stayed quiet. She felt his chest rise and fall. She could feel his pulse beneath her cheek. He was thinking it through, almost like he was arranging and rearranging his words.

“I have been known to be an asshole about this shit in the past. But you already know that without me having to say it.” She tightened her hold on him, becoming very aware she was going to leave scars on the inside of her bottom lip. “Honestly, that’s not how I can be with you. You make me want and look for more every damn time I’m with you, not just when we’re having sex. That’s how I know it’s something more.”

Violet’s stomach flopped in conjunction with her heart. Even her brain grudgingly nodded with his reasoning. However, her brain was also pointing to her watch. They set boundaries for a reason.

“There’s so much more damage in me, Jake, that I need to deal with,” she whispered, her voice wobbling.

He snorted a soft breath. “Jess told me that you hoped to see Danny awaken. You know what I think? I think we’ve all been watching your awakening this whole time without knowing it, Violet.”

She sniffed. The emotion was too raw to contain. He saw her when she was trying to hide from herself. Her breath became jagged as he smoothed her hair.

“Goddamn, I don’t want to do this to you. You do not deserve to have my shit in the way,” she managed, her voice strangled.

“Stop,” he said firmly.

“No. I’m not willing to put this on you.”

His eyes narrowed as he pulled away from her. “I am smart enough to understand that I cannot fix this for you. But — but, I can say that I want to be that person that can share the burden while you heal.”

Her heart quieted as her brain was writing down notes. This man. This fucking man.

“I, by no means, understand what the hell has been done to you, or what the fuck was wrong with that man.” He paused, his mouth in a hard line. She could feel the heat of his anger on his skin. “I have my own shit that I need to deal with. I am not without my own baggage, Violet. My own flaws are many. I’m difficult, selfish, and moody. I can bruise easily and not listen when I need to. And that’s just to start.”

Her brain looked up at her through her lashes while her heart wore the biggest cheese. She released a soft breath. This fucking man was willing to fight her for her.

“I like the fact that I want to see you smile and hear your laugh every minute I can. I like your ideas and the way you can talk to everyone you come in contact with without hesitation. Hell, I fucking loved watching you stand up for yourself in such a ballsy manner to your friend. You stood up for Danny like a goddamned hellcat when the rest of us felt it was not our place.”

Her brain and heart were holding onto each other, tears pooling around them. Violet felt her face wet with her own tears. Somehow, she forced herself to breathe. She made herself look into Jake’s face, finding the emotion had gotten to him as well, turning his eyes into liquid chocolate.

She could not stop the sob that erupted from her. He cupped her cheek, not bothering to stop his own show of emotion. Happy or sad, laughing or singing or shouting or just breathing - he was beautiful. He could be hers. Her brain glared at her while her heart flipped her off.

Violet swallowed hard. “I need these six months. I’ve worked so hard to get to this point. This job has been the reason I do what I do.”

“Fuck. I would never ask you to set that aside,” he said, looking her directly in her eyes.

Nodding, she sucked in a breath. “I need these six months. I know what I feel. I just need… I need the time, the distance to put myself back together. To fully realize that this is real.”

Jake tightened his hold on her, pressing his mouth to her brow. She felt her eyes close softly as her body relaxed into him. Violet felt like she could stay there on the deck, listening to the drum of his heart and everything would be all right.

***

Jake’s POV

As was promised, Monday night found them all together at Violet’s. Jake sat on the deck, watching the four play cornhole. Violet was kicking ass with Danny, much to the dissatisfaction of Sam. Josh was watching dragonflies as their baby brother obnoxiously argued about everything that he could get away with. The evening sun would catch in her hair, turning her crown into fire as Violet bounced and dashed around. It was obvious that her spirit was lighter than when he had first tripped across her. Jake knew his own spirit had been transformed - shaking off the selfishness and self-centeredness that he had worn for entirely too long.

Danny tossed the winning point, to which he lifted Violet across his shoulder, running away as the other two peeled after them in mock anger. Jake laughed as she squealed in absolute joy. Jessie was right. Even if the worst happened and Violet decided she could never be with him as his partner, she belonged with them as part of their family. She lit from within a kinship that just drew them all to her. It was a beautiful thing to witness and be a part of.

Jake caught Josh’s eye as a tug of pain fluttered across his chest. He could not fully comprehend the reason why there had to be pain within such a happy moment - one that he wanted to treasure. He cursed the twin sense thing - it was not the time to have Josh hovering over him.

Turning his attention back to the grill, he tossed on Sam’s fake dogs as he turned the rest of the meal. Her hand ghosted across his shoulder as she hid behind him as the others sprinted past on the lawn. Jake listened to her soft intake and release of breath as she tried to regulate, not unlike how she sounded after he had just sent her out of orbit. He grinned as her head pressed in between his shoulder blades.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he whispered. “You good?”

She dragged in one more breath. “It’s like playing with little kids. I’ve not had enough beer for this shit.”

He grinned as he felt her mouth plant a kiss to the nape of his neck before stepping away from him. He wanted to whine over the sudden loss of touch. He glanced over his shoulder as she let out a shriek. Sam was dragging her off the deck and back into the fray. Somewhere on the other side of the house, he heard Josh’s maniacal cackle. Puffing out his cheeks, he decided it was time to rein them in before-

“You fucking dumbass!” Sam belted out.

He debated returning to the grill and staying out of it, but then remembered that Violet was last in Sam’s hands. Whatever happened to him, happened to her. Rounding the corner, he froze at the sudden silence. Four pairs of eyes rolled up at him. Sam and Violet were in a tangle of limbs, covered in mud. Josh was some distance away, hose in hand, mud up to his thighs, feral gleam on his face like he’d hose anyone that came close. Danny was trying to help Violet up and seemed like he was just trying to sort the shit out.

“Remind me to send Mom and Dad a long assed apology - I think I fucking get it,” he rumbled as he grabbed hold of Violet’s hand and tugged her up. “You two can fucking use the hose to clean up and have damned shrinky dinks for a week from that well water. Fucking toddlers.”

He helped her onto the deck as she started laughing and seemed unable to stop. Jake grabbed towels from the downstairs bathroom as she made her way up to clean off. “Hey, Danny - get on this grill. Those two get the burnt shit.”

“Got it, Jake.”

He climbed the stairs, listening to her laughing. He closed and locked the bedroom door as he sat down on the small chair by the bathroom door. She was moving around, turning the shower on to make it easier to get the mud out of her hair.

“Hey,” he said softly, just loud enough for her to hear. “May I come in?”

There was a long pause. Long enough for him to be concerned that she was going to say no. He turned his chin down to listen at the door better.

“Only if you plan on fucking me, Jacob,” she answered, her tone wicked.

He felt the corner of his mouth stretch. He undressed quickly before stepping into the small bathroom. She was already under the water, hands in her hair. He took a moment to appreciate her form, her curves and lines and everything. Reaching for her hip, he was already growing hard for her. She smiled, eyes closed as he pressed himself against her.

The soft breath from her as she leaned into him was like a miracle. His whole body sparked for her, needed her, wanted her. One hand cupped her ass, while the other palmed her breast. She reached for his face, bringing him in for a kiss that had him moaning into her mouth. He slid his hand under her thigh and lifted it so that he could push his way in. His eyes squeezed tight as her heat shot through his body. He looked into her face, seeing the color swirl in her eyes, mixing with desire and emotion and lust as her jaw relaxed. Her lips parted, letting out a sigh that etched itself on his skin. Her fingernails dug into his shoulder and ribs as she held on. He moved slowly, taking his time to soak her in; taking the time to memorize each and every sound he could.

He had been serious when he called her body an amusement park. Every bit of her was something new he wanted to ride or explore or experience. He could feel her tightening against his dick as her breathing became faster. Bending, he bit into her nipple, shoving her towards her high, knowing full well he would be right behind her. He was so close, but before he could cum, she slapped his ass hard, bringing him back to her. She pushed him to the icy shower wall and fell to her knees. God bless this demonic angel, was his last coherent thought as she sucked him down. He watched as she pumped him in and out of her mouth. She watched her handiwork of making him unravel in a way that only she could do for him.

Violet sucked in the rapidly softening head of his dick before standing back up. Jake hissed at the feel that left him wrecked. He wrapped her tight against him. He kissed her shoulder as she started to giggle, then laugh.

“Leave it to you to make a dick joke when you’re pissed off,” she sighed as he turned off the water. “Shrinky dinks. I will never forget that one.”

“Fuckers,” he said as he was drying her back, paying close attention to her round bottom long enough to elicit a direct look at him in the mirror.

He dressed and shook out his hair as she was starting to try to dry her own hair. “I left something on the bed. A hint of later, maybe?”

She cooed as he kissed the back of her shoulder. He glanced at his hint on the bed before walking back downstairs. Josh, Danny and Sam were already eating on the deck, not bothering waiting when there was food involved. It was a house rule to live by. Grabbing a beer, he opted to wait for Violet to come down. He took time to clean up the grill and ignore his brother’s banter as he did so. There was too much shit to get done and all he wanted to do is throw a fucking tantrum like a child about only wanting to stay on that deck or in her house, in her bed with her until the very last possible moment.

Taking the grill implements back to the kitchen, he froze solid at the sight of her coming down the stairs. Dressed in shredded, cuffed, tight jeans, she wore her fucking pirate shirt, but it was tied across her belly. The messy braid made a comeback as well. He felt his mouth open and stayed open as she batted her eyelashes at him.

“Looks like you need something stronger than that beer,” she noted as she grabbed two low ball glasses.

When she reached for the Chicken Cock, he noticed a line of navy that rose above the waist of her jeans. Looking closer, he discovered she was fucking wearing his g-string, tied on the sides to make it fit. He babbled as she strolled towards him, a grin on her face that felt like it was meant to kill.

“Better eat up, Jacob,” she whispered into his ear. “You’re going to need your strength tonight.”

“Yes, sir,” he returned as she placed a kiss on his cheek.

He tried to keep his breath from launching into race car mode. She let out a breathy laugh as she turned to fill a plate. His brothers cheered her return as she walked out to sit with them. It was a full minute after she left that he was finally able to move. The smell of her perfume and the subtle detail of what was to come had him pinned to the counter. He took a shaky sip before he joined the rest of them. She was going to ruin him in the best of the best ways and he would fucking welcome it.

***

Violet POV

The time had come to say goodbye. She was not ready for it. Her heart was pounding and her hands were shaking as she walked up to the house. Josh was not there to greet her as he had every time she visited. She knocked, but when no answer came, she pushed the door in to call out a loud ‘hello’ that seemed brassy and hard from her throat. Walking through the house made the finality of their leaving real. There were cases everywhere, equipment was stacked in one end of the living room as she passed. Stepping into the kitchen, she saw they were all outside on the deck, their faces turned away from her.

She stood for a long time, just watching them interact with each other. Each one was different from when she first saw them eight weeks prior. She could see that Sam was ready to return to his home with Jess. Danny looked phenomenal as he smiled and radiated a confidence that was not really there before. Josh was staring off into the woods like he wanted one more feral run through the thick swath of nature that was spread out in front of him, and probably do it naked in spite of the ticks. Jake sat apart, his face turned so that she could not really see him, but his posture was not his typical relaxed state.

Opening the door, they all turned towards her, smiles in place - all except for Jake. The sight of his softened eyes made her breath catch. He turned his face back from her like he was hiding.

“Hey all,” she said quietly as they stood to greet her. “Looks like you’re ready to go, huh?”

“Yeah,” Josh said. “Don’t mind the bomb that has barfed all over the place. The truck should be here at any time.”

He wrapped her up tightly, kissing her cheek with a dramatic mwah. She felt ridiculous that she did not really want to let him go, but when he flashed her his signature wide grin, she began to feel a little better. He laughed as he cupped her cheek and drew her back close to him.

“Hey, I’ve got some things I still gotta get done in there,” he said, looking back at the guys. “Sam, Danny, let’s check over things one more time, yeah?”

The three made a hasty retreat that was too obvious, leaving her to feel like they had just shoved her across hot coals. Jake stood up, but did not move. His smile, sad, barely breathed across his mouth, but he held a hand out to her and Violet took it like it was a lifeline.

They did not speak, just held on to each other. Violet could not find the words she wanted to put to voice. Her heart screamed at her to stop the madness, while her brain told her heart to fuck off. She breathed him in, her hand pressed into his skin, and her mouth found his.

“I don’t want to let go,” he whispered against her lips.

“I don’t want you to let me go,” she whispered back.

They stood, neither wanting to be the one to break the bond. He brushed her hair back from her face, then rested his forehead against hers. Violet felt the no-win situation pulse on her. Six months. If this was not real, six months would be nothing. Six months would feel like a breath. If it was real, it was going to be hell. It was going to be a hell that she had chosen to prove to them both that the emotions and feelings for each other were real. He studied her face, a hint of a smile finally kissing his mouth.

“Six months,” he whispered.

“Six months,” she said back.

“Where are they sending you?”

“I’ll know next week.”

“You will text me that information, right?”

“Yes.” She felt her eyes begin to well as he pressed his hand to her cheek. “You will let me know where you are from time to time? Can’t have you running off on a secret tour or something.”

He laughed. “How about I text you and show you what I’m looking at?”

“I can do that, too, if you want.”

“I think what you get to do is amazing, you know that right?”

The first tear hit, followed by the second. He brushed them away, only to watch as they were replaced. He pulled her in tight.

“Goddamn,” he whispered, the bang/rumble sound of the truck breaking through their bubble.

She peeked across his shoulder to see Danny let two guys in to start moving the cases of equipment. Jake kissed her neck. He started to let go as the door opened and Josh poked his head out.

“I know,” he said quietly to his twin, kissing her at her temple.

He led her back into the house by the hand. She paused as she saw the men grabbing all the big equipment and carrying it out to their truck. It was happening so fast. They were leaving. Jake was leaving. He was slipping his hand across the small of her back and pulling her close.

They walked out front, past the large truck and stood in the yard looking out across the lake. The guys walked out with their personal luggage and started stowing it into the rental vehicles. Jake kissed her before disappearing to get his own bags. Josh walked towards her, his smile melting her into a mess as he held out his arms for her.

“I will see you again,” he whispered in her ear. “I know this. You know this. Hell, he knows it, too. I don’t know why you two have to do this dance of wait and see, darling.”

“Can’t all be like you, Joshy, and throw caution to the wind,” she whispered back.

“Well, it’s stupid. I’m telling you now, that it’s stupid. Remember what we talked about on the raft our first time to the lake?” She nodded with a smile and fond memory. “You had something for the three of us, but you left Jake off, thinking he wasn’t looking for anything other than a piece of ass. He has been looking for his equal, his muse. He’s been looking for the one that would be worth growing up for, being responsible for. He found you.”

Violet sucked in a jagged breath as the tears escaped her eyes. She kissed his cheek, soaking in the last moments with the feral creature. Danny was next and the man nearly bowled Josh over. He hugged her tightly, his warmth flooding her senses to the point of overwhelming.

“It has been such a pleasure,” he said quietly. “You have made this whole trip.”

“You, sir, need to stay adorable,” she said, poking him in the chest. “Anytime you are ever close, you need to let me know. I may even play a round with you. Let you earn some of that beer back that you owe to Dad.”

“Will do, Vi,” he said with a wink.

Sam was lingering around the edges. His face seemed long.

“Get those baby cow eyes over here, Sticks,” she said, choking up.

“I’m going to miss you, Sunny girl,” he whispered in her ear. “Jess adores you, by the way. She thinks that she needs to call you and get your ass down to Nashville like now.”

“I’d love to spend time with her,” she said honestly. “She’s really remarkable.”

He twirled her hair with a mischievous smile. “Take care, Sunshine.”

“Oooo, must not be feeling lazy,” she teased, as he hugged her tight “Love you, too, Sticks.”

Jake appeared with his bags to toss into the truck. He seemed focused on getting out of there. Josh had keys in his hands and was getting his side set up. Danny and Sam had drifted back towards the car and were getting ready to leave. Jake caught Josh’s eye for a long moment before turning back to Violet. He walked towards her. She felt her body bend towards him like he was her planet. He placed his hand on her cheek, pulling her to him in a searing kiss that made her whimper against him.

“Shit, Jake,” she whispered. “Tell me I’m wrong about this and I will believe you.”

A soft snort and another kiss knocked her into oblivion. “I want you to know that I would say that in a heartbeat if I knew it was right. I can wait. You are worth it.”

Violet felt a sob break from her chest as he tried to soothe her. “I gotta go. I can’t be here for this.”

He kissed her, deeply, pushing his fingers into her hair to pull her as close to him as possible. His urgency against her matched her own. Violet could feel the tears running down her cheeks unchecked. She dragged in breaths when she could, not wanting to pull away.

“I don’t want to be an asshole,” Josh said loudly.

Jake tenderly bit her bottom lip before first withdrawing his mouth, then the rest of his face from her. Taking one more moment against him, she stepped from him, her breaths coming in soft gulps. One more look into those eyes. One more soft smile. Violet bolted to her truck and took off down the driveway. By the time she was driving past LP’s she had to pull into the parking lot. Her sobs overwhelmed her.

Tony must have been standing on the deck and heard a car. He appeared at her open window, a warm hand on her back.

“Come on, Violet honey,” he said gently. “Sounds like a whiskey moment.”

***

Jake’s POV

He blinked and she was gone. The only proof of her ever existing was how he could still feel her across his frame and taste the heat of her mouth. He could still hear her sounds and see her laid out before him when he closed his eyes. But Violet was gone.

Josh eased the Jeep up next to him, providing a hasty escape before Sam and Danny could see that the man whore had tears on his face. With both hands in his hair, he drew in a broken breath as he no longer could hold back the tide. Josh just hummed and ignored him as Jake was falling apart before they even reached the bottom of the driveway. For the briefest of moments, he thought that maybe Josh would take pity on him and turn towards her home, but the Jeep moved in the opposite direction. He felt like his insides were being ripped from him, lit on fire and shoved back in, flames and all.

Jake had fallen into a stupor by the time they reached the highway. Josh had started his playlist of sheer terror but it did nothing to evoke any kind of reaction from his twin. Each time he closed his eyes, he would see the musical notes that made up their time together. A twist of her mouth to a smile. A soft moan of her pleasure. The liquid glass of her eyes that framed her pain. Her victories. Her lows. Her bravery. His own cowardice. His own realizations about himself. He was such a dick about it all, everything and in between that he wanted to stomp on his own balls to punish himself. It churned within his gut. He expected that it would explode all over the windshield at any moment.

“Make it stop,” he whispered to himself.

Jake’s brows stitched together as Josh reached a hand across the center counsel, looping his hand into his own. It was like they were five and Jake had fallen off the high bar on the playground, but didn’t want anyone else to know he was hurt. Josh held his hand on the playground until it did not hurt anymore. He had always done that since infant on - holding Jake’s hand until the pain would disappear. Sometimes it was moments, sometimes it would be hours. He breathed out a sob. He had not needed his twin’s comforts since he could not remember when.

Josh continued to hum along to the music, eyes on the road, hand squeezing his brother when he would hear a breath that sounded off, or he had grown too quiet. They were twenty minutes from Grand Rapids when Jake finally needed to look at his phone. Josh took his hand back willingly, his eyes straying off the road momentarily.

“Thank you,” Jake said, his voice strained from the morning.

“It is going to be hell, you know. These next six months.” Josh turned off the music, his face more serious than Jake had seen in a long time.

“I’ve not even made it through the first damn hour. How am I going to survive six fucking months?” It was not a whine. It was not a complaint. Jake honestly did not understand the depth of what was going on.

“You’ll start small. Get through the hour. Move on to the next. Bury yourself in what we’ve been creating - which has been pretty amazing by the by. We’ll be here to distract and listen. You can hold your big brother’s hand whenever you need.”

Jake breathed out a laugh as Josh began to cackle.

“I love her.” He whispered the admission like it was the most fragile phrase in the world.

“I know you do. Violet knows, too. Trust that.”

***

Violet’s POV

First week of September

J: picture of flowers in Centennial Park, Nashville

V: picture of trees and water in Honduras

4th week of September

V: picture of kids playing in Guatemala

J: picture of his brothers in studio in LA

3rd week of October

V: picture of mountains in distance, Columbia

J: picture of walking in Savannah, Georgia

1st week of November

J: picture of snow on pine trees in Michigan

V: picture of her shadow on the edge of a dirt path Venezuela

Mid December

V: picture of savanna in Ethiopia

J: picture of empty, tiny, sad Christmas tree in his home

End of January

J: picture out the window of car in LA traffic

V: picture of rain on the savanna, ‘I’ve found my people! They’ve assigned me to this group permanently!’

2nd week of February

V: picture of herself with sunset on the savanna (taken by friend) ‘feeling more like how you see me every day’

J: picture of the guys in snow, arms open in varying widths until Jake had his arms fully around himself and labeled 'an air hug in progression'

2nd week of March

V: picture of her flight itinerary

J: picture of him with a kissy face taken by Josh, so extra noir flair added in

***

The last week of March found Violet on a flight home to the States. Her first stop included a six hour layover at Dulles in DC. She tried to clean up and weed out her light winter jacket to carry on her next leg of the trip. She parked herself in a cafe, drinking the largest coffee she could find. She called her parents to let them know she was back in the States. They sounded good. Happy. The next piece of the trip was a stop for two hours in Chicago. The air was cooler but heavy with humidity. She loaded up on coffee, knowing that she would arrive in Grand Rapids in the middle of the night also known as the middle of her early morning. Her dad was going to meet her to take her back home. They would fight over who was going to drive and her dad would win over the fact that she probably had two gallons of coffee over the course of her trip and couldn’t hold onto the steering wheel without shaking it violently all the way home.

Stepping off the plane in Grand Rapids was like stepping into an empty meadow compared to her arrivals in DC and Chicago. The space and the speed at which people moved were astronomically different. She felt like she could breathe, perhaps even stroll down to the baggage area, versus the all out heart exploding sprint that seemed to be required in the other airports. She called her dad to let him know she had landed and was waiting for her luggage. But he did not answer. She chalked it up to maybe he was in a spot where he couldn't answer the phone.

The sliding doors opened somewhere letting in a bone chilling, wet wind. Violet had not felt anything other than hot or dry or hot and dry for six months. Reaching for her jacket, she was quick to zip that lined baby up. The baggage seemed to take forever. Once again, she tried her dad, but nothing. She looked around to see if there was a kiosk that was still open, only to be disappointed. Not that she needed any more coffee.

Grabbing her case when it finally arrived, she turned back to the row of benches to take a perch and try to find her dad. A third try and he still did not answer. She debated calling her mom, but thought the better of it. She did not need family panic and drama at two in the morning. She opened her text feed from Jake, seeing that he was still radio silent from his last picture of him sitting in a chair holding a calendar with the day she was arriving home circled in thick marker.

She debated. She could go rent a car and get her ass home, all the while looking for her father in the ditches and dark corners on the road. She could see if there was a room available at one of the hotels around the airport to stay while she tried to figure out where her father was and why Mr. ‘I’m Three Hours Early To Everything’ was not there to pick his daughter up from a long ass flight from another continent.

“Looks like you could use a ride,” a voice came from behind her.

Her eyes rolled closed. Taking in a long, slow breath, she felt her heart and brain explode with emotions that made every nerve tingle. Looking over her shoulder at Jake, she smiled. He sat down next to her. His hand brushed against her hair, landing on her cheek.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he whispered before leaning in close. “May I?”

“If you don’t, I am going to-”

His mouth crashed against hers. She felt her emotions boil under her skin. He was real. What she felt was real. He laughed against her as she realized that she was crying.

“Oh my,” she whispered, her hands on both sides of his face. “This is fucking real.”

He kissed her again, pulling her as close as possible until the idea hit them both that although they were in a nearly abandoned airport in the middle of the night, they still were not totally alone. They laughed as he stood and pulled her up with him.

“Okay, out with it. How’d you pull this off?” she asked as he wrapped his arm across her waist and started walking towards the parking garage.

“I called LP’s and talked to Tony and he got me to Charlie,” he said with a smile. “You know, your dad is going to hold me to that beer wager.”

“Damn right he is.”

“I flew in a few hours ago and got a car. Been waiting ever since.”

“How is everybody?”

“They wanted to come along, but I said I had dibs.”

She laughed. Her heart and brain were shaking hands in truce. Violet was not totally together, but she was strong. Somehow, she had Jake, an amazing job, good family and friends. She felt blessed.

“What’s going on in that brain of yours? Something filthy, I hope.”

She felt the top of her cheeks blush a bit. The look of satisfaction on his face made her blush even more. “Well… Actually… After we fuck the hell out of each other, I’m thinking my inner pirate wants to come out to play.”

He smiled as he started the car. The sparkle was in his eyes as he leaned over and kissed her. In the softest voice he could, he said, “Yes, sir.”

The End *whew*

A/N: I feel like I need to put in here that though this is a piece of fiction that mentions domestic abuse, it is a topic that cannot be repaired until we all are on the same page. I admit, my experience with this, both as a person who suffered without knowing until much later in life what emotional abuse looked like, as well as physical, is limited to incidents in my early adolescence when I had no clue what was going on. If you would like to discuss this, I'm open - let's talk, openly and honestly. It is the only way to bring change.

@lvnterninthenight @doodle417 @luverleaver @niallsboxx @jakesgrapejuice @fictional-duchess @maverick-rose @joshkiszkas-admin

#jake kiszka x oc #jake kiszka fanfic #jake kiszka smut #jake gvf #jake kiszka

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countrymusiclover · 11 months

Text

39 - The Slow Side...You're Wrong

Part 40

Country Rancher

Tags @whateverthecostner @rosie-posie08 @kayceduttonn @kcloveswrestling @the-morning-star-falls @kaymudd @hcwthewestwaswcn

Kayce, Lee and I all climbed down our horses from our day ride. Holding Kayce’s head down while I climbed down my horse. My boots hit the dirt as the sun was setting on the horizon. “So what did you think of the land, Y/n?”

“It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.” I responded to Lee’s question where he took the reins of my horse and led them towards the barn.

Kayce led his own following us as we walked until he walked beside me where I had to look up since he was taller than I am. “That’s good that you enjoyed it. So uh….would you be okay with going to get some dinner with me tonight or some other time?”

“Wait a minute. Are you asking me out on a date, Kayc?” Whipping my head around when I spun on my feet I blush not expecting to have him ask me that when we had just met a few hours ago. I mean he was an attractive guy but again we had just met this morning.

He gently put his horse in the stall shutting the door behind the horses tail where Lee had already left us alone. He hung up the white cowboy hat he was wearing on a hook showing his curly brown hair for my view. “Uh yeah. I get it if you don’t want to…”

“I’d like to do that. I’d like to go on a date with you sometime, Kayce.” Taking his hat off of my head, handing it back to him where he set it on his head smiling at me.

He gestured towards the door where I followed him to the front porch never dreaming that I would call this place home thirteen years later. “Good. I’ll pick you up from your parents at six.”

Dallas and Elsa were playing on the front porch when Tate and I were coming back from the fields since he had asked if he could help us out. It would be a few more weeks before John, Rip and the remaining bunkhouse workers return to the ranch after being away. “When is Bree gonna stop walking around the house with a bouncy belly?”

“Tate, be nice to your sister now.” I warned him with a raised brow kicking my horse in the belly to race back to the barn with him in tow behind me.

Once we reached the barn he dismounted his horses sitting his tan hat on the saddle making a face at me. “Have you seen her belly? It looks like she might explode or something.”

“Hey, what did I just say.” Spinning on my feet I waved my fingers at him where he raised his hands up in the air following me towards the main house. “And even though she feels like crap right now. You need to remember that you will be an uncle soon. That is just as important as being an older brother.”

Walking up the front porch steps I held the door opened letting Tate inside first. The second we stepped inside I caught a whiff of the smell of baked goods almost. Finding my way into the kitchen I halted in my tracks seeing that there was a mess of flour and other ingredients on the kitchen floor. “Mommy, we’re making biscuits!” Elsa threw her hands up, flinging her messy hands around my knock where I almost dropped her on the floor.

“Oh Elsa!” I grunt shifting my hands underneath her butt so her head was laying on my shoulder. “Who’s idea exactly was this?”

Bree sat down the oven mits after closing the oven where the biscuits are cooking. Her stomach was round and a lot bigger where Tate was right that she did look like a balloon. “The baby has been craving biscuits so I was trying to recreate the recipe that was marked as grandma Evelyn’s. But Elsa decided to throw half the ingredients around like a monkey.”

“Woah what are ya’ll doing down here?” Someone came down the stairs where I turned my head seeing it was Dallas and Kayce who was carrying his guitar in his hands.

“Trying to make your mothers famous biscuits it seems. But I doubt she was as messy as this one is.” I tickled Elsa by her feet where she squealed until I sat her back down on the wooden floor.

Dallas ran up to his sister and picked up some flour from the floor throwing it on her. “Flour fights!” She begins throwing some back at him and it goes on for a few minutes.

“Why do you have the guitar. I thought you only sang songs around our anniversary. I mean not that I’m complaining, I’m just curious.” Crossing my arms over my chest I smiled at my cowboy husband seeing him take a seat on the main couch in front of the fireplace.

He sat the instrument on his lap eyeing our eldest daughter. “Hey B, bring a towel down so your messy siblings can sit. Tate, go help her then come here. I heard a song on the radio that I think is talking about me and your mother a little bit. So I thought I’d try it out myself.”

“Alright Kayc, let’s hear this song from the radio.” I clasped my hands together plopping down beside him. Tate and Bree managed to wrangle their twin siblings, all four sitting down in front of us.

Kayce began strumming his fingers on the guitar strings avoiding our gaze for a moment as he played. “Well, you know how it goes. When you meet somebody. That you like somebody. Wanna hold somebody. But you just can't stand. To think about somebody. As another somebody. Becoming someone else. When it all goes to hell. Why can't we keep it on the sweet side. See how it feels to take a slow ride. This time.”

“So you try to run away from the one somebody. That you like somebody. Wanna hold somebody. But you can't stay away from the one somebody. 'Cause there ain't nobody else running through your dreams. So we complicate things.” He began shifting his gaze upward seeing that the kids were now clapping to the beat.

I grinned at him where we met the others gaze where I started tapping my boots on the wooden floor. “Why can't we keep it on the sweet side. See how it feels to take a slow ride. This time. You don't need to meet my mama. You don't need the key to my house. We don't need to dream and plan and scheme. Ain't nothing here to figure out.”

“Wouldn't it be nice just to find somebody. That you like somebody. Wanna hold somebody. And you didn't have to worry about losing somebody. 'Cause you pushed somebody, a little too hard, too fast. I could use some of that.” Kayce and I slowly sang in unison where we both started laughing together finishing the song. “I wanna get back on the sweet side. I wanna get back on the slow ride. Want every kiss to give me butterflies. See that oh, baby come here look in your eyes. This time.This time.”

Bree got to her feet grinning brightly at her father resting her hands on her stomach. “That was great dad…oh!” She bent her knees a little, moaning in pain.

“Bree!” Jumping to my feet I rushed towards her placing a hand on her shoulder trying to figure out what was wrong with her.

Kayce jumped up to his feet shortly after hearing the front door opened and Carter hung his hat on the wall seeing that we were all concerned about something. “What is going on here?”

“Mom, dad, what’s happening?” Dallas and Elsa huddled to their feet alongside Tate when he stared at his sister.

Bree bent down lower to the wooden floor once Carter had rushed over to her side and I gasped seeing water coming from between her legs since she was wearing just a dress and some socks after her shorts were tighter. “Oh my god. I think the babies coming.”

“Oh shit!” Carter cursed under her breath getting a glare from me. “Um sorry.”

Kayce and I frantically turned our head towards one another sharing the same terrified look that we weren’t expecting this yet. Her due date wasn’t supposed to be until the rest of the family got back in town. “Call the helicopter!”

Comments really appreciated ❤️

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gretavangroupie · 11 months

Text

Vigilance (Chapter 11)

Word count: 25.5k

Pairings: Jake x OC, Jake x Reader, Sam x OC

Warnings: 18+ as always, drinking, smoking, language, fluff, angst, smut.

This story is a collaboration with my best pal @gretavanmoon. Please go show her some love!

STRANGE HORIZONS: BRIDGEPORT

ONE DAY BEFORE SHOW

HER POV

You pull the ticket from the parking meter as you make your way into the garage, circling around and around trying to find an empty space to park. It was similar to the thoughts in your mind, circling round and round hoping to find one that didn’t include Jake. You waited for that to happen, but it never did.

It had been two weeks since you left Nashville, and you only returned now because you had to. You wanted nothing more than to stay isolated on the sand of that sunny beach in North Carolina. Nothing but the sound of crashing waves and the feeling of the sun on your skin. A momentary escape from the real world. From your real thoughts. Your real feelings. Or at least, that's what you hoped would happen.

Your eyes caught an empty space, quickly turning into it and sitting in park. You took a deep breath as you grabbed your things from the front seat, and stepped out into the humid Tennessee air. You knew this wasn’t going to be easy, nothing ever was when it came to Jake.

Your trip was supposed to clear your head, not sully it further. Caught in the crossfire of your own mind, you spent each day trying to sort out your thoughts. Find the solution you were looking for. But as the days dwindled down with no answer, you felt as if you left Nashville feeling better than when you returned to it. And now as you walked into the airport completely hazy, you wished you were still there wallowing in your own suffering on that quiet little beach.

You perched yourself on one of the overly stiff couches outside of the ticket counter, pulling your phone from your bag to check the group chat. You hadn’t spoken to any of them since you left. Well, not really anyways. Just one email with their travel information, thoroughly detailed just so that they wouldn’t have any reason to reach out. But they did. Mainly Sam. Even a few messages rolled in from Josh. Those didn’t bother you so much. It was the messages from Jake that got to you. Each one left on read.

The truth is that you didn’t know what to say. You were hurt and confused. You believed the things Josh told you about Jake that day in the green room. Believed him when he said he loved you. That he wanted you. But reality hit you that morning in his hotel room. He had slept with Summer. He didn’t want you. He just wanted someone.

But what right did you have to be upset about that? You were sleeping with Sam. His brother, for god’s sake. That was not lost on you. You had no room to talk. So you didn’t. And now here you sat, counting down the minutes until you would have to face him again.

As the group walked through the sliding doors, you could hear them before you saw them. They stepped into the clearing looking left and right, until finally spotting you. You watched as they rolled their suitcases towards you, Sam breaking into a full out sprint. You braced yourself for the hug you were about to receive as he wrapped his arms around you pulling you up from the couch.

He spun around in a circle before setting you back on your feet, and looking you over. His eyes flashed to the phone in your hand, “Wow, so that thing does work!” he laughed.

“Yeah, I was starting to think you were dead?” Josh joked.

You grabbed your bag from the couch, as you started to lead the group over to the ticketing counter, “What, can a girl not take a little unplugged vacation?” you asked, not planning on letting them in on the real reason you left.

Sam threw his arm around your shoulder as you continued to walk, “I just wish you would have told me. I was starting to worry if you were even going to be here today.” he laughed nervously.

“Of course I’m here Sammy…where else would I be?” you say, knowing deep down, it would be anywhere but here.

—

“You look awfully tan, where did you run off to anyways?” Sam asks, tossing peanuts into his mouth.

You look up from your book, trying to keep yourself occupied so that no one would try to strike up a conversation, which clearly wasn’t working. “North Carolina. Emerald Isle… It sounded…peaceful.” you answered.

“You didn’t text me back…” he trailed off.

“I know. I didn’t text anyone back. I just needed some time. Speaking of time…” you said looking at your phone, “We should be boarding in a few minutes.”

Your knee began to bounce nervously as the time drew nearer, the anxiety setting in about the impending flight.

Sam noticed, placing his hand on your arm. “Just like last time. It will be fine.”

—

You had to admit, one of the perks of the job was flying first class with the rest of the guys. As someone who felt uneasy about flying in the first place, the extra space and free alcohol seemed to help calm those nerves, at least while the plane was still on the ground. As you made your way to your seat you looked for Sam, but as you arrived next to him you saw the wrong seat number. Glancing down at your ticket in confusion, you saw your number was actually the next row back. I thought I was next to Sam, maybe I’m next to Daniel?

You slide into the aisle seat, and pull out your phone. The guys file in behind you, reading the strip of numbers as they find their seats, but when Daniel walks past you, you feel the bile start to rise in your stomach. You begin to mentally flip through the bookings desperately trying to remember who was supposed to sit where. You were absolutely positive you placed yourself next to Sam. This couldn’t be right.

As you try to pull up the booking information on your phone, the gravelly voice that has been playing in your head for weeks rings out clear as day, “Looks like I’m right there.”

Your eyes flash up to meet his, partially hidden by the blue tinted lenses. You stand up, and step out into the aisle, letting him past you but not without being overtaken by the smell of his cologne. He tosses his backpack under the seat in front of him, before buckling his seatbelt and crossing his legs. You slide back into your seat, resituating yourself and turning your face back to your phone.

“Hey Jake…” Sam says, turning around, pushing his face between the openings of the seats.

Jake lifts his head to look at him, raising his eyebrows.

“She’s a nervous flier…” Sam says, causing Jake to turn his attention to you.

You shrug your shoulders in agreement and he nods his head, “It will be over quick.” he says, sending you a gentle smile.

Sam sits back down in his seat, and you lean down to grab your book from your bag, rustling around in the overly full abyss until your fingers find the dog-eared pages.

The flight attendant greets the two of you taking your drink orders and returning immediately with the beverages. As you sip on your tequila soda, Jake follows suit taking small sips of his Jack and Coke. “These should help, no?” he asks.

You glance up at him and you can tell that there is a sense of nervousness in his question, almost as if he was afraid to speak to you.

You swallow quickly, “Maybe. I–I hope so.” you answer, taking in the sight of him in what you’ve come to know is his favorite black button up. Made of soft cotton and broken in just right. A staple from his slim collection, paired with a pair of worn-in jeans, rolled at the ankles as his legs sit crossed comfortably in front of him.

He takes you in just the same, admiring the glow of your sunkissed skin, further enhancing the small sprinkle of freckles on your arms, only visible during the warm summer months. He pries his eyes away from you so as not to stare, but you find yourself wishing for his gaze to return. Missing the feeling of his eyes on you.

You continue to sip at your drink, hoping the alcohol would work faster in aiding your fears but as the attendants ended their safety demonstration you knew your time was almost up. Throwing back the rest of the drink, you sat the empty cup in the tiny cup holder in front of you, wishing it would somehow magically refill in the next ten seconds.

The plane began to taxi the runway as your knee started to bounce nervously. You ran your sweaty palms over the tops of your bare legs, in an attempt to rid yourself of some of your nervous energy. Suddenly the plane began to accelerate, tearing down the runway rapidly moving almost as quickly as your heart rate. Your hands gripped the arm rests as the negative G’s began to pull you backwards.

Squeezing your eyes tightly shut you felt the plane lifting off the ground. But the other thing you felt was the warm, soft hand that came to rest on your bouncing knee, instantly calming the action beneath it. Opening your eyes at the contact you were taken aback. The two of you had hardly spoken two words to each other, but for some reason this was different. This wasn’t him making a move on you. No, this was Jake doing what he did best. Providing the calm energy that flowed through his veins to someone who needed it.

You could feel it, transferring from his skin to yours, feeling your body physically relax at his gentle touch. His hand rested on the top of your bare thigh, burning into your skin like scorching flames. The fire traveling through your leg and up into your chest, weaving paths through your body until it completely consumed you.

The weight of his hand was sure and steady as it rested there, a place he hadn’t touched in years, but what only felt like minutes. As the plane continued to gain altitude his hand remained, waiting there until he felt it was safe to remove it. Part of you hoping he never did.

You could feel his fingers as they sunk into the soft flesh of your thigh, his calloused fingertips gliding up and down just barely noticeable unless you were watching. Which you were. You could hardly peel your eyes away from it. When the plane hit a tiny bit of turbulence on the ascent you found your hand flying down to lay on top of his, grasping for something solid. Something safe.

His head snapped to look at you, your eyes flicking up to his, full of panic and never breaking contact until the plane slowly began to level out at the final cruising altitude. You swallowed nervously, releasing your hand from his. His index finger raising to meet your palm as you pulled your hand away. Such a simple action sending a twist into your stomach and a chill down your spine.

Then suddenly his hand was gone. The warmth from where it once sat now met with the cool cabin air. You were sure if you looked down you would see a fiery red print of his hand left emblazoned on your skin, but as your eyes glanced down you saw nothing. No mark, no sign, no trace that it ever happened. However, you could still feel it there, almost as if it never really left.

But that was Jake. Leaving his invisible mark on you. One you could never see but would always feel. No matter how hard you tried not to. That’s how you knew this wasn’t really over. Not even close.

—

You catch him out of the corner of your eye, peeking over the pages of his book to grab a glimpse of you. His book, seemingly far less interesting than the thought of you sitting next to him on this flight. You smile to yourself each time you see him do it, wondering what he must be thinking as his eyes trail up and over the pages.

You bury your nose in your own book, hoping to immerse yourself in the pages in front of you, momentarily taking you out of your own reality. At least that's how you felt when you started it. Now, you weren’t quite sure you wanted to be anywhere other than right here. It was stupid of you, you thought. Your heart flip flopping on how it felt about him every other minute. You loved him, yes, but that didn’t necessarily mean you liked him right now. How simple was it for him to change that thought with just the touch of his hand? Which brought you circling back to your argument of why it even mattered to you that he slept with Summer, since you two had given each other no indication of your feelings for each other, or if they even really existed.

In a frustrated huff you closed your book and set it on your lap, rubbing your fingers over your eyes. You could feel his eyes on you as you opened your own, setting your hands to rest in your lap.

You turn your head to face him, his eyes wide as he realizes he's been caught in the act this time. You raise an eyebrow at him, as he closes his book and tucks it under his leg. You watch him swallow nervously as he goes to speak, “How was your…trip?” he asks, his voice low and cautious.

His eyes search yours as he waits to hear your answer, but begins to second guess himself. “Or, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I can just keep reading my book...”

“It was…warm. But not what I expected. I don’t think I care too much for the Atlantic Ocean.” you answer.

He chuckles under his breath, holding up the book that was just under his leg. ‘We The Drowned’ adorning the cover. “Some of the most interesting shipwrecks took place in the Atlantic.” he says flipping through the pages of the book.

“Probably because it’s one of the most dangerous in the world.” you offered.

“That it is, but beauty hides in danger you know…” he replies, in his usual cryptic way, just before changing the subject. “Why did you go? On your trip…” he asks.

“To… get out of Nashville.” you answer, not completely a lie.

He looks to the floor, nodding his head, “Ahh…To get away from me.”

His eyes look to yours, and he finds his answer as he plays with the rolled edges of his book.

“No…” you squeak out.

A soft push of air leaves his nose and a smile curls his lips, “I can still tell when you’re lying you know…” he says, turning to look at you.

Of course he can.

“I just wanted to go…Somewhere quiet where I could think…Figure some things out. Find some answers. Just needed a little bit of me time.” you answer.

“And did you find your answers?” he asks, bringing his fingertips to his chin.

“No.” you reply defeatedly.

He runs his fingers over hip lips, thinking about his response almost as if he knew he had the answer you needed, “It will come to you. When you least expect it.”

—

You all stand in front of the luggage carousel, looking for your bags as they circle around, waiting to be plucked from the line. Jake’s words circled through your mind just the same, ‘When you least expect it…’ You wondered what he meant.

Sam threw his arm around you as he took a spot next to you, “How was it? You good?” he asks.

“It was fine, although I swear I booked our seats together.” you answer.

“I don’t see any blood, so it looks like you two didn’t kill each other.” he laughs.

You elbow his ribs, sending him hurdling dramatically into Daniel.

You watch as he and Daniel begin to collect their bags and instrument cases, placing them onto the rolling cart. You watch patiently for yours, knowing it will be coming around any second.

You spot it, stepping forward to grab it but it's Jake’s hand that takes the handle, yanking it from the belt. Shocked, you turned to look at him, “How did you know that was mine?”

“Oh, uh, I saw it when we got to the airport this morning. I guess I just remembered what it looked like.” he said with a soft hopeful smile.

“Well thanks, I could have grabbed it, you didn’t have to do that…” you trail off.

“I know. I wanted to.” he says, placing the suitcase on the cart. He turns back, grabbing his guitar case as it passes, and you all start to make your way to the exit. Pulling your phone from your bag, you pull up the information for the pickup spot and lead the way.

—

Loading five suitcases and two instrument cases into a van proved to be more difficult than you anticipated. After roughly twenty minutes of luggage tetris you were on your way to the hotel, fully ready to have a drink. The ride was relatively quiet, Sam spent most of the time showing you pictures on his phone of all of the things he did over the past two weeks that he didn’t get to tell you about, flicking away the messages that would occasionally pop up across the screen.

You felt bad about leaving Sam hanging, not even mentioning you were leaving. But you knew if you told him, he would come to you. He would find you, and fuck you until you couldn’t remember your own name. So you said nothing, and simply left without even so much as a text. But as you laid on that beach it wasn’t Sam you thought of.

The van pulling into the hotel drop off snapped you back to the present. Everyone began to file out, pulling the carefully arranged bags from the back one by one until yours was the last one left, and sure enough there was Jake again to lend a hand. You blushed as he rolled it towards you with a subtle nod.

You grabbed your phone as you made your way into the lobby, telling the guys you would be back with their room keys. But as you approached the front desk and gave the man your confirmation number, he turned you away stating that your check in time was not until 4:00 pm and it was only 2:30. You pulled up your confirmation, to show him where you had selected an early check in, but to your surprise it wasn’t there. You hadn’t done it. Now, this wouldn’t have been a problem if the guys didn’t have to be in the van and ready to go at 3:45 to head to the venue. But they did, and you needed to figure this out quickly.

You fumbled with the iPad in your bag trying to pull it out of the mess, thoughts swirling a mile a minute. You placed yourself on one of the lobby chairs and began checking times and booking information. You were so sure you selected early check in? How did you manage to get two things wrong in one day?

You just need to call the venue and tell them you’ll be late, then call the van driver and tell him the new time, and everything will be fine. Except it wasn’t. The venue was more than willing to accommodate the later meeting, however the van driver had another pick up and wouldn’t be able to come back until 5:30, pushing everything back significantly. You had no choice but to agree. Your hands were tied.

The guys all walked through the door as you hung up with the driver, seeing the look of panic on your face as they approached you.

“We good to go?” Josh asked.

“Not exactly... Apparently I forgot to request an early check in, so they wont let us into our rooms for another hour and a half.” you say.

“You forgot? What do you mean you forgot?” Josh asks, furrowing his brow.

“I swear I selected it, I’m not sure what happened but it definitely is not on our booking, and the receptionist was not budging.” you answer.

“Great…” he gripes. “Don’t we have to be at the venue in like an hour?”

“Yeah, you do. I just got off the phone with your driver and told him they wont let us check in until later and that you would need to be picked up later than planned. I called the venue and they were fine with pushing the meeting back, but the driver can't come until 5:30 now, due to a previously scheduled pickup. But I–” Josh’s voice suddenly interrupted you.

“Y/N, are you fucking serious?” Josh asks.

You recoiled at the harshness of his words. He didn’t let you finish.

“I’m sorry?” you ask.

“This isn’t some fun little vacation Y/N, this is work. This is your job. It is your job to make sure shit like this doesn’t happen! Our whole day is going to be thrown off because you forgot to do something? I thought you could handle this! You can't even deal with an early check in? Do you know how bad this makes us look to the venue staff?” he seethes, shaking his head. “Maybe if you weren’t so far up my brother's asses you would have more time to focus on what you’re actually here to do. Maybe I was wrong about you.”

You feel your eyes well with tears and overwhelming guilt take over your body. Your eyes leave his and look down to the floor in embarrassment.

Was he right?

JAKE POV

“Josh!” you yell, you can feel your blood boiling under your skin.

His eyes snap to you in a silent ‘what’.

“That’s fucking enough! What is wrong with you?! Since when do you talk to people like that, let alone Y/N? You prick, you’re lucky she doesn’t quit on the spot and leave your ass to figure this shit out for yourself! Unbelievable.” you continue, shaking your head. “You know she is doing a damn good job, you said it yourself a week ago! Sure it's an inconvenience, but are you really going to stand here and say you’ve never made a mistake? Get a grip Josh.”

His face softens and demeanor shifts, he knows you’re right, whether he will admit it or not.

Daniel turns to her, placing his hand on her arm, “Y/N, don’t listen to him. I don’t know what crawled up his ass. You’re doing great, I’m sure everything will work out fine.”

Your eyes flick over to hers, filled with tears but trying her best not to crack in front of all of you. Don’t break baby, hold strong. You watch as she swallows down the lump in her throat, and turns away, walking back to the front desk.

When she is out of earshot you step up closer to Josh, grabbing him forcefully by the back of his neck, and growling into his ear, “Don’t ever let me hear you talk to her like that again, or you and I are going to have a fucking problem. Understand?” you say, releasing him with a push. He shrugs you off and turns away.

You look over to Sam, who is completely oblivious to everything around him as he talks on the phone in the corner. Who the fuck is he talking to? Why is he not over here defending her?

Josh pulls out his phone and ignores you as you stand there watching him, wondering what the fuck came over him to make him snap like that. You see Y/N walking back towards the group, with room keys and a stoic expression.

She clears her throat to address the group, “I talked to the manager and explained the situation. She issued us our keys. I’m gonna go to my room and change, and make a few calls but I will send you all a text when the van gets here.” she says, completely dejected not making eye contact with any of you.

She passes out the keys to each of you, eyes full of sadness as she hands Josh his last. “Sorry I’m not what you expected. I understand if you need to find someone else.”

She turns and walks away, her suitcase rolling next to her as she makes her way to the elevator. Fuck.

Daniel turns to Josh, “God damn dude. If that’s how you treat your friends, I would hate to be your enemy.”

—

Tapping your keycard to the door you enter your room, which is much larger and nicer than the last hotel, with a stunning view of the ocean. You set your things on the table and open the curtains, fully taking in the beauty of the Atlantic, smiling to yourself as you thought back to your conversation with Y/N just a few short hours ago.

You knew she was going to run. She always did. If she was hurt, really hurt, she was going to run away, and isolate herself. Completely shut the world out trying to close herself off from the pain, hoping that it wouldn’t find her wherever she was going. But it always did, it was written all over her face as you saw her at the airport this morning. You couldn’t exactly blame her, you were hurting too.

You kicked off your boots, as you made your way over to the bed, laying down into the fluffy white duvet with a sigh. The feeling of her skin against your hand playing on repeat in your mind. You weren’t sure why you did it, instinct maybe, but you don’t regret it. You could feel her relax at your touch. You still had that effect on her. It gave you hope. Hope that maybe she didn’t hate you. Hope that maybe she would hear you out. You wanted to show her that she could trust you. That you were always there for her. Vigilant for her.

But now you lay here picturing her face as Josh berated her just a few minutes ago. The tears in her eyes and the pain on her face. How could he say that? Right in front of everyone. You wanted to grab her, take her away and tell her he was wrong. Hold her until she believed you. But you couldn’t.

You force yourself up from the bed, scanning the room for the mini bar. You pull one of the mini bottles from the cabinet, along with a tonic water and mix together the tequila and bubbles. It would at least take the edge off.

You walk over to the couch and sit, staring out at the ocean as you sip your drink. You watch the waves as they kiss the rocky shoreline, only for a moment before being pulled away again, but knowing it will be a short time before they return once more. A hopeful sentiment that was so applicable to you. You began to wonder if Josh was right. Would she return to you? Would she come back?

Your phone buzzed in your pocket. Leaning over you pulled the shiny black device into view, knowing it was probably just the group chat, but to your surprise it wasn’t.

2:57pm: Is he right?

Oh god, she is still tearing herself up.

You

2:58pm: No, not this time.

You want to say more, but you don’t. You were shocked she even messaged you to begin with. You scrolled up, looking at the messages you sent her or the last few weeks, all read but never responded to. You didn’t expect her to, but you still hoped. A few minutes pass, your knee anxiously bouncing as you wait to see if she will message you again.

3:01pm: Thank you for saying what you did.

You

3:02pm: It’s true, you know. You are doing a good job. I’m proud of you.

3:05pm: Thanks…I needed that. For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you too.

Your heart leaps in your chest. She is proud of you. Just as you go to reply, a text comes across the screen in the group chat.

3:10pm: Change of plans…Driver will be here in 20. Sorry for the confusion, we are back on schedule. See you in the lobby.

—

Anxiety swirls in your chest as you ride the elevator down. The line of communication had been reopened, you were making progress. You were nervous to see her after your text exchange just minutes ago, but as the doors opened to the lobby, it wasn’t her that you saw, it was Josh talking to Summer.

You walked past them, nodding your head as a hello, and pulling your phone from your pocket. You hadn’t spoken to Summer about what happened, unsure what to say in the moment without blowing up on her. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t know what she was doing when it happened. As far as you knew she had no idea about you and Y/N, and you planned to keep it that way. But what you didn’t want was for Y/N to step off the elevator and see you talking to her. You made your way over to a couch and began to scroll through Instagram.

A few minutes later, Sam and Daniel join you on the couch making small talk while mindlessly scrolling on their own phones. Y/N was the last one down, her cheeks still slightly swollen from the remnants of her inevitable break down when she got back to her room. A pang shot through your chest at the thought, followed closely by anger knowing that Josh caused it. You swallowed back your emotions as she made her way over to the group, sending her a soft smile as she approached.

“Have everything you need?” she asks the group. Summer and Josh, walking over to join you.

You all stand to meet her, grabbing your cases and heading over towards the door. She buries her face in her iPad, checking the schedule as you walk behind her before climbing into the van.

—

After a short ride, you’re walking through the door at the venue, depositing your guitar with your tech, making sure he has ample time to do his job before you need it, then returning back to the group.

You watch as inconspicuously as possible as Y/N goes over details with the venue staff, signing paperwork, and discussing timelines. You won't soundcheck until tomorrow morning, but the venue requested you be present during the stage set up. So here you sat, watching as the stage you so loved grew on the once empty platform.

After about an hour, the stage was built and the crew was adding the finishing touches. Josh approached you and Daniel talking on the side of the stage, “Should we go eat? You guys hungry?” he asked.

“I’m always hungry. Where do you want to go? What’s around here?” Daniel replies.

“Ask Sam, he always knows a place.” You suggest. Josh nods and goes to find Sam in search of a restaurant.

“You think he’s gonna apologize?” Danny asks.

“He needs to. I think he hurt her feelings pretty bad.” you reply.

“Yeah?” he asks.

“She texted me, after we all got into our rooms. I couldn’t believe it honestly. Asked me if he was right.” you say.

“Damn, he got to her.” he says.

“Think so. I think he knows he fucked up too. Hasn’t talked to her since.” you say shoving your hands into your pockets.

Daniel nods his head, “You know how he is…I’m sure he will. He just has to find the right arrangement of words.”

—

Sam did in fact have a restaurant in mind, only two blocks away from the hotel. A swanky little seafood restaurant that overlooked Port Jefferson. Leave it to Sam to find the most expensive oysters in Connecticut.

The van dropped you off outside, and you all scurried inside the large glass doors. You rode the elevator up to the top floor of the building, all of you huddled into the small space. When the doors opened you stepped out into the large waiting area that held the hostess stand. Y/N stepped up, giving the girl the name on the reservation she was miraculously able to book at the last minute.

You don't know how Josh could ever justify saying the things he did when she was able do things like this. The hostess led you to a large table littered with candles and polished glasses that shone in the flicker of the candle light. Everyone chose a seat, and for once you sat as far away from Josh as you could. Y/N clearly had the same idea, taking the seat between you and Sam.

You all began flipping through the menus over small talk, looking over the extensive drink menu and discussing the options. As your eyes scanned over the list you decided you wanted to take it easy tonight. Maybe prove to yourself that you could handle your emotions without the help of hard liquor. So you decided to stick to wine, ordering a glass of Chardonnay, but not without ridicule from Sam.

As the waiter brought out everyone's drinks you began to sip the crisp white, a perfect pairing with the overpriced oysters sitting on the table. You tried not to stare as you watched Y/N tip the oyster shell to her lips, the action sending a jolt straight to your groin. Your eyes traveled down her neck, watching as she swallowed before taking in the rest of her. Her burgundy dress held her curves just right, her hair hanging in waves around her shoulders. She was so pretty. She always was.

Sam turns to look at you, catching you in the act as you study her. Your guilty eyes flick up to his, and you watch a sly grin cross his face. “Jake, did you know oysters are an aphrodisiac?” he says, sending you a wink.

The fuck? Did she see that?

“Are you going to tell me that every time we eat oysters, Sammy?” you ask.

“No, I’ve just never seen them in action before.” he quips.

Your jaw clenches and you grab your wine taking a long swig, hoping the redness of your cheeks is concealed by the glass. As you return it to the table, Sam sparks a new conversation with her, pulling her attention from his comments as he raises an eyebrow in victory. He wins this round.

After a delicious meal and a few glasses of wine, you felt the anxiety in your chest start to wither away. Everyone was laughing and talking freely now, as if the incident in the lobby hadn’t even happened. Y/N and Sam were giggling with each other, and you were just happy to hear her laugh again. She had her fair share of alcohol tonight, a French 75 being her drink of choice for the evening. Her cheeks were flushed and her guard was lowered, the quiet and collected facade she typically wore had dissipated.

When the waiter came by to ask if the group wanted another round, she declined, stating that she probably had too much already, laughing as she said it.

“Just have one more! Come on, we’re all getting another, right Jake?” Sam asked..

You could see her thinking about it, the way the little crease in her brow appeared as she debated with herself. She looked over to Josh, his own cheeks red as he animatedly spoke to Summer. Then she turned to you, to hear your response, her eyes twinkling in the candle light. With a gentle smile you leaned in to whisper, “You should get another, you earned it. I’m not drinking anymore, but don’t tell Sam.”

You saw her nose crinkle with a smile as she nodded her head. “Okay, one more, but that’s it.” and with that the waiter was off the fetch another round.

“You two are a bad influence…” she laughed.

“But we’re your favorite bad influences…” Sam presses.

Her eyes flick to yours, “More than you know…”

A giggle left your chest, you knew she was done for and her drink hadn’t even come yet.

—

One more drink turned into two more, and you watched as her, Sam, and Daniel were instantly transported back to high school, reliving the old days and laughing at the memories shared.

One story in particular caught your interest, you adding your own anecdotes, sending all of them into a fit of laughter. You hadn’t seen them all laugh that hard in years. As the laughter started to die down, Sam and Daniel started a new conversation as Y/N turned to face you. You knew she was drunk, you could see it in her eyes. Glassy and bloodshot, a permanent smile on her face, making way for the barely there dimple in her left cheek. One of your favorite things about her.

“Just one more, huh?” you ask jokingly, as she puts down the empty glass.

She huffs as she slaps your leg playfully. But she doesn’t remove it right away. It stays there sliding down to reach just above your knee, causing you to stiffen in your chair.

“I’m fine…I’m not even that drunk…” she slurs, a soft giggle leaving her chest.

“Mmm, I beg to differ darlin’, you’re in rare form.” you reply, feeling her grip on your knee tighten.

“I…didn’tmeanto…” she says, almost as one word.

You slide your hand down to meet hers resting on your thigh, feeling her fingers against yours. “I know, it’s okay. I don’t think anyone else has noticed.” you say, squeezing her hand before pulling it away. You see her brow furrow at the loss of contact as she pulls her own hand away.

A few minutes later, Daniel stands up from the table and makes the first move to head back to the hotel, “Let’s go, I’m ready to go to bed.” he laughs.

The rest of you agree and stand to meet him, but as you are pushing in your chair you notice Y/N, silently struggling to find her balance. The drinks definitely got her, but she was trying to play it cool.

Finding her footing, you all made your way to the elevator and down to the main lobby of the building. The hotel was only about two blocks away, and it was a nice night so you all decided to walk, instead of calling an Uber, knowing a walk would sober you up anyways.

You let everyone walk in front of you, feeling like you could keep a better eye on them from there, watching as Josh and Daniel chatted, Summer played on her phone, and Sam and Y/N tried to have a conversation. You smirked at her trying to walk normally in her heels, knowing it was taking every ounce of effort she had.

She turned back to look for you, smiling as your eyes met before turning back around. Sam whispered in her ear before running to catch up with Josh and Daniel, leaving Y/N to hobble along by herself.

You picked up your pace a little, now only a few steps behind her, taking in the smell of her perfume floating behind her as she walked. As you drew closer to the hotel, you pulled your phone from your pocket to scroll through your notifications. As usual, there was nothing important, so you returned it back to your pocket. As your eyes glanced up, you saw Y/N misstep, and start to fall forwards. You lunged forward grabbing her arm, and holding her steady. She spun to look at you, shocked that you caught her.

“Been walking long?” you joke with a playful smirk.

She just giggles and turns to keep moving, but as you release your grip on her arm you feel her hand slide down and brush yours, before grabbing it completely. Thinking she may just need you for balance you let her take it, secretly reveling in intimacy of the act. The hotel was in your sights, and you found yourself wishing the walk was longer. You’ve touched her more today than you had in years.

Her fingers moved to intertwine with yours causing your breath to hitch in your throat. You could feel the pang in your chest as her thumb slid across your wrist. She turned to look at you as it happened, her eyes heavy and a beautiful flush of pink still across her cheeks. You continued to walk hand in hand, feeling her legs try to carry her in all different directions.

As you approached the front door of the lobby, you begrudgingly released her hand, grabbing the door from Sam, and ushering her inside with your left hand placed gently to her back. You let go of her as she walked to the elevator, and it becoming very clear to you just how drunk she was.

Stepping inside, you pressed the button for floor six, before turning to her, “What floor are you?”

She just stares at you, and you can see her mind trying to process the words you’re saying.

“Do you have your room key?” you ask.

“Yesssss.” she answers, digging into her purse. She pulls it out, and thankfully it is still in the paper wrapper with her room number written on it. “Oh, you’re the same as me.”

The elevator begins to move and you lean backwards onto the railing with a sigh.

“You good?” Sam whispers, looking at her, before flicking his eyes to you.

“I’m fine, she is not.” you laugh.

“I haven’t seen her this drunk in…years.” he replies.

“I think we have Josh to thank for that.” you say sending him a look.

“Want me to take her to her room?” he asks.

“Ahhh, we’re on the same floor, I’ll do it…” you answer. “Also, that oyster comment? Fuck off…”

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders as the elevator stopped at his floor, and he was walking out with a laugh.

As the elevator continues to climb it reaches floor six and the doors spring open. You step off, and motion your head for her to follow you. She turns to the group and gives them a hearty ‘goodnight’ as you laugh and shake your head.

The doors shut and you begin to walk her down the hallway to her room. You tap her keycard to her door and you can feel her eyes burning into the side of your head. You glance over at her as you hear the door unlock, and just by looking at her you can tell her mind is hazy and uninhibited.

You push the door open, and she steps inside. You briefly wonder if you should just shut the door and go back to your room, but after what happened with Josh today, you decide to make sure her alarm is set, just in case.

You let the door close behind you as you step over the threshold and into her room. It’s the same set up as yours, just reversed with a smaller bed. Her things are scattered everywhere, paperwork, and the like. You really had no idea how much went on behind the scenes. You just showed up when you were told.

She threw her purse onto the dresser, and you took the initiative to step into the bathroom, and quickly look through her makeup bag to see if she had any ibuprofen. Pushing around the brushes and sparkly things you found a bottle at the very bottom. Bingo. You twisted the lid, and poured out 4 small red pills before putting the bottle back into the bag and stepping back out.

She had positioned herself on the end of the bed, fiddling with the straps of her shoes. You walked over to the mini bar, grabbing a bottle of water and placing it and the pills on the bedside table.

“Jake?” she says looking up at you.

“Mhmm?” you reply.

“I think I drank too much...” she admits.

You let out a small laugh and smile back at her, “I know you did, love. It’s okay, just get in bed.”

She lets out a groan as she continues to struggle with her shoes, throwing herself back onto the fluffy mattress.

You nervously sit on the couch across from her, and hold your hand out, “Here.” you say, gesturing to her shoe.

She leans up on her elbows, eyes heavy and dark. She lifts her foot up to your hand, and you unbuckle the first shoe with ease, tossing it across the room and resting her foot on the floor. She lifts her other foot placing it in your hand and you remove the second shoe, tossing it to meet the other, giving her foot a slight squeeze as you release it.

“Where’s your phone?” you ask.

“Mmm’bag… over there…” she says, pointing to the dresser.

You stand up and walk over to it, lifting the flap to search for it. How do women find anything in here?

You feel it, and pull it out, seeing that it’s completely dead. “Charger?” you ask.

“Mmmmmm suitcase!” she giggles. She thinks this is funny…

With her phone in hand you walk over to her suitcase and search through it until you see the long white cord. Seeing a t-shirt you grab it too and stand up. You raise your eyebrows at her, tossing the shirt in her direction, landing on her stomach.

“You go change, I’m gonna plug this in and set your alarm, then I am leaving. You need to sleep.” you say.

“Don’t wanna change… gonna sleep in this…” she slurs.

“Y/N…” you warn, sending her a stern look.

She pushes herself up off of the bed, with the t-shirt in tow, “Ughhh you’re so… bossy. You know? Bossy…Actually…Actually, you’re not the boss of me…” she continues, stomping off to the bathroom.

She returned way too soon, walking toward you, barefoot and still clad in her dress. She held hazy eye contact as she slowly approached you, and you felt your heartbeat run wild. She turned around slowly, whispering over her shoulder, “Can you undo me?”

The heartbeat that was running wild now felt different, as every drop of blood you had in your veins traveled straight to your dick. You felt dizzy at the sound of her words, wishing you could oblige and undo her in every sense of the word. She definitely still had that effect on you, even after all these years.

With a rush of adrenaline, you stepped forward, bringing your hand up to push the hair gently over her shoulder exposing her neck and the tiny red zipper. As you settle her silky smooth locks over her shoulder, you drag your finger down the back of her neck until it meets the zipper. You grab it between your fingers, beginning to glide it down agonizingly slow. Leaning towards her, you whisper directly into her ear, “Actually sweetheart, I am the boss of you.”

You watched as goosebumps physically formed on her body, sending a jolt of energy through her. You inhaled deeply and quietly, trying not to let your own visceral reaction at this motion be known. You purposefully pulled it slowly, letting your fingers graze down her spine as you continued its descent until finally you approached the end, not wanting it to be over.

She spun around quickly, your hand still in the same position balancing on her lower back. As she turned, you left your hand there, bringing you face to face with her. Your eyes met, and you couldn’t stop yourself from letting your eyes fall to her lips, still stained with the prettiest shade of lipstick that she’d chosen for the night.

You wanted so badly to pull her into you, feel her chest rest on yours, bring yourself into her space more than you already were…but instead you released her, and she bounded off back to the bathroom, but not before stopping in the doorway and looking back at you, “Thank you…boss.” she said, sending you a wink and a salute.

When you hear the door shut you let out a giggle, laughing at her drunkenness. And god damn if she wasn’t sexy. You plugged the charger into the wall, and plugged the phone into the charger. You set it on the nightstand next to the water, waiting for it to turn on so you can set her alarm. Is this something you would do for anyone? Absolutely not. But for her… always. Even if things between the two of you were still rocky in the light of day.

You stood there with your hands in your pockets, just looking around the room as you waited for her to come out. When she finally did it was as if all the air had disappeared from your lungs. You hadn’t fully considered that you only threw her a t-shirt until she came out in just that.

You forced your eyes to look away from her, instead focusing on the bed, pulling back the sheets for her to climb in. You lift them up as she falls into the bed. Positioning herself to get comfortable. Almost immediately she softens, snuggling her face into the pillow. Her phone comes to life on the nightstand and you look to her, “Are you going to set your alarm, or should I do it?” you ask.

“You.” she answers.

You smirk, picking up her phone to set the alarm, only to be met with a passcode. You sit on the bed in front of her, as you stare at the screen. “What’s your code?” you ask, glancing over to her.

She forces her eyes open, but only barely, grabbing your hand and turning the phone to face her. She types in the numbers but you feel the phone buzz in your hand, as she groans.

She tries again, but the same thing happens, “Oh forget it, you do it. It’s, two-zero-one-three.” she says and your heart nearly stops.

You type in the numbers with a shaky hand and the screen unlocks granting you access.

She never changed it, it’s still 2013.

You set her alarm for 7:00am, and wince at the current time. It’s just past midnight and you know you all have a long day tomorrow. You place her phone back on the nightstand and turn to face her. Her eyes are blinking rapidly as she tries to keep them open, sleep threatening to take her at any second.

You stand up and walk across the room, turning off the lights. You return to the side of the bed, and you turn off that lamp too, “I’m leaving okay? There is water here if you need it.” you offer.

“Jake…” she breathes, voice thick with sleep.

“Yeah baby…” you answer, the word slipping out before you could stop it. Hopefully she didn’t notice.

“Don’t go yet…Stay…” she says. Fuck. You know this girl. You’ve met her before. That very first night in your bedroom all those years ago. If you couldn’t say no then, how could you possibly say no now?

“Only a few minutes…” you bargain.

You walk back to the edge of the bed, trying to decide where to go. Almost as if she could read your mind she turned to her other side and placed her hand on the opposite side of the bed, “Here.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Y/N...” you say, going against every fiber of your being.

“Just for a minute… please?” she begs.

Your legs carry you over to the other side of the bed as you dodge the objects littering the floor, the room shrouded in darkness.

You slip off your shoes and in a risky move, lay down on the bed, propping yourself up on your elbow. You can barely see her face in the darkness of the room, the light shining in from the window providing the only illumination.

You can see her eyes fluttering open and closed as she looks at you, “You look so different now…” she says, her voice soft and drawn out. “But not really that different…it’s a good different.”

You laugh and smile back at her, “Thanks, I think.”

“Yeah… you may be all hot and mysterious now, but you’re still the same here.” she says touching your chest. It was as if you had been shocked, 120 volts running straight through your body.

“Ahh… I’ve seen better days where that is concerned.” you reply.

She pulls her hand away and rests it in front of you. You can tell the alcohol is still strong in her bloodstream by how brave she is being. Knowing full well that she would never say these things sober. It’s quiet for a few minutes before she speaks again.

“Jake? Will you…play my song…” she asks, drawing out her words.

You inhale sharply at the request. Her song…Which one? They were all her songs as far as you were concerned.

“Which one, love?” you breathed.

“The flower song. Makes me cry.” she slurs. Of course it's that one. It’s always been that one.

“Mmm I don’t have my guitar darlin’…But if I did…” you pause, “I would play it for you a thousand times.”

She rolls closer to you, her hand reaching up to touch your face. “You would?”

“I would.” you answer. You grab her hand from your cheek and ghost her fingers over your lips, as you begin to hum the familiar tune that you’ve pushed from your mind for years. It’s not perfect by any means, you really only know the guitar chords, but for her, it’s enough.

“One day?” she whispers.

“Yeah baby. One day.” you answer, placing her hand to your chest leaving it there as you pull yours away. You gently roll to your back and place your hands behind your head on the pillow, continuing to hum as her fingers start to trace the plains of your chest. “Close your eyes, beautiful. Time to go to sleep.” you whisper.

You close your own eyes taking in the feeling of her fingertips on your bare skin, silently thanking yourself for choosing not to button your shirts all the way. There was something about her touch that was so addicting, so magnetizing, you couldn’t drag yourself away if you tried.

After a few minutes her fingers stopped moving, and you knew she was close to falling asleep. You carefully rolled back over to face her, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as you whispered closely, “I’m gonna go, love. I’ll see you in the morning.” Your hand sliding down to rest at the side of her face.

She rolled further into your touch, humming at the warmth of your palm, and through a tired breath she whispers into the darkness, “I love you…”

You drop your head pressing your forehead to hers wanting so badly to say it back, but you don’t. You trail your thumb over her cheekbone as your quiet whisper dances across her lips, “Will you still love me in the morning?”

You wait for a few seconds to see if she is going to answer, but when you feel her long slow breaths fanning over your face, you know she's asleep. You leave the room quietly knowing that tonight, without a doubt, she fell asleep thinking of you.

—

NIGHT ONE

HER POV

Your alarm had been going off for a solid 5 minutes before you even attempted to reach over and silence it, the thumping in your head already making a strong entrance. I really need to change that damn alert tone.

You sat up slowly, feeling the rushing and swooshing of your hangover begin to consume you. You looked to your night stand, and noticed an unopened bottle of water and 4 ibuprofen sitting by the lamp. Hmm…how did that get there?

You tried to flip through your memories of the night before, oysters...cocktails…and lots of good conversation with the guys. Sam must have walked you back to your room and left it for you. You made a mental note to thank him later.

You popped the pills into your mouth and chugged from the plastic bottle, having a little bit of a hard time choking it down. You really must have had one too many. You drug yourself into the shower and rinsed off the smell of gin seeping from your pores, trying your best to piece together the evening. You turned the water on extra hot while you massaged your scalp, adding extra pressure to your temples to try and relieve the ache.

Right before you got out, you took a deep breath and prepared yourself. You turned the hot water almost all the way off, feeling the temperature shoot to almost ice cold as you stood under the shower head, allowing the cold water to wash over you. You didn’t remember who taught you that trick in college, but it was the best quick-fix to a hangover that you had right now.

You got dressed for the day, and realized you felt a lot better than you should, given your lack of memory from last night’s escapades. You grabbed the spare room keys, and began knocking on the guys’ doors to get them going for the day. You got to Sam’s door, using your key to open it just slightly and peek your head inside.

“Rise and shine, sleepy head!” You called into the room. All he did was raise a thumbs-up into the air before rolling around in his sheets. You trusted that he was awake; if there was one thing Sam never did, it was fall back asleep after he was awakened.

“Hey, thanks for leaving me the water and ibuprofen last night. I really appreciate it.” you said.

He turned to face you, rubbing his hands over his sleepy eyes, “I didn’t leave you water and pills...Wasn’t me in there.” He said, cracking a knowing, but sleepy smile.

“What? Stop playing Sam, who else would it have been–” you stopped yourself as soon as you saw Sam cheesing hard back at you from across the room.

He shrugged his shoulders hard, “Guess you shouldn’t have had that last drink, huh? Miss memory loss.” He laughed.

You scoffed at him, letting the door slam closed.

Who brought you back last night? How did you get back last night? No way it was Josh, Danny wouldn’t impose, that only leaves…No. Couldn’t be.

Knocks and yells through the door were next for Danny and Josh. You wholeheartedly hoped Josh wouldn’t open his door to greet you, as you were still feeling indifferent toward him for scolding you during yesterday’s mix-up.

You really wondered why he had said those things to you, it was so out of character for him. It hurt, badly, and you were embarrassed, but you decided to not let it get to you. You knew you were good at your job. You were great at problem solving and putting out fires, and you were glad you were able to show him that by resolving the issue. You were proud of yourself. Jake was proud of you.

Last was Jake’s room. You nervously brought your knuckles to the door, rapping on it a few times and listening for any signs of life. Instead of the normal four or five rounds of knocking before finally rustling him from his bedsheets, you were surprised with his bright and cheery face opening the door.

He was up and showered, still shirtless with a pair of sweats hugging his lower half. His hair was falling in damp strands over his shoulders, and he had his toothbrush hanging from his mouth, and a little bit of toothpaste showing through his lips. He was…radiant.

“Morning!” He perked up. “You look…rested.” He said through a cheeky smile, continuing to brush his teeth. He leaned in his open doorway, crossing his ankles over one another as he took you in. You did the same, unable to form words from the mixture of his morning voice filling your ears, his long locks looking fresh, and his still shower-soaked skin glistening from the sunrise coming through the window behind him.

You felt a heat rush over your face seeing him this way, something your eyes hadn’t had the pleasure of feasting on in many years.

You blinked your intrusive thoughts away, “I…could say the same for you. Why are you up so early?” you asked, crossing your arms across your chest, truly questioning his out-of-character motives.

He began to head back to the bathroom, nodding his head for you to follow him inside. Reluctantly, you followed and let the door close behind you, feeling strange about entering his room.

You stayed perched in the doorway, not coming any further into the room so as not to cross any invisible boundaries.

He returned promptly, throwing a t-shirt over his head, “Ahhh, I started waking up a little earlier a few weeks ago. Getting my day started earlier…” He said, stepping into the bathroom to exchange his sweats for jeans. “Somebody told me once that if you didn’t wake up with the sun, you might miss something beautiful. Kinda started to resonate with me lately.”

You couldn’t help but blush, a smile sneaking to your face. You hadn’t talked to Jake this much in ages. And it felt good. Natural even.

“Really? That’s good advice. From your dad?” You asked.

He began grabbing for his already packed bags, slinging them over his shoulders.

“No. You told me that.” He said, sending a shockwave through your body. Did you really say that?

“Oh...I…guess I do kind of remember that now.” You felt like your mouth was full of mush, tongue twisted and trying to reply to his words.

He simply nodded, then frowned, “Did you…have a good time last night?” He asked, almost sounding a bit shy.

“Yeah, I really did. It felt good to relax a little. I may have…overdone it though. I don’t remember a damn thing. I’m actually not even sure how we got back.” You admitted, nervously running your hands through your hair.

You watched as his face fell, a tell-tale sign that it really must have been him who accompanied you to your room last night.

“You don’t...remember anything? At all?” He pressed.

“No. Nothing, everything is really fuzzy. But, did you…walk me back to my room?” you asked, feeling weird even saying it out loud.

He grinned with his lips pursed. “Yeah, I walked you back. You were having a hard time navigating, so...I thought I would... assist.” he said, offering little information.

“So you walked me back, did you also...leave me the water and medicine?” You pry, trying to make him answer more than you were asking.

He plopped back down on the bed behind him, suddenly making you realize you were on a time crunch, and shouldn’t be in here.

He nodded. “Yes. I left you the water and the meds. And helped you change, and get out of your heels. And set your phone alarm. You know you let your phone completely die?” He was laughing through his words, and you felt positively humiliated.

His words rang through your mind. You didn’t remember him being in your room at all, let alone helping you get changed? Out of your heels? Plugging in your dead phone? Your mind was spinning.

“Jake, wait. You didn’t have to do all that. Why did you take care of me? I would’ve been fine...” you ramble.

He leaned back on his arms. “No, I didn’t have to. But I wanted to. It wasn’t a big deal, Y/N, really.” He answered without a care in the world.

“Okay, but...” you fidgeted with your shirt. “Was I acting...dumb?” You knew how mindless you could get after too many drinks. And unfortunately, Jake was no stranger to that side of you.

He laughed. “You were a little silly, but nothing out of the ordinary. Sam and I actually said we hadn’t seen you like that in years. It was kind of…nostalgically sweet. Like we were teenagers again.”

You felt your head rush. Nostalgically sweet? Was he trying to kill you? You felt your face flush.

“God. Please don’t ever let me get that drunk again. Especially while we’re working.” you begged.

“We weren’t really working. We were eating, and that doesn’t count.” He stood from the bed, readjusting the bags that had fallen from his shoulders. He walked over and stood close, towering over you with a playfully scolding look on his face. “Besides, if I wouldn’t have taken care of you, it would’ve been me banging on your door this morning.”

You couldn’t argue with that. Still, you felt awful. Embarrassed that you had little to no memory of the night, aggravated with yourself for letting your phone die and potentially messing up the entire day again, and humiliated that Jake was the one to take care of you last night. He shouldn’t have had to do that. You decided you’d spend the rest of the day punishing yourself and wallowing in your own sorrow, just to make yourself feel bad enough that you’d never do it again. At least in this capacity.

“Shit. I just feel so stupid. Let’s just go, we’ve got a big day ahead. And, Jake, thank you. Really. I appreciate it.” you relented, placing your hand on his arm.

He grinned at you sideways, and took your hand from his arm and brought it to his lips. He brought his eyes to yours, the caramel of his irises still flickering in the morning rays. He smiled and gave your fingers the tiniest peck.

“You actually already thanked me, love.” He winked, dropping your hand and walking to the door, opening the lever forcefully.

He held his hand out, offering to follow you out, “Shall we?”

——

Everyone had successfully made their way downstairs, on time and ready to go. You had contacted the driver, and he was set to arrive in 5 minutes. You took a seat on a chair in the lobby, clicking through emails and updates as usual. You tried not to feel anxious again, and reminded yourself that you did it before, and you could do it again. You also had a new fire lit within you, wanting to prove to Josh that you weren’t as distracted as he thought.

After a few minutes of checking in with Allison and marking things off your checklist, Sam joined you in the oversized chair, squeezing his way in beside you.

“Hello, lovely. How’s it going?” He asked quietly, throwing his arm around your shoulders.

“Oh, so far so good, I guess. Just doing all of the things involved with putting you on stage successfully.” You grinned and gave him an elbow to the ribs.

You still wondered where the line should be drawn with professionalism with them. They were all overly touchy humans at their core, so it wasn’t lost on them to make physical contact with everyone around them. You just didn’t want any of your constituents getting the wrong idea, though you were sure no one had.

“You know, we really appreciate you. And you’re really doing a great job. I know it’s only the beginning of the tour, but things have already gone a lot smoother than they have in the past. You really know how to make it happen.” He said confidently.

“Wow Sammy, thanks. I actually needed that.” you replied.

“All I’m saying is Josh didn’t mean what he said. I don’t know who pissed him off, but you know him. Take everything he says with a grain of salt. I’m sorry he was shitty. That was so out of line.” He went on. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t there to take up for you. Jake and Daniel told me it wasn’t pretty.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t the best but. He was partially right. I was a bit...distracted. We’re going to move on from it though, I’m not going to let it ruin the night.” You said, truly feeling better and offering Sam a reassuring smile.

“That’s my girl.” He said, getting up from the chair. “Hey, before I forget. Remind me later, I need a favor.” He shot finger guns toward you as he backed away and rejoined the rest of the guys.

A few minutes later, the van pulled up outside, and everyone grabbed their things to load up. Sound check started in just a few hours, and you could feel the same excitement building up as you did last time. You thought to yourself, you have one of the coolest jobs on the planet. And to be sharing it with your best friends? Could you be any luckier?

—-

You were kept busy for most of the morning, running tiny errands and performing menial tasks. Right before noon, you received a radio that the stage was set, and the crew was ready for sound check. You ran to their trailer, hoping to catch them all not preoccupied with something else.

Luckily they were all doing their normal things, Summer taking photos while Sam and Daniel played around with a hackysack. “Hey guys, time to check sound. Let’s go.” you instructed them. They all stood to follow, and you made your way to the stage.

“Perfect as always, guys!” Sam shot thumbs up into the air as they approved of everything, and walked toward the stage. You laughed as Sam began to hoot and holler, jumping on Danny’s back and spinning an invisible lasso above his head. Jake followed close behind, shoving Sam off of Danny and running away quickly as the three of them began to tussle. You shook your head in disbelief, always falling in love with their antics.

You found yourself always looking forward to sound check, knowing you had a few minutes of downtime to collect yourself before the show. Just then, you felt a hand on your shoulder. You turned to see Josh, looking at you sorrowfully, his eyes full of sadness.

“Hey, think we can sit for a minute?” He said, motioning to the patch of grass below you.

“Uh, yeah sure. Don’t you need to...get up there, though?” You stammered.

“Ah, I’ve got a few minutes before they need me. They’re slow as shit anyway.” He took a seat right there in front of the stage, making himself comfortable in the grass. You hesitated, and he patted the spot next to him. You felt anxiety creeping up, knowing what was to come next.

He huffed a loud exhale through his mouth, and leaned his head back on his shoulder, looking you in the eyes.

“I fucked up, Y/N. I fucked up badly. I wanted to talk to you about it, because apparently my stupid comments to you have kind of had a ripple effect.” He paused, waiting for a reaction. You held eye contact, waiting for him to go on.

“You did not deserve what I said to you, none of it is true, it never has been. I don’t know why I said those horrible things. You’re killing it here, and you just started. Do you know how long it’s taken our coordinators to get the hang of things in the past? Weeks, months, even. And you waltzed into this job like you’ve been doing it for years.” he said.

You offered him a small smile, showing him that you were appreciating his apology.

“I just wanted to apologize, truly. I’m really sorry, Y/N.” He put his hand on his chest.

You rested on his words for a few beats, hearing the loud strumming of Jake’s guitar ringing out across the amphitheater grounds. You and Josh both looked his way, and Jake shot you a warm smile, one that you were very familiar with. He always smiled like that when he saw Josh happy.

“Thanks for apologizing. It really tore me up there for a bit, you know I take words to heart.” You replied quietly. “But you were right, Josh. Maybe I needed a little wake-up call. Honestly, it kind of was like a pep talk, in some weird way? I don’t know.”

“No, it shouldn’t have been like that. I was way out of line, and I made you unhappy. That’s not what I’m here to do.” He paused, watching as Danny tapped around, adjusting everything to be right in his reach.

“You see, if my brothers are unhappy, then I’m unhappy. And if I’m the one to cause their unhappiness, then it’s even worse for all of us. It’s a conundrum, really. Especially with Jake. I feel his emotions more than I feel my own, most of the time.” He stared off into the distance, eyes glossing over.

“I guess that’s why I blew up on you. It’s no excuse in the least, but it’s because I felt what he was feeling so intensely. It made me just…mad at you? I suppose? No...mad isn’t the word.” Josh was sputtering over his words, something you’d truly never seen him do. He was always so eloquent and well spoken, but right now, he was struggling. He sat up and crossed his legs, running his hands over his face.

“What do you mean, Josh?” You weren’t sure where he was going with this.

He took another deep breath. “I just...I know he’s still in love with you. And I’m willing to bet my life that you still feel the same. I hate watching him like this, feeling him like this. You’ve got him torn up, Y/N. And it’s been worse since we all went home for the Fourth. Then everything with Sophia really just sent him down hill…” he paused again. You let his words sink in. You knew you were hurting Jake, but things were starting to get better. Josh had to know that.

“I think he and Sam are okay. At first it had him really fucked up. But I think you guys worked that out. I’m just…I’m really trying over here. I feel his agitation and I just… Exploded on you. And you didn’t deserve that. And I’m very sorry. I hope you still love me.” He offered you a smile. “Please don’t quit on us. I almost had a heart attack when you told me to find someone else.” He gripped his chest again, chuckling his hearty laugh.

You laughed in return. “Thank you for apologizing, Josh. Everything is cool, and of course I still love you. You’re my brother.” You put your arm around his shoulders, pulling him in for a squeeze. “And my boss, but we don’t have to talk about that.” You left your head on his shoulder, and suddenly the guys erupted in cheers and applause from on stage, obviously feeling relieved that you two had resolved things.

The two of you laughed together, and things immediately felt back to normal. You couldn’t stay upset with Josh if you tried. He stood up, wiping blades of grass from his backside.

“Hey, wait.” You went on. “What do you mean you’re ‘really trying over here’?”

He grinned and stretched his arms above his head, “Oh, you know. Just playing matchmaker. Do you really think you and Jake keep ending up in the same vicinity by accident? Side by side on airplanes...him walking you back to hotels from restaurants and tucking you into bed at night…I saw you holding hands on the walk back last night. Looked pretty cozy to me. No such thing as a coincidence, love.” He shot you a wink, and was off to join his brothers on stage.

And it was then you realized that it was because of Josh that Jake found his confidence to place himself beside you again.

—

The time came around for the show to start, and your anxious feeling rolled around once more. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of this feeling. The rush was addicting, you couldn’t imagine what it felt like for the guys.

You walked to the front door of the dressing room, knocking on it a few times before entering. Josh was rushing around, drink in hand, Danny was sitting on the couch with Jake showing each other videos, and Sam was laid out in a chair, almost completely undressed, typing madly on his phone.

“Sam, you know you go on in 15 minutes. Why aren’t you dressed?” You quip, aggravation in your voice. The rest of the guys laughed.

“Because, Y/N, I put on a pair of pants and a jacket. Tell me how on earth that takes more than literally 14 seconds? I don’t take half an hour to get dressed like my eldest brother, in case you haven’t noticed.” He said, keeping his seat.

You shut your eyes and bring your fingertips between your eyes, massaging the bridge of your nose. “Will you please just…get dressed? For the love of all that is holy…”

He stood up, laughing to himself at your expense. He tossed back the rest of his seltzer, and came over to you, kissing your forehead before disappearing toward the dressing room.

“God, I love getting on your nerves. Time me!” Sam spat from behind the curtain. You couldn’t help but giggle.

He returned within 30 seconds, failing to beat his own time. Josh had taken this time to pour up their shots, a perfect line of 5 tiny plastic cups overflowing with a cold, clear liquid.

‘Ten minutes, ten minutes to stage.’ Your radio beeped. You watched as Josh passed out the shots to everyone, this time toasting to the new city and the new fans it would bring them. You tossed back the liquor, and stepped away to watch them huddle close together, speaking quietly to one another before pressing their heads in close. Yeah, it’ll never get old.

You took in the sight of their outfits, each adorned in something new. You began making a habit out of checking them out before you allowed them to walk out the door, which actually was a good thing, given at least one of them always had something in disarray.

Danny and Sam gained your approval unscathed, both itching to get out the door for one last drink.

Josh’s golden jumpsuit was perfect...the green vines and white flower appliques were gorgeous, and looked even better up close. It had tiny rhinestones throughout, and they caught the light with every move he made. He spun and play-curtsied to you when you gave him the go ahead.

Jake. He walked toward you, holding his arms out to the sides and grinning from ear to ear. “What do you think, love? Will these rags do?” He said in his pirate accent. He’d been drinking whiskey, you could tell. You felt no shame as you raked your eyes from top to bottom, his suit complementary to the colors of Josh’s. Olive green, embellished with white embroidered moths and golden swirls. This might be your absolute favorite outfit yet.

“You look…” you opened your mouth to finish the sentence, but nothing came out.

“Ahh, don’t tell me I’ve rendered you speechless, eh love? I haven’t been able to do that in…many years...” he said, bringing his face closer to yours.

He was so close, that you could feel his whiskey drenched breath on your cheek. Suddenly he had his hand tucked under your coat, resting on your side. He slowly brushed his thumb across your ribs, almost as if he knew exactly where he was going. As he gently grazed the tiny cluster of stars, you knew your suspicion was right.

“Do you...remember those times? When you...forgot how to speak?” he whispered.

Mother fucker. What the hell was he on tonight? Your face went flush as you tried to bring yourself back to the here and now.

“I’m not speechless, I’m just…that suit is really gorgeous, Jake.” You finally stammered out. What you really wanted to say was that he was the most beautiful thing you’d ever laid your eyes on, and you weren’t sure how you were going to survive watching him play tonight. In that.

Your eyes traveled to his necklace resting between his pecs, and seeing his chest this closely again brought back a quick flash of a memory. From last night, when you were too intoxicated to remember hardly anything.

Jake, lying on your bed, with your hand on his bare chest, fingertips grazing along his skin and his lips, tracing his features…and he was, humming?

“Y/N, you ok? You look…deep in thought..” Jake said, snapping you away from the fuzzy memory.

“Umm, yeah. Yes I’m good.” You replied too quickly.

You noticed his sleeve was flipped and cuffed at the bottom. Always at least one thing wrong. You reached and grabbed his hand, pulling it up and in between you. His hand was clammy, probably his nerves and adrenaline setting in. But still, the touch of his hand on yours was enough to burn a hole right through your palm. You flipped the cuff, and released his hand to fall.

He smiled, bringing his hand up to your face to brush a tiny hair from your eyes. “I like it better when you don’t let go of my hand when you reach for it. Feels better there.”

You gave him a shy smile, unable to disagree. “Probably doesn’t feel as good as your guitar is about to feel in it, though...” You replied, recoiling slightly from his unexpected words.

He began to hop down the steps, turning back to you. “Nothing feels as good as your hand in mine, darlin’.” He sauntered through the area, leaving you standing in the doorway. He had, indeed, rendered you speechless.

“Oh!” He turned back around. “You going to be side stage tonight?” He yelled at you from across the lot.

“Of course!” You waved at him with one finger. “Good luck!”

He answered you with a one-finger wave back before he disappeared in a rush toward the stage.

A free feeling suddenly overtook you, the show was starting in less than a minute, your mind should be traveling a million miles a minute right now with work related tasks. But it wasn’t.

All you could think about was the fact that Jake Kiszka wanted to hold your hand.

—-

Side stage was a bit crowded with equipment and crew, the stage being a bit smaller compared to the last one. But you didn’t let it stop you from standing behind a case, leaning into it lightly so as not to roll it away.

The show began just like the others, a pit full of fans screaming and celebrating their time together with their favorite musicians. You kept the setlist in your hand, following along and trying to take in every single little detail that you could commit to memory. You were beginning to get the hang of the songs, and had gotten very good at recognizing them quickly. Of course, their albums were all you’d been listening to for the past few weeks. It had begun to hurt a little less, hearing the recorded versions of the songs, and then watching them play them live. There still were a couple songs, though, you couldn’t quite listen to so easily.

You watched as Sam worked his side of the crowd, flirting and drinking his little drinks. They absolutely fawned over him as they waved, and he waved back.

Josh worked the middle like there was nothing to it, being his hilarious and animated self. Danny was so sure of himself, so focused. He never missed a beat, literally, and you found yourself really studying how hard he worked to keep everyone in time so well.

The fans on Jake’s side seemed to crowd in closer, many of them looking like they were on top of one another. His side of the crowd seemed to move a lot, their hands hardly ever leaving the air. Their faces dropped in awe watching him play. How could you blame them?

The show was going on great, you only checked your phone for texts a couple of times, and everything was moving along smoothly through the first hour or so. As you watched Jake go insane on his guitar, you thought back to what had just happened in the trailer with him…his whiskey-soaked breath on your skin, his hand burning into your side, the suggestive words he spoke…

You couldn’t help but to flash back to those times when you truly were speechless, tangled up in his sheets, reliving the same body-shattering feeling again and again as often as your bodies would allow. The two of you would disappear for hours on end, both of your phones blowing up with his brothers searching for you. But you couldn’t care less. You were so soaked into each other that you’d go hours without speaking…no words uttered except the sound of him talking you through it, encouraging your every move and letting you know how good you made him feel...how beautiful you looked...and after each and every time, no words were ever able to find your lips.

You were brought out of your daydream by the sounds of familiar chords. In the middle of your trip down memory lane, Jake had somehow switched to his acoustic. The crowd went insane, cheering louder than they had the whole show. You looked out to them, seeing their faces wild with disbelief.

You glanced at Josh, who happened to be making sweet eye contact with you, giving you a quick smirk that made you more confused than anything. You continued to listen, the tune sounding more and more familiar as Danny and Sam came in.

Oh…my god…

There’s no way…

You looked to Jake, who had now turned his head toward you, smiling the same smile he’d given Josh earlier while you sat in the grass. You shook your head in disbelief, confusion written all over your face.

‘Babe…ain’t no denyin’…’

There is no way. Are they really playing this right now?

You glanced down to your setlist, not seeing this song on there. You looked back up to the rest of the band, all of them wearing the same facial expression, a smirk that they just couldn’t hide. Your mouth fell open on its own at the realization.

‘….if you stood yourself and said…’

You watched as Jake carried his guitar over to Josh, singing the lyrics along with him. He brought his eyes to yours between the words, sending you shy grins throughout.

You felt your guts fall to a million pieces. Tears welled up in your eyes as you processed what was happening. Why are they playing this right now? They haven’t played it in ages.

Jake met your eyes again as he strummed along, looking as beautiful and confident as ever while you stood to the side and fell apart. You had to physically hold on to the case you were standing beside; you felt like the weight of the world might come crashing down around you.

The memories, the guilt, the pain and sadness and all the happy times rolled into one. There was only one song more important to you than this one...but this one held one heck of a special place. The song he wrote for you years ago. You left before you ever got to hear it fully. They told you it was his siren song to try and find you again night after night…and here it was. Being played while you stood 20 feet away.

You rushed off stage as the song came to a close. You ran to the bathroom, tears flowing from your eyes, needing a second to collect yourself. What did this mean? Why now? You heard the crowd erupt again as they ended the song, and began the next. He just made that happen for you, and now he’s simply going on with the show while you’re here in the bathroom. He was so much stronger than you could even think about being right now.

—

JAKE POV

Where did she go? Why was she upset?

The show wrapped up without any mishaps, and you waved to the fans and threw out your spare picks to the crowd. You tore off across the stage, pulling your guitar over your head and handing it off to your tech.

Was she crying?

You paced the makeshift hallways backstage, eyes searching for her in the dark corridors. Suddenly you were stopped by someone, running into them with a thud.

“Oh my god, sorry Jake! I couldn’t see you...It’s really dark back here.”

Summer.

“Oh it’s no problem, sorry.” You responded, trying to continue your search. You placed your hand on her arm, moving around her in the narrow hallway.

“You guys sounded great tonight...” she pressed, grabbing your hand and holding it tightly, essentially pulling you back toward her. You tried to free your hand, but she had a tight grasp.

“Ah, thanks. Appreciate it. Hey, have you seen Y/N anywhere?” You ask, trying your best to be anywhere but here with her.

“Uhhh, no I haven’t seen her since before the show. Is there something I can help you with?” She asked, her voice dripping with lust, completely out of context. She still had a tight grip on your hand.

“No, just her. I need to find her. Can you...let go of my hand, please?” You felt yourself becoming defensive. She obliged, letting your hand go, but not before she pulled herself closer into you, her hands wrapped around your waist. Her hands began to grip your sides, making you feel extremely uncomfortable.

“I know you still want me, Jake. I knew it the night you invited me to your room. You felt it, too, didn’t you?” She spoke over the still existing lull of the crowd. “I could tell by the way you touched me…the way you kissed me...”

Okay. That’s enough.

You pulled her hands off of you, pressing them back to her sides with force.

“Summer, please. Stop it. You need to act professional right now. You are at work. I’m sorry, but I don’t want you. Please, stop doing this. Do you understand me?” You were spitting fire toward her, feeling unease like you never had before.

She backed away into the shadows, nodding her head with a devious smile. “Sure, ok.” And that was all she said before making her way back to the stage. Thank god.

You turned the last corner before the dressing rooms, still searching and there she was, right on the other side of the thin wall.

“Hey, there you are. Why did you run off? Why are you crying?” You walked closer to her, wanting so badly to embrace her and wipe her tears away. But she backed off as soon as you advanced, holding her hands up to guard herself.

“What’s wrong? Talk to me, Y/N...” you pleaded, hating the distance she was actively putting between you.

“I– I don’t know, Jake. I’m just…really umm…” she shook her head and wiped the tears that were steadily falling. She huffed a breath. “Why did you play that song? Why tonight? It wasn’t on the set list…”

You stopped for a second, trying to find the words you were unprepared to speak. “Because, Y/N, it’s still true and I couldn’t go another day without you knowing. I don’t know…I don’t know how else to tell you...”

“What do you mean it’s still true, Jake? I heard what Summer said just now. She was in your room…you did hook up with her.” she was trying her best to back away from you, pulling herself away toward the dressing room.

“Wait, baby please, just let me talk to you...” you pleaded, reaching for her hand and pulling her back.

She quickly pulled her hand from yours, just as you had done with Summer’s moments ago.

“Don’t…call me that Jake! Please…I–I’m not your baby.” She stood, face blank and upset, staring at you for some type of explanation.

Here came Josh, rounding the corner still on his high. “Hey, guys! Excellent show, hmm Y/N?” He threw her a wink, not knowing that the added song had absolutely destroyed her.

You felt like every cell in your body evaporated, tears threatening your own eyes seeing her cry and pull away from you. Again. You weren’t going to let this happen.

“Hey! Y/N! Come back here, right now. Please. Just fucking listen to me!” You stood in your place, pointing to the ground. The way she never let you explain yourself was starting to get to you, so you let yourself be a little bit stern. “Damnit, just let me talk!”

She crossed her arms, moving back to you in the corner of the hall, and raising her tear-soaked face to listen.

Okay.

“Did you not hear what I said to her just now? I told her I didn’t want her. I am over here searching for you. Not her. Yes I invited her to my room that night, but only because we were both drunk at the hotel bar, and she spilled her drink all over herself. I didn’t want people or the rest of the crew to see her a mess and embarrass herself on a professional level, so we went upstairs and I got her a shirt to change into.” you pause.

“She came back out, and things got a little heavy. We made out a little bit. That’s all, Y/N. I swear to you. You texted me right in the middle of everything, and it set off an alarm in my head. I knew I had messed up, I didn’t want her. I was just…drunk and… I don’t know. I don’t really have any excuses. But I did not sleep with her. We did not hook up. And now, she’s doing, well… You saw. I’m trying my best to make it known that I never want that to happen with her again. That it was a mistake. That she and I are strictly professional, nothing else.”

You sighed hard after your explanation, feeling good about everything you’d been harboring for a while, and that she finally let you speak. Now it was her turn.

“I’m sorry Jake. I’m so overwhelmed...I just– I feel so confused. Everything is moving so fast. You played that song tonight…my song, even though things have been so rocky between us lately... Then there is the thing with Sam…and now I feel so guilty about it. How I treated you, what we’ve put you through. You didn’t deserve that, Jake! You’ve been so steadfast. And I’m just making everything more complicated. I hate myself for it.” She relented, looking absolutely exhausted.

“Don’t ever say that you hate yourself, Y/N. There’s absolutely no reason for that.” you replied.

“But I do, I’ve fucked up more times than I can count. You don’t deserve that! I’m just feeling so…out of control. I’m sorry.”

Suddenly her radio beeped, signaling her to come to the stage.

She sighed as she looked up to you, “I’ve gotta go.”

She paced a few steps, wiping her face and slapping her cheeks, before turning around to you again. “I never thought I’d hear you play that song live.”

And she was gone…disappearing into the darkness again.

—

You returned to the hotel, everyone piling out of the vans and toward the main doors, all in search of a drink and some sustenance. You wracked your brain, reeling over what happened with Y/N backstage. She truly must be going through it. She did say she was overwhelmed, maybe you should give her some space. She will come back to you, she knows where to find you. And you weren’t giving up again. Playing the song tonight proved that to her.

You retreated to your room, feeling tired but hopeful. The show was excellent tonight. You decided a night in with some room service was just the ticket.

HER POV

You plopped down on the big comfy white comforter that laid across the bed of the hotel room, letting the effects of the rush of the evening settle in.

Another show night with no hiccups, killing it.

Another night crying over Jake and your own feelings, not killing it.

You rolled over, putting your head in your hands, reiterating everything Jake had said about Summer earlier. You believed him, of course you did. But now you felt guilty, horrible even, for not letting him explain himself earlier. You were embarrassed...he’d insinuated that you never let him talk, and it was true. You based all your judgments on what you saw and heard, and not what the true story was. You were so mad at yourself. The guilt was still so heavy.

You also hated that he felt like he had to explain his actions to you. He’s a grown man, with his own life, making his own decisions. He quite literally can sleep with whoever he wants, just as you slept with his brother, a lot, knowing all the while that he still loved you.

You didn’t have regrets, you and Sam were just living your lives how they came at the time. But now, for some reason, it felt heavier than that.

Jake’s words replayed in your mind.

‘It’s still true…’

Of course it was still true. It was true for the both of you. You grabbed your phone and texted Sam to see if he could talk.

You

11:47pm: Hey, once you get settled in, down for some company? I may or may not drink a whole bottle of wine tonight.

Keys

11:49pm: Hey there. I’m actually not feeling the best tonight. I think I’m going to hit the sack early.

You

11:50pm: Aw ok, do you need anything?

Keys

11:51pm: No no, I’m fine. Talk to you tomorrow

You

11:51pm: Night!

You knew this was out of character for Sam, especially since he acted completely fine loading up the vans.

You flipped through the channels on the TV, trying to distract yourself from the inner monologue taking up space in your mind.

“Ughhh…” you rolled over again to your back, really realizing you did need a drink.

You hopped up and changed into something comfy and casual, grabbed your purse and a room key, and headed down to the hotel bar. You felt like a few glasses of wine by yourself might be exactly what you needed.

You entered the double doors, finding Danny’s curly locks sat at the bar, mindlessly watching a baseball game. You took the seat next to him.

“Hey there, come here often?” You offered, breaking him from his gaze and making him laugh when he realized it was you.

“Hey girl, what are you doing here?” He said, helping you pull the heavy chair up to the bar with ease.

“Oh, just figured I’d come sit under some neon. Maybe order some greasy cheese fries and down a bottle of wine. The usual.” You grinned, grabbing the drink menu.

The bartender came and took your order, and a refill for Danny.

“You guys sounded phenomenal tonight. Seriously. It’s like each show gets better.” You said, sincerity in your voice.

“Thank you, that really means a lot.” He held his hand to his belly, just like he always did when he needed grounding. “We try.”

You smiled, taking a large sip of the sweet white moscato you’d opted for.

“That was quite the little stunt you guys pulled with adding the extra song in, though.” You said quietly, leaning into him.

“Hey, don’t blame me. That was all Jake’s idea. But, you probably knew that.” He was beaming.

You sighed. “Yeah, I knew that. I ended up a pile of emotions over it, too. I had to run away to the bathroom before I had a full-on breakdown.” You always felt like you could tell Danny exactly what was on your mind. Even since you were kids.

“I noticed you ran away. I get it, though. That was a big step for Jake.” He said.

You milled over his words. A big step. Here came the guilt again.

“He was super adamant about getting it on the setlist at the last minute.” Danny looked away from the TV and down to meet your eyes. “I’m not gonna lie, I’d almost forgotten how to play it.”

“Why did he do that, Danny?” You asked, already knowing the answer, but needing to hear it anyway.

Danny let out a big breath of air from his mouth. “You know how Jake is...he’s not the best with words. I think he wanted to communicate with you the best way he knew how. To play it for you. In front of thousands of people. He doesn’t normally do these things, ya know.”

You felt your heart stop beating.

“He’s really trying to prove it to you, Y/N. And if him playing that song for you after us not having played it in forever doesn’t prove anything to you, I don’t know what will.” he stated.

You felt the blood rush to your head, realizing that Jake must have confided in Danny a good bit.

“And I know you’re going to say ‘What about Summer’. Well, I was at the bar with them that night...Jake was already obliterated when he got there. He was in no shape to be having any more. But he did anyway. I’m not defending his actions, but… I know nothing serious happened with them. He probably hardly remembered where his own room was. He wouldn’t do that to you, Y/N. And I know he didn’t.”

You believed Danny. He had no reason to lie or cover for his friend.

You say for a few moments letting it sink in.

“Thanks, Danny. Really. You always make me feel better.” You leaned your head on his shoulder as the bartender brought your food and another round.

“Share with me?” You asked as the two of you dug in.

“I guess he…talked to you a little bit then?” You pressed.

He nodded, spinning his barstool around in little half-circles. “Yeah, he told me a good bit about everything. While you were gone on your trip, mostly. He told me about what happened with Summer and how awful he felt. He was seriously so mad at himself for even putting himself in that situation. Kept saying how much of a mistake he made just being there with her.”

You nodded in understanding. “I have just been feeling so whacked out lately. The guilt is eating me alive, just with Sam and everything. I feel so..conflicted..and I don’t know why. Everything is staring me in the face, isn’t it? I’m being crazy?”

He chuckled. “Mmm..yeah, maybe a little crazy. But. That’s what being in love does to a person.” You felt your insides warm up at his sentiment.

“He’s not gonna let up, Y/N. I hope you know that. He really meant what he said when he wrote that song.”

—

After one more drink and too many cheese fries, you retreated back to your room, feeling especially exhausted and needing some sleep before tomorrow. You grabbed your phone to set your alarm and check your emails one last time.

Your finger hovered over the messages button before you clicked it, bringing up your thread with Jake.

You

1:05am: Thank you for playing that song tonight. It meant way more than you know. I’m so sorry I blew up earlier. See you bright and early…

Jake

1:07am: I’ll play it everyday until you believe it.

You closed out the app, switched off the lamp, and fell into a deep slumber dreaming of dancing in the dark with Jake to a song written just for you.

NIGHT TWO

JAKE POV

Your eyes open, the light pouring in from the crack in the curtain causes you to squint. Your body is tired, and your hand is stiff. It usually is after a show. That you could always count on. You rolled over seeing the clock read 8:13 am. Not too bad. You’re getting better at this whole waking up early thing.

You grab your phone from the night stand, swiping away the notifications littering the screen, as you roll from the bed and make your way to the bathroom. You turn on your favorite playlist as you brush your teeth, and after a quick shower you emerge feeling fresh and ready for another long day.

You run your fingers through your hair, brushing out the tangles and letting it dry with its natural wave. You make your way to your suitcase, pulling out a pair of navy color boxers and sliding them over your legs. You continued to dig through your suitcase, starting to pull out clothes as you heard a knock at your door. You knew it was her. You could feel your body pulling you towards her even from behind the door.

You made your way to the door, twisting the lever and opening it up. God she is stunning.

“You know what? I’m impressed, two days in a row that I don’t have to drag you out of the bed?” she laughs.

I’d rather you drag me into it.

“I told you, I’m a morning person now. Officially.” you said, raising your eyebrow to her.

You motioned your head to invite her inside, opening the door fully, revealing your unclothed state.

“Jake!” she said, turning her head away, covering her eyes. She steps in, door latching behind her.

“Don’t get shy on me now. You’ve seen me in less than this…” you taunt.

“Jacob!” she yells.

“What, you know it’s true. There’s nothing to hide. Plus, I need your help.” you say, walking towards your suitcase.

She plants herself on the end of your bed, resting back onto her hands, tossing you an intrigued expression.

“I don’t know what to wear today. I know we have interviews this morning…” you say digging through your suitcase.

“Okay, first, jeans or these pants?” you ask, holding up both.

“Mmm, the pants.” she answers. You slide the pants over your legs, fastening the button before turning back to the suitcase.

You grab two shirts, holding them up to let her see them, “Okay, now, this one? Or….” you switch to the other shirt, “...this one?” you ask, holding them both up now.

“Jake, it doesn’t matter, you look good in anything you wear.” she says, standing up, and walking over to the dresser. She looks through your selection of sunglasses, picking a pair and turning back to face you, “The blue one…with these.” she says holding them out to you.

You slide the shirt over your head, fastening the buttons just enough that it doesn't fall off of you, before reaching to grab the sunglasses from her hand. You slide them into the pocket of your shirt as you step closer to meet her. Your eyes travel down to the gold necklace around her neck. You notice the chain is twisted, exposing the tiny clasp, and without thinking, you bring your hands up to twist it back into the correct place, letting your fingers glide over her collarbones. “But you know your opinion matters the most…” you reply, flicking your eyes up to hers as you remove your hands from her skin.

You look at the necklace hanging perfectly against her, storing the image away in the back of your mind. “You ready to go?” you ask.

“Are you?” she replies, watching you slide on your shoes.

You toss her a quick smile as you walk over to the dresser grabbing your phone and wallet, shoving them both in your pocket. She walks over to the door, and you make a pit stop in the bathroom, spraying yourself with cologne, before stepping back out to meet her at the door.

As she walks over the threshold she turns to you, “You smell…good.”

You close the hotel room door behind yourself, smirking as you test the lock. “Yeah? It’s still kinda new. Seeing if I like this one.” you answer, walking next to her as you make your way to the elevators.

“I… think you like it.” she says in a flirty tone, sending you a soft playful smile.

Oh.

You turn to her, and raise your eyebrows, “I think you like it.” you laugh.

“And if I do?” she says, stepping in through the elevator doors.

You step in in front of her, pressing the button for the lobby, before moving to stand at her side. You pull your sunglasses from your pocket, and slide them on your face as you look at her, “Then that’s good enough for me.”

—

Arriving at the venue you head first to check in with your tech, finding him setting the tuning on the acoustic for tonight's show.

“Hey man, I’m gonna need number 1 in about an hour.” you say, flashing him a thumbs up as you start to walk away.

He nods and continues working as you make your way to the green room to meet up with everyone else. You step in to see Y/N, running over the schedule with Sam, Josh and Daniel making drinks and Summer, working on her computer. You meet Josh and Daniel near the makeshift bar area, and take a look to see what the selections are.

“Anything good?” you ask.

“Ehh, same old same old.” Daniel answers.

You grab one of the beers sitting on ice, and pop the tab turning back towards the couch. Summer sees you sit down and turns her attention to you.

“Jake, let’s film a tik tok or something…” she asks.

You turn to face her, “Mmmmmmmm…pass. Not my thing.” you answer.

“Come on, people want to see you, it’s literally every single comment.” she presses.

“Give them Sam, he’s close enough, and he loves to be the center of attention…” you say, before raising your voice loud enough so he could hear you, “Don’t you Sammy?”

“Huh?” he snaps towards you.

“Summer wants you to go film a tik tok with her.” you say gesturing towards her.

“Ohhh! Actually I have a good idea. Hey Daniel…” he yells, trailing off in his own thoughts. You laugh to yourself, as you successfully evade yet another tik tok attempt.

Summer gets up and walks over to meet Sam and Daniel, walking with them as they step outside, leaving you, Josh and Y/N alone in the room.

Josh finishes making his drink and walks over to you, sipping the drink as he raises his eyebrows to you. You know what he’s asking. You shrug your shoulders and toss him a smirk. He nods and pulls the glass from his lips. “I’m gonna go check with Jenn, about something, I’ll be right back.” he says, making strides towards the door.

You scoff, knowing he was up to his usual scheming. He had been all weekend. You knew he was supposed to be next to you on that plane yesterday. You even watched as he sweet talked the ticket agent, not fully realizing what he was doing at the time. But it suddenly became clear as you spotted your seat on the plane. You needed to remember to thank him for that.

As the door shut behind him you saw Y/N’s head snap at the sound. Her eyes shifted to you, and she set her iPad down, to join you on the couch.

“You have an interview soon.” she said, sitting down on the opposite side of the couch.

You checked the time on your phone, “Mmm in a little bit…”

“Does it ever get old, them asking you the same questions over and over?” she asks, pulling her phone from her pocket.

“Very. It’s been years, you would think they could come up with some original material by now.” you laugh.

She smiles, “Well, luckily this one is about your guitars, so it shouldn’t be that bad.” she winks.

“Did you just wink at me?” you ask playfully, throwing a pillow at her.

She picks it up and throws it back at you as she stands up, “Might have. What are you gonna do about it, Kiszka?” she says playfully, grabbing her iPad from the table.

“Careful darlin’...would hate to have to show you.” you warn playfully.

She makes her way to the door, opening it up before turning back to you, “Would you?” She smirks.

“Not in the slightest.” you answer.

She shakes her head and lets the door shut behind her.

—

After an exhausting day of interviews it was finally time to do what you were here for. Grabbing the olive green suit from the rack you locked the door and stripped down. This suit was one of your favorites you designed. You had always wanted a green suit. The moths and moons were Josh’s idea and when you pitched the idea to the designer, she drew it up, and brought it to life.

You slid the pants over your bare legs, fastening the clasp at your waist, and throwing the jacket over your shoulders. You took your necklace off, putting on the gold one the stylist picked for you. It was nice, but it wasn’t yours. It just didn’t carry that same familiar weight. You slid yours into your coat pocket, for safekeeping.

Taking a look at yourself in the mirror, you smiled. It was a shame that tonight would be the last time you wear this. Looking again, you rolled the hem of your pants just enough to look out of place, silently smiling to yourself.

You throw back the rest of your whiskey, setting the empty glass on the counter just before opening the door to meet the guys.

Stepping into the room with the rest of them, you see everyone dressed and ready to go, with only ten minutes until stage. You all take your pre show shots, and huddle up for your pep talk. You’ve never skipped it. Not once since the band came together. It quickly became a ritual, and something you all looked forward to each night. Almost like a promise of a good show.

As you began to make your way out the door one by one, you waited to be the last one, reveling in those few minutes alone with her, aching to feel her touch as she fixed your outfit. Was it crazy to purposely mess up your outfit each night just so that she would fix it? Probably. But you weren’t going to stop if it meant even a minute alone with her.

You stepped up, waiting to see how long it would take her to find it. You wondered if she knew you were doing it on purpose, or if she really thought you were that unobservant. Her eyes flashed to yours as she looked you over, and then she saw it.

Sinking down slowly in front of you, she dragged her fingertips down your stomach, the breath suddenly absent from your lungs. Her eyes never left yours as she uncuffed the hem of your pants, smoothing her hand down your leg before standing back up to tug at your lapels.

“You’re going to have to start getting more creative, Jacob. Two can play this game.”

“Oh trust me, I’m only thinking of the ways I can see you like that again.” you say, stepping out and down the steps, tossing her a smug grin over your shoulder.

But then you stop, turning to face her as she’s hot on your heels, stopping abruptly as she collides with you. You reached into your coat pocket, pulling out the silver necklace, “Hold on to this for me?” you ask, placing it around her neck, watching as it slipped through the neck of her shirt, falling right down the center of her chest.

Fuck.

You send her a wink, and turn to head towards the stage before she can respond. Trying to conceal the boner threatening to pop, you push her from your mind and focus on the set. You grab your guitar from your tech and wait on the steps for your cue.

“You look flushed, Jacob.” Josh grins.

“Whiskey.” you reply through clenched teeth.

“I’m sure…” he says with a shake of his head. He pushes his monitors into his ears, prompting you to do the same just as you step on to the stage. The crowd is just as large as the previous night, even a few familiar faces in the crowd.

Situating your guitar on your hips you plug into your pick up and grab a pick from the amp. The crowd is so loud you can hear the muffled screams through the noise canceling feature of your in-ear.

Josh begins to talk to the crowd as you make your way to your pedal board, ready to go at his signal. You turn to look at Sam and Danny who are waiting for yours. With a quick look from Josh, you stomp the talk back pedal and look at Daniel.

The amps roar to life with the music being pumped through them, the vibrations filling your entire body. No feeling like it.

Josh began to sing as you played along to what was one of your favorite songs on the album. You loved watching the fans as they sang the words along with him. But what you loved even more was when you would make eye contact with one of them, and they would lose their mind. It was funny every time.

You played well tonight, hitting every note clearly and with intention. You played through the first part of the set with ease, knowing it was only a matter of time until you would get your second chance to play to her. For her.

Glancing over to the side stage you made eye contact with your tech who motioned to you that the switch was next. When the song ended, he ran out with the acoustic and a stool, taking the electric for a quick tune up.

Plugging in, you situate yourself on the stool, and look over to Josh as you begin to strum out the chords. You look out to the crowd to watch them all realize what you’re playing, and scream with excitement. Rightfully so.

Listening to Josh sing out the words of feelings long ago, you look to the side stage, hoping for that special moment with her again, but to your surprise she isn’t there. You pull the pick from between your lips, as he reaches the chorus, and with another glance you still don’t see her.

Where are you?

You scan the crowd, and soundbooth, but still nothing. As the song draws to a close you strum out the final notes, and pray that wherever she was she heard them.

The rest of the set is electric, the crowd absolutely buzzing with excitement. Josh was having one of his best nights vocally, that he had in a while. Everything was going well until the end of When The Curtain Falls, when Sam's bass line dropped out of nowhere. Panic shot across his face as he checked his knobs and fiddled with his pick up.

With no luck, he looked over to you, as an ‘SOS’ and you tried to distract from the malfunction with an extended solo. You’re sure no one really noticed but the look on Sam’s face was lethal. You watched as his tech ran on stage and grabbed the bass, leaving him to play his bass keys.

At the very end of the song, the tech ran back out with his bass, and he took back control of his bass line. You knew he hated when things like this would happen, and you were thankful there were only two songs left on the setlist.

Luckily there were no more problems after that, ending the second night in Bridgeport on a high note. You never wanted to leave the crowd when they were like this. Begging you to stay and play just one more. You wished you could stay, but there always had to come a farewell.

You rushed off the stage, handing your guitar to your tech and running down the stairs. There was a whole sea of people backstage, and you couldn’t see her anywhere. Who are all these fucking people?

Crossing the back of the stage area you see her. Finally. But the conversation she’s having doesn’t look to be a pleasant one. It’s her, Sam and his tech and likely discussing the issue that came about during the set. Sam is talking with his hands, which usually means he is pissed, and you knew now would not be a good time to interject.

You made your way back to the dressing room, pulling the door open to find Josh and Daniel, already pouring a drink.

“Make it a double.” you laugh.

“Sam pissed?” Daniel asks.

“Definitely, just saw him and Y/N having a chat with Phil. Didn’t look like they were discussing the weather.” you joke.

Josh walks over to you and hands you the drink he’s made you, “Sounded good tonight brother. Had a little pep in your step.” he smiles.

“You know, I was thinking you sounded good tonight too.” you reply.

He breathes in deeply, “Ahhh, something about the salt air…” he says trailing off.

“Okay, if you two are done stroking each other's egos, I think I’m gonna change.” Daniel says.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did we leave you out? You sounded perfect as usual tonight Danny.” you say sarcastically.

“Don’t patronize me asshole, you should be thanking me.” he offers, pulling his shirt over his head, and hanging it on the hanger.

“What?” you ask.

“Nothing, nevermind. Go ahead with your ego stroking.” he laughs.

Hmm. You needed to ask him about that later.

Seconds later Sam is bursting into the room, a scowl on his face as he throws himself into a chair.

“Drink?” Daniel asks him.

“How many do we have? Give me all of them!” he snaps.

Daniel tosses him a drink, hearing the lid pop open as he chugs it down.

“What happened?” you asked.

“Phil said he didn’t know, that it was an anomaly. Everything was working fine. Said maybe there was a kink in the line… Either way, it was bullshit.” he snapped.

“It’s all good man, I don’t think anyone noticed.” you say.

“No. People noticed.” he seethes.

Y/N comes walking through the door seconds later, collecting up items to return to their cases.

“You know the drill, suits on hangers in the case outside the door. Van will be here in a few, and you’re free to go.” she says, looking around the room.

Everyone tosses her their best acknowledgement, and she turns to walk back out the door. You have half a mind to follow her, but you let her go. You know how much needs to get done before she can enjoy the rest of her night.

—

After you’re all changed, and the cases are packed you all begin to make your way to the van, walking and talking about the next show next week. Walking across the lot you see Sam step off and answer a phone call. You can hear him trying to talk quietly, but due to his genetics he fails miserably.

As your bags are being loaded into the van you watch as he dials a number making another phone call. He steps behind a tree, leaning into it as he spoke. You couldn’t exactly make out what he was saying but the words, ‘guest’ and ‘Chicago’ were definitely in there somewhere.

You climbed into the van, leaving empty seats next to you, and pulled your phone from your pocket. When the van was loaded and Y/N wasn’t on it, you decided to send her a text.

You

11:20pm: You coming?

LD:

11:23pm: No, still wrapping up. Don’t wait on me. I can grab an Uber.

You:

11:24pm: Don’t walk alone. Call me if you need to. I’m serious.

With that the van was pulling away and heading towards the hotel. Part of you wanted to stay. Make sure she got back okay. But it was too late.

“You guys wanna grab a drink at the bar when we get back?” Daniel asks.

“No, I think I’m going to bed.” Sam answers.

Bizarre, when has Sam turned down a nightcap?

“I could do one, then I think I’m gonna hit the sack myself. It’s been a long fucking day.” you answer.

“One. We leave early in the morning.” Josh says.

“Alright. It’s settled.” Daniel agrees.

—

As you arrived back at the hotel, each of you made your way inside, dropping your bags in your rooms and agreeing to meet down at the bar. Sam stayed true to his word, retiring to his room for the night, and you really began to question if something was wrong with him.

After a drink at the bar, you all parted ways, returning to your rooms for the night. You checked your phone, but the screen was blank. Damn it’s almost midnight, where is she?

Maybe she was already back. Maybe she didn’t want to call you.

You began to strip down, tossing your clothes into your suitcase as you made your way to the shower. You turned the knob waiting for the water to get hot as you started to pack away your toiletries.

As you stepped into the steaming hot water you let it relax your tired muscles, again paying attention to the ache setting into your hand, your little daily reminder. You washed away the night, and were ready to sleep off the whiskey swirling through your system.

You step out of the shower, quickly running the towel over your hair and skin to dry the water dripping down your body. You wrap the towel around your waist until it sits tightly around you, as you brush your fingers through your hair.

Walking back into the bedroom you approach your suitcase and as you begin to sift through for something clean you hear a knock at the door.

You turn to look towards it, lifting your attention from the suitcase. You situate the towel around your waist as you walk towards the door, wondering which one of the guys it was, and what they wanted.

Twisting the lock on the door you turn the lever, revealing not one of the guys at all. It was her.

You held the door open in surprise, staring at her as she spoke, “Seems I have something that belongs to you.” she smiles.

You furrow your brow, as you motion her inside, letting the door shut behind her.

“If this is a bad time I can go. I just wanted to give you this.” she says, lifting your necklace over her head.

“No!” you say, far too quickly. “I mean, it’s not a bad time, I was just getting out of the shower.” you say.

You grab the necklace from her fingers, pulling it over your head, still warm from resting on her skin. The familiar weight, comforting on your neck.

“Thank you…for bringing it back, I know it's late. You could have just given it to me in the morning.” you offer.

“I could have…but.” she shrugged.

You pulled a pair of sweats from your suitcase, stepping into the bathroom, and pulling them on. You returned quickly and positioned yourself at the head of the bed, leaning into the pillows.

“If you’re tired I can let you go to sleep…” she trails off, looking at the floor.

“Hey…” you say, causing her eyes to meet yours. “Come sit.”

She bites her lip and walks to the other side of the bed, placing herself next to you. She lets out a sigh as she rests her back into the pillows.

“You okay? You seem like the one that needs to sleep.” you smirk.

“I’m okay, it’s just been a long day.” she answers. It's quiet for a moment as you watch her eyes flutter closed.

She turns her head to face you, “Jake?” she asks.

You look back at her, “Hmm?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you about Summer.” she says quietly.

You nod your head, accepting her apology, “You know I would never do anything to hurt you right?” you ask.

She blinked slowly a few times, you could tell she was replaying the memory in her head.

“I was scared Jake…I didn’t know how to feel. I thought…” she trailed off, trying to find the words.

“How could you ever think that anyone would compare to you?” you say.

It’s quiet for a few seconds before she turns to look at you again, “When did you write that song?” she asks.

Your breath catches in your throat as you think back to that memory, stored away in the deepest depths of your brain. You clear your throat and wet your lips as you try to find the words. “Well…” you sigh, “...I wrote that song about three days before you left me. I couldn’t wait to get back and play it for you. I never got to…”

She fidgets with the skin around her fingers as she takes in what you’re saying, staying completely silent.

“I know…” she whispers, finally.

“It kind of took on a new meaning after everything…but somehow the words were still...fitting. Like it knew its fate before I did.” you add. “I sang it with Josh at every show.”

“And it’s…still true?” she asks.

You turn your body to face her, “Y/N, it’s more true now than it was even then.”

Her hand reaches for yours, her fingertips grazing your skin as her eyes lock with yours. You grab her hand, lacing her fingers together with yours, that same electric feeling traveling through you, like it always has.

“It will never not be true.” you whisper.

“I believe you…” she says, moving towards you in what feels like slow motion, her hand resting into your cheek as she presses her lips to yours. Her lips feel exactly like you remember, warm and soft and just like home.

You released her hand from yours, bringing both of your hands to her face, letting your fingers wind into her hair at her temples. You pulled her towards you, as your lips parted, her eyes flashing open to look into yours. You never thought you’d get to see her like this again. So close, you could see your own eyes reflecting into hers.

She leans forward pressing her lips to yours again, causing a euphoric explosion of passion to bloom within your chest. She wants you. This was it. You had your girl back. Every second apart from her led to this moment with her now. It wasn’t easy, but goddamn it was worth it.

You slid your tongue across her bottom lip, begging for just a taste of the girl you loved. The girl you thought of day in and day out for years. The one you wrote about. The one you sang about. To finally have her again made you feel like maybe all of the suffering was worth it.

Her lips parted and her tongue reached out for yours, the tangling of the two together dancing like a moth around a flame. But you were the moth, and she was the flame, and you’d burn for her everytime.

As the kiss deepened, you rolled her to her back, holding your weight on your arms over her head as you kneeled over her. You pulled away from her, her lips pink and swollen, and her hair laying around her face like a shimmering halo. You took in the sight of her like this, after all these years, so different now, yet somehow you could still see underneath it all, the girl you knew back then. The one who loved you before all of this.

Her hand drifted up your bare torso, and circled around your neck, pulling you towards her, connecting your lips once more and in that moment, every ounce of exhaustion left your body. You would stay here, like this with her, until your body gave out.

You kissed her, over and over, letting every pent up emotion spill out of you and onto her lips, hoping she could feel how much you loved her. As you pulled away from her once again, you stopped and looked into her eyes dark with want, as you prepared to bare your soul, “Y/N, I lo–” you started, but you were cut off by the sound of her cell phone ringing in her pocket.

You saw the look on her face change, she sat up suddenly, looking around the room, pulling the phone from her pocket. She flashed the screen to you, and answered the call. As she spoke you gathered that someone in the crew had a problem with their flight, but as usual she handled it perfectly. You really were in awe of her. A few minutes later she hung up the call, and looked at you but her expression had changed.

You reached your hand towards her face, desperate to touch her again, but her hand caught your wrist, stopping you before you made contact. Her eyes began to fill with tears and her lips started to tremble.

No.

“Jake…” she starts, in a tone all too familiar, chilling you to your core.

“No.” you beg, shaking your head, “Don’t. Don’t say it Y/N.”

“Jake we can’t…” she says, voice cracking with emotion.

“No, no, no, no, no. We can. Baby, please we can.” you say, holding on to her as she sat in front of you.

“You can’t call me baby, Jake. We can’t do this. This–This is the exact same thing that happened with Summer. The same thing you turned her down for. I work for you too…We…have to stay professional. This is my job…” she says through choked sobs, tears slipping from her eyes.

“No, this is–this is different! This has nothing to do with work or Summer or any of that. This is me and this is you. Us! Right here! Nothing else.” you say placing your hand around the back of her neck, cupping the side of her face.

She leans into your hand, tears slipping faster from her eyes. “What about Sam?” she cries.

“Fuck Sam! Sam will understand! He has always known that this is how it would end for you two. Tell me you don’t feel this between us! Tell me you haven’t chased that feeling since the very first time we met! Or, tell me you don’t want this and I’ll stop. I’ll leave you alone. You just have to tell me Y/N!” you press.

“I…I don’t know Jake!” she cries. “I want this job! I need this job! We can’t do this while I’m working for you! It makes me no better than Summer, and it makes you a hypocrite!”

You pull away from her, standing up to pace the room before settling on the wall. “You don’t know?! I think you do know! Don’t tell me you don’t fucking want this. I know you do. You fucking told me Y/N! You don’t remember it but I’ll never forget it!” you yell pointing towards her. “You’re lying to yourself and it’s killing you. It's eating you alive! It’s killing me and it’s killing you.”

“What do you mean I told you?” she asks, standing up from the bed.

“Two nights ago. Do you remember asking me to stay with you after dinner? After I put you in bed? You wanted to hear me play for you? Wanted me to talk to you?” you ask.

She shakes her head, “I don’t. Not much, bits and pieces. I mean, maybe if I think really hard, it’s still so fuzzy Jake… I… don’t remember.”

You scoff, nodding your head, “Yeah. I know. But I fucking remember Y/N. I laid with you as you fell asleep next to me, telling me you loved me. You fucking told me Y/N!”

She pushes past you and walks towards the door, but you stop her, grabbing her waist and twisting her to face you. “I know you meant it. I know this is what you want. Why are you denying yourself Y/N?”

Her eyes are darting around the room, full of tears and refusing to look at you. You can see her battling herself.

“Look at me.” you plead, but she doesn’t.

“Look at me Y/N!” you scream, lifting your hand, slamming it against the wall, with a loud smack, and as it collides with the sheetrock, you see her cower away from you.

Oh fuck. What have I done?

For someone you knew and loved so deeply, how quickly you had forgotten about her scars. The same ones that caused your own.

You release her immediately and step backwards shaking your head, “Baby…I’m…I’m so sorry. I would never–” you stop yourself, knowing you are only doing more harm. She does her best to control the sob wracking from her chest. Her face is filled with panic, your actions no doubt bringing her back to some of the worst days of her life. How could you?

Her eyes finally meet yours, and you hope she knows that you would never lay a finger on her. You pray she knows how much you love her. You reach your hand out to hers, a few silvery scars still visible on your palms. She blinks away the tears as she places her hand in yours, stepping closer to you. You intertwine your fingers with hers, taking a deep breath as you speak.

“Y/N…It feels like I’m… drowning. No matter how hard I try to swim towards you, I just keep getting carried further down... All I want is to move forward but it seems like I’m fighting for this by myself. I’ve done nothing but chase you my whole life. You’re it for me, Y/N. You’re my end game. You always have been. But I can’t keep doing this by myself. I need you. I need your help. I’m drowning without you.” you plead. The memory of your dream just a few weeks ago, suddenly finding its meaning.

She steps into your arms, wrapping herself around your neck. You feel her fingertips as they dig into your skin, holding you tightly to her as if it's the last time she’ll ever have the chance. You wrap your arms tightly around her, breathing her in the way you dreamt of everyday for years. Placing your hand on her head you wind your fingers into her hair, pull her face into your neck, and hold her there as she sobs.

“I’m sorry Jake…” she says, stepping away from you. Your face drops.

She’s still leaving. It wasn’t enough. You aren’t enough.

As she turns to walk towards the door, you feel your heart plummet into your stomach at the thought of losing her again. She turns to look at you over her shoulder as the tears fall from her red swollen eyes. Twisting the lever on the door, she opens it and hesitates. You walk to meet her there, as she steps into the hallway.

Through the lump in your throat you manage to speak, “How many times do I have to watch you leave me?”

Your words only make her tears fall harder. She sniffles as she walks down the hallway towards the elevator, and you watch her slip away through the doors. As your chest tightens you feel yourself slipping under the water, telling yourself that you might not make it to the surface this time.

You realize then, that maybe it wasn’t a dream at all, maybe it was a warning.

—

HER POV

The walk down the hallway was a blur, searching for your room key was nearly impossible…each room and corridor you entered was spinning more quickly than the last. The fluorescent lights were radiating down so brightly that you had to shield your eyes from them. Your head was spinning, the dizziness making you feel physically ill. You were beginning to cry harder than you were in Jake’s room.

Somehow, at last, you managed to unlock your room door and push yourself inside. Finally able to weep in peace, you fell to your knees on the floor, completely falling apart. The sobs escaping your chest were loud and chopped, and you could hardly open your eyes enough to see around you. The world was shattering, your world was tumbling down a mountainside at 100 miles an hour, plummeting straight for a ledge with nothing but the abyss below it.

You allowed yourself to cry. To feel the pain you’d been inflicting on yourself for months. You let it envelop you. You let it punish you. You were going to beat yourself up over this. And no one could stop you.

You had caused your own problem. You had gotten in your own way of finally being with the love of your life.

You ended up falling asleep right there on the floor, in the fetal position beside the bed. You woke up to find all the lights still on, purse beside you, and all of your clothing still on. You slowly drug yourself up from your humble place of self-loathing, crawling into the bathroom to strip down and prepare yourself for bed. You couldn’t bring yourself to look in the mirror, feeling too ashamed to even look yourself in the eye.

You found clothes that would do, turned out most of the lights, checked your phone, and fell into bed. You’d been lying on the floor for two hours.

Your mind began to race again replaying everything...remembering the look on Jake’s face when you left was enough to make you want to lose every memory you ever had.

You brought your fingers to your lips, gently touching them, wanting to savor the feeling of Jake’s lips on them just a few short hours ago. You peeked your tongue out, tasting him still there. The kiss..It had felt so absolutely right, like nothing else in the world could be more true than you in each others’ arms, finally feeling again what you both had missed so badly. What you both craved. He was your end game, too. You just had a giant road block staring you in the face.

You knew you’d made the right decision professionally, but at what cost? There was no way you were going to let him make himself out to be hypocritical, and you weren’t going to lose the best job you’ve ever had. Stupid contract technicalities. He could end up getting in trouble, too. Breaking the rules like that was frowned upon, even when it was from his side of the party. How could this work?

It couldn’t. There was no way around it.

You decided to text Sam, hoping that he would be awake at this late hour. You even sent double messages, hoping the noise would jar him from his sleep.

You

2:42am: Hey, sorry if I wake you. Can I come over? I really need to talk

You

2:45am: Sam wake up :(

You

2:50am: Where are you? Are you okay?

You waited…but got nothing in return. Figures. He’s been so distant lately…

You closed your eyes, hoping to find a bit of relief in letting them see nothing but darkness for a while. But in the hilarious, twisted, trickery of your subconscious, all you saw was Jake’s face.

After a few minutes, your phone buzzed in your hand.

Thank God, Sammy. You glanced down to find a name that you didn’t expect.

Jake

2:56am: I meant everything I said tonight. I don’t regret a single word. You can leave or stay, but just know I’ll love you until the day I die.

Tears welled up again. You thought back to the kiss, how at home you felt in his arms, the passionate glow of attraction you felt deep in your bones for him while your lips danced and your hands explored again for the first time in too many years. How he was going to utter the words you’d been longing to hear for so long, only to be interrupted by the sound of duty calling.

He truly still wanted you, and there was nothing you could do about it.

——

The next morning, the sun came through the curtains of your hotel room, burning onto your face and eyelids. Normally you would love this feeling, but right now you just wanted to lie in darkness until someone had to physically drag you out of bed.

You begrudgingly went through the motions of pulling yourself out of bed, to standing in the shower while your limbs performed the necessary tasks to clean yourself. You let your brain tune to autopilot as you chose clothing to suit the day, and you mindlessly gathered all your things together into your suitcase, dreading the day of travel.

Where the hell is Sam? You need your best friend right now.

You checked your phone reluctantly, truly not even wanting to pick it up for the rest of the day. But to your surprise you had a handful of texts from Sam.

Keys

7:55am: Hey! Are you okay? I’m sorry I missed your texts

Keys

7:58am: Do you want me to come down?

Missed Call

8:00am: Keys

Keys

8:03am: Helllooooo…Y/N? You have me worried…

You immediately hit the button to call him. It only rang once before he picked up.

“Hey Sammy. Sorry I blew up your phone last night.” You said, exhaustion heavy in your voice.

“Hey, it’s alright, don’t worry about it. What is wrong? You sound awful…” he asked with concern.

“I had...a really bad night. Can we talk for a minute?” You asked, suddenly feeling like you were imposing with how little you’d talked in the past couple of days.

“Yeah, yes. I’m on my way. What’s your room number?” He asked.

“Actually, I’m already coming down your hallway. See you in a second.” You answered, hanging up the phone.

He was already standing in his doorway looking for you when you turned the corner, a solemn but cheerful expression on his face. He was in nothing but a pair of shorts, and had his hair back in a messy bun.

“I already know that look, and it usually involves my brother.” He said as you approached him. He brought you in for a hug. “Did he make you sad, Y/N? Do I need to whoop his ass?”

You chuckled, feeling a smile hit your face for the first time in hours. He opened the door wider, allowing you to step into his room.

“First of all, are you okay? You’re not still feeling sick?” You asked.

He turned toward you with his hands in his pockets, “Uh no, I’m good. Feeling great now, actually.”

The two of you sat in the living area of the hotel room, facing each other on the couch. You huffed, not really knowing where to begin. You wanted to lay everything out on the line for him, tell him what happened last night, and hope that he could give you some sort of direction. But at the same time, you hoped you weren’t about to break his heart.

“I know that you can probably feel that things are sort of…changing a bit between all of us, and I just want to start out by saying that I don’t want you to be upset with me or him about…you know.” You said, trying to insinuate about the situation between you and him, and you and Jake.

“I know...Y/N. I get it. You don’t have to explain that part. We had that conversation before we started this, remember?” He smiled reassuringly, resting his head on his fist against the back of the couch. “Just good friends.”

You breathed a sigh of relief, “Ok. Well, to make a really long story short, we kind of had a…moment last night, finally. Perfect, amazing, everything feeling just like it used to, you know? But we got interrupted by my work phone and I had to take it. It basically set off an alarm in my head that what we were doing was wrong. I work for you guys, he’s my boss. I literally signed a contract saying I wouldn’t do this. I could lose my job over this, Sammy. And he could get in a lot of trouble, too.” you paused.

“So I stopped, we stopped everything. I told him we couldn’t do this. There was no way. He got mad, Sam. Not at me, just… mad at the situation, I think. It was awful. We were both crying and yelling at each other. Right when it felt like everything was going to be okay again.”

He stared at you, furrowing his brow and tossing your words around in his head. He bit his bottom lip, and finally spoke, “Ok, wait. Let me get this straight.” He sat up on the couch, bringing his hands into the conversation, something he always did when he was trying to get his point across.

“You and Jake were in love for a hundred years... We all thought it was going to be you guys, forever and always amen, yada yada. You leave us, no contact, no goodbye, no nothing. Then you randomly find us in a brand new city by accident and are already employed by us. On accident! Nevermind all the you and me stuff…” he shook his hands and head at the mention of your relationship.

“Then, Jake dumps his witchy girlfriend because you’re finally back in his life, you brought him back to his happy place, and he thought he would have a chance again. You guys flirt continuously, he’s finally back to his old self, he’s playing guitar better than I have ever seen him play before…you guys what, almost hook up last night? Get all your feelings out? Speak your truths? And now you still don’t think it will work? Because of a job?” he asks, voice thick with confusion.

You nod your head. “Sam, this is my dream job. The career I’ve always worked toward. I’m happy doing this, it’s where I want to be. But I also want him, more than I’ve ever wanted anything in the world…but I can’t have both. I can’t have my cake and eat it too.”

He stared at you in disbelief, hands still floating questioningly in the air.

“Y/N, I think you’re thinking about this all wrong…you’re not looking at the bigger picture here.” He smiled, and began to laugh through his words. He spoke like he already had all of the answers, and was confused as to why you didn’t.

Just then, you heard the vent that had been running in the bathroom switch off, turning your attention to the door. You looked back to Sam, startled with perplexity written in your eyes.

He dropped his hands, then brought them back up to glide through his hair. He met your eyes, and gave you a knowing smile.

“Y/N, I know you know someone else is in here...and I think you’re going to be really happy about it.” he says.

You were stunned and confused. Who the hell? Is it another girl? Is this why he’s been so distant?

Just then, the bathroom door opened, revealing a gorgeous little petite thing with wavy brown locks. She smiled shyly as she gave you a tiny wave.

The room spun in slow motion around you as you finally narrowed in, your mouth dropping at the sight of her face.

“Elle…”

Part 12

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