#taylor rust fanfiction

[inastrangerskiss]

stitches

Tyler Rust x Reader

content warning: simply just fluff literally nothing else besides maybe 2% angst

summary: tyler comes home with a wound from a match

a/n: i wrote this before he was released no I will not be changing his name

Tyler laid with his head across your lap. His eyes were focused on the television but you could tell he was barely clinging to consciousness. His golden hair was sprawled out behind him, creating delicate waves against your body. As you ran your fingers through the tawny locks he leaned into your touch like a contented cat.

There was a deep, burgundy and violet wound just below his eye, running down the length of his cheekbone. Black stitches were roughly sewn along the injury. You hadn’t expected him to come home like that.

You understood his job and the career path he had chosen. You understood it meant sometimes he got injured and sometimes he would bleed. He had come home with broken legs and ankles. Not very often but often enough that it wasn’t really anything more than a nuisance for you. But occasionally it would take you by surprise. He always tried to call you after the matches, to let you know how it went, to let you know if something had happened but sometimes he forgot. Sometimes he’d come home with a black eye or a laceration or a brace attached to a joint and it would catch you off guard.

That’s what happened yesterday.

The evening had crept along as you waited for him to return home. You tried to forget the nightmare of a day you had endured by losing yourself in the pasta sauce bubbling on the stove. You knew Tyler would be home soon and the tension would truly melt away the moment he had his arms wrapped around you.

The door opened and closed. A bag hit the floor.

“Hey, darling. I’m home.” He called out into the house.

“I’m in the kitchen.”

You could hear his footfalls approaching, his arms wrapping around your waist. He buried his head in the crook of your neck and took a deep breath before pressing a kiss to your shoulder. You smiled. He was home. Home and safe. Sharing the same space, breathing the same air as you.

“I’m gonna need you to sew my trunks. They got a little torn on the side last night.”

You nodded. You hadn’t gotten to see the match but mending his gear was commonplace for you. You could feel him relax against you and it gave you a sense of peace. Gently, you brought a hand behind you and ruffled his hair. You ran that hand down his cheek and felt him wince. The rough texture was strange and not at all what you had expected to encounter.

This caused you to turn. And there it was. The stitches. The bruising.

“What happened?” You had asked, a hand falling to your hip.

“Nothing. Just took a kick wrong.”

It wasn’t nothing. It was a massive wound that had clearly required the help of doctors to ensure its proper healing. A massive wound that had probably bled a lot. A massive wound that you weren’t there to worry about in the moment. And there was something about that that hurt you.

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“It was late. I didn’t want to wake you up when I figured I could tell you about it now.” His voice was gentle but it still upset you. He took your hand in his and he held it with the utmost care. “It’s fine though. Just a little cut, that’s all.”

It sat with you though. It was difficult to spend so much time apart and it was even more difficult to know there might be times where he got hurt and you wouldn’t know.

You weren’t able to enjoy dinner with the stitches staring back at you and you felt horrible that you couldn’t look past them to enjoy the night. You became withdrawn and decided against laying on the couch with him, opting to go to bed early instead. He found you curled up on your side, your eyes open and scrolling through social media. He leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed. You were acting like a child but he still had a patient smile curling the corners of his mouth.

“Not gonna talk to me?” He asked.

“I’m just tired.” It was a lie and you knew it was and he knew it was but he tolerated it.

“I guess I’m tired too, then.” He shrugged, crawling in beside you.

You didn’t make a move, disinterested in breaking down the frustrated and begrudging wall you had built. But it meant nothing to him, his arms reaching around your side, pulling you closer. He peppered your shoulder with kisses, running them up your neck, to your cheek and back down again. You had to force yourself not to smile.

“Why’re you upset with me?” His voice was calm and kind.

“Why didn’t you tell me you got hit like that?”

“I told you. I figured I’d tell you when I got back here. No reason to make you worry when it was just a silly bump.”

“The guy could’ve taken your eye out.” You muttered into the pillow, your phone now down by your side.

Tyler brought the arm that originally lay against your waist, up and across your chest, as if it were a seatbelt holding you safely for the ride.

“But he didn’t.”

You didn’t say anything. He was also silent, the only sound between the two of you being rhythmic breathing. Finally, he let out a small sigh and relented in a way that was almost unnoticeable. You couldn’t feel it in his body or his arms but in his presence itself.

“Listen.” He turned you towards him and you unhappily felt your body roll accordingly to face the man you loved. “Sometimes this stuff happens. But it's okay. I’m safe. Nothing bad will happen to me.”

“It might one day.” You blurted out, your true feelings suddenly on display.

“It won’t.” His voice was firm and resolute. “As long as I’ve got you waiting for me at home I’ll always be coming back to you in one piece.”

He found your hands mixed in with the sheets and the duvet and laced his fingers through yours. He didn’t look you in the eyes right away, more focused on this moment of touch than anything else. When he did bring his gaze to meet yours it was clear, in spite of the darkness. His eyes were a gentle plea with you, asking you to understand he meant everything he said.

“I won’t let anything hurt me.” He murmured. “Only I can control that and I will for you.”

You waited a moment before allowing a small nod. A small acceptance of him, stitches and all.

So, there you sat. An evening removed from his return to the home you shared, his head on your lap, your hand in his hair. Occasionally, you took breaks from combing your hand through his locks to focus on finishing sewing the tear in his trunks.

With each movement of your needle, you brought them back together, into one whole piece. Back into one contiguous cloth, one unbroken garment.

Tyler looked up at you and sleepily smiled. You smiled back.

Back into one whole piece.

#tyler rust #russ taylor #ryan taylor #tyler rust x reader #tyler rust fanfiction #tyler rust imagine #nxt imagine #taylor rust fanfiction #taylor rust fanfic #taylor rust

[flawlesspeasant]

seasons of love.

I kind of wanted to write sort of a farewell fic to the Jolex fandom. It’s been a really incredible ride and I wanted a way to end that chapter of my fanfiction writing journey. So here it is. I went back to my roots and wrote entirely from Jo’s point of view.

So long, Jolex readers. It’s been a real pleasure and a very wild ride with you. ❤️

                             ——————————— 

I realize now that it is entirely my fault.

I didn’t mean to forget, it’s just that when I met him, it was a cool autumn day and the wind blew in, carrying a crisp gust and making the leaves on the trees rattle. He pulled on two gloves and fashioned a crooked grin in my direction, with chocolate brown hair and warm eyes that crinkled at the corners. There was a little bit of mystery to him; maybe even a little fun.

I didn’t notice it at first, me falling for him , I mean. The pieces of me shifting, molding and adjusting so I could accommodate the space he started to take up inside of me. It was subtle; a flicker in his eye when he bit a donut, a snort in his laugh when we conned our way into a hotel room together. I started to notice after it was happening and while it was too late. We sat in front of a fireplace on top of a couch that I bought, and we clanked the bottles of beer together. The fire crackled and I was toasty from the outside in, and I started to realize that it was him who put that warmth in me.

The mattress creaks when I roll over, and I wake up before my eyes open. I stretch my fingers out in search of my phone, because I need to know exactly what time it is. I miss my alarm clock, by the way. It was ancient and I mostly just used my phone to wake me up anyway, but it added a little something to the loft, made it homey. I wonder if it could keep it from feeling like a foreign country to me now, wonder if maybe I shouldn’t have thrown it the night I came home and it sank in that he was gone. The alarm clock was just one of the many things that became a casualty in this war with myself.

The mattress creaks with my movement, and I inhale. His pillow hasn’t been washed, so his scent still remains. And I smell it hard; I smell it so hard that it should take up permanent residence in my nostrils.

He must’ve felt me move and realized that I’m awake, because the bed creaks again and the sheets on top of our naked, sticky bodies rustle. He shifts, turns his body so he’s facing me, and his arms drape loosely around my bare shoulders. His lips are soft when they kiss the middle of my back, but I close my eyes and grit my teeth until it’s over.

Winter came around and the shadows that made Alex who he was were back. They hung over his head like icicles waiting to fall, and when he talked to me, he did it from a distance. We didn’t hang out as much as we used to, and his demeanor was cold. Winter was me being shut out, him being isolated. He didn’t tell me what was wrong and he probably didn’t think I cared. Winter was lonely, I finally thought whenever I sat in an empty room and cried at the idea of never seeing him again. Winter is known for being the time when things die, and it was the death of our friendship. It wasn’t until things ended with Jason that I saw the wintertime for exactly what it was, a blizzard of emotions in his own head.

I held his cold hand, thanked him for being the one person I could tell the truth to about what happened between me and Jason. He told me that jealousy made him cold, and I told him it was okay. There were only a few more weeks left of winter and I could taste the burst of fresh air that springtime would bring.

“Good morning, beautiful.” His voice is deep, throaty. It starts from the pit of his stomach and burbles out of his mouth. A glimpse of fuzzy brown hair from the corner of my eye, I make sure my hope melts away when I tell myself it’s not him.

A few more kisses to the middle of my back, then I roll to the other side. The blankets covering me unravel and expose my bare legs, but it’s too much energy to care. I clutch them to my chest, shrug a tuft of my sweaty hair out of my face. His icy blue eyes feel like blades that pierce my skin when he looks at me; blades that jab my eyes when they meet. I look away from him and recoil at the way he tries to brush my hair back with his fingers.

“I have to go to work.”

He pulls his hand away from me as soon as I say that. His face melts into realization, he gets that I’m just trying to get rid of him and I’m glad. He’s disappointed but prompt when he rolls out of my bed, and I don’t watch him when he pulls his clothes back onto his naked body. I don’t know that he leaves until after I hear the door slide open, then slide back shut.

I lie in my bed for a few more moments, soaking up the blunt humiliation over how irresponsible I’d been. He was the fourth guy this week and it’s only Wednesday. I don’t remember his name — I don’t remember any of their names — but I keep going because maybe on Friday I’ll finally find the one who feels exactly like him.

Alex started defrosting when spring was right around the corner. When he hugged me, I felt it. Warm around the edges but still cold in the core, especially when I touched him as we sat watching his father die. Warm around the edges, cold in the core… it was enough to make me love him through it because I knew that summer would be there soon and autumn would come next. I fell in love with the birds chirping over his head, the way he held me close in a tight blue dress and promised me that we’d be together forever. Back against the wood of a barnyard door, it was spring and I remembered how his autumn laugh felt and how his winter snow was pretty.

Spring was the season of promises, the season I realized that he really was my forever. I’d loved lots of springs — men like Jason who were warm but came with little spurts of cold here and there. Lying on the ground struggling to see and tasting nothing but blood in the depths of my mouth, I knew when I saw Paul standing over me that he was winter. Alex was a little bit of everything wrapped up in one — an Indian summer, a snowstorm, a heatwave, a month of pouring rain. He was all of those things, all at the same time, and I was just trying to figure out how that could possibly be. I found him, and I knew the moment I saw him nodding off while I fastened his tie that I was never going to let him go.

Eventually, I climb out of my bed and walk my naked body to the bathroom. I make the shower water a little too hot, a little too burning. I step into it without mercy and it’s the kind of pain that I need. The kind of pain that makes you remember that you are alive and you can feel something.

My skin is red when I sit down, back against the tile wall. I pull my knees up into my chest and stare at the gray bottle that his body wash is in. I stare at his washcloth, still hanging on the rack. I stare at the blue razor rusting on the shelf. I stare at the reminders that he was here once upon a time, and I wonder if I’ll ever be strong enough to throw them out.

“I hope the sun shines, and it’s a beautiful day, and something reminds you, you wish you had stayed…” I whisper to myself, a soft voice lost amongst the water beating down against my skin. “You can plan for a change in weather and time, but I never planned on you changing your mind…”

I close my eyes and put my head against my knees. It’s quiet in here, I find my solitude when I’m in here. I can stay here as long as I want, I’m free to mouth the only lyrics of a Taylor Swift song that I remember. In here… there’s no difference between the water droplets and my tears.

Summer was fire and hot flashes that made me walk around the house naked. He thought I didn’t hear him when I ran to the next room because I didn’t know he had friends over, but I did. I heard him clear as day when he grinned and said, “I’m gonna marry that girl.” Summer was rage and heat, and it’s only exit was through the fists that collided with Andrew’s body. The days were blazing, scorchers that ended with fire rolling off my tongue when I rejected his proposals, flames sparking from his hands as he packed his things to stay at Meredith’s and I begged him to stay.

As summer drew to a close, the nights grew longer and cooler. He looked at me, our bodies gently swaying and rocking to the motion of the waves carrying our boat. He looked at me with that crinkle in his eyes and that goofy smile, and I kissed him. My summer man. I kissed him and his warmth radiated off his lips, I drew it into mine. Summer was hot, I was reminded of that as I stood in front of him and threatened to leave him just for caring about me. He left me alone like I asked him to, but the whole time I thought about how grateful I was to say “I do” to a man like him. I couldn’t wait for autumn to come back around so he could love me without the uncomfortable heat of summer.

When I step out of the shower, I don’t wrap a towel around myself. Instead, I stand in front of the body mirror, dripping a puddle around me.

I stare at myself, head on first, then I turn to the side. I wonder if it’s me. I wonder if maybe he got tired of the love handles on my hips, or the stretch marks on my breasts. I wonder if it’s the weight I gained from the alcohol I drank or if it’s the way tired, weary lines are permanently ingrained in my face now. I even wonder if it’s my hair, you know? Maybe if I cut it short and dye it lighter like I did towards the end of spring, he’d love me with the fiery passion of summertime. I could’ve tried lingerie, different hair, new makeup, a diet plan. I could’ve stopped taking my birth control, started to tell him that he didn’t have to pull out anymore. I could’ve lied on my back and given birth to a gorgeous baby — maybe even paid for a fertility specialist if it was twins that he wanted so badly.

I could’ve tried harder, but he didn’t let me.

Maybe he could come back, but he won’t ever look at me the same. Maybe he’ll look at me the way I look at myself in this mirror, empty eyes that neither love me nor hate me. Empty eyes that are just neutral about the woman he promised he’d love forever.

Autumn rolled back around and I was excited, it was my favorite season. I was all taped up and glued — the best kind of mess — the mess that only intensive therapy could pull me out of. I had a newer outlook on life, a better one even. It was the typical autumn balance of hot and cold when he smiled at me with vampire fangs in his teeth.

You see, the thing I forgot about autumn is that it’s not always warm. Sometimes, autumn is full of days with wind that chills you to your bones.

Autumn is me hugging him at the airport and telling him to have a safe trip home, already missing him before he even left. Autumn is him kissing me and telling me that he loves me, but using those same lips to tell me a lie. Cold are the days when I go back to the loft and look at the way my life has taken a turn for the absolute worst. I need a sweater for the nights when I cry so hard I’m sure I’ll never breathe again, a space heater for the visions of children who look like him, running through green blades of grass with pigtails and cowboy boots. My teeth chatter when I hear him say, “You can trust me. I love you, Jo.” My body is numb when I realize that I actually believed him.

I didn’t mean to, it’s just that when I met him, it was autumn and the wind blew in, carrying a crisp gust and making the leaves on the trees rattle. He pulled on two gloves and fashioned a crooked grin in my direction, with chocolate brown hair and warm eyes that crinkled at the corners. There was a little bit of mystery to him; a whole lot of fun. And I thought to myself, what a great time to fall?

It’s my fault now.

Because I forgot that even autumn days can get cold.

#jolex #jo wilson #alex karev #fuck grey’s anatomy

[kimberblog]

Het jaar 2019

De recepten voor kerst zijn klaar en de schoonfamilie landt binnenkort op Nederlandse bodem. Tijd voor tradities, waaronder het invullen van het overzichtslijstje. Net als in  2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 en 2018.

1: What did you do in 2019 that you’d never done before?

Ik ging bij een naaiclubje. Ik ben (iets) politiek actiever geworden. Ik ben op bezoek geweest bij mijn oude middelbare school. Ik mocht in het stadsarchief Amsterdam een presentatie geven over vrouwenkiesrecht.

2: Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Absoluut niet: een nieuw ritme vond ik wel, maar dit is nog niet het gezonde ritme dat ik wilde hebben. Ik heb wel veel geklust, maar totaal geen opgeruimder leven. Alhoewel, nu ik er zo over nadenk heb ik misschien wel opgeruimder qua spullen geleefd, maar niet qua hoofd.

Voor volgend jaar: Rust, reinheid, regelmaat. Meer vakanties en momenten van reflectie inbouwen voor mezelf.

3: Did anyone close to you give birth?

Ja, een vriendin (meisje). Verder nog eentje zwanger die a.s. zomer bevalt.  

4: Did anyone close to you die?

Nee.

5: What countries did you visit?

Curacao, Duitsland, Frankrijk, Italië en Polen.

6: What would you like to have in 2020 that you lacked in 2019?

Rustmomenten voor mezelf zonder dat ik me er schuldig over voel. (hahaha ik hoefde deze zin niet te wijzigen!)

7: What dates from 2019 will remain etched upon your memory?

14 maart: presentatie vrouwenkiesrecht in het stadsarchief Amsterdam

20 en 21 juli: groot verjaardagsweekendfeest.

15 oktober: een vast contract bij de gemeente Haarlem!

8: What was your biggest achievement of the year?

2 Nota’s schrijven over onderwijskansen voor 2 hele verschillende gemeenten, terwijl ik me ondertussen nog aan het inwerken was bij beide gemeenten.

9: What was your biggest failure?

Ik kan nu een heel verhaal ophouden over hoe ik had gepland dat één van die nota’s in juni zou worden goedgekeurd, en dat dat niet doorging, en hoe ik daar van baalde. Maar in feite lag dat buiten mijn eigen invloed. Het enige waar ik in faalde was dat ik dat bij tijd en wijlen niet kon verkroppen en me persoonlijk aantrok. Dat ik niet zo goed om kon gaan met tegenslag omdat er veel te veel hooi op mijn vork lag.

Een ander voorbeeld daarvan was het regelen van een vrijgezellenfeest en balen van het feit dat het regende en ik (en anderen!) achteraf sommige dingen niet goed hadden doorgedacht.

10: Did you suffer illness or injury?

Ik ben afgelopen zomer meerdere keren ziek geweest van een oorontsteking. Na lang zoeken waar de oorzaak lag, bleek het door tandenknarsen te komen. En dat kwam natuurlijk weer door de grootste silent killer… Stress. We kunnen geloof ik wel concluderen dat ik daar behoorlijk ziek van ben geweest, met burn-out achtige klachten en af en toe een huilbuitje.

Afgelopen week nog gevallen met de nieuwe fiets.. Aangezien ik dat vorig jaar ook op deze plek tikte, denk ik niet meer dat dat heel bijzonder is.

11: What was the best thing you bought?

Oei, zoveel keus! Voor een jaar waarin ik probeerde "groener" te leven, is er verrassend veel aangeschaft en niet allemaal even groen.. Het begon met de keukenmachine, waardoor we de rest van het jaar alleen nog maar eigen brood hebben gebakken. De droger deze zomer leverde heel veel extra vrije tijd en ruimte op, net als de robotstofzuiger die recent is aangeschaft. Verder nog een ladder voor het snoeien van de appelboom, en een racefiets voor naar het werk. Ja, die ene waar ik dus net hierboven van vertel dat ik ben gevallen.

12: Whose behaviour merited celebration?

Mijn man, die duidelijk meer geduld heeft dan ik.

13: Whose behaviour made you appalled?

Een collega en een partner uit de stad die veel te laat met op- en aanmerkingen kwamen, waardoor één van de nota's bleef hangen.

14: Where did most of your money go?

In het huis! Na een jaar officieel huiseigenaren te zijn, blijkt dat we het financieel allemaal goed redden en zelfs extra konden aflossen. Daar ben ik best trots op. 

15: What did you get really, really, really excited about?

De robotstofzuiger. Drie huwelijksfeestjes deze zomer en het vrijgezellenfeest van eentje ervan organiseren. De vakantie naar Rome. Nieuwe muziek van Coldplay en Taylor Swift. De bizarre hoeveelheid appels uit de boom. De spontane acties in de keuken die een positief resultaat hadden, zoals het maken van druivensap.

16: What song will always remind you of 2019?

"Lover" van Taylor Swift. Eigenlijk het hele album.  

17: Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter?  c.) richer or poorer?

a.       Sadder

b.       Fatter

c.       Richer

18: What do you wish you’d done more of?

Tijd voor mezelf nemen zonder me schuldig te voelen, zodat ik niet me steeds zo "op" voelde.Veranderingen aanbrengen in routines.

19: What do you wish you’d done less of?

Ongezond eten als het niet hoeft. Overwerken voor klusjes die niet functioneel zijn.

20: How did you spend Christmas?

Ik ben dit jaar vroeg met het invullen van deze lijst, dus Kerst ligt nog in het verschiet. Op 6 december was het kerstdiner van de club8 2010. waar we hebben gegourmet.

Morgen (20 dec) komen mijn schoonouders vanuit Curacao en blijven een week bij ons slapen. Eerste kerstdag gaan we naar mijn ouders en tweede kerstdag eten m'n schoonouders, schoonbroer en -zus en oom hier kerst.

21: Did you fall in love in 2019?

Was ik natuurlijk al. Verliefd ben ik wel geworden op een paar goede muzieknummers. En op de appelbloesem in onze tuin.

22: What was your favourite TV program?

Vroege Vogels, Heel Holland Bakt, Good Omens, Zondag met Lubach, Het geheime dagboek van Hendrik Groen. 

23: Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Ik sta er inmiddels een beetje versteld van hoe grof iedereen met elkaar omgaat op wereldniveau. Dus probeer ik zelf iets minder te haten, maar dat is nog best lastig als haten om het haten bijna normaal wordt.

24: What was the best book you read?

Ik heb dankzij de e-reader zoveel boeken gelezen dit jaar! 41 boeken and still counting! Een kleine greep die me bij zullen blijven: Met Circe, van Madeleine Miller, verbaasde ik me weer hoe mooi de Griekse Mythen waren. Born a crime van Trevor Noah deden me beseffen hoe erg het racisme was in de apartheidsperiode in Zuid-Afrika. Gratis Geld voor iedereen van Rutger Bregman gaf stof tot nadenken en alle boeken van Holly Bourne waren de perfecte combi tussen feminisme en chick-flick. Maar het tofste boek dat echt bijna een obsessie werd qua fanfiction zoeken toen het uit was, was "Red, White and Royal Blue".

25: What was your greatest musical discovery?

Geen echte ontdekking, maar zoals gezegd kwam Taylor Swift met een nieuw album dat ik na een maand uit het hart kende.

26: What did you want and get?

Ons huis is een thuis geworden. Niet alleen door de aanschaf van nieuwe dingen, maar ook door de tijd die we erin steken. Dat hebben we gevierd toen we dertig werden met een groot tuinfeest met vrienden en familie. Verder een hele leuke familievakantie naar Curacao.

27: What did you want and not get?

Geduld. Ik had van te voren te hoge verwachten over hoe snel je op een nieuwe werkplek went en liep mezelf daardoor voorbij. Ook mag het leven wel wat avontuurlijker. Maar misschien is dat het ongeduld dat spreekt.

28: What was your favourite film of this year?

Zoals altijd kan ik niet kiezen. Goede films waren in ieder geval Booksmart, Vice, The long Shot en On the basis of Sex. Verder ook best genoten van Frozen 2.  

29: What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Een uitje met de club 8,het spontane samenzijn met familie of vrienden. O ja, en dat ik tijd (en geld) durfde uit te geven aan hulp voor 1 van mijn hobbies, nl kleding naaien.

30: How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2019?

Ik wil het zelf kunnen maken, waardoor ik beter weet wat me staat en niet. Maar ik wil ook zo lang mogelijk in bed liggen smorgens, dus als ik me kan opmaken in de bus naar werk is dat een pluspunt.

31: What kept you sane?

Weinig. Als ik probeerde een schema te volgen werd het ietwat obsessief.

32: Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Kristen Bell, Taylor Swift.

33: What political issue stirred you the most?

Global warming. En via Rutger Bregman het minimum inkomen.

34: Who did you miss?

Een aantal vrienden die wat verder van ons af kwamen te staan.

35: Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2019.

Je zal vaak in dezelfde valkuilen vallen, zoals overwerken. Dat is niet altijd onvermijdelijk. Eruit op krabbelen gata hopelijk wel steeds sneller.  

36: Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I’m so sick of running as fast as I can.

#2019 #grappig #goedevoornemens

[choiceslife]

When Worlds Collide: Part One (Limited Series)

Disclaimer: Based upon characters in Choices - Endless Summer, It Lives in the Woods, The Royal Romance, #LoveHacks, Home for the Holidays and ?? series. All characters presented are the property of Pixelberry Studios. I claim no ownership. This story is purely the work of the poster as fanfiction.

Overall Series Rating: 18+ (NSFW)

Warnings: Adult Language, Adult Content, Sexual Discussions. Future chapters may contain SMUT and Gratuitous Sexual Descriptions

Overall Series Summary: The sisters are together again and Ava Cunningham believes only they can help her.

Author’s Note: This Limited Series is a companion/sequel to Divided By Circumstance. I suggest you at least read that series in order to understand this one. As with most of my stories, this is a crossover and is part of my interconnected Chromatic AU. My MC’s are as follows: Carrissa Monroe (TRR), Abby Bennett (#LH), Scarlett Joy (HFTH), and Taylor Reed (ES). There will be an End Note following this chapter.

Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @mysteli @cinnamonroll-duffy @darley1101 @debramcg1106 @katurrade @ladynonsense @luxurylives @regrettingnathan @akrenich @teamtomsato @riseandshinelittleblossom @kinkykingliam @jlouise88 @kenjikatsoros @eileendannie @marshmallow-ortega @littlecrookedheart @i-choose-liam @boneandfur @bobasheebaby @tmarie82 @walkerismychoice @europeanguy @pixieferry @sstee1 @3pawandme

This is very much sensitive content and NSFW. You have been warned.

***

Louisiana - Somewhere

Barely 8am and the rural Louisiana heat was quite high for this late in the fall. But Jake McKenzie didn’t mind. He preferred warm weather over anything remotely cold. There was just something about being able to go outside and let the sun’s rays soak into your skin that Jake enjoyed. Sure, he’d been to places with colder climates and had a good time, but he found the process of bundling up to be rather annoying.

Plus, he wouldn’t be able to go for his routine run outdoors if he lived some place with colder weather. He’d be trapped inside on a treadmill at one of those cookie cutter, corporate gyms that he despised. World Fitness. Jake tried it out once during a free trial weekend. It sucked. He much preferred the makeshift gym in his garage and the ability to jog without worrying about a time limit because the place was stuffed to the rafters with people. Too many people. This eventually led to several other patrons always waiting to use the machines.

But running outdoors on his own time, without anyone else around, was much more in his comfort zone. Just him and nature. And running outside meant that Jake didn’t need headphones to tune out unwanted distractions. He was able to run freely with his own thoughts and nothing else.

The repeated ‘thwap thwap’ sound of Jake’s worn sneakers ricocheting off the pavement always brought a soothing calm to his mind. He could usually tell from the repetitious noise just how close he was to meeting the Navy required time for a mile and a half run - 16 minutes 10 seconds - the new maximum time allowed. In his prime, Jake could easily best that time with a 6 minute mile pace, but nowadays he’d be lucky to run a mile in under ten minutes.

Gotta ease up on all the beers, Hotness Jake imagined Taylor saying to him playfully as he wiped his brow with the back of his hand. The sweat had matted his shaggy brown hair to his head and periodically a rogue drop would try to course its way towards Jake’s eye. Burning eyes while running wouldn’t feel good at all. The sweat running down his bare chest and what was left of his abs, however, felt great. Particularly because of the heat. Whenever a brief breeze did blow, his body would get a momentary reprieve from the humid feeling with a slight cooling effect.

As Jake crested a slight hill in the road, he noticed a car parked along the side of the pavement well off in the distance. It was a pretty unusual sight as his chosen running route was a very desolate, practically abandoned, stretch of highway. Jake couldn’t remember the last time he saw a vehicle that wasn’t his truck or Old Man Crabbypant’s rust-covered Cadillac.

___

“I think I see him. Shaggy brown hair. Average height. Crooked smile.”

“That’s him. That’s Jake McKenzie,” Ava said as she slammed the trunk of the car. “Quick, hide the binoculars and take off your shirt.”

“What? Why?”

“Dan Pierce!” Ava snapped. “Don’t question me! Just do it!”

“This is ridiculous,” Dan replied as he tossed the binoculars into the back seat of the rental car and slipped his tight blue t-shirt off. He kept muttering to himself as he moved to the front of the car and set the hood open to rest on the prop rod.

“He’s a lonely man, yet he ignored every person that approached him at the bar when I was observing last night. I just need something to entice him to stop and chat. Now stop complaining and work what your momma gave ya Dan. And pretend I’m not here.” Ava quickly made her way down the slight embankment off the side of the road and crouched down out of site.

“How do you know he’s lonely?”

“Hush. Pretend to be inspecting the engine. Pull out one of those hose thingys.”

“But...”

Ava shushed her friend again and flicked her hands in agitation towards the front of the car. A small trail of white smoke began to creep up from the engine bay startling Dan.

___

Jake slowed his pace as he approached the stopped car, taking in the beautifully sculpted masculine sight before him. The shirtless, mop topped brunette’s hands were firmly planted on the front of the car, supporting him as he peered over the engine. His well defined back muscles flexed slightly with each shifting movement as he inspected the disabled vehicle. Jake couldn’t help, but to admire the man’s broad shoulders that tapered to a trim waist with lower back dimples. Taylor had those as well and Jake was such a sucker for a man with them. He continued to drink in the gorgeous backside before him. Tight dark blue jeans situated low on the hips accentuating a cute, bubbled behind elicited a mild gasp as Jake’s jog shifted to a walk. He’s still not Taylor. As he approached, Jake placed both hands onto his hips as he took deep gulps of air in an effort to regulate and normalize his breathing. “Everything okay?”

From the side of the road, Ava watched as Jake strolled his slim, taut frame beside Dan. Now she just needed her friend to lull the fit recluse into a friendly conversation so that he’d let his guard down and she could have a much needed chat with him. Ava had hoped to talk to Jake the night before, but he was clearly giving off a vibe that said ‘Fuck Off’ to everyone. So Ava decided to go with Plan B: Shirtless Dan Pierce beside a ‘broken down’ car. And it seemed to be working.

___

Although Dan had seen Jake through the binoculars earlier, he hadn’t expected him to be as attractive as he was up close and personal. Dan couldn’t help his eyes wandering all over the jogger’s body. From his tantalizing and inviting blue eyes to the way his lopsided grin showcased his kissable lips; Jake was more man than Dan expected. “Not sure. It started to smoke and then just quit.” Dan’s eyes continued to wander down Jake’s body following his white lie, admiring the way the sun glinted off of his sweat laced chest and how his matted blue shorts hugged high and tight to his muscular thighs leaving almost nothing to the imagination.

“Mind if I take a look?”

“Not at all.” Dan stepped to the side allowing Jake to inspect the car’s motor to see what the problem might be. He glanced towards where Ava had been hiding, but she waved him off to pay attention to Jake. Dan returned his eyes to the man beside him, noticing the strength and definition in his body. “You’re hot,” he reflexively said; his eyes going wide the moment he realized that his comment was out loud and not in his head. “I mean, you look hot...like... hot like you need a drink. Do you want a water?”

Jake flashed a wry smile at the man’s moment of fluster. Still got it Jake. “Sure. A water would be nice.”

“K. I think we got some in the trunk.”

“We?”

Shit! Dan’s face immediately flushed with worry. He caught me. He knows. He fucking knows. “I. I’ve got some in the trunk. I have no idea why I said ‘we.’” Dan’s voice cracked as he nervously laughed. He made his way to the back of the car, hoping that Jake wouldn’t challenge his lie. Dan reached into the soft Coleman cooler and yanked a bottle of ice cold water from its depths. He closed the trunk and jumped back in surprise. The former pilot was standing near the driver’s side rear door with his arms folded across his chest. “Jesus Jake. You scared me. I didn’t hear you walk over.”

“How’d you know my name is Jake?”

___

Damn it Dan. Ava watched as her friend got flustered after Jake caught him in his faux pas. She couldn’t hide any longer. As much as Ava had hoped to get Jake to let his guard down before she broached the difficult subject of his lost love, she couldn’t let her friend Dan suffer Jake’s questioning on his own. “Wait Jake. I can explain everything,” Ava confessed as she made her way up the embankment towards the two shirtless gentlemen.

Jake took in the towering woman approaching him and the attractive stranger. She wore her hair in a beautifully braided style with several streaks of pink throughout. Her clothes looked like the latest in goth fashion from Hot Topic and no doubt many people lumped her into the goth chick category. But Jake knew better. He knew a witch when he saw one. “Who are you? Who is this guy? And what do you want?”

“My name is Ava Cunningham. That’s my friend Dan Pierce. And we both just want to help you, Jake.”

“You want to help me? You don’t even know me, Hermione. You think having some Handsome Guy chat me up means I’ll let you use your witchcraft to get into my head and poke around?” Jake saw the confusion on Ava’s face as she processed his words. “Yeah, I know you’re some kinda witch. Not the first one I’ve come upon in my life. You and Sexy Mop Top here can go back to Hogwarts and leave me alone.” Jake turned to leave the two young strangers, hoping he wouldn’t have to resort to other unpleasant means to get them to leave.

“How’d you know I was a witch?” Ava asked before Jake could even take two steps. She watched him pause in his tracks for a moment as if he was contemplating his thoughts.

Jake smiled to himself, his back facing Ava and Dan. So I was right. He loved when he read people correctly. Jake turned around, gesturing towards the front of the car as he did. “The engine. Nothing was loose or cracked. No obvious signs of damage, yet there was smoke coming from the bay. Growing up in Louisiana, you come to learn those parlor tricks. Also, there’s still a faint amount of smoke emanating from the palm of your right hand.” The instant Jake pointed out her tell, Ava looked down and clenched her fist extinguishing the last of the embers. “Next time Hermoine, just lead with the magic tricks. People love them.”

“But you’re not most people, Jake! I know what you’ve been through and...”

“You don’t know anything!” Jake whirled around to leave again; his face red with rage.

“Stuck in a time loop on a tropical island. Battling sea monsters and giant crabs. Fending off your old boss from Arachnid. But it wasn’t all bad. You helped protect a bunch of scared college kids. Reunited with your friend you thought was dead. Married the love of your life.” Ava watched Jake’s shoulders slowly rock up and down. She couldn’t tell if he was getting more agitated by her words or if she was getting through his gruff exterior and he was finally listening. “I know what Taylor means to you Jake. And I think I know a way to get him back.”

Jake took a few paces towards the front of the car. He dropped the prop rod and slammed the hood. “Screw the magic tricks. Next time lead with that.” Jake pointed to a smiling Ava and a confused Dan, “Get in the car. I’m driving.”

Rarely one to show genuine excitement, Ava giddily ran over to get into the front passenger seat beside Jake, while Dan remained glued in place behind the car. “So, can I put my shirt back on now?”

___

“So you’re telling me the Queen of Corona, some life-style blogger, and an editor are the most powerful witches in the world? And they don’t know it?” Jake plopped down onto the old couch in his living room, running a hand through his sweat dampened hair, before twisting open the water bottle Dan hand been intending to give him earlier. He gulped down about half of the refreshing liquid, letting out an exaggerated sigh of satisfaction when he was done.

“Cordonia,” Ava corrected, leaning against the door jamb that separated the kitchen from the living room. “And I know it sounds ridiculous...”

“It sounded like a joke when she told me. Which is crazy cuz I believed her when she told me about our friends battling moss creatures during the Homecoming dance senior year,” Dan interrupted. He pulled up a seat on the overstuffed leather chair across from Jake. The chair had seen better days, but damn was it comfortable. “An editor, a blogger, and a queen walk into a bar...” Dan chuckled softly, quite pleased with his humorous quip.

Ava rolled her eyes at her friend. “Weren’t you wanting to put your shirt back on Dan? I’m sure it’s still in the car if you wanna go get it and I’ll speak with Jake.”

“I’m good. It’s hotter in his house than it is outside.”

Jake flashed his award winning grin - Pearl River High School’s Mr. Bayou three years in a row. He swept the swimsuit and athletic events each time he won. Jake didn’t mind if Dan remained shirtless. He could appreciate the man’s appeal, but Jake’s heart belonged to Taylor and he was intrigued to know how Ava intended to bring him back. “He’s fine Hermoine. And I don’t think it sounds ridiculous at all. The things I’ve experienced on La Huerta; whatever Sexy Mop Top was talking about... I believe you.”

“Thanks Jake.”

“Hell, you could tell me that vampires roam New York and a robot is dating President Thompson and I’d believe you.” Jake finished the rest of his water and got up from the couch. He looked back and forth between Ava and Dan. “What I don’t believe is how you’ll be able to convince those sisters of who they really are, let alone get close enough to them to even try.”

Ava just stood silent. She didn’t have an answer for him as to how they would accomplish that feat. A few of her friends were in New York with her girlfriend, Stacy, working on a plan, but she hadn’t received an update on their progress. Ava watched as Jake excused himself from the room to finally go wash off the grime from his run. “Have you heard from Stacy, Lucas, or Cade yet?” Dan shook his head, giving Ava a brief moment of stress before she collected herself again. “Guess we’ll have to go New York and figure it out together.”

___

From within a living room mirror, Donovan Bailey observed Ava take a seat across from Dan. “The sisters are in New York,” he said turning to his friend, Shreya.

“I’ll tell the others and see if they can get a lock on their location.” Shreya quickly vanished leaving Donovan alone to continue keeping an eye on Ava Cunningham. While she wasn’t naturally attuned like Donovan and his friends, the magic world had become aware of her developing powers. After all, it wasn’t every day that a mortal human learned to harness powerful magic on her own.

***

End Note: Donovan Bailey is the name of my MC in The Elementalists. In regards to Endless Summer, I went with the third ending so this story takes place roughly a year after MC disappeared to save the others and free them from La Huerta.

#playchoices #choices fanfic #long post #esapw #endless summer appreciation week #endless summer

[2021animalfarmfanficg2]

The Animals Got Talent

(Snowball behind the scenes) :D SYNOPSIS: 

What if Snowball became the leader of another farm? What if he challenged Animal Farm to go to Britain's Got Talent and go against them? Well, you will be able to read and experience here, in this Animal Farm sequel, with an involving story and the best judges and hosts there are.

FANFICTION:

Nothing much changed on the farm after Boxer's death. Napoleon was still the leader, always by Squealer and the dogs' side, while the other animals were brainstorming new projects to help the farm grow.

Until, what seemed to be a normal afternoon, the animals started hearing a bunch of different footsteps getting closer and closer. They rushed to the gate and locked eyes with Snowball and other animals holding a sign that said "Titans Farm".

"What is the meaning of this?" Napoleon asked.

"We came to announce that we are an official new farm." Snowball said, proudly. 

"And we came to challenge Animal Farm and see who is stronger and smarter" A random dog shouted, as he appeared from the back of the Titans Farm crowd.

"That's some bullshit! We're not going to do that, come on comrades!!" Napoleon responded.

"Ok fine, but I think you're just scared that you are going to lose." 

"Me, scared? I don’t get scared, bring it on!”

"So what's the prize?" Squealer asked.

"Who wins... gets both farms" Snowball answered.

"We accept! But what’s going to be the challenge?" Asked Napoleon, already confident he was going to win.

"We haven't decided yet, but it could be a race!" Said a random dog.

"No! It could be a soccer game!"

"I vote chess!"

"Or we could go to Britain's Got Talent.." A voice coming from the Titans Farm side said. 

All the animals stopped yelling ideas and turned their heads towards where the voice was coming from and said "Huh?"

"Oh, yeah, I've heard about it! It's a show where a person or a group of people can show their talents and famous judges judge them" Clover said.

"Okay, I guess."

Then the animals from Animal Farm started thinking about which song they could sing or what performance they could do.

After a week, the animals saw themselves arriving in the line to enter the stage. There were a lot of directors, photographers and journalists documenting everything like they were famous people. They were thriving!

The place was huge! There were lots of changing rooms backstage filled with contestants and many fans were outside of the building waiting, excitedly, for the show to start.

"Oh, you guys came... Accept your fate, because we are going to win." Snowball said, bragging.

"You wish." Said Napoleon.

They heard a loud sound coming from the stage - the show was starting. 

"Hello, everybody! Today is an extra special date, because we are celebrating Britain's Got Talent 50th anniversary! I am your host, Mr. Nunes, and today we have the famous Animal Farm and the brand new farm, which seems to have a surprise, Titans Farm. We also have very special judges: Taylor Swift, Obama and Draco Malfoy" The host said the names as he was pointing to each judge. The fans cheered and clapped their hands. "Now, our first group, Animal Farm!"

Napoleon, Squealer, the dogs and Clover entered the stage. 

"Hello judges, it's an honor being here. We are going to sing an original song, but before that, we are going to do a tribute to our dear friend, Boxer, who died a couple of months ago." The audience gasped. Clover grabbed a block of stone and broke it with gravity's help. 

After some tears from the audience, Napoleon said "Okay… We're all very sorry, but we must proceed. Let's start, comrades." 

So, the animals started singing while Napoleon was conducting them.

"Friend of fatherless! 

Fountain of happiness! 

Lord of the swill-bucket! 

Oh, how my soul is on

Fire when I gaze at thy 

Calm and commanding eye, 

Like the sun in the sky, 

Comrade Napoleon! 

Thou are the giver of 

All that thy creatures love, 

Full belly twice a day, clean straw to roll upon;

Every beast great or small 

Sleeps at peace in his stall, 

Thou watchest over all, 

Comrade Napoleon! 

Had I a sucking-pig, 

Ere he had grown as big 

Even as a pint bottle or as a rolling-pin, 

He should have learned to be 

Faithful and true to thee, 

Yes, his first squeak should be 

'Comrade Napoleon!'"

The audience started clapping. 

"This song has a very interesting meaning.." Taylor Swift said.

"I personally loved it!" Said Draco Malfoy.

"Uh... I am sorry, but this is not very appropriate." Obama said.

It wasn't what they expected, but they were confident that the group was going to do worse.

"Now, for our next number, Titans farm, who will sing a very special song, as we much heard about it" Exclaimed Mr. Nunes.

Then, five animals, with Snowball leading them, entered the stage and started singing. 

"Titans of England, titans of Ireland, 

Titans of every land and clime, 

Hearken to my joyful tidings 

Of the golden future time. 

Soon or late the day is coming, 

Tyrant Man shall be o’erthrown, 

And the fruitful fields of 

England Shall be trod by titans alone.

Rings shall vanish from our noses, 

And the harness from our back, 

Bit and spur shall rust forever, 

Cruel whips no more shall crack. 

Riches more than mind can picture, 

Wheat and barley, oats and hay, 

Clover, beans, and mangel-wurzels 

Shall be ours upon that day. 

Bright will shine the fields of England, 

Purer shall its waters be, 

Sweeter yet shall blow its breezes 

On the day that sets us free. 

For that day we all must labour, 

Though we die before it break; 

Cows and horses, geese and turkeys, 

All must toil for freedom’s sake. 

Titans of England, titans of Ireland, 

Titans of every land and clime, 

Hearken well and spread my tidings 

Of the golden future time."

As the song ended, the judges looked at each other and just knew. Taylor Swift stood and pressed the golden buzzer - the buzzer that automatically makes you win.

"WHAT IS THIS?? CANCEL… CANCEL ALL OF THIS!! YOU GUYS STOLE OUR SONG!! THIS IS OUR RIGHT!! WE SHOULD WIN RIGHT NOW!!" Napoleon invaded the stage, shouting. 

Everyone was shocked.

"Calm down, Mr. Napoleon. We wrote this song! Maybe you're feeling a little sick, call the animal ambulance!!" said Snowball, very calmly.

"SOMEONE HELP ME, I'M BEING ATTACKED, HEL-"

"Shhh, stop talking, otherwise it will get worse"

"BUT-"

"Shh"

And before they knew the ambulance was there. Napoleon was taken and was never seen again. The Titan's Farm animals took the award home very proudly. 

After a time without a leader, the Animal Farm was out of control and after discussing a lot, the animals had no choice but to join Titans farm. Snowball became the leader of all, always by Squealer and the dogs' side, while the other animals were brainstorming new projects to help the farm grow.

"Everything went according to plan." A voice echoed into the night with loud barks following it.

By: Isabel Bicudo and Rafaela Ferreira. 9A.

[inastrangerskiss]

boots

Tyler Rust x OFC

content warning: none just a good old fashioned hiking shop

summary: mel just wanted her day to end. then tyler showed up.

a/n: i wrote this before he was released and became taylor and i am too lazy to change all of the names

It was a normal Tuesday in the shop. The space was quiet, a few customers milling around, browsing the selection of hiking boots and carabiners. Locals hustled down the sidewalk outside, rushing through their lunch breaks, oblivious to the way the sun broke through the clouds, the way the light cast itself over the sides of the mountain in the distance.

Mel leaned over the checkout counter staring longingly towards those mountains, wishing the day would end and afford her the time to go for just one hike. Just one stroll through the trees, past the lake and into the hills.

By all accounts, it was a normal Tuesday.

And then he walked in.

He was unassuming, dressed just the same as any other customer. But there was something different about him, something intriguing. His hair was a shade of glittering blonde, half pulled back into a tiny bun. His shoulders were broad, his entire body sculpted by muscles. His glowing aura sucked Mel in, but she quickly shook herself free from its hold. She didn't have time to fall in love with every handsome nature bro that walked through the front doors.

He walked slowly towards her, a sense of confidence in his gait. Despite her better intuition, her heart began to beat wildly against her chest.

“Where might I find hiking boots?” He asked, leaning one arm against the countertop.

Without so much as a word, she pointed towards the racks of shoes against the far wall. The man stared at her for just a second too long and she felt sparks of electricity travelling down her spine. He looked to the shoes and then back at her before letting a gentle smile unwind across his face.

As he walked away and the distance between them grew she finally felt capable of taking a deep breath. She made a dedicated effort to keep her eyes focused on the computer in front of her as she checked on upcoming shipments and e-mail inquiries.

If she couldn’t see the man she couldn’t fall madly in love with him.

But the man had other ideas.

“Can I ask you a question?” He called over to her.

With a small sigh, Mel turned towards him. He was holding a shoe box in his hands but his face looked utterly confused.

“I hate to be that guy but I was wondering if you had the Salomon Xs in a size 11?”

His voice was soft and fully aware that his question was the bane of every retail worker’s existence. The gentleness in his tone was, in a word, disarming. Mel found herself forgetting the mental wall she had built so hastily upon first glance and warming up to him as she walked towards where he stood.

With her thumb pressed to her lower lip she studied the display of identical boots, quickly scanning over the boxes but not finding what he was looking for. She then browsed the surrounding displays, still coming up empty handed.

“It doesn’t look like it. What we have is what’s out here so we must’ve sold out.” She offered an apologetic frown.

“I get it. This is the third store I’ve tried today with no luck.”

They stood together silently for a moment before Mel pointed to a different stack of boxes. “You could try the new La Sportiva’s. They’re similarly priced and have a lot of the same features as the Salomons.”

The man walked towards the boots, picking one up in his hand and examining it from its different angles. Then he sat on a nearby bench, removed his current shoe, and tried the new one on. He stood and walked a few paces all while Mel watched on, blissfully unaware of any other customer in the store.

“How do I look?” The man asked, a goofy grin taking him over. “Think I could outrun a bear in these?”

Mel unleashed a sharp laugh before quickly covering her mouth with her hand. The man looked at her, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

“I don’t know if you’d outrun a bear but I’m sure you’d be a very handsome dinner.”

Blush crawled over the man’s cheeks but Mel couldn’t see as she looked down at her feet, embarrassed by the words that had spilled free of her. A comfortable tension built itself up around them - the kind that appears when there’s an inkling within the back of the mind’s of two strangers that something special has just begun.

“Eh, I don’t know. I think I’ll keep looking for the Salomon’s.” The man finally spoke as he sat down to unlace the shoes.

Mel wandered back to her computer, reluctant to separate from his intoxicating presence.

“Y’know,” She called over to him as she scrolled through her invoices. “I could order them for you. If you don’t mind waiting a week or so, that is.”

The man looked up to her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, it’s no problem.”

He stood from the bench and approached her. The tension returned and an unfailing smile permanently etched itself over his face. He studied her face for a moment before giving a playful shrug.

“That’d be awesome actually.”

Mel nodded, tearing a piece of receipt tape from its machine. “If you don’t mind, write your number here and I can call you when they come in. I’ll order them now and I imagine they’ll arrive this time next week, give or take.”

The man did as told, writing out a series of numbers, in what could only be described as chicken scratch, and then writing the name Tyler at the top.

“Tyler?” Mel read it out slowly, trying to make sense of the impossibly bad penmanship.

Tyler nodded.

Mel then ripped off another piece of receipt tape and scribbled the shop’s number down under her name before sliding it towards him.

“Mel?” He read just as slowly as she had, mocking her inability to read his scribbles.

Mel laughed quietly. “Yes. You can use that number to check in on the order if I forget to call you or something.”

Tyler paused for a moment, staring at the paper. “And what if I wanted to call to ask you to get a cup of coffee with me? Is there a number for that or am I allowed to use this one?”

The pounding of Mel’s heart returned at a rate that threatened to crack a rib. Once more, sentence structure was at war with the signal overload in her brain. She tried to form something coherent but her bashful smile was working against her.

“Uh, I- I think it’d be the same number.” She finally murmured.

“Great.” He tucked his head down in an attempt to hide his own shy elation. Carefully, he folded the piece of paper and slid it into the pocket of his shorts. “It was nice meeting you, Mel.”

As he walked towards the front door, Mel found her voice. “It was nice to meet you too, Tyler.” He threw a smile over his shoulder before exiting, back into the open outdoors.

Mel watched as he walked up the sidewalk, stopping at the windows that resided beside the cash register, stopping so he was nearly right next to her once more. His back faced her though and she assumed he hadn’t realized how he had positioned himself. He pulled the paper free of his pocket and stared at it for a moment before pulling his phone out.

Before she knew it, the shop phone was ringing.

She picked it up, giving the standard greeting, unaware as to the person on the other line.

“Hey, uh, this really cute girl that works at this shop gave me this number to call in case I needed to get in touch.” The voice coming through the receiver spoke with a tiny shake, nervous excitement betraying its stability.

Mel turned towards the windows to see Tyler now turned around, looking at her, beaming like a golden retriever.

“Did she now?” She teased.

“Yeah and she said if I wanted to ask her out for a cup of coffee I could use this number as well.”

“Mhm.”

“I kind of want to ask her out for a cup of coffee.” He spoke with finality, sighing quietly as though he were finally free of a mounting burden.

Mel gained her composure, never breaking eye contact with Tyler through the windows. “She’d be happy to accept.”

“Cool, cool. Let her know that I’m really excited and I’ll come in tomorrow to figure out the logistics of this date.”

“I absolutely will.”

There was a significant pause as the two gazed out to one another, enraptured by the others' existence.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mel.”

Tyler’s voice was a warm comfort, a new reality that she was more than happy to sink into. She no longer wanted to quell the way she felt about him. Today was meant to be different.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Tyler.”

#tyler rust #tyler rust fanfic #tyler rust fanfiction #tyler rust imagine #tyler rust imagines #taylor rust #taylor rust fanfic #taylor rust fanfiction

[inastrangerskiss]

match tapes

Taylor Rust x Reader

content warning: a lil bit of angst but not much else

summary: you try to cheer taylor up after an injury sidelines him

“You can’t sit there all day.” You mumbled under your breath.

It had been days since you had seen Tyler anywhere but in front of the computer. With an injury keeping him from the ring he had devolved into a man possessed, his one singular purpose being the need to inundate himself with old match tapes. The light from the screen bounced off his face in the dimly lit room, his expression blank as he focused, rewound the video, fast forwarded.

“Tyler?” You waved your hand in front of his face.

He blinked slowly for a moment before looking at you, suddenly registering your presence.

“What’s up?” He asked quietly.

“C’mon, lets go do something.” You pleaded.

“I’d rather just stay home.”

With a heavy sigh you crossed your arms. He returned to his videos, his eyes flickering across the screen rapidly. Finally, you couldn’t stand it anymore.

You reached down and pressed the button on the back of the monitor, instantly causing it to turn black.

Tyler sat back. He wasn’t angry or frustrated, just defeated.

“Get up.” You commanded. “We’re going grocery shopping.”

He gestured to his crutches. “Do you know how tiring it is getting around on those?”

“You practically live at the gym and you’re telling me you’re too weak to go on a lil errand run with a pair of crutches?”

His eyes dropped into his lap, his fingers wringing one another.

“I’m not weak.”

A smile crossed over your face. You didn’t exactly feel good, needling in on his current insecurities, but if you knew one thing about the man you loved it was that he loved to prove people wrong.

“Thats what I thought. Let’s go. Get your jacket on.”

He hesitated. And then, slowly but surely, he grabbed the crutches, and began to make his way to the front door. You followed closely behind, a slight spring in your step. Carefully, you helped him get his jacket on, one arm after the other. For a moment, you could’ve sworn you saw him smile but, before you could be sure, he pulled your head close to him, kissing your temple.

You both walked to Tyler’s decrepit Subaru, this time Tyler getting in on the passenger side while you sat behind the wheel. He hadn’t exactly been wild about you driving his car when he first got injured and you knew that well enough but it was the only mode of transportation either of you had. You tried to be as cautious and confident as possible but it didn’t escape you when he winced every time you braked just a little too hard.

“Sorry.” You murmured.

“No worries.” He responded, unconvincingly, his hand gripped around the grab handle above his window.

The drive was short, the heat barely kicking in before the key was taken out of the ignition. You continued to follow Tyler as he slowly worked his way towards the cart corral. He wasn’t struggling as much as he implied he would be.

“What are we here for?” He asked over his shoulder.

“I’m going to make you something that I know you’ll love.”

He stared at you for a second but decided against questioning you further.

He followed your directions, grabbing the almond flour and the confectioners sugar. When you asked him what flavors he wanted he simply answered chocolate so you placed cocoa powder in the cart. He grabbed snacks as you walked down the aisle. It was never anything exciting - just seeded crackers and dried fruit - but the subdued smile on his face was a treat in and of itself.

“What next?” He asked,

“We need eggs. Just six of them.”

He reached for a clear case of organic, large brown eggs but you stopped him.

“Just get the regular ones. They’re cheaper.”

He paused for a moment to look at you. “Do you know what they put into the ‘regular’ ones? They’re full of chemicals and antibiotics and they’re not nearly as healthy as-”

You held up your hand, realizing the lecture you were about to receive. “Just put them in the cart, babe.”

He grinned, pleased with his success. You allowed him to pick out organic butter and heavy cream as well, just satisfied that he was enjoying his time out of the house. He had seemingly forgotten about the discomfort of his crutches altogether and that alone was a victory on your part.

You went to the checkout and he paid, balancing on one foot as he handed over a couple of bills and stowing the change away in his pocket. He hardly even complained when you nearly merged his car into a sedan that had crept up into your blind spot on the ride back home.

You carried the grocery bag into the house as he hobbled from the driveway back into the front hall. You helped him out of his jacket and waited until he had his shoes free of his feet. You walked to the kitchen as Tyler attempted to walk back to the computer, snacks in hand.

“Where do you think you’re going?” You asked, a hand on your hip.

He paused like a deer in the headlights.

“I was gonna go back -”

“Nope.” You stated. “You’re gonna sit here and help me.”

You expected Tyler to protest or grumble out a sigh but instead he shrugged and sat at the kitchen table, his open box of crackers placed beside him.

“What am I doing?” He asked, a certain tone of curiosity tingeing his voice.

You placed the almond flour, cocoa powder and the confectioners sugar in front of him, dropping a measuring cup next to the bags.

“Two cups of the flour and one cup of the sugar. A tablespoon of cocoa powder. And then whisk it together.”

He studied the components before seemingly deciding that his task seemed easy enough. He immediately dug the measuring cup into the bag of flour with a little more confidence than was appropriate.

“Use a spoon.”

Your words caused him to stop and raise an eyebrow. You understood. How hard could measuring dry ingredients possibly be?

You handed him a spoon and a butter knife.

“Spoon it into the cup and then level it with the back of the knife.” You explained.

He nodded slowly before following your instructions. While you whipped egg whites and sugar together, you could see him, meticulously filling and leveling the measuring cups, his brows furrowed together. He finished whisking and gave you a bright smile.

“All set!” He chimed, pushing the bowl forward.

You handed him another bowl and a sieve and his face fell ever so slightly. You explained the need for all the ingredients to be sifted together in order for the recipe to turn out correctly. He rolled his sleeves up, certain that he was no match for the fine mesh obstacle that stood before him.

You splashed vanilla into the meringue mixture and finished whipping it together while he created a thin, dusty layer in the bottom of his bowl. Occasionally, he would lean down and check to see if the sieve was actually doing it’s job only to find (much to his chagrin) that it was indeed functioning properly if not a little slowly.

You powered off and abandoned your mixer to stand behind him, running your fingers through his golden blonde hair while he worked. Carefully so as to not to disturb him, you pulled strand by strand back until you had gathered it all in your hands, a silky ponytail captured in your palm. You wrapped one of your scrunchies around the hair, tying it back behind his ears so it could no longer fall into his face. He stopped sifting for just a moment to turn back to you, a smile replacing the determined look on his face.

“Thank you, darling.” He spoke softly, genuine emotion crossing through his words.

It was the first time you had heard any sort of warmth in his voice since his injury.

He finally finished combining the ingredients together into a fine powder and you mixed it all together and before too long you were sitting on the couch together, waiting for the small circles on the baking sheets to re-emerge from the depths of the oven. His arm wrapped around your waist, his legs kicked up on the coffee table, one socked foot exposed, one covered in a boot. He was breathing slowly, calmly, a small grin laced up on his cheeks as he scrolled through his phone.

You wanted to stay like that forever. The way he smelled, bringing peace to your senses. The way his touch felt, holding you close as if he didn’t want to ever let go.

But the oven timer beeped and you separated from him to retrieve your baked goods. You were surprised when he stood quicker than you, grabbing his crutches and holding his hand in your direction.

“C’mon, before all my handiwork gets burnt up.” He laughed.

You took it upon yourself to remove the baking sheets from the oven, checking the little circles to see if they had risen in the heat and slid off the parchment paper with ease. You were pleased when everything seemed to have turned out properly.

You started making the filling, combining butter, more cocoa powder, more confectioners sugar, and heavy cream together. As you once again returned to your post standing in front of your mixer, Tyler’s arms wrapped around your waist, his head resting on your shoulder. He peppered tiny kisses up your neck and to your cheek. The kisses were without words but you knew they were meant with a dozen silent ‘thank you’s’.

You turned your head slightly and offered a kiss of your own, pressed to the side of his face. He looked at you and, for a moment, it was as if he was studying you. His eyes traveled over you as though he were reading a book. And then finally, after what felt like an hour in his gaze, he sighed a contented sigh and squeezed you tighter.

He insisted he help with piping the filling in so you filled two bags for you and for him. He wasn’t exactly neat about it. He would squeeze the bag too hard and overfill the little circular shells or he’d accidentally pipe over the sides but he seemed to be enjoying himself. That was all that mattered.

Time passed, the baking excursion was completed, and the sun began to set as the final dish was loaded into the dishwasher. You made your way to the couch, collapsing into the pillows with a heavy exhale. Baking was hard work and you were more than ready to check out for the rest of the evening. Tyler disappeared once more and a sinking feeling cropped up in your chest.

You had tried so hard and he finally was starting to look so happy. But you were back to square one, it seemed.

You flipped the television on, frustrated and disappointed. You lit your favorite candle and curled up, hoping to sink into the couch cushions before the night was through.

“You’re not about to fall asleep on me, are you?” Tyler asked, startling you.

There he was behind the couch, a blanket around his neck, the tray of completed macarons in one hand, and a crutch under his arm. He had a cheesy grin on his face and you couldn’t help but find it infectious.

“I thought you were gonna go back to your computer.”

You helped unburden him as he came to sit beside you. He spread the blanket over your body and beckoned you closer until your head was resting against his chest.

“I thought about it.” He admitted.

His eyes stayed trained on the television, as though he wasn’t yet ready to look you in the eye, to admit that he was wrong.

“But?” You prompted.

“But it gets pretty lonely sitting in there on my own. I didn’t realize how much I missed you and, y’know, doing things.”

You smiled a self satisfied smile. Your plan had worked. You cuddled closer to him and he pulled his arms around you, kissing the crown of your head.

“Thank you for this.” He first gestured to the baked goods but then to the rest of the room and, for just a minute, you were confused. “For all of this.”

“All of what?”

“For… for bringing me home when I always need it most. If that makes sense.”

You understood. You brought yourself up so you were face to face with him, placing a small kiss on his cheek before pulling him into a tight hug. You felt him laugh quietly, amused by your happiness.

“No matter what,” you murmured, resting your head in the crook of his neck. “I’ll always be here to bring you home. However you want. However you need.”

And so, you laid there for the rest of the night, eating most (if not all) of the macarons, wrapped in blankets while the cold fall winds blew all around the house. You were warm and you were together. You were happy.

And, in spite of Tyler’s continuing injury, the old match tapes remained unwatched and untouched, until long after he had healed.

#hes referred to as tyler because i wrote this before he changed to taylor #taylor rust #taylor rust fanfiction #tyler rust fanfic #tyler rust #tyler rust fanfiction #taylor rust fanfic #taylor rust imagine

[inastrangerskiss]

four paws

Taylor Rust x Reader

content warning: tyler rust said he worked in an animal shelter once and i lost my mind

summary: you find a lost dog and you need to get it home

You walked down the street, four furry paws beside you. These four furry paws did not belong to you. In fact you had no clue who they belonged to.

But, for now, this pup was your responsibility and you were going to do everything in your power to ensure he found his way home.

You had gone up one street and had received only shrugs and “I don’t know”’s from the people you spoke to. You went down another street only to receive the exact same treatment. You began to worry that maybe this dog had somehow managed to cross city lines and you were going to be the saving grace in his Homeward Bound-esque journey.

And then you saw a sign stapled to a telephone pole.

It read “Lost Dog - Reward if found”, a big picture of the dog by your side in the center, and a phone number printed at the bottom in big, bold print. You called the owner immediately. The line only rang once before a man picked up.

“Hello?” Asked a voice, filled with frantic energy.

“Hi. I was walking in town and I think I found your dog.”

“Really? Where was he? Is he okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. He looks perfectly fine. He was just kind of trotting down the sidewalk.”

The man on the other end of the line let out a deep sigh. “Okay, great. Thank you so much. Do you think we could meet up so I could bring him home?”

“Absolutely! I’m near the post office if you’d like to meet there.”

The man eagerly agreed and before you knew it, you were waiting on the corner, the mystery dog’s collar held gently in your hand, your eyes peeled for an approaching Subaru. When it arrived, you made your way to the driver’s side door and the owner stepped out.

He was handsome, broad shoulders and an impeccably built body, dressed in gym shorts and a tank top. His golden blonde hair was half pulled back into a top knot. You found yourself taken away by the smile that spread across his face the moment his dog jumped into his arms.

He peppered the dog with kisses and the dog dropped both paws on either side of the man’s head. The man laughed to himself, embracing his animal tightly before clipping a leash to his collar.

“Oh what are you doing out here!” He cooed. “I have been worried out of my mind over you!”

You stood awkwardly, unsure as to whether or not you were invited to participate in the conversation.

“Did you just find him?” He finally looked up towards you.

His eyes were bright, twinkling as he moved his gaze up to you. You felt your heart flutter as you looked back at him.

“Yeah, he was just sniffing around the street. I thought it was weird that he didn’t have a leash on or a person near him.”

Every attempt the man made to stand was thwarted by the front paws of the dog. Eventually, you reached a hand out and helped pull him to his feet. His fingers delicately found their temporary home against your wrist as he pulled himself to a vertical position and you worried he’d feel the blood pulsing through your veins.

“Thanks.” He spoke through a small grin.

“No problem.”

“I mean for finding him.”

“Whats the little guy’s name?” You asked.

“Tucker.”

“Tucker?”

Upon hearing his name, Tucker’s head tilted and he quickly padded over to you, intent on receiving some degree of affection. You didn’t mind, leaning forward and scratching him behind the ears.

“Yeah. He’s a good boy. His leash broke when we were at the dog park. I didn’t think it’d be a problem until he slipped the gate and started running up the street.”

The man was standing perilously close to you now. His arms were folded against his chest, his muscles ruthlessly on display. The golden sun was beginning to draw shapes against his face, illuminating the stray hairs, pulling away from his head. As he inhaled, you exhaled, both standing in silence entertaining Tucker as he excitedly bounded between both of you.

“Do you have a name?” You asked.

“I’m Tyler.”

You turned to find him looking at you, a warm smile still wrapped over his face. He took a hand and rubbed it behind his neck before stretching both arms over head. His shirt rose up on his torso, exposing his abdomen for just a moment.

“Um, anyways, I can Venmo you the reward for finding Tuck. I definitely don’t have enough cash on hand.”

You quickly shook your head.

“No, it's no problem. I couldn’t take a reward. I’m just happy you got him back.”

“I can’t not thank you.” He looked from you to his feet before continuing.

Without thinking, you held a hand out to Tyler’s arm, a reassuring nod following the gesture. “It’s okay. Trust me.”

He looked at your hand, a small twitch stirring his fingers, and for a moment you wondered if maybe he would reach out to you to meet your touch. But he didn’t and as you went to remove your arm from his space he began to speak again.

“I mean, if you’re not busy I could take you to dinner?”

You felt a raging blush spread across your cheeks, the heat of a million wildfires blazing through your skin. Your brain failed to create coherent strings of words, leaving you to just stand and foolishly grin. You wanted to form the word “yes” but you knew you wouldn’t be able to.

“I can’t tonight.” You sighed, your motor skills reluctantly beginning to cooperate.

“That’s okay. I just-”

“Wait.” You spoke quickly, not wanting to lose the offer. “I’m free tomorrow.”

“Oh. Really?” He asked, his eyes lighting up once again.

“Yeah. And if you are maybe we could-”

“I’m free.” Tyler spoke in a voice that was just as eager as the moment he had picked up the phone.

“Then it’s a date.” You chirped.

Tyler’s eyes met yours and a nervous laugh slipped from his lips. As his gaze washed over you, you felt a warmth tear through your body in spite of the setting sun.

“So, do you do this often?” He asked, gesturing to Tucker. “Finding dogs and returning them to their owners as like a side hustle?”

You couldn’t help but laugh.

“This is my first time.”

“You hear that Tucker? You’ve gotta be on your best behavior, you’re making a first impression for lost dogs here.”

As if on cue, Tucker sidled up to you, nuzzling your leg and forcing your hand to pet the top of his head.

“You know, he’s really shy. I’m kind of surprised he let you wrangle him.” Tyler spoke slowly, as though he were confused. “When he got loose I was worried he’d panic and not let anyone get close to him. I was devastated.”

“Aw, he’s a good boy, though. Isn’t he?” You ruffled the dog’s fur as he leaned in to your loving touch.

“Yeah he is.” A fond expression melted Tyler’s face as he coaxed Tucker back to his side, a white knuckle grip on his leash.

A comfortable silence fell over both of you.

“Well I should get this guy home.” Tyler sighed, starting towards his car. “Maybe you could text me? And we could figure out a place to go tomorrow night?”

“I think I can do that.” You nodded, a coy smirk resting on your face.

Tyler helped Tucker into the car before opening his own door. Before he sat down, he placed an arm on the roof of the vehicle and turned to you.

“Hey.” He called. “I’m glad that if anyone was going to find him, it was you.”

The words trailed off, becoming almost too quiet to hear. But you heard them. And when you looked him in the eyes, you felt something. You didn’t know what it was exactly but it made you feel whole. It made you feel safe.

“I think I’m glad I was the one who found him too.” You shrugged.

And of course you were. Because in finding the dog, you just may have found something even better.

#shes a lil rough i'll be honest with y'all #but i just like couldn't not write about this in some respect #tyler rust fanfiction #tyler rust fanfic #tyler rust #taylor rust #taylor rust fanfic #taylor rust fanfiction #also hi im back from the dead because work has been a lil nicer to me

[inastrangerskiss]

coffee

Tyler Rust x Reader

content warning: i'm mass posting these in my drafts and i'm out of quirky ways to say it's just a load of fluff

summary: the stranger ahead of you in line at the coffeeshop has the most ridiculous drink order

The rain beat down on the top of your umbrella as you hurried into the coffeeshop, your bag pressed against your chest. You pushed the door open, immediately greeted by the cozy glow of incandescent lighting and a wave of warm air. The space was only sparsely populated, a handful of people scattered about, some reading newspapers or books, some studiously typing away on laptops.

As you undid your windbreaker, a body brushed past you, raindrops from their coat splashing onto your face, the cold liquid dripping down your cheek. You muttered a few frustrated words but the person was already too far to hear you.

You hung your jacket on a free hook and grabbed a plastic bag for your umbrella before stepping into line behind the person who had dampened you upon arrival. He stood a good few inches above you, his hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. It was a light golden blonde, a color nearly brilliant enough to be mistaken for the sun on such a miserably dreary day. He stared up at the menu board as a young girl waited to take his order. As he tilted his head to the side you could see the way his cheeks lifted into a curious little smile.

“What’s in the yellow and blue tea?” He asked.

“Chamomile, lavender, and cornflowers.”

He didn’t say anything more, still pondering the offerings of the coffee shop.

Suddenly, his attention turned backwards towards you, as if he had only just noticed a person was waiting behind him. As his gaze met yours you noticed how handsome he truly was. His hazel eyes lit up and a look of embarrassment crossed his face.

“Sorry, I’ll probably be a second. Do you want to go ahead of me?” He gestured towards the register as he spoke.

You declined with a patient smile. “That’s alright. I can wait.”

He shrugged and turned back to the menu. You didn’t exactly mind standing behind him, especially not if it meant getting some more time to stare at his broad shoulders.

After several long minutes he finally stepped closer to the cashier, leaning a rain drenched arm on the counter. “Okay, so I’ll have a green tea latte, oat milk instead of dairy, a shot of blueberry syrup, a shot of vanilla syrup and a dash of cinnamon. I’d like it iced but not too much ice.”

You rolled your eyes, laughing quietly to yourself. The order itself took longer to say than to make.

“What size would you like? Small, medium, or large?”

“A medium but if you could put it in a large cup.”

The girl took a ten dollar bill from his hand, returning several dollars and a few coins to him after completing the transaction. The only redeeming quality you could find in the man after his ridiculous display of ordering was that he placed the entirety of the change in the tip jar.

You shook your head and took his place in front of the cashier, offering her a small smile to let her know you also heard what he had asked for. You ordered your coffee and paid. With the warm drink in hand, you made your way to your favorite table by the windows.

You opened a notebook, placed your headphones in your ears and began staring out to the street, willing a good idea to come to you in the form of raindrops pouring down the glass outside. The man and his absurd drink sat a few tables away from you. You watched him notice the coat rack by the door, abandoning his personal effects to place the wet pile of fabric in its rightful place. He returned to his seat and began flipping through a book. It was a guidebook to the local trails and hiking paths. Before you could avert your eyes, he looked up to you. You quickly looked away but you could’ve sworn you saw him smile.

You sat and looked out to the rainy world a while longer before inspiration struck and you began doodling ideas onto a piece of lined paper. From the corner of your vision you thought you saw him occasionally look up in your direction. You grinned to yourself but tried to shake the thoughts from your head in favor of focusing on the task at hand.

As your mind ran empty once again you sat back and stared at the ink laden page of your notebook. You couldn’t help but feel as though you were being watched and butterflies began fluttering through your stomach. The distraction was clear in your work and you ripped the page out, crumpling it with a frustrated sigh.

Time to start again, you thought.

More doodles were created, more ideas didn’t make the cut. The man continued to flip through page after page. When you were sure he couldn’t see you, you’d steal glances in his direction. He was built exactly how you’d expect a man reading a hiking guidebook in a coffee shop to be built. His arms were toned and muscular. His chest, although obscured by his shirt, was impressive to say the least.

And his face. His face was breathtaking. The way he furrowed his brow as he looked for a pencil in his backpack, the way his lips pursed as he meticulously underlined sentences. His fingers nervously folded the corners of the pages back and forth as he read.

A sudden snap came from his direction, garnering your attention once again. He stared at the tip of his pencil, now broken. Then he looked up at you.

The same embarrassed smile wound across his face as he gathered his book in hand and made his way towards where you sat. The butterflies you had initially felt had turned into a flock of crows, beating their wings against your ribcage as you searched your lungs for a single, steady breath.

“Hey.” He murmured. “I don’t mean to bother you but I saw you were writing and I was wondering if you had a pen or a pencil that I could borrow.”

You nodded, incapable of words as you searched through your bag for a writing implement. Quicker than you had hoped, a mechanical pencil found its way to your fingers and you produced it for him to take back to his table. As the instrument exchanged hands he stared at it for a moment, as if hesitant to accept such an abrupt ending to your meeting.

“The lighting over here is really good. I can see why you chose the table.” His voice was searching for a reason not to walk away but your brain suddenly found creating complete sentences to be a real challenge.

“Its my favorite.” You managed.

He looked from the window to your notebook to you and then back to the window. “You come here often.”

You nodded, desperate for an intelligent quip or interesting response but finding nothing.

“Cool. Well, if you leave before I do you can steal this back from me.” He wiggled the pencil in his hand and turned to go back to his seat.

As he got farther and farther, his steps got slower and slower. Finally, words appeared in your head.

“You can sit here too.” You called out to him, quiet enough to not disturb the other patrons. “If you’d like.”

He turned back toward you, his face lit up with a grin. He laughed to himself as he gathered his belongings and his drink and made his way back to your table, taking the open seat across from you. He was quiet at first, seemingly also distracted by the world outside.

You looked along with him, your two sets of eyes sharing the sights of the cars passing on the road, people hurrying to and from buildings.

“I heard you laughing up there.” He spoke with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

His tone invited you to come out of your shell a bit, to play along with him.

“I’ve never heard a more ridiculous order in my life.”

“It’s good. It’s my treat to myself after a long week.”

You could tell he knew he had sounded silly up at the cash register and a part of you almost felt bad for making fun of him. His face was timid but kind, a gentle warmth radiating from his demeanor. He had a certain way about him that made you want to wrap yourself up in his likeness, as though doing so might protect you from the world at large.

“I bet you’d like it, you know.” He didn’t look at you as the words came free of his mouth.

Your face twisted slightly. “Sounds way too sweet for me.”

“What do you drink?” He pointed to your cup.

“Black coffee.”

He chuckled as he sat back in his seat, his arms folded over his chest, seeming slightly more confident speaking to you now.

“Maybe it would be too sweet for you.”

You sat in silence a while longer and you noticed the flock of crows in your chest had dissipated, allowing for the tiny gentle hum of butterflies to stir pleasantly within you. He looked at your doodles, analyzing them way more than you had ever intended for a stranger to analyze your work process. You didn’t mind it, though. The part of you that normally would have closed the notebook didn’t seem to be present at the moment.

“I like that one.” He pointed to some abstract interpretation of what flowers looked like in your head. He ran his finger over the lines as he studied it and suddenly the sketch felt holy.

“Do you hike?” You asked, trying to mitigate the overwhelming fondness you had begun to feel.

The man nodded. “I’m new here. I was hoping to get an idea of what to do this weekend.”

“There’s a place down the road that has a really nice trail to the top of the mountain. It’s a great view of the city.”

“Do you hike?”

You pulled back slightly. “No, I’ve done that hike a few times but I don’t make a habit of it.”

“Maybe you could show me, someday.”

Words suddenly escaped your mind once again. You didn’t know this man. You had never met him. But as you sat there it felt as if you had known him for years, as if you had sat in this exact same spot a million times in a million past lives. And you felt comfort.

“Not sure I could go on a hike with a guy who orders a drink as complicated as yours.” You were impressed with your linguistic ability in spite of having forgotten any grasp of the English language you had once had.

“I promise you it’s really good.” He jokingly pleaded with you. “Don’t knock it till you try it.”

“Even if I wanted to try it I could never bring myself to order that.”

He looked down before carefully raising his eyes to you. “What if I order it for you?”

“I have a drink.” You laughed.

“Not today. Maybe, let’s say, Wednesday?”

The pieces clicked into your brain. He was asking you on a date. The man you didn’t know but knew all too well was asking you on a date. And you weren’t about to say no.

“If I hate it you have to finish it.”

His pensive face exploded into a beaming expression. “I’ll order one for you and one for me. That’s how confident I am.”

You wanted to tell him he was crazy but you couldn’t. He was too sweet, too irresistible. The frustration you had felt towards him earlier had altogether become a foreign emotion. All you felt now was affection.

“Can I have your name before I agree to this taste test?” You asked.

Slowly, as to not jostle the table, he leaned forward, pencil in hand, and wrote out the name Tyler on your notebook. The letters carefully wound up the length of the flower sketch he had complimented earlier. It was as if that were the missing piece to the image all along. He sat back and looked out the window.

With a smile, he sat back.

“I promise you,” he spoke with a gentleness in his voice. “You’ll love it.”

You were sure you were going to.

#tyler rust #russ taylor #ryan taylor #tyler rust imagine #tyler rust fanfiction #tyler rust x reader #nxt imagine #taylor rust #i just want to like telepathically send him love so here is a fic about loving him

[inastrangerskiss]

the last time

Tyler Rust x OFC

content warning: a little bit of angst, a little bit of fluff

His arms wrapped around her torso. His lips on her neck. His hands pulling hers across her body. She didn’t think this was where they would end up.

She could remember the day he left her. He had to find himself. He had to find some peace within himself. She was too busy. She was too regimented. She wasn’t free enough with her time or her plans. But a few years had passed. She had tried to be more open with her schedules, cutting back on hours at the shop, moving to a new place by the beach. She learned to take deep breaths. He became more tied up, working everyday, filling every free moment with workouts and matches, missing friends and lovers more and more often.

“Don’t go.” She whispered against his shoulder. It sounded the same as the first time she had dared to plead out loud to him.

The first time he responded: “It’s not forever.”

But he had packed his bags all the same and drove away.

The days after were difficult.

Not waking up in the same bed. She would roll over to his side hoping to find his bare chest, exposed in the morning light, his hair a mess under his head. Sleep would mark his cheeks, drawing lines across his skin. The coffee pot was empty and the living room was empty, no yoga mat on the floor, no books strewn across the coffee table.

He found himself hoping he’d open his eyes to see her aimlessly staring at the ceiling beside him, still wrapped up in the duvet regardless of the heat that had or hadn’t soaked the space overnight. He would take two mugs down from the cabinet, fill the coffee maker with two cups of water only to find a realization more bitter than the black water. No one reminding him to tidy up after his morning meditations, no one to put the books back on the shelf.

They saw each other a couple times over the years. She came to his match with a new man. He went to a bar with a new girl. But every time felt like the last time. Like the last goodbye and the last kiss before walking out the door. As if no time had passed at all. There was a tender sort of pain that echoed through the air. It would enter when the other did. Tyler could be on the other side of whatever space they were in and he’d feel it in the back of his throat. She would know when her chest began to ache.

Let it go she would repeat to herself. He was never really there.

The words would play over and over until she had finally made it back to the safety of the sidewalk outside.

The moment he saw her leave he was filled with a bittersweet relief, the sort that you find when something ends that you secretly wished hadn’t.

But two years passed and they made changes. Changes that affected themselves. Changes that affected others.

She walked to the store that morning, still in sweats, sleep encircling her eyes like rings on a well loved coffee table. He had realized he needed oat milk for his tea. He lingered in the dairy aisle for a moment longer than he had planned to. Maybe it was fate drawing their lines back together, maybe it was coincidence. But for the first time in a long time, when they happened upon each other that morning, bashful smiles crossed both of their faces. She made a comment about how she would’ve gotten more dressed up if she had known she was going to see him. He told her that she looked fine. What he couldn’t manage to get out was that seeing her, looking just as she had always, all those years ago, was more of a comfort to him than anyone could ever possibly provide.

They got to talking. It was casual but it was comfortable. She mentioned picking up baking as a hobby in her spare time. She explained how she had found it therapeutic, how it had helped her “center herself” - something Tyler was always saying she needed to learn how to do. They walked to the checkout islands together. He discussed how he needed to take some time off. He had been working nonstop and it was beginning to burn him out. He told her about the road trip he was planning to take in a few weeks.

A road trip he would never end up going on.

After they paid for their items, he walked with her back to her apartment. She invited him upstairs to have coffee. She had made too much and it was just going to go to waste. Tyler couldn’t argue with that sort of logic.

Coffee became lunch and when they finally parted ways, it felt less like it had every other time. It felt less like the end and more like a beginning. Less like a “goodbye” and more like a “see you soon”.

A few months passed. And there they were, his arms around her torso, his lips on her neck, his hands pulling hers across her body. They sat like this for what felt like hours. Nowhere to be. No one to go to. Just their bed, their pillows, and their bodies. And she turned, her head meeting his shoulder.

“Don’t go.” She whispered, hoping she didn’t sound the same as the first time she had dared to utter this sentence.

But this time was different. This time her words were met with a kiss to the crown of the head, and a tightening of the gentle grasp he had on her.

“I won’t.” He murmured into the dark. “Not this time. Not again.”

#tyler rust #russ taylor #ryan taylor #tyler rust fanfiction #tyler rust fanfic #tyler rust x ofc #tyler rust imagine #nxt imagine #yeah i chose not to make a summary and that is because i could not think of one