#the way i've begun the ending makes fluff easier now

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

Ask and You Shall Receive

This came to me at 3:15AM and half of this was typed on my phone in a haze of insomnia. Enjoy! This takes place in an AU where Graves is a good guy and works with the 141. This is my first time writing for Graves so comments would be very much appreciated.

Contains: Fluff, smut (consent, kink negotiation, bondage, Dom Phillip Graves, finger, oral sex (f receiving), praise kink, P in V, aftercare.This is pure smut.

3.2K words

You want to try something new and Graves is more than happy to oblige.

Anxious isn't the right word, you weren't anxious about talking to your boyfriend about your idea, shy was more like it.

Everything about your love life had happened organically, his desire to praise you was matched by your need to hear you were doing well, and his need to feel like he was looking after you was matched by your appreciation of his efforts.

You knew he would take it well, he was the kind of man to take everything in his stride, you just had to find the right words to bring it up. So you'd spent your day off baking his favourite cookies in between mountains of research so you could come to the table prepared.

The moment you had been waiting for came right on five, once the sun had just begun to think about setting, when Graves key turned in the door and he walking into your shared home.

"Are those your famous cookies I smell?" His tone was light, with just a hint of arrogance that told you he had a good day.

"Yes it is, they're waiting for you at the table." You were already halfway there with two glasses of milk, and he made a detour via the kitchen to wash his hands before sitting down with a grin.

He looked you over, clearly picking up on something, before sitting down and gesturing to the treats in front of him. "What's all this about Darlin'?"

You smiled. "I wanted to ask you something, nothing bad don't worry, but I'm a bit nervous so I baked some cookies."

He picked up a cookie and gave you a slight nod. "Ask away, I'm all ears."

You took a deep breath and remembered that the worst that could happen was him saying no. "Iwantyoutotiemeup."

"Pardon?" By the grin on his face, he had clearly heard you, but he wanted to make sure.

You took another deep breath. "I would like it if you would please tie me up." You paused, this wasn't something you were asking him to do to you, this was something you were asking to do with him. "I would like to try bondage with you."

He reached out and wrapped his hand around your wrist, his thumb rubbing the skin softly. "I'd like that too." You breathed an audible sigh of relief, and he chuckled. "I'm proud of you for asking me, and for what it's worth, I think you'll enjoy it as much I as will."

"Have you done it before?" The question came from a pure curiosity, there was no jealousy in it.

He nodded. "I have." He paused, and his smile grew an edge. "And before you ask, I fucking loved it. Can I ask what's got you wanting to give it a go?"

The air was changing, it was getting easier and easier to speak and the end result was looking more and more like a fun night. "I guess I've always been curious about it but I've never felt.." It was hard to find the words to articulate your feelings. "I've never felt safe enough to ask for it until now."

He nodded then tapped your hand in the same way you had seen him tap a desk before he headed out on an op, all power and self-assuredness. "Well Darlin', you're in the right hands."

For the next hour you went over everything, exchanging back and forth ideas and thoughts. He was very impressed with what you had learned in only one day, and before you knew it, there was a plan in place. You would spend the day together tomorrow, an easy day at the farmers' market and sitting by the pond on the property watching the ducks go by, and when night came, the real fun would start.

****

You walked into the bedroom with his hand on your lower back, the warmth bleeding through his old shirt that you had thrown on after your shower. He had already laid out the lengths of silk you had retrieved from your fabric drawer, quickly hemmed today while he watched to make them ready for this very moment.

He led you to the end of the bed, where he sat down next to you, his long fingers almost engulfing your cheek as he held it. "Now you remember what I said about you letting me know what's going on with you when I ask?"

You nodded. "I have to tell you how I'm feeling or it stops. If I don't feel like I can speak, then I've got to tap the headboard."

He smiled, clearly happy with your answer. "Good, and what's that going to look like?"

You reached down and taped the edge of the bed, once before pausing, then twice. "Once for pause, twice for all good. Other than that, nothing's changed, if I want to tell you to stop, that's all I have to say." His eyebrows went up slightly like he wanted you to keep going. "And you won't be mad at me, even though I know you're going to be putting in a lot of effort."

His cheeks rounded with a smile as his eyes crinkled at the corners. "That's right." He took both your hands in his as he stood up and led you further up the bed, sitting you up by the pillows as he picked up the silk.

"Arms out please." You did as he asked, and he took one wrist in his hand before bringing it up to his lips and placing kisses on the skin. "I'm going to wrap each one separately before tying them together so your joints don't dig into anything, ok?"

You nodded. "Ok, thank you." You watched as he wrapped each wrist with care, his attention focused on every loop and knot until you had a length of fabric hanging from each wrist.

He ran his fingers around the borders of the fabric, then to your fingers as he looked over the ties. "Anything hurt Darlin'?"

You shook your head. "No, nothing hurts or tingles. It's comfortable. I'll tell you if that changes."

He smiled wide and pressed a kiss to your cheek. "Wonderful. You're being so good for me." He kissed each one of your fingertips before sliding up your arms to your torso and then down until they gripped the edges of the old Marine Corp PT shirt you were wearing. "Can I take this off?"

"Of course." You lifted your arms, giggling as the fabric came with you and Graves lifted the shit over your head. His lips found yours as he took your face in his palms. The kiss was soft and filled with affection as he slowly made his way back to your wrists.

He took one length in each hand and looked over your forearms before crossing your wrists over each other. "Anything rubbing?"

You shook your head. "No, it kinda feels like I've got a pillow between my wrists."

"That was my plan all along." His accent came out more when he was turned on, and you could clearly see a bulge growing in his sweats as he tied your wrists together. He quit dip when he was home but he still ground his jaw like he was chewing when he was trying to slow himself down. "Get comfortable."

You did as he asked, resting on the pillows as he reached over to tie you to the headboard. "Comfortable?"

Your wrists were crisscrossed with your elbows bent and sticking out as the plush pillows took the weight off your arms, you were more than comfortable. "Yes, very."

He sucked on his tongue and looked you up and down before grinning. "Well, aren't you as pretty as a picture?" He looked over you one last time before rushing to remove his clothes. When he had stripped down to his tight black boxers, he was climbing on top of you with a grin before finally pressing his lips to yours.

The kiss was filled with passion, and your inability to hold onto him meant he was able to take over with ease, his teeth grazing your lower lip as one of his hands slid down to remove your sleep shorts and panties in one go. He broke the kiss so his lips could move down to your neck, and even though you tried to follow him, you couldn't close the distance since the silks kept you still.

His stubble scratched your skin as he made his way down you to your breast, but he paused to pull off his boxers and free his cock, groaning as the pressure finally lifted, and it jumped up to hit his stomach, all hard, red and leaking. He returned to his journey, his lips brushing your skin as the hand that wasn't holding him up made its way down your body to your core. "Fucking hell, Darlin', you're so fucking wet."

You expected him to touch you more, to feel his fingers on your clit so he could bring you to orgasm with his usual speed and ego. But his fingers only grazed your skin before pulling away, and you blinked in confusion as he smiled. "I want you to get the most out of tonight, and that means not getting what you want right away, you gotta savour some things."

You wanted to roll your eyes, no matter what, he was still so sure of himself that sometimes it made you angry. "Ok my love, whatever you want."

He had shifted backwards, resting on his knees so his eyes could take you in greedily. "Oh Darlin', don't tell me that, I'm liable to keep you here all night." His fingers had started to run from your collarbone to your hip, up and down as he spoke while his eyes raked your body. He shook off his stooper and smiled. "Now, where was I?"

"You were kissing me." You could kiss him all day and all night if there was time, you think Phillip would agree.

He clicked his fingers and nodded quickly. "That's right." He was back hovering over you, his lips on yours as he kissed you with the same passion as before, and just like before, he was pulling away far too soon to kiss his way to your breasts.

But once again, he didn't do what you expected, and rather than focusing on your chest, he started kissing over the rest of your torso. It was slow, each kiss deliberate, hitting a sensitive spot, or a freckle or the odd scar, it was like he mapping all the parts of your body that he could reach. By the time he finally made it to your breasts, you were wound so tight that the touch of his lips on your nipple made you jump.

He chuckled against your skin, and you sighed as the warmth of his mouth spread across your chest. You moved to run your fingers through his hair but the binds on your wrists stopped you, forcing you to relax into the feeling as one of his hands came up to play with your other nipple, his callous fingertip grazing your skin gently.

Everything felt so much stronger with the reduced ability to move, and you were getting desperate to feel him elsewhere. He seemed to pick up on it because he popped off your breast and slowly kissed his way down his body until his lips were brushing your mound. "You good for me to go further?"

"Please." He smiled against your skin as he kissed your inner thigh, then he was lifting your legs over his shoulders, stopping to run his hands up and down them before finally settling between your legs. He started with soft kisses, his lips barely grazing your skin as he made his way across your flesh, but his mouth was watering, and Graves was not a man to deny himself for long, so he spread you open and finally drove in like a man starved.

He sealed his lips around your clit and sucked softly as the hand that was on your breast made its way down your body, two of this long, thick fingers circling your entrance before he was pulled away to meet your eyes. "Can I Darlin'?"

You took in a shuddering breath; his fingers had taken the place of his tongue and were rubbing your clit in those precise circles he knew would have you aching off the bed. "Yes please."

He grinned and pecked your lower stomach before his mouth returned to your flesh, and he slid two fingers inside you. He wasted no time in running his fingertips along your walls to find your G-spot, and you swore you could feel the callous on his trigger finger as he pressed it. With his mouth back on your clit, he was moaning against you like he was the one getting off.

You pulled on your wrists again, needing to run your fingers through his soft hair or push him closer to you, but they didn't budge, and the vibrations of his laugh sent shockwaves up your spine. It didn't take long to grow close to the peak, and your attempts to warn him that you were close were stolen by moans as he doubled his efforts.

Your chest heaved, and his forearm went over your hips to keep them still, and you started to twitch. You managed to mutter what sounded like a please, and he moaned an affirmative against you, and that was all you needed to topple over the edge, your vision going white and your body becoming ridge as the pleasure overcame you.

It felt like it went on for hours, the edges of your consciousness going grey as it went on and on, and then the valley you were falling into rose into another peak before you could think, and you were vaguely aware of your own moans filling the air. Mercifully, he seemed to take pity on you when you started to twitch away from him and stopped, pulling his fingers free before slowly kissing back up your body.

You could taste yourself on his lips when he kissed you, and when he pulled back to suck his fingers clean, you could see that his chin was shiny with you. He wiped it with the back of his hand, then used your leftover wetness to slick up his cock as he moved to hover over you. "You wanna keep going Darlin'? Or do you need a minute?"

Your eyes drifted to his cock, he looked painfully hard, and despite the fact that it still felt like his mouth was on you, there was no way you were going to make him wait any longer. "Yes, yes I want to keep going."

He smiled and dropped on top of you, helping you lift your shaking legs around his waist as he ran his cock up your slit, chuckling softly when you twitched. "I'll go slow." He wasn't lying, when he finally slid inside you, it was at a snail's pace, and you were grateful for the slow push as your brain grew fuzzier. You could feel every ridge and vein, and when he was fully seated, his head dropped against your shoulder as his chest rose and fell with laboured breaths. "You good?"

The urge to touch him was once again thwarted by your tied wrists, but you still responded for fear that he would still stop. "Yes, please move." He started slowly, grinding his hips into you as he angled them to brush your G-spot. It didn't take long for him to pick up speed, and you could see the look of concentration as he shifted his weight onto one elbow so he could rub your clit.

He faltered slightly, his voice shaking as his hips picked up force. "I'm not going to last Darlin'." He grunted and his muscles tensed. "I fucking love you so much y/n."

That was all fine with you, you were fast huddling towards another orgasm and you didn't think you could take much more. "I love you too Phill." His lips found yours and the kiss was rough, it felt like he was trying to eat you alive as the fingers on your clit moved to push you into another orgasm. It was violent when it happened, forcing out every other thought as it took over every sense. The groans in your ear turned animalistic and then his hips were stuttering as your clenching gave him the final push to follow you into bliss.

Once his hips had stilled, he collapsed onto you, rubbing his cheek with yours as he caught his breath. He reached up and untied you, bringing your wrists to his lips and kissing the skin before he turned you both on your sides as he slipped out of you. You buried your face in his chest and he brushed your sweat stuck hair out of your face on his way to run your back up and down to soothe your racing heart.

"How are you feeling Darlin?" You tapped his chest twice, unsure of your words and he chuckled softly. "Like that, is it? Well that means I've done my job right."

He brought you back to earth with patience, rubbing your back while he pressed kisses to your skin at random. When the world faded back in, he smiled at you and brushed your cheek with his fingertips. "You back with me?"

You nodded. "I am. Thank you for tonight."

He smiled softly and kissed you once again. "No need to thank me Darlin', it was my pleasure. Anything hurt? Are your wrists and shoulders ok?"

You nodded. "Everything's fine."

He smiled and sat up, taking you with him before spinning slightly to open his top drawer. He had a bottle of water in one and your favourite bag of potato chips in the other and he placed them down as his hand moved to rub your legs. "Have those, you need to get something in you. Once you're all fed and watered, I'll run you a bath and clean you up, then we can get a good night's rest."

You yawned, suddenly hungry, thirsty and tired. "Thank you."

He smiled. "Like I said, it's my pleasure."

****

Between the bath and another small meal that Phillip had raced off to grab you and the clean sheets, you were completely exhausted by the time he had cleaned up and climbed into bed next to you. You nuzzled into his embrace, and he wrapped his arms around you, burying his face in your hair as he breathed in the smell of your shampoo. "I'd like to repeat tonight if that's something you want."

You gathered enough energy to reply, pressing a kiss to his chest before speaking. "I'd like that too."

"Good, that's real good." You could hear the smile in his voice and his hand found your cheek. "Thank you for being so good for me, I really enjoyed myself."

You smiled softly. "So did I, and thank you for being so sweet, and looking after me, I really appreciate it."

"No need to thank me Darlin'. That's what I'm meant to do." He pulled the blankets further up your body and reached over to turn the light off. "Goodnight Darlin'. I love you."

You settled into his arms and managed to reply before sleep took you. "Goodnight Phill, I love you too."

Fin

@chaos-4baby

#phillip graves smut #phillip graves/reader #phillip grave/you #phillip graves x reader #call of duty mw3 #call of duty modern warfare #call of duty #cod mw3 #cod mw2 #cod modern warfare #call of duty smut #mw2 #mw3 #phillip graves

[miniteezez]

Jungkook x fem reader

Isolation

Genre: fluff, lockdown, cute

Warning: injuries? Not detailed.

A/n: I'm currently writing a yoongi ff that's gonna be a little longer. These shorter one shots were written in 2021 during lockdown. They were written with other idols in mind also.

Day thirty - six in isolation, I sighed as I made my way out into my balcony. It was currently six pm. Cold out but still beautiful as the sun set over the mountains. Cup of hot tea cupped between my two hands, I took a sip whole staring out at the view. A flock of blackbirds flew over making me smile as they cried out their call. No people were around, obviously all stuck at home, apart from the few people delivering people's weekly food shop. My eyes shut as I took in the air which recently seemed much fresher, easier to breath in. That was due to lack of pollution, the one good thing to come out of all this mess. Hearing the flick of a lighter disturb my peace , I opened my eyes and looked to my left seeing a boy around my age, maybe slightly older, burning a photograph. I didn't know my neighbours as I had just moved to this apartment before lockdown begun, but right now I wish I did. He looked depressed, like something had hit him really hard. Watching the picture burn, he waited till the flames nearly touched his fingers before letting it fall.

"Are you Okay?" My voice was quiet but the boy heard and turned to look at me. Immediately he rubbed his face and cleared his throat.

"Yeah I'm fine." His voice shook indicating the lie he was telling me. Pressing my lips together, I glanced around thinking for a few seconds before looking back at him. It was a stupid idea and also illegal but the good person in me didn't care.

"Do you want to come over?"

"I'm not allowed.. " Sighing at his response I shrugged,

"Well yeah technically but, if we've both been isolating whats the Harm? It looks like you need someone right now." He blinked fast and nod before heading inside and locking the balcony door. Quickly, I went to my front door and opened it seeing him already there with his hand up ready to knock. Stepping aside, I let him in and took him to where my couch was. He sat down and stared at his lap, clearly anxious.

"What's your name? I'm (y/n)." I asked as I too sat beside him, keeping a little distance so I didn't scare him off.

"Jungkook..thanks for inviting me over..I was going crazy alone." He admitted, looking at me grateful, I just smiled.

"Didn't you think to message or Skype with your friends?" His face dropped, eyes watering. Bringing his hands up to rub his eyes, he mumbled.

"I dont have any, not anymore..." figuring this topic was the reason for his sadness, I scooted closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you wanna rant about it? That will help lift the weight off I promise." Feeling him physically relax against my touch, he nod and took a deep breath in and began.

"I grew up with this guy..and he was the best friend ever. I really loved him like a brother but..just before all this he stole some money from me then pinned all my friends against him saying I'd beat him up.. " tears ran down his cheeks while he took a second to gather himself before continuing, I held his hand which he gripped tight.

"I didn't hurt him..but he..he did hurt me. When I caught him stealing I confronted him so he beat me..still have the cuts..cos he came back last week to try and "sort it out"..he just ended up getting mad." Jungkook put his head down, that's when I saw some of the bruises on his skin.

"I'm really sorry, you don't deserve that." I wrapped my arms around him, gently hugging him. He hugged back, burying his face into my neck for comfort as my hand rubbed his back soothingly. Feeling him wince a few times, I pulled back and looked at him.

"Want me to treat your wounds?"

"Do you know how?" He asked nervously, looking away I replied.

"I've had to treat a few of my own so, yeah." So I got up and lead kook into my bathroom helping him to sit on the edge of the tub. Whilst my back was turned, he slipped his shirt off and placed it next to him. Looking back at him, I could feel my face heating up. He was full of tattoos, once concealed by his shirt. Not expecting that, I ignored it and applied cream to the dark bruises that were dotted around his chest, arms and back. There was a deep cut on his shoulder so I aided it with ointment and placed a large plaster over it.

"You need to change it once a day. Otherwise it will get infected." He pouted and put his shirt back on carefully as I tidied everything away.

"Can you do it for me?"

"You'd have to come round every day." Immediately he smiled and nod standing up.

"Okay I will. It will be fun. Plus we'll both enjoy the company." He beamed making me smile.

A few weeks later, I was laying in bed around two pm just scrolling through my phone. Hearing my door open, I didn't even bother to look knowing who it was.

"Why are you still in bed?" Kooks voice didn't even make me flinch as he came over and laid beside me. Just shrugging, I hid under the covers only to feel arms wrapping around me. Instantly I relaxed and leant into his warmth.

"Come on you need to get up, keep your body clock going in the right way. Let's bake cookies." Smiling at his words, I nod and got myself up. We made our way to my kitchen and began to mix the dough. Once I had put the mixture in the oven, I turned seeing jungkook eating what dough was left in the bowl making me pull a face in disgust.

"You'll get food poisoning."

"Dont care." Together we laughed. I washed everything up, he dried then put the dishes away, helping me to get everything done right. Within twenty minutes, the cookies were done and kook got them out of the oven, placing the tray on the stove. Sitting myself on the counter, he took a hot cookie and fed me one whilst standing infront of me, between my legs. Nodding my head I looked up at him approvingly.

"Its really good...what's Up?" Noticing him staring at my lips, I asked him this. Instead of responding, he leant down and kissed the corner of my mouth then licked his lips.

"You had some chocolate there.." after staring at him in shock for a few seconds, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down and kissing him properly. Eagerly, he kissed back, hands on my waist and inching slightly closer. Pulling away slowly, I smiled shyly and buried my face into his chest, making him chuckle. Jungkook ran his hand over my hair gently.

"I'm glad you let me in.." he spoke quietly , looking down then kissing my head. I looked up at him, a giant smile on my lips.

"So am I. I'm glad I could help to heal you." Nodding at me, he pecked my lips again before sealing me in a tight hug. Maybe lockdown isn't so bad after all.

#bts ff #bts x reader #bts #jungkook x reader #jk #jungkook ff #jungkook #jungkook fluff

[camdentown-library]

The flames in your eyes || ENG ver. Ethan Torchio x reader

❝ 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬. 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚. 

𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐨𝐲, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠. ❞

Genre: Fluff ;; romantic ;; slowburn

Pairing: Ethan Torchio x fem!reader

Warning: English is not my native language, I may have made grammatical errors. do not hesitate to correct me

N / A: The facts told are purely the fruit of my imagination, it is not my intention to do any wrong to any person mentioned, and above all the character of Ethan could (surely) not reflect the person in reality.

Happy reading to you all!

CHAPTER 1

The first rays of July had cast on the roofs of the houses in Rome, giving the off-white plaster and rosy tiles a golden sheen that tasted like honey. The wisteria were in bloom, as was the medlar tree under Marlena's house; the scent of life in the full act of her cycle, always knocked on her dining room window, filling it with sweet fragrances.

The girl used to take her place at the table during the late morning hours, surrounded by books and tomes quite old and gnawed by the dust, with the good resolution that even that day she would read and study those very boring pages of that equally boring examination. of Egyptology. The university summer session had already begun, she had just taken a couple of exams last June and was now preparing two more that she would take in the first weeks of September.

That time could seem apparently short, Marlena didn't care that much, what could ever distract her from her work? She had no friends, and by now, even though she had crossed the threshold of 21 years in the autumn, the girl was now completely extinct her naive youth, as well as her desire to laze.

The out of tune and unexpected sound of the intercom triggered her head bent over the books of the young woman, who after having heaved a sigh perhaps a little annoyed, she decided to get up from her chair, leave the dining room and cross the wide and not too long corridor in the shape of an "L" of his apartment, finally arriving at a brisk pace towards the device it had croaked in order to answer.

"Yes?" she asked quite firmly but not too cordially.

"I'm the postman, will you open me?" answered a stranger, as she pushed the button to open the gate.

Marlena therefore opened the heavy old door of her house, remaining patient to wait for the man to arrive at the door. Although she had lived in that condominium with her father for as long as she remembered it, she had not yet found a rational explanation for its lack of mailboxes. Was it because it was a palace built in the 1920s? Well that would explain the absence of an elevator as well, but a damn mailbox wouldn't be hard to add.

The man's gasping breath brought her back to reality as her eyes saw him peeking from the flight of stairs. Was he already that tired after not even crossing the second floor? The young woman wondered a little disappointed.

"Are you Madam Levavi?" the postman then asked, catching his breath and rummaging through her purse. Marlena wrinkled her nose instinctively.

"Ahm ... not madam, I'm her daughter" she replied shaking her head, what could that postman ever care if she was "miss" or "madam"? The girl lightly bit the inside of her cheek as a reproach.

"Here you are. How many floors are there still?" She asked the man wiping her sweaty forehead with a handkerchief after giving her the mail.

"Two more ..." Marlena replied disinterestedly as she closed the door, observing her letters.

Bills for electricity, water, the tax to be paid for the next university year and ... a letter?

Well, it certainly wasn't sent by her father...

The girl looked at the text of that letter once more, rereading it and rereading it several times, wrapped in a silence that was probably inherent in memories that clouded her common sense, while slowly after taking a few steps back, she gently placed her back to the wall.

"Dear Marlena,

I know perfectly well that it might have been easier to call you, but you know I've always enjoyed writing you letters.

Unfortunately I noticed that in the last few I sent you you didn't answer, I guess it's because the university keeps you very busy ...

However, I learned that your father is out of Italy on a business trip and he will be away until the end of August; It seemed only right to invite you to spend these last months of summer in our house outside the city.

I know that since your mom left, you haven't had the desire to visit us anymore, but I think it would do you good to change the air for a while. The place is quiet, there is the sea and also a large and extensive countryside with a pine forest and the locals are really friendly and helpful.

You can also bring Lapo if you want, I know you are very close.

Either way, let me know your verdict.

A strong hug.

Grandmother Agata.”

She had distant memories of that house, distant but still happy. He remembered when he woke up early in the morning with grandmother Agata and grandfather Laertes to be able to go to the sea and his little hands while looking for hermit crabs and shells on the shore, as he remembered the music in the square and the laughter echoing in the same way as the bells of the church on Sunday, everyone was happy ... and life seemed to be less unfair to those who deserved it less, it tasted like jam and fruit jellies, salt on the lips and bees flying.

Marlena's chest swelled with air, as if she had been holding her breath until then...perhaps because diving into one's childhood was like floundering in a stormy sea pretending to stay afloat.

The cheerful barking of her dog Lapo brought the young woman back to the present, who decided to place the letters on a window sill not far from the front door and set off together with the playful animal towards the kitchen. Lapo was a nice Bernese Mountain Dog, with a black, brown and white coat. It had been given to her five years ago, perhaps because her father had sensed that even his absence had created in the heart of his only daughter, a sense of distressing loneliness, which had consumed her to the bone making her totally apathetic for certain verses.

But Lapo, Lapo had saved her from her, with Lapo she spoke and shared gestures of affection, such as caresses and little licks between her fingers and hair. Sometimes Marlena fell asleep in her bed, with the bulky dog ​​on her, because feeling her warm and humid breath on her blankets reminded her in her sleep that she was not alone in the dark of the night. As long as Lapo's heart had beaten the young girl she was not afraid of having to wake up or sleep.

Although she tried to convince herself that staying in her comfort zone would be easier than answering "yes" to her grandmother's request, a part of her was again attracting her to that letter; her gaze was captured by the horizon of her mind, while in the distance she could almost hear the sounds and flavors of a place almost too fairytale to be part of the material world.

"I know I should answer..." she murmured as she was intent on washing the peel of a red apple in the kitchen sink. Meanwhile the dog sat up looking at her intensely while she wagged his tail waiting for her.

"...It's just that, that place...and then I should finish studying, I have an exam to take at the end of the summer, Lapo" but the dog tilted his head in disappointment and then got up and trotted out of the room, looking for of who knows what amusement, leaving Marlena to her thoughts, as she bit into the freshly dried fruit with the kitchen towel.

All of this would only be for a little over a month and a half, just a month and a half and then she would leave it all behind her again, as she did a long time ago.

“Hello grandma. I'm Marlena..."

Marlena after putting the letter back next to her bedside table, she grabbed the cell phone not far away and typed some numbers on the screen, not too convincingly, and then brought the object to her ear.

There were those ten seconds of waiting that seemed the stroke of half a century, until a voice said "Hello?".

Marlena had brought two large bags with her. One for clothes and the other full of junk such as: books, objects for the dog, tricks and everything that for her mind, not so familiar with travel, she considered indispensable. She was not so convinced that both of them would enter the trunk, but the exemplary ability to know how to adapt and make do with her grandfather always left her with amazement on the edge of her lips.

It took two days before grandfather Laerte's small and overly backward FIAT Punto made its peerless entrance next to the bottle-green gate of the small cloister of the Marlena palace.

The man had taken more or less ten minutes just to park, the niece had wondered how long it would take him to get there and start again.

The young woman was sitting in the back seats, together with Lapo. She held in her hands a small bunch of tulips that Laertes had brought her, made by herself. He said to her:

"I went for a walk in the countryside and tried to capture the most beautiful of all, like my granddaughter!" followed by a proud, croaking laugh. Laertes had always been a proud and incurable romantic, without ever giving up some of her drama, grandmother Agata did nothing but remind her of it in her letters.

Like when Marlena pointed out to him, that the steering wheel of the car was too damaged for the latter to be considered in accordance with the law, but he had always replied that a good soldier and partisan would appeal to his driving experience and a little 'of elbow grease, in order to be sure that the itinerary of the journey would be peaceful and without unpleasant hitches.

Lapo let out an enthusiastic bark when the croaking car left the endless concrete of the highway behind, and then took a narrow, winding, uphill road that would have led them to the small town.

Her gaze stared blankly at what was running, like tape in a movie camera, out the window; She saw the buildings of the city become less present, as well as the stench of smog, then there was a long stretch of highway, immersed in the wheat fields and every now and then some small farm or spare parts industry or other jobs would emerge.

In the car there would have been complete silence, had it not been for the old radio which played an entire disc of all of Lucio Dalla's masterpieces; Marlena's grandfather liked that singer, but not in the same way chatting while driving, because according to him it would have increased the chances of road accidents by 50%, and frankly, the granddaughter didn't mind at all this acknowledgment ... she didn't even know where she should have started and however much her relatives tried to make her feel at ease, she imagined herself as a stranger, a stranger, who had knocked on their door and was now just trying to learn and remember their common manners.

"If you look to the right you will see the sea, Marlena" Laertes informed her, while he struggled with the steering wheel at every bend, but he did not dare to make even a moan under stress. The girl decided to accept those words, and looking out (after rolling down the window) a crisp air of salt pervaded her nostrils like the balm of a mint. Her eyes tried to show as little as possible the defeat of an amazement that had overwhelmed her like a raging wave, making her heart pound.

The sea. Marlena loved the sea. And for a few moments she was wondering what she had forced her to shut up in the house all that time, but then her mind went back to static and clear. She knew why, and there was no other reason to get her back together, even if it was difficult.

Yet there seemed to be few people around the streets, perhaps because at that time anyone with a minimum of wit would have holed up in the cool four walls of their home, just to escape the scorching heat that did not yield until the stroke of five in the afternoon .

By now it was almost two in the afternoon when Laertes' car passed the threshold of the square of the small town, while the attentive (even if apparently lost) gaze of his granddaughter observed everything in detail.

Nothing seems to have changed in that place since the last one who went there. The street was always covered with the usual, old and coarse slabs of white stone and eroded by the weather, as well as the various shops that surrounded the square and the small houses side by side, glazed with a fresh off-white plaster and dark brown roofs, the fountain in the center, and the small restaurant with its balcony overlooking the long pine forest that extended at the foot of the modest hill that supported the town.

A jolt suddenly shook Marlena, when her grandfather decided to pull over and pull up the handbrake of his FIAT, thus causing a slight recoil unexpectedly enough to suddenly wake the girl from her thoughts. She cleared her throat, while she opened her door, so that Lapo could finally trot and wag his tail excitedly around, on the other hand she didn't blame him, it must have been hard for a dog to stay good in the car for so many hours.

"Here we are!" proclaimed the elderly man putting the car keys in his pocket and then ring the bell of the small house next to FIAT "Your grandmother will be so happy to see you, I bet she will have prepared ciambelle with red wine to celebrate your reunion" he added while he waited for the woman he mentioned to open to him, already anticipating on his lips the pungent and sweet taste of those sweets he loved so much.

"So I suppose you made at least thirty" commented the young woman ironically, as she dragged out the two bags with extreme difficulty, attracting the attention of Laertes who, hastily adjusting his frizzy white hair, hastened to reach his niece to give her your support.

“Ah don't worry, kid. I'll take care of it, maybe you can ring the door, your grandmother has now gone deaf as a bell...” he said as he gave a slight snort and then muttered something.

"C’mon, grandpa" Marlena replied then raising her eyes to the sky trying not to smile, how melodramatic could that man be?

After pressing her finger on the bell again, the girl waited for someone to answer and hearing the approach of some quick steps together with the rubbing of flip-flops on the floor, made her realize that Agata had finally heard their arrival. Marlena did not even have time to greet the elderly lady, who took her in her arms, wrapping her in an embrace that caught her unprepared and to which she did not respond immediately.

“Oh my love! I’m so happy to see you again! But look how you have grown! It seems only yesterday when you reached mid-thigh and now...” the hands a little gnarled, but from the soft fingertips of the woman, gently took the face of her niece like a cup, as if to feel if her presence was only fantasy or reality "...You are a woman to all intents and purposes" she whispered and then fussed with kisses all over her face, while Marlena whining pretending to be somehow annoyed.

After climbing a short flight of stairs that led to the house located on the upper floor, the girl's nostrils and consciousness were flooded with memories and sensations already savored. She observed the now old floor of the house, granite tiles that alternated with one hand painted and another not; Marlena rejoiced with a touch of amusement when she as a child she spent boring afternoons playing on them, jumping only on the decorated ones because according to her imagination those remains were made of incandescent lava.

The walls were always the same, covered with a light blue paint and slightly lumpy at times, she could feel it, when the index and middle fingers of her right hand absently brushed the surface.

The house of Marlena's grandparents was very simple and perhaps apparently a little cramped. Having opened the wooden entrance door, after having passed the landing and the stairs, she had in front of her a corridor that extended along to her right, thus marking the various doors of each room that the house gathered inside. Almost parallel to the entrance there was the kitchen door on the opposite wall, without doors, next to it the bathroom door, and then the door to the room of the two elderly spouses. At the end of the corridor there was a small balcony with the railing covered with hanging vases where, like a multicolored waterfall, a thick branching of coral red bucanville came out which, in addition to poetically letting itself fall from the small niche, climbed elegant and graceful on the handrail of the then hug the outside walls of the house.

Marlena took advantage of it, to be able to peep there, while she deeply breathed the fragrant and velvety scent of those petals, mixed with the sea breeze that came from beyond the pine forest that surrounded the town. She observed the small houses around her while if she winked she could distinguish the clear line of the flat and calm sea that merged in perfect alchemy with the clear sky on the horizon.

The young woman tried in every way to convince herself that that enchanted place, that little corner of paradise had never failed her...but she suddenly proclaimed herself foolish for having thought such a cynical thing in the least.

TO BE CONTINUED . . .

#maneskin #ethan torchio #damiano david #victoria de angelis #thomas raggi #fanfic #fanfiction #fluff #imagine #imagines #chapter 1 #romantic #the flames in your eyes #ENG VERSION

[beneathashadytree]

SPRING DAY - JEON JUNGKOOK X READER

Warnings : none, reader is gender-neutral!

Genre : tooth-rotting fluff

Word count : 1.1K words

Synopsis : Young love is tentative and shy, but it's also eager and riveting.

Requests : Are open! Check the rules over here.

Want to support me financially? Here’s my CashApp!

Masterlist

The metal under my elbow was cold enough to keep me awake, despite having not slept enough hours the previous night. It was sunny enough to be pleasant, the warmth welcomed on my skin, but not too warm to cause me discomfort and feel sticky. Perfect weather for a lovely day.

Such days meant that I couldn't waste the opportunity to spend them on the fire escape. It seemed silly to some, but my ideal lazy days were spent on the fire escape that peaked above all the buildings in the area. It always had the best views year-long, and during demi-saisons like these, the weather was almost too good to be true.

Sighing happily as the sun kissed my skin after so many months of cold and shivers, I rolled up the sleeves of my blouse, watching as the man on the roof of the building facing me fed his pigeons. They were cooing happily, seemingly just as pleased with the day as I was, before suddenly flocking away into the horizon.

Just as I began to laugh at the man's look of exasperation, I could hear a familiar chuckle down the empty street (when you live in such a quiet and barely-populated district, it's quite easy to discern noises). I perked up, and hurriedly ran to the other end of the fire escape so I could get a better look, shielding my eyes from the sun as I was now right in front of its glare.

Sure enough, Jungkook stood in front of the bakery on the ground floor, staring up at the same man I'd been watching earlier.

"Jungkook!" I hurriedly called out, before I had a chance to think it through and stop myself, "Hey, look up!"

He twisted around in adorable confusion, before resting his gaze on me, waving excitedly back, yelling a quick, "I'm coming up, make way!" with a delicate smile on his face.

I could already feel the post-seeing-him symptoms begin to show on my face, what with the ridiculous grin I'd begun sporting, the nervous kicking of my leg against the railing, and the odd twinkle in my eye I'm sure people could spot miles away. In fact, it would've been easier to hold up a sign to my forehead that said, "LOVE-SICK FOOL!" in bold cursive font.

Footsteps sounded against the metal steps, along with the occasional clinking of what I could recognize as his favorite gold ring (read: only gold ring). Turning around so fast I nearly got whiplash, the goofy smile on my face could only grow wider as mere inches remained between us.

"Hi," Jungkook finally said after a minute or two of silence, a little out of breath from the effort of running and climbing up, towering a bit over me, casting me in a shadow, meanwhile blinding me with his beauty.

I don't know what it was about him. Maybe the sparkling, innocent doe eyes, the crow's feet collecting at their corners; maybe the endearing grin that seemed brighter than a thousand suns; maybe the slight rosiness to his cheeks as he seems just a tad bashful; maybe the angelic figure; but something about him sent my heart hammering in my chest, yet a wave of coolness and calmness washed over me.

"Hi yourself," I shied away from his fond stare, resorting to looking at my feet kicking nervously, "Let's sit down."

He nodded, his long mahogany locks falling in front of his face, giving him a sweet look as we both sat down, our feet dangling dangerously off the railing as our sides touched.

Jungkook didn't say much, but he soundlessly eyed the book beside me, and I simply handed it over to him.

"A Tale of Two Cities?" he hummed, flipping it over to give reading the blurb a quick try, "I've always wanted to read it in English."

Inching closer to him with a little more bravery than I normally possessed, I watched as he set the book down on his lap momentarily.

Now, only a tender look was held behind his ever-so-beautiful eyes, as he realized that there really was no need for me to come closer, and that the only possible reason was that I simply enjoyed the proximity. If the starlit gaze of his was anything to go by, then he was enthralled by it just as much.

Lightly biting my lip in a mix of anticipation and anxiety, I carefully placed my hand on top of his. Fear bubbling in my stomach, I saw as he retreated his hand from that simple contact, getting up and dropping the book beside me once more, causing my eyes to snap wide open and my heart to fall to the pit of my belly.

However, I need not have worried, seeing as it didn't take him more than a couple of seconds to take a seat once again---only this time, behind me, as his legs wrapped around mine, his strong arms gently pulling me back to rest against his broad chest. I bit back a lovesick sigh, instead resorting to snuggle back against him and return the book to his hands.

Clearing his throat a little awkwardly, Jungkook began to read in his soft voice, stumbling a little on the words, but still trying his best nonetheless, all while he held me in his soothing embrace.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair..."

***

Hours later, when the sun had long gone and been replaced by stars winking down on us as the darkness blanketed us and we could only see with the light of the moon and a little sconce hung up on the wall, he finally snapped the book shut.

Silence enveloped us in our new position, seeing as restlessness had landed us lying down, with his head resting on my chest, reading to us both as I stroked his soft locks back gently.

The book now long forgotten, he gave me a sidelong glance, cautiously letting his lips graze against my jaw. He pressed there for a lingering moment or two, testing the waters, awaiting on my reaction.

All I could do was smile, pressing a kiss to the top of his mop of soft hair, eliciting a warm chuckle from him.

"You got anything tomorrow?" his voice cut through the silence suddenly.

Shaking my head no, I just rubbed his arms as I held him tighter, "No. Nothing important."

"Then let's sleep out here, love."

#writer #imagine #jeon jungkook #jungkook #jeongguk #kim namjoon #kim namjun #rm #kim seokjin #jin #min yoongi #min yunki #suga #jung hoseok #jhope #park jimin #jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook x reader #jeon jungkook imagine #jeon jungkook oneshot #bts #army #bts v #jeon jungkook fluff #domestic #bts x reader #bts oneshot #bts imagine #kpop

[hoopdiddies]

I'm Not Over You // Ben Hardy x Reader (Part 10)

A/N: I am so sorry that I have not been on for a full week. The phone I had used to edit this in broke and I had to buy a new one plus this is the last chapter and apparently the longest, regardless of my recent claims of the previous ones being the longest lmao. I hope this won't disappoint, I couldn't think of a more consistent flow due to the days I've been without my phone to type some ideas in. I hope you guys will enjoy this last part anyway, and thank you so much for supporting this entire series! I have a new series in mind but it's a WIP. Thanks again for all the love! IMPORTANT NOTE: I WILL BE CUTTING A PART IN THIS CHAPTER AND PUTTING IT UNDER A PART 10.1 IMMEDIATELY AFTER I POST THIS FOR THE SAKE OF THE LIMIT. TAGS WILL BE MENTIONED IN THE COMMENTS

Summary for this part: A wedding brought you apart and it will be a wedding that will bring you back together.

Warnings: A good balance of fluff and angst, mention of injuries and alcohol and some long ass writing.

WC: A whopping 10k

Parts: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

You are painfully a feet away from the door and yet here you are, frozen after having turned 180 degrees only to stumble upon those eyes you had hoped to gaze into again. One swallow from you and you begin gliding along the tiled surface towards him, checking through every pad whether or not he's really awake.

After stopping at his side, you are now certain you're not anywhere close to dreaming. "Ben?" His name leaving your lips like an answered prayer. He's staring back at you with his left eye half-open – taking into account his current sensitivity to light– but with the same energy he exudes everytime you're together.

His chapped lips curl into a smile so slow yet so sweet at the same time; almost an upgrade to his classic 'Benny beam' which you had fun dubbing back in the days. "Y/N..."

And once again, you disrupt the orderly function of your tears and let them gush down, quickly but carefully wrapping your arms around him in bittersweet joy, exclaiming his name thrice into his hospital gown. "You...you bloody idiot! I thought you'd never wake up..."

Having just woken up from a coma, his voice comes out extra breathy and brittle but full of life, chuckling at how you're greeting him back into the conscious world. "Is that...is that how you welcome your best mate back?"

You shake your head ardently, sniffling against his chest and taking in the scent of mint. "Shut up. You frightened us!"

He really wakes up seconds before the clock strikes 'it's too late'. The convenience is hardly believable.

"I'm gonna call the doctor and tell him you're up." You act swiftly on your feet but a grip as strong as you least expected it to be hinders you from taking a step away and you turn around at Ben who's woven his fingers around yours. You give him a concerned yet quizzical look for it.

He sighs deeply, closing his logy eyes for a brief moment before opening them to you– gazing up at you meaningfully as he draws you close with the little, physical strength he has left. "You frightened me, rather."

"What... are you talking about?"

You won't admit it now but the way his fingers are currently snaked around yours could make your heart palpitate any second now.

His green eyes bore into yours effectively, suddenly invalidating your surroundings and making it seem like it's just you and him on the face of the entire planet.

He struggles to swallow before repeating. "You frightened me. You're still leaving..."

His voice crack as he said 'leaving' obliterates the fragments of what was once your soul, punching a gaping hole as a replacement. How is he able to remember your emotional outburst at the after party when he has just woken up and should at least forget a few details?

But then you realize you've been talking to him a lot as he was out of order.

You nod unfortunately, laying your hand on his which is still fondling your other one. His skin has warmed up a notch and that's a progress. You need to clarify this to him again since the last time you did, you both ended up in  disarray and in the middle of the road.

"I...I've already told you everything."

"I don't wanna- I don't wanna lose you."

"Ben..." You cut off as your hopeless gazes meet like lightning, his irises  darkening at the manner in which your eyes have transfixed on his.

"Please..."

Worried that his stable condition might shift due to the rising agitation he's showing, you sit beside him and bring his knuckles up to your lips, hearing the beeping of the heart monitor quicken which sounds incredibly alarming, an indication that his heart rate has elevated due to his induced stress.

You press your lips into his pale knuckles with your eyes thoroughly shut hoping to soothe him through it, tears trickling from your cheeks and onto the back of his hand as you choke on your words. "Ben...come on. You know I can't stay, you have to understand that."

He slowly shakes his head, biting his bottom lip as he grimaces at the bitterness, softly but agonizingly begging for you to reconsider. "You have to. Please, love. I need you to. I want you to."

Do the short term effects include stubbornness? Cause he's really determined to get you to stay no matter what. Joe must be tortured with waiting by now and at any given moment, he's bound to consider barging in.

You kind of hope he would. God, you should be out there notifying his attending physician about his regained consciousness and for goodness sake, Rosy ought to be here for this. She can't just wander out whenever she likes when her fiance's an injured man struggling to recover.

While keeping his trembling knuckles close to your lips, you move closer and question him, your voice downsizing to an unsteady whisper. "Why? Ben, I'm leaving primarily to pursue a career. Not just because of some heartbreak, this is a dream come true. I'm finally a stair close to reaching it. Why aren't you at least happy for me?"

"I am..."

"Then you have to let me go."

"It's not that easy..."

"Do you think it's any more easier for me? No! But this is what must be and you have to trust me on this," it's as if your heart is in your mouth from feeling so harrowed by all of this, but you have to make him see that this is the only way and that it is also important that you leave, "I'm sorry if I said some things that night that weren't exactly the way I felt. But I have to leave. You're getting married to Rosy soon, you know. Don't worry about me..."

He wishes he could just sit up with ease and cage you in his arms but all his incapacities at the moment are inhibiting him from doing so. Knowing he can't do anything about it emotionally deflates him.

He withdraws his hand a little and presses it to your flushed cheek, kneading your delicate skin as he shakes his head gently to prevent the dressing around his head from becoming less taut.

"I think I know well enough who I want to marry now..."

You can't distinguish what present beating has accelerated; the heart monitor's, your own heart, or at best both. But you're sure as hell his words weren't a product of your own imagination, your eyes drifting from one of his orbs to the other in a daze, looking for any sign that would prove that it's not you he's directed it at but it does otherwise.

"What are you saying?"

The skin of the front of his neck moves along as he swallows dryly to assure you the realness of his words, his thumb traveling up your face to wipe  the moist corner of your eye. "I'm a bloody wanker for taking so long to see...that you're the one who has always kept me grounded, who has always made me feel more like myself. Even as far as making me feel like I don't need all this fame to lead a good life, " his breath shortens between each sentence and your jaw goes slack as he exploits the atmosphere to continue, eyes buried deep into yours as if the space in between doesn't even matter anymore.

"I'm an idiot...for not realising sooner that it's always been you."

"Ben-"

"I love you too, Y/N L/N, more than the way I used to. How could I ever be happy without you? We promised neither of us is going anywhere, right? "

Definitely not in the context of mere friendship. For a moment, you make it your quest to find your voice to react and you do.

"You can't. You can't- I mean, what about Rosy? Surely your feelings for her wouldn't just go away like that-"

"It's been doused for so long with the ones for you growing," he's thumb is now gingerly stroking circles on your cheek, the green in his eyes gleaming, "that dance at the after party put me in my place and I asked you if you were still coming to my wedding because...it was my way of telling you how I felt at that moment."

Despite the idea coming off a little incoherent, you immediately get the bottom line. It would've been like coming to your own wedding. You study his gaze confusingly before coming to believe that he actually does love you back in the way you always have.

The words have been built up from the moment he whipped out his share of the polaroid and reestablished his promise as the way he felt towards you took a dramatic turn.

Yet no matter how badly you want to stay and finally work some things out with him, he's engaged and you're leaving in 45 minutes.

And what of Rosy? Hopefully Ben wouldn't think of just fragmenting her like that.

Your deafening silence puts Ben under a heap of worry as he painfully anticipates for your reaction. You shake your head at the unlikelihood of your present situations, bringing your eyes shut as you respond in the only way you can without any words needed to express how sorry you are and how much you've waited for him to say it.

Against your better judgement, you lean your body towards him and catch him off guard with the most bittersweet, goodbye kiss anyone could ever exercise on a moment's notice.

You can tell his positive response with how rapid the heart monitor pulses are becoming and how his lips have begun moving passionately against yours.

His eyes flutter shut in return, tangling his fingers in your hair as he dares to deepen the kiss, eager to feel every inch of your lips as he knows that you still won't be staying after this.

Wait for me to come home...

You pull away catching your breaths as you rest your forehead on his, his hand stroking the back of your hair for the little time you have left in your hands.

This feels so wrong yet so right at the same time. Howbeit strong the desire to stay put, you break away before the spark between either of you becomes magnetizing enough to change your mind.

"Please tell me where you're going...please." He pleads yet you refuse to tell him where you're headed to avoid a fuss, shaking your head apologetically with the space between you both increasing.

"I'm so sorry." You whisper, retreating quickly to the door as you ignore his broken pleas and just in time to be welcomed by the doctor, Rosy and some nurses who are here to conduct another assessment. Your pulse picks up at the sight of an uneasy Rosy along with an extra glimpse of a tuft of red and a head of blonde hair overtopping from behind her, eager to check up on whatever is occurring.

Joe and Lucy.

You clear your throat as you utter quickly to the doctor, unable to set your gaze steady. "He's awake." Your update stirs them to hasten on their steps inwards and you don't bother to stop to give Rosy a glance as she brushes by you, with you feeling the slightest, if not an immense amount of guilt for kissing her fiance– your best friend, who now has to make a troubling choice in choosing between you and her. Most importantly, you wouldn't dare to contend with Rosy over this, you'd rather let it happen naturally and see where it would lead but that's the least of your priorities.

You've whizzed a meter past Joe and Lucy but freeze in your spot at Joe's frail call of your name, your shoulders relaxing after a brief pause. "Y/N...how did- how did it go?"

You remain static in your spot, just wanting to leave the building and basically see past everything.

"Let's just go."

Of course he and Lucy half expected your last conversation to be balanced on a scale of nonchalant to vehement but it went off the boundary of vehemence. With one more look at the closed door, the two catch up with you on your way out with a plan on revisiting Ben on their way back from the airport.

You lengthen the sleeve of your sweater and dab your eyes with it, striding towards the car and slipping into passenger's seat gracefully with the two trailing from behind. Once they climb in after you, they begin bombarding you with questions you'd expect them to drop but being so exhausted from all of drama just lessens your likelihood of elaborating your answers. With a few questions dismissed, you ask Joe to just step on it and he complies sadly.

Lucy gives you a sympathetic, lopsided smile and however stagnant your expression is at the moment, you return the favor as the car accelerates on the road ahead.

You bother to give the distancing hospital one last look; giving him one last look.

At the same time the doctors are asking Ben some questions and performing a few physical tests on him, you make it to the airport with some time to spare. Joe and Lucy accompany you into the waiting area agreeing to stick around just until your flight number is announced.

Propping your luggage bag against a vacant seat next to the ones Joe and Lucy are seated on, you dig through your pocket and pull your phone out to check if there are any calls you've slept on. So far nothing of the sort but a dozen texts from friends and acquaintances wishing you the best on your flight to Spain, though you still have to return to London to collect your essentials.

Their words coax a small smile on your lips and after pressing the button to your home screen, the wallpaper brings a small tear to your eye– you and Ben with your arms wrapped around each other beaming goofily at the shutter of the camera.

In this instance, you begin wondering why photos and pictures

have become such a recurring emblem in your friendship. Joe and Lucy notice the sadness spring out of your eyes and cloud your features as you gaze one last time at your phone, and they instantly figure out what you were looking at. Lucy gets up and turns you around softly by the shoulder, prompting you to talk it out to them prior to leaving. If it unloads the stresses you're under then you agree to it, telling them what went on inside the room not too long ago.

Upon mentioning the bit where Ben confessed to you and was insistent on not letting you leave, Joe breathes out a firm, "I knew it" and Lucy shakes her head incredulously at Ben's 'perfect' timing but overall they're both glad he's opened his eyes– in a metaphorical and physical sense– to the person who has always been worthy of that spot in his life. As your conversation comes to a close, the announcement of the boarding of your flight number limits your bittersweet goodbyes however you do promise that you'll call them as soon as you touchdown.

"You better do well out there! Don't forget to call us every once in a while. Or everyday, damn it!" Joe calls out after blowing multiple kisses to you, he and Lucy bidding you an effective farewell.  You wave back at them with a reassuring grin before disappearing into the crowd of bustling passengers, huffing sadly underneath your breath as you trail your finger smoothly across your bottom lip– where Ben had left his precious, goodbye mark for you. Something you ought to hold on to dearly for the moments you'll be missing out on.

Many months later

During your first day in the University of Barcelona, you could've sworn it was all but a dream and at any given moment you could've awakened; but it wasn't. It was right before your eyes and you were standing upon the solid concrete that held those opportunities. In the first days you were but a foreigner; merely wandering around the campus with your textbooks in hand making your journey to the lab and cafeteria a noble quest. Like your life depended on finding your way through every twist and turn on a day to day basis, asking fellow students where particular rooms were as you struggled to maintain good eye contact.

It was an everyday uphill battle for everyone.

However things have improved immensely in the following months, you have gained new friends in most of your classes, developed a good sense of direction around the campus and you've scored solid 90's in your classes which you thought would be bumpy the first time but attainable anyway through nights spent with ounces of coffee, extensive reading and episodes of academic agony.

Despite the pressures in your first year, you still keep in touch with your friends and family back home, especially with Joe and Lucy to whom you had once swore to always call. They're glad to know you've been at your peak in the past few months plus they wouldn't stop making a fuss about how much they miss you and long to have some sort of reunion once you decide to go back for a break. They've been well too– Joe's planning on producing a new movie although he's not certain with the details yet, Gwilym has talked to you as well and he's thriving with new projects which you were quick to congratulate him on and Lucy - oh, darling Lucy- apparently Rami had taken her out of the country again and popped the question out of nowhere just two months after you left.

Of course, when she told you the news the hot brew you had nearly swallowed came spewing out of your mouth in surprise thereby catching the attention of the people you were with at that time. But that was out of happiness too, she's invited you to her wedding –a few months after breaking to you the news of her engagement– which is to take place two weeks from now, something you're unfortunately unsure of attending since you are steadfast on getting heaps of classwork done.

But you promised to update her if ever you found an opening on that week to squeeze in a flight.

"Aren't you coming with us? They're waiting downstairs and it's our only night off this week. " Ava, your roommate and closest friend among the others, asks as she slips on her cardigan, ready to leave for a night out. You've got a book propped up in front of you and you were just getting immersed in the lines you've taken your eyes off of. "Er, it's kind of a cold night out. You girls have fun anyway."

"You sure?"

You nod, flipping your pen in your fingers. "Just bring me home a smoothie while you're at it."

"Get your butt off the chair and do it yourself!" She whines as she throws a nearby ball of cotton at you and you giggle lightheartedly, wishing her and the girls good luck as she heads out, shutting the door behind her.

You're just relieved they can communicate fluently with you or you never would've gotten around the city easily. Just as you begin turning your attention back to your book, you suddenly lose the interest to continue and just close it for the night, picking your phone up and tossing yourself on the bed with a small jounce as you land.

You shift on your spot as you check through your messages, emails, some posts from friends and whatnot to pass the hour, eventually noticing a message from an unknown number sent just earlier today. Curiosity peaks in you and you don't think twice before clicking on it to read.

You've changed your number weeks prior anyway so it could be from someone you know whose phone number you haven't asked for yet.

Hey, Y/N.

I know this is out of the blue but it's been a while since I've heard from you and in all honesty I didn't even bother to contact you the first time out of the assumption that you might have busied yourself a lot and don't have the time to check your phone. But I've become so worried then that I had to decide to ask you how you're doing. How you're holding up wherever you are. If you're not overworking yourself since you tend to do that a lot. I know it's been months since we've last talked to each other but I just miss you. I miss seeing you, having those late night conversations that got you late in the morning for work, hanging out and your voice. I kind of want to call you but you might be occupied and I don't wanna be a bit of a bother.

I miss you so much, love. Every single day. I'm trying to distract myself with the new project I've taken but you're just impossible to sleep on. When will you ever be back?

Why does the tone of the message seem familiar?

You reread along the last lines and your heart comes to a stop at one word that gives away the possible identity of the sender.

The lingering silence in the room making it possible for you to hear the elevated throbbing of your heart. It's been a while since he's slipped into your mind and even until now, the love you have for him is still flourishing wholly. Even when you had your mind set on your studies, your heart unknowingly had some other priorities.

So has he called things off with Rosy because if he hasn't yet, the tone of the message wouldn't come off as sincere as this.

That's a question you don't need answered for the meantime however you wonder how he was able to text you when you've pretty much changed your number.

You hope he's fully recovered from that head trauma though it's been nearly a year since that happened. Your thumbs hover over the keyboard, thinking about replying.

Hey. Ben if this is you, it's great to hear from you again.

Your eyes dart to the send button, taking a brief pause before hitting it and discarding your phone to the side at least hoping he wouldn't respond immediately because then it would lead to a conversation that might just turn awkward.

Never have you had an awkward talk with him so it's something you wouldn't want to acquaint yourself with.

You grab your pillow and press your cheek against it in uncertainty.

"Don't even start...thinking about him." You mumble groggily into the pillow and lay flat on your back as you begin wallowing in your own doubt, your eyes becoming droopy at every second spent on staring at the pale ceiling with your right arm and leg thrown over the pillow like you're never gonna let it go.

You never even considered seeing someone else because deep down, you still hoped for him. Though you had exchanged some stares and 'interactive' words with a few guys in your classes, none of them ever came or would ever come close to Ben.

- - - - - - -

This week's lab work gave your brain a mild whiplash with all the hustling you were required to do.

Every morning, you either had breakfast or not and it all depended on how early you had to be there. Provided that you had to take off in the early hours, you had to skip a good  bite nearly every morning; plus you were all being assessed closely by your professor and so a downshifted movement was every bit as unacceptable.

At least now that you had just gotten off from your last period you can reward yourself with some good Mediterannean food that should be the ultimate dinner of your night.

You and Ava are seated around a table laughing and enjoying each other's companies with your plates and glasses half-filled with leftovers after a quick chow down, but your attention is quickly divided as a text from Lucy surfaces. She's asked you about your availability next week and you ought to re-check your schedule for it. Once again upon pressing your home screen button you can't help but let a longing smile take form on your lips at your wallpaper and with you being oblivious to Ava noticing, to your demise, she takes a sly peek at what you're looking at and disrupt your train of thought.

"Who's that?" Ava asks with a cheeky grin to which you quickly recoil with your phone held loosely in your hand.

"Nothi- no-one. "

As nosy as she is tenacious, she swiftly

snatches your phone from your weak grip and dares to unlock it, the  wallpaper of you and Ben making her swoon in delight. "Y/N, how on Earth did you get Ben Hardy to hold you for a photo like this?" Squealing like a schoolgirl, Ava grills you with an inquisitive look. You've never bothered to tell her or any of your new found friends anything about your friendship with him and so now she thinks you're a fan who merely got luck in her favour for a picture.

If only she knew.

"I don't know? How'd you know it's him?" You speak up your mind, a fleeting blush crawling its way to your face.

" Bohemian Rhapsody was a hit, of course. Queen rocks and I was all for it," she gesticulates as a matter of fact and winks playfully, "and later on we were all for the cutie who played Roger Taylor."

You try your very best not to let a single squeak of laughter escape your lips as she begins drooling over him. What are the chances of her finding out, right? You would tell her about it and have her meet him however your situation is too dire to act in. Come to think of it, you haven't received a reply to your reply to his message. He could be juggling a lot in his hands at the moment, perhaps.

"Cutie. Yeah, he's cute. But the guy seems clumsy enough to drop your heart." Here you are throwing a sportive shade all the way from Barcelona.

As if she's taken a fake offense at your comment, Ava overdoes a gasp. "Is that how you say thanks?"

You respond with a one-shoulder shrug, your voice neutral to keep yourself from giving away the screams of your heart. "I'm just saying. What are we doing next week by the way?"

"As I've been told by Mr. Gomez, the school will be hosting an array of meetings with the BOD and so we're given a time off."

You blink thrice at her. "Seriously? Like a week?"

She forks a tapa from her plate and bites down on it, nodding at you. "Three days max." So you don't have the entire week off, but that's great. Given that you had told Lucy you'd update her about your availability during that time and now that you have a few days to spare, you're conditioned to go. You quickly get up from your chair and excuse yourself from Ava, making your way to the terrace to dial Lucy who you hope is reachable at the meantime.

"Hello?"

"Lucy, hey!"

"Y/N, thank goodness you called!"

"About my weekly update?" You bite down on your lip in excitement, swinging your leg back and forth aimlessly.

"What about it?"

"I'm free next week."

- - - - - - -

"And cut! Okay everyone, lunch break. We're not cleaning up the rubble yet so we'll leave it there for the next scene." At the sound of the clapperboard slamming, all stunts have been ceased until the next roll and the main actors retreat individually to their own trailers, one of which is Ben who is walking back within beads of sweat dripping from his forehead as a result of a car stunt he had to perform on set. He's glad he can finally swing his left arm with unbridled ease after disposing of the sling just two months back although he's left with a few scars; the primary one on his forehead from the trauma he had.

A PA hands him a bottle of water and he thanks her for the save, cracking the lid off and chugging away. He waves at his fellow co-stars before entering his trailer and slipping out of his sweaty shirt, dumping it on the edge of the bed.

He places the bottle on a coffee table and swipes his phone from his drawer, being welcomed by a heap ton of messages, one days older than the next. He scratches his head at the result of his constant business; not being able to find time to reply thereby impregnating his inbox with miscellaneous messages.

Three from Lucy which he is 'obligated' to check first and foremost. Ben's lips twitch to an uneven smirk as he reads her messages, amused that he's been invited to her wedding, along with other people.

He replies with a simple yet sincere, "Thanks, I'll mark it on my calendar" before proceeding to put his phone down on the bed. He sighs, taking out his wallet from his drawer and opening it to pick out something, the dual polaroid he's folded in catching his eye and all of his attention; and for a moment, his heart stops.

He pulls it out from its slot and unfolds it, the tape used to stick it together  crinkled but still an effective adhesive. Without taking his eyes off of the polaroids, he plops down on the edge of the bed and wipes his forehead, hiding the ridiculous smile he now has on his face behind his hand. The memory still does things to him apparently and he has never let go since the day you kissed him goodbye. He can still feel the touch of your lips linger on his and admittedly, he traces his finger across the spot every time you cross his mind. The things you had said to him while he was unconscious ultimately stuck in his mind and he just longs to hear your voice once more. There are multiple times he forgets that you're not around to vent to or watch a good game of rugby with or do whatever you used to do together, no matter the trouble.

Generally speaking, he just yearns to be with you.

On a side note, he had long called things off with Rosy, exactly a day after he had awakened. Of course, she didn't take it easy but he knew damn well who he loved.

A heavy sigh leaves Ben's lips as he lowers his head at the frustration he feels for never owning up to his feelings.

She probably has some other guy in her life now. What are my chances? He thinks dryly to himself. "Hey, Ben? Break is over." The assistant director knocks on his trailer door and he tells him that he'll be out in a few. Tucking the polaroids back into his wallet, he snags the fresh shirt that's been laid out on the sofa across him and pulls it on, combing his blond hair back with his fingers before heading out to get the day done without realizing that he has skipped your reply.

With the days leading up to Rami and Lucy's wedding, they have never been more busier about any other event in their entire lives. They've decided on a beach wedding and to hold the reception there as well. Lucy has made you one of her bridesmaids yet you declined at first because that would mean you would have to fly in early for a practice down the aisle but she's assured you that practice wouldn't be necessary. She has taken care of the dresses and such and all you need to do is just fly down to California, again, to attend. Speaking of dresses, you bought her a little wedding gift yourself. It's something small but it's bound to suit her look.

You've told Ava about the wedding– excluding essential details like whose wedding it is specifically– and she's a little disheartened that you wouldn't be around to hang out with for the week but you've reassured her that you won't be long; considering you'll also be reviewing for upcoming tests.

"Okay, so it's a beach wedding? Drastic times call for some drastic measures, chica!" She exclaims and throw her arms up in the air, springing out of her bed and rummaging through her wardrobe as you throw what you can into one, just one luggage bag.

She pulls out a black two-piece bikini from the drawers and upon beholding it, you feel your eyes burn to a crisp. "There won't be any swimming, as far as I'm concerned."

"You'll never know. Just toss this in, it might come in handy." You swear you saw a mischievous glint in her eye as she said that. You press your lips into a tentative, hard line before surrendering,  grabbing the pair from her and stuffing it in the unreachable depths of your luggage.

"Happy?" She nods vigorously and you sigh in defeat, zipping your bag close.

The day came and the jet lag is still real. You've flown in a day prior,  exactly the day of Lucy's bridal shower and well, a literal bone crushing hug welcomed you on your way into the arrival area. She looked really fresh and bloomy before you arrived but afterwards, it was a messy head of hair and a waste of makeup, not to give it a stretch but it was. She's shed a few tears from how long you've been gone and you couldn't help but shed a few yourself, awfully missing her and the rest.

She's prepped a hotel for all her bridesmaids to stay in and you had some thoughts on how much she's spent but it's her wedding so who are you to question? As she helps you settle in your room, she pauses and brings you in for another big hug.

"Aww, Luce." You chuckle over her shoulder, rubbing her back.

She snaps her eyes shut and hums. "Oh Y/N, I've missed you. We all have. I know we call a lot even from a distance but it's been so long since we've last seen each other."

You sigh heavily, still holding her close.

"LAX. Yeah. It's only been a year but it feels like forever," you pull away deliberately, hands still firm on her shoulders with a heartfelt gaze, "Congratulations, Luce. You and Rami better make wonderful babies."

She smacks your arm lightly as an appropriate response to your little tease. "Shut it. Tell me everything."

"Everything?"

"Yeah," she planks down on the edge of the duvet and crosses her legs, leaning her body forward, "how's Spain? How's the school? The agony? Been seeing someone?" The last bit catches you by surprise; as if she's emphasized the question enough for it to be the main thing you have to answer. You disregard it for a few seconds until she brings it up again. You turn to give her an incredulous brow lift, something she returns with a curious grin. "Are you seeing anyone?"

In your mind, she should know that you've only ever had one guy in your heart but knowing Lucy, she just wants to hear you say it yourself .

You huff underneath your breath, planting your hands on your hips as you perpend on saying the following. "Spain is amazing. School is both heaven and hell. The agony exists in every divot, and no, I'm not seeing anyone."

"That's good."

You glance sideways awkwardly. "Okay? Is what good?"

"Everything, except the agony part, especially the last."

"I'm not seeing anyone?" You repeat and she nods with a blossoming smile. You don't say anything else since it's obvious that she's keen on letting you talk about Ben but today's not the day that you do. It's the day before her wedding and every present air particle should be all about her.

"Regardless, Miss Boynton. This week is all about you so," you alter your stance and skip to your luggage bag, unzipping one compartment and pulling out your wedding gift for her, "it's not much but I figured this looks better if it's on you." You hand her the palm-sized object and she lets out a little gasp at what you got her. It's a hair comb adorned with two, white roses and pale rhinestones that glimmer under the spilling light.

Something that would upgrade her sun-kissed beauty on a clear day. You try it on her and step back to picture her with the full ensemble as she walks down the sandy aisle tomorrow. "Good lord, look at you all grown up." You pretend to tear up and she tilts her head back in a burst of laughter, walking to you with welcoming arms and green eyes that are nearly brimming with tears.

"Oh I love it, Y/N! I knew something was missing in the outfit but you've completed it. It's perfect." She mumbles happily against your shoulder and her contentment tickles your insides.

"I'm glad you like it."

After giving you a look of what you'll be wearing tomorrow and a few, friendly  introductions to the rest of the bridesmaids, the bridal shower is where everything is at. Ranging from colorful streamers to champagne to cake strippers, the latter putting you under uneasy situations when you just wished to enjoy your drink and your own space. At the same hour you're enjoying yourselves, on the other side of town is where Rami and the boys are on full swing with his bachelor's party. It has the same vibe, only without the strippers and streamers and constant belly-aching movement.

You just pray none of you will be waking up with hangovers at the hour you'll be fixing yourselves.

And indeed none of you have.

You've all waken up like ladies but clumsily as the realization of the time nudges you out of your beds. Ceremony starts at 9 and you're 5 hours early to ensure that everything progresses smoothly.

It's a condensed hustle within your separate rooms; the pattern of getting ready ever so similar. Shower, makeup, hair, dress, and retouch; all done in complete unison. With all the bridesmaids, including yourself, conditioned outfit-wise, you all gather in Lucy's room to assist in psyching her up for the big day. Her mom's in too to witness every precious second of seeing her daughter fly off on her own.

She's still in her robe but her hair and makeup have been beautifully done by one of her makeup artist friends. She's about to step into her gown, a sight the girls are just dying to see.

"Alright, Lucy. Let me just zip up the back." Says one of the girls who has helped with her makeup as Lucy stands confidently but nervously in front of the mirror, scanning her reflection. You fold your hands together in anticipation, gasping as she turns around slowly with the skirt of the gown gracefully following her turning motion. Her radiance could put the sun's to complete shame.

"Well, say something, girls." She prompts with a chuckle and as expected, it is followed by the uproarious squeal of everyone in the room including yourself. Rami is guaranteed to have his gaze super-glued to Lucy the moment she reveals herself. After having a dozen compliments shower her, you and the rest of the girls retreat outside to give her and her mother a time to talk. As you lean against the door frame, you fish out your phone from your purse and check your messages; coming across your reply to Ben which hasn't received another one from him yet.

You wipe off the downhearted smirk on your expression as the girls' murmurs increase as Lucy steps out holding a bouquet of flowers with her mom on her arm and the edge of her gown lifted by two assistants. She turns her head to find you and crooks her finger at you upon seeing you inclined against the frame, letting you walk by her side.

You notice she's sporting the gift you've given her and the sentimentality makes you want to tear up but in doing so would ruin your makeup and so you decide to save it for the kiss.

You lean in close to her and whisper in a flat but playful tone, your words making her giggle. "Rami's totally getting it."

"I'm not the only one who's getting it today." She winks at you and leaves you questioning what she meant. She made it sound like it's something you have to find out for yourself later on. The weather is fine and not as humid as you thought; the ideal atmosphere to marry under. The bridesmaids are to ride in a separate vehicle that will follow up behind the one Lucy and her mom will be taking. To say that your ride with the the girls to the resort turned out fun and noisy is an understatement; you couldn't be any more conscious about smudging your makeup as you busted your guts laughing at your topics. The driver had given you weirded out looks but you know he was just trying to feign a laugh. By the time you arrive at the resort, a gust of wind from the seaside welcomes you out and nearly messes up your hair though you've put it up in an elegant bun with your tendrils hanging loosely from the sides of your head. You traverse closely behind the rest of the girls and find the venue nearly packed with attendees in their most sophisticated dresses and suits. The altar is set meters away from the shoreline and a red carpet has been rolled out to serve as the aisle between lines of pillars decorated with tropical flowers. A gentle music piece is being played by a violinist and a cellist situated on the left side of the altar with waiters serving some four-seasoned refreshments for the guests to enjoy as they wait.

With all these people around, you can't help but wonder if either Joe or Gwilym made it. You haven't contacted Joe about arriving, given that you wanted to surprise him with your arrival. You peer down at your wristwatch and it's only an hour before the ceremony starts. Rami's nowhere to be seen and you badly want to congratulate him on this, but either way, he's probably attending to some other people and so you put that chance on hold.

As you had wished for yourself to be void of any mishaps today, you bumping into a tall figure as you turn around to walk away deters that possibility and mortifies you for a moment.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry-" You quickly apologize but cease as a familiar face meets your lifting gaze.

"What- Y/N?!"

"J-Joe?!"

"Y/N!"

"Joe!" After shamelessly screaming each other's names, you put no thought into the action of jumping into his arms for a tight hug. He's crushing you in one anyway. "Oh my g- what- when did you arrive, you little sneak? " He exclaims and lets you go for a split second, careful not to ruin your satin outfit. "You're going to murder me for this but yesterday."

His brows furrow in disbelief as his mouth hangs agape. "How dare you not tell me? I mean, I knew Lucy would invite you but...actually how dare you both for not telling me." He whines in a joking manner and you respond with a quick shrug. "Surprise, surprise."

"You sure did and wow," his eyes travel up and down your outfit and you click your tongue at him as he does, pointing your finger to your eyes that are aimlessly roving around his suit in the same manner. "Hey Mazzello, eyes here."

"Hypocrite, eyes here." He mimics your action mockingly and you take eye-rolling to the next level.

"Damn it Joe, I've missed you."

"Missed you too. Been a year but it feels like a decade and you look beautiful, by the way, in that outfit as a bridesmaid." He places his hand on your upper back and leads you into the lounging area that is close to the pool but not far from the event area.

"You don't look so bad yourself for a groomsman. "

"How'd you guess?"

"This is Rami's wedding. I'd know."

You got an hour to talk before you take your positions anyway so catching up would be vital. You settle down on the sofa and fit your talk into the time limit, telling each other about what went on in your lives for the past few months. A lot of interesting stuff has happened to Joe and he's absolutely lively as he talks about it however yours hasn't been much, just adaptation to a new environment and the academic agony. Your talk takes an interesting turn as Joe asks you a question related to something you haven't thought about for a few days.

"Since you're pretty much still on the market, you ever think about...you know."

Your brows crease at him. "What?"

"You know," he lifts his shoulder in a half shrug, "Ben."

"Oh." Is the only thing you can say. The answer is pretty clear, you do think about him but not on a daily basis. He comes across your mind when you've drifted off into oblivion with your thoughts or when something that may remind you of him catches your eye.

"Sometimes I guess. But not as deep as I used to."

"I know you miss him, Y/N, and he misses you too. Believe me, he tells me everytime he calls."

You cast him a short gaze but look back at your fingers, a little comforted by the thought and it motivates you to ask. "Is he still with Rosy?"

Joe scoffs, mildly amused and wholly relieved at the contrary. "That's the good news. He's broken things off with her long ago. Just a day after he regained consciousness."

"Really?" You won't admit it but part of you feels bad for her.

"Yeah and I'm not spoiling you the rest," he rises from his spot on the sofa and reaches out for your hand, pulling you up gracefully. "The thing's about to start." He gestures to the chairs that are beginning to get occupied by the people as the priest arrives. You walk back out alongside him, leaning in to ask out of curiosity. "What do you mean you won't spoil me the rest?"

"You'll see, now go skedaddle to Lucy. She needs her crew." He pats your shoulder with a crooked smile on and you sigh inwardly, waving at him as you divert paths; with you headed to where the rest of the bridesmaids and the bride herself are gathered.

"Gwilym! You're just on time." Spotting Gwilym making his way to join Sami – Rami's brother– at the front row of chairs on the right wing as one of the groomsmen, Joe greets him with a brief hug and takes his place next to him. Sami greets the two men as well, exchanging some remarks before being joined by Ben who had been caught in traffic on his way. "Benny!"

"Ben!"

"Hey, you guys! Am I late? Did I miss the vows?" He asks with a hint of irony as he takes the spot between Gwil and Joe, shaking hands with Sami at the same time. Not a minute longer they are joined by the remaining groomsmen and Rami who has finally garnered up the physical strength to stand on the altar without breaking a sweat.

"You got this, mate. Just don't look down. Your boutonniere looks nice if I might add." Gwilym simultaneously advises and compliments an already nervous Rami hoping to appease him yet earns a quick yet teasing smack from Joe for making a small joke out of the situation. To show them that he's actually better on every possible level, Rami stands tall and rests his hands on his front to exude that confidence and excitement of being minutes away from watching his soon-to-be Mrs. Malek grace the aisle with her presence.

The guests simmer down with their chatters as the first ones who will be walking down the aisle take their positions. The musicians stop playing as they wait for the cue to initiate the main piece in accordance with the first walk.

Among the ones that will be walking before Lucy's big entrance is you and though you'll be joined by your fellow bridesmaids, it somehow just quakes your nerves, tightening your grip around the small bouquet of flowers you've been given as a prop.

You can't understand why you're feeling nervous; you're not the one that's getting married but you just don't know why. The musicians are given the cue and they begin playing a familiar song, something contemporary but heart-achingly romantic.

"You okay?" Asks a fellow bridesmaid and you nod, telling her that you're a bit anxious. She reassures you with a smile and it unknots your tension. The guests and attendees turn their heads towards the threshold of the aisle and the sponsors begin walking down first. Next are some of their relatives, then you– the bridesmaids. There are at least seven of you and you come in fifth. As you begin sauntering down the aisle, you feel relaxed yet piercing eyes trail your movement yet you beg to differ and keep your head up with a mellow smile on your face as you keep your eyes ahead, your unsteady gaze fleeting from the altar and to the groomsmen seated at the front row of the right wing.

Your eyes land on Joe and Gwilym who start giving you bright beams as they notice you in an instant. If you weren't trying to walk sophisticatedly with all these people staring, you would let out the loudest, most awkward giggle. It's nice to see Gwilym again though. Just as you begin turning your unwavering attention away, you take a subtle double take at a certain pair of eyes that has found you long before you found them. You are meters away from reaching your end of the aisle and yet it seems as if you've only started walking with how the music has turned up and how you're exchanging astonished yet longing gapes with Ben who knows he is seconds away from exploding with who he's finally seeing. You're here as a bridesmaid for Lucy and yet ridiculously, you feel like the bride.

Of course he's here. Of course he's one of the groomsmen. Of course Lucy and Joe wouldn't tell you. Of course this is the thing Joe didn't want to spoil about. Why didn't you think about any of this earlier? It would've saved you the shock regardless of it being so obvious.

You gather the strength to break away from the trance you've put yourself in and stand next to the girls, using up all the willpower in your body to avoid risking a peek at the groomsmen– at one groomsman rather. It's the same struggle for Ben who is every bit as stubborn as the next person and does the contrary, going as far as tilting his head to one side just to cop a longer view of you, an action Joe notices and slaps his hand for. Ben winces a bit and gives Joe a questioning look for two reasons.

"Save it." Joe whispers flatly and yet Ben dismisses it and feels his breath hitch in his throat as the sight of you appeases his worries yet makes his heart run a mile. With the ring bearers and flower girls at the edge of their walk, everyone rises up at the reveal of Lucy. The music slows down to fit the pace of her walk with her mother by her side, her eyes finding Rami's and establishing a home in them. You glance at both of them and feel your heart inflate at how strong their love for each other is, something that usually only exists in novels and fiction. Lucy's eyes well with joyful tears as she reaches the altar and her mother finally surrenders her hand to Rami.

It's too much.

With you being too distracted by the spark between Rami and Lucy, you overlook Ben's unbreakable gaze at you. The moment you grew a smile, it invalidated everything else surrounding him.

The priest requests everyone to finally sit down and witness the lifetime commitment blossom. Throughout the ceremony, you can't help but feel his eyes sear through you yet you stand your ground and fix your gaze at the happenings on the altar, briefly failing every once in a while by finding yourself looking back at him. The moment has come for them to exchange their vows and you listen intently at every word sincerely uttered by the two. There are parts in their vows that make the people giggle and tear up at the emotion put into every word expressed. It seems surreal to you that the moment Rami tells Lucy that he's never going anywhere, your gaze meets Ben's and it becomes undeniably bewitching, Rami's words acting as a call back to your promises. As the rings are exchanged and the "I do's" are said, the priest pronounces them husband and wife and you tear your focus away from Ben just in time for Rami and Lucy to share their first kiss as a married couple. Cheers and applauds fill the air and even more tears of joy are shed at the start of their lifetime bond. They both couldn't look any more blissful, with the pair of them giddily flaunting their rings with grins so radiant and bright it undermines the power of the sun upon them.

The cheers and excitement continue at the reception which, of course, is hosted at the very same place. After the ceremony– you, the girls and Lucy took off to the rooms you've booked in the resort for the meantime to change into the appropriate apparel to match the vibe of the venue and even the venue itself. Rami and the boys drove back to their respective hotels to change as well and it was a bit hard for the newly weds to go their separate ways for a few hours just to change clothes. Now that you've all rejoined for the reception, lively doesn't even begin to cut it. It's just like any other wedding reception and like any other wedding reception, it's upbeat, smooth and a little haywire on the egdes. After going through with dinner and a couple of toasts and remarks about the funny side of Rami and Lucy's relationship, the dance floor is open for business. At first glance, the girls take you for someone who is in need of a lot acquainting with the dance floor and they're right; because of that they haul you in themselves and you end up enjoying moving around to the music. You decide to refreshen yourself with a glass of iced tea before returning to your fun. One gulp is all takes to replenish the energy lost and you turn around to head back but freeze in your spot at the sight of Joe with his hand out, asking you for a dance.

"Seriously?" You're not surprised but your brows shoot up in question.

"It's my way of saying 'I need to talk to you'. "

"We can do that outside." You gesture to the vacant space yet Joe insists that he dances with you as you talk. You purse your lips together, letting him take your hand and he pulls you along with him almost too abruptly, eliciting a ticklish squeal from you.

"Don't do that!" You whine as you both settle among the multitude of dancing people. He lowers his head in laughter and twirls you under his arm, drawing you close afterwards. You rest one hand on his shoulder as he holds up the other. "Where's the fun in talking outside now, huh?"

"Alright," you grin ridiculously, spotting Rami and Lucy in each other's arms as they slow dance near the mini stage, looking and feeling at one with the other. "Hey, doesn't it just warm you?" You poke Joe and gesture to the  newlyweds. He peers over at them and hums in a heartwarming way. "Yeah. Man, it's like they're communicating with each other merely through their close-knit heartbeats."

"Speaking of communication," you clear your throat and give him a direct look, " what did you want to talk about?"

He snaps out from gauging at the two and leads you on a gentle sway as he swallows, increasing the volume of his voice just loud enough to cut through the music and for you to hear. "Right. About the thing during the ceremony," you immediately catch on to what he's trying to say and interrupt his next words.

"Okay, thanks for implying, but are you kidding me? Giving me stroke by hiding Ben's attendance?"

"It was for dramatic effect," your eyes flatten puzzlingly at his defense. "What was so dramatic in that besides the awkward... staring?" You know the truth and it really wasn't awkward; in fact it felt like time dilated between you both.

Joe ping-pongs his gaze from one end of the place to the other and back to you. "You paused after 'awkward'. You liked it." The smile on his face teasing you. He's really that sensitive to the nuance of your voice, making it easier for him to figure out how you actually feel about anything.

You evade his prying look and clear your throat, trying to keep up with the transition of the rhythmic music to a slow tune. "So what if I did?" You mumble intentionally.

"Nothing bad. Just Ben wouldn't stop fidgeting in his spot after seeing you. He was this," he makes small jerky movements with his upper body as to imitate Ben's inability to keep still during the ceremony, "antsy and I was this close to losing it."

You snort as you let an explosive laugh overcome you, recollecting yourself shortly as you are flattered by Joe's report. "I felt the same. It took every cell in my body to prevent myself from launching at him honestly."

"I'm glad we sat in separate tables or else neither of you would function like regular...human beings." The grin on Joe's face fades in the same manner as his last words, staring off at a figure approaching from behind you. He regains his voice in a matter of seconds, only with a sly twinkle in his eyes this time.

"You okay?" You ask him, slowly removing your hand from his chest and he nods vigorously, taking position to whirl you off but with a sneaky twist.

"I'm fine. Just... Gwilym wants to dance with you and he's right behind you so I'm going to spin you off to him, sound good?" He lifts your arm up and you shrug in agreement, going with what Joe's planning to do.

"Ally oop!" He twirls you around and releases your hand just in time for you to cling onto a firm frame, giggling at the rush you felt. "Hey Gwil! Good catch, that was a strong spin-" You take a hard pause the second you lift your eyes up with the expectation of meeting Gwilym's sapphire blues, greeting a pair of forest, green orbs instead and it becomes more than what you've bargained for. His veiny arms have caught you with ease and you're sinking, both literally and metaphorically, your arms awkwardly thrown over his shoulders for support.

He helps you regain your balance and smiles the smile you had craved to behold again, breathing out your name like he hasn't said it in a long time. "Y/N, hi."

You find your voice just in time to reply. "Ben...h-hi." He's looking quite good in an all white attire. His white dress shirt is tucked in and has three buttons undone, exposing a lot of his clavicle and a preview of his pecs and the way his white pants just hangs loosely around his legs– you've lost the proper words to describe the sight.

Joe, you crafty asshole.

#borhap #queen #ben hardy #ben hardy imagine #ben hardy x reader #borhap cast #borhap cast x reader #borhap imagine #ben hardy fanfic #imagine #fanfic

[beepbeeprichiellc]

#32 #20 or #19 for re die or s tengo rough plz :) i've really been blessed by your one shots:))) (plus dont't you dare give my a sad ending, I just want a fluffy life with angst and happy endings. I can't take another like the stenbrough fic)

#19 I think I'm in love with you, and that scares the crap out of me.... You are no fun, fine take your fluff!!

Bill stood beside his lanky friend and frowned, his stomachtwisting painfully at his interaction with the smaller boy. They spoke softlyto one another, gently tracing their fingers on any exposed skin. Although hewas ashamed to admit it, a swell of want began to build in his stomach. It wasn’tthat he craved either of their touches, because Richie and Eddie were meant forone another, but the feeling that crawled along his skin was intended foranother. Unfortunately that person had been avoiding him all week making theneed grow even stronger.

“Have either of you seen Stan?” He asked, looking over tothe conjoined couple. They shook their heads, and Bill couldn’t help but sigh. “Ofcourse you haven’t.”

“What’s going on with you two?” Richie asked, practically peelinghimself from his boyfriend. “You two are usually attached at the hip.”

“I think I fucked up.” He replied, thankful that he couldcontrol his stutter, knowing that it signaled stress and anxiety. “I don’tthink he wants to be my friend anymore.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Eddie retorted, “You two are bestfriends, what in the hell could have happened to stop that?”

“I kissed him.” Bill admitted, closing his eyes in shame. “W-wewere at my house and I don’t know, i-it kindof just happened.”

“Was it like a friendly kiss? Was there tongue?” Richieasked, almost immediately followed by a strong smack to the shoulder by hispartner. “Ouch-what? It’s a valid question!”

Eddie rolled his eyes, pushing the lanky boy to the side andtaking the space beside his friend. “Well what did he do? How did he respond?”

“He d-didn’t, that’s the problem.” Bill explained, lookingat his feet. “He j-just left, bolted and I h-haven’t seen him since.”

There was no response after that and Bill didn’t need tolook at his friends to know that they were talking in their weird telepathicthing that they shared. It drove the Losers nuts but in a time like this, it provedhandy.  “Look.” Eddie muttered under hisbreath. “I know that this doesn’t mean anything, and take it how you want butwhen Richie made the first move, I freaked out too.”

“W-why?”

The small boy looked up to his boyfriend who only smiled. “Iwasn’t out yet, and when Richie kissed me I felt all kinds of things that Inever thought I would be able to feel for someone, let alone another boy. Youare so sure of your sexuality, but what if Stan isn’t?”

“I j-just don’t understand, w-why won’t he t-talk to methen?”

“Maybe he doesn’t know how.”

Bill could feel his face scrunch, his brows creating a neatcrease in his forehead. “I never thought of it that way.” He whispered, meetinghis friend’s gazes. “W-what do I do now?”

“Well, I told Stan I wouldn’t tell anyone, so I definitelydidn’t tell you this,” The trashmouth murmured, pulling his lover close. “But hehas been sneaking out early through the large gym. If you leave now you probablycould catch him.”

“Thanks g-guys!” Bill yelled over his shoulder as his feetcarried him down the hall. “I o-owe you one!” If they answered, it fell on deafears because in a few minutes he was already near his destination, burstinginto the gym just in time to see a curly haired boy make his way through theback door. Stan didn’t take notice to him, allowing the door to close behindhim.

Bill exited quickly, taking his friend by surprise. “W-Waitup Stan.” He breathed, the cold autumn air cooling down his heated face. “In-need to talk to y-you.”

Stan snorted, shaking his head and continuing down his path.“Richie couldn’t keep his mouth shut huh? Damn him.”

“Its n-not his f-fault.” He replied quickly, “He was j-justtrying to h-help.”

“I don’t want to talk.”

“T-Then I’ll do the t-talking.” Bill nearly growled,grabbing hold of his friends shoulder and spinning him around to face him. Stanblurted a form of protest as well as a slew of curse words but they wentignored, “I’m s-sorry if I f-freaked you o-out the other day, that wasn’t m-myintention.”

Stan didn’t respond, only looking at the space between them.Bill fought back a whine choosing to continue. “If you d-don’t have f-feelingsfor me then o-okay. I u-understand, but please d-don’t cut me off. T-that’s notfair Stan.”

“You just don’t get it do you?”

“No.” Bill replied, ignoring the bite to his friends tone. “Ig-guess I don’t, please e-explain.”

He shook his head, putting more space between them. “It’snot that I didn’t feel something when we kissed, god it’d be easier if I didn’t.Then all of this fucking shit that I’m fighting would have never happened andwe could just be friends again.”

“W-What are you s-saying?”

“I’m saying-“ He paused, whipping away the tears that had begunto stain his face. There was a pathetic sniffle before he continued. “I thinkI’m in love with you, and that scares the crap out of me”

There wasn’t another second that passed before Bill did the boldestmove he could think of, pulling Stan to him and planting a strong kiss to hislips. The other boy stiffened in surprise before melting into his touch, tearsstill carving valleys on his cheek. When they pulled away Bill gently tracedhis reddened expression, wiping away the water with his thumb. “I’m s-scaredtoo.” The taller boy confessed, clutching onto Stan’s jacket. “B-But we c-canfigure this o-out together.”

Stan replied with another kiss.