#“not like we’re friends or anything” yeah I’m sure Mike Crew gives out his home address to whoever asks for it | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs | Tumgik (2025)

Jude Perry is so funny bc she talks about Mike Crew like “I know a guy….but it’s not like we’re on good terms or anything…he’s more like you (loser who sucks) than me (cool as fuck).” But then she just casually knows Mike’s home address. Really, Jude, how are you going to be a stockbroker AND a damn tsundere about your friends? Pick a fucking struggle you Patrick Bateman ass wax sculpture of a woman

28 notes · View notes

12. Granny Out of Control a.k.a. headless chickens, Gene Simmons’ girlfriend and Rapunzel

In the previous chapters: Judy and Stone act after their embarrassing encounter in the shower as if it hadn’t even happened; they implicitly agree on not telling Mike that his one-night stand was just the consequence of Judy’s revenge-fueled rumors about Stone’s sexual preferences. Ed loses his voice so the show has to be canceled, Jeff offers to give guitar lessons to Judy instead in his spare time. Granny buys a metal magazine to learn more about Seattle-based rock bands; the picture of Pearl Jam makes her think the perfect match for Judy isn’t Jeff but Stone. Krisha picks Effie up in the city to tell her that Kelly Curtis and Susan Silver have plans with her as a photographer; she also gives her the list of codenames the band and crew members use at hotels. Effie also joins her when she feeds Stone’s unsociable cat, Red who is incompatible with all girls who try to approach him.

„I don’t know, man… Are you sure you saw them?”

“Don’t piss me off, Schmitty, of course I’m sure. I know whom and what I saw.” I mumble as I put the flashlight back between my teeth. I can’t believe I’m doing this. Not only makes he me do this stupid act, he even drives me crazy with this weak-minded questioning in the meantime. The guy obviously watches too much TV. Especially detective shows about drug cartels.

“But let’s go over it again. Maybe you were wrong or misunderstood the situation or…”

I sigh, and take the flashlight out of my mouth only to direct the blinding ray of light in his face.

“Okay, but this is the last time. And I’m only willing to tell it again because I have nothing better to do and because technically, I can’t do anything else until we finish this. Open the bag and hold it.”

“Yes sir... so you went having a shower…”

“Not that it matters if I went showering or shitting but yes, I went to the restroom.”

“And you opened the door…” he goes on with the storytelling like a small child who already knows his favorite bedtime story by heart.

“And there were they, standing at the sinks…”

“Stop. Are you sure it was them?”

“Of course I am, I could recognize Judy and Stone from miles!”

“Are you 100 % sure?”

“No, I’m only 99 % sure because there’s a very small chance that they both have doppelgangers right in this town but let’s say I’m very likely to have seen them.” I confirm while I start portioning the green leaves into the plastic bag Schmitty is holding.

“And they were…”

“…basically naked.”

“Basically?” he asks like he’d never heard the word before.

“Yes, basically.”

“How do you mean “basically”?”

“What? I’m fucking around here with sharing my weed with you and you’re already high? Unbelievable…”

“No-no-no, seriously, man, you didn’t say “naked”, you said “basically naked”. Define the difference. It’s important.” he flails fussily.

“Stop shaking the bag, it’s difficult enough to do this only with one hand. So, uh, they weren’t completely naked, they both were wearing a towel…”

“The same towel or…?”

“Hah, interesting idea, but no, they both had their own towel on. But I assume none of them was wearing any underwear…”

“That’d be normal, I mean, after showering… but that’s the weakest point in your theory, them having a shower at the same time… it sounds so unreal.”

“Yeah, I thought the same until I found the only logical reason.”

“What? That you only dreamed the whole thing? Or that it was just an intense trip due to the shrooms Mike gave you?”

“I know it sounds unbelievable but at this point, I’m pretty much convinced they did it on purpose.” I close the bag and throw it at Schmitty who hides it immediately in the inner pocket of his jacket and pats himself on the chest satisfied.

“Thanks. But I can’t follow your thinking, Scully. Why’d they secretly meet in the shower?”

“I don’t want to shock you but… I think they had sex right before. I almost entered but then I glanced them and they were almost naked, both giggling and Judy was groping Stone and… I backed out, I was so surprised, I didn’t even know what to do…”

“But they hate each other.” Schmitty protests shaking his head.

“And? Since when can’t people who hate each other have sex with each other?”

“Man, this is too much to me, Stone has Amber at home, Judy is like a nun, they can’t stand each other so obviously, they have sex??? Bullshit, that’s all I can say. I don’t know what you saw but it definitely couldn’t be a post-coital scene.”

“Look, I don’t understand the exact reasons either but…”

“I’ve always been told that as soon as we start touring, girls will try to drag me in the tour bus all the time but I imagined it somehow different…”

We both freeze at the hearing of Stone’s smug giggling and our surprise only grows when we recognize the voice that belongs to his companion.

“Sorry for ruining your wet rock star dreams but it’s impossible here to talk to someone face-to-face, even the walls have ears in this crew.”

Schmitty and I exchange a meaningful look and to his nod, I turn the flashlight on the lowest level. Walls might not have ears here but this bunk bed curtain we’re hiding behind definitely does. Even four, to be exact.

“So what’s the purpose of this conspired, hyper-secret meeting, Camden? I’m hungry so let’s get over with this as fast as possible!”

Hungry, yeah, I can imagine. So you prefer quickies, Stoney?

“I just wanted to talk about yesterday.”

Schmitty stares at me with popped eyes, even his jaws drop of shock.

“Ha. So you were thinking about it?”

“Yes but not the way you think. I’m not gonna tell you tirades about how much I regretted it or stuff because I didn’t. I only want to ask if you talked to Scully about it?”

Schmitty grabs my forearm, digging his nails into it, his other hand is shaking uncontrollably.

“No and I don’t know why I should force it, I mean it happened, it’s embarrassing enough for both of us so let’s draw a veil over it.”

“It’s embarrassing for both of us? Do you really think I give a damn about that? I mean, okay, I lost control, which doesn’t happens really often to me but who cares, I can handle the consequences. You feeling embarrassed, now that’s the last thing I care about. But have you already thought about the feelings of your friend at least for one single second?”

We both furrow our eyebrows and her words probably found their marks since Stone doesn’t answer, which makes Judy go on with the pep talk.

“Okay, neither of us is going to say a word since we both have selfish interest in keeping it in secret but if Scully shoots his mouth off and he finds out about what happened… just think into it, it’d ruin his self-esteem. I mean, it’s inevitable that it turns out later but the best strategy is discretion. Now, it’d be too fresh for him, let’s wait until he forgets about this little… intermezzo.”

Schmitty covers his still opened mouth in complete horror and even I start feeling uncomfortable now that my intuition is basically confirmed.

“So, would you finally promise to talk to Scully?”

“Dunno… I’ll consider it.”

“Jesus Christ, Gossard, would it hurt not to piss me off once in a lifetime?”

“To answer your question, yes, it would but this time it’s not about you, Miss Fussy. I was just thinking that we should let it slide since after all, it’s not as a big deal as you think.”

You fuck her and then try to ditch her? Come on Stone, I thought you were better than this.

“I mean, you make such a fuss but I don’t think Scully would let it slip, he’s probably already forgotten about the whole scene. And if I came up with it, he’d just start overthinking it; when he knows he has to shut his mouth, he becomes gossipy all the more.”

Ha, thanks Stoney but just for the record, I don’t gossip, I just process things by discussing them with other people, see also at “coping mechanisms”…

“It’s you who’s overthinking it. Just stop protesting and do what I ask you. I even use the word “please”.”

“Fuck, okay, I’ll see what I can do, just leave me finally alone with this. Can I ask you something too?”

“It depends…”

“Could we stay here for ten… fifteen minutes? You know, it’s about my reputation…”

“Fuck off, Gossard!!!”

We both exhale with a deep sigh when we hear them leaving the bus.

“Holy. Shit.”

“Holy. Fucking. Shit. Dude, you were right!”

“Of course I was right, I always am, you just never believe me.“

“But… damn… I didn’t see that coming… Gahhh.” Schmitty facepalms, rubbing his forehead worried.

“I’m surprised, though, I thought they didn’t notice me.”

“Apparently, they did. Jesus, I doubt there’s something serious between them but now that I heard it with my own ears, it all makes sense! They hook up, they are both embarrassed since they are enemies, plus the Amber-factor… and poor Jeff, he has a massive crush on Judy and she knows it, maybe she tries to have two irons in the fire… So she convinced him to keep the fling in secret not to ruin her chances at Jeff… She looks so innocent and now she turns out to be an actual snake… Do you think Karrie knows about it?” he jabbers staring desperately in front of himself.

“Whoa, stop, dude, are you insane? She’s not a bitch, they just made a mistake and she freaked out. Her worrying about Jeff sounded genuine, after all, Stone is no perspective for her, he’s got that… he’s got Amber, whatever she is for him. And I don’t think Karrie knows anything, even if she does, she’ll pretend she doesn’t.”

“But this changes everything! Jeff is our friend too and I don’t want to lie to him.”

“Trust me, he’ll never ask “And tell me Schmitty, have Judy and Stone had sex?”, so you don’t have to.”

“You’re making fun of me but you know too how dangerous information these are so you’d better have a good idea what are we going to do know.”

“I’ll tell you, Schmitty: we’re gonna act casual. Just watch me.”

***

„There’s no chance I could reach that string. Just… no. I don’t have that muscle, I’m done.” I moan as I desperately try to stretch my pinky finger to play the next chord following Jeff’s instructions.

“Hey, relax, just reach a bit further, you’ve almost got it.” he chuckles and makes an insecure move to help me out but he changes his mind in the last moment and pretends he only wanted to scratch his arm. And I pretend not to have noticed it.

“No, it’s impossible, I can’t twist my wrist that much. I don’t have freakishly long fingers like Stone, it’s enough.” I give up and put the guitar aside. We’ve been practicing for like one hour, I played him my still rudimentary sounding song idea, of course without telling him what exactly it was. He improvised a bass line to it on his acoustic bass guitar, his fingers are still running back and forth over the strings despite the fact I stopped playing. When I was a kid, Grandpa would tell me that if you cut the head of a chicken, it can still run around for a few seconds before collapsing, maybe it’s a similar phenomenon. Or maybe it’s like when a freight train hits a car and it pushes the vehicle in front of itself for miles before stopping. Headless chickens and train wrecks, why am I thinking about stuff like these while hanging out with a nice guy?

“I’m sure you can do it if you practice it. Look, my fingers aren’t long either.” he raises his palm. Is he expecting me to measure mine to his by placing them together? Could we rather just draw them around and compare the drawings like small children? Okay, he’s got strong, manly hands, that’s not bad at all. But how can he stuff those thick fingers between the strings? And those jewelries, God, they are terrible. Would he mind if I asked him to put them off?

“No, I can’t. I’m not good at these moves, I’ve already tried to play the violin, it didn’t go well. It went awful.” I protest, rather to overtalk my racing thoughts than to argue with him. I hope he’s not going to ask me about the details, I don’t feel like telling him that story at all.

“Okay, it was you who asked me for help, so…” he shrugs with a half smile, his fingers are still nerve-wrackingly torturing the instrument.

“Actually it was you who offered to help so…”

“Fair enough. I don’t want to force it so… if you want to finish all your future performances by saying “sorry, now comes the chord which is incompatible with my wrist so go the fuck home” – then okay, I don’t care.” he puts down the guitar. I try to decode the expression on his face, is he disappointed or just casual or…?

“How do you do that?” I ask quickly, I can’t bear that look.

“What?”

“This… everything…” I flail helplessly.

“I don’t know… I think I got bored with doing nothing and wanted to try something new and I realized I could do everything instead of nothing.” he leans back with a challenging smirk.

“Geez, you spend too much time with Stone.” I roll my eyes. “I mean… I played you something and you immediately knew what to do with it. Your head is full of ideas and variations, can you hear the harmonies instinctively or…?”

“I don’t know… when I hear a melody, I start hearing the other parts in my head… but sometimes I just mess around and try different things to check if they can work as a song or as an idea that I can use later. I try to keep my ears fresh, I fight against crafting only bass lines in my head, that’s why I pick up the guitar from time to time. You know, if a bass player never leaves his comfort zone, after a while, he’ll tend to operate only with the same five or five notes, it’s like a tunnel vision… or tunnel hearing…” he ends his explanation with a shrug and a lopsided smile, as far as I’ve observed, he does that pretty often.

“That’s amazing… I envy you so much. I’ve been studying and playing music for as long as I can remember but I’ve never felt that… sense of liberty? I practiced my ass off, I learned everything I could, at Juilliard, we basically dissected classical musical pieces into single notes and… I developed some weird perfectionism in the meantime, I know how good music is supposed to be composed but… I myself just can’t do it. I was so busy with studying other people’s works that I couldn’t develop the ability to create something, it’s like… my knowledge paralyzed my creativity… Or that’s just what I keep telling myself because I1m not willing to accept the fact that writing music is a gift you can’t just earn by practicing and learning…”

“Maybe you’re right.” he shrugs again and his reaction somehow hits me hard; I don’t know why, though. “I think I’ve already mentioned you that I took piano lessons but I hated it. I found literally nothing intriguing in it, it was boring, I’ve never been into Beethoven or some shit like that.”

“What?” I frown. I didn’t expect him to like the same things I do but… could he just show at least a little interest in what I like? I even talked about art and skateboarding with him. Okay, he doesn’t owe me anything, we’re not dating and all but if he ever wants something from me… okay, he probably doesn’t, it was obviously just a stupid gossip.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to trash your music, it’s just not for me, I appreciate it but I don’t like it. I’m just a Montanan jerk, did you forget?”

“You’re not a jerk, don’t say that… I’m just… nothing, forget it.”

“No, if you want to say something, don’t swallow it. Did I hurt you?”

“You didn’t… I’ve just spent my entire life playing classical music so I can’t imagine how someone is able not to like it at all.”

“Same here with sports.”

“God, I hate sports!” I exclaim and I immediately begin to laugh realizing I’m not better than him either.

“You see? But speaking of your music studies, there’s one thing I’ve always wanted to ask.”

“No.”

“No what? Am I not allowed to ask the question?”

“No is the answer to the question.”

“But I haven’t even…”

“Trust me, it’s no.”

“If you say so…”

“I’m just kidding. Most people attack me when they learn I’m a musician asking if I’d sing or play something for them, it’s so annoying, it’s like the “grunge question’ of classical musicians…”

“Okay, I get it.” he smiles. “But that’s not what I was about to ask.”

“Thank God. So, I guess you don’t want me to teach you reading sheet music either, because that’s usually the second question, which is usually asked by people with no musical hearing at all...”

“No, it’s more of a… personal one.” he hesitates squinting at me for the final permission.

“Hit me.”

“Why are you here?”

“Here? Like, here and now, with you or…?”

“No, I mean, why are you here, with the band? You graduated from one of the most prestigious music schools on Earth, you could conduct top choirs or whatever… and you’re here, loading our shitty van every single night, smelling sweat and cigarette smoke, spending days in a tour bus with beer drinking ugly dudes… Why? I guess Juilliard graduates can pick whatever job offer they want so...”

“I’m here for the money.” I answer without thinking and it immediately sounds false. Am I? Really? “I came here for the money, I don’t deny it, I had no job and however terrified I was, something told me I had to take this opportunity.”

“But… as a classical musician trained at Juilliard… why this job? I just can’t get it.”

“Well… I’ve known for a very long time that the music of baroque era is in which I’m the most interested. It’s, you know, a passion to me, it’s like punk was to you. And if you want to be really good at it, you have to go to the place where it comes from. Here in the States, you can basically hear nothing that was written before Mozart.”

“Europe?”

“Exactly. So in my senior year, I applied for a scholarship of the music academy in Leipzig.”

“And…?”

“And I won it.”

“So you studied in Europe too?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Why?”

“Because my father died a few months before I graduated and the small firm he ran died with him… it was a very complicated period so I asked the academy if I could postpone it by one year.”

He’s chewing his lower lip and speaks up only after digesting for a few seconds what he’s just heard.

“And they refused your application?”

“No, they sent me a kind acceptation letter in which they cited their scholarship regulation that said postponement is allowed once. So I moved back to Seattle and started teaching.”

“Oh. I guess something came up one year later too.”

“Well yeah, my sister’s almost dying, that came up.”

He exhales with a deep sigh, I have the feeling he already knew all the details, he just couldn’t do the math. Maybe Karrie told him our family saga. I don’t mind, though, I don’t feel like telling him those stories either…

“Well, that’s a lot… but it also sounds like… you gave up your dreams.”

Now it’s me who can’t do anything else but shrug.

“Maybe… or maybe, it was just a warning from the universe. I’m not religious but I do believe that everything happens with a reason, maybe you can’t find it out ever because it’s something bigger than you or your shitty little life. My family needed me and they still do, or at least they need my two hands I can make money with so… plus, I’ve always been terrified of performing. I have worst stage fright, I doubt I would be able to conduct in the spotlight of the world’s biggest concert halls… anyways… have you ever heard about famous, female conductors?”

“Normally, I’d say you’re a coward and you should follow your dreams but I understand the family factor, of course. And I don’t want to act like a hypocrite either, I could have looked for another graphic design program too when mine was canceled in Missula.”

“But changed your dream instead.”

“Exactly. And maybe that’s what you should do too if universe or God or Buddha or the spirit of Johann Sebastian Bach is trying to message you that you picked the wrong dream.”

“Are you trying to say I should switch my brain to believe loading shitty vans and smelling Scully’s and Schmitty’s stinky feet is my real dream?” I giggle.

“If that’s your way, than go for it, girl!” he plays the overly enthusiastic motivational trainer. We crack up but none of us is laughing heartfelt. His face finds finally rest in a genuine, encouraging smile. “Let’s raise our glasses to the new dreams!”

We both reach our hands to clink our imaginary glasses.

“To the new dreams!”

***

I’ve been on the road with them for days and nothing. Not a single move or a sound that’d confirm we’re following the right traces. And I’m thirsty. So thirsty. But they are so envious, I know they are hiding spare water in their stupid spacesuits or what but they claim they have nothing to share. Sure. I would never drink recycled pee, anyway. But those two moons look pretty cool, the night sky compensates me for every inconvenience I’ve experienced since we started chasing that gross sandworm… everything for the melange…

However important my mission is, it gets interrupted by three quick, impatient knocks on the door.

“You’ve been shitting in there for forty-two minutes! I know you’ve finished and you’re just reading! I have to pee! Get the fuck out of there! Why do you have to do this all the time?”

Maybe because this is the only place where I can have some progress with my current reading undisturbed? I reluctantly close the hardcover volume of Frank Herbert’s Dune and glance lazily at my wristwatch.

“First of all, it’s been only forty minutes. Second, it’s shorter than a blink of an eye, if you measure it in cosmic time. Not even applicable.”

“Okay, I can use astronomical metaphors too. My bladder is a red giant that is about to explode so…”

“I’m coming, I’m coming, geez, urinary incontinence? You should see a urologist.” I remark opening the door. He basically tosses me out of is his way and almost slams it on my nose.

“It’s rather you who should see a doctor, fuck, Stone, what did you eat? Uuugh, I’m dying.” I hear his muffled indignation.

I lie down on my bed and stuff the pillow under my nape. I turn the pages back and forth for a few times until find the place where I was before Mike kicked me out. So, back to those goddamn pervert Fremen fuckers…

I barely manage to read a few lines, when Mike comes back and throws himself on his bed, unmuting the TV that is showing underdressed ladies caressing their own body and telling their erotic fantasies in seductive voice. I clear my throat. No reaction. I do it again, this time longer and louder. Nothing.

“Sorry, am I bothering?” I ask sharply but our guitarist seems to be completely immersed in the curves. “Okay, busted. I know you only went to the toilet to jerk off. You only watch Playboy TV and noname porn channels, you really need to get laid.”

“Done, last night. Remember?” he answers slowly and mindlessly, his eyes are still glued to the screen.

“No, because I wasn’t there, thank God.”

“You’re just envious because you have to practice celibacy, otherwise Amber would cut your balls off.”

I squint at the girls over my book.

“Not that I feel tempted. Jesus, I’m sick of these… udders…”

“Hey, watch your mouth! Those ladies deserve more respect! Especially her!” he points at the blonde, blue-eyed, busty woman on the screen who is dropping her lingerie standing at a bath tub.

“Why, who is she?” I look back at the text in front of me, not that I understand a word of it. Since I receive no answer I turn my head towards Mike only to see he sat up in the meantime and stares at me offended. “What? I have no idea.”

“That’s Shannon Tweed!!!” he flails outraged.

“… who is…?”

“Who is a goddess, Playmate of the Year in 1982 and last but not least, the girlfriend of Gene Simmons!”

“Oh. So she’s old as dirt.” I summarize laconically.

“Stone, what’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with her? What’s wrong with big boobs? I thought you liked them… I mean, you are the guy who’s entitled to do anything with Seattle’s most spectacular pair of bosoms so…”

“Hey, you’re talking about my girlfriend!” I grunt.

“I’m talking about your girlfriend’s tits!”

“Exactly, that’s it! Don’t talk about my girlfriend’s tits! Anyway, how do you know what they look like?”

“Hey, first, I’m only talking about them. It’s called freedom of speech, First Amendment…”

“What the fuck, parts of the Constitution are printed now on beer tags or did I miss something?”

“…second, it is very difficult not to know what they look like, they basically poke your eyes out!”

“Only talking, ‘course.”

“Certain female anatomical features attract men’s eyes, it’s in our genetic code. Don’t even try to make me believe those features had nothing to do with you ending up with her. Wait!” he exclaims with a finger snapping. “Oh, I get it already. You miss her! That’s why you can’t stand the playmates on TV! But you could have said, it’s not a shame…”

“Dr. ‘Cready, expert of constitutional law and anatomy, psychotherapist. I’ve just said I don’t feel tempted…”

“Because those boobs” he points at the screen “are forbidden fruit and remind you of those boobs in Seattle.”

“You’re pointing in the wrong direction, Michael. You’re pointing at boobs in Indiana.”

“Whatever. You miss her, admit it. My boobies are over the ocean, my boobies are over the sea…”

“Stop!”

“My boobies are over the ocean so bring back my boobies to me…”

“Shut the fuck up!”

“BRING BAAACK, BRING BAAACK, BRING BACK MY BOOBIES TO ME, TO MEEEE!”

“I’m only saying that even huge breasts can be boring after a while.” I overshout his off-key singing.

Mike suddenly stops singing and just blinks at me completely frozen.

“You mean… you want to leave Amber?”

“Jesus, what did I do to deserve this?” I bury my face in my hands. “I mean… imagine your favorite food!”

“But that’s… risotto…?”

“Perfect!”

“But risotto doesn’t look like boobs!”

“Jesus, of course not, just imagine it!”

“Okay. Mmmh, it looks delicious. I can even feel its smell.” he moans with closed eyes.

“So you want to eat risotto now, right?”

“Oh yeah, I want it more than anything.”

“And if you could… or had to eat risotto every single day, would you feel the same?”

“Uhm, probably… not.” he opens his eyes.

“And here we are. If you’re in the position where you can play with huge breasts every day, it’s not such a big deal anymore.”

“Hm, makes sense…” he lies back. “But wait!” he sits up quickly again.

“What?”

“In that case, risotto wouldn’t be my favorite food anymore.”

“Yeah, probably…”

Congrats Sherlock. I drop my book on the nightstand, by now, I basically gave up all hope for finishing the chapter I was reading.

“But that means that you prefer small boobs now!”

“I didn’t say that but obviously, smaller tits have their appeal too. And there are girls who would look ridiculous with big breasts.”

My mind begins to wander involuntarily… Yeah, Amber is a bombshell and she drives me crazy whenever she’s around but I’ve always had a thing for more fragile looking girls…

“Who are you thinking about?” Mike asks greedily like a curious puppy.

“Jesus, no one.” I scoff frowning. “I mean, very slim girls look better with… proportionate breasts, you know, like small apples…”

I catch myself cupping my hands, what the hell, am I honking imaginable tits in the air? Okay, I have to talk to Eric to fly Amber here, I’m going to put an end to this, I’m pathetic.

“Say an example!”

What? I don’t know whom I was thinking about, I don’t even know if I was thinking about an existing person, maybe I was just fantasizing about freaky phantom breasts, I couldn’t even see them, it was just a desirable cleavage… and round hips… and shapely thighs…

“I can’t!”

“Just say an example, I don’t know, someone famous who looks like that, or someone who we both know…”

“Kylie Minogue?” I groan in agony. Hopefully I satisfied Mike’s need for a new protagonist for his erotic dreams because he only nods with an appreciative pout.

The ringing of the phone on the bedside between us interrupts our intellectual conversation and we both stare at the device surprised and confused for a few seconds, it’s usually us who call family members and friends, not the other way around. Finally, I decide to pick up.

“It’s Stone.”

“…” No one answers but I can hear some indistinct noises coming from the other end of the line.

“Hello… who’s that? Wo am I talking to?” I ask, and Mike pulls closer to the speaker of the receiver too.

“Ah… excuse me… I must have dialed the wrong number… you’re obviously not the Notre Dame Hunchbach…” an old female voice answers.

What the hell? Is this a prank call? Old people make phone pranks too?

“Who?” I mouth to Mike who mouths “Judy” as a response. Ah, yes. She also chose a codename, not that anyone is interested in her. “You’re talking to Dr. Hugh Jeego, but who am I talking to?”

“Ah, you must be Mr. Gossard. I’m Mrs. Albertson, Judy’s grandma.”

I almost drop the receiver.

“Ugh… uhm… hi, Mrs. Albertson, it’s nice to meet you… I mean, even if not in person but… I guess you wanted to call Judy so…” I make an attempt to finish this awkward intermezzo but she cuts me off.

“Actually, I am glad that I can talk with my Judy’s new colleague, this job is so different in comparison to what she worked earlier, you know, she taught in a school…”

“Yeah, I know…”

“…and now she’s with a rock band, and there are so many rumors about musicians, they drink and do drugs and…”

“We… we don’t drink… that much… not before shows…” I answer and Mike nods approvingly opening a beer can with a loud fizz. “… and we prefer herbs…”

“And mushrooms…” Mike adds.

“Shut up, you ruin everything!” I hiss between my teeth while I cover the microphone with my palm.

“Who was that?”

“It was… it was Mike, our lead guitarist.”

“Ah, Mr. McCready!”

Mike pats his chest proudly.

“Exactly, Mr. McCready…” I flip him the bird.

“I hope my Judy takes care of herself, she tends to become obsessed with work, she even forgets to eat… does she eat properly?”

“I’ve… I’ve seen her eating… so I guess she does…” I try to reassure her but I’m afraid I don’t sound very convincing; after all, the eating habits of Miss Smarty Pants don’t belong to my main interests.

“I wish she ate more, she’s so skinny, isn’t she?”

“She is… I mean, she’s slim. But like… not too slim. Her body is proportionate… I mean, physically, anatomically… her shape is feminine… and when I say “feminine” I mean she’s not malnourished…” I babble and the small apple tits appear in front of my eyes again, Jesus, I’ve started losing my sanity… For some reason, Mike feels necessary to grab the receiver and yell a gratuitous, cheesy tirade into it.

“My learned colleague is trying to say that she’s a very pretty young lady, with all the respect, of course. She’s the most virtuous girl I know, she behaves well, you can be proud of her, Mrs. Albertson.”

Yes, Mrs. Albertson, exactly, your grandchild behaves well, she brought condoms only enough for a whole fuckin’ football team, safety first… I snatch the receiver out of Mike’s hand and lift it back to my ear but before I could finally get rid of the old lady, the TV catches my attention. While we were listening to the phone call, the harmless playmate fantasies ended and the channel started airing hardcore porn. And either was the petting part very short or it didn’t even exist since the “characters” are pretty much in the middle of things and before we could react anything to avoid the disaster, the actress starts screaming rhythmically.

“What was that noise? Are women with you too?” the old woman inquires suspiciously.

“Turn down the volume, for fuck’s sake!!!” I scream-whisper to Mike.

“No, we’re alone, Mrs. Albertson… we’re just watching TV… Murder She Wrote, someone is being killed!” Mike improvises aggressively poking the remote. “It’s not working…” he groans with a miserable expression.

“Oh, I like that show… which episode? Maybe I turn on the TV to watch it too...”

If you knew… In the meantime the man starts moaning too so the obvious noises grow even louder.

“Oh, the murderer is being killed too!” I try to win some time for Mike, I admit, it wasn’t the most creative lie I’ve ever said…

“I’m saying it’s not working, it must be contact failure or low battery…” he explains beating the remote against his palm at full strength, creating a counterpart to the sound of the bodies snapping against each other on the screen.

“It’s the episode about the slasher.” I maintain the conversation and then address Mike again. “Then use the power button on the TV device or throw it the fuck out of the window, I don’t care, just do something!!!”

“Ah, great idea!” his face lights up and finally, he walks to the TV and turns it off. I swear, I thought for a second he was going to choose the window version, like Keith Moon. I’m sure he was considering it but found the box too heavy.

“It’s over…“ I transmit to Mrs. Albertson.

“It ended with a cliffhanger, what a shame…” Mike remarks and I can barely suppress my snorts.

“I hope for a happy ending…” I grin, Mike presses his pillow against his face, while the poor lady obviously doesn’t even know what to say. After a few seconds of silent, body-shaking laughter, he rearranges his face muscles and takes the receiver away from me.

“It was a pleasure to meet to you, Mrs. Albertson. Judy is a great girl and as far as we know, Effie too, please, hug her for us. I hope we can meet you in person too, when we get back.”

“I admit, I’m relieved, I want you to know I think you are just darling guys. And now, I call the Notre Dame Hunchbach, as I intended to. Goodnight, Mr. Gossard, Mr. McCready.”

“Goodnight, Mrs. Albertson.” we sing in unison.

After I hang up the phone, we stare at each other silently for long moments, before we burst out laughing hysterically.

***

Great. She’s late. She promised she’d be waiting for me at the bar counter at 9 p.m. I’m doing the third circle in this goddamn place and she’s nowhere to be found. Okay, RCKNDY is actually my favorite place and I was happy when Krisha offered to meet me here to unveil Kelly’s and Susan’s “great idea” about which I only know at this moment that it concerns my photos. The cigarette smoke irritates my throat and some unknown band is in the middle of sound check on the stage, the indistinct guitar noises and the female lead singer’s instructions blast at random moments from the speakers causing me mild heart attack every single time and making the crowd members overyell them. Despite the early hour, the place is packed; I can barely struggle through the mass of flannel-wearing guys and girls. Early hour… what am I talking… now that my lifestyle converges on clinical death, both metaphorically and literally, I usually spend my evenings in front of the TV wearing my pajamas. It’s good Krisha picked this day, Mom is working at that new side job again so I didn’t have to make anything up to prevent her from asking suspicious questions.

I visited the restroom to kill some time but it just made me frustrated all the more since I involuntarily became the audience of a bunch of girls, one of them was gushing about the kissing skills of her current crush… gah, I can’t believe I turned into this sour bitch, just because I’ll end up as a spinster, she’s entitled to have some fun…

Almost fifteen minutes have passed by and she still hasn’t shown up yet. I can’t hang out with Victor either, he’s helping with putting the finishing touches at the sound check. I guess I have to wait then. I pick a bar stool and try to decipher the list of beverages on the wall.

“What can I get for you?” a red-haired bartender girl asks. Her question catches me off-guard, since my good old answer “beer” hasn’t been an option for a while and I didn’t have enough time to consider the alternatives. She’s chewing gum with a bored face, reminding me of a ruminant… a hot ruminant.

“Uhm… I… ugh, I haven’t…” I jabber and she reacts with an impatient eyeroll, the countless bracelets are clinking around her wrist as she runs her fingers through her red mane.

“I’d like to have a virgin mojito.” I utter the first thing that comes to mind. She acknowledges my choice with a scornful scoff… Yeah, in case I haven’t felt embarrassed enough yet, she makes obvious that she’s the sexy and cool femme fatale and I’m a straight-edge cripple in a boring, worn, brown jacket.

“Hey, here you are!” someone grabs my shoulders.

“Me? I’ve been waiting for you for like… hours?” I frown while Krisha settles down on the bar stool next to me and places her beer on the counter.

“Gosh, sorry!” her eyes pop as she checks her wristwatch. “I arrived too early and went to the executive office to meet a few friends.” she points at some people talking in front of a door that probably belongs to the office rooms. “That’s Alex, he runs this place, he’s a good friend of Stone, by the way. And that girl next to him works here too, she’s the girlfriend of Regan.”

I observe the girl she’s talking about, she has a nice, bright smile. Fantastic. Krisha knows everyone here… and I have no idea who these people are, and by the way, I’m nobody.

“Regan?” I furrow my eyebrows. “It’s a unique name, I swear I’ve heard it but I can’t place it…”

“He’s also an old friend of mine. And of Stone of course. You might know his name because he played in Malfunkshun with Andy. I mean Andy Wood.”

“Wood.” we say the name at once. “Of course I know his name, I didn’t grow up in a cave…” I explain, maybe in a sharper tone than intended.

“Oookay… “ she raises both hands defensively. “Actually, Regan almost became the drummer of Mother Love Bone, until they replaced him with Greg Gilmore. They made Stone fire him, I was thinking “okay, that’s it, he’s gonna hate us forever” but somehow, he managed to convince him by using logical reasons. If you ever want to fire a drummer, just call him because he’s your guy.” she nods meaningfully and takes a sip of her beer.

“Based on my sister’s opinion, drummers probably leave the band willingly, after having spent some time with him.” I remark dryly. “Thank you.” I reach for my drink and slide the money towards the phlegmatic redhead. I suppress a smile when I see her realizing with disappointed face that I spared the tip. What was she thinking, seriously?

“Oh yes, I forgot your sister and you sew Stone-shaped voodoo dolls in your spare time. By the way, Regan has played with a guy called Shawn for a few years, he’s a huge talent. The dude is a Prince-freak, which is somehow odd in a city where you can’t make a single step without stomping on a distortion pedal but he’s an awesome singer. AND they are planning to jam with Stone as soon as he gets back. I can give you the address of their rehearsal room in case you want to assassinate him…”

“No, thanks, I already know where he lives so…”

“Right!” she slaps herself in the forehead.

“Anyway, can I finally learn why we’re here?”

“Soon. We’re waiting for someone… I’m going to introduce you to someone… who has a job offer for you!”

“Wow… let me guess… healthcare branch has discovered me and they want me to be the face of some firm’s dialyzer portfolio?” I squint at her as I loudly slurp my cocktail.

“Damn, you nailed it!” she bangs her fist against the counter. “Anyway, I’m not going to tell you anything until she arrives, you need to be punished for the self-deprecating joke.”

“Spank me…” I mumble but my retort stays unnoticed since Krisha stares in an indefinite direction next to me sending an enthusiastic wave towards someone.

“Look, Jer is here too.” she points at the target of her smile and I follow her gaze only to recognize Jerry Cantrell… he’s wearing black jeans and a black leather jacket with a white tee.

“Wait… didn’t… didn’t you mention… I mean, you dated, didn’t you?” I ask confused, trying to form coherent sentences. It’s not going well.

“Yeah, we did.” she wiggles her eyebrows.

“But exes are supposed to hate each other…” I try not to turn around too obviously, so I remove a non-existing hair from the shoulder part of my jacket. While he’s slowly walking through the crowd, I notice he’s holding hands with a long, brown-haired girl. She has a perfect body and she’s probably completely aware of it since the tight leather pants highlight every curves of her. Sure, a 10/10 chick for a 10/10 guy, that’s how world has always worked… His hair is let down… I catch myself smiling, Dad insisted on calling him Rapunzel…

“It was just a summer fling and we realized after a few dates that we weren’t made for each other. So no one got hurt.” she shrugs. “Anyway, we share the building with the management of Alice in Chains so we knew we would run into each other all the time. The music scene of this city it’s like a big, incestuous family so…”

We both crack up.

“Oh no…” she sighs annoyed, staring over me again. I don’t know what’s going on in her head but it must have to do something with another twenty-eight people I’ve never met. “DON’T TURN AROUND!” she yells at me when I try to check the cause of her reaction.

“Why, what’s…?”

“It’s too late, I guess she’s already noticed us… or hasn’t she? Bow your head…” she leans on the counter, letting her hair cover her face.

“What the fuck?”

“I said bow your head… avoid eye contact… shit, I don’t have the nerves for this right now…”

“Krisha? Oh my god, it’s you, I haven’t seen you for ages!” I hear a powerful female voice from behind my back.

“Oh, hi Amber, it’s nice to see you!” Krisha groans with a painful smile, lifting her head and letting herself be pulled in a half-embrace resigned. I have to bite my lips to prevent myself from giggling since she sends a cross-eyed grimace to me over the girl’s shoulder. So she must be Stone’s Amber.

“Hey, are you here with your little friend?”

And that must be me. I involuntarily straighten up as much as I can but despite the high bar stool, I’m still shorter than her in her heels. I wonder if Red peed into these ones too… Now that I’m checking her out properly, I realize somehow she doesn’t belong here. Mini dress, heels, perfect makeup… That’d be Stone’s type?

“Uhm, this is Effie, she’s the sister of the band’s new monitor engineer…”

“Ah, Julie, you see, I know everything…” she knocks on his temple with her index finger a few times. “I’m Stoney’s girlfriend.” she grabs my hand and shakes it aggressively. I don’t correct her, I just exchange a quick look with Krisha, her eyes confirm that it wouldn’t make sense anyway.

“And… are you going to stay for the gig too?” Krisha nods towards the stage after a few moments of awkward silence.

“Oh, no, I’m going partying with my girls, I just checked in, I wanted to say hi to Alex and ask him for a favor. We’re organizing a grunge-themed fashion show and this place would be a perfect place for it.”

“A what?”

Krisha’s face radiates shock and disgust at the same time.

“You know, this grunge thing is blowing up, the firm is about to launch a collection, you know, flannel shirts, jackets, shorts with leggings, so we’re looking for a grungy place to present it…” she explains with huge hand moves. As she begins to explain the details of her brilliant idea, I get immediately distracted. Not only because my mind is desperately trying to ignore this nonsense but because I spot Leather Pants Chick at the same sport were Alex and his colleague were standing a few minutes ago. Only a few seconds pass by until her partner arrives too, he immediately pulls her closer by her hips as he leans against the wall… they engage into a make-out session without hesitation. Jerry digs his fingers into her hair and as things are getting more intense, his hands slowly wander along her back until they reach and firmly grab their destination…

I swear it wasn’t so hot in here when I arrived, I can feel my face is burning, I’m sweating like I was in hell… Yeah, being forced to watch a hot guy smooching with a girl who isn’t you but in exchange, is much prettier than you, that’s how I imagine the first circle of hell. I can barely peel myself out of my jacket, my elbow gets stuck when Amber grabs its sleeve. I’m still a little dazed-off and stare at her expressionlessly while I’m trying to pick up the threads of conversation.

“...exactly like this one, thrift clothes are so trendy now, where did you get this one?”

She shakes the sleeve of my jacket impatiently, making me realize that’s what she’s talking about. Should I tell her the truth? That it’s not from a thrift shop, that it’s original, that Judy and I pooled the money we earned at our summer jobs together and made an agreement about taking turns on wearing it six years ago?

“I can’t… can’t remember…” I manage an effortless answer.

“You have a great taste, we three should do a thrift store tour together.” she rants on.

“Totally.” Krisha tries to seem enthusiastic but she rather reminds me of a snarling serial killer.

“Okay, I have to go, oh my god, I’m late and I haven’t even talked to Alex. We could hang out in the city next week, call me, Krish! And bring your new friend too!” she winks at me. “See you, later girls!” she finally leaves us alone, the quick tapping of heels echoes in my head even after she has disappeared behind the office door. Krisha grabs her glass and drinks its content for one sip.

“Ah, I feel much better now.” she sighs. “I’m afraid my phone is about to die. I may not be able to make phone calls for a while.”

I snort into my drink.

“I must say, she’s not the girl I’d imagine as Stone’s girlfriend.”

“Trust me, she’s not the girl whom anyone would imagine as his girlfriend. But seeing them together is always like a free circus ticket, it’s pretty funny, especially when you have coke and popcorn too.”

“Sooo… where’s the mysterious person who we’re waiting for?” I look around, although I have no clue what physical characteristics I should look for, I don’t even know if we’re talking about a man or a woman. As my gaze slowly wanders around the room, I admit to myself unwillingly, that I exactly know what I’m looking for. Long, blonde hair, black leather jacket and a white shirt. The realization makes me blush, I feel like in those good old high school days, trying to casually encounter my current crush who doesn’t even know I exist. Why am I like this all the time? Why? I’m such an idiot…

“Okay, I check Alex’s office, maybe we misunderstood each other and she went in without me noticing her. And I’m sure Alex needs some spiritual support too, the recovery will be tough for him. Do you wanna come?”

“No, I… I’d rather wait here.” I answer quickly, flushing, I’m stupid, stupid, stupid… “So it’s a she?” I shout after Krisha but she just waves me off laughing.

So… what was I thinking? I could have join her and meet her cool friends but I chose to drink here alone, not that I don’t feel lonely enough. And I ran out of drink in the meantime too… I want to procrastinate the next round until the other, friendlier bartender shows up again but unfortunately, the red-haired demon spots my empty glass and elbows on the counter opposite me with a challenging, patronizing smile.

“May I bring you a next lemonade?”

I’m about to snap back but a pleasant male voice over my head makes me change my mind.

“One more of this, whatever it is. And the lady is my guest.”

20 notes · View notes

Twelfth Night: Chapter Eleven, Pipers Piping

Summary: Back to work after Christmas! Things are a little tense, but everyone is just ready for the show to end...

Word count: 1,722

Disclaimer: Twelfth Night Preface

Tag list: @the-cowbi @prettyinlimegreenboots @fifty-for-the-racer @aggressive-bucky-barnes-stan (ask to be added/removed!)

A/N: Second to last chapter! This story has flown by so fast... I’m going to post the preface to the next story (The Green Fields of France, which will start posting 1/14 probably) I’m working on either tonight or tomorrow, so if you’re interested in being tagged in that please let me know!!! The sequel to Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, will becoming at some point towards the end of February/early March, so keep an eye out for that as well!!! (Also coming soon: Space Pirates AU, and the New Music spinoff #2 and sequel!) Feel free to reach out and chat if you’re interested in knowing more about any of those, or if you want to be tagged when they’re posted!!!

Anyways, I hope this chapter isn’t too boring! It’s a lot of exposition and internal monologue because... at this point in a show... that’s about all you feel like doing 😂

Joke of the Day: What’s black and white and black and white and black and white and black and white and black and white? A penguin rolling down a hil!!!

Previous chapter: Lords A-Leaping

Next chapter: Drummers Drumming

No-one wanted to go to work on the twenty-sixth. Since Christmas Day had been so drowsy, they’d all had a hard time sleeping that night, so dragging themselves out of bed to get ready for work had been challenging. There was no lack of envy for Will, Alden, and Alan, who didn’t have to be in until two hours later than the others, although they still got up at the same time in a show of solidarity. Jack, Crutchie, and Elaine had to drag themselves down the block to the parking lot, almost completely silent save for the odd yawn or wordless grumble that escaped as they drove to the theatre. Inside, everyone else was just as still and quiet as they were—a “Christmas hangover”, as Race put it.

Jack moved through his pre-show preparations like he was moving through soup. Everything seemed more difficult than it should be, even simple things like rolling the cart-mounted carousel horses across the wagon house or rigging the carnival games. Elaine trudged through the wagon house, dragging the z-rack full of freshly-pressed dress shirts and scowling as the first performers began to arrive and fill the wagon house with their chatter—although even they weren’t as loud as normal. Not that anyone on the crew was complaining about that.

The only group that had even close to its normal level of energy was the child and teenage performers, who burst through the door in small packs, each one its own explosion of noise and color and force. Behind one of the little groups—the one containing one Leslie Jacobs—Jack had to hide a grin at the sight of an utterly exhausted-looking Davey Jacobs. When Davey caught sight of Jack, he perked up and smiled, giving the other man a small wave, before vanishing into the stairwell. A few minutes later, he was back, and sat down next to Jack on the bench by the stage right door with a sigh.

“How was your break?” Jack laughed.

“Well, we kind of crammed everything about Hanukkah—besides the candles; we did those during Hanukkah, but didn’t have time for anything else between working and finals and everything—into the past three days, and spent a lot of time on video chat with our parents. They wanted to come home, but decided it was probably best to just wait until the show closed because a lot of the time a second round of sick goes through in the last week just because everyone’s exhausted.”

“Great,” Jack groaned.

They watched Albert and Elaine walk past and pointedly ignore each other. Both of them arched their eyebrows at the odd interaction—or, rather, lack thereof—and watched the two head their separate directions.

“That was weird,” Davey observed.

“Yeah… I’m not really sure what it’s about. They were fine earlier.” Jack looked around and waved JoJo over. “Hey, what’s up with Albert and Elaine.”

JoJo shrugged. “Who knows. We’re all exhausted. They always fight when they’re tired. It’s probably nothing.”

Before the break, Jack had thought that the final Sunday’s show had been the slowest of the run. He had been wrong. The first show back was the slowest one—literally and figuratively; not only did it feel like it was dragging on, but, upon checking the time on his phone (repeatedly) he realized that was actually taking longer than normal to get through the show.

“Does the music sound slower to you?” he asked Race and Albert at one point as they moved the stage right house into place for a scene.

“Definitely,” Race grumbled.

“Even the band is out of patience with the show,” said Albert.

The second act, despite the high-energy start with the dancing and singing elves, things seemed to get even slower. From Race’s headset, Jack could hear the stage manager complaining about the lack of energy and speed—very loudly—and had to laugh. There was nothing to be done about it, after all.

The second show wasn’t much better, although the tempo picked up a little bit. They were still a few minutes longer than their normal run time, but had halved the amount of time that the day’s first show ran over.

For the rest of the week, things slowly moved closer and closer to normal. Everyone was still quiet and a bit lackluster, but the onstage energy picked up considerably the more shows they did—and the closer to closing they got. No-one ever figured out why Elaine and Albert were mad at each other, and Jack had a sneaking suspicion even the two of them wouldn’t have been able to answer if asked, but they were back to their normal scheming selves in a few days. Jack and Race decided to thank Mike, Ike, and JoJo for that, as another snowball war had been started—although this one was a stealth version that involved sneaking up on people before, after, and between shows; during intermissions; and even during lulls in the shows themselves and snipe-shotting one’s opponent with one of the little stuffed snowballs. Elaine always had a snow-puff in one of her apron pockets, and Albert kept at least one in the cargo pockets of his pants at all times. Jack guessed that Mike, Ike, JoJo, and Romeo—who was drawn into the war a little later—kept them on their persons most of the time as well. He never quite got used to the sight of fist-sized balls of fluff flying past his face in the middle of carrying props across the wagon house, usually followed by a startled yelp.

To everyone’s surprise, Elaine was the best participant in the war, and, when they were scolded by Weisel and called the competition off, she was declared MVP. Despite self-professed bad aim and poor depth perception—which the others could confirm, as other accuracy-based games that were played amongst the crew had illustrated her poor performance in these categories over the past months—she was scarily accurate with the light snow-puffs. It became common for her opponents to be in the middle of a conversation only to have a small ball of fiberfill and faux fur hit them in the back or head and to see a giggling, grinning Elaine dart around a corner or into a stairwell on the far side of the wagon house.

As they counted down to their final show, it was almost like everyone’s breath was held at the same time. The shows started to get faster now, and the protests by the stage manager over headset became pleas to slow down rather than speed up. Even the dancers commented on the increase in tempo, coming off from the tap number and elf sections breathless, sweaty, and laughing. A new energy seemed to be building up amongst both cast and crew, and Jack felt himself getting caught up in it without even noticing, the sort of energy that came with a storm on the horizon, with a wave about to crest in the ocean—with any sort of impending change.

Yet, with that nervous energy came an odd undercurrent of sorrow. As awful as so many of the parts of the show and its run had felt, as draining as the experience had been, as much as Jack wanted to be able to take a few days and just sleep—even though he knew that half of January was packed full of concerts and tours so he wouldn’t be able to do so for long—he was sad to see the show ending. Les Mis hadn’t felt like this, at least not that he could remember. He had felt ambivalent to tear that set apart after the final show, and happy to run his track for the final time. He wasn’t sure if it was because he had spent more time and energy working on the Christmas build, or just because he had grown so much more attached to the people he worked (and lived) with during this run, but he was truly sorry to see it go.

December 29th, 2019 was the second-to-last night of shows. Most of the performers spent more time than usual in the dressing rooms after the show, collecting personal belongings to take home with them. Many of them would be leaving the city or even state the next day, after the final show, heading for jobs at other theatres, as most of them weren’t permanent residents—the exceptions being two of the male singers, along with Alan, Alden, Will, and the show captain—of Santa Fe. One of the kid casts had had their final show the day before and had said tearful goodbyes to the adult cast members, each other, and even some of the crew. Some of them had returned tonight to see some of their friends on the other cast, and another round of tears went through the wagon house. Tonight’s kids cast had laid out their show t-shirts on the wagon house carpet and asked everyone to sign them. To his surprise, even Jack had been asked to sign several, and had reluctantly given in and done so.

Another reason that the ending of the show was particularly bittersweet, for Jack and his roommates, was that Will had told them, a few weeks earlier, that he would be moving back home to London in January, after accepting a job there. Despite jokes about having more space in the apartment and one less person to share the bathroom with, everyone was sad to see him leave, even Jack and Crutchie, despite only having known him for a few months. As the penultimate show drew to a close, Jack couldn’t help but notice Alan, Alden, and Elaine’s misty eyes as they prepared to say goodbye to their long-time friend and partner. He swallowed a lump in his own throat. It would certainly be strange to not hear Will’s accent somehow always discernible through the chatter of the entire cast, or run into him heading for the bathroom in the middle of the night at home. He’d be around for another week before leaving—it wasn’t like he was flying out after the last show, like most of the others, but quite suddenly it felt very much like he was going to be gone before they knew it. Maybe, Jack thought, that the show they had almost felt would go on forever was finally coming to an end…

9 notes · View notes

Abduction - Chapter 31

I had scheduled this to be posted this morning but had accidentally set the wrong day, so I hope no one thought I was just pulling an April Fools Day joke and not posting it at all. I was thinking of posting a joke chapter (maybe a few paragraphs long) but I thought of it too late and my brain just doesn’t want to work anymore right now. Maybe later though.

First Chapter Previous Chapter Next Chapter

***

Jebannuck nudged his food with the blunt end of his utensil. He hadn’t eaten since he’d first woken up, and it was now late in the cycle. He just couldn’t find any interest in the sauteed parteem stems right now.

His humans were leaving today.

“Are you just going to push those around your plate forever, or are you actually going to ingest them?” Simmo pestered him from across the table. Since being released from the medical ward, Simmo had been granted restricted clearance aboard the Rock Base. It was actually quite restricted and only granted after a few threats (mostly from the humans, but some from Jeb about reporting the illegality of their attempt to remove her from Demfar’s care without authorization earlier.) One requirement to Simmo’s freedom was that she was to always be accompanied, and if she wasn’t with Mike or Wenona, she was usually with him.

Jebannuck looked up from his uneaten meal at her. Her compound eyes stared back coolly. He sighed. He really should eat, but his stomach felt too tangled up to hold anything. He grunted and pushed the plate across the table to her. Her antenna flicked as she looked the food over. After a moment, she speared one of the stems with her claws and slid it into her mouth.

“These are better when they’re not cooked,” she managed to say between bites. “Makes them mushy.”

Jebannuck nodded half-heartedly as he rested his chin on his hand. He wasn’t sure why he felt like this. He should be happy. Mike and Wenona were going home, back to their normal lives before they were abducted. Back to Earth where they could get help and get their lives back together.

He suspected he felt this way because… well because…

He exhaled and leaned back in his seat. Simmo, who was still munching away quietly, eyed him curiously.

“What’s with the long face?”

Jeb looked up. He raised one eyebrow. “Long face?” He brushed his chin with to make sure nothing was wrong he hadn’t noticed. “Does my face look different than it usually does?”

Simmo’s eyes suddenly shone bright, smug that she knew something he didn’t. “It’s a human expression. Mike told me a few so I would better understand conversations on Earth. It means, ``Why do you look so sad?””

Jeb’s hand dropped back down to his lap as he frowned.

“I’m… not sad.”

Simmo growled.

“Why would I be sad?” Jebannuck countered. “Today is a happy day. Mike and Wenona are finally going home, it’s what they’ve been trying to do for partecs now. I’m glad for them.”

Simmo studied him for a moment. “You’re going to miss them.”

Jebannuck opened his mouth automatically to respond, but he didn’t know what he wanted to say. Before he could make up his mind though, he was interrupted by a loud voice from the other side of the cafeteria.

“Well if it isn’t Jebannuck Sefra! I hear you’re back from the dead!”

Jeb looked to the source of the voice. A large, hairy, red biet was strolling in followed by two squifra. He recognized them.

“Biet Tungs Arku, is that really you?”

“In the fur!” Tungs laughed and as she approached the table. She gave Simmo a side glance before sitting down. The squifra joined as well, side fins up cheerily, but giving the Montauk plenty of space.

“We would have come to visit you earlier,” Tungs continued, “but we’ve been busy with finalizing the repairs on our ship.” “You’re still on the ESS Butel?”

“Still am. So is Burrek here,” she motioned to the shorter squifra with a mostly green-colored skin patterns.

“Good to see you Burrek,” Jebannuck nodded respectively. Burrek had served under him while stationed on the ESS Butel as the Chief of Security. They didn’t get along amazingly well, but kept things cordial enough to do their respective jobs. He had been promoted once Jebannuck had transferred to the Gladius.

“I’d like to say it’s been quiet since you left, but, well, we’ve added another human to the crew, so you know it’s probably good you got out when you did.”

“What do you mean?”

Tung and Burrek shared a look with each other. “Well, it’s no secret you weren’t a huge fan of Humans Derrek and Carl, and then you go and get marooned on a Death World and then held hostage by the Burnti with two of them. Just you and them, up close and personal.”

Simmo made a loud set of clicking noises with her mandibles. Tung gave her a quick glance and ammended, “and a Montauk.”

“I heard they’re going back to Earth today,” Burrek added. “That must be a bit of relief for you. Well, at least for a while. I’m sure humans will be officially integrated into your crew soon. Most ships in the fleet have a few.”

“Poor Jebannuck,” Tung laughed, “Try as you can, you just can’t seem to escape them huh? Oh, Burrek, do you remember the time Human Derrek pulled that prank on ol’ Jebannuck?” She bowed over with laughter, her voice seemed to shake the air around them. “It was so funny, and Jebannuck was so mad! Oh!” She took a few deep breaths to steady herself. “Oh. It must have been hard for you. After I mean. You thought you’d gotten away from humans and then had to go through all… that ordeal. That must have been hard.”

She waited for an answer, but none came.

“Jebannuck?”

Still nothing.

“Hey Jeb,” Simmo pushed aside the rest of the plate of parteem stems and stood up, “it’s almost time for that meeting. We’re going to be late.”

Jeb looked up, confused but relieved. “Biet Tungs, Squifra Burrek,” he nodded politely to the other squifra he hadn’t been introduced to, “I must accompany our friend here. It’s been… a pleasure to run into you. Safe travels and infinite horizons to you all if I don’t see you before we leave.” And he stood up and followed Simmo out of the cafeteria.

They walked down the hall for a while in silence before Jeb turned to Simmo. “I wasn’t aware we had a meeting.” “We don’t. I could tell you were getting upset.”

He stopped. She stopped.

“Upset?”

She blinked her compound eyes silently at him.

“What do you mean. Why would I be upset?”

Simmo flicked her antenna, annoyed.

They stood there, staring at each other in the almost empty hall. A few couriers hustled past them, trying to get their packages delivered quickly as well as put some distance between themselves and the Montauk. Jeb’s frown finally broke and he sighed deeply.

“Back there...I was reminded… when she talked about… I used to be so… but…” He groaned at himself inwardly. There were very few moments in his life where he ever struggled to find words. Two of them now were when he was talking to or about Mike and Wenona.

Simmo just stared at him. “They changed you.” She sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I get that. Seems to be what humans are good at.”

A smile played on the edge of Jeb’s mouth. “They’ve changed you a lot too.” Simmo sneered and tossed her head.

Jeb couldn’t help but let the smile completely spread across his face. “Come on, they should be getting done soon. We should go help make sure they’re ready to go.” He started down the hallway, looking back slightly to make sure she was following. “You’re really set and determined to go with them?”

Simmo scoffed. “Verses what? Staying here stuck being babysat by you the rest of my life? No thanks.”

Jeb didn’t want to get into it with her that she did have other options. She knew that. She’d made up her mind already and no force was going to stop her, and he wished her the best. He smiled to himself. Friends with a Montauk. Simmo. He really did wish her the best on the human home planet.

“Earth it is then.”

*** * ***

It had been two years. That’s what they're called here. Two sets of 365 local planetary rotations to orbit the local star.

Whoo-hoo.

Simmo smiled smugly to herself. She was getting pretty good at human phrases. Whoo-hoo was a very fun one, albeit too energetic for her tastes to use unironically. It was much more fun to use it with sarcasm. And oh, did she enjoy sarcasm. It’s not solely a human thing, but they did have it down to an art.

With a final tug, she finished ratcheting a bolt into place. There. That should do it. This stupid bucket of bolts should be ready to fly now. It had better be, she’d spent a good chunk of this past month working on the dumb shuttle. It was an older model, but her new employers, Near Star, hadn’t phased it out, much to her chagrin. She would fix one thing only to find two more problems with it.

She wiped a bit of oil and grit off on a rag as she stepped back. Her thorax ached, but she felt satisfied with the job. She’d just need to test it to make sure everything was good to go. The next part of her job was less satisfying. Paperwork.

She threw the rag onto a desk and walked around the shuttle, stretching and admiring her work.

A thought struck her. Life was crazy. It was a thought she had a lot, but it felt really poignant today. Life is so fluid, it could just change shape and alter course as if on some whim. She was proof of that. Life had been rough to her, then full of adventure. It gave her a family, then treacherously stole them away. It left her desperate, injured, captured, then decided to gift her peace and quiet, with new friends and family, a quiet life with simple tasks to do and a home on a death world of all places.

She had had a good year living with Mike and Wenona. She had learned a lot. She met world leaders, ate the sweetest foods she’d ever had before in her life, nearly baked to death in the desert, and swam in an ocean. Well, she didn’t really swim. She waded in it a bit to appease Mike before getting the heck out of the water. She had read up on what lives in there. Flargin’ monsters of the deep, that’s what. It was also huge, and way too salty. It terrified her on a primal level, though she’d never admit it.

Her phone rang and pulled her from her mental meanderings. She went to fetch it from her cubby. It was a primitive thing, even by human standards. Their newer phones that were more “smart” mostly used screen interfaces that did not cooperate well with her exoskeletal, sharp hands. This one folded in half and had soft buttons for her to push.

“Hello?”

“Ahoy Simster!”

There were only two beings in this plane of reality that would ever be permitted to live after calling her that, and only one ever did it regularly.

“What do you want Mike?”

“Well, I was just wondering for no real reason, but have you heard anything from the Galactic Confederation lately?”

“I hear what’s in the news. That’s it.”

“They… haven’t contacted you or anything?”

“No.”

“Nothing at all? No incoming messages, or phone calls, or… did we ever help you set up an email?”

“Mike, I’m at work, you want to maybe get to your point?”

“Well I just think it’s weird you haven’t heard anything yet is all!”

“Mike.”

“Well, I guess it only has been an hour. Well, almost an hour. I’m just so excited! I’m not going to spoil it though, but if you don’t hear from them by the end of the day, I just might. I’m going to be back in Arizona in about two days.”

“Two days?” Simmo caught that part with a frown and held the phone a little closer to her tympanal to make sure she was hearing alright. “I thought your training went on for another two weeks. What do you mean ‘two days?’”

There was a rustle and Mike’s voice on the other side went a little garbled, like he was covering the speaker while yelling something to someone. When he got back on the phone, Simmo could almost hear the stupid grin on his face. “Listen Simmo, I’ve got to go, but yeah, I’m coming back day after tomorrow. They’ve got something new and it’s big. Like, big big!” “Well it sounds awful already,” she grumbled.

“Hey, let me know if they get in touch with you or not. I’m not doing it without you, or, you know without you being able to chose to or not. I mean, no hard feelings if you don’t want to.”

“Mike, you’re making less and less sense the more you talk.”

“Yeah, I know, sorry-love-ya-got-to-go-BYE!”

And with a beep from the little speaker, he was gone.

She folded the phone and put it away with a hiss. What, by all that is bright and shining, was that all about? Shaking her head, she started back toward the shuttle with it’s keys to give it a test run when her comm device went off. It was set up similarly to the ones used by the Galactic Confederation (who had probably traded the technology with Earth a few years ago). It was supposed to be set in the local network within Near Star, but it did also have access to the planet-wide internet. She pulled up a holographic screen and read through her messages.

The newest one was from an external source. It was from the United-Earth Space Embassy’s Galactic Confederation Relation’s office. Her hand hovered over it for a while. What could be so big?

It was a fight inside her mind. On one part, she was nervous and weary. The Galactic Confederation did not hide their disdain for the Montauk race as a whole. What could they possibly want from her? She had found a place to call her own here on Earth, and had somehow started to think of it as home. Life was quiet, but after everything she’d been through, quiet was good. It was more than good. Earth had welcomed her as a hero who had helped save two of their own. All her needs were met, she had want for nothing.

And that, the other side of her mind countered, was part of her problem. Life was good yes, but it was quite sedentary. Her whole life, ever since her second molt, had been on the move. It was a matter of survival then, but it became a part of her. For every shuttle she repaired, she imagined herself boarding it and taking off through the stars.

The problem was she had nowhere to go. No one to go with. Mike and Wenona were her hive now, and they were on Earth.

This was home.

But at the same time, she felt so restless.

She dropped the hologram and paced next to the shuttle. Her mind kept going back and forth like a match of that one weird human sport Wenona’s little sister kept trying to get her to play.

“What am I doing?” she muttered to herself. “I don’t even know what they want. Mike said something about me making a choice,” she pulled the hologram back up. “I should probably find out what decision it is that needs to be made before I go driving myself crazy like this.”

With just a small pause, she opened the message and browsed over all the flowery pomp and circumstance of the first paragraph. Frewan, these people could never just get to the point, could they?

Then she found it- what had gotten Mike so excited. She read it and re-read it to make sure she was understanding it correctly.

This was big.

***

Next Chapter

59 notes · View notes

oKAY, I got a few Redbox rental for my birthday, so I decided to pick up Spider-Man: Far From Home, skip all the Disney Channel Original Movie stuff, and see how it stacks up as a pure Spider-Man movie. Which is not easy, because they’re in full Marvel movie mode, and every two minutes there’s a wacky aside or a sight gag or something. It’s not even Peter making jokes, which would be in-character. It’s just banter about Happy’s password being Password and stuff. There’s not one wholly dramatic scene in this movie, it has this Epic Movie sense of humor where something‘hilarious’ is always defusing the tension. Like, all that’s missing is Leslie Nielsen being the tour guide.

1. Mexico. Mysterio has used‘Sandman’ (confusingly referred to as a‘cyclone with a face’--and then Spider-Man never even fights him) to destroy a town. I gotta say--if Mysterio has the ability to pull off no-bullshit terror attacks... yeah, the Sandman is fake, but the damage is real... why not just do that? It seems like there are a ton of evil organizations who would pay him loads of money.

2. Also, Mysterio is really not shy about lowering the dome and showing his face. Wouldn’t a quick facial recognition scan, of the kind that you’d think Nick Fury would run all the time, ID him as Quentin Beck? And even if he’s going“hey, that’s my double, I’m from an alternate universe,” shouldn’t Nick Fury be a bit suspicious that the double of this mysterious new superhero is a disgruntled and unstable Stark employee?

3. By the way, I know the twist is that Nick Fury is really a Skrull and that’s why he’s so incompetent--telling Peter to take his mask off in front of fucking Mysterio--but Nick Fury left a Skrull playing him, so... who’s that on? You’d think any given Agent of SHIELD would do better.

4. First action scene. Hydroman attacks Venice and is defeated by Mysterio, with Spider-Man slightly assisting. He’s left his costume back at the hotel, so he does this while using a Venetian mask to disguise himself. Hilariously, he quickly takes this off to, yes, show us his face. (Also, I guess no one notices that Not!Spider-Man is wearing the exact same clothes and has the exact same body type as Peter.) He also doesn’t make any quips besides referring to himself as“really strong and sticky.” Being awkward is not a one-liner, movie.

5. Also, others have pointed out that this Spider-Man seems more concerned about saving property than saving lives, and it must be said that for much of this fight, Peter is trying to stop a belltower from collapsing, with no sign that he’s buying time for people to evacuate it or anything. Sure, it’s a worthy goal and all, but I have to ask how much good patching a belltower up with webbing is going to do?It’ll dissolve in an hour and then where are you? Does he really think the authorities will be able to fix it up before then? Seems like he would be better served letting it collapse and attacking Hydroman to keep him from doing more damage.

6. You ever notice how movie characters always refer to sleeping pills and such as‘a mild sedative’? Naut Fury shoots Ned/Ganke with a dart that instantly knocks him out, then calls it“a mild tranquilizer.” Christ, what would a strong tranquilizer do, put him in a coma for ten years?

7. Man, it’s weird how inconsistent this movie is with basic characterization. Peter turns down saving the world because Spider-Man being seen in Europe might give away his identity, but he’s also blase about taking off his mask in front of Nick Fury and co. And Tom Holland walking around unmasked really makes it obvious that his suit is a CGI effect that his head is awkwardly hovering on top of. I guess just putting someone in a costume is a lost art.

And I’m not even watching this on Blu-Ray. This is a DVD, because Redbox is shit and, even though their e-mail said the promo code was good for a Blu-Ray, apparently I can only use it for a DVD. Thanks, thanks for ruining my special day. Prats.

8. I know the whole EDITH thing has been meta’d elsewhere, but I just want to point out that Stark Enterprises has a‘global defense network’. With drones and backdoors into every telecommunications company. Imagine if Microsoft announced that, oh, hey, we have a Panzer division. I guess Stark Enterprises is a PMC now? I thought they went into clean energy. Apparently they still make weapons, but now they... hoard them to use for their own purposes? Not creepy at all. Like, Marvel does realize they are writing an evil megacorporation here, right?

9. Oh, now we’re just getting aggressively stupid. Peter is met by a SHIELD agent who insists that he strip to change into an alternate, non-Spider-Man suit (so I guess, after an action scene where he’s in civilian clothes, now we’re going to get one where he’s in this spy costume. Yeah, I hate seeing Spider-Man in a Spider-Man movie.) I’m not sure why he has to do this now instead of simply putting the suit in his backpack. I’m also not sure why he has to strip in front of her. He doesn’t even try to go somewhere private to change and she doesn’t say anything like“Why are you taking off your clothes in front of me like a retard? Go around the corner or something, fuckwit.” It’s all to set up a scene where Peter gets seen by his (sigh) rival for MJ’s heart, who takes a cell phone picture, leading us to... well, leading me to wonder why they couldn’t have put a little more thought into staging this scene so it was slightly believable? Like he could have trouble putting it on in private, the female agent could go to check on him, and Random Non-canon Character could stumble in on them that way. But anyway.

10. With literally insane ease, Peter designates Brad a target and EDITH launches a drone strike on him. For various ridiculous reasons, Peter can’t just say abort, so he eventually distracts EVERYONE by saying there are baby mountain goats, webs the drone while no one is looking, and--that works. No one notices.

Man, that’s some fucking weaksauce.

11. I’m fast-forwarding a bunch, but we seem to spend a lot of time on Peter trying to get his friends out of harm’s way for the upcoming fight scene in Prague, only for them to end up in harm’s way. For the second action sequence in a row. It seems like he could’ve succeeded and then just been trying to rescue normal civilians instead of people he knows personally, but then I guess we couldn’t have Ned and Betty/Gwen providing odious comic relief every other moment. Like, shit, Marvel, if you like dumb jokes so much, why don’t you just get Mike and the Bots to riff your movie? That’s pretty much what you’re doing anyway.

12. Peter’s new costume has no fingers on the gloves, so he’s leaving his prints everywhere. And then after the fight is over, the first thing he does is unmask and go out to get a drink with an also unmasked Mysterio in a crowded bar (hilariously, it literally turns out to be full of enemies who mean him harm). Jesus, movie, does he care about his secret identity or not?

13. Also, again, no quips from Spider-Man. And I thought the watchword for this corner of the MCU was that he was a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Now he’s fighting giant monsters? Yeah, even if it’s a con job, it’s a con job that could potentially kill millions of people. Doesn’t that seem like absurdly high stakes, considering? Remember the first Spider-Man movie, when the only stakes at the climax were Peter saving a bus full of kids and MJ? Would that really have been better if there’d been another five million buses the Green Goblin was threatening to drop?

14. We’re doing the whole“does Peter want to be Spider-Man or not?” story again. It’s weird how markedly inferior this take on that is to Spider-Man 2. This Spider-Man has a whole spy network and AI satellites backing him up (which doesn’t stop him from remarking that Mysterio is“the only one he can talk to about superhero stuff,” as if fifty people don’t know who he is). Maguire’s Spider-Man’s life was genuinely shitty because of his superheroing; he couldn’t be with the woman he loved! This Spider-Man... can’t mack on the girl that he inexplicably has a crush on out of nowhere. Not exactly the stuff of great drama.

15. Pause to point out what a naked plot device Tony giving Peter EDITH is. He couldn’t give it to Pepper? Rhodey? Steve? Like... anyone who’s more emotionally mature and experienced? It’s just a ridiculous conceit. Supervillains literally target Peter specifically because he possesses EDITH. Way to put the crosshairs on a sixteen-year-old boy, Tony‘Depraved Indifference’ Stark.

16.“To my very wealthy crew!” Okay, so I guess Beck isn’t just doing this for the satisfaction of being a fake superhero, he sees this as enriching him and his henchmen somehow? How? It’s not like Captain America or Scarlet Witch are fabulously wealthy. I could see Stark as paying for their room and board and giving them an expense account, but that doesn’t seem worth going to the trouble of this whole Mysterio business for. Like I said, once you have the power to pull off fake/not-fake terror attacks, that’s a golden ticket already. Why couldn’t he do shit like Le Chiffre was doing in Casino Royale, playing the stock market with his fake catastrophes?

16a. And okay, so you say the whole Mysterio thing was just to con EDITH off of Peter. If they’re already able to pull off these terror attacks, how much more can EDITH do for them? It’s like, you already have essentially unlimited resources as far as the story’s concerned--why do you need EVEN MORE unlimited resources?

16b. And is Mysterio going to be a real superhero or fake? Like, is he potentially going to fight Thanos or someone? Because if he is, the whole Elemental thing seems like an unnecessary risk. Just find some HYDRA guys, go to town on them, bang, you’re a superhero. And if you’re going to be a fake Avenger--well, what do you do when Thanos shows up? Call in sick?

17. So in his new, definitely Miles Morales suit, Peter has the ability to send out a destructive electric charge. A venom blast. He has a venom blast. Man, they’re not even trying to hide that this is white Miles Morales, are they?

18. To damn with faint praise, I thought the drone swarm was a good‘real-world’ explanation of Mysterio’s power set and the‘nightmare’ sequence was a good use of them, although it’s just the usual hallucinatory imagery you’d expect from someone with an illusion gimmick, not something as groundbreaking as the Raimi movies offered. Coincidentally, this is also the one action sequence in the movie where Peter’s in his classic costume, and that’s only an illusion Mysterio puts over his dumb Night Monkey suit.

I also think Peter being able to survive being hit by a train more or less uninjured--he just needs a few stitches!--is a bit much, but then, that happened in Spider-Man 2.5 as well. And there they made a big deal of Peter and Ock trying to avoid getting hit by trains, so arguably that was more egregious.

And it’s weird to have such a self-aware, genre-savvy villain just assume Peter is dead. It seems like he could’ve at least sent someone to the next station to confirm his death, or even had someone waiting there, if his plan all along was to hit Peter with a train. (Also, I’m pretty sure train conductors stop the train when they hit someone, but maybe that’s only an American thing.)

19. By the end, Mysterio decides to drop the whole illusion thing to frame Spider-Man for the drones (Peter’s friends are also put in danger yet again. Three times in one movie! That’s basically every action sequence that really happens!). I’d think disorienting people with invisible drones would be an advantage you wouldn’t want to just get rid of, but he’s the supervillain, not me. Noticeably, this plan hinges on him dying and posthumously ruining Spider-Man’s life, so...

20. Also, I complained about this with Captain Marvel, but if you’re doing a two-hour movie with a supposed character arc for Peter, shouldn’t that have something to do with him winning? He pretty much only wins because the power of spider-sense which he arbitrarily received arbitrarily works for him after arbitrarily not working for a while... and if this is some kind of confidence-powered superpowers, I should note that Spider-Man 2 already did Peter losing his powers because of losing confidence and it depicted him getting them back much more effectively. This Peter I guess only needs a pep talk from Happy Hogan.

21. I mean, couldn’t they bullshit something about hacking EDITH--you know, Peter using his wits since that’s what supposedly makes him‘the next Iron Man’--maybe turning the tables on Mysterio with a con job of his own, instead of just winning because he happens to have an illusion-proof superpower on top of a billion-dollar supersuit and a literal global defense network? Spider-Man has a global defense network, y’all. How can you lambaste Man of Steel for making Superman dark and broody and then think Iron Man Peter Parker is a good take on the character? Geez.

66 notes · View notes

It Had To Be You XXX

Chapter Thirty: Tell Me You Love Me

Summary: Tyler comes to see you at your hotel when you don’t come home after your event

Warning: smut but like soft smut because this chapter didn’t call for anything extreme, fluff, angst, the reg

Author’s Note: Guys, I hate to say it but I think this series is coming to its end. I haven’t quite decided whether or not I’m going to keep these two together or not but I’m just hitting that point of writing where I’m just struggling writing these “characters” for some reason and it’s making it extremely difficult to continue this series. Like honestly, I’m just exhausted with it. I’m going to try to get maybe 10 more but it very well may end at 35. Which is a lot lol -- haven’t decided 100% one way or the other but I hope you enjoy this chapter!

P.S. Initially, this chapter was just supposed to be from Tyler’s P.O.V and just be all angst but I had to add some smut for the sake of the XXX of it all. So I’m sorry for how long this is, but you’re just gonna have to deal with it.

P.P.S. I’m sorry for this chapter. Like truly, truly sorry.

Song Credit: Tell Me You Love Me -- Demi Lovato

masterlist

--

Tyler’s P.O.V.

You couldn’t believe she was doing this. You had always known that (Y/N) had a bit of a hot streak and that her relationship with James had left her insecure in love but you didn’t think that she would ever feel unsafe with you. You’d been together for a year and you’d always been able to subdue her fears but, for some reason, this time she couldn’t get past it.

And you couldn’t help but think it was because Kate stopped by. She had a face to put to her insecurities and you knew she’d be comparing herself to Kate until you gave her a reason not to.

“Hey Ty, What’s up?” Kate said from the other line of the phone

“Why did you stop by here?” you replied angrily

“What?”

“You came by my house, why?”

“To say hi? I didn’t realize that was a crime…”

“You pissed my girlfriend off”

“Wait, hold up a sec. If she’s mad it’s not my fault”

“Of course it is! You came by, unannounced and just assumed she knew who you were when you pretended not to know who she was. Which is obviously not the case or you wouldn’t have just stopped by”

“Is it so wrong that I wanted to see you? Congratulate you on making the Playoffs? And maybe meet the girl who’s.. changing you?”

“All of that could’ve been done over the phone”

“Not meeting her”

“What do you need to meet her for? The two of you were fine not knowing each other existed”

“Oh come on,” she sighed and you rolled your eyes, “we’d have to meet each other eventually. You and I are friends Ty, our families know each other”

“And yet, you’ve never come around until now…” The line was quiet for a bit and you were immediately filled with regret so you tried to backtrack but she beat you to it

“What are you trying to say, Tyler? You think I’m using you? You think I’m going to tell her all the dirty little secrets you’d never dare think about telling her?”

“Kate…”

“I could, you know. Tell her”

“You could, but you’re not going to”

“Why are you so sure?”

“Because you’re not a horrible person, Kate”

“Such a high compliment…”

“Even if you told her, she wouldn’t be surprised. She knows my past or, at the very least, my reputation”

“So then it shouldn’t be an issue”

“You can do whatever you want, Kate. I think you’re a better person than that but if you feel like sharing something that’s not yours to share -- go for it”

“Maybe I will”

“Fine. Just don’t expect to hear from me afterwards.” The conversation ended there, you hung up the phone and thought about what to do now. You picked up your phone and threw it on the couch a few times contemplating calling (Y/N) to make your case but you really just needed to see her so you ran out to your car and went to her hotel. When you got there, you rapidly knocked on her door until she answered. “WHAAAAT?!” she yelled groggily, clearly just waking up and her eyes grew wide when she saw you, “oh, Tyler. Hi…”

“Can we talk?” you asked, hunched over slightly awaiting her reply

“Sure, yeah,” she cleared her throat as she directing you inside, rubbing her eyes awake, “what’s up?”

What’s up? I miss you, you thought to yourself but didn’t say it just yet. Instead, you sat down and bit the inside of your cheek.

“I want you to understand that I.. get why you’re upset” you finally said and she lifted her eyebrows once, sitting across from you

“You do?” she said, lingering on the question but not looking at you

“Kate shouldn’t have come to the house. I should’ve told you about her. I know that James made you insecure about stuff and I should’ve been more sensitive to that,” you noticed her start picking at the skin around her nails, slowly nodding her head, so you continued, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. She’s harmless, Kate, I think I may have given her the wrong impression… She’s young and…”

“Impressionable?” she said, scoffing at the word

“Maybe?” you stopped for a second but (Y/N) still wasn’t looking at you, “Maybe I said something that made her think she and I could or would be something. But I promise you, I haven’t seen her or hung out with her since that night she stayed over here and I was serious when I said that she means nothing to me. You’re the only one I want.” She rubbed her forehead as you finished; your heart raced as you waited for her to speak.

“I don’t even know where to start Ty,” she sighed, “I don’t care that she came to the house. It wouldn’t have mattered if she came by if I had known about her. It’s the not knowing about her that makes me think that something is going on. As for James, I’d really wish you’d stop bringing him up, because my issues go beyond him. The fact that you think you Kate the idea that something could happen means that you didn’t tell her about me, which makes me think that you didn’t want her to know about me. Maybe we weren’t serious then. Maybe it was too new to really know, I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t really care right now. I still feel like something’s wrong…”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“So how are we supposed to get through this?”

“I don’t know”

“I’m gonna need something more than I don’t know”

“Maybe we’re not supposed to just get through this”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t -- Maybe I need to get to know her? Maybe that will help me understand why she thinks you gave her the impression that she could be with you.”

“Sure, okay, yeah, we can do that”

“Not just the three of us though”

“Cass and Candace? Sure, no problem.” You weren’t sure exactly where she was going with this but you were willing to do anything she wanted you to so you agreed to whatever she asked

“No, Ty,” she gave you a quizzical look, tilting her head to the side, “I want to see how she interacts with your friends. Your ‘crew.’ Not Jamie and the guys on the team. Not the ‘wags.’ Not even Jesse and Melissa. Your single friends. The guys you would go out drinking with.”

“What like Mike and those guys?”

“Yeah, like Mike and those guys”

“Okay. but..”

“But what Ty?”

“I don’t really know what that would prove”

“Let me worry about that. You just set it up. I’ll invite some of my girls, you invite your guys and I’ll sort through… everything.” You nodded, getting up when she did and leaned in to give her a kiss but she turned her head, leading you to just kiss her cheek and waited to see what she did next. It shocked you when she led you to the door and you let it show on your face, “I’m tired, Tyler,” she sighed when she saw your face, “I got in at 6 AM last night and my body wouldn’t let me sleep until like 10 AM, so I need to get some sleep. You can call me and let me know when you’ve set everything up but I need to sleep now okay?”

“Okay…” you hesitated before turning around to say something but she had already closed the door. You slumped back to your car and headed back to your place, not knowing what just happened. When the dogs rushed you at the front door, you crashed your back into the closed door and fell to the floor; holding your head in your hands.

“I think I might have really pissed her off this time boys” you sighed to the dogs who just curled up around you. You sat at the door for about an hour until you finally decided to stop feeling sorry for yourself and plan something like (Y/N) asked. It all came together very easily and the closer the day got, you wished everyone would just cancel because something in you was telling you that this was a set up for something much more sinister.

--

When Tyler told you that he set up a BBQ for the third Thursday in April because “he had a day between games and was in town” you weren’t sure how to feel. On one hand, you were happy that he had actually followed through on the request but on the other hand, it all felt very rushed, but you were hopeful that everything would turn out fine. You had moved out of the hotel and back into Tyler’s place just as the series between Dallas and Nashville had started, which meant you had two days before he left to Nashville for a couple games and tensions were running high.

“I just don’t understand why you stayed an extra week at the hotel when you could’ve been here with the dogs. Where you could be comfortable…” Tyler argued as the two of you sat at the kitchen table

“It’s not like I wasn’t comfortable at the hotel. I had work, Ty. Things didn’t stop after the event, I had stuff to do and knowing that I had a space to go to be alone for a while was helpful” you rebutted

“You mean to be away from me”

“No, Tyler. To be myself. It was only a couple of days, I was back here on Saturday and I went to the game; I came home with you”

“And now I have to leave again”

“I’m used to it.” The words escaped your lips accidentally and you snapped your eyes shut knowing how Tyler was likely to take it

“You can’t be mad at me for leaving. It’s my job and you’re the one who decided to stay away those extra couple of days”

“That’s not how I meant it, Tyler, and you know it. All I meant was I know you have to leave but it’s only a few days; I, we, can handle it. I’ll be watching the games whether I’m at work or here.”

“When I get back we’ll have that Barbeque and everything will go back to normal?”

“Normal, yes.” You faltered, pausing to bite the inside of your cheek because you didn’t know what normal really was right now, “we’ll get back to normal.”

“You don’t think we can get back to normal?”

“Of course I do, it’s just..” you started, “going to take some time. It’s not like I didn’t know what I was signing up for with you but after seeing her, Ty, with her perfect teeth and her perfect skin and her perfect face, I just couldn’t help but think that that’s the kind of girl you should be with. It makes more sense than us. God, even the internet thinks so.”

“What does that mean? Have you been reading the Instagram comments again?”

“Tyler, they think I’m a joke or a charity case. They say they don’t get what you see in me and then they compare me to all the girls you’ve been with before me and I gotta tell ya…” you shifted your weight onto your opposite leg, popping your hip as you did so, “I can’t say I disagree with them.”

“Since when does it matter what they think?”

“Since always!” you shouted, “I love you, Ty, I always have -- it may have taken me a little while to admit it but I think you forget everything that I’ve gone through before I went through everything.”

“Are you talking about your eating disorder? You haven’t had any problems for years”

“That’s not necessarily true”

“What can I do?”

“Love me? Tell me that what I’m seeing and what they’re saying isn’t true. Make me believe that the girls you meet at Maya and Bottle Blonde’s are just girls you meet and not ones that you want anything to do with. Make me believe that this Kate girl, who seems to be everything I wish I could be, is nothing more than a family friend.” He nodded at you sympathetically, walking over to wrap you in a warm hug and you let yourself melt into him for the first time in almost a week. When the day of the Barbeque finally came, the series was tied 2-2 and Tyler was in a moderately happy mood; attempting to dance with the dogs when you wouldn’t dance with him, coming up behind you to wrap his arms around your waist and nuzzling his face in your neck as you prepared the burgers

“Where are my steaks woman?” he joked, eliciting the first real smile from you in days

“Don’t worry, Seguin, the steaks are over there,” you pointed to the counter where the steaks were marinating, “so they can get just the way you like them. But you’re cooking them because I will burn them.” He kissed your cheek before rushing over to grab the steaks to put them on the grill

“Everyone’s on their way, so I’m gonna put these on now,” he called as he walked outside, “you good with that?”

“Yeah” you called back while you washed your hands before making your way outside. You sat down on the arm of the chair Tyler was sitting in and watched the dogs run around the yard for a bit; eventually Tyler pulled you into his lap and tucked his face into your neck

“This is nice” he whispered, his breath feathering across your neck, “you smell so good.”

“Thanks, babe” you laughed. The two of you lounged in the backyard for a few minutes when you heard a knock on the door, followed shortly by Jordan calling out for Tyler; who immediately popped up to greet him. You went to chase after Marshall and Cash while Gerry jumped in the pool, occasionally checking that Tyler’s steaks weren’t burning.

“Hey (Y/N)!” Jordan greeted as he walked outside, smiling as he gave you a hug

“Hey! Did Ty offer you something to drink? Beer? Pop? Water?”

“He didn’t actually, what a terrible host,” Jordan joked, “I’ll start with water.” You went inside to grab a bottle of water for Jordan when you heard the door open and shut, looking over you saw Cassidy and Candace walk through the house

“Cass? Candace? what are you doing here?” you asked, surprised to see them

“Ty invited us..” Candace replied

“Wait should we not be here?” Cassidy continued

“No, I mean it’s not that. I’m happy to see you guys but I’m trying to get a feel for stuff and I told Tyler to invite the friends he would get drunk with. And something tells me you two are not those friends” you admitted

“I don’t understand. What’s going on?” Cass questioned

“What do you guys know about Kate?”

“Kate?” Candace whispered, walking slowly toward you and her sister in the kitchen, “she’s sweet. She’s a nice girl but why are you asking?”

“Does she have, or has she ever had, a thing for your brother?”

“(Y/N)...” Candace sat down at the kitchen island as you grabbed the girls each a bottle of water, “does she? I’m not sure. Did she? Yes. But she’s seven years younger than him and they hardly see each other.”

“She does live here though” Cassidy added

“Hence the barbeque” you said, gesturing to the backyard and notice the girls finally catch on

“This is for her?!” they said together, both raising their eyebrows

“Not for her, but she was invited yes. I just need to know who she is and why she decided it was okay to show up here randomly”

“This is insane” Cassidy scoffed before getting up and heading outside, forcing you and Candace to make your way out there as well

“She’s right, you know,” Candace said plainly, “Tyler would never cheat on you and Kate is a nice girl, she wouldn’t let Tyler do that to you”

“Which is it Candace?” you asked and when you saw Candace furrow her brow, you clarified, “would he never cheat on me or would this girl not let him?”

“I didn’t mean it like that, (Y/N). He loves you and she’s just a girl with a crush.” You smiled and nodded your head down to the ground, laughing once to yourself before you heard a large group of people storm through the front door. You handed Jordan his water and found a chair to sit in, watching Tyler interact with all his friends and grab beers from the cooler Ty had brought outside. You waited to see how many more of them would come until your friends came in to distract you

“(Y/N)!” Diana called to you as she came down the steps

“Diana! Heather! Oh my god Karlie you came!” You exclaimed as your friends hugged you

“Of course I came,” Karlie said, “I was invited and I wasn’t about to miss a barbeque with my best girl friends”

“Well don’t get too excited,” you chided, “it’s not all what it seems”

“It’s not a party?” Heather questioned

“No” you and Diana said in unison and you glared at her, not knowing why she answered that way

“It’s a barbeque not a party” she smiled and you laughed breathily

“I need you girls to have my back, no matter what happens. Understand?” you said, pointing your finger in their faces and they nodded, “that means no flirting, no ‘getting to know the guys,’ no distractions. You’re here for moral support.”

“I’m lost” Karlie confessed

“Yeah, me too” Diana admitted

“Just have my back okay?” The three girls just smiled and found their own spots to sit. You made your way through the group of guys surrounding Tyler as he grilled and asked if anyone needed anything, to which everyone replied ‘nope’ leading you to wrap your arms around Tyler’s waist.

“Having fun, baby?” he cooed

“Mhmm,” you hummed, “you didn’t tell me your sisters were coming?”

“Thought I’d surprise you” he said quickly, before turning around to kiss the top of your head. It was a nice surprise, and you were happy they were here as always, but you were still waiting for Kate to show up and take that happy feeling away -- or at least take Tyler’s attention away. Just as you got comfortable with Tyler and his friend’s, you heard a bit of a commotion by the door and when you looked over, you saw Kate’s familiar smile and you watched Tyler’s head turn to her; carefully analyzing his expression.

“Let’s go say hi…” you whispered, immediately noticing the shock on his face

“Let’s just hang out here. Or go into the pool?” he responded harshly

“We have to at least be polite, this whole thing was so I could see how you interact with her right?”

“(Y/N)...” You tilted your head at Tyler and started walking toward Kate. You gently introduced yourself to her, stretching out your hand for her to shake

“I’m sorry about how I acted that day when you came to the door. I was just surprised. Tyler hadn’t really mentioned you, so I wasn’t expecting… for you to come to the door.” Her face clearly said that she was feeling just as awkward as you were but you couldn’t help but notice how often her eyes found Tyler leading you to finally excuse yourself

“Everything okay?” Candace called and you nodded as you walked back into the house, starting toward the stairs when someone pulled your arm to grab your attention

“Where are you going?”

“Ethan?” you said, shocked, “What are you doing here? When did you get here?”

“I got a frantic phone call from Diana saying that you were on the edge of ruining your relationship and I came rushing over”

“I’m not ruining my relationship”

“Which clearly means you are,” you rolled your eyes before he continued, turning his body to the backyard and pointing subtly at Kate, “is that her?”

“I can’t compete with her…”

“It’s not your job to compete with her. Get to know her, talk to her, maybe you’ll like her…”

“Like everyone seems to?”

“I bet she’s a lot like you, you know”

“What does that mean?”

“She’s probably sweet and funny and kind and smart and a blast to be around”

“Why can’t you just hate her for a second?”

“Because I don’t know her!” He yelled before sighing, “I’m not subscribing to the theory that women have to tear each other down in order for their boyfriends to love them”

“Hold on, that’s not what this is”

“Yes, (Y/N), it is,” he said, his hands on your shoulders, “I love you but you have to realize he’s not James.”

“E, she came to the house thinking that she could just… see Tyler…”

“He can have friends that are girls”

“It was the way she asked for him. Like she deserved him and I didn’t matter”

“I think you’re just a little self-conscious about her”

“YOU--” you yelled before pulling him aside and lowering your voice, “you’re damn right I’m self-conscious. I have no doubt in my mind that he’s looking for something that I can’t give him. But that she can”

“And that is?”

“A better public image?”

“He loves you”

“Then why hasn’t he said it to me today?”

“What?”

“He usually tells me he loves me everyday, more than once, but today he hasn’t said it. He’s kissed me and held me close, sure. But he hasn’t told me he loves me. And he knew she was gonna be here. And let’s face it, E, she fits with him better than I do. They make sense together. Me and him… maybe it wasn’t meant to last…”

“This is all because of her? Everything you’re saying? Everything you’re feeling? Or is it something else?” he whispered

“No, it’s her. I look at her and see everything I’m not. Then I’m forced to look at the other girls the guys are dating and I don’t look anything like them”

“You think Tyler cares?”

“Maybe not,” you admitted, “but I see him trying to hide comments about me all the time and he shouldn’t have to do that. Whether he loves me or not, whether he says he doesn’t care what people think or not, people are still going to say things because we don’t… match”

“Your hearts match. Your love for each other matches. Shouldn’t that be enough?”

“It should be but wh--” Just then, Tyler walked in and noticed the tension in the room

“Everything okay?” he asked

“I’m just gonna give you two a second…” Ethan replied, baring his teeth as he passed Tyler. You didn’t say anything and neither did he because there was no real conversation to have, so you grabbed his hand and led him to the bedroom.

--

You knew you were acting strange but the whole situation had you confused and feeling just as insecure as ever. You knew Tyler loved you but this girl was who you expected him to end up with and it seemed like she wanted him as much as you thought she did.

“What’s going on (Y/N)?” Tyler suddenly spoke, his words were harsh and you didn’t know how your face was reading

“This was a bad idea” you stated and he just nodded

“I knew that from the beginning but you insisted”

“I thought I could be the bigger person but I think that’s the problem”

“What?”

“I’m literally the bigger person”

“Stop”

“I wanted to put these thoughts in the back of my mind. Ignore them because there’s nothing there but, Ty,” you sighed, “I saw the way that she was looking at you. I saw the way that you were trying so desperately not to look at her. Even if nothing’s happened yet, it sure as hell seems like something could happen in the very near future”

“But it won’t”

“But it could!”

“But it won’t.” The finality in his tone made you step back and you dropped your head before you said anything more. The room fell silent as you tried to figure out what you wanted to say next but, try as you might, you couldn’t muster anything. You stepped backwards until the bend of your knee hit the mattress and you gently sat down, dropping your head to your hands and shook your head. When you heard Tyler take a step toward you, you finally spoke

“Tell me you love me” you whispered, your hands covering your face muffled the words, making Tyler say ‘what?’ and you were forced to drop your hands to repeat what you said, “tell me you love me.” He didn’t say it right away, instead he just looked confused that this was all you chose to say

“I love you..” he muttered but the words felt insincere; your heart sank and you could feel your eyes welling up with tears. You so miserably wanted to escape that feeling, so you stood up and slowly walked over to him, not saying anything, and began removing his shirt when you were close enough. When the fabric cleared his head you pulled him down to you for a kiss, making sure to push your chest against him as your tongue danced with his and tried to make sure there was no way he could talk. You wrapped your arms around his neck to pull yourself up onto his hips, making him lose his balance slightly and he smiled against your lips as you both fell onto the bed. He pulled away to undress you and you helped him along, undoing his shorts when your dress was off and attaching your lips back on his so he couldn’t speak and controlled his movements with your hands. With his clothes finally off, you directed him inside of you and let out a moan into his mouth; not wanting to part the kiss.

“(Y/N),” he breathed before his lips found their way to your collarbone and his rhythm increased forcing you to bring your hand up to your mouth to hinder the sounds that would inevitably escape, “fuck babe.. you fe--”

“Shhh,” you interrupted, placing your finger in front of his lips, “no talking.” You managed to slow down his pace a little so you could feel him inside you a little more and you were hoping that he wouldn’t try to talk anymore when he whispered something in your ear

“I love you” he whispered as he kissed behind your ear and traced down your neck, placing kisses along the way as his movements sped up again and his climax came shortly after his words. And although his sentiment felt more authentic this time, you couldn’t stop the tears that welled up in your eyes and all you could do was turn your body away from him

“I’m gonna have a shower. You should get back to the party..” you said tersely, popping up from the bed and practically bolting to the en suite

“Want me to join you?” you heard Tyler say, the smile on his voice ever present, but you couldn’t say anything. You locked the door behind you before turning on the water and listened to Tyler jostle the doorknob and call out to you.

“(Y/N)? Baby? Is everything okay?” You could feel the hurt in his voice and it made the tears fall from your eyes even faster. You looked at yourself in the mirror, examining your body the same way you had the night of the Charity Fundraiser when you first met Tyler, until you couldn’t anymore and hopped in the shower.

“I’m fine, Ty. I’ll be out in a bit, I’ll see you downstairs” you finally said but you could tell he didn’t leave. Salty tears mixed with boiling hot water as you stood in the shower, letting yourself disappear into a flurry of mixed emotions; acutely aware of how Tyler still hadn’t gone back downstairs. When you finally turned the water off and wrapped yourself in a towel, you heard Tyler try the doorknob again and you squeezed your eyes shut at the sound, and what it meant. You placed your hand flat against the door and waited for him to say something, or try the door again, but when nothing happened you weren’t sure how to react. Finally, you opened the door and you caught a glimpse of him walking out the door and a note on the dresser where he knew you’d see it.

“I love you, a million times and a million ways. I can’t say it enough but maybe you need to hear it more than I thought you did. So, I’ll say it over and over again until you tell me not to. But I’ll always love you. I can tell that you need some time to sort out some stuff -- this stuff you’re feeling about Kate. I know me saying that there’s nothing going on may not mean much to you right now, but I hope that you get your assurance somehow, someway, and if it’s not from me than I hope it’s from someone you trust. I love you, so I’ll give you space if that’s what you want (even though I hope it’s not what you want), I’ll give you time, if that’s what you need. Just as long as I know you’ll come back to me.”

The words on this torn piece of paper were supposed to make you feel better, you knew they were, but with every tear that fell and smudged the ink your heart still felt heavy. And you weren’t sure if you’d ever stop crying.

109 notes · View notes

Anything You Can Do

Square(s) Filled: Girl Power for @spnfluffbingo2019

Warnings: playground antics, flirting, fluff, ahhh, IDK, it’s fun! Implied sex as payment (it’s REALLY not what you think)

Summary: Jared opens his man-child mouth and it’s on! It’s a karaoke battle for the ages and the ladies are in it to win it! But, when this crew shows up, there are no losers!

Pairing: Reader x past OC, Rob x Reader, Jensen x Briana

Word Count: 4455

Written for: @spnfluffbingo2019

Beta’d by: @alleiradayne​ who was crazy enough to support this idea from the beginning and my dear @amanda-teaches​, whom I would be lost without.

A/N: I wanted to do something really fun and who of us wouldn’t be up for some of this on a Friday night???!!!! All the songs were painstakingly chosen for reasons. There are also some shameless plugs for my boys Louden Swain.

Also a shout out to my friend Beth @brooksba, who took all the amazing photos found in the graphic below!

It was a rare convention weekend when all the guests showed up on a Friday. The green room was fuller than normal as Jensen, Jared, Rob, Rich, Briana, Kim, Y/N, Ruth and the boys from the band sat around shooting the breeze. The green room always had a relaxed and playful atmosphere and this time was no different.

“Oh come on! You cannot burp the alphabet!” Jared scoffed as Briana picked up a warm soda from the table and opened it.

“Why, cause I’m a girl?” she challenged him and the room exploded with the disbelief of all those in attendance that Jared dare say such a thing to her, or any of the women on the convention circuit.

“Well,” Jared looked around sheepishly, waiting for someone to help him.

“Nope. You’re on your own with this one pal!” Rich slapped him on the back. “You have awakened the beast.”

“I just mean, you’re little and…” Jared tried to come up with another reason. Christ, Gen was going to kill him when he got home.

“I may be little but I am fierce, Jarpad,” Briana grinned and chugged the soda. It wasn’t long before a symphony of belches in the form of the alphabet song erupted from her. “Anything you can do I can do better. I can do anything better than you.” She sang as she high fived Kim and Y/N.

“No, no, no. Not this again,” Jensen chuckled, shaking his head.

“Oh yeah! I am so down for this. And this time, a wager perhaps?” Rich went into full on emcee mode. “What do y’all say about a battle for the ages? A karaoke battle, if you will. It is Friday after all.”

“Yesss!” The women shouted.

“Winner picks the losers costume for the next convention?” Rich continued, knowing he had the ladies all in for this. “Fellas? You gonna back down from a challenge?”

“Hell no! I’m in!” Matt Cohen raised his hand.

“Yeah, I’ll do it. I mean, I am a professional,” Rob joined him, making eye contact with Y/N shyly across the room.

“Can’t leave my fearless leader in the wind. I’ll do it,” Mike Borja threw his proverbial hat in the ring, looking at the last three.

“Don’t look at me! I don’t sing!” Jared backed away slowly.

Jensen glanced to Jason, then back to the women, all with shit eating grins on their faces. “I’m probably gonna regret this, but okay. Jason and I are in.”

“Wait, how did I get wrapped into this? I’m not an idiot like Jared!” Jason defended.

“No, but you are a team player buddy and we need you if we’re going to stand a chance,” Jensen replied, looking to Briana with a wink.

“Splendid! The rules are simple. I, and only I, will pick your songs. No one else will know what you are singing but me. Now, go. Be gone. Out damn spot!” Rich grinned ear to ear as he pulled out his phone, making the most epic list of his convention career.

~*~

“Y/N, girl, are you gonna tell him or not?” Briana asked her pointedly when they got to Briana’s room to get ready for the Karaoke Party.

“Yeah, did you see the way he was looking at you?” Kim chimed in.

“You guys, I just ended a really bad relationship and he’s my friend,” Y/N said. “I don’t want to ruin what we have.”

“Then don’t. Just ruin him for all other women!” Ruth giggled.

“Oh my god Ruthie!” Y/N hid her flushed face behind her hands.

“And may I point out that you didn’t ‘just’ end that relationship. It’s been over for weeks officially,” Kim reminded her.

“And you gotta get back on that horse sometime. No time like the present I say!” Briana laughed.

“Come on, Y/N. You’re an overachiever! Just go out there tonight and be amazing; sing your rock song. This is real life, babe and if you’re lucky, you’ll get a leg up on him and he won’t know what hit him!” Kim encouraged.

“All’s fair in love and war and karaoke battles,” Ruth chirped. “This is how you’ll win the big one, Y/N, ready steady.”

“Okay, okay okay! I get it. Gosh, you all sure know a lot of their songs,” Y/N rolled her eyes as Briana dragged her in the bathroom to curl her hair.

“Aha! You know all the songs, too!” Kim shouted.

“Yeah, yeah,” Y/N smiled at Briana in the mirror.

“You’re gonna knock his socks off,” she smiled back.

~*~

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Friday Night Karaoke! Boy oh boy, do we have a special treat for y’all tonight! During some green room antics earlier, a challenge has been issued,” Rich paused, waiting for the audience to quiet some and let him finish his intro. “Tonight, with you good people as witnesses, will be a battle to battle all battles! The ladies versus the men

of Supernatural will battle it out for bragging rights right here on this stage!!”

The crowd exploded in cheers and applause. Rich drew a slip of paper from the bowl and the first few fans sang their songs to roaring applause. Briana, Kim, Rich, Rob and Matt all joined in on stage for the fun.

“Please may I get a warm welcome for Miss Y/N Y/L/N!” Rich announced.

Y/N walked through the curtain, kissing him lightly on the cheek and whispering in his ear. “I know what you’re doing Rich. I’ll get you back for this.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about darlin’. Now go, sing!” Rich shooed her from his side.

The beat started and Y/N started rocking her body with its rhythm. “Yeah!”

“I’m coming up so you better get this party started!

I’m coming up so you better get this party started!

Get this party started on a Friday night

Everybody’s waiting for me to arrive

Sending out the message to all of my friends…”

The crowd was going wild, bouncing and singing along as Y/N worked them into a frenzy with her first song of the evening. If this was any indication of how the night would go, she didn’t care who won, she was having a damn good time, and she made sure the crowd was too as she finished her song.

“Well, well, well, I guess we really got this party started now!” Rich laughed, pulling another name from the bowl.

“Please give it up for Miss Briana Buckmaster!” Rich shouted as Briana walked forward.

Briana took center stage in front of the screen. She was holding her breath, praying Rich didn’t pick something lame. When the screen lit up and the music started, she gave it everything, knowing they had this shit in the bag.

“Step back gonna come at ya fast

I’m driving out of control

And getting ready to crash

Won’t stop shaking up what I can

I serve it up in a shot

So suck it down like a man

So baby yes I know what I am

And no I don’t give a damn

And you’ll be loving it up

Some days I’m a super bitch

Up to my old tricks

But it won’t last forever

Next day I’m your supergirl

Out to save the world

And it keeps gettin’ better…”

From the first word, the crowd was loving it and singing along with her. Jensen watched discreetly from the side of the stage, cursing Jared for opening his gigantic mouth, but loving the view. Man that girl could sing! And the way she moved…mesmerizing, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. It definitely keeps getting better.

Briana finished off her song and Rich stepped up to announce the next name. “You know, Robby, we’ve been doing this for how long? Four, five, sixty years?”

“Oh about sixty I think, from how old I feel at the end of a convention weekend,” Rob quipped, the audience breaking out in laughter.

“And never, in all that time, has this next person ever, ever, graced us with his presence on a Friday night. Did you know that?” Rich asked Rob.

“Never, ever?” Rob repeated.

“Never. So without further ado, please welcome to the karaoke stage for the first time EVER, Mr. Jensen Ackles!” Rich stepped away, letting Jensen saunter on the stage. The crowd was deafening and could not believe that Jensen would not only attend the Karaoke party, but actually participate!

“Thanks buddy. Don’t make me make you regret this,” he chuckled as the music started and he shook his head. He looked to the side and made eye contact with Briana, a knowing grin on her face.

“Revvin’ up your engine

Listen to her howlin’ roar

Metal under tension

Beggin’ you to touch and go

Highway to the danger zone

Ride into the danger zone

Headin’ into twilight

Spreadin’ out her wings tonight

She got you jumpin’ off the track

And shovin’ into overdrive…”

Jensen was never one for karaoke, but loved to sing and did so with everything he had. The song, while not special to him in any way, held a new meaning after tonight. He looked out among the crowd and was energized by them.

“Out along the edges

Always where I burn to be

The further on the edge

The hotter the intensity…”

Jensen closed out his song with vigor, feeding off the fans, much like he does at a Saturday Night Special Concert. He tossed Rich his microphone and practically bounced off backstage.

“Robby, I think you know what I’m going to say,” Rich paused for dramatic effect.

“Rich, I might play God on television, but I don’t know what you’re going to say. I might actually be afraid of what you’re going to say,” Rob turned to face the audience, a knowing look on his face.

“Well Bobbo, we’re gonna turn it up a notch. Please put your dirty little hands together for the one, the only, Miss Kim Rhodes!” Rich roared and the crowd went nuts. Kim ran out onto the stage, a smile splitting her face from ear to ear. She was always a fan favorite at karaoke and Rich knew with the song he picked, this would be no different.

As soon as the music started, Kim threw her arms in the air and started stomping her feet along with the beat.

“County road two thirty-three under my feet

Nothin’ on this white rock but little ol’ me

I’ve got two miles till he makes bail

And if I’m right, we’re headed straight for hell

I’m goin’ home, gonna load my shotgun

Wait by the door, and light a cigarette

If he wants a fight, well, now he’s got one

And he ain’t seen me crazy yet

He slapped my face, and he shook me like a rag doll

Don’t that sound like a real man?

I’m going to show him what little girls are made of

Gunpowder and lead…”

“Come on! I can’t hear you!” Kim screamed. “Let’s make sure everyone knows we’re having a fucking good time tonight!”

“Well, it’s half past ten, another six-pack in

And I can feel the rumble like the cold black wind

He pulls in the drive, the gravel flies

He don’t know what’s waiting here this time

I’m goin’ home, gonna load my shotgun

Wait by the door, and light a cigarette

If he wants a fight, well, now he’s got one

And he ain’t seen me crazy yet

He slapped my face, and he shook me like a rag doll

Don’t that sound like a real man?

I’m going to show him what little girls are made of

Gunpowder and lead…”

The decibels were so high, it was a miracle anyone could hear anything after Kim finished, whipping the crowd into an even higher gear.

“Well, Kim really knows how to put on a show doesn’t she? You think she gets that from Zach and Cody?” Rich turned to Rob, who could only shake his head at his friend.

“I will end you Speight,” Kim’s voice carried through the PA system.

“Well Bobbo, I guess it’s your turn!” Rich quickly got back to business.

“Well this should be fun,” Rob commented, waiting somewhat awkwardly for the music to queue.

Now, the Black Crowes were a good band, a great band, but Rob wasn’t sure if this was the kind of message he wanted to send. But he undoubtedly knew it was exactly the message Rich wanted him to send.

“Baby here I am

I’m the man on the scene

I can give you what you want

But you gotta’ come home with me

“Girl, you have no idea how into you he is,” Briana cooed, her red lips just inches from Y/N’s flushed cheeks. “I couldn’t have picked a better song myself.” She just smiled, throwing her arm over her friend’s shoulders as she watched Rob work his magic on the crowd, and Y/N.

I have got some good old lovin’

And I got some more in store

When I get through throwin’ it on

You gotta’ come back for more

Boys will come along a dime by the dozen

That ain’t nothing but ten cent lovin’

Pretty little thing, let me light your candle

‘Cause mama I’m sure hard to handle now, yessir'am

Action speaks louder than words

And I’m a man of great experience

I know you’ve got another man

But I can love you better than him

At first Rob felt dirty singing this, knowing Richard’s intent behind it, but by the end, stealing glances at Y/N throughout the song, Rob threw caution to the wind. He ran to the side of the stage and sang directly to her. It was no secret to everyone that Rob had a giant crush on her. It was only lost on her. Maybe he could get her to notice.

Take my hand don’t be afraid

I’m gonna prove every word I say

I’m advertising love for free

So you can place your ad with me

Boys will come along a dime by the dozen

That ain’t nothing but ten cent lovin’

Pretty little thing, let me light your candle

'Cause mama I’m sure hard to handle now, yessir'am…”

Y/N was blushing furiously, her mouth agape as Kim and Bri led her backstage for her next song. She looked like she could use a stiff drink. Or two. Ruthie was headed out just as they walked in. She winked at Y/N and skipped behind the curtain as Rich called her name.

Ruth was a great entertainer and sang a fun filled rendition of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, getting the whole crowd involved, even pulling a few fans up on the stage. Mike Borja even joined the fun, then followed it up with ZZ Top’s Sharp Dressed Man. The crowd went wild for Matt Cohen as usual when he came out rapping Macklemore’s Can’t Hold Us like a beast and Jason slowed it down a bit with Tom Petty���s I Won’t Back Down.

“We’ve got a few more songs for you good people tonight and I know I appreciate you letting these fools take over your karaoke party. Whaddya say we get Jensen back out here?” Rich addressed the screaming fans and it got even louder when Jensen made his way back through the curtain. “Oh Ackles, you’re gonna love this one!”

Jensen gave everybody the most epic bitch face that ever bitched when he realized what song was playing. But, ever the consummate performer, he rolled with it and knocked it out of the park in a way that only Jensen can do.

This hit, that ice cold

Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold

This one for them hood girls

Them good girls straight masterpieces

Stylin’, wilin’, livin’ it up in the city

Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent

Gotta kiss myself, I’m so pretty

I’m too hot (hot damn)

Called a police and a fireman

I’m too hot (hot damn)

Make a dragon wanna retire man

I’m too hot (hot damn)

Say my name you know who I am

I’m too hot (hot damn)

And my band 'bout that money, break it down

Girls hit your hallelujah (whoo)

Girls hit your hallelujah (whoo)

Girls hit your hallelujah (whoo)

'Cause uptown funk gon’ give it to you

'Cause uptown funk gon’ give it to you

'Cause uptown funk gon’ give it to you

Saturday night and we in the spot

Don’t believe me just watch (come on)

Briana watched from the wings, her skin heating up as she watched Jensen dance his dorky self across the stage, high-fiving fans, slapping Rich on the ass and stealing Borja’s hat. He could never pretend to be grumpy for long, and she got the feeling he was loving the whole experience and getting closer to the fans that the normal concert allows.

Before we leave

Lemme tell y'all a lil’ something

Uptown funk you up

Uptown funk you up

Uptown funk you up

Uptown funk you up uh

I said uptown funk you up

Uptown funk you up

Uptown funk you up

Uptown funk you up

“You better go jump on that!” Kim pushed her out onto the stage just as Jensen made his way over to where they were standing. Briana stumbled right into Jensen, but he easily caught her with one strong arm and pulled her with him to center stage. Briana was never a shy one and she wasted no time doing her worst as Jensen finished the song out, his eyes never leaving her grinding body on the stage next to him.

Come on, dance, jump on it

If you sexy then flaunt it

If you freaky then own it

Don’t brag about it, come show me

Come on, dance

Jump on it

If you sexy then flaunt it

Well it’s Saturday night and we in the spot

Don’t believe me just watch come on!

“Well that was incredible wasn’t it? Watching two of the world’s most beautiful people get their freak on in front of a couple hundred people? But damn if it wasn’t a good time!” Rich laughed, his body rolling forward as Jensen and Briana made their way off stage. “Oh no Miss Buckmaster! You get that fine ass back here! Might as well bring him with.”

“Richie, can I at least pick?” Briana pouted, standing close enough so only RIch could hear her.

“Oh no sweet cheeks! The whole idea was for me to pick the songs!” Rich reminded her. “Besides, the ladies are totally killing it!”

“Yeah, we are!” she smiled. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

Briana killed Whitney’s I’m Every Woman, all the ladies coming out to join her, as they tormented the men, Jason even pulling Jared on stage, so he could see how they were getting beat down by a bunch of girls.

“Brother, it doesn’t matter the competition, women will win every day of the week and twice on Sundays,” Jason slapped him on the shoulder as he headed off stage. “I need a drink.”

“So Rich tells me I’m up for another one. Hit it Maestro,” Y/N smiled. The music started and she knew she had Rich to thank. This song had become her anthem. He had been a good friend and better listener over the last several months and she was grateful for him, grateful for all of them. She could never picture her life without the crazy family she had found.

“This is for every single one of you that has been through hell and came out the other side…like a Winchester,” she grabbed the microphone and readied herself.

“You know the bed feels warmer

Sleeping here alone

You know I dream in color

And do the things I want

You think you got the best of me

Think you had the last laugh

Bet you think that everything good is gone

Think you left me broken down

Think that I’d come running back

Baby you don’t know me, 'cause you’re dead wrong

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

Stand a little taller

Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone

What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter

Footsteps even lighter

Doesn’t mean I’m over 'cause you’re gone…”

Y/N laughed as she danced around the stage, much like she did alone in her apartment or trailer. She finally felt like herself again.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, stronger

Just me, myself and I

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

Stand a little taller

Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone

Thanks to you I got a new thing started

Thanks to you I’m not the broken-hearted

Thanks to you I’m finally thinking 'bout me

You know in the end the day I left was just my beginning

In the end

Bouncing around the stage, Y/N closed out the song to a standing ovation and ringing ears. She had never felt lighter. She hugged Rich, giving back the microphone. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, but I ain’t done yet,” he winked at her. “Robbie, you’re up buddy!”

As soon as the title card hit the screen on stage, Rob groaned internally. The audience picked up the whistling for the first 45 seconds as Rob gave his best friend a piece of his mind, a smile on his face all the while.

“Rich! What are you doing? You totally set me up for this. I’m going to kill you in your sleep, just so you know!”

“Ohhh Bobbo, you’ll thank me in the morning and we both know it. Everyone knows it. Now focus and sing Axl!” Rich slapped Rob’s ass before ducking off stage. Rob looked around and caught Ruth and Y/N off to the side, slowly swaying to the tune.

“Shed a tear 'cause I’m missin’ you

I’m still alright to smile

Girl, I think about you every day now

Was a time when I wasn’t sure

But you set my mind at ease

There is no doubt you’re in my heart now

Said “woman take it slow, and it’ll work itself out fine”

All we need is just a little patience

Said “sugar make it slow and we’ll come together fine”

All we need is just a little patience (Patience)

Mm, yeah

I sit here on the stairs

'Cause I’d rather be alone

If I can’t have you right now, I’ll wait dear

Sometimes I get so tense but I can’t speed up the time

But you know love there’s one more thing to consider

Said “woman take it slow and things will be just fine”

You and I’ll just use a little patience

Said “sugar take the time 'cause the lights are shining bright”

You and I’ve got what it takes to make it

We won’t fake it, I’ll never break it

'Cause I can’t take it…”

Y/N left Ruth’s side and strolled to where Rob stood center stage, his hand wrapped tightly around the microphone, his eyes closed as he whistled the quick few notes. When he opened his eyes, he found her right beside him.

Little patience, mm yeah, mm yeah

Need a little patience, yeah

Just a little patience, yeah

Some more patience, yeah

I’ve been walking the streets at night

Just trying to get it right

It’s hard to see with so many around

You know I don’t like being stuck in the crowd

And the streets don’t change but maybe the names

I ain’t got time for the game 'cause I need you

Yeah, yeah, yeah but I need you

Oh, I need you

Oh, I need you

Ooh this time

Rob looked down at the end of the song, the ballroom booming with cheers and applause, to find Y/N’s hand clasped tightly in his.

“All you needed was a little patience,” she smiled up at him.

“If I can’t have you right now, I’ll wait dear,” Rob admitted, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

“Take it slow and things will be just fine,” she squeezed his hand and they rushed off the stage, only to be besieged by their friends.

“I knew it!” Kim threw her hands up in victory.

“Well that took longer than it should have,” Ruth giggled, sashaying back to the refreshments.

Y/N watched as Jared and Matt both slapped twenties in Jason’s hand.

“You bet on us?” Y/N asked, a mix of outrage and amusement as she looked among her friends, her hand still in Rob’s. His face was somewhere between pride, joy and shame.

“Hell yeah we did,” Jensen chimed in. “Now pay up Buckmaster!”

“I’m fresh out of cash, Ackles. Sorry,” she swayed towards him.

He grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her to him. “ I can think of plenty of ways you can work it off.” His deep timbre practically a growl before he kissed her.

Catcalls could be heard out on the stage no doubt. Rich poked his head through the curtain. “I missed it?”

“Told ya you would!” Kim hollered, holding out her hand. Rich, Mike, Y/N and Ruth all slipped her their payment. “Jas and I cleaned up. Come on folks, first rounds on us!”

“I guess it was a wager in more ways than one tonight, huh?” Rob chuckled, turning to face Y/N, a smile lighting up his face.

“Our friends may have bet on us, but I’m still a winner,” she grinned, lifting her chin to meet his baby blues.

“Yeah? How so?” he asked.

“Well, I’m pretty sure I got the guy, but I am still missing my winnings,” she stepped closer, mere inches separated them and she could feel the heat emanating from his lean body.

“What winnings are those?” he whispered, closing the distance even more.

“I still need your payment on the Buckles bet,” she reminded him.

“Oh yeah, what do I owe you again?” he feigned innocence.

“Let me think,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his in a sweet and slightly heated first kiss. “I think about a thousand more of those would be a good start.”

“Seems like a steep wager, Miss Y/L/N,” Rob quipped. “But I think I’d like to up the ante.”

“You’re on. Just remember, anything you can do, I can do better,” she giggled under his steady gaze.

“It’s going to be a fun weekend,.” Rob mumbled, grabbing her by the neck and kissed her harder this time, leaving her breathless and wanting more. He pulled away, her lips chasing his. “Patience, my dear. Just a little patience.”

Did you like it? The nicest thing you can do for a writer is reblog their work and tell them, and others, how much you like it!

58 notes · View notes

Farm Boy Flashback Friday #1

Hey there! I’m trying to get back into the swing of things and I wanted to start by posting from Farm Boy Blues again! Every Friday I want to post a piece of Sunny’s past as a drabble or something, just to introduce you guys to some previous events and characters- some of which you may already know! This week is from Sunny’s past in New York before moving(or being chased) to the West Coast. Hope you enjoy!

A few months ago, someone could have looked Sunny in the eye and told him he’d end up in New York City working for a crime syndicate and he would have laughed them off. Now he wondered if he’d ever laugh again. There was a good chance that if he couldn’t do what these guys wanted him to, they’d put a bullet in his head and toss his body in the river.

“So, the ship from Luna comes in tonight,” explained the haggard, balding man in front of him in the diner booth. The man’s eyes were half lidded and predatory as he took a drag from his cigarette and set it in the ash tray between them. The diner around them was empty, but there was a low buzz in the air that made Sunny uncomfortable. It was either that or the fact that three mob trigger men sat at the bar to his right.

Stay cool, Sunny, don’t give em a reason to think you’re a flake, he thought to himself, fidgeting with the zipper on his jacket.

“We’ll take a van to the spaceport, and wait for this shipment to be offloaded. We follow them to the yard, and when they get it off the trucks, we jump the crew. We’ll separate the supervisor from the rest, and I’ll start asking him what the codes to the container are.”

Sunny glanced at the three other men who were staring him down from the bar while a very nervous looking waitress poured the men coffee. “Hopefully, he’ll just give it up. If not, I’ll start asking him harder,” the corner of the man’s eye twitched ever so slightly and Sunny instantly picked up on the micro expression. This guy was a sadist, he loved hurting people. “You’ll do your little ‘human lie detector’ thing and we’ll get it out of him before long. Got it?”

Fuck. “Yeah, I got it. No problem.”

“Great,” the man slapped the table and Sunny was thankful he didn’t flinch. The mobster stood up and pointed at Sunny, “Hang tight, I need to converse with my associates for a moment.”

“Sure,” Sunny sighed as the man went to talk to the other mafia goons. He noticed that the balding and irritable man, who the others called Greenly, had left his cigarette behind. Sunny wanted to take a drag but was scared of catching a bullet if he crossed a line. He’d fucked up pretty badly to get the attention of the syndicate- he was on as thin of ice as possible and he wasn’t going to do anything to piss these guys off.

Sunny was wondering why he couldn’t have just kept out of trouble in the first place-without getting caught up in this shit- when the front door bell chimed and a familiar figure slid into the diner. The man wore a suit- his jacket open and his tie loosened around an unbuttoned collar. Agent Ellis looked like shit, but it was him.

Ellis locked eyes with Sunny and sighed, weaving between the tables to approach the boy, who didn’t move a muscle. Sunny didn’t know what Ellis thought he was about to accomplish, but the rage in Sunny would never let him get around to it. He gripped the fork he’d stashed under his thigh when he sat down earlier and clenched his jaw.

Ellis stopped right next to the table and looked down at Sunny, who glared back up at him. “Come on kid, you gonna shank me? Let the shiv, or whatever that is, go and come with me.”

Sunny didn’t answer, but the syndicate guys, who’d watched Ellis like a hawk since he entered, seemed to perk up even more. Sunny glanced at them for a second before staring back at Ellis. “Go. Away.”

“I can’t do that, Sunny. Get up and let’s go.”

“I don’t know you,” Sunny shook his head slowly, “and I don’t go anywhere with weird old men.”

Sunny had just found his “out”. The syndicate guys were assholes, but they(like most criminals he’d met) hated creeps. If Sunny really thought about it, he didn’t want Ellis to get hurt, per se, but that was all up to the federal agent now. The man surely wasn’t going to announce his status as a Fed- the new government was still on rocky terms with the old crime syndicates. So he’d have to back off or a start a firefight in this diner.

Ellis was getting angry, his shoulders squaring and his face setting. The man obviously didn’t know what to do with his hands, which told Sunny was trying not to lash out. Ellis had chased him all across the country for weeks now, and he was probably tired and frustrated. But this wasn’t going to go Ellis’ way- Sunny would make sure of it. “I swear, if you know what’s good for you, I won’t have to ask again. Don’t make me do this, kid.”

Sunny clicked his tongue in defiance.

The diner was silent.

The cigarette between them burned.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Ellis sighed. He grabbed Sunny by the arm and the reassuring sound of three pistols being pulled from concealed holsters made both Sunny and Ellis stop in their tracks.

“Hey, friend,” Greenly leaned against the bar. “You got business with this young man?”

Ellis stared down at Sunny, and from the look in his eyes, his anger finally started to match the boy’s. “I do, actually.”

“You his dad?”

“No.”

“Brother? Uncle? God-father, at least?”

“Just stay out of it, gentlemen.”

“Hey, buddy,” Greenly was getting impatient. Sunny thought he live to smile again after all, “you know who owns this diner? Who we work for? Mr. Bendis doesn’t take kindly to children being harassed, especially on his property. Especially thirteen year-old boys minding their business. The kid’s under his protection.”

Yeah, that’s right, Sunny thought to himself.

Ellis’ eyes narrowed. “Oh you little shit. You dumb little shit,” the man hissed. “They’re gonna get you killed, you know that right?” Sunny pulled his arm away from Ellis, who cursed at him under his breath.

“Hey, creep,” Greenly croaked, taking a step forward. “I’m talking to you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you,” Ellis sighed. He gave Sunny the once over with a look of weary disappointment. “I’m asking you one last time… Just stop this shit, Sunny.”

Sunny stared up at the man. Sure, the mafia was dangerous and might end up being the death of him. But this “new and improved” government had shot his friends. He’d seen Mike take a federal bullet to the head with his own two eyes. He’d been forced to leave his friend’s dead body behind, looking pitiful in the crossfire of Commonwealth and Feds.

Fuck ‘em all.

Maybe it was because he’d grown tired of running from Ellis, maybe it was because he was afraid to cry, but Sunny couldn’t bring himself to speak. So, instead, he reached down and picked up the half-burned cigarette, taking a long drag. “Kid, this isn’t you. You need a home. You don’t need this.”

In peak defiance that surprised even Sunny, he blew a long, steady stream of smoke into Ellis’ face. He finally allowed himself to smirk ever so slightly- just enough to let Ellis know this conversation was over. Sunny had won this fight, and he was reveling in it.

“Time to go, friend,” Greenly sighed.

Ellis straightened up but his gaze never left Sunny’s. “Alright… Fine. This isn’t over.”

Just as quickly as he’d swept into the diner, Ellis was gone. The goons put their guns away and Greenly whistled at Sunny. The man tossed him the pack of cigs. “We’re headed out to get the van. Stay here til the boss’s car comes to get you comes. They’ll take you to The Hotel, we’ll pick you up tonight.”

“Yeah. I’ll be waiting.”

_______________________________________________________________________

Tag List:

@writerinafury​ @oneleggedflamingo​ @carmina-solis​ @anomaly00​ @neirawrites​ @lnspired-insomniac​ @cluelessbuttercup​

7 notes · View notes

Arcade Dreams: Chapter Three

Summary: There’s a new girl working at the Palace Arcade and Hawkins’ Family Video. Billy can’t stand her, and the feeling is mutual. No matter what everyone else seems to think.

Pairing: Billy Hargrove/OFC

It was Monday night. Teddi was bouncing back and forth between the video store and arcade. Some kid was having a birthday party and there were about fifteen eight year olds running around with icing smudged all over their faces. Keith definitely wasn’t going to be the one to handle them. The older kids harassed him, sure, but the little ones terrorized him. Teddi had lost count of how many times she’d seen the elementary kids throwing their shitty prizes at him from across the prize counter or blatantly ignored his pleas for them to stop running and acting like a bunch of “crackheads”. But she’d be lying if she said she didn’t find it a little funny.

So now she was busy following around a group of small children and wiping down the machines after their grimy little hands got cake and god only knows what else on the controls. “Teddi!” she turned to see who had called her, smiling at the two boys who were waving wildly at her from across the room. She made her way over, giving Lucas and Dustin each a high five.

“How’s it goin’ dudes? The crew’s not in tonight?” Mike, Will and the girl who she had learned was named El had been in all weekend, but she hadn’t seen Max in a few days, which was unusual. “Hey, is everything okay with Max? I haven’t seen her tagging along in awhile.”

Lucas made a face. “She got grounded. Two more days until she’s free. Will’s mom just came and picked him, Mike and El up though.” he explained, jabbing a thumb at the front door.

“Yeah, two more days until Lucas can see his girlfriend.” Dustin teased, poking his best friend in the side. Lucas slapped his hands away and muttered a “Shut up.”

Teddi laughed, raising an eyebrow. “Girlfriend? You can’t be dating, you guys are babies!” she couldn’t really be too surprised though. Anyone could see the puppy dog eyes Lucas and Max

had been flashing each other since she’d moved to Hawkins.

“Hey, hey! We’re men.” Dustin corrected her.

Lucas rolled his eyes, turning to Teddi. “So...can we?” He asked. Dustin perked up next to him. About a month ago, Dustin had found a way to trick the ticket counter into giving out more tickets. The gang had made a top secret mission out of it to keep the secret from Keith and the other kids at the arcade. But Teddi had been an important part in their scheme as long as she was willing.

“You know, you guys could always just save up your tickets. Try being patient.” she offered with an amused smile.

Lucas pulled a face. “Do you have any idea how long that would take? We’re halfway there! After tonight that bike is ours, and Christmas is next week. We’re on a deadline here, Teddi!” he reasoned. It was sweet really. There was this little white bicycle that had been hanging above the prize counter longer than she had been working there. The gang had all decided to pool their tickets together and give the bike to El for Christmas.

Teddi looked around the arcade and let out a heavy sigh. “Alright. You have twenty minutes until Keith gets back from his break. If anyone gives you shit just tell them you’re doing me a favor since I’m busy, okay? I gotta go check on things next door.” it was a risky move for the both of them to try and pull this off without the others, but Teddi knew they’d be able to pull it off.

“Yes!” they both cried. “Thank you, Teddi!” Dustin yelled before grabbing Lucas by the arm and pulling him along. Teddi shook her head, turning and heading back to the video store.

Things were quiet over there at least. There was a group of younger girls arguing over what movie to rent for the night and a kid begging with his parents to let him rent Friday the 13th. She decided to start going through the returns when the bell on the door rang and a small redhead ran in with a stack of tapes.

“Maxamillion!” Teddi greeted. While she liked all of Max’s friends, Teddi had a soft spot for her. She was sure that it was because she reminded Teddi so much of herself when she was her age. “I was just asking Lucas and Dustin about you, heard you got grounded.” She said with a teasing, stern look.

Max rolled her eyes and nodded, setting the tapes on the counter. “My mom totally shit a fit. And Billy’s been all pissy because he has to watch me. But these movies were awesome. He even liked them. And he hates everything.”

Teddi raised an eyebrow and looked down at the tapes Max was returning. Black Christmas, Alien, Sleepaway Camp and Carrie. “Wait, you’re Billy’s sister?” how hadn’t she put that together? Max had always said her brother was a dick, and Teddi didn’t know anyone in Hawkins who was a bigger dick than Billy.

“Step-sister.” Max corrected. And speak of the devil, in waltzed Billy himself with a cigarette between his lips and his shirt unbuttoned practically down to his belly button. Teddi scoffed loudly.

“There’s no smoking in here, Hargrove.” she said, her hands on her hips. Billy sauntered over, leaning against the counter and removing the cigarette from his lips before blowing a cloud of smoke in her face. She wanted to smack the smirk off his face.

“Bite me, Larsson,” he grinned. Teddi leaned forward and snatched the cigarette from his fingers, putting it out on the counter with an overly sweet smile. Max watched the exchange with an exhausted look. “...You’re a real bitch sometimes, you know that?” he muttered.

“Yeah? Well, in here you’re my bitch,” he glared at Max when she let out a snort. “You didn’t tell me that Max was your step-sister,” she said, changing the subject. “You’re totally not cool enough to be related to her in any way.” she teased.

Billy rolled his eyes. “Please. What do either of you know about being cool?”

Max gave him an unimpressed look. “She’s way cooler than you.”

“Jesus, will you shut up and get some new tapes already? I don’t wanna hear Susan bitch about how long we took.” Max let out an over dramatic sigh and ran off to find something new to watch for the night. Billy’s fingers were tapping rapidly on the counter, clearly desperate for another smoke.

“...Rough night?” Teddi asked. He seemed a bit more on edge than usual. Paranoid. Like at any second shit was going to hit the fan.

“Fuck off, Teddi.” he spat. She rolled her eyes, but held her hands up in defense before turning back to sort through the returned tapes. Billy rubbed the back of his neck, eyeing her nervously but didn’t say anything.

Soon Max returned with two new tapes, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist. Teddi nodded approvingly. “Tobe Hooper, awesome choice. You know, he uses real dead bodies in both of these. They said the Poltergeist set was totally haunted. Makes it like...a million times scarier.” Teddi explained as she rang the movies up.

“Awesome.” Max grinned.

“How the fuck do you know all of this? You’re like a bottomless pit of useless information.” Billy grunted out, pulling his wallet out.

“I read, Billy. You should try it sometime. Five bucks,” she held out her hand. Billy glared at her and slapped the bills into her palm. “Hope you like ‘em, Max! They’re due back Thursday. See you at the pool tomorrow, Hargrove.” Max smiled at Teddi and happily ran out of the store while Billy stuck another cigarette between his lips.

He turned to leave, calling “See ya, weird girl.” over his shoulder before flipping Teddi off and stomping out once again.

Eventually Keith came back and reluctantly handed the bike over to Lucas and Dustin after they turned in their tickets. When he told Teddi she could leave early for the night, she practically jumped the counter. She grabbed her coat and bag and rushed outside, hissing as the cold air hit her bare legs. Summer can’t come fast enough, she thought as she rushed over to her car and got in, cranking up the heat. It was late, and Teddi was hoping that would mean her parents would be asleep by the time she got home.

Things had never been great between her and her parents. It had been the worst when she was little. Once her dad started making good money things eased up because he was never home, and she didn’t care very much if her mother ignored her or not. But now that money was thin Teddi could sense the storm coming. So to avoid it she tried her best to stay out of the house as often as possible.

Unfortunately for her, she noticed the lights were still on in the living room once she pulled into the driveway. She let out a heavy sigh, trudging in and hanging her coat up by the door. Her dad was asleep in the recliner with a beer bottle sitting between his legs. Her mother was nowhere to be seen.

Teddi grabbed the bottle and shut the TV off before gently shaking his shoulder. “Dad, wake up. It’s almost midnight.”

He groaned, blinking up at her and pulling away harshly. “Get the fuck off me,” he muttered before looking around and frowning. “Where have you been all day?”

“Work, dad.”

He scoffed. “Right, work. Laying out by the pool and playing video games all day.”

Teddi rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to argue. She wanted to shower and get in bed. If anything she was surprised he remembered where she worked. That was more than she ever expected from him.

“Don’t you fucking roll your eyes at me. Should you even be awake this late on a school night?”

Teddi headed down the hall. “It’s Christmas break,” She said simply before shutting her bedroom door. Teddi pulled off her boots, tossing them into her closet before plopping down on her bed. “Five more months,” she reminded herself quietly. “Five more months.” Once May rolled around she would graduate high school and finally be free of her parents. She didn’t know in what capacity yet, but she didn’t really care. Even if it meant sticking in Hawkins but living on her own. She just wanted out.

Once the living room light shut off and she heard her parent’s bedroom door shut, she grabbed clean pajamas and headed for the shower. The water was near scalding, but it did wonders to relieve her tense muscles. Unfortunately she found herself thinking about Billy.

Tomorrow she would be helping him teach one of the swim classes. Or watching and learning as he had put it. She couldn’t really picture him teaching little kids much of anything. Maybe how to smoke and swear at their parents, but definitely not swimming. He was too gruff. When he was up in that lifeguard seat he reigned with near terror. Just the day before he had made a six year old cry after he had called him a shitbird for splashing too much. At least she would be there to hopefully provide a more gentle touch to the lesson.

Things between her and Billy were...weird. One minute they were bickering, the next they pretended the other didn’t exist, then they would both be huddled together laughing at this one dad who liked to strut around in a speedo and hit on moms while his kid was in the pool. And this was just over the span of three days.

Teddi sighed loudly and willed herself to think of anything else. Soon Christmas break would be over and school would start back up at least. She could go back to being a friendly acquaintance to the kids in her classes and she’d get invited to parties on the weekend. Not that she’d go, but being invited was nice. And hopefully soon the months would fly by, she’d get accepted into a college and she could get far, far away from Hawkins. But until then she’d have to deal with Billy. Without killing him.

18 notes · View notes

Endless Summer Book 4 : Daughter of Vaanu (Chapter 41)

Description: Sean and Michelle are finally tying the knot!

Tagging: @mysteli @whatmcsaid @xo-endlessmayhem-xo @endlesshero1122 @feartheendlesssummer @tigerbryn11

Chapter 41: Something Borrowed

Michelle

Quinn, Estela, Zahra, and Craig accompany me and Sean to the airport to meet our friends. It's a necessity as much as a fun Catalyst excursion. We come in three separate cars, because between us, we'll have to get Alodia, Jake, Diego, Varyyn, Mike, Raj, and Lila to where they are going. Originally, Raj and Lila weren't going to be in until tomorrow, but they cut their most recent overseas trip short in order to end up on the same flight from California as our friends.

We arrive at the airport at the right time, at least what was supposed to be the right time according to the arrival times listed online. It takes about twenty extra minutes before we finally get the text that the plane has landed. And then another fifteen before we finally get the message that they're at the baggage carousel.

“Oh, finally!” Quinn squeals. She grabs Estela's hand and drags her off toward the baggage carousel like a little kid. The rest of us rush to keep up. When we reach the carousel, there's a flurry of hugs and shrieking, which in retrospect is probably pretty obnoxious to the other jet-lagged passengers searching for their luggage, but we're all a little too excited to worry about them for a couple minutes.

“Oh my god, Alodia!” Quinn cries, throwing her arms around our heavily pregnant friend from the side. “Look at you!”

“What about me?”

“What are you talking about? You're bigger than you were a month ago!”

“That's kinda how pregnancy works, Craiggers,” Zahra snorts, then goes to grab Diego's left hand. “Ahh, so I see you boys went through with the wedding?”

“Congratulations on that,” Sean says, embracing Diego. “But that was really sneaky the way you did it. You could have at least live-streamed it for us.”

“We have a recording, I promise. But you were all at our actual wedding. And besides, this is your wedding we're supposed to all be focused on now.”

“Ahh! Princess, wait! Let me grab that one, it's heavy!”

“Oh, for pete's sake, Top Gun. I'm pregnant, not infirm.”

“Listen to your husband,” I order her, slipping my arm through hers. “Step away from the carousel and tell your favorite doctor how everything is going.”

She rolls her eyes. “Please tell me you're not going to give me a checkup right in the middle of the airport.”

“Well, I'm not going to put you in stirrups. And if you tell me everything that's going on, I won't take your pulse, either.”

She sighs. “In June, I told you I didn't mind you being alarmist about my health. I am deeply regretting that now.”

“Well, I told you you would. Tell me how you're doing.”

“Babe, don't interrogate her,” Sean scolds me, but he's grinning as he shoulders one of our friends' bags.

“She does have doctors in California,” Raj points out, also helping to collect bags. “And no offense, Michelle, but those doctors specialize in babies and the women who have them.”

“Excuse you! When Grace was having Reggie, I read and studied everything to do with babies and the women who have them!”

“Yeah, but I don't want to talk about that right now! I want to talk about your wedding! I want to see pictures of the bridesmaid dresses! I want to see your dress!”

“I've sent you pictures of the dresses. Many pictures. You helped pick them out.”

“Pfft. Details.”

“Okay, let's compromise here,” Sean laughs. “All medical questions must be confined to the car ride. For now, let's get everyone's bags. Deal?”

“Hey, speaking of Grace,” Jake chimes in, “Aren't we missing a couple of our number?”

“Grace and Aleister are meeting us at the restaurant. They had to sort out childcare first.”

“My mom was supposed to do it,” Sean explains, “But her neighbor had some kind of emergency and she was the only one around to help.”

“Do you know if they've managed to get anyone else?” Varyyn asks.

“In fact they have,” Estela says, smirking a little. “Rochelle Rogers. Tahira's mother.”

* * *

We finally manage to get everyone and their luggage sorted into the three cars. Alodia and Jake are in the car with me and Sean. I have held my tongue for as long as possible, but as soon as the doors are closed and Sean starts the car, I turn back in the passenger seat to look at Alodia.

“Okay, spill. What's the latest on you and the new baby Catalyst?”

Alodia laughs, affectionately rolling her eyes. “Everything's fine, Michelle. I'm a little short of breath, but my OB says that's normal right now, and it's just because I have a baby head pushing into my chest and crowding my lungs.”

I frown. “A head? ...Are you saying the baby hasn't turned yet?”

“Not yet,” she admits.

“But you're thirty-two weeks. She should have turned by now.”

“OB says some babies take longer. In a few weeks, I'll have another ultrasound, and if she hasn't turned, OB says we'll figure out what to do then.”

“Did she tell you what your options are?” Sean asks, looking at her in the rearview mirror. His voice betrays concern, and Alodia rolls her eyes again.

“Now, don't you start worrying, too! It took me days to get this one to calm down.” She reaches over to rub Jake's shoulder. “Look, absolute worst case scenario, I deliver by C-section. Now can we please talk about anything else?”

I meet her eyes. “You know we're only worried because we care, right?”

She smiles and stretches a hand out to me. I accept the offer, curling my fingers around hers. “Of course I know that. But...”

“...But we're probably making you nervous,” Sean suggests, sounding sheepish.

“A little, yeah.”

“And you get quite enough of that from me, doncha, Princess?”

“Right. So let's not talk about my baby right now, unless we're talking about how we're almost done with the nursery. But let's not talk about that, either. Let's talk about the wedding. Sean, do you know what Craig's planned for the bachelor party yet?”

Quinn

Dinner is a festive affair at a local fondu restaurant that lasts well into the night. By the time we all head home, it seems unlikely we'll do anything except fall into bed. There was a bit of good-natured quarreling in the past couple weeks over who would be hosting whom when Raj, Lila, and the California crew came into town. Of course, everyone wants to spend time with everyone else, and no one wants to split up couples if it can be helped. Finally, Raj sorted it out, being the smooth diplomat that he is. Sean and Michelle, being the couple of the hour, were paradoxically not permitted to host anyone. He and Lila would stay with Craig and Zahra. Estela and I would host Varyyn and Diego, while Grace and Aleister would have Alodia, Jake, and Mike, mostly so that Alodia could talk pregnancy and childbirth with Grace.

Estela and I get Diego and Varyyn back to our apartment. It's not fancy, but there's plenty of space, and it's in a good location. Plus, we have Murphy, which is always a plus. He greets Diego and Varyyn enthusiastically when we walk in, leaping into their arms and licking their faces.

“Will Murphy be coming along to the wedding?” Diego asks, scratching the fox vigorously behind the ears.

“Of course! Do you think he'd ever forgive us if we didn't sneak him in?”

“How do you plan to get him on the plane? You know Jake's doing absolutely minimal flying right now with Allie in her present condition. ...Or are you driving?”

“We're taking the train, actually,” Estela explains, hanging up our coats in the front closet. “Neither of us have ever traveled overnight by train before.”

“Ohhhh,” Diego cooes, grinning mischeivously. “That sounds romantic.”

“Well, not as much as you might think,” I laugh. “Unfortunately, there are no double beds in the sleeping cars. But I admit to finding something romantic in the idea of sitting together in the observation car and seeing the country up close as we pass through it. It'll take a few extra days, but lucky for us, our schedules are flexible.”

“It does sound like a very enjoyable way to travel,” Varyyn agrees. He winds his arms around Diego's waist from behind and nuzzles his neck. “But the lack of a bed for two is a little bit off-putting.”

Diego grins, leaning back into the embrace. “We could make it work. We've managed it in hammocks be-before...” He cuts himself off with a large yawn. “Oh, goodness. Speaking of bed...”

“You are worn out, my darling.” Varyyn kisses the top of his husband's head.

“Of course. We'll show you where you can sleep.”

Estela and I make sure the men are settled, then head back to our own room. Estela decides to take a shower. I hear her turn on the water as I slip out of my clothes and into my pajamas. I give her a minute and then knock on the door.

“Can I come in and brush my teeth?” I call through the door.

“Si,” she calls back. I slip into the steaming bathroom, and quickly brush my teeth. I spit, rinse, and then on impulse, I stick my hand around the shower curtain, waving.

“Hello!” I call cheerfully. I hear Estela chuckle, and feel her wet fingers lace through mine.

“Hello, mi sirenita,” she replies indulgently. “How are you?” I release her hand so that she can continue with her shower, but I don't leave just yet.

“I feel good. I had fun at dinner, and I am glad we have Diego and Varyyn staying with us.”

“So am I.”

“I love seeing them together. ...Sometimes, I think that could be us some day...”

“...Only some day?”

I shrug. “Well, we're still a new couple. Feels sort of arrogant to think we can already compare to people who have been together for five years.”

“I suppose you're right. No need to rush ourselves.” She pokes her head around the other end of the curtain. “I'm clean if you want to join me in here before the hot water runs out.”

I smile. “I'm already in my pajamas, sweetheart.”

“So? Last I checked, pajamas can be put on again after you take them off.”

I can't help laughing. “Your logic is indisputable, and your beauty is irresistable. Scoot over.”

* * *

Based on the look of mild panic on the stylist's face when we walk into the bridal shop, I think it might not exactly be good etiquette for Michelle to bring her entire bridal party to this final fitting. But what was she going to do instead with all the Catalyst women together for just a few days? Leave someone behind? Not likely. Besides, until now, I like to think we've been a model bridal party. We're polite and calm as we enjoy hors d'oeurves and cocktails—fruit juice for Alodia of course—and chat quietly while Alodia tries on her bridesmaid gown.

The gowns are simple but elegant, pale blue chiffon with capped sleeves and flowing skirts. Michelle chose a dress with an empire waist specifically to accommodate Alodia. And when she steps out of the changing room, it's clear Michelle made the right choice. The waistline rests comfortably above her bulge, and the skirt cascades effortlessly to the floor. The stylist exhales with what sounds like relief.

“Oh, that's perfect. Not a lump or a bulge anywhere there isn't supposed to be.”

Alodia chuckles, examining her reflection in the mirrors. “It definitely feels like there's enough room to grow. Chances are I'm gonna be even bigger by the time the wedding rolls around.”

“That's if you haven't had the baby already,” Michelle quips.

“It's a brave choice, to have a maid of honor who's going to be full term at your wedding,” the stylist remarks as she moves for a closer look, pinching the fabric of the dress here and there to check that it all fits.

“I'll still have a few weeks,” Alodia protests, and turns to smile at me. “And of course, there's a back-up maid of honor if my water ends up breaking before the big day. ...But anyway, the dress seems to fit fine.”

“Does it have the bride's approval?”

Michelle gives it a once over, finally nodding with satisfaction. “It's perfect. Now, who else needs any final alterations?”

Jake

Alodia and Grace show off their matching bridesmaid gowns as Aleister, Mike, and I are killing time before we have to get to the bachelor party. We sit spread over the living room of Aleister and Grace's Northbridge apartment as the women strut playfully across the floor like models on a catwalk.

“Gotta say, Princess, I don't know much about dresses, but I know what looks good on my wife, and that definitely looks good on my wife.”

She laughs, coming over to my chair winding an arm around my shoulders.“You'd say that if I were wearing a garbage bag.”

“You bet your sexy ass I would.” I reach around to lightly smack her butt. Aleister can't seem to help rolling his eyes. He stands, taking his wife by the hands and kissing her cheek.

“You look beautiful, darling.”

I look over at Mike, grinning. “You wanna weigh in, kid?”

“Who, me?” He shrugs. “I'm just hoping that no one's gonna end up outshining the bride in those get-ups. And isn't it bad luck to show off the dresses before the wedding?”

“Pretty sure that's just the bride's dress,” Grace clarifies.

“And there's no need to worry about anyone outshining Michelle,” Alodia adds. “Her dress makes her look like a queen.”

“With a princess as her maid of honor.” I take my wife's hand and press my lips to her knuckles. “Perfect.”

“We ought to be going, I think,” Aleister points out. “If we want to be there by seven.”

Alodia looks us over, eyeing our jeans-and-tees attire. “Where is it that you're going?”

“Paintballing. Followed by a bar crawl.”

“Of course Craig would pick something like paintballing,” Grace chuckles.

“But you know Sean's gonna love it, too.”

“True. Well, you boys have fun.”

“And be safe,” Alodia adds. “Do you have a designated driver?”

“No need,” I assure her. “We're taking public transport. I ain't risking my life on the eve of my first kid's birth.”

She smiles fondly down at me, bending to kiss my temple. “You damn well better not.”

Sean

As much as I approve of Craig's idea to go paintballing for my bachelor party, I admit that I'm a little wary of the fact that he invited a couple of my teammates along. Granted, he had my permission beforehand, and it's not like he invited the whole team. Just a couple guys I actually consider friends. Still, now that I'm here with the other Catalysts—and Mike and Varyyn—I'm kinda realizing how little Fernando and Kevin are going to fit in with the others. I guess that's kind of just a side effect of La Huerta and what we experienced there. There's an intimacy to my friendship with the other Catalysts that just isn't going to exist with my teammates, no matter how many games we go through together.

But I guess that isn't really the point right now. Right now, it's all just about having fun. When we're all gathered together, Craig puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles for silence.

“Okay, men! The objective here is paintball! We've got even numbers, so we're gonna split into two teams, my team against Sean's. Everyone line up, 'cause we're gonna go back to P.E. with this one and just pick teams right here.”

“Wait, my team against yours?” I repeat. “You mean we don't get to relive our glory days as Hartfeld Knights side-by-side?”

Craig grins. “Well, come on. It'd hardly be a fair fight if we were on the same side. Besides, groom against best man? How can we resist seeing how that'll go down?”

“Okay, fair enough.”

“Anyway, groom gets first pick, so go ahead.”

“Okay, in that case, I pick Jake.” When my Condors teammates groan incredulously, I shrug at them. “What can I say? I've seen him shoot.”

“Well, if that's your first pick, I'll even the score. Mike, you're with me.”

One by one, we divide our friends between us, winding up in teams of five. Me, Jake, Aleister, Raj, and Fernando against Craig, Mike, Diego, Varyyn, and Kevin.

“All right, everyone to your locker rooms to get your gear and talk strategy.” Craig grins. “Soon as we step out of those locker rooms, all bets are off!”

Grace

Alodia and I have chicken stew for dinner, and then settle in the living room to watch Reggie play with his toys for a little while before he goes to bed. Alodia sits beside him on the floor, perched on her feet, and watches him search methodically through the pile in front of him. Finally, he selects a block, and holds it up to her.

“Bok!” he declares.

“Block?” Alodia repeats.

“Bok!” Reggie confirms, holding it out for her.

“Oh, for me?” She holds out her hand and Reggie carefully places the block on her flat palm. “Thank you.”

Reggie says something that sounds like an attempt at echoing her 'thank you,' and Alodia smiles, which makes him smile back.

“He is so adorable.”

“You're a natural with him,” I remark. “You're going to be a great mommy.”

“I hope so. I'm sure it's completely normal, but I'm already finding myself worrying about her constantly. Worrying about whether she'll like me, whether I actually have it in me to be a mom...”

“That is extremely normal,” I assure her. “...I'm sure Michelle grilled you already, but how has the pregnancy been going?”

Alodia chuckles ruefully. “Grilled me, and gotten herself worked up, too. River's a little late turning head down, so of course Michelle's imagining the worst, even if she tries to hide that she is.”

“That's kind of her job. It's been more than five years, but she's still used to being our only medic. I don't think she really trusts any other doctors with us, but at the same time, she knows she shouldn't be treating her family when there are other doctors available.”

“Not to mention that she's not an OB. ...Was she very panicky when you were having Reggie? I mean, she did mention that she read everything there was to read on childbirth.”

I laugh. “She did. Even though I was in London for most of my pregnancy.” I pause, hesitating for a moment. “I think she might be slightly more panicky with you. Possibly because my pregnancy had a couple complications.”

She looks up sharply. “What kind of complications?”

“Pre-eclampsia. When I was about eight months along, we were just talking on the phone and I mentioned the headaches. She told me to go to the hospital, and sure enough they found the problem. Everything turned out fine,” I assure her, seeing that she's getting nervous. “I had to stay in the hospital for a couple weeks, but they kept it all under control until Reggie was born. He was a little early, but he was big and healthy, and I recovered pretty quickly after he was born.”

“Still...I guess I can see how that would have Michelle on edge now,” she concedes. “But lord knows I'm on edge, too.”

“Of course you are. You're having a baby.”

“...Can I ask you a personal question?”

“You can ask,” I reply with a smile. “Whether or not I will answer depends on what the question is.”

“When you were pregnant...did you and Aleister still have any kind of sex life?”

The question itself doesn't surprise me so much as the implication, especially considering the source.

“Up until I was in the hospital, sure. I mean, we slowed down a little just because I didn't have the stamina that I did before, but we didn't avoid it. Why? Don't tell me Jake is put off by...?”

“Oh, no,” she assures me. “Far from it. Honestly, I think the baby bump turns him on. ...Is that weird?”

I shrug, grinning. “I think you turn him on more than the bump. My guess is that if you've been craving it, he's responding to your desire more than anything.”

“You're probably right. I have actually been really liking pregnancy sex. Enough that I worry about what will happen to me and Jake after the baby is born. I mean...what if having River changes things...?”

“Oh, Alodia. Of course she's going to change things. Having a baby always changes things. Your sex life, the way you and Jake relate to each other...but not your love. The only way that will change is that there'll be more of it. That I can say with confidence.”

“Can you really...?”

“I've seen you together. I've seen you apart. Well, I've seen him apart from you. You're meant for each other.”

She sighs. “Maybe it's only that we've had so little time to just be a husband and wife...”

I can't resist drawing her into a hug. “Sweetie. I don't think there is anything anyone can say that will really stop you from being scared right now. And that's okay. That's totally normal. But you're not going to be alone for any of this. Even if most of us are pretty far away most of the time, you have Diego and Varyyn and Mike living in the same house, and the rest of us are reachable by phone or video chat...”

“I know you're right. About all of it. But it feels better to give voice to some of these fears than pretend they don't exist.”

“Well, tell you what then: why don't you tell me more while we give Reggie a bath?”

Sean

My team wins at paintball. I suspect the other team let us win because I'm the groom, but I can't really prove it. Not that it ultimately matters, of course. For once, it's nice to play a game without it being a job. As much as I love football, the fact that it is my career means it can get mentally exhausting at times. But nothing is exhausting about tonight. Tiring, but not exhausting. At my favorite bar afterwards, I enjoy burgers, fries, and drinks, shoot pool, and play darts with my friends. We're not the only patrons, but we are the largest party. And the loudest. Plus, having me and two other members of the Condors in plain view does excite some people. The quietest anyone gets is when Craig raises a glass and shouts for a toast. Then even the other patron settle down.

“To my buddy, Sean Gayle! Most people know him as the star quarterback of the Condors, but I've known him since he was a college freshman. You would probably never guess he was kinda shy back then...”

“Hey, Drax!” Jake shouts. “Save something for your speech at the wedding!”

Craig laughs heartily. “Okay, okay! Just as long as everyone raises a glass to Sean!”

There's a chorus of cheers, and my party guests—and a few unrelated patrons—raise their glasses. Then Varyyn decides he wants to try his hand at pool again, so most of my friends gather around the table to watch him while I settle into a booth with another bottle of beer. I feel a hand clap me briefly on the shoulder, and then Jake sits down across from me.

“How're you holding up?”

I grin. “I got to play a game without worrying about anyone analyzing my plays afterward, I am the center of attention for something unrelated to football, and I'm with my friends. I'd say I'm in a pretty good place right now.”

“Glad to hear it. Cheers.” He tips his bottle towards me, and I tap the neck with mine. “Gotta say, it's a little weird to be attending your bachelor party with your wedding still a few weeks off.”

“What's weird about it?”

“Well, just all this excitement about you getting married, and then we gotta put it on hold and go back to the daily grind for a few more weeks until we actually get to see it happen.”

“Well, it won't be back to the grind for me. Or Michelle. We've still got preparations to make. ...Speaking of which, how are your preparations coming?”

He grins mischeivously. “You mean for my kid, or your wife's bachelorette party?”

“The former,” I chuckle, rolling my eyes. “What would you know of what Alodia's planning for the bachelorette party?”

“I know Michelle will enjoy it immensely, and it's low-key enough that neither of us are going to be worrying when us men have the beach house to ourselves for a night.” He takes a deep swallow of his drink. “Anyway...we're all set. The nursery's all set up, we've already got the carseat fitted in, and we've got diapers and bottles and clothes enough to get us through a month, at least.”

“Are you nervous?”

He raises an eyebrow. “Are you?”

“Nervous? No. Terrified is more like it. But in a good way.”

“Mmm. Same. ...So, obviously I know where you're having the wedding and the reception, but what kind of ceremony are you planning? Do you have your vows written?”

“Oh, we're not writing our own vows. Everyone does that these days. As rocky as the road to get us to the altar has been, once we're there, we both kinda just want to go with the flow. Let the minister take care of reading the vows, and just say our 'I do's'...”

“You're getting a minister?”

“A Unitarian one. A secular ceremony with a bend toward agnostic spirituality.”

He chuckles. “And you're not going to have a handfasting?”

I can't help laughing. “Honestly? We thought about that. It was an option, actually. But we're settling for a unity candle.” I drop my voice, leaning in slightly. “I know it's not exclusively a Vaanti thing, but it feels Vaanti to us, you know? It wouldn't feel right to have a handfasting with a human minister in California.”

There's a chorus of cheers and applause from near the pool table. We look over, to where Craig is clapping Aleister on the back. Aleister looks very pleased with himself as he chalks his cue.

“I tell you what,” Jake chuckles. “He's the one we should both be talking to. ...The only one who's been through both our situations.”

“Yeah...” I find myself suddenly frowning, just a little. “...Good Lord, when did we grow up?”

Jake snorts. “Please, Cap. I was a grown-up when you met me!” I turn back to him, and he sighs a little. “...But I guess I still had some growing to do. ...I think we all officially grew up when we saw that horizon turn from red to blue.”

“Yeah...but I really kinda like where we are now. I think I like being a grown-up.”

* * *

The next couple weeks seem to go by like a shot. We celebrate Valentine's Day. We see our friends off back to California. I finish out the season. Then, suddenly, we're calling Diego to wish him a happy birthday as we frantically pack the last of our things to head out to California ourselves. In four days, I am going to be married.

Alodia

My heart is racing as I make my way to the baggage carousel with Jake and Diego to meet Sean and Michelle. I grip the strap of my purse with both hands to disguise the way they're trembling.

“Don't say anything,” I murmur to the men beside me. “Either of you.”

“You know I won't,” Jake promises. “...But I think you should.”

“She's going to find out,” Diego says again. “Not from me, but she will.”

“How do you figure?” I ask as if I don't already know.

“Because you're going to tell her. She's going to ask, and you're going to tell her, because if you try to pretend nothing's amiss, she'll know you're lying and imagine the worst case scenario, and you know she doesn't need that stress right now.”

“She doesn't need to stress about me at all! That's not what she should be worried about!”

“Exactly. So, tell her the truth.” He smiles sympathetically, gently elbowing me. “Just make it sound as routine and NBD as possible. Say it with a smile and a nonchalant tone, maybe she'll buy it.”

“Oh, it's that simple, is it?”

He shrugs. “Heck if I know.”

I roll my eyes. “Very helpful.”

I think I was resolved to not actually say anything, but it turns out, Diego was right. I probably knew he was right all along about how it would play out. Just like he predicted, as soon as hugs and greetings are exchanged, Michelle pulls back to look down at my belly.

“How is baby? Has she turned yet?”

I make myself smile and roll my eyes. “Little madam is a regular gymnast just like her mama, but she hasn't learned to flip. But I have an appointment for a few days after the wedding for them to try to turn her manually.”

“ECV...” Michelle clarifies, nodding. Her brows are knit together with what looks like concern, but it could just be thoughtfulness. “...I guess...I guess your OB must know what she's doing...”

I raise an eyebrow. “Did you just express confidence in my doctor? My doctor who is not you?”

“Well, as much as I might know more about pregnancy and childbirth than your average resident...I suppose I still don't know as much as a fully-qualified OB with years of experience. Besides. I'm getting married in four days. My plate is full enough that I have to let something go if I want to survive my honeymoon.”

I put my hand to my heart, pretending to stagger. “I'm so shocked I might faint! Sean, are you sure you brought Michelle and not her android double?”

“Are you suggesting I check her for wires?”

Michelle rolls her eyes. “Okay, babe, save it for when we're alone. And you--” she wags a finger at me, “--don't make jokes about fainting when that's actually a possibility we're concerned about. Has your doctor at least cleared you to be my maid of honor?”

“Yes. I am absolutely free and clear to be in your wedding, as long as there is a chair for me to sit in at the altar.”

“Yes. Absolutely. It will be done.”

“I never doubted it would be. Now, come on. You're the bride for goodness' sake. From now until the wedding, we're taking care of absolutely everything.”

Michelle

In spite of Alodia's reassurances, I know that she and the others can't actually take care of everything. But they do make it all so much easier. Two days before the wedding, we have the rehearsal, where introductions become necessary as my chosen family meets my blood relatives. There aren't many. Just my mom, my grandparents, and a few cousins. I'm not especially close with any of them, but my grandfather eagerly volunteered himself to perform the duties that would go to my father if I had ever known him—giving me away, dancing with me at the reception—and a couple of my cousins have lent us their kids for a ring-bearer and flower girl. And honestly, I can't say I'm not touched by their gestures. I can't help thinking that if we had waited a few more years, we could have had Reggie and River as our ring-bearer and flower girl, but I know the wait wouldn't have really been worth it. I am much too eager to be Sean's wife.

A couple of Sean's teammates have also flown in for the wedding. There are the two who were at the bachelor party, as well as a couple who are originally from the area. I'm pleased that there doesn't seem to be any drama brewing between any of our guests. My somewhat more conservative grandparents don't even seem phased by the fact that one groomsman and two bridesmaids are involved in same-sex relationships. My mom and Tricia also bond over having been single mothers, and marvel at the fact that they have never met in all the time Sean and I have known each other. Meanwhile, my little cousin Chloe, our flower girl, seems to be nine years old going on sixteen, and charms my bridesmaids with her precocious excitement about her beautiful dress and the fancy hotel she and her parents are staying in, with the fancy staircase in the lobby. At some point during the dinner, she comes skipping up to me, grinning mischeivously.

“I have a secret!” she sings. “Cousin Michelle, I have a secret!”

“Oh? What's that?”

“Can't tell!” she informs me smugly. “It's a secret!”

“Can you give me a hint?”

“...What's the pregnant lady's name?”

I chuckle. “Alodia. My maid of honor.”

“Right. I know what she's planning for your bachelorette party.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What do you know about bachelorette parties?”

“They're parties that the bride and the bridesmaids have before the wedding. Alodia says I can come to part of it.”

“Just the first part,” Alodia clarifies, coming up behind my chair. “She'll like it. And I hope you will, too.”

* * *

The next morning, Alodia gets all us women up early to dress and eat breakfast. Six Catalyst girls, plus Lila, who isn't actually in the wedding party, but we're not about to leave her out of the fun today. Alodia forbids me from putting on any makeup, which doesn't exactly leave a big mystery as to what at least part of the day entails. Not that I mind having the surprise spoiled a little. Sean gets up just as we're getting ready to head out. He stops me for a kiss before heading into breakfast.

“You taste like morning breath,” I tease him. He laughs.

“Sorry. I just thought I should kiss you before you go. Alodia says you won't be back tonight.”

“...We won't?” I raise an eyebrow at Alodia, who grins.

“Don't worry, everything's arranged. Besides, you know it's bad luck if he sees you the night before the wedding.”

Sean winds his arms around me and pulls me against him, pressing his forehead to mine. “The next time I see you, you'll be walking down the aisle toward me in a white dress.”

* * *

A rented limousine takes us to our destination in style. As I was starting to suspect, it's a day spa. What I didn't expect was that it would be attached to an elegant inn—or that Alodia would have booked us a block of suites to spend the night in. I'm even more floored when I see the lineup of services that have been booked for us.

“Alodia, this is amazing! Can you really afford all this?”

She chuckles. “I may be a dance teacher, but don't forget I come from money. Besides, everyone pitched in for this.” She grins. “Enjoy it.”

We start the morning with long massages and luxury facials. Months and months of hospital shifts that have built up in my muscles and joints are eased by the end of an hour and a half, and I of course relish the way my skin tingles under the magic of high quality products. When we all emerge from our treatment rooms feeling gooey and dreamy, Chloe is waiting to join us, and we all sit down to a gourmet lunch of fruit, cheese, finger sandwiches, and mini pastries, all washed down with fruit cocktails and lemon water. We're all together for manicures and pedicures, and then the hair stylists and makeup artists take over.

“I've booked them for tomorrow, too,” Alodia explains. “To do your hair and makeup for the wedding.”

The stylist grins at me. “Honey, we're gonna make sure you're the most beautiful bride in California.”

Sean

It's hard to believe I was in California just a couple months ago for New Year's Eve. Not least because it's seventy-five degrees when the sun's up here while back in Northbridge, we still wake up to frost on the ground. As evening approaches, the guys and I go down to the beach to make a fire and drink beers while we watch the sun set. It's just the Catalysts this time, plus Varyyn and Mike. My teammates are staying at a hotel, and I expressly forbid them from taking me out partying tonight. On my last night as a bachelor, I know who I want to be with.

“I envy you guys,” I remark, watching the sinking sun paint the sky a brilliant array of colors. “To live in a place like this. What a view.”

“You know, Cap, with your salary, you could easily afford a waterfront home.”

“Almost certainly,” I concede. “But I don't think Michelle wants to relocate to California permanently. And waterfront homes in Northbridge don't have nearly the same ambience. Too much city, not enough beach.”

“You could go for a penthouse apartment,” Craig chimes in. “Seriously, you'd never know the Condors' star QB is the one living in your place.”

I shrug. “I like living simply, you know? But...maybe in a year or two. When Michelle and I start having kids. I'll move us all to a beautiful penthouse apartment, with room for us and our kids...and maybe my mom so she can help look after them.”

Jake raises his beer bottle. “To your future, Cap. Yours and Maybelline's and all your little future rugrats.”

“Here, here!” Raj agrees enthusiastically. “It's your last night as a bachelor, Sean. Have any words to mark the occasion?”

“Words? No. I wouldn't mind getting some advice from you guys, though.”

“Anything specific? Or just general advice on the eve of your wedding?”

“Anything you guys can think of. About marriage, relationships...”

“Well, mine's easy,” Jake replies, his voice softening. “Tell her you love her. Every day. Multiple times. ...You never really know when it's gonna be the last time she hears it.”

“Don't be afraid to say when you're feeling insecure,” Diego says. “You're going to have doubts sometimes, but don't keep them to yourself. Whether they're about your relationship, or yourself.”

“Be willing to make sacrifices,” Varyyn adds. “Let things go when you would rather not, because sometimes what it comes down to is that your love is more important.”

“But it's not all hard,” Craig reminds me. “I mean, your life is better for having Michelle in it, or else you wouldn't be marrying her. Don't forget that.”

“Take joy in each other,” Aleister agrees. “Take joy even in the hardships. Even in the things that drive you mad about her. Take joy in her funny little habits.”

Mike shrugs. “Well, I'm single, I don't know what advice I can offer.”

“I'm single, too,” Raj says, “but I still know enough about people to offer a little advice: love should never make you feel small. People sometimes do, even the people who love you. But love will always regret that. Listen to each other. Make sure you both feel heard.”

“So, how's that, Sean?” Diego asks. “You feel ready to get married now?”

“I think 'ready' is a relative term,” I chuckle. “I don't know if I'm ever going to feel fully prepared. But I'm happy. I want this. I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be.”

Alodia

After our spa day, we head to the block of suites I've reserved for us at the inn. After spending some time in the indoor pool, we head back to Michelle's suite to spend the evening eating, watching movies, and talking. Grace has brought along her wedding album, and we thumb through it to gush over how beautiful it all was. I try not to let it ache too much that I don't see myself or Jake among the pictures. He and I are together now. That's what matters. And I'm not going to cast a pall on the eve of Michelle's wedding. That's why I try not to mention how uncomfortable I'm starting to feel by the end of the evening. At this point, I've had enough conversations with my OB to recognize false contractions and ligament pain, and everything eases when I change positions, so I'm not worried. But I know Michelle would worry.

Eventually, we encourage her to sleep. As the bride, she gets her own room, while the rest of us double up; Estela and Quinn share a room, I'm with Zahra, and Grace with Lila. I call Jake to check in just before we go to sleep.

“Hey there, Princess.”

“Hey, Top Gun.”

“It's good to hear your voice. How's the bride?”

“Relaxed, I hope. She ought to be after today. We just left her to get her beauty sleep. How's the groom?”

“Full of sage advice. Nervous, but eager. As a groom should be. ...How's our little girl?”

I sigh, feeling a smile playing over my mouth as I stroke my belly and feel a flutter against my palm. “Squirmy. I think she's eager to meet the world. I've been telling her she has to wait at least three days, though.”

“Hopefully a little longer than that. ...How are you?”

“Uncomfortable,” I admit. “But, I have a tiny person wiggling around inside me, and my body is getting ready to push it out. Discomfort is to be expected. How are you?”

“Wishing I were falling asleep with you in my arms tonight. ...Thinking of driving up there and sneaking into your room.”

“I'm sharing room with Zahra tonight. I don't think she'd appreciate you barging in. Especially because you know we can't be trusted to keep our hands off each other.”

“We'll make her sleep in the hall, then.”

“Don't be mean,” I chide him gently. “We'll be together tomorrow.”

“Until I leave to get Sean and Michelle off on their honeymoon.”

“And then we'll be together again. Look after Sean tonight. ...I love you.”

“I love you, Princess. Sweet dreams.”

* * *

I wake up early to make sure breakfast is brought up to Michelle's suite with enough time that we can eat before we all go back to the salon for hair and makeup. She doesn't eat much, but I'm guessing it's mostly nerves, based on the way she taps her freshly manicured nails on the table. She looks over at me.

“How are you feeling?”

I grin. “I'm fine, Michelle. Promise.”

“You're sure? You're sure you're up for this? Do you know if they have a chair ready for you in case you need to sit down?”

“Relax, will ya?” Zahra chuckles. “The guys are checking everything out at the venue to make sure it's ready. Jake is not going to forget about a chair for his pregnant wife.”

“Oh, God...” Michelle groans, letting her head fall into her hands. “You two are going to have to switch partners for the ceremony!”

Zahra and I exchange a confused glance. “...What?”

“Because Alodia is the maid of honor and Craig is the best man! They're going to walk down the aisle together, and after them, it'll be Zahra with Jake, Grace with Aleister, Raj with Quinn, Diego with Estela...”

“Uh...yes. We know. We were all at the wedding rehearsal. It's okay. None of us are worried about our partners leaving us because they linked arms with another person for sixty seconds. None of us are the ones getting married today.”

“That's right,” Quinn agrees. “We just have to convince the evil spirits that we are.”

“The what?” Lila asks.

“Evil spirits. I read once that the reason there are bridesmaids and groomsmen is because of an old superstition that evil spirits and demons would try to curse the bride and groom on their wedding day because evil spirits hate love. But if there were several 'couples' posed nearby, the spirits would get confused.”

“Well, crap! That's exactly what I need at my wedding is a bunch of confused demons making everyone switch partners!”

I hide a smile by bringing a glass of orange juice to my lips. Or I try to, but I don't think I succeed.

“You know, if that happens, I feel sorriest for Estela. As the only woman Diego has ever attempted to kiss, I can tell you, he doesn't know what he's doing.”

Estela scowls, but I can see the hint of a smirk on her lips. “As if Craig would know what to do with you and your basketball belly.”

I feign offense. “Rude!”

“She's right, though,” Zahra says with a shrug. “That's why I'm never getting pregnant.”

Michelle groans, running her fingers through her hair. “I can't eat anymore...”

I put a hand between her shoulderblades, rubbing gently. “Let's get you into hair and makeup. I have a feeling that will perk you up.”

Michelle

Alodia knows me so well. Even happily having a pregnant maid of honor at my wedding, I still worry sometimes that deep down I'm just as vain and concerned with appearances as I was before. It was that vanity that first led me to pursue Sean. I don't know if I genuinely planned on falling in love. I didn't even realize how in love with him I was until he was walking away from me. Sometimes, I still wake up in the middle of the night and look at the sleeping face beside me, and worry that if I spend too long primping, he will become convinced that I am still vain and shallow and he'll leave me again. But, if I am truly going to be his wife, I have to trust him. I have to trust that he knows me. That he knows the fact that I still love makeup and skin products and jewelry doesn't mean that there is nothing below the surface of me, or that I look down on anyone else. That he loves me, even with my little vanities. And as I see myself transform under the artist's skillful brush, watch the stylist curl, tug, twist, braid, and pin my bleached-blonde hair into an elegant chignon, I feel my anxieties ebbing away.

When hair and makeup are done, my bridesmaids get themselves dressed before coming to help me into my beautiful full gown with the floral lace applique. A low-cut sweetheart neckline shows off the curves of my breasts, and the wide straps hang off my shoulders, hugging my upper arms. Estela and Quinn help me pin my veil into place while Alodia, Grace, and Zahra look me over appraisingly.

“It looks good,” Alodia declares, nodding, “but I need to make sure of one final thing. Well, four things, really. Do you have something old?”

I nod. “My mom made my wedding garter from the christening cap I wore as a baby.”

She grins, and I see her eyes start to shimmer. “I have to be careful asking questions like that. Hormones plus wedding plus insanely heartwarming thing involving baby Michelle, all while I'm wearing mascara...”

I smile back. “It's waterproof. I checked. Well, the dress and veil both cover something new, and my shoes are light blue.”

“And I have you covered for something borrowed,” Quinn declares. “Hold out your wrist.”

I know what she's going to fasten around my wrist even before she takes out the gold charm bracelet.

“Aww, Quinn!” Zahra exclaims. “You still have it!”

“Of course I still have it. Do you think I'm going to give this up?”

“Give what up?” Alodia asks.

“Oh god! You don't know about the charm bracelet, do you?” Quinn holds out my wrist, beckoning Alodia for a closer look. “After the island, I really wanted something to hold onto that everyone could be part of, so I bought a charm bracelet. All the Catalysts have their own charm. I let everyone pick their own, so they're not strictly our Hadean signs. I have a dolphin, Grace has a swan, Craig has a bear, but Raj has a pie, Michelle has a caduceus, Sean's is a football, and I think Diego's is the symbol of the rebel alliance from Star Wars. ...Jake picked a claddagh for you. With a garnet heart.”

“...Claddagh...what's that?”

Quinn holds up the charm so she can examine it, the circled arms and the hands cradling the garnet heart topped with a crown.

“It's an old Irish symbol for love, loyalty, and friendship. We all thought it was pretty appropriate for you.”

Alodia touches each charm in turn; her claddagh, the dolphin, the swan, the bear, the pie, the caduceus, the football, the Star Wars thing, the dragon, the rapier, the fighter plane, the stylized skull.

“It was my 'something borrowed,' too,” Grace says dreamily.

“Well, it sounds like you're all set then.” Alodia drags over a chair and sets it in front of me. To my alarm, she moves to climb onto it.

“Hey! What are you doing?! If you fall off that chair--”

“Relax. I'm just kneeling on it so I can reach you.” She reaches around my head to take my blusher in a delicate grip and draw it down over my face. With careful, deliberate movements, she sets her feet back on the ground and returns the chair to its place.

“...Am I good?” I ask, feeling a flutter in my belly. Alodia grins.

“That's how you look like a goddess on your wedding day.”

Sean

This is it. It's happening. I'm standing at an altar in a beautiful Californian garden, under an arch of flowers and vines with a gentle classical piece drifting from the piano behind me. Family and friends fill the rows of chairs laid out on the lawn on both sides of the long white carpet that's been rolled out for us. Craig is coming up the aisle with Alodia on his arm, ready to stand beside me as my best man. They part at the arch, Alodia moving to sit in the chair that's been set up for her. The rest of the Catalysts follow two by two, also parting at the arch. Then come Michelle's cousins, the older one scattering flowers, and her little brother balancing a pillow with the rings sewn on securely. Then...there she is. My bride, on her grandfather's arm. She looks angelic in her bridal gown, serene and beautiful and confident, and the sight of her brings grateful tears to my eyes.

She reaches me, and her grandfather gently passes her hand to me. I take it, joining hands with her over the unity candle we will light after exchanging vows, and she meets my eyes behind the blusher of her veil. Her eyes are so dark...so dark and so warm. Her lips part in as genuinely happy a smile as I've ever seen on her, and I feel my own smile forming. Everything else is falling away now. The minister is speaking, but all I can hear is a faint murmur. All I care about is her. I'm studying Michelle, memorizing everything about her. It's not until the minister addresses me directly that I start to pay attention to the ceremony again.

“Do you, Sean Marcus Gayle, take Michelle Thuy Nguyen to be your lawfully wedded wife and companion, to have and to hold, to honor and to cherish, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and health, as long as you both shall live?”

My breath shakes as I answer, “I do,” but I can feel myself smiling so hard my cheeks ache.

“And do you, Michelle Thuy Nguyen, take Sean Marcus Gayle to be your lawfully wedded husband and companion, to have and to hold, to honor and to cherish, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

I glance over her shoulder and catch sight of Alodia rising carefully from her chair with a white taper candle. I turn away from my bride just enough to take my candle from Craig, and allow the minister to light them.

“Michelle and Sean, you each hold in your hand a flame. It is the flame of each of your individual lives, your hopes and aspirations, your sorrows and fears, passions and disappointments. Take one last look and these singular lights, for they are about to merge into one.” The minister pauses for a moment, and then gives us a nod. “Sean and Michelle, you may now light the unity candle.”

Our flames dip together toward the wick of the flower-wreathed candle between us, our flames mingling as the wick catches. We bring our tapers out of the conjoined flame and blow them out.

“Two flames now burn as one. May the two of you always burn as one, inseparably bonded through all of life's challenges. And now the rings.”

Craig brings the elegant gold bands over to us. I cradle Michelle's left hand in mine, sliding the ring onto her third finger.

“With this ring, I thee wed. And with my body, I thee worship. And with all my worldly goods, I thee endow.”

Michelle repeats the gesture, slipping the ring onto my finger and speaking the words.

“Then by the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Sean, you may kiss the bride.”

As I lift her blusher and capture her mouth with mine, I can hear applause around me. There was a time I might have been self-conscious about kissing anyone in public. Sometimes I still might be. But not here. And not now. We only break because we know the minister is waiting to present us.

“Family and friends, it is my honor and pleasure to present for the first time as husband and wife, Mr. Sean Marcus Gayle, and Dr. Michelle Thuy Gayle!”

Alodia

I survive the ceremony, the pictures, and make it well into the reception at the beach house. I help Michelle with playing the hostess as only seems appropriate, considering it's my house. Raj has catered a typically delicious and appropriately exotic meal, and it is consumed with plently of glasses clinking at the newlyweds. Craig and I give our best man and maid of honor speeches, the cake is cut, and the bride and groom feed each other delicately. We've set up a portable dance floor in the main hall, and that's where Sean and Michelle have their first dance, followed by Sean's dance with his mother and Michelle's with her grandfather. Then the dance floor is opened up to everyone. I stay sitting through the first few pop songs, but when the next slow dance comes on, I feel a touch on my shoulder. I look up to find my own husband smiling down at me.

“May I have this dance, Princess? If you think you're up for it.”

I grin. “You married a dancer, Jake. No matter how big this kid makes me before she comes out, I will always be a dancer.”

“Dancers still need rest sometimes.”

“True. But I think I can manage a slow dance with you.” He leads me out onto the floor, and I nestle into his embrace as much as my bulging belly allows. “...Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be the same once River is born. If I'll ever flip again, or dance like I used to...”

“I've heard of Olympic gymnasts going back to work after having babies. And you've been keeping yourself in shape.” He pulls back a little and I reflexively turn my face toward him. “Are you sure you're holding up all right? You could go to bed, you know. It is your house.”

“Not yet. I want to see them off.”

He sighs, pressing his forehead to mine. “Mike and I'll have to leave soon. The plane should be fueled up and ready, but we gotta go through all the final checks before they get there. ...I ain't keen on leaving you, Princess.”

“You'll be back in two days, in time to take me to my doctor's appointment. And in the meantime, Diego and Varyyn are in the same house. Not to mention Grace and Aleister are taking Reggie to Disneyland for a couple days, and Raj and Lila will be in in LA until the end of the week, and your sister lives in LA, anyway. I'm surrounded by family, Jake.”

“Yeah...yeah, you are.” He kisses the top of my head. “Okay. I'll stop fussin'. Long as you swear you'll call me the moment anything starts happenin'.”

“You have my word.”

Diego

I drape my arms around Varyyn's neck, swaying gently to the music as I gaze into his eyes. His holographic disguise has turned them dark, but I can see the gold shining beneath when he moves them. Not that he's moving them much now. He holds my gaze steadily, and a warm tranquility is settling over me.

“So, what did you think of your first human wedding?” I murmur.

“It isn't my first,” he protests. “I was at ours, wasn't I?”

“True, but that was just a short ceremony. Didn't have all the bells and whistles like this one. Though...I guess the trappings of the ceremony were pretty similar. What's really new in this experience is the big reception.”

He chuckles, nuzzling me affectionately. “I'm a Vaanti, my love. And a wedding is a wedding is a wedding. As long as two souls are being joined as one, it is beautiful, and I will take joy in it.”

I look over at Michelle, nestled in Sean's arms as they rock gently together on the dance floor. Her head rests on his chest, her eyes barely open, a gentle smile on her lips. She is still wearing her gown, though she has discarded her veil, and her hairstyle is starting to come undone. With one arm wrapped protectively around her waist, Sean has let his other hand come up from behind her shoulders to cradle her head and comb back the stray wisps of silky blonde hair that have fallen toward her face.

“...Lord knows those two souls deserve to finally be joined together. Their road to this moment hasn't been easy.”

“Few things that are worth having ever come easy.”

For some reason, hearing that makes my stomach do a little flip. Involuntarily, I break eye contact with my lover and feel my gaze drawn to my best friend, and the bulge that separates her from her husband as they sway to the music.

“Are you all right, my darling?”

I try to soften the frown that I feel creasing my forehead as I lean into Varyyn's embrace, resting my head on his chest.

“...Yeah. I'm okay. I just...I just realized I'm scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“...I'm scared about Allie. I'm scared about her having a baby.”

“Why?”

“Because in order for her to have the baby, she has to give birth. And I guess I've just been kind of ignoring the fact that even in this day and age, that's really a hell of a thing for a human being to go through. Even in America in 2024, even for a privileged, upper-class woman who can afford all the best care, there's no guarantee that things won't go wrong.”

“All the odds are still in her favor,” Varyyn reminds me gently. “She is young and healthy and strong.”

“I know. But she's my best friend. My sister.” I pull back to meet his eyes again. “...No matter how you slice it, that child is a thing worth having that isn't going to come easy. How can I not worry a little?”

Varyyn smiles fondly down at me. “You can't. It's impossible. Not when you care for someone as much as you care for her.” He bends to brush my mouth with his. “...I'm worried, too.”

Lila

There aren't many unmarried young women to scramble for the bouquet when Michelle stands at the top of the central staircase to toss it. That's the only reason I opt to join in the moment. It's a relief to me when the bouquet falls neatly into the arms of the flower girl, Chloe. Raj ends up catching the garter, and Michelle's mother insists that he and Chloe must share a dance now. Chloe, who has spent most of the evening being the life of the party, suddenly seems extremely shy at the prospect of sharing a solo dance with a relative stranger. But Raj speaks quietly to her, and though I can't make out what he's saying, by the time he takes her hand and leads her out onto the dance floor, she's smiling timidly. He says something to Zahra as they pass, and she nods, moving toward the sound system. A moment later, “Jump Jive n' Wail” starts playing. That's about when I feel the need to slip outside for a breath of air.

I find Alodia on the deck, stretched out on a lounge chair with a blanket draped over her. She gazes up at the sky with a distant expression, caressing her belly.

“Are you all right?”

She starts a little at my voice, but shakes it off quickly and smiles. “Hey, Lila. Yeah, I'm fine. I was seeing Jake and Mike off, and I just thought I'd savor to cool air out here for awhile.” She strokes her belly fondly. “My temperature is all over the place these days.”

“...How...how does it feel? Being pregnant?”

Alodia chuckles. “Asking the big questions, aren't you? ...It's a mixed bag most of the time. There's a lot to hate about it. ...But there's nothing quite like feeling her wiggle around inside me. Knowing she's alive...”

“Is she...wiggling right now?”

“Music always gets her dancing. Takes after her mother already.”

I feel my fingers curl and uncurl. I know I shouldn't ask, but I feel like I'm going to burst if I don't. “Would...would you mind if I...felt her moving?”

She raises an eyebrow. “You want to feel my belly?”

“Yes...” I wring my hands nervously. “But only if it's all right with you...”

She smiles, her eyes full of softness and warmth. “Go ahead.”

It seems strange that I feel so shy as I approach her and gingerly press my palm against the swell of her belly. I gasp at the first flutter of movement that I feel, my eyes quickly filling with grateful tears. I'm here with the woman who literally brought me back from the dead, and I'm feeling a new life stirring inside her body.

“That's...that's so amazing...”

“Isn't it? All in all, pregnancy has been the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me, and I've been stardust. But it's also been the most incredible.”

“...I'm not going to let Mr. Rourke hurt you, Alodia. Or this baby. I promise. I've given enough of my life to him and his...plots.” I look into her eyes, silently begging her to see my earnestness. “I want to be on the right side. I want to stay on the right side.”

She places her hand on top of mine. “You're here, Lila. We won't let you slip away.” She leans back with a tranquil sigh, turning her eyes skyward. “...Life is...very beautiful.”

11 notes · View notes

chapter thirteen: for you i would cross the line, i would waste my time, i would lose my mind // in which rachel tries to sort out her leftover feelings from the season before

read here on ao3 or below

“At Everlasting, surprises are our middle name,” Graham said, “And as we saw last time, nothing, and I mean nothing is out of the question. August, a favorite from last season, joined the quest for Vanessa’s affections.”

“The quest for Vanessa’s affections?” Quinn jeered at the screen in the control room, “What is this, Camelot?”

Rachel slumped down in her chair next to Quinn’s. She was sullen and knew deep down that picking fights with Quinn wasn’t going to solve anything but that hadn’t stopped her in the past, and it wasn’t stopping her now. She felt like she was in the middle of spiraling out of control again. She was snowballing, picking up more frustration and angrier as she went and directing it all at Quinn.

“C’mon,” Quinn acted like she was going to slap Rachel’s should but instead just brushed it with her fingertips, “That was funny.”

Rachel shrugged, not looking up from the screen. On it Graham descended the staircase to stand in front of Vanessa, August, and the remaining contestants.

“Let me be the first to say, welcome back,” Graham said as he placed a hand on August’s shoulder, “But you have some stiff competition to catch up to.”

“Oh I bet, Graham,” August replied, flashing the camera a smile.

Rachel felt a surge of jealousy at seeing him on the monitors again and sunk lower in her seat. But whether her jealousy was because her chances with August were ruined or if it was because Quinn had slept with him, she didn’t know.

Vanessa smiles at August, a tight, closed lip smile that Rachel knew hid annoyance. Graham continued monologuing.

“Today our contestants will be competing for a chance to show Vanessa their hometown,” he said, “Will next week’s hometown date take place in Seattle, Washington, Melbourne, Australia or somewhere in between? It’s all up to our suitress.”

“And cut!” Quinn called through her walkie.

On screen, Vanessa’s smile dropped and she rolled her eyes, “Is it really?”

August opened his mouth to say something but Vanessa turned away.

“Save it.”

“Ooh, guess you’re going to have to try harder pal,” said Graham.

Rachel’s eyes flicked across the screens as the crew set up for another shot. The other contestants were watching this exchange with fascination, Mike especially.

“Uhg, what a loser,” Quinn said as she sat down, “We both dodged a bullet with that one, Goldie.”

Glancing from Quinn to August on screen then back to Quinn again, an angry, twisted plan formed in Rachel’s mind. She pushed out her chair.

“Listen, I’m going to go produce because, like, it’s my job. So I’ll catch up with you later,” she said, backing out of the control room.

Quinn flashed her a confused look, “Yeah, okay, you do that.”

…

August was regretting coming back to Everlasting. He regretted the first time, everything that happened with Serena, with Quinn, with Rachel, but the idea of more exposure for his budding company was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Chet has Skyped him with big ideas and August had thought maybe it would work this time, with Chet in charge at least he would have to deal with Quinn but oh how he’d been wrong.

He glanced across the room at Vanessa, who wouldn’t give him the time of day, and sighed. This was a bad idea. It was a very bad idea, and what was worse was that he could see Rachel walking towards him.

“Oh no, I don’t want to talk to you,” he said, holding both hands up.

“C’mon August, I’m your producer,” Rachel said with a smile. She had stopped several feet away from him and beconned with one finger, “Come here.”

August signed and walked back into the shot, “What do you want?”

“Aw you hurt me! I felt like we had such a connection last season, it would be a shame to waste it,” said Rachel, putting a hand of his forearm.

“You got me kicked off the show last season,” he said.

“You have to understand, I had to. You know how Quinn is and I was afraid I’d lose my job- or worse,” Rachel frowned for a moment before smiling again, “and I’m sorry about earlier, everyone was just really surprised that you came back. It was a good surprise though.”

August narrowed his eyes, “Yeah.”

“We need to work on your strategy to get you picked for the hometown date,” she continued, lowering her voice, “We should make it seem plausible that Vanessa would pick you.”

Quinn’s voice crackled over the intercom, “Places!”

“We’ll chat later?” Rachel asked, ‘Talk to Vanessa, be charming!”

“Yeah, sure,”

“Great,” she flashed him another big smile, “Thanks!”

August watched as she disappeared off around the corner, presumably to watch from that monitor filled room he’d walked through earlier. Following Rachel’s directions, he tried to talk to Vanessa again.

“I’ve always admired your charity work,” he said, “It’s obvious how much time you spent training that using any of your free time to give back to your community is admirable.”

“Did Rachel tell you to say that?”

“Maybe we should at least pretend like we like each other?” he asked, “For the other contestants?”

“What do you care?” Vanessa said, “I’ll smile for the camera and you’ll get your hometown date then you can go home.”

August glanced back at the other, two of the women were watching them intently, but as soon as they saw him looking, glanced away and whispered to one another. Great, just great, thought August, hoping they hadn’t heard their conversation. Beside him, Vanessa uncrossed her arms, smiling sweetly towards the camera as Quinn yelled, “ACTION!”

…

“You wanted to see me?” Rachel said as she shut the door to Quinn’s office behind her.

“Yeah, come sit down,” Quinn poured a second glass of whiskey, moved to sit on the couch, and motioned for Rachel to join her.

Rachel ignored the glass Quinn offered, “What did you want to see me about?”

“I heard you tell August that you two had a real connection last season,” Quinn said, not quite looking at Rachel.

“So what?” Rachel snapped, “Why do you care?”

“You wanted me to be more honest so here it is,” Quinn looked visibly uncomfortable, much like when she’d come to goat farm to tell Rachel she missed her, “I don’t like sharing you and I don’t want you to be with August.”

“Why not just fuck him again and sabotage us?” The last word turned to a sneer between Rachel’s lips, “Admit it, you just hate the idea of me having a real relationship with someone who cares about me!”

“You and Outback Stakehouse aren’t going to have a real relationship, you’re going to use him to get what you want and he’s going to fall for it because he has something to gain,” Quinn said, her fire returned, “Just like me and him last season.”

“No! Because unlike you, I’m not just trying to control someone’s life!”

“Do you hear yourself? You’ve had one conversation with him since he came back and you seriously think you’re going to have a real relationship? You’re really trying to tell me this isn’t because I fucked him a year ago?” Quinn grabbed Rachel by the wrists pulling her closer, “You said you wanted me to be more honest and here it is, what else do you want? I’m trying, I really am.”

Rachel stared back at her, eyes brimming with tears. She pulled against Quinn’s grip, but Quinn tightened her grip, fingers digging into Rachel’s arms. “You’re hurting me,” she whispered.

Immediately Quinn dropped her wrists, recoiling in surprise, “Rachel, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-“

“I’m gonna go,” Rachel said, standing up.

She could feel Quinn’s eyes on her as she stumbled from the room. She knew her arms wouldn’t bruise, Quinn hadn’t been holding her that tightly, but there was something in the intensity of the look in her eyes that startled her. It reminded Rachel of that time in the control room when Quinn had smashed the monitors, trying to fire her.

…

“Rachel! Rachel wait up!” Vanessa called, jogging up to Rachel outside the mansion. She was in workout clothes, using her free time to exercise since the contestants were working on their hometown date pitches.

“Sure, Vanessa, what’s up?”

“Tell me about August,” she said, looping her arm through Rachel’s like they were the best of friends, “I feel like there was something I was missing when we were all in Quinn’s office. Why did the last suitress want him gone?”

“It’s like Quinn said, Serena thought he had a wandering eye,” said Rachel.

“Mm hmm, but we both know not everything is as it seems here. We’re telling the others that I’m going to pick one of them for the hometown date based on what they say today, but that’s not the truth,” Vanessa said, “So what do you all know that you’re not telling me?”

“I mean technically Chet doesn’t know either,” offered Rachel, smirking as Vanessa scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“If I tell you, you can’t tell anyone else; not Quinn, not Chet, not Mike or any of the other contestants, okay?”

“Oh cross my heart,” Vanessa said, turning to take both of Rachel’s hands in her, “You can trust me, promise.”

“You’re good, you know? If things don’t work out for you on this redemption arc, you should come work for us,”

“What happened Rachel,”

“August and Quinn slept together a couple times last season, and then when Quinn wanted to stop August threatened to sue so we got rid of him,” said Rachel.

Confused, Vanessa’s face screwed up in disbelief, “August and Quinn? I thought- When you were talking to him earlier-”

“You thought August and I were a thing?”

“Well, I mean you said you two had a connection, that’s what you guys said I should tell people,” Vanessa shrugged, “I figured that was reality tv speak for, you know.”

“It’s not code, it just means you … had a connection,” Rachel said.

“So you did, with August? Then Quinn happened?” said Vanessa, dropping her hands and continuing to walk with her. It was all beginning to feel vaguely like a scene out of some Austen novel, one where the fine lady takes a turn around the room with the plainer one to learn all the gossip.

“Uh, yeah, something like that,” Rachel glanced around for an escape. She was right about hiring her, Vanessa was good and it threw Rachel off balance.

“You guys both liked him and you work together? That must have been hard,” continued Vanessa.

“No, Quinn didn’t like him, she just-” Rachel cut herself off.

“You liked him then she slept with him?” Vanessa untangled their arms, “It doesn’t sound like it was about August.”

“What-?” Rachel just stared at her as Vanessa smiled.

“I need to go get ready, see you later?”

“I- uh, yeah.”

…

Cut 2 (5) Alex & Ben

Clad in a long, shimmery, plum colored gown, Vanessa stood on the dais. A fake smile was plastered on her face as she looked out at the remaining contestants. Her eyes lingered on Mike for a moment, before glancing over at Graham.

“And now, it’s the moment of truth,” said Graham, placing a hand on the small of Vanessa’s back. She pulled her shoulders back, slightly uncomfortable with his touch.

“Tonight, one of you will be chosen to introduce Vanessa to your hometown, but for two of you, your journey ends tonight,” he continued, “Vanessa, who do you want to get to know better?”

“Thank you Graham,” she said with a big smile, “It was wonderful to hear all about where you grew up and I wish I could visit every city, but the place that really caught my eye was Melbourne and you, August. Will you do me the honor of showing me your hometown?”

“Of course,” August replied, “Thank you.”

“I knew it!” cried Alex, “It’s just like what Catherine and Kara said!”

“Alex, what are you talking about?” Vanessa said, the picture of innocence.

“They overheard you talking with August saying you were going to pick him no matter what! You don’t even like him!” Alex stepped out of the line up, pointing an accusing finger at everyone.

“Alex, I’m really sorry you’re hurt that you weren’t chosen,” said Vanessa, “But making up stories about why August was chosen isn’t fair to anyone. I picked August because I wanted to get to know him better and I felt like the best place to do that would be his hometown. I’m really disappointed in you, Alex, and I’m afraid this will have to be the end of our time together. You can go.”

Alex gasped, staring agape at Vanessa for a moment before turning around and storming off in a huff.

Vanessa looked down, appearing to compose herself as she smoothed her skirt. Then she said, “Ben? I’m sorry but your time together has also come to an end. While you’ve been very nice, I just don’t feel any spark between us.”

Ben took the news better than Alex did, merely inclining his head before walking off to do exit interviews.

“Does anyone else have any objections?” Vanessa asked and when no one replied, she smiled softly, “Then I wish you a good night and thank you for your patience.”

13 notes · View notes

Another Me, Chapter 9

Word Count: 2029 Rating: PG-13 Warnings: None Summary: This time, Rhett was really going to do it. He had tried maybe a thousand times over the past thirty-odd years to tell Link how he really felt, but this time he was finally going to actually succeed. At least, that was the plan, but when another version of the six-foot seven bearded internetainer appears out of nowhere during their weekend getaway, Rhett’s carefully laid plans are quickly pushed aside. Notes: AU, Present day, Rhett and Link aren’t married

Also available on ao3!

First Chapter Previous Chapter

Recommended viewing for reference: GMM 806 - Speed Talking Challenge

“Uh, yeah.” Link backed up, motioning for Rhett’s duplicate to come on in. “Of course.” He ran his fingers through his hair, unconsciously making sure it was sitting right, as Rhett stepped past him into the room.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” he began, second-guessing coming here in the first place.

“No, no, it’s fine,” Link assured him, looking around to make sure the room wasn't too messy. Of course, it wasn’t. “I was just reading,” he lied. “What’s up?”

“I still don’t know how I got here,” Rhett began, running his fingers through his own hair out of habit. “It’s almost like my universe spat me out because I didn’t fit there anymore. Tomorrow we’re going to try to get me back home and I just…” He paused, looking at Link with sad, green eyes.

“Come here,” Link offered, Moving over to the matching beds and sitting down on the nearest one. He placed a hand on the bed beside him as a casual invitation. Grateful, Rhett sat on the edge of the bed next to him and let out a shaky breath.

“Today was the best day I’ve had in years,” he began. “And I’m afraid that, in going back to my universe, my real life, I’m going to have missed a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“What do you mean?” They were sitting so close. Not any closer than Link would have to his Rhett, but for the first time he could smell this Rhett. They smelled almost as similar as they looked.

“To get into the mind of Link! My Link, you know what I’m saying?” Link nodded, understanding completely, and ignored the tiny flutter of his heart when he heard Rhett’s voice say ‘my Link’. Sure it only meant the Link from the other universe, but he’d never heard Rhett use those words together like that, and it was… endearing. “I want to get into his head, understand him better, and who better to ask than his duplicate?”

“Well,” Link shrugged. “Here I am. What do you want to know?” He didn’t see any harm. After all, he never kept any secrets from the Rhett from his universe.

“You dated Missy, in college, right?” A strange place to start but Link didn’t question it. He nodded; he had dated Missy in high school and freshman year of college. It drove Rhett crazy when he would spend hours talking to her on the phone. Plus he didn’t think Link should have continued to date a girl that was still in high school, even if their ages were so close. “My Link, too. Did you date anyone after her? Anyone since?”

“Um.” Link had to really think about it, but not because he didn’t know right away. His first instinct was to say no, but that immediately bothered him. Really? No one? He strained his memory. It was about twenty years ago; surely there had to be somebody… but there wasn’t one. “I guess I’ve been too busy.”

“My Link would say much the same,” Rhett noted with a subtle sigh.

“What about you?” Link nervously asked, scared of the answer.

“Nothing serious,” came the vague reply. “Never really cared for anything serious.”

“Did you ever tell your Link about who you were dating?” The question fell from Link’s lips before he could stop it. He wasn’t sure why he cared, but all of a sudden he really did.

“I never made a point of it,” Rhett admitted, shame creeping up on his face. “Did your Rhett?”

“No, he didn’t,” Link admitted, sadly. “And I know he’s had girlfriends. I know he’s seen people in the past. He’s been dating woman off and on for the past few years, right? But the thing is, he never tells me about them, or introduces me to them. That’s weird, right?”

“Maybe he just didn’t feel like he could tell you…” Rhett began, but Link wasn’t listening anymore.

“I don’t even know, man,” he fumed. “I guess I’m just feeling like…” ‘Like I don’t know Rhett as well I as I thought I did.’ “Like…” He started again. “I just don’t want him to think he can’t talk to me about… things. He never hid his girlfriends from me before. Just like I’ve never had to hide my girlfriends from him.” After all, they had shared the same girlfriend, kissed the same girls in high school (not at the same time, of course) and ever since then they never had to hide even their crushes from each other. What changed?

“But you haven’t had any girlfriends to talk about,” Rhett countered, remaining remarkably calm. “Not for awhile, you said so yourself. Not since college.” Link didn’t have an answer for that. To be honest it wasn’t his business who Rhett dated, not really. He was just used to his best friend of over thirty years telling him everything, even about his girlfriends. If Link was dating someone he would tell Rhett for sure.

“But if I had I would tell him,” Link finally replied, much quieter than before. “Why wouldn’t he tell me?” Rhett hesitated before answering. It wasn’t his place to answer the questions about the Rhett who was actually from his universe, but he couldn’t leave Link without answers. He couldn’t sit here and ignore the forlorn face before him.

“Maybe he was afraid to tell you,” he whispered, hoping perhaps that Link didn’t hear him, but Link’s ears were keen and he turned his head sharply, a confused look on his face.

“What would he be afraid of? That I wouldn't like them? I don’t care who he dates.” A sharp pain through his heart told him that was a lie. “He was never afraid in the past. Every girl he ever dated in school I knew about. I knew most of them…”

“I shouldn’t speak for your Rhett. After all the last few years have actually been different for our universes, at least where my Link and I are concerned. So, I have no idea who your Rhett has been dating.”

“What happened in your universe?” Link wondered, switching gears slightly. “What happened that changed our universe from yours?” He sighed, frustrated but growing too tired to fight his frustrations. “Up until a few years ago they were identical. I can’t believe that the only difference was view count and that created the split.”

Link wondered; Rhett knew.

~ ~ ~

It was a hot day in the fall of 2015, Rhett and Link were doing a series of videos sponsored by Geico, and this time they were visiting Mike’s Animal Auction in Mira Loma, California. They, along with a small filming crew, had spent more than half a day at the place, collecting footage and shooting the episode, and it had been a fairly pleasant experience so far. Rhett had shone an aptitude for fast talking while Link was doing a good job of being a bit silly about it. He wasn’t sour about it, though. Besides, he couldn’t be in a bad mood after he managed to buy a very lovely horse table earlier.

“You really gonna put that in your house?” Rhett had asked him.

“Of course!” came his smiling response. He really did love the table, though he did acknowledge it wasn’t what one would usually find in a thirty-seven year-old’s bachelor pad. He didn’t care and when Link was happy, Rhett was happy.

Later in the day the two of them were going to put their newly-honed auctioning skills to the test with a genuine auction. They had to look the part, as Mike himself told them, so they changed into what they saw as appropriate attire. Well, appropriate for two internetainers posing as auctioneers. That meant cowboy boots, hats, and yellow cowboy shirts. They looked a bit more like rodeo clowns then real cowboys but it seemed to suit them just fine.

After selling a couple of goats, they ran out of things to auction. Rhett, of course, continued talking at top speed and turned to what he knew best: comedy. Still using his auctioneer’s voice he motioned to his best friend, Link, and continued to auction.

“We’re gonna take a break from the goats real quick,” he was saying. “We’re gonna bid this man off, right here.” He didn’t stop there, letting his comedian side take over. “You can win a date with this man, right here.” Link paused for a moment, confused, but he was a born comedian as well and saw the levity of where Rhett was going. Stepping forward he posed for the crowd, bowing and then doing a little jig while Rhett continued the bit. “We’re gonna start at seventeen dollars,” Rhett continued. “Seventeen dollars. Anybody want a date with this man? Seventeen dollars. Look at him! The famous Link!”

Despite Link’s performance, and Rhett’s enthusiasm, no one got the joke and the bidders were silent. Hoping to save the joke, Rhett took a chance and switched tactics.

“Okay, I bid seventeen,” he said, still talking fast. “I have seventeen to me, anyone wanna give me twenty? Twenty dollars for a date with Link Neal.” A steal, if Rhett ever heard one. Now Link was even more confused, and blushing slightly, but he didn’t stop acting. Holding out his arms he gave the crowd a slow spin, showing himself off like a showpiece. Still no bidders and from the look at the real auctioneer’s faces, the bit was getting old. “Seventeen going once!” Rhett finally announced. “Going twice! Sold! To me for seventeen dollars.” That got a few laughs, but they may have been just polite. “Don’t worry Link,” he continued. “I’ll cut the check later.”

And that was that. The day progressed normally, finishing the shoot before packing up to head back to Burbank before the sun could even set. Rhett and Link drove off in their company car, the FJ cruiser, while the crew had their own van to house them and most of the equipment. It was nice to have some peace and quiet after the long day of hectic crowds and noisy animals. Rhett let out an audible sigh of relief as the car pulled onto the highway.

“We’re not really going on date,” Link whispered, after a few minutes. “Are we?” Rhett had dreaded this conversation since he realized what he had done during the auction, after it had really settled into his mind. It had just been for comedy’s sake but then he started to think.

“You’re not gonna back out on me, now,” he replied, still trying to play it off as a joke. Even though he wanted nothing more in the world than to go on a date with Link, he didn’t want to scare him away. Maybe once they were at a restaurant... “I paid good money to go on a date with you.” Link glanced across the seat to his friend. He couldn’t be serious and his smile didn’t give any sign of what really lay beneath.

“What, like, dinner and a movie?” he wondered. It wasn’t like they hadn’t been to a movie together before, or had dinner together either, but they had always gone as friends. A date had other connotations.

“If you like,” Rhett shrugged. He didn’t really care what they did. “My treat,” he added, knowing Link’s next complaint. “We’ll make it a whole date night out of it.” The way he said it Link had to think he was just fooling around, and he never minded just hanging out with Rhett, especially when he didn’t have to spend a dime.

“Okay,” he relented, turned to look back out his car window. “As long as you’re buying,” he quipped with a smile. Rhett grinned broader, knowing Link had sort of agreed to go on a date with him. He immediately began planning what movie they would see, what restaurant they would go to. He wanted to make sure it was a real and proper date, as Link well deserved. Maybe if things went well -and he dearly hoped they did- then he could finally tell Link how he really felt.

Next Chapter

More Fics

8 notes · View notes

Start Again (Sonny Carisi)

Hey look who actually worked on a request she’s had sitting in her inbox for probably a year. When inspiration hits, I suppose.

Masterlist

Request for anon:Can you possibly write a Sonny imagine where you’ve been working together for a while and you moved to New York to get a fresh start and get away from a really bad ex who caused a lot of problems and he somehow tracks you down at the precinct and then Sonny gets super dominant and protective of you and then ends up admitting to all of his sweet, gushy feelings for you once your ex finally leaves? *Unrelated, i’ve gotta say, you’re one of the best writers i’ve seen on here so far:)*

While I don’t agree with you, I thank you for the nice compliment! Enjoy!

gif is very relevant

You had many reasons for leaving your small Southern town and moving to New York City. You craved the rush of big city life; the constant hustle and bustle, the city lights at night, and the plethora of different people and cultures you were destined to be exposed to. It had been a dream of yours for years, to pack up your life, move far away, and find out once and for all if you could hack it in a place like San Francisco, Seattle, or New York. Still, over the years you came up with excuse after excuse to stay in your hometown; your comfort zone.

In all honesty, you were terrified. Not about the so-called “dangers” of living in a city like Manhattan or Oakland, but you were scared of not making it once you were there. You knew you were a good detective, the number of closed cases under your belt was proof, but could you handle a big city? Were you good enough to handle that challenge? You wondered if you could ever make yourself do it. To take the plunge and go for the one thing you had always wanted. You finally got the push you needed a little over six months ago.

You really thought you were going to marry him one day. He was kind, and thoughtful, and giving at the beginning. He bought you things and made you feel beautiful, but after two years, you were finally starting to see what kind of man he really was. Manipulative, mentally and emotionally abusive. He was used to getting what he wanted, including other women, while he was still dating you. After finally convincing yourself that you deserved better, you began actively looking for openings in a few of your favorite cities, and after countless phone interviews, Lieutenant Olivia Benson with the Manhattan Special Victims Unit offered you a place in her crew.

You decided to only tell a few select people that you were leaving; you didn’t have many close friends to begin with and you made the few you did tell promise not to tell Him where you were going. You packed all of your belongings in a single day, not wanting to waste anytime, and only two after you were offered your new job, you were off, leaving your ex-boyfriend a note telling him that you were leaving. No more, no less.

After being with the SVU for about four months, you were just starting to feel like one of the team. Benson was fearless and expected a lot from her crew, but she was a hell of a detective. Finn never failed to make you laugh, and you and Rollins quickly became close, the two of you bonding over being from the South. As cliche as it sounded, Mike was more like a brother to you, and you enjoyed spending time with him, (although, you admit you did have the smallest crush on him when you first arrived.) And then, there was Sonny.

Sonny was your partner, but he had become your closest friend in the city. It was hard not to become good friends; the two of you spent a lot of time together on the job, but you and Sonny just clicked. Whether it was going out for drinks after a tough case or hanging out at his apartment while he cooked for you, you always had a good time with one another. There was no pressure, no expectations. Just two friends enjoying one another, for the most part.

You would have had to been blind to think Sonny was unattractive. His killer dimples and bright blue eyes were hard to miss, and you found yourself admiring his forearms when he rolled up his sleeves in the bullpen. You believed that he thought the same of you, you had caught Sonny staring a few times. Neither of you acted on it, though. You knew sleeping with a co-worker would not be the smartest idea, and you were still raw from your break-up. Sonny knew about your ex, and being the gentleman that he was, he never brought up the two of you being anything more.

You had just finished your paperwork for the day and was shrugging on your coat, finally able to go home and relax. Walking over to Sonny’s desk, you noticed he still had a stack of unfinished work.

“Sonny, it’s almost eight. Why don’t you finish that tomorrow?” He set his pen down and leaned back in his chair at your question.

“I don’t know, I wanna finish tonight. Might take a break in a bit though, get some food.”

“Do you want some help? You’ll be here another hour or two at least,” you didn’t want to stay, but you hated to think of him here all night.

He chuckled and shook his head, “Like I’d ask you to stay. I’m good, really. Have a good night.”

“Yeah, you too,” you made your way out of the office. In the elevator you thought about dinner, if you wanted to cook yourself a meal or just pick up something on the way home. You didn’t necessarily feel like cooking, and on your way out the door of the precinct you decided to just stop at Shake Shack. Quickly making your way down the steps, you heard a familiar voice call your name, making you stop in your tracks.

You knew who was behind you, but you were almost afraid to turn around. How the hell had he found you? In a city of almost nine million people, how did he know that this was where you were? Better yet, how had he known that you were in New York? Slowly you turned around, finding yourself face-to-face with your ex, fearing what he would have to say.

“How did you find me here?” You tried your hardest to keep your voice level, when all you wanted to do was run. You were not going to give him the satisfaction of letting him know he made you nervous.

“Easy,” he answered. “I knew you wanted to move somewhere different. And I know you love New York. Once I figured that out, a quick google search and a few calls were all I needed.”

“Oh, so you stalked me? That’s healthy.” Reminding yourself to stay calm, you hadn’t noticed that he had backed you up against the wall outside of the precinct. Now you were scared, but still, you tried not to let it show, “I have a gun, you know.”

He laughed smugly, “You won’t hurt me with that. Now, it’s time to come home with me. We can go to my hotel and talk.”

“I don’t think so. Now let me leave, or I can arrest you,” you tried once again to move past him, but he had both arms on either side of you. You stared into his eyes, not backing down, only taking note of your surroundings when he was pulled off of you. Sonny had grabbed him by his shirt and shoved him next to you against the wall.

“The hell you think you’re doin’, huh?” Sonny still had his hands on your ex, giving him a look he normally saved for suspects during an interrogation. For the first time since you’d known him, your ex looked genuinely scared. Sonny turned to you suddenly, his eyes softening, “You okay?”

“Yeah Sonny, this is my ex.”

“What, is Long Island here your new boyfriend?” your ex asked from his place against the brick, causing Sonny to shove him harder.

“You shouldn’t be talkin’ right now, you piece of crap. Now, I could arrest you for harassment, and if I wanted to I could add in assault to that, but let’s make a deal. Go home and leave her alone, and I won’t slap a restraining order against you. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it,” he responded.

“Good, because I’m serious,” Sonny said, “if I see your face anywhere near her, her apartment building, or this building, I’ll lock you up so fast your head’s gonna spin. And another thing, I’m from Staten Island, you moron. Now get outta here,” with a final shove Sonny let him go. Giving you a nasty look, your ex finally started walking the other way. You closed your eyes and let out a breath, and you felt Sonny’s hand on your shoulder.

“You sure you’re alright?” He asked.

You nodded your head, “Yeah, he just startled me. I’m glad you were here. What were you doing out here anyway?”

“I took a break to get some dinner. Right after you walked out, I thought about askin’ if you wanted to come with me, but then I saw you and him out here.”

“Ahh,” you didn’t know what else to say. The two of you stood in silence for a moment, until Sonny decided to break it.

“Hey, so, um, this probably isn’t the best time to say this, but there’s no time like the present right?” He laughed at his own comment before frowning and shaking his head. “That was a dumb thing to say, sorry. Uh, look, I like you. I’ve kinda liked you for a while but I didn’t say anythin’ because I knew you had just gotten out of a relationship, and we’re partners anyway so I didn’t want things to be weird between us, but I do really like you. And I’ve been wonderin’ if you’d go on a date with me some time?”

You were stunned and you felt your heart swell. You figured Sonny found you attractive, but you had no idea about his feelings for you.

“You know, there may be rules about co-workers being together.” you said quietly, causing Sonny to look down at the cement in defeat. You smiled, “But I think I’d be willing to skate around the rules for you.”

Sonny looked up at your last comment, his eyes shining. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, Sonny. Do you want to go on that date now? I’m starving and I think your paperwork can wait until the morning.”

He smiled and nodded, and you swore you could see the faintest blush on his cheeks. “Italian okay? There’s a place a few blocks from here that serves the best cannelloni in all five boroughs.”

317 notes · View notes

Grease! AU

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Chapter:3/7

Alternate reality where Eddie Kaspbrak is a boy from New York visiting the small town of Derry for the Summer and so happens to have met the greaser himself, Richie Tozier.

Characters: Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak, Beverly Marsh, Ben Hanscom, Stan Uris, Mike Hanlon, Bill Denbrough, Audra Phillips

Pairings: Reddie, Stenbrough, Benverly, Maudra (Audra x Mike!)

Warnings: Homophobia, swearing, underage drinking and smoking

Word Count: 2,094

Author Notes: Chapters will be based on a song from the movie, I’m not sure if I’ll do each song but if there’s a specific song you would like me to include, let me know in my ask box!

Also, the losers are very ooc. I understand they’re nothing like the way I’m portraying them in my story. Please do not get angry for the way I’m writing them, it’s apart of this au solely and that’s not how I actually view them.

Quick thank you to @get-fcking-reddie for the suggestion of Audra x Mike!

Tags: @universal-gay

What's that playing on the radio, why do I start swaying to and fro I have never heard that song before, but if I don't hear it anymore It's still familiar to me, sends a thrill right through me Cause those chords remind me of the night that I first fell in love to

It had been about a month and a half since the pep rally incident. After long and continuous“move on” and“He’s not worth it” from Bev and Audra, Eddie found himself mustering up some courage and agreed to go on a date with the football player he met at the pep rally. While the town of Derry was very much homophobic and Justin, the football player, was a closeted gay--both boys agreed to have dinner at the local diner.

However, it had to be kept on the down-low; The date would be on Tuesday afternoon-a time when the diner wouldn’t be busy-and if anyone asked, they were just friends.

“This is...nice,” Eddie bit his lip trying to make conversation.

“I guess...this place isn’t anything fancy. Although, the guys and I broke an arcade machine here once..” Justin shrugged eating some fries that were placed between both boys.

He continued to talk about the great broken arcade machine story while Eddie looked around the diner. His eyes landed on the juke box sitting near the hallway that led to the restrooms.

“Give me fifty cents, yeah?” Eddie interrupted Justin.

“Why?”

“Just give me fifty cents. It’ll be quick.”

Justin handed over fifty cents with a large amount of confusion placed all over his face, Eddie took the money and walked down to the jukebox. He inserted the two quarters and began to shuffle through the choices of songs.

Down the hallway that was next to the juke box, Richie Tozier had stepped out of the bathroom. He was running his hands through his hair when he heard the familiar sounds, it was the beginning of Africa by Toto. Something about it made him feel at home. It was the song that was playing when he and Eddie first met at the Quarry.

Richie knew someone was standing behind him, as a matter of fact, he got a glance at the cute boy when he was wondering around the quarry. Silence was nice to have at times but Richie liked to smoke while listening to music. He brought over the boombox he stole from Ben and let the radio be his DJfor the hour. Africa by Toto began to play when he heard the boys’ footsteps. The cute boy. Cute, cute, cute...

Richie stopped in his steps when he saw the familiar brown hair standing in front of the juke box, he seemed satisfied with his choice of song and began walking back to where his table was. Richie picked up his pace and grabbed Eddie’s wrist before he could take another step.

“Ed’s,” Richie breathed.

“Don’t touch me,” Eddie growled but kept his voice low, despite the diner being mainly empty, he still didn’t want to cause a scene with the people that were there.

“Please, it’ll only take two minutes. I just wanna talk,” Richie pleaded.

“You sure had a lot to say at the pep rally,”

“You have to understand that wasn’t me Ed’s- none of that was,”

“Don’t. You don’t get to call me that and pretend everything is okay Richie,” Eddie snapped.

“Eddie-” Richie bit his lip, from the corner of his eye, he could see the guys stepping into the diner after taking their smoke break.

“No Richie. You had your chance, besides, I’m with Justin now. He’s a sweet guy.” Eddie sighed and gave a small smile at Justin who made eye contact with him.

Richie wasn’t used to whatever pain that was tingling in his chest. he wasn’t used to rejection. He was Richie Tozier. Secret bisexual but could also get any boy or girl in his room then leave the next day and not think anything of it. Why was Eddie different?

Because Eddie Kaspbrak had morals.

Because some stupid song called Africa was playing the day Richie Tozier fell in love with Eddie Kaspbrak and it fucking hurts him.

Beatings of my broken heart will rise the first place of the charts, Oh, my heart arranges, oh, those magic changes

Meanwhile, a month and a half earlier, Stanley Uris and Bill Denbrough were still closeted gays.

Key word; were.

Stan and Bill didn’t think anyone would be in the area they parked at the drive-in. They parked in an area where they couldn’t even see the movie, it was far off to the side and the car wasn’t even parked in the direction of the large screen. So it was a surprise when Henry Bowers and his crew showed up hooting and hollering at both boys.

The thing was, Stan and Bill weren’t sucking face; They weren’t urging to take each others pants off. No, they were having a small and quiet conversation. Stan wasn’t some asshole who is always out to get someone and Bill wasn’t some leather jacket wearing asshole who does weed under the bleachers (That was Richie). With their quiet and shy conversation, they shared small pecks every once in a while. They knew being at the drive in would be Taboo, Bill even offered to drive back to his house on the way, but Stan insisted that they go the drive in.

Now that Henry and his merry band caught the two boys exchanging a soft kiss, they paraded with how much they were going to be able to torment the two boys. Now don’t get anyone wrong, the T birds nor the Pink Ladies take any of the Bowers Gang shit but when your closeted gay and the guy who holds a lot power just caught you kissing another dude, the situation is different.

“Denbrough? You’re one of those fags?” Henry sneered.

Bill only stood silent, letting the word fag run around in his mind.

“Now Uris. I’m not surprised. I’ve always known he’s one of those faggots, but you-You, I didn’t expect this!” Henry laughed while his gang snickered behind him like a bunch of hyenas.

“L-leave him a-alone!” Bill snapped but it wasn’t very intimidating, his stutter really took control when he felt scared--And in this case, he was scared shitless.

He nor Stan were afraid of Bowers, they were afraid of what he was capable of.

“Y-you w-want me t-to l-leave him a-alone?” He mocked him and stepped towards the car that had the roof down.

“Henry, you can’t tell anyone. Please.” Stan pleaded but his voice came as low as a whisper.

“What was that Stanley? Begging? Whatever happened to the Stan who made people plead for him? I’m sure you would plead to suck my-” Henry didn’t finish the sentence by the time Bill hopped out the car and swung at Henry, sending him flying towards the car.

“Bill!” Stan screamed but Henry had already tackled the Denbrough boy.

As strong as Bill was, he was outnumbered. Four against one. Stan froze as he watched his boyfriend get the shit kicked out of him.

Henry grabbed Bill by the collar of his shirt and held him to the point where Bill could feel his hot breath breathing against his,“If you don’t want people to know that you’re a fag, you’re gonna have to race us at Thunder Road,”

Bill could only nod as Henry continued,“You have until the end of the year to fix that shit box you call a car. I can’t guarantee that I can hold a secret for that long.”

Henry let go of Bill and walked off with his crew.

Stan ran over to Bill and carried him to the passengers seat. Stan started the engine and began to drive back to his house, he prayed that his parents weren’t home. One good thing came out of that night, Stan’s parents weren’t home.

The car ride had been silent, the radio static was the only thing that kept them company. Stan led Bill upstairs and to the bathroom. He pulled out the first aid kit and tended to Bill’s wounds.

“Bill?”

“Yeah?”

“We can’t do this, not anymore,” Stan whispered looking down at his feet.

“S-stan? No? W-we can m-make this w-work, this is o-our l-last y-year then w-we l-leave this s-shit hole!” Bill rose his voice a bit.

“This isn’t going to work if we’re constantly targeted and who knows how far Henry and his stupid crew will go!” Stan argued

“S-stan, it’s s-something w-we’re j-just g-going to have to d-deal w-with, besides w-we have until-”

“No Bill! We’re not doing this anymore!”

“S-stan P-please!”

“I’m doing this to protect you!”

“If you ever loved me, you wouldn’t fucking let Henry get in the way of us.” Bill snapped, his stutter disappearing along with his love for the curly haired boy.

I'll be waiting by the radio, you'll come back to me someday, I know Been so lonesome since our last goodbye, but I'm singin' as I cry

It was now January. No one understood why Stan always seemed like he had a stick up his ass and no one understood why Bill had practically made home in the car shop. Eddie didn’t need to hear Stan’s comments about everything he did. Meanwhile, Richie was stuck as Mike and Audra’s third wheel since Bill called Ben to help him out with the wheel.

“Hey Audra, would you-um-be my date to the Winter formal?” Mike scratched the back of his neck, he sounded like a middle schooler asking his crush out.

Richie only rolled eyes when Audra happily squealed yes and practically threw herself at him. Richie got up and walked towards the other end of the bleachers. Richie lit up a cigarette while Eddie sat in the stands with his secret boyfriend who was taking a break from football practice.

Richie turned his head when he saw Eddie and whatever-his-name-was share a quick peck when they figured no one was looking. Richie felt anger build up in his chest, he threw his unfinished cigarette to the ground and stomped on it. He marched towards the track coach.

“Coach, I wanna join the team,” Richie instantly demanded.

“Tozier? Athletic?” The coach rose an eyebrow.

“Just let me try out Coach’ everyone deserves a fair try out, don’t they?” Richie smirked.

The coach only sighed and told Richie to change into athletic wear, which Richie thankfully had in his locker. Half an hour later, the team was finally done with warm ups and set off on the track. Richie jogged, trying to let his mind focus on anything but Eddie.

Anything but Eddie’s brown eyes. Anything but Eddie’s brown, soft curly hair. Anything but Eddie’s smile.

Eddie was still sitting at the bleachers, trying to focus on the football but his eyes kept wondering off to focus on Richie.

Richie let his focus become about Eddie and Eddie only. He focused on Eddie sitting on the bleachers in his overalls. Cute, cute, cute!

Richie quickened his pace to turn his jog into a sprint but didn’t realize his shoelaces were untied. He tripped over his laces as Eddie watched and it sent him tumbling across the track.

“Richie!” Eddie shouted running towards the boy.

Eddie quickly pulled some bandages from his bag and began to patch up Richie. Richie could only feel his tummy erupt with butterflies with the feeling of Eddie’s touch.

“Jesus Rich, you have to be more careful next time, are you okay?”

Richie only smiled,“Eddie?”

“Yeah?”

“I think I just fell for you,”

Eddie could only bite back his smile but failed,“You’re an idiot Richie Tozier,”

“Listen Ed’s, let me make it up to you. Be my date to the winter formal,” Richie bit his lip then continued,“I can’t keep waiting for you. I need you now. I’ve been listening to our stupid song that was playing when we first met. I can’t keep missing you, I need you.”

Eddie quickly looked around and when he noticed no one was watching, he smashed his lips with Richie’s but quickly pulled apart,“Of course Chee.”

“What about your boyfriend?” Richie tried so hard to contain his excitement. The boy he pinned over for so long, the boy he loved was finally his again.

“He’s an airhead. He loves his muscles more than anything,”

Eddie continued,“Now the real question is, will our suits or ties match?”

64 notes · View notes

Paris in October - Part 2

Find Part One Here xx

“Holy hell Suze, you’ll never guess who I just met in Paris!!!”

“It’s not Mike is it? He didn’t fly over there to win you, back did he?”

“No, he was the one that broke up with me remember”

“Good, because you’re too good for him anyway”

“You’re missing the point! Guess who was staying in the room next door to mine last night”

“Idk, some hot French guy”

“He’s not French, he’s British”

“Am I supposed to know who he is?”

“Yeah, he’s famous and you love him”

“Can’t be that famous if he’s staying in the same hotel as you”

“Hey, Mike payed for it, and he never cancelled it so here I am, in a fancy hotel”

“Who is it then?!!!”

“GUESS!!”

“Give me a hint!”

“You share a birthday with him, he’s in a boyband you used to have his name in your Instagram bio”

“OMG NO FUCKING WAY”

“NO, YOU’RE NOT STAYING NEXT DOOR TO HARRY STYLES”

“THAT JUST CANNOT BE TRUE”

“It’s true, I was out on my balcony this morning eating my breakfast and he heard my music playing and came an introduced himself”

“He invited me to his show tonight, he’s having a car pick me up at 6”

“OMG!”

“What are you going to wear?!?!”

“I don’t know if I should go casual or fancy”

“Somewhere in the middle”

“I’m going shopping, I’ll send you photos of things I find, and you can tell me what to do”

“Keep me updated!”

Part of you couldn’t believe that this was really happening, while it had never really been a dream of yours to have anything to do with Harry Styles, you really loved his music, and having the chance to see him in concert was going to be great. After spending the whole morning shopping with absolutely no luck, you had come back to try on thousands of different outfits and had thrown clothes all over the room before you finally found something that was somewhere in between casual and fancy that you felt comfortable in.

Just as you started to tidy your room up again, you heard a knock on your door, confused by who it could possibly be, you checked yourself in the mirror, making sure you looked presentable, and answered, only to find Harry waiting on the other side

“Hi Love, you weren’t out on your balcony, so I figured you’d be inside unless you’d gone out for the day”

“I’m still here” you laughed, looking over your shoulder to make sure there was no underwear in his line of vison.

“Just wanted to let you know, there’s a car coming for you at 6, reception will call your room when it gets here, and it will take you to the back entrance of the venue and someone from my team will meet you there and show you to my dressing room where me and the band will be until we go on at 9”

“That sounds great! Can I bring anything?”

“Just your pretty little face is enough” flashing that smile of his at you again, making you blush

“I think I can remember that”

“I hope so, I’ve got to get going now, but I’ll see you later”

“Bye Harry” you waved good bye watching him walk down the hallway a little before closing the door behind him.

***

As the afternoon went on you started to get a little nervous, trying anything to keep you distracted until it was time to leave. You had no idea what Harry wanted out of this and you found it hard to tell if he was flirting with you or if he was just incredibly charming. Either way, you were happy to go along with it and see what happens, if nothing else it was chance to see some of your favourite music live, something that you rarely got to do back home.

6 O’clock rolled around and you were ready to go when your room phone rang to let you know that the car was ready and waiting downstairs. You grabbed your bag and touched up your lipstick one last time before making sure that you had your room key to get back in after the show and headed down stairs.

Harry had gone all out on the car, when you got in there was a glass of champagne waiting for you with a hand-written note next to it

“Enjoy the ride through Paris, can’t wait to see you. Love. H x”

You took a sip of the champagne, and rested your head on the window, watching as the city passed you by, you weren’t entirely sure where you were going but you were happy to see the sights out your window. The drive was much shorter than you had expected and before you knew it the door was being opened for you and you were greeted by a man named Jeff

“Hi Y/N, I’m Harry’s manager, Jeff, he’s waiting for you in his dressing room” he said ushering you into the venue, scanning the area to make sure no fans saw you going in

“Hello!” you greeted him nervously, wishing it was Harry that had met you at the door, but understanding that that would probably have caused chaos. “So does he do this often?” you asked as Jeff lead you down the hallway and up a flight of stairs to where Harry and the band were hanging out before the show

“What? Invite girls that he’s met on hotel balconies to his shows?”

“Yeah”

“It’s not something I’ve ever known him to do, and I’ve known him for a few years now, he hasn’t stopped talking about you since we got here”

You smiled at the idea of him talking about you, as Jeff opened the door to the dressing room, showing you in

“Y/N!” Harry exclaimed, getting up to greet you his face beaming at the sight of you “You look wonderful” he said wrapping his arms around you, embracing you in the warmest hug you’ve ever had

“Thanks” you said quietly, very aware that there were four other people in the room that you hadn’t met but assumed they were his band

“Are you going to introduce us or are we just background noise now that balcony girl is here” sounded a voice from the couch

“Sorry, Y/N this is Adam” he said pointing to the man that just spoke “and that’s Clare next to him”

“Hiya! It’s lovely to meet you” she said

“You too”

“And over there is Mitch and Sarah, they’re totally in love so avert your eyes if you’re not a fan of PDA” he chuckled

“We’re not as bad as he makes it sound, he’s just lonely” Sarah countered back, making Mitch giggle but remain silent otherwise, flashing you a polite smile before returning to quiet conversation with Sarah

Harry brushed her comments off without much of a thought “How was the drive?”

“It was beautiful, I really do love this city”

“Did you get my note?”

“I did, and the champagne was lovely too”

“Can I get you another?”

“I’m alright for now, I might have one later”

“How about food? Have you eaten? There’s food down the hall if you want any”

“I’m all good Harry, I ordered room service while I was getting ready” You could tell he was nervous, but you guessed it was because he was about to perform in front of a large crowd and Suze had told you that this was his first show on the European leg of the tour, which you assumed added to the nerves.

“Organised, I like it, let me show you around then” opening the door and showing you out

“Where are we going”

“Doors are about to open, we’re going to watch everyone come in”

“Like on stage?”

He laughed “No, that would cause a riot, we’ll be able to see from the side of the stage, but they won’t be able to see us.” His hand brushed against your own as he spoke, and eventually he took hold of it, and leading you down the hallway, hand in hand.

“That seems a bit cruel” you laughed

“Feeds my ego” he said as you reached the side of the stage, you could hear the fans and you could feel the excitement in the air, watching them run to the barriers, reminded you of when you had been to Ed Sheeran and waited out in the heat just to get close to the front, only to get pushed back right before he came out, and you were glad to be watching from the side of stage this time.

“Have you ever done that?” You asked, curious to know more about him

“When I was younger, before all this happened” He gestured around the room “Never got close to the front though, my Mum would never let me get there early enough, you?”

“Once, For Ed Sheeran, me and my friends waited out all day, I got sunburnt through my clothes and then once we got in there was a massive thunderstorm and we all got rained on, but it was worth it, one of the best nights of my life”

“Ed puts on a great show and I think he would be impressed that you got sunburnt through your clothes”

“I was pretty impressed myself” you giggled and Harry smiled down at you, glad to have you there, even if he had only met you that morning. MUNA appeared from the hallway, looking like they were ready to go onstage

“We better go” Harry said, “Let them warm up, we’ll come back and watch when they’re on” he turned around and smiled at MUNA, high fiving all of them “Smash it girls, get them pumped”

He grabbed your hand again and lead the way back to the dressing room, where you spent the next hour laughing and joking with Harry and the band. This was the first time since Mike had broken up with you that you hadn’t thought about having him there with you, you finally felt free.

8:45 rolled around and Harry was still wearing jeans and a t-shirt and the band was still in their casual clothes too.

“H, would you please go and see hair and make now please, you should be dressed already” Jeff came in, looking stressed, needing Harry to get a move on so he would be on stage on time. “Y/N you can come up to the balcony with me and we’ll watch from up there”

“Sorry love, got a show to put on” he said placing a gentle kiss on your forehead before heading off to get ready

You, Jeff and a few other members of the crew were watching from the upper balcony. You could finally see what Suze had been raving about for years, Harry was a true performer, he drew the crowd in from the second that curtain dropped and it was truly magical to witness his music live. Throughout the show, he kept looking up to where you stood and smiling, you were sure he couldn’t see you but the thought of him looking for you in the crowd made you feel all kinds of things that you hadn’t felt in years.

Just as he was finishing his final song, Jeff tapped you on the shoulder, “let’s go stage side so we can meet him when he comes off.” So you followed him back down to the stage where you had seen the fans rush in just a few hours ago, and met a very sweaty and adrenaline filled Harry

“That was incredible Harry, thanks for making me come”

“Thanks for being here love, I’m glad you enjoyed it, lets go sit down, I’m exhausted” he exhaled and put his arm around your shoulder. You were enjoying all the physical contact, something about Harry was extremely comforting and having his arm around you felt like the most natural thing in the world. You made you way back his dressing room and sat down on the big couch that Mitch and Sarah were sitting on when you arrived. Harry grabbed two glasses and filled them with champagne, handing you one and sitting down next to you.

“I could see you up there, you looked like you were having a good time”

“I had a wonderful time, I loved your cover of The Chain, that’s been one of my favourite songs ever since I was little”

“Me too, it’s a classic. How long do you have left of your trip?”

“Two weeks”

“In Paris?”

“Yeah, my ex booked the trip, and I think he cancelled most of the fun stuff we had booked, because I have nothing left to do”

“What a dick, ever been to London?”

“Not unless you count Heathrow airport on the way here”

“Funnily enough I don’t” he chuckled, “If you’ve had enough of Paris, why don’t you come back to London with me?”

“I don’t know Harry” you took a sip of your champagne, which you were sure was worth more than you earnt in a day “I only just met you”

“I really like you Y/N, I know we only met today, but this can’t be the last time I see you, come back to London with me, I’ll make this the romantic trip you had planned, it will just be in London instead”

“I really shouldn’t”

“You’re right, you probably shouldn’t but life’s too short play it safe all the time”

“That reminds me a lot of something my best friend used to tell me all the time when were in high school”

“And what was that exactly”

You blushed a little “Life’s too short to pretend not to like Harry Styles”

He laughed loudly and took a sip of champagne “She’s right, take her advice and come back to London with me”

“I guess I don’t really have a choice now do I?”

“Not really love”

Well that was part two! I hope you enjoyed it. It took me a lot longer to write than I expected it to but I’m really happy with it. Feel free to send me any ideas that you have for the next part, if there’s anything you’d love to see happen let me know!

I’ve already started writing part three so it shouldn’t be more than a few days away, but in the mean time I will probably write some little blurbs so send your requests for those in too!

Master list

216 notes · View notes

Crisis

Hey, Joan. This is going to be a bit long, so hang in there. There is a lot I want to write, and I’m going to just sort of spew it out. It actually makes me kind of sick to just spew things out about myself. It seems self-absorbed and sort of“lazy”, but I want to give you a peek into the window I don’t often allow people to peek in to.

I should be working as I write this.. but in a way, I feel paralyzed.

I have this deep knowing that I can do anything I want to do. That somehow, as long as I keep working toward“this”, whatever“this” is, that the universe will make way and align things in to place. It’s a bit hippie, but it’s been my experience thus far, so I’m going with it.

Ultimately, when I started this whole journey it was because of where I had let myself end up in life. My daughters' Mother (korrie) no longer had hope in me, things I tried failed constantly, I struggled to find work that fit into her schedule (and Alainas!). I didn’t have any money, I was living with a negative mindset often, and while I didn’t have drug problems or violence issues, default living had lowered my value to an all-time low. When Korrie stopped telling me she loved me, I knew it was over. What was I going to do? We had an apartment together with a 2-year-old? We continued on for a couple of weeks as she turned her back to me and went to sleep without a word and I couldn’t take it.

Yeah, my name was on the lease too, but I couldn’t“kick them out”, so I had to go. I could tell that I wasn’t wanted there. But where to go? I considered moving in with a friend, but that would have been a very bad choice. I couldn’t take the truck, it was in Korries name and her and Alaina would need it more than I did. So, in a moment of pure desperation, I moved in with Jenny (sis), Justin (bro-in-law), and Belle (4-month-old nieceat the time).

As you can imagine, my mind was a wreck. Suicide? How about the two jobs I quit when this all happened? That was a bad choice, but nothing seemed to matter at that time.. I have almost nothing left, living in a small 2 bedroom apartment with the only two people I feel love me at that moment, I could even speak to them for 3 days. Tears would overtake words, and I didn’t want to be the guy that sat around and talked about all of his misery all the time.

I needed an answer...So, I poured myself into learning. Psychology, spirituality, business, health, you name it... I learned about it. Meditation and Yoga became my foundation as I tried to control my destructive thoughts.

It worked. It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do, but it killed a lot of fear. I was able to fear things less having lost the things that were most important to me. My life was already“lost”, what was left to fear?

So, again, falling into the desperate habit of finding any ole job that would pay me, I went right back into crappy food service jobs. I never made enough money to do more than cover bills, things Alaina needed, food, and toiletries. There was a truck that someone was supposed to sell me, fell through. There was a truck that my Mom was trying to talk someone into selling to me, fell through. There was my brother's car, that I was to buy, and again... No luck. Plans changed. Almost as if it were a sick joke.

Fast forward to November 2017, then working at Arby’s with my sister as a crew member (making $8 an hour). I was sick of it. Alaina needed things in life, I needed things in life, she deserves to have a father that can do these SIMPLE things for her. I needed a way out. I’m smart enough and have experience with so many things, how can I possibly sell my time for so cheap!?

I started learning everything I could about making money online. And boy did I learn a lot. I researched every which way that people go about making money online and decided on creating a store. I wasn’t sure what, but it didn’t matter. If I could just make $800 per month profit, I could quit arbys, better nurture Alaina and focus on going“full time” on something that I built for myself. That was the plan! I had it..

The cost to start was low with creating a store, but I didn’t even have that. I didn’t know what I was going to sale, but I would figure it out. I would have to save $200 or so before I could start, in the meantime learning and absorbing everything I can about how to build a store and advertise!

Then, walking into that grocery store around Christmas time with 26 or so dollars in my pocket, I had an epiphany. I would work day and night to make this happen. To have $26 to my name as a 37-year-old white male in the USA was a ridiculous situation. How can someone with so much opportunity to waste it like that?! Really!?! I WOULD figure this out if it killed me. No matter how long it took, how many hours I have to work, it will be figured out.

So, I set out and stayed focused. Kept testing things, changing the store, wasting money left and right to build this and educate myself along the way. Eventually, I found 5D painting. I like them, they were selling, let's focus on that!

It worked and I just kept going with it. Haphazardly learning as I go. Testing suppliers that I was unsure of for myself, but not quite knowing if the customers would receive the same quality/etc. I did my best to pivot every customer complaint into a customer for life. Or at least leave them feeling happy enough that they wouldn’t curse the company name for life.

I’ve sold nearly 25,000 worth of paintings, now, and as I’ve profited, I haven’t bought new clothes, or a car, or even the good food I want to eat. I’ve still been living like I always did. Below my means and buying just the essentials of life. I’ve reinvested all of the money right back into the customers, the site, the advertising, the tools, rent/groceries and I’m still right around 2,400$ total in the bank.

It’s such a slow process, and the stress is real. Ultimately, I’m going to have to provide incredible records to a tax advisor in a few months, pay him well, and I’ll most likely owe about 2,800. lol. Maybe a little negative? That’s the reality of business, though. We still don’t have a car, a home, or any of those things, but I’m grateful that we’re happy anyway, so don’t get me wrong!

As I long to grow, I have a looming sense of dread that I’ve created a bad business model. The supplier will help things become more consistent and help a lot, but I face a question daily. The question of“should I move on to another avenue of this make money online thing?”. I’ve learned enough skills and proven enough with the sales of the store that I know my stuff. I could very easily post my services on a variety of websites and hire out as a freelancer. Or even pursue one of the infinite numbers of ways that I’ve found to make money from the computer. This doubt, this question, though, takes away from my energy of Untitled Artisan and I know it.

If I had money to buy in bulk, hire a social marketing agency, hire a virtual assistant, store in a warehouse on USA soil, this could grow to enormous heights. But, I don’t, so I continue to progress just as I started. On a very low budget.. at a very slow rate.

It makes me wonder if I did all of this in the wrong order. Maybe I should have focused on building out local business clients websites, improving their google searches, and creating an agency built around that. Or maybe I should build out my own web pages with blog articles that bring in traffic organically to affiliate offers that are plentiful across the internet. Maybe I should have done these things FIRST in order to fund a business like Untitled Artisan.

The ultimate goal of this was to have a successful life with Alaina that allowed for more time with her, more of our needs met, and to help people in our journey. Untitled Artisan is secondary to the actual dream.. I just need to build (or keep building) the right vehicle.

So, if anything, I have a lot of doubt. I see the numbers daily, I see the avenues for growth, and I see the work that I constantly put into it.

Paralyzed with choice, often, your friend, adopted grandson, and Untitled Artisan.

-Mike

0 notes