A year is a mighty long time. You folks went through quite a few phases in the last year, year number two thousand and twenty-three, to be precise. You met and parted with mini variants of yourselves, like Russian dolls. A few skins were shed, one might say. Well, we've got news.
It seems you're in good company: the moon, our celestial neighbor, did just the same thing. Over 12 months, there were 13 moons. One each for each month, the whole year round, and one to spare, you know. Just in case of emergencies.
With that in mind, we thought we would take the chance to celebrate this most mysterious friend that decorates the sky each night—and marvel at its unattainable beauties.
All 13 full moons of 2023 | by Ivana Fanti, @moonwise8 (@fillielitsa)
Spark up, buzz cut
I got my tongue between your teeth
Go slow, no, no, go fast
You like it just as much as me
Oh my, my, my
I die every night with you
Oh my, my, my
Living for your every move
Oh my, my, my!
Every time I look at it these Troye Sivan's - "My, my, my" lyrics play inside my head🤤
Author’s Note: Hi everyone! I know I’ve really been MIA and I have other stories to update, but between my senior year of college and a lack of creativity, I haven’t had much time to write. But, things have lightened and I’m starting to get back into different ideas, and I want to throw this out there. I don’t know about you, but I love a good Coffee Shop AU. This will have a second part, but you don’t really need that one as a follow up to this. Thanks for being patient with me. I really hope you guys enjoy, and let me know if you want to be tagged in anything! :)
*Disclaimer: I have never watched The Punisher, but I’ve seen bits and pieces and I know general plot points. This is also the first time I’m writing for Billy Russo. Please be kind with comments/critiques.
Summary: For as long as you’ve owned your little coffee shop, the devastatingly handsome Billy Russo has been coming to your for his morning cup of joe. You know each other well enough, but you have always wanted to talk with him beyond pleasant casualties and small talk. Luck is on your side, one rainy night …
One of the very first fics about Billy that I've read. Absolutely love both parts of this Coffee Shop AU and no one asked me but I had to make a moodboard cuz I can't take this fic out of my mind :) Wish I was an owner of a coffee/pastry shop and had Billy as my loyal customer ☕🍰
"Oh my God, how are you standing? Who's the guy?" 😂
"You fucked Billy Russo?"
"Yes I did and I'm gonna do it again tonight" 👏🏻
Sidenote: while I was reading, the song "Falling in love at the coffee shop" by Landon Pigg was playing in my mind because Billy kinda had a crush on the reader long before this interaction happened. "I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much, all of the while I never knew….it was you" 😭
Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.
Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader
Warnings: Some swear words, frustrated Billy, fluffy, some smooches, PG-13 for the most part.
Word Count: 5.1K-ish
Summary: Reader is a swim instructor/lifeguard at a pool. Billy is training for a triathlon but he needs a lot of help in the swimming area and reluctantly asks her for help.
A/N: Part 1 of 2, maybe 3. I’m not sure yet. Writing this brings back a lot of happy memories for me, I absolutely loved my job teaching swimming lessons, lifeguarding, helping triathletes. It was very rewarding, a lot of fun, and I miss it. It just didn’t pay the bills. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!
As always, thank you for reading! I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕
5:30 am. The odor and warm air hit you as soon as you unlocked the door. The chlorine must be high today you thought to yourself as the early morning swimmers filed in close behind you, hot on your heels. They were quite impatient. You swore under your breath because the night guards forgot to put the lane lines before they left again. Putting them in was going to cut into their lap time but they helped you so it didn’t eat up too much of their time, they had a schedule to keep.
After tightening the lanes, the morning crowd started their workouts and it was time for you to test the chlorine level and it was a little high, just like you thought because of how strong the scent was when you walked in. The color of the water inside the tester would normally be a light pink, today however, the color was a bright magenta. It was a little too high and by the balminess in the pool area this morning, the temperature of the water was probably on the warmer side also.
Pulling the thermometer out of the water, you closely looked at the lines past the 80 degree line. It read 84. The water was slightly warmer than it should be for lap swimming. It was definitely too warm for you when you swam laps but you were working this morning not swimming so you decided not to worry too much about it because the morning crowd would worry enough for you.
As you sat in your chair, drinking your coffee, one of them called out to you.
“Water’s a little warm today.” She said.
Making sure she didn’t see you roll your eyes, you glanced down at your coffee mug before answering back. “It’s different every day, Sandy. I don’t have any control of the temperature but if you want, I can let the pool director know it’s too warm.”
Smiling at you, she asked. “Could you do that please, y/n? It gets really hot when you’re swimming laps.”
It’s not like you didn’t know how warm it got while swimming laps, you weren’t just a lifeguard. You had swam competitively, you were an instructor, a swim coach, and a lifeguard instructor. You knew your way around a pool and have always been very comfortable in the water.
“Anything for you, Sandy!” Only a hint of sarcasm in your voice but she didn’t seem to notice.
“You’re the best morning guard we’ve ever had, y/n!” She said.
“Well you know I aim to please.” You replied.
The morning rush ended around 9 am and then it was time for water aerobics, followed by pre-school swim lessons and lap swimming resumed around lunch time. While you were cleaning up from your lessons with the preschoolers, a tall, very handsome man with eyes as dark as obsidian, walked through the locker room doors.
His onyx colored hair was dripping wet from the shower, he had a well-groomed beard and in his hands were a pair of goggles and a swim cap. You noticed he had several scars on his body, a few of them were about the size of a bullet. Maybe he was in the service?
Your arms were full of kickboards and pool noodles as he walked toward you. He smiled at you, oh he had a perfect smile, and you felt yourself starting to blush. “Ya need some help, miss?” He asked.
His voice was smooth and incredibly sexy. Your cheeks were suddenly very hot and you struggled to get the words out.
“Oh, I’m fine, thank you though. Swim anywhere you’d like, all the lanes are open.” You told him.
He occupied the last lane, closest to the wall.
After you put away the equipment you used for your lessons, you took a seat in your chair once again, watching him intently. He looked the part of a swimmer, putting on his swim cap and adjusting his goggles, he was even built like a swimmer.
When he pushed off the wall, it was very clear that he was NOT a swimmer. He had the basics down, he obviously knew how to swim but the technique was lacking…severely lacking. His stroke was atrocious and instead of turning his head to breathe, he lifted his head which caused his legs to drop below the surface of the water. He was, for lack of a better term, a mess.
It was tough for you to watch. The way he struggled to stay on top of the water, or halfway down the length of the pool, he’d grab on to the wall gasping for air. You kept a close eye on him, in case duty called.
You hated to watch him struggle though, he clearly needed help but you didn’t like to offer pointers if you weren’t being asked for advice, no one likes that. That’s not your place but a walk around the pool deck couldn’t hurt, there was stray equipment that needed to be picked up anyway.
When he reached the shallow end, he started to cough. It wasn’t a surprise, he probably sucked in a lot of water. It was clear he was unsure how to breathe while swimming.
You decided to ask if he was alright. “Hey are you ok? You can’t drown while I’m on duty, I don’t need you messing up my perfect record.” You joked.
Finally, his coughing subsided and he was able to answer you. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I’m training for a triathlon and swimming is not as easy as it looks.”
You’ve heard that before. “Well you’re not the only one who has thought it looks easy. It’s actually the hardest part.” You said.
He pulled his goggles away from his eyes and rested them on his forehead so he could look at you. “And why is that?” He asked, his tone sounded like he didn’t believe you.
Of course you had an answer. “Because swimmers have a greater lung capacity than someone who just bikes and runs. So if you practice the other two and dismiss the swimming part, it’s going to be incredibly difficult for you to even finish the swim.”
He stuck his tongue out to lick his lips, the water dripping off of his beautiful body was making you feel things you shouldn’t be.
“Well…do you have any advice for me?” He asked, looking up at you.
A sly smile stretched across your face. “I do…you need a coach.” You said.
He brushed the water out of his eyes. “I’m not sure I like that idea.” He told you.
“Well then you’re gonna end up drowning in open water. Have a nice day, mister.” And you started to walk away when he reached out to touch your hand. His touch took you a little by surprise and butterflies immediately stirred in your stomach.
“Ok, well do you have any immediate advice you can give me?” He asked, reluctantly.
You crouched down so you were eye level with him, which was a big mistake. His impenetrable brown eyes gazing into yours almost caused you to stumble over your words. “Turn your head to breathe, don’t lift it. Your legs will stay at the surface. Do a full exhale underwater, inhale when your face is out of the water.” You slowly walked back to your chair, you felt his eyes on you the entire time, and he pulled his goggles over his eyes to try again.
You could tell he wasn’t used to getting advice from other people, he seemed like the type that was in charge, he told people what to do not the other way around. He pushed off of the wall, and as he surfaced, you watched him turn his head to the side to breathe instead of lifting his head in front. He was already improving but he had a long way to go.
After swimming for about an hour, he exited the pool. His swim trunks clinging to all the right places, he was a terrible swimmer but he sure was attractive. Instead of going into the locker room, he headed straight for you.
Oh no. The butterflies were back.
“Look at that, he survived.” You said with a chuckle.
He laughed a little. “Yeah, I—uh wanted to tell you thank you. Your advice seemed to keep me horizontal in the water instead of sinking.”
Glancing back and forth from the pool to the black pools that were his eyes, you softly said. “You’re welcome. You’re still going to need a lot more training though, contrary to what you may think, I DON’T want you to drown.”
“Maybe I’ll look into it.” He said. “I’m Billy, by the way. Billy Russo.” He extended his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you Billy, I’m y/n and I am your humble guardian while you swim, if you wanna call what you were just doing ‘swimming’.” You said, making air quotes with your fingers and extending your arm to meet his.
He chuckled again. “It’s nice to meet you too, y/n.” He glanced down at the wet tile floor and back up to your face. “I guess, I’ll see you around.”
“Have a nice day, Billy. Don’t drown in the shower, I’m not allowed to leave the pool deck.” You said with a slight smile.
He turned to head toward the locker room but quickly turned back. “Ok look, I really would like to do well in this triathlon so I could use all the help I can get.”
“What exactly are you asking me, Mr. Russo?” You knew what he wanted to ask, but you just wanted him to say it out loud.
The look on his face said it all. He REALLY didn’t want to ask for help but he knew if he wanted to survive the triathlon, he would need your help.
“Y/n, guardian of the pool and keeper of swim knowledge. Will you please help me not to drown and train me for this triathlon?” He begged.
A smile tugged at the corners of your mouth. “Awwww, you’re cute when you beg. Alright, I’ll help you. But it will be easier for me to help you if I can get in the water with you so you’re gonna have to come when I get off.” You said.
Billy chuckled.
“When I’m done with work, funny guy!” You were blushing again. “Tomorrow, 3 o’clock or 1500, I know you service guys talk like that.”
He looked surprised. “How did you know I was in the service?”
You bit down on your lower lip and shied away from him a little. “Well it was just a guess…but your haircut for one but I, um…I saw your scars. They look like—shit I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up. I’m so sorry.”
He gave you a warm smile. “Y/n, really it’s ok. Maybe I’ll tell you about them sometime. I gotta go, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He gave you a wink as he walked away. This was going to be tough, you were crushing hard on Billy Russo and you thought maybe he was crushing a little on you too.
That night when you arrived home, you went to work right away on putting together workouts for you and Billy to do. You typed up drills that would improve his stamina, they would make him stronger, and faster.
It was difficult to get Billy off your mind though, you could only imagine the stories he has. His eyes were beautiful but they looked sad, and distant but looked like they had plenty to say. You snapped back to reality and remembered he wants you to train him not date him.
“Snap out of it, y/n. So what if he’s the hottest man you’ve ever seen, you have work to do.” Those words danced around in your head all night, it was difficult to fall asleep and you needed sleep if you were going to work AND train tomorrow.
The morning flew by and as it got closer and closer to 3 o’clock, you started to get nervous because you knew he would be coming in soon. Your swim cap and goggles were in your hands, ready to go when you heard the locker room door open and Billy walked out onto the pool deck, right on time.
He smiled as he walked toward you. “Ok, y/n. I’m ready to learn.”
Billy noticed the papers, they were inside a clear plastic folder so they wouldn’t get wet. His expression softened and he pointed at the paper in your hand as the two of you walked over to the last swim lane. “What are, uh—what are all those numbers on that paper?” Now he sounded a little nervous.
“Oh this?” You held up the paper in front of his face. “These are our workouts. You scared, Russo?” You asked, taunting him just a little.
“Uh, yeah maybe a little. Those are a lot of numbers.” He said.
“In the water, soldier. Let’s go.” You said as you jumped into the shallow end.
You had to hand it to Billy, he did pick up your lessons very quickly. You explained that one length of the pool is 25 yards so anytime he saw 4 x 50 on the paper, he knew he had to swim two lengths of the pool, four times. Or if he saw 4 x 100, he had to swim four lengths of the pool, four times, and so on. You’d give him periods of rest also, not as long as he wanted but he could keep track of his rest times on the pace clock.
“Ok, I just have one question. What’s a pace clock?” He asked.
You tried to hold in your laughter but you couldn’t. “The pace clock is that GIANT clock on the wall, at eye level Billy.”
After his short sprints, his rests of ten seconds infuriated him and he would get very angry with you. “Why do I only get to rest ten seconds, y/n?!!” He yelled, trying to catch his breath. People stopped to stare. “It’s not enough time!”
“You need to build your lung capacity and endurance, Billy. That’s the only way you’re gonna be able to do this!" You yelled back, you weren’t intimidated by him even though he towered over you. It kind of turned you on if you were being honest with yourself.
Every day for 8 weeks, you worked with him, giving him different work outs and working on various speeds and distances. He was getting better but still frustrated with himself and you were pretty sure it was because you were better than he was. Billy had to be the best…at everything.
Concentrating on certain areas of the body, sometimes you would work on just using your arms with the assistance of a pull buoy. “What do I do with that?” He asked.
“Stick this in between your thighs and pinch your legs together, it keeps your legs in place and afloat so you can just concentrate on your arms.” You said. “And after that, we can work on your kicking using the kickboard.”
“You’re gonna kill me, ya know that?” He said. “And how many times do I have to do this?” He picked up the plastic sleeve to look at the workout. “2 x 250’s?! Ah, come on y/n!”
Trying to hold in your laughter, you covered your mouth so he wouldn’t see you smiling. “Calm down, Russo. I’m not asking you to sprint, I want you to work on your form. These should be leisurely swims, you don’t have to go fast.”
Billy looked up, you were standing near the ladder ready to watch him and critique his form if you needed to when he asked. “Can I see you do it first?”
Narrowing your eyes at him, you snatched a pull buoy from the basket and jumped into the water. “Ok, I’ll do a 250 so you can see what I’m lookin’ for, just walk along the pool deck and watch me while I swim.”
His eyes widened, he seemed excited he would get to watch you from above instead of swimming alongside of you.
As you came up for air after pushing off the wall, you could see Billy walking next to you while you swam. Your arms stretched out in front, pulling in an S-shape under the water, gently brushing each thigh with your thumb as you pulled the water underneath you, your elbow the first to break the surface and extending your arm past your head, close to your ear before placing your hand back in the water in front of you and repeating the movements.
He watched you with great intensity, if he had a pen and paper in his hand, you were sure he would have written things down and the flip turn you did at the end of the first 25 yards, you swore his eyes left his head for a minute. He was so surprised, his eyes glued to you at your every move.
“That was…amazing.” Billy was almost at a loss for words. “How did you do that turn?!! With the flip!”
A wide smile stretched across your face. “Ah, that takes practice, I’ll teach you but not now. In the water, come on. Longer swims will help with your endurance too.”
Billy got back in the water with the pull buoy and placed it in between his legs. “So I just hold this here and…”
“It will keep your lower half at the surface while you work on your arm technique.” You said.
After Billy finished his longer swims, you had plenty of compliments for him. He was definitely improving, his form looked better and he wasn’t as out of breath after completing a workout. You did, however, have a small suggestion for him.
“No, no, no. No way! Why do I need to wear a speedo?!!” Billy asked.
Again, it was really hard not to laugh in his face when he had reactions like that.
“To cut down on drag, Billy!” You said with your voice raised to match his.
“What the fuck is drag?!!” He asked.
You didn’t mean to but before you realized what you were doing it was too late. Your hand dipped below the surface of the water to grab a hold of his swim trunks, near the side pocket and you gently pulled on the fabric.
“THIS, Billy! THIS is drag. You’re not moving as fast through the water as you could be if you were wearing a different suit, you can get ones that look like bike shorts. You don’t have to get the little underwear ones anymore.” You said, still holding onto his trunks. It was a good thing your cheeks were already red from the workout so he couldn’t tell that you were blushing.
Realizing you were still holding on to his bathing suit, you released the fabric from your fingers, crossed your arms across your chest and shied away from him, slightly embarrassed. You just grabbed AND pulled down on Billy’s swim trunks.
“Wait…I don’t?” His voice was back down to a normal volume.
You pinched the bridge of your nose and squeezed your eyes shut. “No, Billy…you don’t. Do you have to fight me on EVERYTHING!? Or do you think I would suggest it just to see you in a tighter bathing suit?” No, you did not just say that out loud.
You looked around the pool area, the two of you were the only ones left aside from the lifeguard cleaning up the pool deck.
A cunning smile spread across Billy’s face. “Well…do you?” He asked.
“Do I what?” You asked.
He continued to smile at you, sometimes you hated that his smile was absolutely perfect.
“Do you want to see me in a tighter bathing suit?” He inched closer to you, closing the gap between your bodies, his liquid brown eyes gazing down at you, and your heart was beating right out of your chest.
You swallowed hard, looking up at him through your lashes before turning to get out of the water. “I think we’re done for the day, Russo. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
You could feel his eyes on you as you walked around the pool deck toward the locker room. Quickly, you glanced over your shoulder to take one last look at him before going inside. He was biting down on his bottom lip and he winked at you as you opened the door and headed inside.
When the door closed behind you, a long exhale escaped your lips and you couldn’t take another step. Your legs were shaking and it wasn’t because of the intense workout you just had, it was because of Billy.
The man was incorrigible, questioning everything you were teaching him, asking why you wanted him to do certain things but eventually, reluctantly giving in to what you demanded from him. He wanted to be better, so you were making him better. He drove you crazy but he was also…driving you crazy.
You thought about Billy constantly, while you were working, while you were at home, everywhere you went, his face was in your head and it made you smile. He made you laugh, sometimes you laughed with him but also, although you didn’t mean to, you laughed at him because you couldn’t help yourself.
He wasn’t the first person you’ve trained for the swim portion of a triathlon but he was definitely the most challenging and you found it thrilling. You challenged him but he was also challenging you as an instructor, thinking he could get his way just by flashing that perfect smile at you. You weren’t a pushover, you didn’t even let three year olds walk all over you, let alone grown adults, and you certainly were not going to let Billy Russo walk over you.
And the more time you spent with him, the feelings you had for him grew but also you knew that after your training sessions were complete, you would have to say goodbye to him. But you didn’t want to, there was a dull ache in your chest every time you thought about it. He had no reason to keep seeing you after his sessions were finished but you were definitely falling for him.
The hot water from the shower pelted your skin over and over again, you closed your eyes and let the water run all over your body. Washing the chlorine out of your hair, you remembered how close Billy was to you, feeling the warmth of his breath against your eyelids, and staring at the droplets of water trickling down the long, lean muscles of his torso. It was hard to concentrate on anything else.
Once you finished getting dressed, you walked out of the locker room into the hallway and saw Billy leaning up against the wall. Suddenly, your heart was in your throat again and all of your words were trapped inside.
“Hey, there she is. I almost didn’t recognize you with all your clothes on.” He said sarcastically as someone passed by.
Somewhat embarrassed, you couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Very funny, Russo. What are you still doing here?” You asked.
“I thought maybe I could walk you to your car.” He said.
You held up your finger. “Ah, well I would say yes if I had a car here. Parking and driving in this city is a nightmare so I’ll just take an Uber or the train.”
Billy shook his head. “Absolutely not. May I drive you home, please? Please? It’s the least I can do for you having to put up with me. I know I can be a little…difficult.”
His offer surprised you and his eyes looked a little different from when you first met him. They looked…happy.
“Oh…well…I…I guess I don’t have a reason to say no so yes, thank you Billy. That’s very nice of you.” You said.
Side by side, you walked up the stairs and exited the sports club, talking the entire time. Talking with Billy was easy, mostly because you did a lot of the talking, he listened and asked questions. He asked what made you want to be a swim instructor, a coach, a lifeguard. Growing up, your backyard was the ocean, it was your happy place. And according to your mother, you loved the water from a VERY early age. Swimming came very naturally to you so why not teach something that you love to do.
Billy asked how you got into training triathletes so you told him the story of one triathlon you were working and you nearly had to rescue a swimmer because he didn’t do enough training in the water, he came to you looking for help and mentioned he concentrated more so on the biking and the running and almost zero time on the swimming.
He asked if you would train him so you agreed and when all was said and done, he had shaved 15 minutes off of his last time which made you feel extremely happy that you were able to help him like that.
“Oh, let me get that for you.” Billy said, opening the car door for you.
You climbed into the car and he closed the door behind you. Holy shit, this is a nice car. You waited for him to get settled before asking him. “Billy, can I ask you which triathlon you’re training for?”
“Oh it’s the Niantic Bay Triathlon. I read it’s a good one for beginners.” He said.
Your heart skipped a beat when he mentioned Niantic because it was close to your hometown in Connecticut and you volunteered to work that one every year.
“Niantic Bay? As in Niantic, Connecticut?” You asked.
Looking slightly confused, he asked. “Yeah…you know it?”
“Niantic is close to where I grew up.” You said. “And I volunteer to work that triathlon every year.”
“Seriously?” He asked with a smile spread across his face.
Excitedly, you answered him. “YES!!”
During the car ride to your apartment, you couldn’t stop talking about your hometown, how much you loved growing up there, the sights to see, the places to visit. And Billy, hanging on your every word, listening and smiling while you talked. Before you knew it, you were home but you didn’t want the car ride to be over.
“Thank you for driving me home, Billy. I really appreciate it.” You said.
The two of you stood outside your downstairs door, you felt like every nerve ending in your body was firing, and you were really hoping he couldn’t tell that your knees were shaking. He was standing very close to you, like he did earlier before you got out of the water.
“You’re welcome, y/n. Like I said, it’s the least I can do.” He said.
You turned to unlock the door when Billy stopped you. “Why did you run away?” He asked, sharply.
His question surprised you. “What?”
“Earlier, we were standing close like we are now but you ran away, why?” He asked again.
The keys in your hand started to rattle because your hands were shaking slightly and it was hard to look him in the eyes, but you tried to play it off.
“I didn’t run away, our time was up, Billy.” You said softly.
He chuckled, gnashed his teeth, and did not take his eyes off of you. “Ok, now try telling me the truth.”
“What if I’m afraid to?” Your voice hitched.
“Try me…you might be surprised.”
You let out a long exhale and closed your eyes, remembering all the times in the past that you’ve been hurt by ex-boyfriends, guys you’ve dated that turned out to be assholes, you didn’t want to put yourself in that position again especially with someone like Billy. He was handsome, sweet, funny, CEO of his own company. He could have any woman he wanted, what would he want with you?
But you confessed anyway. “Because I don’t want to say goodbye after our sessions are over, ok? I—I have feelings for you, Billy. And look, I know that you probably—“
Before you could finish, he cut you off. His strong hands suddenly cupped your cheeks and his lips crashed against yours, your gym bag hit the ground as you entangled your hands in his ink like hair. You could still taste the chlorine on his lips, with a little hint of peppermint as his tongue gently pressed against your teeth, silently asking permission for his tongue to dance with yours.
You didn’t deny him as you devoured each other in the doorway of your apartment building, your back flattened against the wall and Billy’s lean hard body pushed against yours. He nipped at your chin and peppered kisses up and down your neck, managing to find the spot on your neck that made you weak in the knees.
His hands traveled down your torso before stopping to rest on your hips. Lifting your t-shirt slightly, his agile fingers brushed the soft skin of your stomach, causing goosebumps to erupt across your body and the ache between your legs to grow.
With each kiss he placed on your neck, you let out a sharp gasp and you couldn’t believe that this was actually happening. It seemed to make him hungrier for you as the soft moans of his name escaped your lips.
Before going any further, he pulled away slightly and rested his forehead against yours, both of you breathing heavily. A smirk played across his lips.
“You taste a little like chlorine.”
The two of you started to laugh as he lightly kissed your forehead.
“And I have feelings for you too y/n. I have for—“ He stopped, it was difficult for him to say how he feels, you could see it in his eyes and all over his face.
“Billy?” You whispered.
“I have for a while and I had a feeling maybe you did too. When I saw the way you were looking at me earlier—I“ He stopped again and ran his fingers through his hair. “I REALLY like you and I just have a hard time—“
Your fingers ghosted his lips. “Hey Billy, look at me.”
He stared off to the side, almost as if he was scared to look at you before finally meeting your gaze with his own.
“I REALLY like you too. But you don’t have to say anymore right now, ok?” You grazed his beard with your thumbs and carefully leaned in to him. His body was a warm, firm cradle for yours and you kissed him. His body loosened under your touch and you could tell he felt more at ease.
“Well how is this going to work for our professional relationship now? I don’t know if I should be making out with my swim coach.” He joked.
With your hands resting on his chest, you rolled your eyes, kissed him one more time and said “Relax, Russo—don’t make it weird. We still have a lot of work to do.”
Cute and funny! Oh, just the summary alone brought some of my happy memories too. I was in competitive swimming since I was a kid (chlorine is a smell of my childhood lol), even have medals and stuff like that. I really hope I'll get back to regular swimming at some point and to do it with someone as handsome as Billy Russo? Yes, please! What swimsuit of mine would I wear, hm?….Anyway, I fully understand him, not like I didn't have a crush on my coach too🤣. Very nice original backstory for Reader. I appreciate your ability to make her not his colleague or subordinate but from a different walk of life❣️
Summary: Whilst babysitting your nephew in the park, you bump into Karen, a friend of yours, and she introduces you to Billy Russo.
Find the sequel here
My Masterlist
Billy shakes his foot a little as he walks, trying to dislodge the leaf stuck on his perfectly shined shoe. He often comes to the park, but usually only during his morning run, not to wander around looking at the scenery. But that’s what he’s being forced to do with Karen as they wait for Frank to arrive.
The two of them are walking over a patch of grass, surrounded by a mass of small children running and playing, when Karen spots a friend of hers.
You’re sitting on a picnic blanket, with a small collection of children and children’s toys. Billy stays quiet as you and Karen catch up with one another. She asks if the two of them can wait here for Frank, glancing at Billy for his agreement, to which he shrugs before nodding.
Karen sits opposite you, whilst Billy takes a spot beside you. He holds a hand out for you to shake, and you both introduce yourselves.
You and Karen talk a little more before she says she’s going to walk over to the coffee cart, asking if anyone wants anything. You and Billy both decline, but Billy offers to go with her, to which she insists he stays.
Chewing on your lip nervously, you concentrate on the daisies you’re weaving into a chain, hoping that Billy is a good conversationalist that won’t mind that you have no idea what to say to him.
“Karen told me you’re Frank’s boss?” You say, glancing over at him. A smile tugs at his lips as he chuckles,
“It sounds weird when you say it like that, but I guess I am.” You frown lightly, and he explains, “Frank and I were in the marines together. When I left I started my own security company, and a couple of years ago Frank joined me.”
“Security. So, is that like bodyguards and stuff?”
“A little yeah. We do private military and training courses as well.”
“Sounds very impressive.” He ducks his head lightly, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
“Thank you.”
You glance over at your nephew Freddy as he totters to his feet, taking a few wobbly steps towards Billy. Freddy turns himself around, before plonking down onto Billy’s crossed legs. You laugh softly at Billy’s startled expression.
“He only does that with people he likes.”
“He yours?” Billy asks, eyeing Freddy warily as if he’s not entirely sure how to respond to his new friend.
“That’s Freddy, my nephew. My sister had to work this weekend, and her husband’s deployed at the moment.”
Karen hadn’t told you much about her boyfriend’s best friend, and you can’t help but watch the impeccably dressed man sitting beside you with your nephew in his lap.
Billy looks adorably confused by the small child. Freddy doesn’t seem too phased by his new seating arrangements, continuing to play with his blocks. Billy watches with a small frown on his face as Freddy taps two plastic blocks together. After around a minute of the boy struggling to slot the pieces together, Billy takes them in his hands. He clicks the two blocks together, and hands it back to Freddy.
Freddy tilts his head back, staring up at Billy, his bright blue eyes meeting dark ones. Then he picks up another block, handing it to Billy who then proceeds to add it to the other blocks. Over the course of the next few minutes, Freddy selects his choice of block, before he hands it to Billy.
In between block building, Billy watches you as you link a large handful of daisies together in a chain. He remembers some of the girls from the group home making daisy chains, but there was only a tiny patch of grass for a yard, with very few daisies, so fights often broke out over the little flowers.
As a seven year old, Billy dismissed it as a silly girly thing. But now, as he watches you place a ringlet of daisies on a little girl’s head, bringing a bright smile to both her face and yours, he thinks he finally understands the appeal.
“Can Ava have one too?” The little girl asks.
“Of course she can.” You tell her, getting to work on the next chain as she runs off to show her friends. Your eyes meet Billy’s, and you say,
“Not mine either. Her mom has a newborn so I said I’d keep an eye on her.”
“That’s good of you.” He says, his eyes searching over the kids around you. A small smile tugs at your lips,
“None of them are mine.” Billy’s mouth parts, and he looks down sheepishly,
“Sorry.”
“It’s alright. I seem to be a magnet for them all today.” Billy smiles softly at how kind you are to all the kids. He wonders if anyone was ever that nice to him as a kid. Probably not, he feels like he would remember it if they were.
Karen returns, with Frank in tow. She introduces you to Frank, to which you smile and give him a small wave. Frank nods in acknowledgement, though he seems more interested shooting a curious look at Billy.
“Um,” Billy starts, looking a little unsure as to how he’s going to stand up with a child in his lap. You smile softly, leaning over to reach for Freddy. Billy smiles appreciatively as you scoop up the boy. As Billy’s standing up, Freddy makes a distressed noise of protest, which tugs at his heartstrings. You hush him gently, explaining,
“Billy’s gotta go now, Freds.” Billy crouches down in front of the two of you, extending a hand towards Freddy. The boy grasps at Billy’s hand, and Billy shakes it with a serious expression.
“Pleasure to meet you Fredrick.” You laugh, and Billy beams at the sound, his smile almost as bright as the sun shining down on you. He gives you a nod, “You too, ma’am.” Your smile is a little shy as you reply,
“It was nice meeting you Billy.”
Seeing the look shared between you and Billy, Karen insists that you should join them all for drinks some time, which you agree to. Billy tried his hardest not to bounce on his heels as you respond, slotting his hands into his pockets as he looks down at you.
“I guess I’ll see you ‘round.” He says, and you nod, your smile widening.
“See you ‘round.”
»»---------------------►
Billy Russo Tag List: @blackbirddaredevil23 @restingbitchsblog @tiredbeebo @rafaelakelley @theysayitscrazy @hummelmi @nyx2021 @skybridgerton @dragon-of-winterfell @profoundme444 @misstimeless @booksandbenbarnes
This two-parter is beyond adorable. Illegal amount of fluff❣️ Billy with kids is a weakness I guess, it's never enough, I need more domestic Billy series😌 I'm going to reread this forever:)
#you channelled the vibes perfectly#this reminds me that I started a part three forever ago#but with how glitchy my drafts are being atm I may never find it again#billy russo#billy russo moodboard#beautiful moodboard
Your tags aww😍 this reminds you...less than a year is not forever ago.... So glad you liked it! I really tried to frame that sweet cozy family-like feeling this story gave me, with snapshots of important details. Hope your drafts would go into order with ease and I wish you all the inspiration to bless us with more part(s) of this 😇adorableness😇 I mean that cliffhanger with a kiss “And you too” just DEMENDS continuation with play date and invitation to a real date with Reader!
While searching for daisy images I found lots of jewelry with daisies and started daydreaming: imagine Billy gifting Reader a pendant/earrings/bracelet/ring the following June to celebrate a made-up anniversary...or a year later to celebrate the real day they met...or a daisy bride bouquet she could have at their wedding🌼 I'm either inspiring or annoying you at this point but you gave me hope hahah 🙏🏻please keep writing🙏🏻 and thank you❣️
Summary: When you joined the Marines you were trying to find a purpose in your life, and you’re happy to say you found a family to call yours in the Air-Ground. You’re a Sergeant Major on deployment in Afghanistan when you meet Billy Russo. You’re bound to each other because you both share a difficult past, and you manage to start a friendship that will last for years, including your off-times.
You keep your feelings hidden, finding a new home in Billy and the Castles.
Things get ugly when you’re all shipped to Kandahar to complete a mission off records. Your relationship with Billy takes a huge hit as you discover some dirty business he got into. As you decide how much your morals can bend, you unwittingly become part of that traffic too. Your life changes forever after that mission, as well as your relationship with the two Marines. Will your heart find peace after what happened? Will you find another place where you belong? Another Home?
Warning: Marines / Military inaccuracy, does not follow The Punisher storyline (cause we stand a good Uncle Billy in this house), friends (idiots) to lovers, slowburn, angst, fluff, eventual smut marked in the chapter, mention of weapons and violence, cursing, injuries, death, blood, PTSD, nightmares, talk / description of paste abuse / child abuse / homeless underage, morally grey characters
Skeptical at first, I'm so glad I found this series❣️I loved that reader is superior to Billy in the marines rank - a very interesting dynamic because most of the time there is imbalance of power in a relationship with him but here it's reversed. Reader's and Billy's deployments and homecomings together, saving each other, hating each other (he doesn't really hate her, the boy is in ♥️😏).
-You call Lady all your superiors, Lieutenant? That’s why you’re gonna take tonight’s watch, Russo. I’ll see you tomorrow, 0800 sharp at the runway. Gentlemen
-Lieutenants, ready for your first recon? And how did you sleep tonight Russo?
-As fresh as a daisy, Sergeant Major. Ma'am, I wanted to apologize for my behavior, it won’t happen again.
-At ease, Russo. We’re cool if you remember to not call me anything apart from my name or my rank. Get your ass in line now.
Aleksander Morozova / General Kirigan x gender neutral!Reader / 18+ / smut & fluff & little bit of angst
Icarus
Billy Russo x Marine!Reader / 18+ / angst, fluff, smut
Rumors
Andrew Garfield x Actress!Reader / fluff
Opening Night
Andrew Garfield x reader / 18+ / fluff
Sick
Billy Russo x reader / 18+ / smut, fluff
Jealous
Billy Russo x reader / 18+ / smut, enemies to lover
Revenge
Billy Russo x reader / angst
Guidelines
Request are open
You can request anything you want, fluff / smut / angst, keep in mind I'll decide what to write based on what I'm comfortable with
For now, since I'm new to writing, I prefer writing short stories or drabbles
I write for Ben Barnes's characters, Andrew Garfield / TASM!Peter Parker, most of MCU characters, Chris Evans's characters, Sebastian Stan's characters, The Witcher (TVshow), Shadow and Bone (TVshow)
Please be kind and patient, do not share my works anywhere, reblogs and comments are well appreciated, just be polite with your opinions 🥰
Masterlist recommendation with fluff and angst for Mr. Russo & Reader.
🍪😍You make him his favorite childhood cookies❣️
☕🥃Coffee shop AU (can't get enough of these with Billy). He spends two months asking you out for a coffee but you don't get it cuz you're a batista so you just make him coffee until one game night in a bar you cross paths with him....
🎖️🚁"I **** you, Russo". "Likewise, Sergeant Major, likewise"
🤧Taking care of Billy has its perks: he gets well quickly and he knows how to say thank you in a proper way👅🔞
👜💼 Business-queen-of-New-York and Business-king-wannabe-wants-her-to-himself. "Such a smart little thing, aren’t you? Can’t wait for you to be mine, we’ll be unstoppable together".
⚰️(well this one hurt a lot☠️) "He leans down to touch your forehead with his, a stream of “I’m sorry” leaving his mouth as his tears soak your face"
"revenge won’t bring peace to him, but it soothes his soul for some time, and that’s all he needs before he sees you again".
Hi! Girl, it's February 15th in my place right now, where is promised two-parter? 🤔😏 I rushed here to apologize for not reading it yet cuz my period cramps are murdering me and I can't think of anything else today so I'll read it tomorrow. But it's not out yet 🥺 I think I'm on your tag list so I won't miss it and I'm not rushing you because 👇🏻
Well this made me cheese so hard, Anastasia! 😃 It’s still the 14th where I am so I’m enjoying a glass of bourbon and putting it all together now. And you are most definitely on my tag list so when I post it, you’ll be notified, I really hope you like it, my lovely and part 2 will be out on the 16th. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
