Synopsis: Jake Seresin was an asshole, everyone knew it. He flew with confidence and held a cocky smirk. Behind every cocky smirk and snark remark was you, built into his memories, memories he always lived in.
Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin X Pilot!Reader - CallSign: Hela.
Warnings: 18+,mentions of alcohol, mentions of flying accidents, mentions of death, swearing, angst and of course fluff.
“Hangman, the only place you’ll lead anyone is an early grave”
The hairs on the back of Jake’s neck stand and his body stiffens at the sound of Rooster's voice, causing him to stand from the pool table.
He knew he needed to keep his cool in front of the group of aviators. He plants his signature smirk on his lips, making his way to Rosster, looking over his face.
The smirk covers the thoughts running through his mind as he is quiet for a bit too long for Hangman. “Anyone who follows you” he leans back on the pool table, a smirk plastered on his lips. “Is just gonna run out of fuel” he tilts his head.
“You are just too snug on your perch” he pushes off the table, his back to the group he lets his facade falter.
He never wanted the group to know that Rooster hit a nerve.
His face remained stone as he turned back to the group, his mind on one thing, you.
+
Tennessee.
Tennessee.
The bar was packed full for Friday night. The sound of the jukebox could be heard for miles. You grin, pushing into the crowded bar, looking around for the group of friends you were meeting. With none of them in sight you walk towards the bar, sliding on one of the stools. The bartender grins at you with a raise of their brows.
She chuckles, “new to the area?” she asks as you chuckle, eyes moving to her face. “What gave me away?” she shrugs, “I just get the impression you are not from here” she nods as you smile. “I am not, I just got stationed here” she grins, looking you over. “Army?” she asks as you laugh, head falling back. “No Ma’am I am Navy” she grins wider.
“I don’t see them very much” smirking, you shoot her a wink. “No, we certainly do not” the southern accent pulls your attention to the left. He’s leaning his elbow on the bar as your brows furrow, looking up at the sunkissed man beside you.
He grins, looking you over and then back at the bartender. “I’ll take another beer and add whatever the lady is havin to my tab” she smirks and moves her way across the bar. Sitting back in the chair, you look up at him, “well thank you for buying my drink” you say.
He smirks, nodding looking back down at you, “what brings you to lil ol tennesse?” he asks as you shrug, thanking the bartender. “Work for the most part” he nods, pulling the stool beside you closer, to the point your knees were touching as he sat down.
“Well, welcome, I’m Hangman” he holds his hand out with a smirk. You hold back the chuckle, raising your brows, you decided to play along. “Hangman? Did your mother hate you?” he laughs, shaking his head, “it’s my call sign, I’m a Naval Aviator” you nod slowly, biting back your growing smirk.
“Well it’s nice to meet you Hangman” you shake his outstretched hand, noticing your group of friends make their way in.
You stand and send him a smile, “Thanks again for the drink” you wink over your shoulder, walking towards the girls. “He was cute,” Raven, your best friend says.
“Please Ray, he’s a pilot, major red flag” you smirk as she chuckles, “So is that your red flag too?” you laugh behind the straw of your drink.
The music was pumping through the speakers loudly. Raven had a smirk on her lips as she danced to the Usher song playing through the speakers.
She points toward you seated with your third drink, motioning you to her. You laugh, setting the drink down and walking towards her.
Her hands fall to your hips, pulling her body into your own, whispering loudly in your ear, “you should go dance with hot cowboy!”. You laugh, hands falling on top of hers, “I don’t know Ray” you look up and as if he knew you were talking about him, he smirks and meets your eyeline.
“Do it! You need to get laid!” you shove her shoulder gently, catching her stumbling body.
“Fine!” you smirk as she laughs loudly. Raven watches as she cheers behind her own solo cup, looking at her over your shoulder with warning eyes. In the process, you don't notice Hangman making his way to meet you halfway. “Wanna dance?” he smirks, startling you as you meet his eye. Smirking, you holding your hand out to him, he takes it and pulls your back into his chest.
He chugs the last of his red solo cup, handing it off to someone beside him and lands his hands on your hips.
He leans down, lips brushing your bare shoulder causing a shiver down your spine, he smirks. “You are quite beautiful” he whispers in your ear, nose brushing your hairline as he stands to his full height. You laugh, head falling back onto his shoulder as your hips continue to grind against his own.
The bodies were sweaty, his musk was intoxicating more so than the shot of vodka in your drinks. Turning to face him, your forehead resting against his own as his smirk stayed tattooed on his lips.
Looking up at him through your lashes he grins, winking as the two of you make eye contact. “(Y/N)!” you turn to Gypsy, another girl that came out tonight. She smirks looking between the two of you, eyes falling back to you. “Hi Jakey” he grins, nodding towards her with a grin, hands still attached to your hips.
“Jakey?” you question slowly, in your intoxicated state thoughts moved slower. Your hand slides down his chest, “oh my god, big brother Jake?!” your finger is planted against his chest as you look at Gypsy. She nods, smirking as your eyes widen. “Anyways, Raven got a text from Bradley” you sigh, nodding.
Your hand continues it’s journey down Hangman's chest, landing on the buckle of his jeans with a smirk on your lips as your eyes meet his again.
“Nice dancing with you, hungman” kissing his cheek, you hurry over to the group of girls. In a blink of an eye, you were gone.
“Ladies and gentleman” Admiral Cain smirks from the front of the room full of aviators. “We have someone new joining our squad today” he stands with his hands on his hips, “she’s coming to us from Florida down in Pensacola, her skills will be an asset to this squad”. Walking into the room and shutting the door gently behind you, the smile on your lips is not hard to miss.
“I welcome, (Y/N) (Y/L/N), call sign Hela '' making it to the front of the room, you shake Admiral Cain’s outstretched hand. Raven smirks from her own seat at the look on Jake’s face at the sight of you.
“Let’s see what you got” he dismisses the group as everyone makes their way out of the room, green eyes stayed burned into your flight suit as you followed.
``You’re a pilot?” he asks, his voice full of southern charm. You sigh, turning to face him. “I am” you smirk, his own smirk grows. He holds the toothpick between his teeth, looking you up and down in the green flight suit, it was sexier to him than the skimpy outfit you had on the night before.
He holds his hand out again, “Jake Seresin” you shake his hand slowly. “I know who you are” you say, watching his face as he shrugs.
“You know of me darling, you’ve now formally met me” he winks.
“So, Hela huh?” he asks, following beside you towards the tarmac. “Named after the goddess of Death” you chuckle, grabbing your helmet on the way out the door. “Let's see if you can keep up hangman, or do I call you Hungman?” you wink.
“Can’t wait to see you fly Hells Bell” rolling your eyes, you look back at him. “What did you just call me?” he smirks,
“welcome to the south sweetheart”.
The ground was never as easy as the skies were, you were more comfortable flying a multi-million dollar plane instead of walking on the ground. “So, Hela” Jake’s voice is slightly distorted on the comms but you don’t miss it.
“What could you possibly want?” you ask, turning to see him beside your own plane. “Are you ready to have some fun?” he asks as you chuckle, looking around.
“Two bogies” you motion to him with a nod veering aside to move below him. He shakes his head with a soft chuckle. The comms fell silent only for a matter of minutes. “I could really use some help here” you grunt, continuing to attempt to avoid lock on yourself.
"Don’t you worry your pretty little head, Hangmans coming” you can hear the grin in his voice. “get down here and help me you glorified ken doll” he chuckles. “You wound me” you smirk behind your mask, moving below the boogie, they flew above you and straight ahead.
“I got you Hells” if you could count the amount of time you rolled your eyes. “I’ll see you back on the ground” you mumble, flying back to the base.
The cold shower was cool on your skin causing you to close your eyes. Being the new kid was never easy nor was it easy getting now with the attention of Jake Seresin.
“Jake likes you,” Raven says from the bench as you sigh.
“I don’t understand why he’s known me for a total of two days” you push the water out of your face with a groan. “You practically gave him a hard on at the bar, probably gave him one today” you laugh, stepping out the shower with the towel around your body.
“You okay?” you question, standing in front of her. She nods slowly, looking up at you with a shy smile, “everything okay with Brad?” you ask as she nods. “He got into Top Gun'' you grin, sitting beside her.
“That is wonderful!” you laugh as she nods sadly. “What is it?” you ask, picking up on the sadness in her voice. “I just want to be there with him,” she admits as you shake your head, standing up.
“You will totally be there with him before you know it!” she nods with a smile, standing herself.
“Are you coming tonight?” she asks, the squad was going out for drinks down the road from base. “I-I don’t know” you admit as she groans, “please hels?” she asks as you nod slowly. “I'll think about it” she nods with a smile on her face, kissing the top of your head as she exits the room.
You've been in Tennesee almost 10 months. On base with not one Seresin but two. "Please hels come out tonight!" Gypsy pleads from your the closet, shuffling through the clothes. "Why?" you ask from the bed, looking up from the book you were nose deep in.
"So you can flirt with Jake and get it over with" she admits, stopping at the surprised gasp you let out. "What are you talking about?" knowing the growing smirk on the younger Seresin's lips, you regretted asking.
"You and Jake flirt, you have since you got here, I think you should come out and show him what he’s missing" you laugh, nodding slowly. "What he’s missing? And that’s what exactly?” she shakes her head, hands on her hips as she turns to face you.
"Remember the army sergeant? Who was just head over heels for the hot naval aviator? What was his name?" you laugh, falling into the sheets. "Do not bring dylan into this!" you defend as she smirks leaning over you.
"You're coming."
The summer sun was slowly setting as the bar crowd made their way into the bar. You smile, looking around the bar. Girls danced on the bar as two women behind them happily gave drinks and shoved tips in their shirts.
“Is this a coyote ugly bar?” you ask Gypsy who grins from ear to ear. You laugh shaking your head, walking through the crowd, once you get closer a name calls for you.
“(Y/N)!?” you look up and see the eyes of the redhead from the bar looking down at you.
“Oh my god, Wanda?!” you yell back, moving closer to take her outstretched hand. “Are you kidding me?! What are you doing here?” you yell over the music as she grins, “Vis is stationed here too!” she grins as you laugh, squeezing her hand.
“I’m so happy for you!” you smile, taking the beer from her hands. “I’ll be back!” winking, she nods and stands and moves along the bar as you make your way to the crowded table.
Jake and the rest of the pilots had finally shown up. “There she is” you roll your eyes at Jake’s drawl, smirking at the blonde pilot. "Hi Hungman" he smirks at the nickname, noticing the short neckline of your top tonight. He notes it was similar to the one you wore when he first met you.
You move to stand beside him and turn to your friends. Raven is nose deep in her phone and Gypsy is flirting with one of the other pilots on the squad.
You couldn’t quite remember how many drinks you had or how you managed to get up on the bar with Wanda.
The group of aviators left you unsupervised for a matter of minutes and you were gone, like a child.
“Where’s hell's bell?” Jake asks, looking around the table as Gypsy shrugs, her eyes slowly land on you. “Uh, Jake” she nods towards the bar as you are taking Wanda’s outstretched hand. Climbing up with her as you gasp as No One Like You by Scorpions blasts through the speakers loudly.
“Gooooooood Evening Tennessee!” Wanda yells into the megaphone. “We have ourselves a special guest tonight, a former coyote herself now a Naval Aviator!” you laugh at the cheers in the bar, holding the beer up. “Give it up for our very own” everyone claps as you take wanda’s hand, swaying your hips. “Oh Jesus” Jake mumbles under his breath, setting his beer down and excusing himself from the conversation.
He was curious to see what happened but knew he couldn’t let you embarrass yourself very long.
Wanda’s hands land on your hips as your hips sway against hers, the crowd cheering as you bend down, running a hand up your bare thighs and standing with a flip to your hair. “I didn’t know she had it in her” Jake makes note to his younger sister who stood beside him, “I did” she winks. “I should probably get her down,” he says more to himself as she shrugs, “give her time”.
As the chorus plays the buttons on your blouse slowly come down and before Jake knows it, your plum lace bra is on full display.
Walking along the bar, you swing your shirt in your hands as a cowboy would a lasso, crouching down to get the money that fell in front of you. Standing back to your full height, you don’t notice him or his blonde hair right away, singing along loudly to the speakers.
He reaches forward, his hands falling behind your knees, jumping at the feeling of someone's hands on you, looking down at his smirking green eyes.
“C’mon Hell’s Bell, you’ve had enough fun for tonight” you laugh, head falling back as you laughed harder. Wanda makes her way over then noticing his hands at your knees.
“Hey now!” he holds his hands up in defense, she notices then the service khakis , “are you part of her squad?” she asks.
He nods and before you know it the world is upside down and you are face to face with Jake Seresins ass.
Jake gently sets you in the passenger seat of his truck, shutting the door quietly as you slump back into the soft interior. “Be careful” Gypsy has her hands on her hips, Jake notes she looks just like their mother. “I will, I’ll be back before you know it” she nods, patting his chest and walking to her own vehicle.
He climbs in as you are fumbling with the radio, “do you have anything good on this thing” your words are slurring. “Sit back, I will pick something” he smirks at the small huff you let out as your body hits the seat.
The roads are quiet in the early hours of the morning. Jake is skipping through songs at the red light as you gasp, “no no go back!” you protest, he furrows his brows and turns the song back. You grin as Waiting for a Girl Like you by Foreigner plays softly.
Reaching over, you turn the song up loudly and roll down the window. The summer breeze felt amazing against your skin as you sang along loudly. “Hela, get your ass back in that seat” Jake looks over as your seatbelt is unbuckled, he was not driving fast or dangerously but he can see the gears turning in your mind.
The upper half of your body is leaning out the window, your hand grips the handle above the window as you pull your hair out of the pony tail you opted for the evening.
“I’ve been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive!” you sang loudly, Jake hears you clear as day as you're hanging out his passenger side window, singing loudly to the eighties hit.
Jake knew at that moment, you were going to be one of the best people in his life.
+
San Diego.
Top Gun.
Everything in your naval career led to this moment, “I’m sending you to Miramar so pack up your shit” Admiral Cain grins from his seat, standing as he holds a hand out to you. “I am excited for you Hela” he shakes your outstretched hand as you grin.
That’s how you found yourself here, The Hard Deck bar.
Walking through the door, you are taking a look around the room. You make your way to the bar, sliding into the vacant seat farthest from the door. A shadow casts over the dim lighting causing you to look up at the smiling face. “You're a new face” she grins, setting her towel aside. “I just got in a few hours ago” she nods, reaching for the cold beer in the fridge under the bar.
“I’m Penny” she sets the beer down, winking and walking to another customer. You couldn’t understand how you made it here, the next class at Top Gun.
Sipping slowly on your second beer, you notice his laugh first. Ears perked up at the familiar sound, looking around as his laugh continued.
Jake Seresin was in this bar.
A smirk grows on your lips at the jukebox across the room. Sliding out of your seat and making your way over to the box, you slide the change into the slot and pick the one song you knew would trigger something in the aviator.
Jake's ears perk up at the sound of Foreigner but thinks nothing of it.
He knew the chances of you being in this bar were slim, the two of you hadn’t seen the other in almost two years. Thick as thieves, he was your best friend, you've kept in touch the whole time, random phone calls and sparse text messages.
“Excuse me Lieutenant '' the voice is soft and high pitched as he smirks at the snickers of his friends. They see the smirk on your lips, of course the group has no idea who you are but you still signal for them to keep quiet.
Jake turns around and his body goes slack.
You stood with your arms crossed over your chest, dressed in your service khakis and a smirk on your lips.
“Hells bell?!” he’s shoving the beer into his friend's hands, arms wrapping around your waist and spinning your body around. You laugh, arms wrapping around his neck and hugging him tighter.
“Hi Hungman '' he laughs into your neck, setting you to your feet. “Oh my god you made it to Top Gun didn't you?!” he asks, hands landing on your elbows.
The grin grows on your face as you nod, looking up at him. His face held nothing but pride as he pulled you back against his chest.
“Oh my god, I am so proud of you” you laugh, hugging his neck tighter, “I’m proud of you, I’m so excited we're doing this together” you admit, his smile grows. He pulls you into his side as his arm remains on your waist with a hand on your hip and faces his group of fellow aviators.
“Gentleman, I’d like to introduce to Hela '' you grin, holding out a hand towards them, “nice to meet you”.
The waves crashed against the shoreline, sending a slight shiver down your spine as you stood beside Jake, hugging his arm. “I can’t believe we’re here” you whisper, mostly to yourself but he grins.
“I know” you sigh, head falling to his shoulder. “I wish Gyps and Raven were here” he chuckles as you look up to meet his eye, “What am I chop liver?” he asks as you shake your head. “I’m so excited to do this with you Jake” you look over his face with a grin.
He leans down and kisses your forehead, “me too, of course it would be so amazing to have Gypsy but I am excited to go through the challenge with you” you blush, hiding your face against his service khakis, kissing his shoulder.
Chuckling, he rests his head on top of your own, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulls you into his side.
“Welcome to California Hells Bell '' you giggle, hugging his waist as your head falls into his chest.
“We’re gonna kick Top Guns ass” you grin.
The classroom was filled to the brim of Top Gun students. Shuffling through the door quietly, you look around for the blonde gel-covered hairs. He twirls the toothpick between his teeth as you smile, moving to sit beside him. “Good Morning” the man stands in the front of the room, hands behind his back.
“I am Admiral Bates, one of your instructors here at top gun” he smiles and eyes the room before continuing on, “and of course our airboss, Admiral Simpson'' he nods to the man at the back of the room who smiles.
“You are all here because you are the best the Navy has seen” he paces in the row of seats, “someone saw something in you all and thought you’d be perfect for Top Gun'' you turn towards jake, a smirk on your lips, “he means me” you whisper, nudging his shoulder. He rolls his eyes with his own grin, looking back at Admiral Bates.
“In the six weeks you are here, you will have a mix of things here at Top Gun, of course you will have airtime but also classes on the ground that you will need to complete before the air time” Admiral Bates seemed as the more laid back instructor compared to Admiral Simpson. “We can’t wait to see you all compete for the number one seat” Admiral Simpson says from the back of the room.
“Let's start today’s lesson, a good ol 'dog fight in the skies?” Admiral Bates questions as Cyclone grins, “I say we give 'em a shot”.
The aviators sat perched perfectly on your nose as you looked over the F-18, preflight pre-checks were something you took very seriously. “Hells bell!” you turn at the sound of Jake’s voice with a grin.
He makes his way in front of you, his own sunglasses perched on his nose, the sun kissing him almost perfectly.
You squint behind your aviators, looking up at him with a smile, “you ready?” he asks as you smirk, hands on your hips. “I’m always ready, Hungman” he chuckles, looking at you with a wide grin. “You still my wingman?” you ask, looking over his face as the smile breaks out across it. “Obviously, you aren’t going to get rid of me that easily '' your smile is contagious as one breaks out of Jake's face.
The two of you lean forward, foreheads falling against the others, “Fly Fast"' you wink with a whisper as your hand reaches out to the nape of his neck. He grins, his own hand reaching out to the nape of your neck, tangling his fingers in the gel-covered hairs, “Fly Safe” he whispers back to you.
You and Jake started the small tradition before you were shipped back to Florida, always encouraging each other to fly fast but always fly safe, it was something the two of you told the other everytime you were in the skies.
“I got Warlock on my six” you mumble into your comms, looking out the canopy at the jet low in the hills. “I got you, tell me what we're doin” Jake replies, looking down from his canopy at you on his six. Smirking behind your oxygen mask, you look up at his jet, “I’m going after him”.
He holds back his chuckle, watching as you turn and head down to follow Warlock.
“You got him Hels!” Jake yells behind his comms as you continue after Warlock. He flies beside you, watching as you continue to attempt fighting off Warlock. “Hels, go left I’ll go right and split up in the canyon” Jake mumbles as you nod, looking over at him. “You got it”. The two of you break in opposite directions and move through the canyon.
Within seconds Warlock had tone on your jet, “Shit!” you grunt, slamming your hand against the glass. “That's a kill Hela, head back to base” Warlock says over the comms as you make your way back to base.
Landing on the tarmac, you huff and climb down the ladder, pulling the helmet off your head quickly. Walking towards the door, you ignore Jake making his way towards you.
"Hells bell!" he yells, joggin to keep up. "Hela!" he yells, hands on his hips as he watches your body stop. He approaches you slowly, “Look at me” he whispers, moving his hand to cup your cheek. Avoiding his eye, he tilts your chin up to meet his green eyes. You were never one to take losing easily and always discouraged yourself.
“You did great and did everything you could” he whispers as you nod slowly, “I still got myself killed, if I get myself killed, I can get you killed" your voice is soft.
He shakes his head, looking over your face, "I'm okay, and we're okay and we have six weeks to perfect it, six weeks to make top gun ours" you can't help the smile that makes its way on your face with a slight sniffle.
“There’s my girl” he smirks, pulling you into his body by the shoulders, walking towards the showers.
+
Six weeks flew by, graduation snuck up on all of you. Jake was number one and you were his number two. Gypsy sits herself on the bed in your small beachfront home, watching as you adjust your dress whites in the mirror. “I can’t believe you and Jake are number one and two for top gun” grinning, you look at her in the mirror.
“Jake is a good pilot” you smile at the thought of one of your favorite people. “Yet, in the six weeks you’ve been here you haven’t told him how in love with him you are” you chuckle, looking at her with a raised brow.
“You mind your business” she holds her hands up in surrender as you laugh. “We all see the love you have for the other, it’s been there for the last three years” she says, taking your wings in her hands and pinning it to your chest.
“I do love him” you admit with a smile, watching her smile grow in the mirror, “He’s my wingman”.
The ceremony was nice as awards were handed out to each aviator. Taking number two as Jake took home the plaque. You watch as he takes photos with everyone, plaque held high in his hands, his smile even brighter.
“I did it!” a voice whispers in your ear, warm hands placed against your hips, grinning against the beer bottle in your hand. Turning around you are met with his dazzling green eyes and loving smile.
“You did it” you whisper back, holding the beer out to him as he takes it in his own hands, sipping it with a smirk. “Couldn’t do it without my number two” you laugh, hand reaching out to hold onto his arms. “You could’ve done it without me, I know it” you admit as his face falls into seriousness.
“No, I couldn’t have done it without you Hela, any of it” he grins, leaning down to kiss your forehead.
“Ladies and Gentleman” Cyclone appears at the front of the room, looking around at the aviators and their families. “I hate to cut celebrations short but I just got a call from the high ups, we are needed” he takes the envelope and lists off the names.
You and Jake were the first two listed.
You quickly shake the hand of Mr and Mrs Seresin as they grin at the two of you. Jake’s hand around your waist as the two of you run off. Mrs.Seresin knew the love in your eyes as you looked at her son.
The breeze was setting in as was the evening sun. You stood beside your jet as you went over the missiles and guns attached, pre-flight checklists. “Hela” looking over your shoulder, Jake makes his way to you. He has a smile on his face, the same smile that for the last six weeks brought you so much comfort.
The last three years of your life flashed in your mind. From the moment you met him in that Tennessee bar, to when he carried you home and listened to you sing your heart out to Foreigner.
“Hey” Jake’s voice brings you out of the flow of memories, a smile on his lips.
“Hangman” your voice is soft as he approaches, his brows furrowed. “What is it, are you okay?” he asks, he was never Hangman, always Jake or Hungman, your own twist on his callsign. Nodding as you look up at him “yes, yes” you grin.
He nods slowly, leaning forward to rest his forehead on yours.
Your eyes fall closed as your hand reaches back to his nape. “Fly fast” you whisper, squeezing the back of his neck as he grins holding the back of your neck to pull you closer, “fly safe” he whispers. As he goes to stand straighter, you hold him closer.
He furrows his brows, looking at you closely, “what is it?” he asks.
“I love you” looking over his face, he grins, “I love you too Hells bell” you shake your head, pulling away from him.
“I love you, I’ve fallen in love with you. You are my person, my wingman. I can’t imagine my life without you and I know this is the worst time to tell you this as well, we are going on a death mission possibly and if one of us doesn’t come back you need to know how-”
He grins at your rambling, pulling you back into him from the nape of your neck to connect your lips. You sigh against his lips, cupping his cheek and standing on your tippy toes to get closer to him.
“I love you Hela” he whispers against your lips, nudging his nose against your own. “Let's do this, get home safe and I am taking you out on a proper date” he grins at the smile on your face as you nod against his hands, “let’s get home safe”.
The mission started simple, enemy lines using planes identical to the ones you flew to shoot you down. “Hangman!” you pant, looking around you at the two bogies who surrounded you, frantically looking for your wingman. “I see you Hels, I see you!” he yells back, watching as the two of them continue hot on your tail. “Hangman” your voice is calm so calm it sends a chill down his spine.
“Hela, you are okay” you sigh, looking to either side of you, taking a deep breath. “I’m out of flares Jake '' you whisper, looking around the sky as the two bogies are surrounding you.
“Jake, I need you to take these two out” he shakes his head, watching over you. “I am not doing that, that could kill you!” he defends as you sigh.
Flying through the canyon you manage to get one of the planes off you.
In the matter of minutes smoke fills the air. “Smoke in the air!” you yell. Jake watches as the plane shards fall into the ocean beneath him. “Hela!” he yells through the comms.
“Combanchi, do you have visuals on Hela?!” the comms cut out for a short second before they kick back to him,
“negative”.
He grits his teeth as he follows the enemy plane, “Lieutenant, you need to return to the carrier”. He ignores the voice of Admiral Bates as he follows the plane, shooting them down with one missile.
He flies by as the smoke lingers, watching for a parachute in the water, he doesn’t find one.
The rain poured in New York.
Jake stood beside Gypsy and Raven at the back of the ceremony, watching as Admiral Simpson folds the flag and hands it to your mother.
Gypsy sobs beside him, hugging his arm as the cemetery slowly empties and the sea of umbrellas are gone. Just the three of them.
“She’s gone,” Raven whispers, holding onto gypsy’s hand. “I can’t believe this” Gypsy’s body shakes with sobs as Jake gently hands her over to her best friend. “Take her to the hotel, she needs rest” he encourages as the rain pours down onto his uniform. “Jake” Raven looks over his face as he shakes his head watching as she nods, an understanding in her eyes.
He watches as the car door opens and Bob, gypsy’s boyfriend steps out, helping her in and sending her a comforting smile.
He turns to the pile of dirt that is now turning to mud. “This isn’t fair Hels” he looks up at the sky, sniffling as the rain covers his cheeks, running with his tears. “It's not fair I have to say goodbye to you” he looks back down at the pile of mud.
“I miss you already” he sniffles, “I waited a long time for a girl like you” he smiles to himself at the memory of you hanging out the passanger seat of his truck, blaring the forigner song. Sobs take over his body as his knees fall into the mud. “Hey” he jumps at the hand on his shoulder, looking up to see Raven with her own sad smile.
“I know” she whispers as he sobs harder, body falling into hers. “I know” she rubs soothing circles on his back as he sobs into the mud.
“She’s gone and I couldn’t save her Raven” he hiccups, holding onto her as she shakes her head. "It’s not your fault Jake, I know she didn’t feel that way either” she lets him sob in her arms as the rain pours over the both of them. After a few minutes, she encourages him to stand.
He stands, hand holding onto her arm as he takes one look back at where you lay, your dog tags sat in his palm, he knew he should've left them but his heart couldn't part with them.
He turns back one last time at pile of dirt now running with the rain.
+
Present day.
The raven haired woman comes into his sight before he processes it, “take that back Bradley” Raven defends, looking at her boyfriend and back at Jake. “I’m sorry” Rooster taken back at the sound of his girlfriends voice as he looks at Hangman. Jake shakes his head, handing the pool stick to Coyote, walking out to the back deck of The Hard Deck.
The saltiness of the air filled his lungs, almost burning them. The night of your funeral comes rushing back to him as he watches the waves. “Hangman” he turns at the voice, Bob stands there with a sad smile. “I’m sorry” he whispers, moving to stand beside the blonde.
“It’s okay” he nods, looking over at the WSO. Bob was the only one in the squad who knew about you, he was there for Gypsy at the time of the funeral. “He shouldn’t say that, he doesn’t know what happened” he defends as Jake shakes his head.
“I don’t need to explain myself to Bradshaw, or anyone for that matter,” Jake stands taller, watching as Raven digs into her boyfriend.
“Jake lost his wingman, my best friend” Raven looks between the group of aviators. “(Y/N)” she looks at Gypsy, who has a sad smile at the mention of their friend. “He loves her so much, he hasn't processed her death very well, even after almost five years” Gypsy adds, looking at Rooster.
"Hela?" he asks softly as Raven nods, he knew of you, never getting the chance to meet you but always had the chance to talk to you when he called Raven.
“You know how he got his air to air kill?” Raven looks over, shooting daggers towards Phoenix who looks away ashamed.
“He went after the enemy plane who took her from us" she whispers, hands on her hips.
“He has a right to feel the way he does and act the way he does but, Bradley" she moves closer to her boyfriend, "that was a low blow even for you". She walks past her boyfriend and the group to join the two men on the patio.
She makes her way to them, smiling sadly at Jake, “I’m sorry” she reaches out, hugging him as he hugs her back tightly. “It’s completely okay” he admits, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
The two of them forming a bond since the day at your funeral, she understood what he was going through.
“I’m gonna head home for the night", he stands to his full height. “Big day tomorrow” he chuckles, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he sneaks past the rest of the squad.
Sitting behind the wheel of his truck, his eyes fall to the photo of you against his dash. It was from the first summer barbecue his family always had, the sundress laid against your skin perfectly as you smiled at him. He can feel the same smile deep in his bones as he smiles back at you, “miss you beautiful” his voice was soft in the night.
Jake walked through Top Gun the same way he did the first time, strong and confident. He knew the squad had to know what happened to you, guessing his sister and Raven told them about what happened.
The room was silent as he made his way on deck, sitting down in the front of the room with a smirk on his lips. “Never let them see you fall” your words played on replay in his mind, reminding him he was strong. He looks up as Admiral Bates and Admiral Simpson make their way on deck, standing immediately.
Jake throws himself into flying and flying only. He watches as Maverick makes his way to the front of the room, smirking behind his toothpick, recognizing him not only from The Hard Deck but also from the stories of the famous Maverick.
“Wheels up in 10” he nods, walking past the aviators, Jake stands and is immediately stopped by the admirals.
“Lieutenant Seresin” Admiral Bates stands with his hands on his hips, turning to face him he pulls the toothpick from his teeth. “Yes Sir?” he asks as Admiral Simpson looks at him, “I need you to follow me” he says,motioning to the door.
The squad watches as Hangman follows the Admirals. “What is going on?” Gypsy asks as Raven shrugs, looking between their boyfriends. “Did Jake do something already?” She asks as they all shrug again.
She sighs, hands on her hips as she follows Bob through the hall. The two men knock on the office door, watching the other before a soft voice encourages them in.
“Now Lieutenant” Cyclone looks at Hangman, he remembers him from his time at Top Gun, he remembers the two of you always together. "We know this might be confusing and shocking, so please remain calm" Jake follows the two men and his world stops.
There in front of him stood, you.
You turn from the window, face covered in bruises and a busted lip, covered in your Navy bomber jacket.
Jake felt his world rushing back to him, felt the weight of the last four years almost drowning him as he was staring into the face of death.
“I’m scared” Austin x reader non famous attend a red carpet event the Canne festival reader is nervous due to all the cameras and everything then after all the fun reader falls asleep in the car on the way to the after party after a long day with Austin.
'my cute little introvert'
pairing: austin butler x reader
a/n: i tried to make this as cutesy and stuff as possible, cause i just got a request that's gonna be kinda heavy. in a good way MUHAHAHA
I whine in front of the mirror, trying to fix my hair to be it's best. My makeup has gone well, but my hiar won't cooperate. I hear my boyfriend chuckle from the doorway. "Baby, you're lookin' fine, we gotta go or we're gonna be late." I sigh, throwing my hands down in defeat. I turn back around to face him, in all his glory in what his stylist put him in. "Well, Elvis would be fashionably late, embody the character you play!" I exclaim, sticking another pin up into my hairdo.
He shakes his head as I turn back around to the mirror, close to tears. Truth is, I'm not nervous about my hair, I'm nervous about the people. The cameras. I should get used to it, since Austin is starting to catch the public's eye more, but I can't seem to shake that nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. I watch as Austin crosses to bathroom floor, wrapping his arms around me from behind. He rests his head on my shoulder, looking at me through the mirror. "I've never seen you more gorgeous," he whisper, pressing feather kisses to the side of my neck. I sniffle a little. "Thanks. . ." He frowns, pausing his kisses and looking at me with a burning gaze. He's trying to figure out what's wrong. He always figures it out, even if I don't share. Like now. He hugs me tighter. "Baby, the cameras are gonna be fine," he says while rocking me a little. I don't respond, just looking at the floor in embarassment.
He chuckles, taking my chin in his thumb and pointer finger, bringing me to look at him through the mirror again. "You'll be with me, it's ok, my cute little introvert." I groan. "Austin! I don't like that! It's a serious problem!" He lets out a melodic laugh, all hair problems forgotten.
Austin and I walk across the red carpet, occasionally stopping to take photos. Sometimes, I have to step away for him just to get so solo shots, but that just gives me a better look. I giggle at the thought, seeing him pose for the cameras with a smolder. He holds his arm out, smiling towards me again and I walk back to him. He takes my waist in his arm and presses several kisses to my head, the cameras shuttering and flashing wildly at this. I clutch his shirt tighter, getting nervous at everyone shouting at us and seemingly trying to press closer to us. He looks down at me, still smiling, but asking a simple question with his eyes. Are you doing ok? I give a shaky nod, and he lets his smile falter. I know this is going to make some tabloid headlines. He looks back to the cameras and waves, and we continue walking the red carpet.
"Just a little more, sweetheart," he reassures, squeezing my hip comfortingly. I nod, closing my eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath in and opening my eyes again. I regain my composure, and I straighten my dress nervously. "By the way," Austin whispers into my hair. I look at him as he walks us down the red carpet, towards another swarm of photographers. We stop, and I strain another smile stiffly. He leans down again. The cameras go wild again at this action. "You really do look beautiful." I whip my head towards him and a genuine, comfortable smile spreads across my face. He plants a kiss to my forhead, eyes closed, and I smile, closing my eyes and just relishing this moment.
Eventually, the moment has to end, and many more moments come. Like the after party. And when we climb into the car that will drive us there, I whine dramatically. I rip my heels off, and I rest my head on the seat. "I hate those shoes," I say, pointing a menacing finger towards them. Austin laughs at me, situating himself and draping an arm around my shoulders. "Tell you what, when we get there, you can walk in my shoes and I'll just wear my socks. It'll be a huge hit with newspapers," he chuckles, taking my right hand with his free one and pressing a kiss to the palm. I sigh, resting my head on his shoulder and looking up at him dreamily. Or tiredly, I can't tell at this point. "Oh, you're too sweet," I say as the car starts to move forward.
After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, I can feel my eyes getting heavy, and my body starts to slump against Austin's. He tightens his grip around me, reaching his finger up to stroke my cheek gently. I'm like a small child, finally feeling protected in the presence of someone I love. He presses a light kiss to my cheek. "Go to sleep, lovebird," he says quietly. "I'll wake you up when we're there." I nod, letting myself completely mold my budy against his as he practically brings me into his lap. And when he says "I love you," it finally sends me into a sleep.
Just a sweet little blurb about Austin taking you out for a date at a 50s diner inspired by those bts pics we got from Hugh Stewart a few days ago <3
a/n: This is just a short lil thing I wanted to get out for y’all while I work through the writer’s block on my longer stuff! I might not get to them right away, but blurb requests are always open if you want to send any in! Also: the fact that Austin can make roses out of napkins is impossibly cute and honestly that does sound exactly like something he’d know how to do fhdjdhdjjs 🥺 Also also: disclaimer, this may or may not have been written in like a few hours and barely proofread, pls bear with me and excuse any spelling/grammar discrepancies
Word count: 720
Warnings: tooth-rotting fluff, Austin being insufferably adorable, I think that’s it? As always, please let me know if I missed anything!
Please like/rb if you enjoyed! 🤍
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Butterflies fluttered in your stomach as Austin grinned at you from his seat in the booth across from you. Two years together, and he still managed to make you blush like it was your first date.
“What?” You asked, unable to stop the smile spreading across your face.
“Nothing,” he replied, soft eyes scanning over your face, “Just admiring my beautiful girlfriend, that’s all.”
Your hands flew up to cover your face as heat flooded your cheeks, and you whined — though the smile still remained on your face— “Stop it.”
He only grinned, and leaned over to take a sip of the milkshake the two of you were sharing.
You returned his soft smile as you stole a handful of fries, then turned to take in the diner you two had decided to visit that night. Neon lights ran along the ceilings, casting a multicolored glow on the red leather booths. The walls were decorated with memorabilia from the 50s and 60s, and a jukebox stacked with Elvis songs sat in the corner crooning “Good Luck Charm” throughout the space.
Your attention turned back to your boyfriend as he spoke up again.
“I finally finished that book you told me about.”
You perk up, “Oh, the Raymond Carver one!”
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love had become one of your favorites since you’d read it two months before, and you had been gushing about it nonstop to Austin. Now it was his turn to do the same as you listened happily, taking in the way his eyes lit up as Elvis songs served as a soundtrack to his excited rambling.
The two of you continued talking about everything and nothing, with Austin occasionally fiddling around with some napkins — it looked like he was trying to make something, but you couldn’t quite tell what — until the two of you were the only customers left in the diner, by then working your way through your second shared milkshake. The songs that had been loaded onto the jukebox by an overexcited patron finally ran out, and it was just your voices filling the space. On a whim, you dug a few quarters out of your purse, but Austin had beat you to it.
“Don’t get up. I’ll do it.” He smiled as he held up a handful of quarters and made his way over to the jukebox, giving you a sly grin as he returned with Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” pumping out of the speakers.
He held a hand out to you, a bright smile on his face. “May I have this dance?”
You let out an incredulous laugh. Of course he would pull some sweet romantic gesture like this, but…
“Aus, we’re in the middle of a restaurant!” You laughed.
“And?” He looked around the empty booths surrounding you, with just the one worker remaining at the counter engrossed in their phone, “It’s not like there’s anyone here. Come on,” The look he gave you was impossibly gentle as he continued softly, “I wanna dance with my girl.”
Well, how could you say no to that?
You relented with a smile, and happily allowed Austin to twirl you around the linoleum floor. You lost yourself in the neon lights, and with the lights, the music, the darkness of the street outside, the way Austin was looking at you… you could’ve sworn you were the only two people on Earth — that is until the manager came to regretfully inform you that they were closing and you had to leave so they could clean.
You and Austin collected your things from the booth, thanking and apologizing to the remaining employees as you slipped out the door into the starry night. As you made your way to the car, his arm around your shoulders, you heard a whisper in your ear.
“Happy Anniversary, sweetheart.”
You beamed as hand that wasn’t slung around your shoulder popped up in front of you, presenting you with a small white paper rose made from a napkin — just like the one he’d made for you on your first date. Another one to add to your collection.
You took the delicate flower from him and placed it gently in your purse, leaving you free to pull him in for a sweet kiss, your heart buzzing with joy, mumbling a soft “Happy Anniversary, Aus,” against his lips.
Austin x reader blurb where he teases the reader how short she is and finds it cute.
‘Shortcake’
Warnings: none, pure fluff, affectionate teasing
a/n: Thanks for this adorable request, anon! I hope you like it - I took the “teasing”‘ direction and ran with it.
-
“What baby? Why are you so mad at me?” Austin smiles down at you, one eyebrow lifted and a teasing look in his blue eyes.
You huff out a breath and blink your eyes, stomping your foot slightly, letting out a frustrated growl. You cross your arms and turn away from him, lifting your head in determination.
“Oh baby, don’t be like that. Come on, try again. I promise I’ll let you kiss me this time.”
You look back over your shoulder at him and he’s holding his arms open to you and you can’t resist him. You sigh and turn around, arms still crossed. You give him a look that means business, or at least you hope so. But from the playful grin that lights his face you’re not so sure.
You step into his arms and stand up on your tippy toes, trying with all your might to reach his lips with yours. But he’s just so damn tall. And you’re so short. And he’s just looking at you with a smirk on his perfect face, refusing to bend down and kiss you. It’s driving you absolutely crazy.
“I hate you right now, Austin Butler,” you grumble out, clawing at his arms, his shoulders, his neck, anything to bring those luscious lips of his closer.
“Come on, baby, I know you can do it. You’re not trying hard enough,” he teases, a wicked look in his eyes. You shake your head at him and huff out another breath - and walk away, giving him a sassy look as you do. You know he can’t stay away too long.
Not ten minutes later, as you’re standing at the kitchen counter mixing up a batch of chocolate chip cookies, you feel Austin’s arms encircle your waist, his hands spanning your stomach as he pulls you close. You smile to yourself, and momentarily have a mind to deny him what he’s after. But you need to kiss him too, almost like you need to breathe. You lean your head back and look up at him, upside down and turned around. One of his hands reaches up and gently rests under your jaw. He brings his lips slowly to yours, his chin pressing into your nose as he kisses you from above.
“I love you, Shortcake” he whispers, and kisses you again.
𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 | ex's best friend! austin butler x reader
summary: after a bad breakup with your cheating ex, the last thing you're expecting is for his best friend to side with you. at his insistence, you decide to let him accompany you to the arctic monkey concert in las vegas. what happens in las vegas doesn't always stay in las vegas.
warning/notes: one bed trope, SMUT! exhibitionism, fingering, unprotected sex, choking, begging, creampie, protective!austin, austin really said "fuck cheaters" with his whole chest in this fic
word count: 13,138
masterlist | requests are currently closed !
“Austin wouldn’t do that to you. Besides, I don’t even really know Jeremy anyway, so why the hell would he bring him?” You were currently holding Juniper, placing a few quick kisses to the top of her head as you bounced her in your arms. Your best friend was in the process of cubing cheese, getting ready for the wedding anniversary party she was throwing. You had offered to help earlier, but she had simply handed you her daughter. Juniper loved you the most out of any of her other friends, which was why she never threw fits when you were around. She simply tugged on your hair and played with your necklaces, content with just being around you.
“I don’t know. I’m just anxious, you know? I broke up with him a week ago, and you know how vindictive he is.” Jeremy was the type of person to go out of his way to make you uncomfortable. He was the absolute king of getting a rise out of you, and you hated that. You had a feeling that he had been spewing all types of bullshit Austin’s way, and despite the fact that you and Austin had been friends before you and Jeremy even dated, you knew that his loyalties would probably be with his male friend. It only made sense.
“Come on, Y/n. Jeremy is a-” She lowered her voice as she looked up from the cutting board. “Asshole,” she whispered, shooting you and Juniper a small smile before going back to work with her knife. “But Austin isn’t. He asked specifically if you were going to be here tonight because he wanted to talk to you. He loves you both. Besides, you weren’t the one that got caught with a Tinder account. You aren’t the bad guy in this situation. Austin is a loyal friend, but he’s fair. He knows Jeremy is the one that messed up. When I talked to him last night he sounded super angry about it all.”
You rocked back on your heels, spinning around in a circle a few times just to make Juniper squeal before continuing your train of thought. “Yeah- no. . . you’re so right. I don’t want to make him choose a side, but he’s known Jeremy the longest. I know that if push came to shove, it wouldn’t be me he’d stick beside. That’s all.” You’d have to be an idiot to think that Austin would pick you over his longtime friendship. You had met Austin through a modeling gig towards the beginning of his career. The Hannah Montana era- which he still visually cringed at the mention of. You had been an assistant photographer back then, fresh out of high school, and the two of you had clicked. Two years later you both ran into each other at Ashley’s birthday party and decided to exchange numbers. Austin was the person that had introduced you to Jeremy in the first place. Of course, he probably never thought that the two of you would end up dating. You and Jeremy were polar opposites, which you had once found cute and quirky, but now realized was incredibly annoying and a waste of your fucking time.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” You heard Ashley mumble under her breath, but when you hummed at her, she merely shook her head. “Nothing. I didn’t say anything.” She was quick to flash you an “innocent” smile.
There was a knock at the door, and you were quick to shuffle off towards it. “No, no. I’ve got it.” Christopher called out, jogging ahead of you before opening the door. A few familiar faces shuffled in, giving Ashley’s husband tight hugs before moving over to you. You gave them side hugs, smiling softly to yourself as they cooed at the adorable baby in your arms before moving towards the kitchen. Words of congratulations were exchanged before they were ushered out the back door. “I’ll take her from ya.” Ashley walked over, scooping Juniper out of your arms before nodding towards the kitchen. “Can you cut up the carrots and celery for me? That’s all that’s left.” You were quick to salute her, a silent ‘you got it’, before moving over towards the kitchen island. She wrinkled her nose at you, blowing you a quick kiss before floating out the back door and to the waiting guests.
“I think you should stay another week. Having you around has been an absolute blessing, Y/n.” Chris told you, and as you looked up you could see that he wasn’t joking, but telling the truth.
“Ah, you guys need your privacy though. I just didn’t want to go back to our apartment until he moved all of his shit out.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “We have a big house. Besides, Juniper hasn’t been this well behaved in a while. She’s teething, and with you around she hasn’t been as fussy. Not only that but Ashley loves having you here. You live an hour away, and she misses you.” You shot him a warm grin before ripping open the bag of organic carrots, cutting off the stems before slicing them down the middle.
“Hey! In my defense you two are the ones that moved away from me.” He laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry for stealing her from you.” He teased before heading out the back door to follow after his wife.
You’d met all of Ashley’s previous flings, and none of them were as fantastic as Chris. You couldn’t imagine her with anyone else. He loved her as well as her family and friends. He treated you like family, and you adored him for that. There was a soft knock on the front door again, and instead of putting your knife down to open the already unlocked door you simply called out that it was open. A lanky blonde pushed his way in, a large bouquet of flowers in his arms. For a second the two of you stared at each other, anxiety already gnawing at your stomach. Ashley’s words from earlier had only calmed you down a little. You weren’t sure what kind of conversation he wanted to have with you, but you were sure that probably wasn’t going to be good.
“Long time, no see.” He smiled softly at you, walking further into the house so that he could set the flowers down on the kitchen table before making his way over towards you. He stood across from you at the kitchen island, leaning over so that he could place his forearms against the granite. You rolled your eyes, shooting him a soft smile.
“It’s been two weeks.” You retorted.
He returned the smile, his blue eyes dancing over your face before he nodded. “Exactly. Long time.”
For a few seconds the only sound that could be heard in the house was your constant chopping. You weren’t sure if he was waiting for you to say something or not. You weren’t sure what to say in this sort of situation. You were sure that something along the lines of ‘hey there, i know my shithead of an ex boyfriend is your best friend, but i’ve known you longer than i’ve known him, so i’m hoping we can still be friends’ probably wouldn’t go over too well with him.
“So Jeremy called me last week.” He started.
You sucked in a breath before placing the knife down on the cutting board. “Oh yeah? What did he say?” He cleared his throat before walking around the island, moving closer to your side. He leaned his hip against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked good, but when did Austin not look good? He was wearing white wash jeans, old boots that made him even taller, and a jean button up the same shade as his pants- tucked in with a belt. You would be lying if you said that you had never been attracted to your friend. He was a good looking guy, but he had just started dating Vanessa right around the time that the two of you got close. Not to mention that, but you weren’t the type of person to cross the boundary of friendship with someone that you were close to like that. That was how things got messy, and you didn’t like drama.
“Well. . .” He pursed his lips for a second, his blue eyes flickering up to the ceiling for a second before he finally looked back down at you. It appeared that he was trying to find the right words to say. “He tried playing the victim for a few minutes, but caught on pretty quick that I wasn’t falling for it. I scolded him a little bit, and now he isn’t returning my texts.” Your mouth fell open, eyes going as wide as saucers. Austin had stood up for you? God, you knew that he was a wonderful person, but you didn’t expect that.
“He isn’t talking to you?” You were stunned.
Austin shook his head, mouthing the word ‘nope’ before reaching over for the knife that you had placed down. He went to work doing what you had been doing before, giving you the opportunity to assemble the vegetable board in a way that Ashley would find aesthetically pleasing.
“I’m sorry if I look a bit shocked, but I wasn’t expecting you to actually say anything to him.” He cleared his throat, his long fingers gripping the hilt of the knife tightly as he started to work on the celery.
“Being cheated on is a shit feeling, and the fact that he threw away almost five years with you is just plain stupid. He knows how I feel about it, and now he’s choosing to ignore the problem rather than to own up to anything.” Ashley had been right. It sounded like Austin really had picked a side.
And it was yours.
“How are you holding up though? I was waiting for you to reach out to me, but you never did.” He sounded a little hurt. You licked your lips before grabbing one of the small bowls Ashley had taken down out of the cabinet, filling it with the green goddess dressing the two of you had picked up at Whole Foods a few hours back.
“I’m doing surprisingly alright. I’ve been staying here with Ash and Chris for the last week, which has been pretty great,” You took a deep breath before continuing. “I didn’t reach out to you because I didn’t want to put you in an awkward position with Jeremy. I didn’t want you to feel any pressure on my end. Maneuvering friendships after a breakup like this is really hard.” He hummed in understanding, scooping up the celery in his hands before distributing it on the plate. His hand brushed yours, and he kept it there for a couple of seconds before moving it back down to his side.
“Look, I appreciate that, but I’m your friend too. You’re having a hard time, and I want to be there for you. Jeremy can be a selfish dick, but I’ve known him since we were kids. He’s always been like this. I don’t really expect too much out of him anymore, but just know that I’m really upset with him over this. When you two first started dating I had a feeling that this was how it would turn out. I tried to warn him about hurting you, but he didn’t seem to heed my advice.” He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest again. “Which isn’t surprising.”
Sure, you’d heard some pretty choice words about Jeremy from Austin’s lips before after a drunken fight or some play-teasing that one of the boys took too far, but this was pretty full on. Whatever picture Jeremy had tried to paint for Austin the other day over the phone must not have been very nice. It made your stomach churn just thinking about what he had told his other friends. God, they must have thought you were some kind of a monster. That was the one thing you absolutely couldn’t stand. You were the one that had been hurt in this entire situation, but suddenly you’re the bad guy. You had done everything you could think to do in order to save your relationship with him. You knew that it wasn’t going to work out long term, but you still loved him. You don’t just waste five years of your life on someone you don’t love. The longer you spent away from Jeremy, the more and more you started to pull your head out of the clouds and come back down to earth. Even if it was a long way to fall- the realizations had been hard- but it was good. You had been biding your time with Jeremy. The two of you never really talked about marriage or children. It was almost like the two of you had just been in a relationship because it was convenient for the two of you. You were attracted to one another, you had mutual acquaintances, and it had just made sense to be together in your early twenties. Now? Now you just felt like a moron who had allowed herself to be mistreated all in the name of “love”.
“Well I don’t know how you’ve put up with him for so long. I’ve only known him for five years and I’m starting to regret the day I ever met him.” You tossed a carrot onto the plate a little harder than you had meant to, and you cursed under your breath as it bounced off and landed right on the floor.
Austin bent down and picked it up for you, tossing it into the trash. “I guess you have me to blame for that. I wouldn’t have introduced you two if I knew that he would have hit on you. You aren’t the kind of girl he usually goes for. You’re unique and actually have a personality.” That made you laugh. Austin couldn’t wipe the smile off of his face as he watched you, and soon he was bumping his shoulder up against yours. “Do you need help with anything? I’d be willing to drop some of his stuff off at his place. Maybe egg his house? Might be therapeutic.”
You snickered, shaking your head. “No, he should have all of his junk out of my place by now. I gave him a week, and my neighbor said that he hauled a whole truck load of shit out. The only thing that’s causing me some stress right now is the fact that I spent way too much money on those Artic Monkey tickets and a hotel room up in Vegas, and now I can’t even go.”
His nose wrinkled as he looked down at you. “Why the hell wouldn’t you go? You need to get out of the house and have fun after all the shit you’ve been through this past week.”
Yeah, you could really use a night out.
Sure, getting wine drunk and watching Married at First Sight with Ashley was a blast, but you needed to get out of California for a bit, even if it was just a two day ordeal. The tickets had originally been a late birthday present for Jeremy, but he’d gone and fucked everything up. You’d already called the hotel only to find out that they don’t do refunds so short notice, and it was impossible to find someone to go with you. Ashley didn’t like the Artic Monkeys, and even if she was willing to go with you, there was no way you were going to inconvenience her any more than you already had. Jenny from work said that she would have loved to go with you, but her fiance had planned a surprise trip to Arizona to visit her elderly grandparents. The rest of your friends either weren’t big fans and weren’t willing to take the time off of work or already had plans. Sure, you could always go down there and stay by yourself. It would nice to have meaningless sex with a hot stranger, but over the years of inconsequential hookups you knew that doing something like that after a bad breakup only ever hurt you worse in the long run. There’s nothing bad about chasing your own pleasure, but you were better than that. Besides, getting even with your cocksucker of an ex wasn’t worth the possibility of contracting some kind of sexually transmitted disease, and Vegas was probably chalk-full of those.
You also had your own safety to worry about. There was no way you trusted yourself to get drunk at the concert, hail an Uber and then crawl back to your hotel without something bad happening. Human trafficking was a real and serious thing, and you’d rather waste a little over a thousand dollars than something bad happen to you. “I wish I could go, but I’ve already asked everybody I could think of and they’re all busy. I’ll probably just try and sell the tickets or something.”
Austin’s eyebrows furrowed as he took a bite out of one of the carrots. He chewed a few times before hurriedly swallowing. “You didn’t ask me.”
And for a good reason. You didn’t hate the idea of being petty. Jeremy totally deserved it, but Austin didn’t. There was no way you were going to pull him into your drama. You gave him a look, and he let out a small chuckle before shaking his head, his blonde hair falling into his eyes. “No, I’m serious. I’ll go with you. I don’t have any shoots or interviews for a full week, and my upcoming project doesn’t start for another month and a half.” Ever since he was in that Elvis biopic his face had been plastered all over god’s green earth.
“Jeremy would-” He cut you off before you could finish.
“No, fuck that. You told me you spent like. . . five hundred dollars on the hotel room for the night. Let’s just go, have a good time, and then we can both come back home refreshed. Besides, I love the Artic Monkeys. You know they’re one of my favorite bands. The tickets were sold out by the time I decided to buy one. Not only that, but I didn’t want to crash you and Jeremy’s date.” Austin did love the band just as much as you did. Also it was always a blast hanging out with him. You hadn’t been alone with him for years. You remembered how much fun the two of you used to have back in the day, and you could really use a good laugh.
Breakups make people do dumb things. Some people bleach their hair in a desperate attempt to reinvent themselves, while others go on a month long drinking binge. You? You agreed to go to the concert with Austin. Your ex’s longtime best friend. Alone. “Yeah! You’re totally right. It will be fun.”
Austin threw his fist in the air, and once he had heard you laugh he threw his leg out in a half-assed move he had probably learned during one of his karate lessons, which only made you laugh that much harder. “It’s going to be great. God, I’ve never seen them in concert before. I’m actually pretty psyched right now.”
And you could tell. He was grinning ear to ear. That smile remained on his face for the rest of your best friend’s celebration, and he stuck to your side like glue throughout the entire night. Later that night he shot you a text, as if you would possibly forget the promise that the two of you had made.
You had asked a very tipsy Ashley what she thought about the situation, but her input wasn’t much help. “I think you should have sex. No! For real, girl. He thinks you’re hot so I think you should go for it.” She was ridiculously inebriated, and mostly everything she says when she’s drunk is either highly dramatized or completely nonsensical, so you disregarded the last comment.
If Austin found you attractive at any point during your friendship, then there was no reason why he would have introduced you to Jeremy in the first place. The two of you were strictly friends. . . even if you did find him attractive yourself. That didn’t mean that the feelings were mutual.
You always used to enjoy road trips. That is, until Jeremy came along. The man always had something to complain about. Either his legs were cramping up, his ass felt sore for sitting too long, or he didn’t like the music you had turned on for the both of you to listen to. Going anywhere with that man was always a chore. Not to mention the fact that he always had something to say about your driving. Driving in the car with Austin reminded you what you loved so much about the open road. It was supposed to be fun and carefree, and when you had good company it was always a blast. Austin insisted on picking the music, which you definitely didn’t mind. He was still on an Elvis kick, and because of his major role in the movie he had a newfound love and respect for blues music. Towards the end of the four hour trip he had turned on the Artic Monkeys to get you both ready for the concert. You had sped down the interstate listening to his favorite songs by them, screaming the lyrics right along with him. Austin enjoyed driving with the windows rolled down, not caring about how his hair looked or how his ears popped. He must have enjoyed the feeling of the wind on his face. You followed his lead, rolling yours down as well. It really was therapeutic to get out of the state for a little while. The second you saw the sign for Nevada you practically moaned in relief. You were free, even if it was just for a little under forty-eight hours.
A couple of times during the trip you had seen Austin lift his phone up, taking pictures of the desert road and videos of you singing your heart out, your hair in your face from the wind and a wide smile dimpling your cheeks. Ashley would always be your best friend, but you hadn’t felt this happy in months. Maybe even years. Austin appeared to be in the same boat. You hadn’t seen him stop smiling. Not even once. When the two of you finally pulled up to the hotel, which was only about ten minutes from the concert venue, the both of you were in high spirits. Austin grabbed your overnight bag for you as you climbed out of the car, which you thanked him for by opening the lobby door so that he could step into the hotel first.
“Hey there. I booked a room here about two months ago.” You gave the front desk clerk your first and last name, but he was staring straight behind you with wide eyes and a slack jaw. You almost rolled your eyes as Austin used his free hand to wave, knowing damn well that the man must be momentarily star struck.
“O-Oh. . . okay. Give me just one second.” The young man’s face flushed as he began typing away furiously at the computer. “Here’s your key cards for the room.” He went to hand it to you, but his hands were shaking so horribly that he dropped it. The short brunette cursed under his breath, scrambling to grab the small packet before handing it off to you.
“Before we head up, I just wanted to see if there might be any rooms available with two beds? I know that the one I booked was a suite with a king size.” You didn’t want to be difficult, but it was certainly worth a try. Austin took a step closer to you, leaning against the counter as he looked down at you. You ignored his gaze, waiting for the boy to check.
“I’m so sorry, but we’re completely booked for the night. There’s a pretty big concert going on down the street in two hours, so all of the hotels in the area are probably completely booked up for the next week.”
You should have known that this would happen to you. You’d seen enough romcoms to know how this sort of situation went. Two platonic friends get stuck in the same hotel room together with just one bed. Of course this would happen.
You closed your eyes tightly for a few seconds before pocketing the hotel pamphlet. “Thank you.”
The boy shuffled awkwardly where he was standing before nodding his head towards Austin. “I know that this might be super lame, but my girlfriend absolutely loves you. I saw Elvis and. . . y-you killed it, man. Do you mind signing something for me?” Austin smiled warmly, placing the bags down on the floor.
“Not at all. Hey, thank you so much for seeing the film by the way. And tell your girlfriend that I said thank you for the support.” The boy nodded, quickly grabbing a blank sheet of paper out of the printer that he had beside the computer monitor, sliding that and a pen across the counter towards the blonde. You were used to people stopping Ashley while the two of you were out, so it wasn’t anything that you weren’t used to. For some odd reason, in this case at least, you felt an immense amount of pride wash over you. Seeing the way that he so sweetly interacted with a fan who was very clearly freaking out made you feel proud to have him in your life. Austin wasn’t just an amazing actor, but an amazing person as well.
“What are you all smiley about?” He asked you with a small smile on his face, bumping into you with his shoulder as you both walked into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor.
“Just proud of you is all. It’s really amazing to see how far you’ve come.” Austin leaned back against the stainless steel wall as the doors began to close, and as you turned your head to face him he was quick to face the other way.
“Are you blushing?” You teased lightly. He was quick to wave you off with his hand, shuffling his feet until he had his back to you. You could still see him in the reflection of the wall, and you were quick to let out a small chuckle. “Don’t get all shy with me when I compliment you.” He shook his head a few times before facing you, blue eyes wide with shock. He had a sheepish grin on his face, and there was something about that expression that made your insides feel uncomfortably warm.
“I’m not used to you saying stuff like that to me in person.” Compliments had always made him feel embarrassed, which was why press tours made him feel a bit anxious. Austin was humble to the degree that whenever people went out of their way to remark on his work he sort of. . . shut down. His cheeks would heat up, he’d begin biting his lip, and he’d find it hard to make eye contact. He’d always been like that, ever since you first met him. Teasing him was fine, but whenever you very honestly commented on how well he was doing in his career? That was when the nervous ticks began.
He was smiling to himself, staring straight ahead at the glowing buttons, watching as the numbers flickered on the screen, signifying that you were still a long way off until the top floor. The confined space was beginning to make you feel. . . odd. Your heart was pounding, you were becoming overly aware of how close you were to Austin, and all you could smell was his woodsy cologne. You were the type of person that used humor as a coping mechanism, so under your breath you began singing what you could remember of the Hannah Montana theme song. He was quick to give your arm a light thwack, his loud laughter echoing in the confined space.
“You ruined it. We were having a bonding moment, and you totally killed the mood.” He was still laughing though, his eyes twinkling mischievously. Exactly. Of course you didn’t admit that. Instead you only laughed, moving away from him as he gave you a gentle shove.
“Come on, dude. . . I mean- sometimes I’m in a jam and I have to make a plan. It might be crazy, but I do it any-” He grabbed you by your shoulders, giving you a few shakes. At this point you were both belly laughing, barely able to keep yourselves up as the elevator continued to jostle as you climbed higher and higher. The sound of his cellphone loudly ringing made the both of you quiet down though, and the second that he dug the device out of his pocket and you saw the name that was flashing across the screen? Dead silence.
“Shit.” Austin cursed under his breath, his thumb hovering over the answer button as he debated whether or not he wanted to answer. Anxiety locked up your limbs as you fell limply against the wall, watching with wide eyes as he worried his lip with his teeth. “I’m going to answer it. Be quiet for a second.” He swallowed thickly before pressing the phone against his ear. “Hey, man.” There was a beat of silence before Jeremy’s loud voice came over the other end. He sounded mad. Really mad.
“What the fuck, Austin? Are you with Y/n right now?” Austin licked his lips, turning down the volume in an attempt to keep you from hearing whatever rotten things the rancid man was bound to say.
“We’re seeing a concert together. Why?” The blonde sounded guarded, a stark difference from the soft, teasing tone he had been using with you just seconds ago.
“Why? Are you seriously asking me that right now? You’re on a date with my girlfriend of five years after only a week of us being separated. What the hell is wrong with you?” You kept your eyes on the elevator, breathing a sigh of relief when you noticed that you were almost to your floor. It was almost as if Jeremy knew that you had finally allowed yourself to let loose and have fun. Whatever joy you had felt just minutes ago had been sucked from your body. Hearing his voice had been a catalyst, and suddenly all you were reminded of was just how wrong this whole situation was. Sure, he deserved it, but you weren’t the kind of person to go out of your way to be cruel.
Austin seemed to notice your shift in mood, because he reached a hand out, placing it on your shoulder as he spoke. “Y/n and I have known each other for well over five years, so I don’t think it’s weird for me to spend time with her. You can’t dictate when and where I see her anymore, Jeremy. She had an extra ticket and I offered to go. End of story.” Austin’s tone left no room for argument, but that didn’t mean that Jeremy didn’t try.
“I had to find out through your instagram story that the two of you were even with each other right now. Do you know how embarrassing this is for me? You’re supposedly my best friend, and now you’re in Vegas with my ex. Do you not realize how fucked up this is? Am I in the fuckin’ twilight zone or something?” You didn’t even think about the fact that Jeremy might see Austin’s private story. You had been too preoccupied with actually being in the moment to even think of the repercussions. You knew that your ex would eventually catch wind of the two of you doing something like this, but you didn’t think he would have the audacity to call within the same day.
“Embarrassing for you?” You flinched at Austin’s tone, your heart rate picking up even faster. God, was this going to turn into a fight right now? You started shaking your head, trying to signal for him to give you the phone. Whatever anger Jeremy had, you were used to taking the brunt of it. You didn’t want Austin to be the one that got reprimanded over this situation. He had been nice enough to come with you, after all. Even if he loved the band, he was still doing you a major favor by tagging along and keeping you safe from whatever creepy men were surely lurking in the shadows of Las Vegas. He shooed you off with a gentle flick of his wrist, his eyes hardening on the steel elevator doors. “You got caught trying to cheat on your girlfriend of five years, and you’re the one that is embarrassed? Why? Because your ex and your single friend- who have known each other for years, might I add- are hanging out? You’re a fuckin’ piece of work man.”
“Fuck you! How the hell do you not see how big of a deal this is? You’re fucking her, right?” Austin groaned, letting his head fall back against the wall behind him with a gentle thud, his eyes screwed shut.
“I’m not fucking her. You’re painting this out to be some huge deal when it really isn’t. Stop spinning this false narrative so that you can play the victim. It isn’t going to work with me, Jeremy.” You ran your hand down your face, listening to the elevator as the floors continued to ding past. Jeremy must have recognized the noise too, because he was quick to speak up about it.
“So where are you two right now?”
Austin didn’t hesitate. “We’re heading up to our hotel room.” You instantly recognized the mistake though. Room. Singular.
“So you’re sleeping with her tonight? Austin, how fucking long has this been going on?” Great, now the paranoid asshole thought that you were the one that had been cheating. Maybe this had been what he was fishing for the entire time. He needed a reason to continuously slander you to all of your mutual friends.
This was turning out to be a car-crash of a day. A fiery one too. You couldn’t seem to catch a break. You’d been smart enough to block Jeremy on all social media the night that you saw the notifications on his phone and kicked him out, but now you felt the need to unblock him just to message him. This wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that he could try to move on whilst still being knee deep in your relationship. Suddenly you’re the bad guy for trying to do the same? You hadn’t even come here with the intention of making a move on Austin. That had been the furthest thing from your mind, but you were so angry that suddenly it was on the table. You had always liked Austin. He was a fantastic guy, and had always gone out of his way for you without fail. Having sex with Austin might make things a bit awkward, but you sure as hell wouldn’t hate it. You just didn’t want him to think that he was a rebound hookup.
Because let’s face it; you’d always had a bit of a crush on him. Seeing the way he was viciously protecting you right now only solidified that. He must have known that he was potentially ruining one of his longest standing friendships for you, and he didn’t seem to care. Austin wasn’t pulling any of his punches either. He was going straight for the throat.
“If I’m so disappointed in you for cheating on her, why the hell would I go for her while she was still in a relationship with you? How does that make any fucking sense? Not to mention you went out of your way to control and nitpick every single little fucking thing she did, Jer. I wouldn’t do that to you, and I’m pissed off that you would even accuse me of something like this.” The door to the elevator opened loudly, and Austin was the first one to walk out, the two duffle bags swinging in his right hand while he held the phone up to his ear with the left. You couldn’t hear what Jeremy was saying now that you were out in the hall, but it must not have been good, because the second that Austin walked up to the correct room number he tossed the duffle bags down, throwing his free hand up into the air exasperatedly. “You’ve always gone out of your way to keep us away from each other. It hurt my feelings, but I understood and dealt with it. We get along too well and you felt threatened.” You scrambled to reach into your pocket with a shaking hand, trying desperately to find the keycard.
“Yes you were,” A beat. “No, Jeremy. You felt threatened. Every single adult woman that I know has at least one male friend. Ashley has a husband and we still call and text almost every day. It’s normal. The only thing that isn’t ‘normal’ is you in this situation.” Austin nodded his head in a silent thanks as he pushed his way past you and into the hotel room. He placed your duffle bag down onto the bed, keeping a hold on his own as he made his way towards the bathroom. You were still standing in the entryway, feeling like your limbs were locked up from the shock and stress of it all.
He brushed past you, and it was then that you could hear what Jeremy was saying. “-and I always knew you had a thing for her! So why the hell would I leave you alone with her? I’m a guy! I know how guys are!” Austin was quick to shut the door to the bathroom, not wanting you to hear any more of the conversation. You could hear the zipper to his bag and his hushed voice, but other than that you couldn’t make out anymore of the conversation.
“I’m not trying to be difficult, but my friend will most likely get ambushed if we try to enter through the main line.” You had asked to speak with the manager of the venue, chewing your bottom lip anxiously as he narrowed his eyes on you.
“And tell me again who your friend is?” The man asked gruffly.
The last thing you wanted was to try and come off privileged, but this certainly wasn’t a ploy to try and cut the lines. Someone was bound to recognize Austin, even in a dimly lit concert hall, but the last thing you needed was for all hell to break loose. There were at least a few thousand people that would be attending the show, and protecting your friend was your top priority. He had gone out of his way to show you support throughout the entire day. He had ruined his friendship with Jeremy all so that he could be there for you. You could tell just by the look on his face when he had stepped out of the bathroom that things had blown up far worse than they had in the elevator. It was over. By the time that the two of you headed back home, you were sure that everyone in your tight knit group would think that you were a homie hopper of epic proportions, and Austin would be losing one of his oldest friends. For now the two of you didn’t want to think about that though. Right now, at this very moment, the two of you wanted to drink overpriced beer and act like fools in front of Alex Turner.
“Austin Butler.” The guy blinked a few times before realization dawned on him.
“Ah!” He pointed at you, nodding his head enthusiastically. “He was in that Quentin Tarantino film.” You snapped your fingers, nodding your approval.
“That’s the one. He was recently in the Elvis biopic, which is really the only reason why I’m hoping you can just scan our tickets and get us in the dark building.” The short, stocky man nodded a few times, music pumping away loudly in the building. The opening act hadn’t started yet, but they were bound to play any minute. Adults and teenagers of all ages were lined up around the building, chattering excitedly with one another.
“I loved that one line of his. ‘I’m as real as a-’”
“‘ Donut, motherfucker,’” You finished hurriedly for him, laughing nervously. “Yeah, yeah. It was hilarious. What do you say though,” You looked down at his nametag. “Anthony? Can I go ahead and wave him on over? I don’t want him to get out of the uber if you can’t help us though.” The second that people started clamoring out of line to get pictures and autographs was the second that you would both probably be forced to leave. Anthony nodded, grabbing his walkie talkie off of his hip and bringing it up to his mouth.
“I’ve got two VIPs up front that are going to need an escort. Stand by.” You turned your body towards the silver Hyundai, waving animatedly at the car. Austin must have been watching you, because the second you gave him the “okay” signal, he was up and out of the car.
“Thank you.” You heard him say to the driver before closing the door, quickly jogging over to your side. He tucked in close to you, smiling down at Anthony.
For a second the older but shorter man just stared up at Austin. “Holy shit, you weren’t lying.” You let out a nervous laugh, bouncing on the balls of your feet. You thanked god that you were wearing your comfortable heeled boots. You had already been standing outside for nearly thirty minutes. You could hear whispers in the line beside you, and while Austin didn’t dare to turn his head to face anyone, you anxiously did. Sure enough, a group of young girls were staring directly at the both of you.
“Come on you two, I’m going to take you through the side entrance.” He told the both of you, already walking off in the direction of the building.
Austin breathed out a quick thanks before reaching down, taking your hand in his as the two of you began walking through dimly lit doors. The concert venue already smelled of alcohol and women’s perfume. Whether it was the Nevada temperatures or the amount of bodies that were already packed in the room, the building was stiflingly hot, even in the back corridors. You blinked your eyes as you passed by a few black chests, squinting ever so slightly to read the words painted on the side.
“I think this is their stuff.” You leaned in to whisper to Austin, who was quick to whip his head around.
“Holy shit. Are we. . . backstage right now?” He mumbled, though quickly shut his mouth as Anothony turned to face the both of you.
“Did you guys want to get any beverages? Once I put you guys in your spots, there’s really no leaving.” Austin reached into his back pocket and pulled out his card.
“Is there any way that someone could grab us a few beers?” Anthony took Austin’s card from him and waved over another person who was wearing a black “staff” shirt. They whispered something to one another before Anthony quickly shuffled off.
“What if he stole my card?” Austin turned to look at you, smiling widely.
You rolled your eyes, letting out a small scoff. “Oh my god. You’d shit yourself.” The blonde let out a small laugh, rocking back on his own vintage boots.
“The night would definitely go to shit, that’s for sure.” He wrinkled his nose in that adorable way that you loved so much, and you found yourself getting caught up in the moment again. Austin had this wonderful way of making everything feel alright. The world suddenly felt steady beneath your feet. You could breathe in his presence. “Let’s have a good night, alright? We didn’t drive here.”
“Meaning we can get wasted?”
His lips twitched up into a small, naughty smile. The moment felt very personal. Special. You had almost forgotten about his hold on your hand, because you nearly jumped when he gave it a small squeeze. “I think that we both deserve a drink.”
You lost count somewhere after your fourth beer. You weren’t a lightweight, but the last time either of you ate anything was hours ago, so the alcohol went straight to your head. You excitedly raised your beer above your head as the band finished up their third song of the night. Austin laughed at you, but was quick to raise his own beer as well. You couldn’t remember the last time that you felt this comfortable around a guy before. Here you were, in a highly populated area and drunk to boot, feeling more safe than you ever had in your own home with your ex. Austin stood behind you, his free arm wrapped around your shoulders, his forearm pressing against your neck. Maybe he wanted to make sure that you didn’t leave his sight. Or better yet, maybe he just wanted to be as close to you as possible. You were too inebriated to think too far into things. During the opening act, when you were a little bit more perceptive to your surroundings, you had seen a few people taking photos of you and Austin. You were positive that he must have known as well, but he didn’t bat an eye. He stuck close to you, leaning in to whisper jokes, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear. He had even pulled out his own phone, pressing his forehead against the top of your head as he kept the camera pointed at the stage. Every once and a while security would walk over and take the empty beer bottles out of your hands, waltzing off so that they could quickly replace them for you both.
Austin had the top buttons of his shirt undone, so when you turned your cheek further into his embrace, you felt his bare skin against your face. It was hot enough in the building that you both were sweating, your hair sticking to your cheeks and the back of your neck. A few strands of wavy hair currently clung to the skin just below his temples. You were trying your hardest not to stare up at Austin, because the longer you looked, the more beautiful he became. You could feel your hair sticking to his chest as you leaned your head back against him, blinking up at him as the stage lights flashed. Fans began to cheer loudly as Nick O’Malley played the opening notes of the song Arabella. You watched Austin’s smile widen, his eyes twinkling in the bright blue lights. He must have felt your gaze on him, because he looked down at you.
“What?” You couldn’t hear him with how loudly the music was playing, but you could feel his chest vibrating against your cheek as his deep voice sounded. You could see his plush lips form the words.
“I just love you.” You shouted back up at him. Because you did. Really and truly. Austin was one of the best people that you ever had the pleasure of meeting, and you hoped that he felt the same.
You weren’t an idiot though. You saw how he treasured you and your friendship. He had proved how wildly protective he was over you. You saw the way that he was looking at you right now. He didn’t have to say it back, because everything that he had done tonight said it for him. Every gentle brush of his knuckles against the skin of your bare shoulders. Every featherlight kiss on the top of your head. Every sway of his hips as he danced right along with you, matching your goofy energy effortlessly. The smile that he shot back down to you was blinding, and right on cue one of the staff breezed by, reaching out for your empty drinks. Austin grabbed yours out of your unsteady hands, leaning in close to the other man to say something that you didn’t hear. Now that the two of you were no longer nursing your drinks, Austin swung you around, throwing his head back as you let out an excited shriek. You pressed your chest in close to Austin, breathing out a small laugh as Austin pressed his forehead against yours as the two of you swayed back and forth. His large hands were holding tightly to your hips, dragging them against his as you both swayed in place. His knee was in between your legs so that he could be the one in control of your movements. You weren’t sure if you would be able to keep either of you steady if he had let you take the reigns.
The other concert-goers bodies were pressed in tightly to you, but they were all dancing with their own partners, some of them kept their phones out to film the performance and the crowd. In that moment you suddenly remember just who he was and the fact that he was dancing very provocatively with you.
“What if someone takes a video of us?” You pressed your lips against his ear as you spoke. You felt him shiver against you, having to bite your own tongue to keep yourself on your best behavior.
He was shaking his head before you even finished. “Fuck it.”
We deserve it.
You remembered his words from earlier on in the night. You were usually the kind of person that over thought every decision that they ever made. You were anxious by nature, which was why being with someone like Jeremy had only served to worsen your mental health. Dancing with Austin like this in a crowd of people that no doubt knew exactly who he was probably wasn’t a very good idea. Drunk or sober, you probably would have put yourself into this exact same situation. Why? Because this was the most fun that you have had in years. You felt free. Actually free. You were with someone that looked out for you and cared for you, and if he wanted your chest pressed right up against his so that he could feel you better- then damn it. You were going to let him. His long fingers tangled themselves into your hair as he slid his palm up to the base of your neck. You could see your lashes as your eyes became half lidded, and felt the heaviness of the thick mascara you had applied before leaving the room. The glitter that you had applied to the tops of your cheeks and the inner corners of your eyes had rubbed off on Austin. It was on his chin, his own cheeks, and his chest. The stage lights flashed from blue to red as the chorus picked up, the drums pounding in your ears.
As Arabella! Arabella! Just might have tapped into your mind and soul.
You leaned up on your toes so that you could press your forehead against Austin’s, both of your eyes still half lidded and glued to one another’s. “You can’t be sure.” He mouthed the words, his plush lips brushing against yours. Once again your lips were twitching up into a smile, and you reached your own hand up, grabbing a fistful of his wavy locks so that you could press his forehead even harder against yours.
That’s magic in a cheetah print coat. Just a slip underneath it I hope.
The lights flashed again, going from red to a deep purple. The two of you were now fully wrapped up in each other, the both of you covered in your glitter, your bare skin dewing with sweat. You’d never wanted to kiss someone so badly before. Not once in your life. It was painful just standing there, gripping onto one another like your lives depended on it. Neither of you were dancing anymore. You both had stopped your movement the second that Austin’s lips had brushed against yours. You could see the gentle question in the man’s blue eyes. Would it be a mistake? Would this just be a one time thing for the both of us? Would it mean as much to you as it would for me?
Asking if I can have one of those organic cigarettes that she smokes. Wraps her lips round the Mexican Coke.
You were too buzzed to overthink anything anymore. You were sick and tired of being worried about everything. You had a bad habit of overcomplicating things in your head, when in actuality it was really quite simple. You and Austin were far from strangers. You found him attractive, and his actions tonight had you questioning whether or not Ashley really had meant what she had said the other night about him having a thing for you years back. Would it really be a mistake if something really did happen between you? You were both single, and even though you and Jeremy had only been separated for a week, things had gone sour years ago. The tears that you had shed over the situation were those of anger. You were embarrassed about the fact that you had unknowingly allowed yourself to be taken advantage of. You didn’t miss him. If you kissed Austin, it sure as well had nothing to do with Jeremy. So as Austin leaned forward, his blue eyes still locked on yours, you couldn’t help but urge him forward.
Makes you wish that you were the bottle. Takes a sip of your soul and it sounds like-
His lips were softer than you expected, but you blamed it on the fact that you had been kissing your ex’s dusty ass exclusively for far too long. He kissed you tentatively at first, testing out the waters, but as the guitar solo continued to press on, the crowd cheering loudly all around you, the lights flashing behind your closed eyes, his timidness began to dissipate. You clung tightly at his shoulders as your lips moved fluidly against his. It felt like years of pent up attraction was being put into this kiss. It felt heavenly and hellish all at once, and you knew that if you could devour Austin in that moment then you would have. The venue largely smelled of other women’s perfume and beer, but now that you were as close to Austin as you could possibly be, you were able to really smell him again. His signature scent had changed multiple times over the years, as had yours. His natural scent was something that you had never been able to fully describe though. It made everything smell a bit darker- more earthy in a way. The woodsy, amber notes of his current cologne made your head spin.
His rings pulled on a few strands of your hair as he gripped harder onto the base of your neck, pulling you as close as humanly possible. If you thought that it was hard to breathe before, now it was impossible. Austin was crushing you to him, the hand that had tangled itself into your hair gripping hard at your hip. There was a small, nagging voice chattering in the back of your head, trying to tell you that it wasn’t a good idea to be making out in the middle of a crowd of people. You normally would have been worried about whether or not you were making others uncomfortable, but you couldn’t think of anything else outside of Austin. You could feel his fingers digging into your hip, his digits slipping beneath the flowy fabric of your top. The band had only played four songs and you were already more than ready to head back to the hotel. There was raw desperation in the way that Austin was touching you, almost as though he was panicked that at any second this might be taken away from him. That you might be taken away.
His lips were no longer timid against yours, rather demanding and possessive. Whether you knew it or not, he was claiming in that sea of people. Pressing hard enough to bruise and committing your taste to memory. His tongue claimed your mouth, the palm of his hand dragging upwards over your stomach, his fingers grazing over your underboob. He froze, pulling away from your lips to let out a small hiss. You didn’t need to hear every word he said- you felt them against your mouth. Swallowed them as he spoke to you.
“You’re not wearing a bra.” It was less of a question and more of an observation.
You could feel the drums echoing in his chest against yours, and let out a small whimper as his fingers moved upwards another inch, cupping you through your shirt. All someone had to do was look over at the two of you and they would immediately be able to see what was going on. You weren’t about to shy away from Austin because of a few prying eyes.
“No.” You breathed against his lips, swallowing thickly as you felt him groan deep in his chest, giving your breast a small squeeze.
“I’m trying so hard to be good right now.” You pulled away another inch so that you could look up at him.
His cheeks were flushed a pale pink, lips kiss swollen and glossy with the combination of both of your saliva. His eyes? No one had looked at you like that in years, and even if they had, they sure as hell weren’t Austin. His dirty blonde hair, in the yellow stage light, looked golden halo. The damn near biblical beauty that the man possessed was offset by the dark look in his eyes. They were blown out wide, practically black as he looked down at you. His jaw was clenched, and you could tell that every bit of beauty that you were currently finding in his face, that he was currently finding in yours as well.
You weren’t sure how many minutes had passed, but you must have missed a few songs. People were cheering all around you as “R U Mine” echoed over the speakers.
“This ones a classic.” You tried to lighten the mood, swaying your body back and forth ever so slightly.
Your hips dragged against his with the movement, and you could feel just how hard he was for you. You hadn’t even touched him yet, and he was stiff to the point of pain. He let out another groan, letting his head tilt back towards the ceiling as he closed his eyes tightly. His hands were still holding you to him, but you could feel them beginning to shake. His restraint was steadily crumbling.
“Yeah,” He breathed, pressing his hips harder against yours. “Classic.”
You weren’t sure how you were even able to stand anymore. You were suddenly stone cold sober, all of the alcohol burning right out of your system. You felt like you were burning up, suddenly overaware of the warmth pooling in between your legs. Consequences be damned, you wanted to fuck him. You needed to fuck him. You didn’t care about how other people might feel about it, or even how it might make you look.
You were sick and tired of being unhappy. You were sick and tired of being sexually unfulfilled. You were sick and tired of being attracted to Austin and unable to say anything. People often say that “timing is key”. Well. . . now was the right time. You were sure of it. Jeremy, over the years, had somehow convinced you that it was better to be docile. Women that were bold with their sexuality weren’t sexy at all to him, rather just whorish. You felt yourself beginning to hesitate, worried that somehow your brazenness might send him the wrong message. Because you were needy, but that didn’t mean that this didn’t mean something to you. The way that Austin was staring at you though silenced your fears without him having to utter a word. In a sea of beautiful women, he had stared at you all night as though you were the only one that existed. He had tunnel vision, and it had been that way for years. He had been happy for his friend when the two of you started dating, and moved on with Vanessa. But you’d always been on his mind. Whether this was just a one night stand to you, or perhaps a backwards way of getting revenge on Jeremy. . . He couldn’t find it within himself to care. He’d let you use him in whatever way you saw fit, just so long as he could have you. Even just once.
People were pressing in on the two of you as they danced and sang along to the music, and he pressed you in closer to him to make room for the others. Your hands brushed over his chest, slowly making their way down his abdomen to the front of his jeans. He sucked in a breath, eyes widening as he took in your delicious expression. He loved seeing you so confident. You were always gorgeous, no matter what you did, but you were otherworldly in your confidence. If there was enough room to do it, he would have fallen to his knees in front of you. Dressed in all black, your hair slightly limp with sweat, your glitter face catching the light just right. He’d never seen anything so beautiful. His expression pushed you to go further, pressing your palm a bit harder against his length and giving it a few gentle rubs. He twitched in his pants, lurching forward a bit as he let loose a rather loud groan. You two had earned a few stares throughout the night, but thanks to the popular song no one was paying either of you any attention.
“I need to fuck you. Please. Please let me fuck you.”
The uber ride was spent in tense silence, the two of you unable to take your hands off of one another. He never let go of your hand, placing soft kisses against your face as the minutes ticked by and you began to get closer to the hotel. The driver must have realized that now was certainly not the time to make small talk, because the only thing he said to either of you was your name when you opened the car door, just to make sure that you were the right person. You both uttered a quick thank you before climbing out of the car. Austin practically yanked you through the double doors of the hotel, still shaky and slightly sweaty from the concert. The second that he had gotten you into the hotel and pressed the button, the heavy metal doors rattling closed, he had you pressed against the wall. In the blink of an eye you had been pushed back a few steps, his large hands scooping both of your wrists up so that he could press them above your head, rendering you useless. The cool stainless steel bit into your skin as he pressed you harder against it, his jean covered hips pressing against your stomach.
He kissed you like he loved you and hated you all at the same time.
You felt like you were going to explode. Like he was pressing into you so hard that your ribs might give out and break. Honestly you didn’t mind that idea. If you could have absorbed Austin into your body somehow, you would have. He was everywhere. His scent was heavy in your nose, the taste of him on your tongue as he devoured you, and you could feel every inch of his body pressed up against you. Trapping you there against the wall. He kept your wrists gripped in one hand, his free hand running down your body, hastily unbuttoning the front of your tight pants.
“C-Cameras.” You mumbled against his lips, opening your eyes so that you could nervously eyed the corners of the elevator. Sure enough, there was one situated right on the both of you. “The front desk can see us.” Your voice came out hoarse, and as his lips moved to your cheek and down your neck, you couldn’t help but let out a breathy sound. A cross between a sigh and a moan as you tried to keep the noises at bay.
“He can watch.” He mumbled against your skin.
“Holy fuck.” His voice had never sounded so deep in your ears before. You could barely breathe as his hand slipped down the front of your pants, easily slipping past the thin fabric of your underwear. He took a second to feel the fabric between his fingers, and you could feel him smile against your neck. “Lace?” You couldn’t even nod. All words had completely escaped you as well. “Cute.”
And then he was pressing into you, fingers running along your velvety folds. He swallowed thickly, his hold on your wrists becoming so tight that it was slightly painful. You didn’t care. You wanted him to hurt you. Any sensation was a good sensation at this point. He must have felt how wet you were already for him. Now he knew that kissing him at that concert had practically killed you. “So soft.” He spoke gently to you, but his deep voice cracked. He was trying to stay soft with you, but now that the dam had finally broken, it was hard to keep himself in check. There were years of pent up sexual tension finally bubbling to the surface.
His lips continued to press against your neck, his teeth nipping at your skin every once in a while. You were sure that there would be marks tomorrow morning. Either he wasn’t thinking about the dark hickeys that he was leaving or he just didn’t care. You would take whatever he gave you. You wanted it all. His finger pressed against that small bundle of nerves, causing your hips to jerk forward in surprise. He let out a small hiss, removing his lips from your neck so that he could run his nose gently up the expanse of your throat, straightening out to his full height so that his smoldering eyes could bore into you.
“Be good for me, okay? I need you to stand as still as possible.”
You nodded quickly, the elevator floors flashing on the digital screen behind Austin. You didn’t even remember pressing your floor number. You could be headed to the roof for all you knew. He leaned back down, pressing his face into your neck once again so that he could get better leverage. The height difference, in this case, was beginning to get annoying. His fingers gathered up your slick before pressing against your entrance. He didn’t ask for permission or warn you, rather he just slipped them inside of you without any hesitation. It felt good to be full- though you still weren’t as full as you would have liked to be. Having something inside of you was still enough to have your head lolling back against the elevator wall, your eyes screwing shut tightly as you tried to keep your hips as still as possible.
“That’s my good baby.” My.
You wanted to scream. His fingers curled slightly inside of you, his thumb pressing against your clit as he began to successfully work you up into a frenzy. You were already worked up to the point that you could feel yourself immediately building up, your abdomen tightening with every thrust of his fingers and every brush of his thumb. That combined with his teeth and tongue constantly teasing the skin of your throat- it was more than enough. When was the last time that anyone had actually made you cum? It was sad, really. You always went out of your way to pleasure your ex and never got anything in return. Austin was taking his time with you though, almost like his own pleasure was an afterthought. He wanted to possess you first. He wanted to work you up until you couldn’t think about anything else other than fucking him.
The elevator chimed, the doors rattling open. You let out a whimper when he slowly slipped his fingers out of you, watching as he smiled that slow, sly smile of his. Much to your relief there was no one in the hall, so when he let your sore wrists go you practically stumbled through the hall, trying desperately to find your room. Austin’s large hand found your wrist again, pulling you in the right direction. You tried to keep up with him and his long legs, your own feeling unsteady beneath you.
“W-Where’s the keycard?” He seemed so put together and in control in the elevator, but his stutter told you everything that you needed to know. He was just as wrecked as you were. Barely able to hold it together. He reached into your back pocket before you could tell him, his hands sliding over your rear. He “tsked” softly when he found what he was looking for, quickly sliding it into the handle and yanking it open wide. You winced as the knob slammed against the door, but you were past worrying about any noise complaints or the possibility that you might have neighbors. Austin was slipping his shirt off of his shoulders before the door was even fully closed, kicking off his boots as quickly as he could before descending upon you. His hands gripped at your hips, pressed the fabric of your pants down and off of your legs. He took a second to pull back so that he could admire your panties.
“Just like I thought. Cute.” You squirmed under his heated gaze, moving your hands to your shirt so that you could remove that too. He brushed your hands away though, wanting to do it for you.
There was a possibility that this might be the first and last time that he got to do this, and he wanted to be able to fully enjoy the moment. He let his eyes explore every inch of your skin, his fingers dancing along the soft skin of your back, moving to cup your breasts in his hands. You felt impatient, but you didn’t complain. You allowed him to admire you. Seeing the way that he looked at you reminded you that you were worthy of love. You hadn’t felt beautiful in a while, but seeing Austin panting over your body put it into perspective for you. You were never the problem. It was him.
“I want you to keep your feet planted on the ground, but turn around and face the bed.” Austin was unzipping his jeans after what felt like an eternity of gentle touches and heady exploration.
You were quick to do as he said, but grunted when he gently pushed you forward. You planted your forearms on the bed, keeping your back arched, your ass in the air. He sucked in a breath, his belt jingling as he kicked the pants off. He must have liked the panties more than he was letting on, because he merely slipped them to the side, taking a good look at your warmth.
“Fuck, so pretty.” You believed him.
He slid his hand over his length, giving it a few good pumps before he froze. “I don’t have a condom.” He mumbled out, defeat edging its way into his voice.
“I’m on birth control.” It was irresponsible, you knew that. Saying something like that was so unlike you, but you truly felt like you would regret it for the rest of your life if you didn’t fuck him tonight.
“I’m willing to risk it if you are.” He seemed to be in the same boat.
You quickly nodded, gripping the duvet covers tightly between your fingers as you felt the head of his member press against you. “Please. Please just fuck me.” You didn’t need him to try and warm you up- to gently slip in so that it wouldn’t be a painful fit. You needed him inside of you. He didn’t say a word, rather he let out a loud moan at your panicked insistence and pressed his hips forward. At this angle it felt like he was in your stomach. Pain and pleasure melted together, a loud moan leaving your own mouth as you let your forehead press against the soft mattress. The pace that he immediately set had you gripping for dear life onto the blankets, the nicely made bed a mess in seconds. Austin kept one hand planted on the small of your back, the other one gripping hard at your thigh. You could feel the weight of his stare on your ass, and you somehow managed you twist your torso so that you could watch him. Seeing the expression on his face was enough to have you letting loose another moan. He was gorgeous, his sharp jawline twitching as he clenched and unclenched his teeth. His blue eyes were fully focused on you, eating up every jiggle of soft supple skin. You watched him pump in and out of you, reaching a hand back so that you could feel the assault. Your fingers ran along his length, slick from your own heat and his precum.
“Fuck.” He cursed again, his eyes flickering to your face. He removed his hand from your back, reaching out for you, leaning over your body so that he could grab your neck. He pulled you until your back was against his chest, still pistoning in and out of you. The hand that was on your thigh repositioned itself so that he could lift your leg, making it easier for him to fuck you at the same startling pace. He was using the height difference to his advantage.
He squeezed down on your neck, his wet lips pressing against your cheek, the corner of your lips- anywhere he could reach. You were close. He had edged you enough in the elevator, and the angle was enough to have you gasping for air. “Not yet.” He must have felt your fluttering walls and known what was about to happen. You weren’t sure how long you could push off your climax. You shook your head quickly, your lips parted, eyes squeezing shut. He quickened his pace, his hips snapping into you. You could feel his moans rumbling in his chest, his breathy pants hot in your ear.
“Gonnacumgonnacumgonnacum-” You were past the point of being able to form coherent sentences.
“I wanna cum with you. I’m close.” There was something so endearingly intimate about the way that he said it.
“Where do you want it? Tell me quick.” He breathed out. And maybe your decision made you stupid. Maybe Austin had fucked all of the common sense right out of your body, but your answer was immediate.
“Please for the love of god cum inside of me.” His grip on your throat tightened, and he breathed your name against the top of your head. “Fill me up. Please-”
“Oh fuck, I’m going to pump you full.” He spoke through clenched teeth.
Without any warning the hand that was on your throat moved down, his palm pressing against your abdomen as he worked your clit. The stimulation along with the brutal way he was fucking you was enough to push you over the edge. You didn’t have time to silence yourself. Didn’t have time to try and be courteous to anyone else. Your moans turned to screams, your eyes closing tightly as he continued to pound into you. You felt him twitch inside of you, his hold on your thigh tightening to the point where you were sure to have a palm sized bruise there tomorrow. His warmth spilled inside of you, his heavy pants dissolving into moans. It was a string of curses, followed by your name. He took extra care with shaping each syllable of your name. He wanted you to know without really having to actually say it.
Please don’t let this be a one time thing. Please- god.
You woke up to the sound of your alarm clock, your hand blindly reaching for the bedside table so that you could press the snooze button. Austin grumbled at your side, his hold on your waist tightening. He had held you all throughout the night. He had been insistent on it, following you closely even when you moved in your sleep. You were scared that he might regret having sex with you in the light of day, but judging on the way he nuzzled his cheek against your bare skin, he didn’t regret a thing. You smiled lazily, reaching down to detach one of his arms from your stomach so that you could bring it up to your face, giving it a warm kiss. He sighed contentedly into your hair, returning the sweet sentiment by giving the back of your head a kiss.
You were quick to check your phone notifications, wanting to make sure that your ex hadn’t found some way to harass you throughout the night. Thankfully you saw nothing from him- but a hundred messages from other people. Co-workers, friends- even family members had texted you. Ashley’s contact was the first one that you clicked on though- per usual. Your best friend had barraged you with texts throughout the night. Asking you how the ride up there was. Then asking you about the show. Somewhere around the twelve o’clock mark she had sent you a screenshot from instagram. From the person’s profile picture it looked like a regular girl- but right there, in the crowd, was you and Austin.
You were quick to scroll down, clicking on one of the many links that she had sent you.
“Austin Butler caught in a heavy makeout sesh with a mystery girl at the Las Vegas Artic Monkeys show.” “Who is Austin Butler’s mystery girlfriend? Read more to find out.” “Austin Butler caught locking lips with talented photographer friend.” And sure enough, people had been able to find you. Your instagram had been leaked, internet detectives able to find you within the timespan of less than twelve hours. You had old pictures of you and Austin posted from years ago, and so of course news outlets had uploaded those.
“Um. . . Austin?” He grunted, and you were quick to try and detangle yourself from his arms. “L-Look at this.” You were quick to push the phone into his face. He tried to blink the sleep from his eyes, focusing on the words. “Oh.”
“Oh?”
“They called you talented. That’s nice.”
“Good God, why are you like this?”
thank you for the emotional support, you sweet sluts: @powerofelvis @ggwritesstuff @woundmetender @eliseinmemphis @polksalademma @sournatromanoff @flwrs4aust @headfullofpresley @cryingabtab @austinbutlersbaby @lindszeppelin @rosaminny
words: 1,570
ship: austin butler x reader
summary: (anon request): “Austin is trying to do his elvis makeup but he doesn’t know if it’ll look good so he decides to do the makeup look on his gf first to see if he likes it :)”
notes: this was something short and sweet to fill, thank you for the request!
warnings: none
tag list: @killerqueenfan, @karamelcoveredolicity, @elizabethrosecresswell, @gigisworldsstuff
At this point, in your years dating Austin, there are some things that are expected when it comes to his work. A lot of things you had to learn or become familiar with, especially the dos and don’ts of being on set as someone’s girlfriend. It wasn’t always easy, sometimes producers and directors kinda look down on being there, like it’s too much of a distraction to the work itself. And maybe you can understand how complicated that could be? Being on set could translate into wanting or needing attention, but often you just like sitting in Austin’s trailer and having the sense of being close.
Summary: Austin Butler blurb, pure tooth-rotting fluff.
Warnings: None
Author’s note: This was the first fic I ever wrote but it’s been sitting in my drafts for a few months. Fly away, my beautiful bird.
-
“I’m going to kiss you now,” Austin said, voice low and deep, as he slowly drew closer to you.
Your eyes snapped up from where they had been focused on his lips to meet his gaze.
“Austin,” you breathed out, your voice barely above a whisper, your eyes searching his.
His mouth lifted in a half-smile as he leaned in closer. You closed your eyes, taking a ragged breath, your heart beating a quick thrum in your chest. So fast, so loud. Surely Austin could hear it?
His hands fluttered on either side of your face before he settled them gently, thumbs padding your cheeks, and softly, so softly, pressed his lips to your forehead.
“Beautiful girl,” he whispered.
He slowly tilted your head to the right and kissed your cheek.
“Sweet girl,” he breathed.
He tilted your head to the left and kissed your other cheek.
“Lovely girl,” he murmured.
Then his lips hovered above yours and he paused. You thought the anticipation might kill you. Just as you opened your eyes to see what the wait was about his perfect lips curved into a smirk. He moved a hand from the side of your face and brushed his thumb across your lips. His touch was electric, your heart skipped a beat. Slowly he lowered his lips onto yours, perfectly aligned, like puzzle pieces from the clay.
He kissed you softly at first, barely grazing your mouth and then harder, his lips crushing yours with a hunger he couldn’t mask any longer, his tongue suckling at your bottom lip.
Your heart was pounding so fast you thought it might beat out of your chest. You couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but kiss him back. A tear slipped down your cheek and onto Austin’s hand. He startled and pulled away.
“You ok, baby?” he asked, his eyes full of concern, as he wiped the tear away with his thumb.
You nodded your head, afraid to speak, afraid that all the love you felt for him would spill out of you - in tears, in words, in touch.
He smiled then, and leaned his forehead into yours, stroking your face, before pulling you to his chest and settling you there protectively, his hand rubbing small circles on your back. You sighed contentedly, your hand on his heart, knowing he was yours.
Summary: after meeting austin at a party, y/n is left with a desirable impression and immediately writes a song about it. set to perform at the cannes elvis premiere after party, y/n takes the opportunity to let her true feelings be known. based off the song gorgeous by taylor swift
Warnings: depictions of intoxication, thoughts of infidelity, mild swearing
Masterlist | Ask/Tell/Request
A/N: i had this song stuck in my head and the more i thought about the lyrics, the more i realized it fits austin perfectly. i came up with this idea quite literally right after that, i love it and thought it turned out pretty cute. also i know kacey musgraves covered can't help falling in love, but for the sake of the fic she covered another one or just wasn't on the soundtrack in general lmao. lastly, reader is dating calvin harris in this (iykyk) but if that makes you uncomfy you can imagine someone else! anyways, i hope you enjoy and lmk what you think! :)
To say you were having a good time tonight would be an understatement. You've probably only been here for a few hours, but with the amount of drinks you've already had, it was enough for a whole night, maybe more.
You weren't really trying to get drunk, but who were you to turn down drinks from fellow friends who are also very much enjoying themselves at this party?
The point of tonight is all about acquainting yourself with fellow musicians performing on the new Elvis movie soundtrack. Practically everyone who is on the soundtrack is here, and then of course the actors and actresses from the actual movie.
When you were reached out to about being on the soundtrack, it felt like a dream come true. It really hit you when they asked if you'd like to cover Can't Help Falling in Love. It's truly such an honor to get to record a song that means so much to so many people. It was nerve-wracking, but you adore how it turned out and hope the fans will feel the same when they hear it in the film and on the soundtrack.
Taking a look around, you admire all of the other musicians you've gotten to know. Baz did such a great job in creating a modernized and diverse group that can translate Elvis' music to today's generation. It's so insane to you how you were given this opportunity and you'll forever be grateful for it.
Shaking your head a little in disbelief at it all, you turn your attention back to the people at your table. You've been moving around all night, whether it be from table to table or on the small dance floor. You've spoken to everyone here. Well, almost everyone.
There's quite literally only one person here that you haven't spoken a word to yet, and that's none other than Austin Butler, Elvis Presley himself.
It isn't that you don't want to talk to him, it's just you're not sure you'd be able to have a conversation with him. You've never met Austin in person but from all the pictures and clips you've seen of him, you just know that man will make you so nervous. He seems so flirty and you can tell he knows what he's doing when he gives people that look. It's infuriating but also captivating and you kick yourself every time you find yourself flustered over him. Get it together, you'd think, you've never even met the guy in person.
When you found out this party would be happening, you promised yourself you'd work up the courage to talk to him. You'd introduce yourself, have a quick conversation, realize he's just like any other guy, and then he'd be out of your system.
The liquid courage you've downed since the moment you got here was supposed to help, but so far you still haven't sought Austin out, and you're not sure you will. You're drunk, but it still doesn't change the fact even just the thought of him makes you giddy. Curse his good looks and seemingly charming personality.
"Hey, Y/N, some of us are gonna go hit the dance floor again. You wanna come with?" Olivia DeJonge, actress for Priscilla Presley, asks as she begins to get up from the table.
"Maybe in a bit, I'm gonna go to the bar and get some water, I've definitely had one too many tonight," you giggle and Olivia nods her head, knowing exactly what you mean.
"Okay, come find us when you want, we'll probably be out there for a while, gonna burn off our alcohol with our moves." The two of you laugh and you shake your head before getting up from the table as well, making your way to the bar while Olivia follows everyone else to the dance floor.
Leaning against the bar, you ask the bar tender for some water and wait while he gets it for you. A new song starts playing and you hum along to it while the bar tender hands you the glass. Taking a sip, it feels refreshing and you can tell how much you needed it. You can feel the hangover you're gonna have in the morning, but at least you feel good and are enjoying yourself right now, that's really all that matters.
"Uh 'scuse me, can I get a whiskey on ice please?" The sound of the voice coming from your right side nearly makes you spit out your water. It's so southern and sounds so wrong coming from someone who's in a bar in the middle of Los Angeles. You can't help the fit of giggles that escapes your lips.
Turning to look at whoever it is next to you, your laughing abruptly stops when you realize exactly who it is. It makes complete sense and yet you wince at the fact you didn't connect the dots instantly over who at this party would be talking like that. It's Austin, of course.
He's looking at you with an amused expression on his face and damn did those pictures not do him justice one bit. Words cannot describe how ethereal he looks in person. "You makin' fun of the way I talk, darlin'?"
You swear to God you'll never drink again because even though nothing is funny at this moment, your current state of overactive giddiness causes you to simultaneously laugh again on the outside and melt on the inside over his use of the word 'darlin''.
Clearing your throat to try and cover it up, you shake your head and begin to reply. "Definitely not, I think your accent is just what a town like this needs. Screw the valley girl standard, southern is in."
Austin lets out a low laugh and hangs his head before looking back up at you. His eyes are so incredibly blue, you're surprised you can even tell considering how dark it is in here, but you guess they're just that bright. The flustered feeling doesn't seem to be going away like you hoped. Oh boy.
"I don't think we've met yet." The bar tender places Austin's drink down in front of him and he takes it, immediately sipping from the glass. You can't help but stare as he runs his tongue across his bottom lip as he sets the drink back down. "I'm Austin."
You fight the urge to say 'I know' because how could you not? He was everywhere lately, including your mind when you know he shouldn't be, especially with having a boyfriend and all that. You're sure he's at yet another club doing who knows what, but the fact you have a boyfriend still stands, even though you have a feeling it's not gonna last much longer.
"I'm Y/N, it's nice to finally meet you." You give Austin a smile and you pray it doesn't look stupid. You're feeling a little lightheaded and you're not sure if it's the alcohol or the proximity of the blonde in front of you, probably both if you're being honest.
"Likewise," he replies, his eyes flicking up and down your body in a swift movement. Your grip on the bar counter immediately intensifies.
A moment passes, Austin's eyes locked on yours, it's silent between you both but it isn't uncomfortable. You're not sure what it is about him, but there's this force making you want to be closer to him. It's practically magnetic the way your body wants to inch towards him.
Austin's the first to break the silence. "So, you gonna be at Cannes next week? I heard they wanted you to perform at the after party." You blink a few times, trying to snap out of the trance you've found yourself in and get your thoughts together.
"Yep, I'll be there. I couldn't possibly miss the premiere of your movie now could I?" Austin takes his bottom lip in between his teeth and the sight alone makes you weak in the knees.
"No, you can't," he drawls. There's literally no explaining exactly what's happening right now. This is the very first time you've ever spoken to Austin Butler, and yet here the two of you are flirting as if it's the norm for you.
Taking a breath, you grab your glass of water and take a long gulp. You're not sure what else to say to the blonde in front of you. His stare, that stare, is so intense and makes you feel things you should not be feeling.
Letting your eyes flick over Austin's face, you take in all the small details. The shape of his jaw, the small smirk on his lips, the crinkles by his eyes that seem to somehow sparkle when the light hits them just right.
Jesus you need to get away from this man right now.
Thankfully, Olivia appears at your side and she's gripping your arm, pulling your attention away from Austin's intoxicating aura.
"There you are! I changed my mind, I definitely need some of that water you were talking about earlier!" Olivia laughs and you do so as well, grateful for the out. Your nerves and alcohol are beginning to catch up with you and being left alone with Austin for any longer may just end up with you making fun of him again, or worse. "I see you met Mr. Butler here. Austin you better be treating my girl right."
Running his fingers along his jaw and holding his chin, Austin replies, "Oh I think we're gettin' on quite well."
That's it, time to go.
Looking anywhere but at Austin, you quickly rush out, "Well I better get out there while the night is still young! Nice to meet you, Austin. Olivia I'll be waiting for you!" You flash a quick smile, more so looking at Olivia, and then race away from the bar and Austin's infuriating effect on you.
****
The night went on smoothly after your encounter with Austin. Olivia did in fact end up joining you on the dance floor and you allowed the music to help ease away your tension and flustered state. For a while you were mentally cursing yourself for letting Austin root deeper in your mind and make you feel all out of sorts. This man was ruining your life and he didn't even realize it.
You're back at a table now, actually feeling like it's getting time for you to go home. You have a studio session tomorrow afternoon and you'd rather not be completely hungover when you get there.
Packing up what little stuff you brought with you tonight, you begin to say your goodbyes to the people around you. Majority give you hugs and promises of meeting up soon, others shake your hand and tell you they were happy to meet you.
It's the home stretch now. You got through the rest of the evening without having to talk to Austin again. You caught his eye a few more times, but always made a point to engage in conversation with someone else before he came over. You're not sure how considering this place isn't very big and he could've interjected at any moment, but who cares you did it! The exit is literally right in front of you, just a few more-
"Leavin' so soon, sweetheart?" You stop dead in your tracks. No need to question who that voice belongs to this time. Dammit.
"Uh, yeah. I have some work to do tomorrow, so I gotta get home and get ahead of this hangover!" You laugh lightly, and slightly wince because what?, and then spin around to face Austin. You may not be able to handle talking to him well, but the least you can do is face him when he's speaking to you.
Maybe moving so fast to look at him was a bad idea because next thing you know you're stumbling a little and suddenly Austin has his hand on yours to steady you.
The room is still incredibly dark so thankfully Austin can't see the way your face heats up at the contact of his skin on yours. Doesn't he realize his actions have consequences? There's no way you're getting over him any time soon now, and you barely know the guy.
"Well I guess I'll see you in Cannes then. Have a good night, Y/N." Austin nods his head and gives you a smile and it's in this precise moment you realize you're utterly done for.
*****
"Wait so what happened again? You're telling me the first interaction you had with him was making fun of the way he talks?" Stephanie, one of your best friends and fellow songwriters, says before laughing and shaking her head at how ridiculous the situation sounds.
You groan and cover your face with your hands. "Don't laugh! It's not funny, it's actually kind of embarrassing. I shouldn't have let myself get drunk like that, let alone talk to Austin Butler while drunk."
"Girl, don't even worry. If anything he should take it as a compliment! Don't people say if someone teases you that means they have a crush on you?" Tilting your head you contemplate that idea, you have heard that before. "But then again I'm pretty sure that's just for elementary school situations."
"Steph!" Pouting, you fall back onto the couch in the studio. You're supposed to be writing new songs for your upcoming album, but it's turned into more of a therapy session with your best friend than a music one. "I don't even know how to describe it. It's like I can't say anything to his face. We flirted for a second but it was nothing compared to the way I would essentially freeze up trying to think of something to say to him. I literally tried to avoid him the whole night. He's just so...so-ugh, gorgeous!"
"Y/N, you are so down bad for this man," Stephanie says while getting up to come sit next to you on the couch. You sigh and sit up, meeting her gaze.
"I know! I just wish there was a way I could explain it to him. I know it's just a dumb little crush and nothing could happen considering I'm with Calvin right now but still."
"Why don't you explain it to him then? If you can't talk to him, why don't you sing it! You can write a song about last night and perform it during your set at the Cannes after party!"
"What? Are you being serious right now?" You shake your head at the idea. No way, that would be crazy, right?
"I am! C'mon, Y/N, singing and songwriting is your calling, it's what you do best. It's the best way for you to get your feelings across without actually having to talk to the guy. And don't even worry about Calvin, half the time he can't even be bothered to check in on you, you deserve way better! Besides, it's just a song, it's not like you're asking Austin out."
You take a moment to mull over the idea. Stephanie has a point, there's really no harm in it and it'll allow you to put your feelings into words. You're sure you can get your manager to convince the after party hosts to let you switch out one of your radio hits for a new song instead. It's not the worst idea...
"Okay, let's do it!" Stephanie claps her hands and reaches towards the table in front of you, grabbing both your notebooks and handing you yours.
"Alright, let's start from the beginning. Tell me everything that happened, even the small details, and we can work off that." You nod your head and open to a blank page in your writing journal.
"Obviously first thing's first, I was drunk and I made fun of the way he talked because of his Elvis accent." You cringe at the memory but then shake it off. He had laughed at the joke you made afterwards so clearly it's fine. "Ooo also I remember he ordered a whiskey on ice, that's how I heard him talk in the first place. When we were standing there I just kept looking at his face too, I noticed how blue his eyes were. I swear it was like looking at the ocean, felt like I could sink and drown and die in them." Stephanie smiles at you and you feel a faint blush on your face.
"Keep going, this is cute, I love it."
"Okay, um, we were on Sunset and Vine at this secret bar you have to walk through a restaurant to get to. I don't know if the street matters but it's something. Another thing, when we were talking I just remember feeling this, like, magnetic pull towards him. He has this aura about him that's so addicting. It's infuriating how attracted to him I am, it's like he makes me happy but also sad because I can't have him, you know?"
Stephanie nods her head, she knows first hand what that feels like and she'd never judge you for it. She knows how hard it can be to admit your true feelings, and she's always been here for you every time you needed someone to talk about them with, just like you are for her.
"When we were talking earlier you said you saw him again on your way out, did anything happen then?"
"Oh God, yeah I forgot to tell you! Steph he grabbed my hand and when I tell you I nearly died at the contact! To be fair he only did it because I almost fell but still." Stephanie laughs and you join in with her before suddenly something dawns on you. "Wait! Oh my God, do you think he has a girlfriend? Why didn't I think of that! I was sat there flirting with him and giving him goo goo eyes and all the while he could have a girl at home waiting for him."
"Hey, that's on him if he does because from what I can tell he was flirting back! Besides I don't think he does. I know he was rumored to be with Kaia Gerber but I haven't seen anything about them in months. As far as I know he's single."
"Ugh, well if he does have one, I'm jealous of her. But if he's single that's honestly worse because the only thing between us is Calvin then."
"Please, he barely counts. You should break up with him, you know you're not happy with him. No matter what, Austin or not, you deserve someone who will treat you better and actually be there for you." You smile at Stephanie and reach over to squeeze her hand. How'd you get so lucky to have a friend like her?
"You're right, I should break up with him soon. It's almost like we've split anyways, we barely talk anymore. Maybe I'll do it and get drunk again after and then just stumble on home to my cats, alone."
"Y/N, you don't even own any cats, what in the hell are you talking about?" The both of you bust out laughing and you nearly fall off the couch because of it.
"Okay, yeah, but I could. Unless Austin wants to come along home with me instead." A fit of giggles erupts from your lips again and Steph wheezes and then shakes her head while she writes notes down.
"Babe, I can't with you right now. C'mon, we've got work to do."
*****
Tonight was the night you’d been waiting for for over a week. It’s Cannes night which means you’d be seeing Elvis for the very first time with a theater full of people, and then performing your cover of Can’t Help Falling in Love at the after party, including the new song you wrote about Austin.
For an instant you’re more scared to perform your new song than you are about the cover. You can’t tell if that’s good or bad.
The movie is already well over, now you’re backstage getting ready for your turn to perform. To say you were blown away by Austin’s performance would be an understatement. There were so many moments where you were watching and for a split second swore it was Elvis Presley himself up on that screen. You can tell the time and dedication Austin put into the role and you can only imagine how proud Elvis’ family is.
On a less serious note, the film did nothing but add fuel to the already blazing fire that is your crush on Austin Butler. The way he looked, the way he sang, the way he moved! Indescribable. You definitely had to take several moments to collect yourself while sitting in that theater.
Right now Mäneskin is performing and once they’re done you’ll be up next. You’ll be performing three songs; Can’t Help Falling in Love, one of your recent hits, and then your new song. You were so grateful to your manager for convincing the hosts to let you perform a new, unreleased track. To be honest you’re surprised you even had the song ready to go. Usually it takes a few weeks to get down the lyrics and then the instrumental parts, but with this song it just seemed to come so naturally.
You and Stephanie had stayed well into the night that day at the studio, finishing the lyrics within a couple hours and then going straight into the actual music part of it. You’re so proud of the song and think it came out great. It’s catchy and funny but also says everything you wanted to and you hope the message will be clear.
“Y/N, you’re up in sixty seconds!” A stage manager says, breaking you away from your thoughts. You nod your head and thank him before turning to the girl helping you set up your in-ears and audio pack.
“All good to go! Good luck out there,” she says, giving you a warm smile.
“Thank you, I appreciate that.” You smile back at her and then make your way to the side of the stage. The band is thanking the crowd and then they’re passing by you right after. You exchange greetings and you compliment them before you turn to step out on stage.
Breathing in deep, you physically shake out your usual pre-show jitters. No matter what happens you’re gonna go out there and have a good time. You’re in Cannes, at a premiere for a movie on one of music’s most iconic artists. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Stepping out on stage, you smile and get ready to take it all in.
Here we go.
*****
“This last song I have for you guys is actually a new one I just wrote with one of my best friends.” The crowd lets out some enthusiastic hollers and you grin at the sound. “We wrote it after I met a certain someone a little over a week ago. I won’t say too much more than that, but hopefully you’ll get the gist when I’m done. This is ‘Gorgeous’.”
Your band begins the opening notes and you feel the rush of adrenaline that courses through your veins. Performing is one of your most favorite things to do, it never gets old.
“You should take it as a compliment that I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk.” The opening line already gets the crowd excited, a bunch of your fellow singers cheering you on. Your eyes scan the crowd, it takes only a second or two to find those blue eyes you can’t stop thinking about. Based off the smirk on his face you can tell he already knows this song is about him. Good.
“You should think about the consequence of your magnetic field being a little too strong. And I got a boyfriend he’s older than us. He’s in the club doing I don’t know what. You’re so cool, it makes me hate you so much.”
This song is even better to perform live than you thought, you can feel the beat rumbling the floor beneath you and you’re feeding off the insane energy the crowd is giving you. You couldn’t ask for a better response.
“Whiskey on ice, Sunset and Vine. You’ve ruined my life by not being mine.” You grab the microphone off the stand, really getting into the song. “You’re so gorgeous. I can’t say anything to your face. ‘Cause look at your face. And I’m so furious at you for making me feel this way. But, what can I say? You’re gorgeous.”
With every lyric you’re moving a part of your body, whether it be swaying to the beat or using your hands to exaggerate what you’re saying. It’s a blast and it’s even better seeing the way Austin’s reacting to it.
You continue to make your way through the song, feeling lighter the closer you get to the end. Stephanie was right, writing about and then singing your feelings was the best thing you could’ve done.
“You make me so happy, it turns back to sad, yeah there’s nothing I hate more than what I can’t have. You are so gorgeous it makes me so mad. You’re gorgeous.” You finish the song and can’t help the huge smile on your face as you take in all the cheers and clapping that surrounds you.
“Thank you so much, it’s been an honor to perform here tonight! I love you, thank you!” Taking a bow with your band, you blow kisses at all your friends and fellow attendees before making your way off stage.
Immediately, you’re met with crew to help you out of your audio pack and in-ears. People around you give you compliments and you thank them all, feeling so appreciative, before heading back out to the party.
When you reach the dance floor, you see a bunch of your friends waiting for you. They shower you with love and rave over your new song. You assure them it’ll be out at midnight tonight and they all lose it over that. You’re so grateful to have such supportive people around you, it’s such a wonderful feeling to know people believe in you and your work.
After a few minutes of chatter about other performances, and of course the Elvis movie, you excuse yourself to go get a drink. You don’t make it very far before you’re met with a familiar blonde blocking your path.
"That was some song you performed up there," Austin says, standing with his hands in his pockets. You give him a once over, per usual he looks incredible tonight. Black suit with a bowtie to match, black leather shoes, the prettiest blue flower pinned to his suit pocket, and his hair styled to perfection. Once again, gorgeous.
"Yeah? Did you like it?" Tilting your head to the side, you feign innocence.
"Like it? I loved it." Austin steps closer to you, allowing you to get wrapped up in that magnetic aura again. "It actually reminded me of somethin' that happened to me just last week."
"Oh really? That's so interesting, I can't believe we shared a similar experience within the same timeframe." You widen your eyes in 'disbelief' and then bite down on your bottom lip to try and prevent the smile that wants to peak through.
Austin lets out a laugh and shifts a little before looking down at you and into your eyes. "Well, I'd love to share another one with you sometime. Maybe you'll actually be able to say somethin' to my face."
Your flush a little at the actor's comment. Oh, he's good.
It's takes everything in you to not break the eye contact, to not lose the confidence you gained from performing. Shaking your head you say, "Hey, mister, who said the song was about you in the first place? I could've been singing about the bar tender for all you know."
"Somethin' tells me that's not the case, but whatever you say, darlin." Austin leans in a little closer to you and you fight the urge to take his lips between yours. You definitely needed to meet up with Calvin and end things asap. "I'll see you back in LA then?"
Humming, you take a step back from Austin and make your way around him. He turns to face you and as you start to make your way towards the bar again you say, "We'll see about that...,gorgeous."
The last thing you see as you look over your shoulder is Austin smirking and running his fingers over his lips, his ocean eyes raking up and down your body as you walk away.
words: 1,662
ship: austin butler x reader
summary: (request by @stylesmendeshearted) You’re an extra on the Elvis set during the Trouble performance 🥵 being the girl whose face he grabs
notes: once again, masterlist posted here! it’s officially linked on my sidebar :)
warnings: steamy thots but SFW
tag list: @killerqueenfan, @karamelcoveredolicity, @elizabethrosecresswell (if you would like to be added to a general taglist for my austin x reader fics, please let me know!)
A mix of organized chaos.
That’s what Baz reminds you of as you watch him circle back and forth on the stage that Austin is standing on as everyone prepares themselves to shoot the Trouble performance scene. As an extra, you don’t have many responsibilities except facial expressions…which honestly shouldn’t be too difficult given Austin’s sheer talent as Elvis. The way he moves his body and delivers his lines is just…art, there’s no other word for it. He completely gives himself over to performing and it’s hard not to get caught right up in it.
Anything going on with your face is completely genuine.
words: 6,653
ship: austin x female reader
summary: you’re the coffee runner on the set of Elvis. Coffee deliveries run pretty easy, until Austin accidently spills coffee on you.
notes: well this is it! the last part of CCG :) previous parts under this tag!
warnings: sexual instances, but pretty SFW
tag list: under the cut! sorry if links aren’t working, refer to the link above if needed.
A lot can happen in a short amount of time. Lately, you feel as if you understand this better than anyone.
Elvis has been out in theaters for about two weeks and it’s been an endless, revolving door of good chaos since then. Austin’s booked for interviews, events, talk shows, and auditions. Some things you go with him to, either by specific invite or by him including you as his date. It’s been one hell of an experience but you’ve still managed to keep a low profile, or as low as possible, Austin doing his best to also shield you from becoming saturated in his world.
words: 3,293
ship: austin x female reader
summary: you’re the coffee runner on the set of Elvis. Coffee deliveries run pretty easy, until Austin accidently spills coffee on you.
notes: you can find previous parts under this tag :)
warnings: none
tag list: under the cut! sorry if links aren’t working, refer to the link above if needed.
All good things eventually come to an end, so it’s a sad day when the Elvis film is officially wrapped. Your dad has used that expression of ‘one door closing and a window opening’ and you’ve always kind of enjoyed living your life like that. Opportunities sometimes come from the strangest or unexpected of places.
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