$LAYYYTER
AnasAbdin
No title available
blake kathryn
@theartofmadeline
Claire Keane
we're not kids anymore.
d e v o n
Mike Driver
Keni
No title available
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
Kaledo Art
todays bird
No title available
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
祝日 / Permanent Vacation
pixel skylines
Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸
seen from Belgium
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Kenya
seen from Türkiye
seen from Germany
seen from Philippines
seen from Poland
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
@security-chief-odo
Masterlist
*NSFW
^ In progress
Requests open
Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso x Reader
As you wish*
Roy Kent x Reader
To Love and be Loved in Return ^
Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4
Supernatural
Dean Winchester x Castiel
What was and what should be
Leverage
Eliot x Reader
The Gala Job*
Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3*
The Fake Dating Job^*
Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5*
if I say “I’m gonna update my fic and post the new chapter soon,” please know that “soon” could either mean today or 2035
I’m finally writing again. I have moved across the state, had a couple of pretty scary medical episodes (I’m fine, I have an appointment scheduled to deal with it), I have a dog and he’s very sweet, and i think that covers all of the big things.
Here are some dog photos for all of your kind words and patience over the last several months.
The Fake Dating Job - Chapter 5
Eliot Spencer x Reader
Previous chapter
Word count: ~2900
Summary: Feelings come out and things get steamy
Warning: smut, if you don’t like it, stop reading once they leave the bathroom and just treat that as a fade to black
• • •
As soon as you make it through the door of your hotel room, you close the door and lean against it, breathing a deep sigh of relief. The tension and embarrassment are no longer as overwhelming now that you’re back alone with Eliot.
The wedding was beautiful but after that ordeal, you’re happy to have a moment to relax, the unearthed feelings have cast a hopefully temporary somber feeling over your evening. You kick off your heels and are about to head to the bathroom to get changed and ready for bed when Eliot reaches out and lightly grabs your wrist, turning you to face him.
In a voice softer than you knew he could speak, he asks, “Hey, do you wanna talk about it?”
“Which part?” you say, deflecting a little, hoping maybe he wouldn’t push it.
“Whichever part has you overthinking everything again.”
You roll your eyes, but know better than to deny it because he will pry further if that’s what it takes. He can be real fucking persistent when something matters to him, and this clearly does, so you cave.
You feel a couple tears escaping as you recap the dreadful conversation with Eliot, and as soon as you’ve said your piece, he pulls you in for a tight hug. Slowly the beat of his heart is the only sound you can hear, then it becomes the only thing you can think. You finally begin to calm yourself fully when he whispers “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, you didn’t say any of that to me.”
“No, I didn’t, but I was here to protect you from his bullshit and I didn’t, and that is on me.”
“It’s fine Eliot.” you pull out of his hug, upset that he feels guilty about any of this.
“It isn’t, not when he hurt you like that.”
“He didn’t say anything I haven’t heard before, nothing I didn’t already know.”
“Now what the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Look, he was wrong to say it like that, but he wasn’t wrong about some of the stuff he said. Love isn’t exactly in my future.” You shrug and a troubled look overtakes Eliot’s face as you continue, “Nobody has ever really been into me since him, not for anything serious at least. I know some of it is just the nature of our work, but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong. Even if I could let someone in more, I doubt anyone would want me.”
Eliot shakes his head and reaches for your hand to hold in his as he talks. The warmth of his touch has you almost ready to break into tears again, there’s a vulnerability to this moment that is overwhelming. “Darlin’ anyone would be lucky to have you.”
Even at a moment like this he is always a perfect fucking gentleman. You wished you believed him but you haven’t really been with anyone since James, and he was the best you could do before your baggage got heavier with the weight of what you’ve done with the Leverage team. You’ve helped so many people but it’s hard not to become jaded by seeing so many innocent people get hurt in the first place. It seems so unlikely that you can do better now.
You can’t bring yourself to look him in the eyes, so you’re eyes are glued to the floor as you mumble, “Not really, but you’re sweet for saying it”
Eliot steps towards you and grabs your chin, forcing you to look into his eyes, “I’m not just sayin’ it sweetheart. I know it’s true. You are a brilliant, funny, impossibly kind, absolutely drop-dead gorgeous woman. I may never get to actually have you, but you deserve better than that piece of shit.”
As soon as those words leave Eliot’s mouth he sees the gears turning in your head and realizes what he just admitted. Once the words fully process in your mind you ask, “What do you mean by that?”
Hell, the cat’s already out of the bag, what’s the point in trying to lie now? You may never feel the same but maybe this will at least convince you that you aren’t just loveable, but you are loved. He lets out a deep sigh and lets the words practically spill out, “I mean that I love you, and not just as a friend or a part of the team. I’m in love with you. I know you don’t feel the same, and that’s okay. Even if nothing ever happens between us again, this weekend cemented the way I feel. If you need me to give you space after this, I can ask Nate to avoid partnering us up for a while or –”
“You don’t have to do that,” you assure him, your thoughts running at about a mile a minute.
“It’s ok, I just want to make sure you’re comfortable and I know things could be weird between us for a while. I just want to keep our friendship, which is why I didn’t say anything until now, and I didn’t really mean to say anything tonight but –”
“Eliot.” You say firmly to get his attention, “Shut the fuck up.”
He cocks his head, confused by this response before you step forward, wrapping an arm around his neck and the other hand resting lightly on his chest. Closing the last remaining distance between you, you capture his lips in yours for a brief kiss.
He still looks confused, though far less upset when you pull away, “I love you too idiot.”
He stands before you in stunned silence, the dots slowly connecting in his brain. Now it’s Eliot’s turn to initiate, and he does so eagerly, placing a hand on your waist and pulling your body flush against his own. His other hand tangles itself in your hair, pulling you into a deep, insistent kiss. This one is far less tender than the last as you both are desperate to feel, taste and touch every millimeter you’ve been missing out on.
You pull away and rest your forehead against his and just breathe. After spending all weekend stressed about him finding out, this moment almost doesn’t feel real. You can’t resist savoring this moment that you’ve dreamed of all this time.
Eliot is the first to break contact, “We’ll hopefully have plenty of time for more of that soon, but let’s get ready for bed.”
You groan but begrudgingly follow him to the bathroom. You each work through your nightly routines at the double vanity in the bathroom. Eliot begins with taking off his suit jacket and tie. He rolls up the sleeves of his shirt and undoes the top couple of buttons. You would be lying if you said you weren’t watching him about as much as you were actually getting ready for bed.
Your makeup is off and you’ve brushed your teeth and are now slowly pulling each bobby pin from your hair. Glancing up, you notice Eliot is done with his own routine and is now attentively watching your hands deftly undo the intricate updo.
“Just gonna stand there and watch?” you tease.
He rolls his eyes and comes up behind you to help. “Well I was enjoying the show sweetheart.” He winks at you in the mirror. He frees the last bobby pin from your hair and lays it among the others on the countertop, but he doesn’t move away. In the mirror, you see the way his eyes have softened as he runs his fingers through your hair to check for any bobby pins he may have missed. Or at least that’s the excuse he gives himself for this decision.
His fingers lightly graze the back of your neck as he unclasps your necklace, gingerly placing it on the counter as well. His hands return to the top of your shoulders and glide down to the zipper of your dress. His eyes meet yours in the mirror and he looks up cautiously, “May I?”
You find yourself stuck somewhere between anxious and excited as you eagerly nod your head.
With your permission, he slowly slides the zipper down your back and slides the straps of your dress off of your shoulders. Eliot’s eyes remain locked on yours in the mirror as he softly kisses up your shoulder and up towards your neck. He relishes every slight reaction he observes. This man will be the death of you.
Growing impatient, you slide the dress the rest of the way off, leaving it pooled around your ankles as you are left in just your bra and panties. His eyes trace your body and you can finally see just what kind of effect you have on him as his breath hitches and his eyes darken.
You relax into his warm touch, not breaking eye contact for as long as you can tolerate but your patience wears thin. You turn to face him and pull him to you, you press your lips to his and he quickly reciprocates. At this moment it feels like every interaction you’ve had with Eliot, every thought you’ve had of how this exact scenario might play out were just puzzle pieces that fell perfectly into place to make this perfect image of the two of you, finally together. Nothing has ever felt this right.
He lifts you up to sit on the counter and you feel perfectly at home in his hands. He tangles his hand softly through your hair, gently tilting your head to deepen the kiss. The understated confidence of this small act was practically intoxicating.
Eliot softly bites at your bottom lip, making you moan softly against his mouth. You feel his other hand tighten its grip on your waist at the sound. You pull away from his lips and say his name.You clearly have his undivided attention as he looks at you wantonly. You continue, “I need you.”
He raises his eyebrows teasingly and winks. “Yes ma’am.” And with that he lifts you, wrapping your legs around his hips and he carries you to the bed. Plopping you down onto the bed, he admires you as he stands at the foot of the bed. “God, you’re beautiful, sweetheart.”
Your cheeks flush at the compliment because there’s something about the way he says it that makes you believe it, without even a moment of doubt. You sit up and begin to undo the buttons of his shirt, “I think it’s only fair that I get to see some of you.”
“Oh that’s what this is about? Fairness?” he jokes.
You nod your head enthusiastically, “Absolutely, why? Are you saying I have ulterior motives?”
This earns you a deep belly laugh as he shrugs his shirt off his shoulders. “You know what, baby? I think you just might.”
Eliot lightly pushes your shoulder to get you to lay down and he climbs over you, caging you in. He slowly kisses down your neck as one of his hands snakes its way up your side and rests against your breast, lightly cupping it. You let out a breathy moan and arch lightly into his touch. You’ve wanted this for so long.
He moves his arm behind you to the clasp of your bra. “May I?”
“Yes,” you nod and bite your lip nervously as he expertly unclasps your bra. He watches you attentively as you slide the bra down your arms, discarding it somewhere you can’t be bothered to make note of at the moment. He slides his thigh up between your legs and pulls you to sit in his lap, straddling his thigh.
His hands tightly grip your hips and you rock against his clothed thigh as he kisses you. You can feel his muscles tense beneath you as you grind against him. Eliot trails kisses down your jaw and neck, slowly making his way downward until you feel his lips graze your nipple. Something between a whine and a moan escapes your lips. He roughly runs his tongue over your nipple, then gently nips at it, relishing in your reaction as you buck your hips at the sudden sensation.
He toys with your other nipple, rolling it between his fingers. The sensation shoots straight to your core as you grind your clit against his thigh..He lifts you off of him, depositing you on the bed.He leans over you and captures your lips in his before peppering kisses down your neck, then chest, then belly. He sinks to the floor and pulls you by your thighs to the edge of the bed.
You tangle your hands in his hair as he teasingly kisses your inner thigh, his hot breath against your skin sending a shudder up your spine. He stares up at you, taking in your reaction as he bites lightly at your inner thigh. You arch your back, driving your pussy closer to his face. “Eliot!” you whine.
“Yes, dear?” he says with an amused grin.
“Stop being such a fucking tease and touch me already.” He doesn’t need to be told twice, at least not for the latter half of that statement. He is nowhere near done teasing you. Notwhen it makes you this needy. He pulls your underwear down your legs. He chuckles when your head goes back as he begins to lap at your folds.
He braces your thighs with his strong arms to hold you still. He continues exploring you with his tongue, sometimes delicately rolling his tongue over you and others, desperately lapping at your needy sex. He takes in each breath as he finally gets to learn what actually makes you tick instead of just dreaming about it.
He releases his grip on one thigh and gingerly glides his hand up your inner thigh, smirking as he feels you squirm against him. You whine unintelligibly when his fingers graze your clit.
He pulls away, “What is it sweetheart?”
Hearing the pet name makes you melt. “Please.”
“Please what?” You look at him pleadingly but he doesn’t budge, quite clearly enjoying toying with you as he continues to just barely brush against your clit. “If you want somethin’ sweetheart, you’re gonna have to ask.”
“Please make me cum.” Without a word he buries his face between your legs once again, practically feasting on your juices. His thumb works diligently against your clit and you can feel the pressure building.
Your legs shake as he works you closer and closer to that edge. “Don’t stop Eliot.” And he wouldn’t dream of it. His eyes are fixed on your face as his tongue teases your entrance. Your hands tangle tightly into his hair as you come undone against his lips.He works you through your orgasm as he soaks in every little sound you make, committing them to memory.
You scoot back up the bed and he follows, wrapping his arms around you. You kiss him gently before asking, “Your turn?”
“You don’t have to.” He says, voice laced with concern.
“I know, I want to.”
And for some reason, that turns him on almost as much as everything else that’s happened so far. You flip the two of you over, and he gladly lets you. He unbuckles his belt and slides his pants and underwear off. You roll the bead of precum leaking out over the head with your thumb before lowering your body and taking him into your mouth.
You bob your head up and down his cock, sometimes licking a stripe along the vein on the underside. Before long his breath hitches in his throat and he groans your name, bringing you to a halt. “I’m not gonna last much longer if you keep that up.”
You take the hint and eagerly grind against his cock before letting him slide into you, slowly as you stretch around him. You both are audibly getting more worked up as you rock against each other.
“I’m close,” he sighs, straining to hold back his orgasm. He rubs your clit and before long you are both barely keeping it together. “Cum with me sweetheart?”
You nod, as your second orgasm of the night washes over you. You feel him twitch inside you as you both ride out the high. You collapse next to Eliot and just breathe together for several moments. “That was amazing, Eliot.”
“It was perfect.” he nods, before lethargically getting up and getting a warm wash cloth to clean you both up. “You’re so beautiful.” he mumbles clearly tired but still eager to admire you.
When he comes to bed he pulls you to him and you feel your eyes go droopy with the steady sound of his heart lulling you towards sleep. “We waited far too long to do that.”
His soft laugh rumbles beneath you, “Then we have a lot of making up to do.” He kisses the top of your head and adds, “but not tonight. We still have brunch with your family in the morning.”
You groan playfully as you cuddle up against Eliot and fall fast asleep in the warmth of his embrace.
• • •
Note: Sorry for the 3 months it took to get this out. I got engaged, gave been wedding planning, got a dog, and accidentally picked up an extra job lmao
Thanks for reading! Lmk if you want to join the taglist
Taglist: @mini-kunoichi @javicstories @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky @being-worthy @xkell-bellx @imaginecrushes @sleeplessskeleton @fablesrose @unholyhuntress @wonderlandfandomkingdom @fictional-hooman
Why are titles so hard 😭
To Love and be Loved in Return - Chapter 5: The Morning After
Roy Kent x Reader
Chapter 1 2 3 4
Word count: ~1.7k
Description: Will drunken confessions lead to sober actions? Of course they will, this is a romance story for fuck's sake.
• • •
Roy tosses and turns on your couch throughout the night. He tries telling himself that it’s just because the couch isn’t comfortable, but he knows it’s more than that. He is wrestling overwhelming excitement over the night’s revelations and crippling doubt that maybe you’d regret it all in the morning.
As he stirs for about the 5th time tonight, it isn’t his own thoughts that wreck his sleep, but a clambering sound from the kitchen.His eyes wrench awake to see you searching through your medicine cabinet.
“It’s on your night stand.” He says, his voice made even more gruff by tiredness.
You jolt at the sound from across the room. You let yourself relax a little once you realize who those words were from and turn to face him with your brows knit in confusion.
“The aspirin. It’s by your bed along with a glass of water.”
“Oh. Thanks.” In your groggy confusion you add, “Why are you in my flat?”
“Good morning to you too.” You flip him off in response, your headache eroding your patience to nothingness. He chuckles to himself as he follows you towards the bedroom, stopping in the doorway, leaning against the frame. “Gonna go out on a limb and say you have no memory of last night?”
You groan at that and flop down on your bed. You have no idea what happened after you called him to pick you up, but that knowing tone lacing his words didn’t bode well for you.
Roy comes closer and grabs the glass of water and ibuprofen and holds them out to you. “Sit up and take these sweetheart. That headache isn’t gonna get any better on its own.”
You slowly sit up, stretching as you do. You take the pills from him, eagerly awaiting the moment the throbbing at your temples fades away. With a large gulp, they’re gone and you’re left with nothing to do but try to piece together the end of the night before.
“So what exactly happened last night?”
“Oh not much,” Roy puts far too much effort into seeming nonchalant as he adds, “just you confessing your undying love for me.”
You don’t process the way that Roy is smiling or that he called you a pet name just moments ago, you are too consumed with self-doubt when you practically beg, “Please tell me you’re joking.”
He tries to seem unconcerned when he replies, fearing you may not have meant your words, despite everything, including Keeley pointing to them being true. “Did you mean it?”
“No. Yes. Fucking hell.” You slam your face into a pillow both out of frustration with yourself and to avoid having to see his face as he inevitably rejects you. With a long sigh you continue, “Yes I meant it. No I didn’t mean to say it.”
The tension that had taken hold of Roy is finally released along with the breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding in. He knows your feelings, so now he can finally let loose and tease you a bit. “So did you also not mean to say yes to being my girlfriend?”
You slowly lift your face from your pillow and Roy falls in love with you again as he can practically read the thoughts on your face as you process his words. “You fucking asshole!” you toss the pillow at him and he only annoys you more by catching it. “You couldn’t have started with that?”
He lets out a hearty laugh at your outburst. “Well I wasn’t sure you meant it and I didn’t want to assume.”
“Of course, I want to be your girlfriend Roy.” you roll your eyes, “Wait, is that why you slept over? Did we do something last night?”
He softly shakes his head, “That’s why I slept on the couch love. I didn’t want to do anything you wouldn’t remember or worse, might regret in the morning”
“That’s very sweet, though I could never regret you.”
Roy can’t fight the smile that crosses his lips at that. “Let me make you breakfast.”
**********
After breakfast you take over cleaning up since he did all of the cooking. You’re about halfway done when Roy comes up behind you and wraps his arms around your waist. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” he mumbles against your neck.
“And watching me do dishes is what made you realize this?” you say in disbelief.
“No, you walking into my office the day we met is what made me realize that. I just haven’t been allowed to say it until now.” He kisses at your neck and you squirm in his arms.
“Roy, I need to finish the dishes and you are not making that easy right now.”
“Oh am I distracting you?” He teases.
“Yes, you are. I’d like to not have dishes to do later if you don’t mind.”
“I do mind.” He reaches around and takes the dish and sponge from your hand, discarding them into the sink. “I’ll take care of them later if you’ll let me take care of you now.”
You turn in his arms, “You better put them away in their spots too.”
With that he nods and finally locks lips with you. Your thoughts melt away as need courses through both of your veins. The kiss is almost painfully slow at first. His lips barely touch yours in a soft, tender kiss. “I’ve waited so long for that.” He sighs as he presses his forehead to yours.
“Then, why’d you stop?” With that, he crashes his lips against yours. The intensity of this kiss consumes you as he slides one hand off of your hip along your side before having it rest at your neck, holding you close to him.
You gasp and he deepens the kiss. As if moving of their own accord, your hands settle on his chest, feeling his strong muscles tense as he pulls you flush against him. His hand against your neck moves slightly upwards, entangling itself in your hair. He pulls at it ever so slightly, guiding you to tilt your head, granting him unfettered access to your neck.
Roy leaves a trail of kisses down your jaw as he finds his way to your neck, leaving warm, hot kisses in his path. He zeroes in on your pulse point and you let out a moan. His hand at your hip slides down to the top of your thigh, toying with the hem of your pajama shorts. You can’t help the shiver that takes over your body at this teasing touch.
He lets out a pleased hum at your reaction and lets the hand that was in your hair drop to the hem of your shirt. He slides your shirt up just enough to let his warm hand settle against your now bare waist. You grind up against him eagerly as you feel his arousal against you and he practically growls.
Both of his hands drop to just below your ass to lift you up onto the counter. You slide your shirt up and off and he pulls back to openly oggle you. “You’re so fucking sexy babe.” he groans. His mouth latches onto one nipple, and your back arches as you get the attention you have been craving from him for so long.
His hands tease at your inner thighs and your hips buck desperate for him to touch you. One of his hands settles at the apex of your thigh and right as he lightly grazes your clit with his thumb you hear your phone loudly ringing in the other room.
“Fuck.” you both groan simultaneously. He pulls away and you rush to answer your phone. He follows, hoping maybe this will be quick and you could pick up right where you left off.
“Hey Keeley, what’s up?”
“I’ll be there in like 5 minutes.” she replies.
“What?” you ask.
“We’re going dress shopping, remember?”
“Fuck, I totally forgot. I’ll need a bit longer than that to get ready. I’ll text you when I’m ready and then you can head over.”
“I’m already in the car, I don’t mind waiting in the living room while you get ready.”
You can’t think of a good reason to say no, so the panic sets in as you say, “Of course, see you in a few.”
Roy cocks his head at you. “Keeley’s coming over?”
“Dress shopping”
“Shit.” He groans.
“We can’t tell her this happened yet,” you say gesturing between the two of you, “she’ll be way too smug about it.”
He nods curtly as he frantically gathers his keys and coat to go hide in your room. You’re brushing your teeth when you unlock the door for Keeley. You gesture silently to the couch as you rush back into the bathroom to finish getting ready.
Once you finish getting ready, you quietly kiss Roy before leaving with Keeley.
**********
After hours of shopping and chatting, you settled on the perfect dress for the gala and she pulls up to your flat to drop you off. You grab the dress bag from her trunk and come back to tell her goodbye.
As you start to walk away she calls after you, “Tell Roy I said hi!” and that makes you stop dead in your tracks. You turn back to her and try to play dumb but before you can get out an excuse she cuts you off. “You smell like his cologne and his car is literally right there babes.”
Tempted to try to deny it anyways, you think better of it and reply, “You knew the whole time didn’t you?”
“Since before I stepped foot into your flat.” she nods. “Love ya! Have fun with Roy.” She waves with a wink before pulling away. As you bound up the steps to your flat, a flush crosses your face in both embarrassment at being found out so quickly and in excitement that Roy didn’t leave.
• • •
Sorry for my absence y’all! Life’s been crazy, my pipes burst twice, I’m getting a promotion at work and I got engaged.
Taglist: @infinetlyforgotten @taytaylala12 @siriuslyreads @ashy-kit @isla-finke-blog @laukora1030 @tamberjo @queen-of-the-downtown-scene @harry-bowie-mercury
What do you want?
Ford! Reader
A/n: I am alive!! I know I haven't posted a story in almost a year, but I managed this one! I have some ideas to pull out of my head but it might take a while. Thank you to everyone who has been enjoying and supporting my stories. You have no idea how much it mean to me.
cw: Beaten up Eliot, a client in a bad relationship
The end of the day finally came. A day of dealing with screwed up supply orders, a chef being cut so badly they had to go to the hospital, and a dead car battery needing to be jumped by a coworker, it was finally time to go home.
So when the last door was locked, and the car was leaving the lot, I could finally relax and not have to wait for another shoe to drop.
I lock my car in the driveway, and dragged my self to my apartment door, locking it behind me, then kick my shoes of by the door.
I drop my purse the side table and take off my coat to hang on it's hook, shaking of the rain that started on the ride home, before head to my bedroom to get a change of clothes before I take a long, hot shower to wash the day away.
Once I'm done and dressed in comfy clothes, I head to the kitchen. I fill my water kettle, then place it on a burner to heat.
I turn to look through the fridge, then the cupboards, then the fridge again for something to snack on, but nothing seems to spark my interest, even though I can't remember when I last ate, so I decide on something simple.
I pull out some of the grapes I had in there and some cheese slices. I grab a box of crackers then begin making a small stack of cracker, cheese, and a grape. I pop the stack in my mouth as the kettle begins to whistle.
I turn off the burner, then grab my favorite mug and tea, and pour the hot water, enjoying the smell waft through the room.
I continue eating in peaceful silence while my tea steeps.
A knock on the door breaks the quiet.
I turn to check the time on the clock. 12:09. Who in the world could be at the door at this time of night. They should be in bed asleep, hell, I should be in bed.
I walk over to the door, stepping around my shoes. I look through the peephole to see Eliot soaking wet in a dark jacket and knit hat, and face swollen and bruised.
I step back from the door unlocking it it quickly before I opened it.
"Eliot? What the hell happened? You look like you got his by a buss."
He blinks. Then shakes his head.
"More like a army." He chuckles, then gestures to his head. "Probable concussion. I shouldn't be alone right now, and thought maybe I could spend a few hours with you?"
"Eliot, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in a hospital resting?"
" I don't do hospitals."
I sigh, grab his hand to pull him inside, close the door behind us, and drag him to the living room.
"Do you need anything? Ice? Food?"
He shakes his head gently as he sits on the couch, leaning his head back to rest on the back of the couch. I sit of the coffee table in front of him, a hand resting in his knee.
"Eliot, when was the last time you ate?"
He's quite for a moment, then shrugs.
" Right," I sigh as I stand, holding a hind out for him to take, " I'm gonna make you something to eat, and I do expect you to eat it, then you are going to get some rest. Here on the couch, or the spare room, your choice."
He places his hand in mine and I pull him to his feet, then lead him to the kitchen, making him sit at the small table in the corner.
"Sit here. I want to keep an eye on you."
I don't give him time to protest before moving about the kitchen, and begin pulling out ingredients for a grilled cheese from the fridge and cupboard, setting them on the counter. Getting my favorite pan from is hanging spot, and placing it on the stove.
I slice some cheese and butter two slices of rye bread, then place the cheese down on one slice, and the second piece on top. I place the sandwich on the pan and ignite the stove, turning it to low.
I let it cook while I mix up a mug of tea for Eliot. Getting it just right before placing it in front of him.
I smile at him, then turn back to the stove and flip the grill cheese over, the pan sizzling as the butter hits the pan.
I turn back to face Eliot sitting at the table. His hands wrapped around the mug, eyes closed. I take in his appearance, one eye is swollen shut, and a bruise blooms on his cheek.
I turn back to the stove and shut off the stove and place the sandwich on a plate.
"Eliot, what happened?" I ask, as I walk to table and set the plate in front of him.
He looks at me, then let's out a sigh and begins telling me in between bites about the latest job, helping a young mom leave her abusive husband, who had ties to some powerful people. And they had kidnapped the woman's little boy, and he and Parker went to get him.
"Was getting beaten to a pulp part of the plan?" I ask him as I take his hand in mine.
"I can take the punishment." He squeezes my hand slightly. "It was my job to retrieve her kid. It's what I do."
We sit in silence, hand in hand, until he grumbles.
"I like your way of distracting guards much better." He rasps.
"Me too," I smile. "Not as painful."
" I don't think Nate would agree." He chuckles.
" My dad knows I am a grown woman, and can do want I want. Besides, I saved that job."
"Yes, you did."
A long moment passes before I speak.
" You haven't come around since that job." I rub his knuckles, focused on a small scar near his ring finger.
" I've been 'round. We've seen each other -"
" Yes, but-" I interrupt, then hesitate.
"But what?"
I take a deep breath.
"But you haven't been here." I gesture to my apartment as I stress the last word. "You haven't come over to cook together, or watch a movie, or listen to me rant about co-owning a restaurant. You have barely looked me in the eye since then.
"And I know you guys have jobs, and that the world doesn't revolve around me, but we kissed, El. Once here, in my kitchen, and again on that job. And I would do it again if you wanted to."
I take another breath after my small rant at him. He still just sits, in his chair, Stoick as ever.
I let my body deflate at his silence. I release his hand, then stand up and head to the stove and to the pan I left there, now cool enough to handle.
I turn on the water and soap the sponge. I wash the pan, then set it in the drying rack. I wash the other items I used, that add them to the dryer.
"I don't want to mess things up. I don't want to mess with the team, or you." He explains. "I haven't had anything serious in a long time."
"You're serious about me?"
"As a heart attack," his voice has a laugh behind it, but then his tone changes. "But I don't think Nate would approve."
I turn to look at him. He's looking at the table, picking at his fingertips.
"What does my dad and his approval have to do with you and I?"
"He knows me," He sighs out. "He knows some of my past and-"
He stops, looking away from me.
"Eliot I don't care about your past. With women or the jobs you've taken. I am much more interested in a future. If that's what you want."
We sit there in near defining silence.
"Eliot what do you want?"
He finally looks at me, his face full of emotions.
"You." He grumbles. " For as long as you'll have me."
"You have me." I whisper.
He takes a deep breath, nods to him self, then places his hand on the table and stands up.
He rounds the table towards me, his steps full of purpose.
He walks up to me, his body is close enough to mine that I can feel the heat radiating from him.
"Will you, Miss Ford, go on a date with me?" He whispers.
"Yes," I whisper back.
"Can I kiss you?"
I nod.
He cups my face in his hands, leans in and presses a sweet kiss to my lips.
******************
Eliot Spencer Tag list
@spencereliotwinchester @fictional-hooman @skyeofbees @kimberkingrivers
The Fake Dating Job - Chapter 4
Elliot Spencer x Reader
Previous chapters: 1 2 3
Note: Thanks for your patience. My life has been crazy as of late. In exchange for bearing with me, I offer you, probably my favorite chapter so far of any of my fics.
Word count: ~3.7k
Description: You and Eliot pine for each other throughout the reception. Will your ex get in the way of your happiness?
• • •
After the ceremony, you and the rest of the bridal party are asked to hang back for photos. As the rest of the guests file into the reception hall for the cocktail hour, Eliot makes a brief detour to give you a peck on the cheek. “See you inside sweetheart.” he says softly before rejoining the rest of the guests.
Your mind occasionally wandered to Eliot throughout the photo process, whereas his mind never left you from the moment that he left the bridal suite this morning. You looked gorgeous in the dress your sister had picked out for you. Maybe he could blame the dress for why he spent more time focused on you than on the actual wedding.
Though that is the beauty of this whole plan, there would be nobody to explain it to as he was supposed to want to stare at you. There would be no moment where Hardison calls him out for staring at you for a little too long. There would be no explaining, rather lying, to Parker about how protective he gets over you on a mission. There would be no knowing look across the room from Nate or well meaning advice from Sophie. There would be nothing but his own thoughts and delusions that you would ever want him to be more than just your fake boyfriend.
When the bridal party finally makes their entrance into the reception hall, his eyes are searching for you. Despite how happy you are for your sister, a feeling of relief nearly consumes you once you find yourself by Eliot’s side once again. Though, as you make your way to the table, your relief falters slightly at the realization of who you’ll be seated near. Your ex is seated at the same table as you, only two seats away.
Eliot’s warm embrace calms you though. This is what he was here for ultimately, to be a barrier between you and your ex. To make the night go better for you. And in a small way, he was already doing just that.
After the couple shares their first dance, dinner is served. You desperately try to avoid giving your ex any attention, and Eliot makes that easy. He eats slowly, taking time between bites to shower you with little bits of affection. His hand rests on your thigh through much of the meal and you hope that the flush that crosses your cheeks isn’t too obvious in the dim lighting. You could get used to these casual touches, if only they weren’t for show.
“How’d you like the food?” you ask, hoping that a bit of small talk can keep your wishful thoughts at bay.
“It was alright.”
That response alone was very telling so you quietly finish the sentence he was too polite to complete. “But you could’ve done better?” You raise your eyebrow at him as he half nods.
“I’m just sayin’ I know what these wedding caterers charge and they should take a bit more pride in their work.”
You can’t help, but chuckle at this as the DJ announces the father daughter dance. You turn your chair towards the dance floor to watch your father and sister share this moment and Elliot does the same beside you. He wraps his arm around you and pulls you closer to him. You can’t help but lean into the touch. You probably don’t need to do as much as you are to sell the act, but damn it, if this is your only opportunity to be this close with Eliot, maybe relishing in it a little isn’t a bad thing.
After the dance, cake is served and this time Eliot has no complaints. The cake is as close to perfect as any cake could be. As you finish, you remind yourself to ask your sister where she got the cake from so you could maybe stop by the bakery on your own before you leave town.
As the dance floor opens up, you take this opportunity to go talk to your parents. You haven’t had enough time with them this weekend and you really have missed them. Ever the gentleman, Eliot insists on tagging along to properly meet them. He is far too good at this fake boyfriend thing.
You greet your parents with a warm hug. “I’ve missed you guys!” you say trying to be heard over the music. “It’s been too long.”
“And whose fault is that?” your dad asks.
Your mom nudges him and gives a disapproving glare at his bluntness. “You should visit more. Maybe then it wouldn’t have taken so long for you to introduce us to this handsome fella.”
“I’ve been telling her the same thing.” Eliot steps in with the charm offensive in full force. “I’m Eliot.” He shakes each of your parent’s hands. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“All bad things I suppose?” your mom asks teasingly.
“Hardly. She’s told me so many fun stories about your family. Though maybe a few of those stories could be classified as embarrassing.”
It’s nice to see your parents get along with Eliot, though it shouldn’t matter to you. You will have a fake breakup in a few weeks and this will be nothing but a memory for both of you. A damn good one too.
You’re broken out of that train of thought when you hear your mom reply, “Oh, is that so?”
“She’s got plenty of embarrassing stories of her own.” your dad adds in. Eliot lets out a hearty laugh at the prospect.
“Oh? Any worth telling?” You bury your face in your hands in fear of the mortifying words that may come next from either of your parents.
“How about you buy me a drink and I’ll tell you anything you wanna know about our dear Y/N?” Your mom suggests.
“Gladly” Eliot guides your mom to the bar and out of your earshot as you sit with your father.
You sit in silence at first, just enjoying the shared time. Minutes pass before your father speaks again, without even looking directly at you, “He’s good for you, you know.”
You figure the best way to avoid being caught in a lie is to just stay as close to the truth as possible, so you tell your dad your real thoughts on Eliot. “I know, he’s a really nice guy. He’s funny and caring. I really love him.”
“That’s not what I mean.” He turns to fully face you. “I just haven’t seen you this happy in some time.”
“Oh.” you say, stunned. This statement catches you off guard but luckily your father continues, so you don’t have to fill the silence.
“You seemed so sad before, especially with James. You used to force those tight lipped smiles that you thought we didn’t notice. This new guy has brought back your infectious smile. The one you don’t even seem to notice, you just do it.” He pauses slightly, “I missed that smile.”
This conversation comes to an end as your mom and Eliot return laughing loudly. Once he approaches the table, he stops in front of you. “Care for a dance?” He offers you his hand.
You gladly accept and follow him out onto this dance floor.You dance through several upbeat songs, joking and laughing at each other’s goofy dance moves throughout. For a moment, you forget how painful going back to normal life may be because having this much fun with Eliot reminds you how important your friendship is. The heartbreak could never break this bond. The bitterness of pining could never overpower the sweetness of these moments you share.
He spins you around and holds you close to him, your back to his chest. As you sway together to the music Eliot whispers in your ear, “You know, your mom told me some interesting things about you.”
“Oh god. What did she say?” You brace yourself for whatever ungodly stories from your youth your mom may have dug up for this occasion.
“Nothing too bad. I actually thought it was cute.” You turn in his arms to face him and raise your eyebrow as if to ask him to elaborate. “First she told me about the time you cut your own hair.”
You let out a chuckle, mostly in relief at how benign of a story that was. “I can still remember the terrible bangs I had in my school pictures that year. It felt like it took forever for those to grow out.”
“So is that why you convinced your sister to do the same just two years later?” He looks at you accusatorily and you know that your mom had to have given him more ammunition if he’s already digging in on the teasing.
You raise your hands defensively, “I just handed her the scissors and told her I thought she’d look cute with bangs. What she did after that is not my business.”
You wrap your arms around Eliot as you continue to dance as you bicker. “Oh I’m sure it was all her own idea.” His smile only widens as he continues, “She also showed me this picture of you as a kid where you were laying face first into your plate of mashed potatoes. It was cute. You’re still pretty cute when you get all sleepy like that.”
This catches you off guard because it’s just one more moment that’s a step past friendly without any reason for it. Nobody could really overhear your conversation over the music. He said that just for your benefit, or maybe just to sell the act. Maybe in a different life Eliot could have been an actor, he certainly played the part of lovestruck boyfriend pretty convincingly.
Trying not to focus much more on his words, lest their implications consume you, you add, “Did she tell you how I used to fall asleep at my bedtime so religiously I would sleep sitting up at family gatherings or in the cart at the grocery store?” He shook his head in response. “Yeah I wish I was still that committed to my sleep schedule.”
“Well ain’t that the truth sweetheart.” There’s a softness about him that is so rare and nearly indescribable. It’s a nearly magnetic force and you find it impossible to look away from him. It feels like if you even glance away for a second, the levity will be gone and the weight of the world will once again return to rest on his shoulders.
Soon you have to shift your focus as the DJ announces the bouquet toss. The men clear off the dance floor as all of the unmarried women gather. Sure, it doesn’t really mean anything if you catch the bouquet, but you find yourself reaching for it nonetheless. Maybe it was fate or maybe just luck or maybe it was set up by your sister considering her earlier remarks, but regardless the bouquet is in your hand and you’re staring down at it in shock.
Your sister hugs you and you know it’s going to break her heart when you and Eliot “split up.” Though by now, you’re too deep into it and so you have to act excited about this turn of events. A small part of you is excited though, the part that has clung onto every romantic moment this weekend as if it’s more than a fantasy. Perhaps that part isn’t so small.
On the side of the dancefloor the excitement over your purely hypothetical future builds in Eliot too. Fuck it. He won’t have many more chances to do this. He makes his way across the floor to you and happily pulls you to him, first in a tight hug, then into a lingering kiss. One that he has to hope you can’t just feel the sincerity of his desire dripping from.
You could get used to being kissed like this. Though, as your family is currently about half of the room, you pull away from Eliot, you can’t convince yourself to go very far away. Your foreheads rest against each other and the tension is palpable. Damn. He really is committed to convincing your family. He would have you convinced if you hadn’t been the one to set up this whole ruse.
Around you the dance floor fills again as the DJ turns on a slow song. You and Eliot hold each other close as you dance. Eliot softly sings along in your ear. His soothing voice slowly erases every worry you’ve had about this night. You feel safe and at home in his arms, and even if it won’t last, you can’t help sinking further against him. Truly if your heart must be broken, there’s nobody you would trust more to break it kindly.
You and Eliot are lost to the world around you as you both relish in what little time you have left to hold each other. That momentary bliss comes to an abrupt halt as the song fades out and you notice a presence looming just behind you. Just then you hear James’ voice behind you as his hand touches your back, sending a chill down your spine at your own unease. Speaking to Eliot he asks, “May I have her for this next one?”
Something seems off to him, but you reassure Eliot that it’s fine with a polite nod. There’s a sinking feeling in his chest, of course this was never real so he should have been prepared for rejection, but it still stings seeing you in someone else’s arms. Maybe that’s why you invited him, not to avoid your asshole ex, but to make James jealous.
Eliot goes to the bar to drown in something other than his own self pity and insecurities, and is met with your mother inviting him to sit next to her. Despite his own feelings, he won’t ruin things with your family so he orders a drink and sits at the open stool she has offered him.
“You’re good for her, you know?”
“I try to be.”
“I mean it. She’s happier with you than she has been in a long time. She still thinks she doesn’t deserve you though.” your mom looks at him with a sad sort of smile.
“What?” he asks incredulously.
“She’s always been a worrier. You can see it in the way she holds you,” she pauses in thought before correcting herself, “in the way you hold each other. You’re both so scared the other will leave. You don’t think you deserve her either, do you?”
It’s a relief in a way to be able to be truly honest for once this weekend. “No ma’am. I can’t say I do. I’m happy to have her until she realizes that though, and that’s enough for now.” He waves to the bartender and orders a second drink.
“You’re both idiots, I swear.” Your mother lets out a long sigh. “Do you treat my daughter with kindness?”
Suddenly, under your mom’s gaze Eliot feels like he’s sitting in the principal’s office facing detention. He feels small. “Of course.”
“And you love her?”
“Yes.”
“So are you saying Y/N doesn’t deserve your kindness and love?”
“No ma’am.”
“Then pull your head out of your ass and stop acting like she’s going to leave you. That girl loves you, anyone could see that, so why are you sitting here with me at the bar, drowning your sorrows?”
He hangs his head in defeat, he couldn’t argue the point of your affections, not without ruining your plan, so he settles on the easier argument. “She already has a dance partner.” He gestures to the dance floor.
Your mom finally glances over to you and rolls her eyes. “God I’ve always hated that son of a bitch.”
Eliot can’t help the deep belly laugh that escapes him. Your mom cursing in anger is funny when it’s not directed at him. It’s then when you turn to where he can see your face, your features lined with sadness. His protective instincts finally kick in and he heads your way. He tries to hang back to get the full scope of the situation.
As Eliot was at the bar, your ex had been saying truly awful things. As Eliot reapproached, he continued. “He’s gonna leave you, you know?”
Eliot couldn’t make out any of what was being said, but he knew from the tension in your body that you weren’t happy. He’s kicking himself now for letting his own insecurities put you in the exact kind of situation he was here to help you avoid.
Not wanting to cause a scene, you plaster a fake smile on your face and through gritted teeth say “I fail to see how that’s any of your fucking business James.”
“I’m just looking out for you, babe.”
“Don’t call me that” you cut him off.
He continues, not acknowledging what you said. “I may have moved on, but I still care about you. You don’t deserve to be hurt when he finds a prettier girl and runs away with her.”
“Fuck off, James.” Eliot isn’t going to stay with you, but that doesn’t mean you need to tolerate James’ bullshit. You pull yourself out of his hold but he follows behind you.
Eliot quickly approaches as he sees this and is in earshot finally for the last insult James throws out. “You know, I don’t know why you bothered catching that bouquet. Nobody is ever going to love you, much less marry you.”
In an instant, James is grabbed from behind, turned, and pinned against the nearby wall. You barely hear the commotion behind you as you exit the reception hall and finally let a tear run down your face.
Inside all eyes are on Eliot and your family has gathered as he begins yelling at James, “What’s your fucking problem, man?”
All too cocky, James smirks, “Here to ask if you can have my current girlfriend when we break up? You clearly love my leftovers.”
That earns him a broken nose. Eliot’s fist makes sharp contact with his face and the blood from his nose quickly stains his white shirt. “You need to shut the fuck up and leave Y/N the fuck alone, or you’ll find out just how quickly I can break another bone.”
Ever the idiot James opens his mouth to reply, but, before he can, your sister yells at him, “Better yet, get the fuck out of my wedding.”
With the bride’s blessing, Eliot and your father drag James out to his car and, seeing he’s been beat, or perhaps fearing being beaten again, he leaves without another word.
He sees you sitting on a bench outside the reception hall and breaks into a jog, wanting to comfort you. He holds you to his chest as you gently sob. As much as you didn’t like that James was saying it, you couldn’t shake the feeling that he was right, but you let that insecurity burrow further inside your heart as you realize something far worse. You probably just ruined your sister’s wedding.
You sit up abruptly and wipe the tears from your face, “I need to go apologize to my sister.” You run inside, leaving Eliot to slowly follow, though he washes your ex’s blood off of his hand before re-entering the reception hall.
Your eyes scan the room and finally land on your sister. The anxiety makes the words practically spill out of your mouth, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to cause a scene at your wedding. I know I can’t make it better, but I’m sorry for ruining your night.”
Both of you are crying now. “You didn’t ruin anything. I shouldn’t have let him come, even if he was dating one of the other bridesmaids. If anything you fixed the wedding by getting rid of that piece of shit.”
“Well I’m pretty sure the getting rid of him part was more Eliot than it was me.” you chuckle. He walks up behind you, as if summoned by the mention of his name.
He looks toward your sister and her now husband as he wraps his hand around yours. “I am so sorry for,” he pauses and gestures vaguely towards the spot he had pinned James, “well, all of that really.”
Your sister laughs, “No need. We’ll just call it dinner and a show, and it was quite the show.” she leans in towards you both and in a far more serious tone adds “I heard from some of the others what he was saying before. You did the right thing, you could’ve gone a bit further to teach him a lesson if you ask me.”
He looks to you, now remembering that your ex had plenty of time in his absence to say far worse than what Eliot heard. “Wish I would’ve.” he lets out a nervous laugh, still unsure where he stands with everyone else. “I’m just glad he’s gone though and can’t cause any more trouble.”
Your sister replies, “Agreed. Though maybe try not to hit anyone at the next wedding?”
“I think I can manage that.” He smiles, glad to see that everyone is still in good spirits.
The groom, also seeming to relax, throws in, “You’d better because if those flowers are anything to go by, it’ll be your own.”
Eliot wraps his arms around you, and with more sincerity than you were prepared for says, “Hopefully.”
Trying so hard not to get lost in your imaginary future with Eliot, you change the topic. “Your wedding was really beautiful by the way. Congratulations.” You hug your sister. As you pull away, you lean back against Eliot and say. “I think it’s time for us to go back to the hotel though. I think we’ve created enough of a story tonight.”
“Of course,” she agrees. “Have a good night. Thank you both for coming.” Then as you walk away, your sister calls after you, loud enough for about half the room to hear, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, lovebirds.”
This leads to a few hoots and hollers from the other guests, just trying to tease and embarrass you further. You flip your sister off as Eliot guides you out of the room.
• • •
Let me know what you think!
Taglist: @mini-kunoichi @javicstories @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky @being-worthy @xkell-bellx @imaginecrushes @sleeplessskeleton on @fablesrose @unholyhuntress @wonderlandfandomkingdom @fictional-hooman
Screw him! Glad he got thrown out, now let's have the tear jerking heart to heart and confession PLEASE!
All in due time. I swear it’s coming lol
The Fake Dating Job - Chapter 4
Elliot Spencer x Reader
Previous chapters: 1 2 3
Note: Thanks for your patience. My life has been crazy as of late. In exchange for bearing with me, I offer you, probably my favorite chapter so far of any of my fics.
Word count: ~3.7k
Description: You and Eliot pine for each other throughout the reception. Will your ex get in the way of your happiness?
• • •
After the ceremony, you and the rest of the bridal party are asked to hang back for photos. As the rest of the guests file into the reception hall for the cocktail hour, Eliot makes a brief detour to give you a peck on the cheek. “See you inside sweetheart.” he says softly before rejoining the rest of the guests.
Your mind occasionally wandered to Eliot throughout the photo process, whereas his mind never left you from the moment that he left the bridal suite this morning. You looked gorgeous in the dress your sister had picked out for you. Maybe he could blame the dress for why he spent more time focused on you than on the actual wedding.
Though that is the beauty of this whole plan, there would be nobody to explain it to as he was supposed to want to stare at you. There would be no moment where Hardison calls him out for staring at you for a little too long. There would be no explaining, rather lying, to Parker about how protective he gets over you on a mission. There would be no knowing look across the room from Nate or well meaning advice from Sophie. There would be nothing but his own thoughts and delusions that you would ever want him to be more than just your fake boyfriend.
When the bridal party finally makes their entrance into the reception hall, his eyes are searching for you. Despite how happy you are for your sister, a feeling of relief nearly consumes you once you find yourself by Eliot’s side once again. Though, as you make your way to the table, your relief falters slightly at the realization of who you’ll be seated near. Your ex is seated at the same table as you, only two seats away.
Eliot’s warm embrace calms you though. This is what he was here for ultimately, to be a barrier between you and your ex. To make the night go better for you. And in a small way, he was already doing just that.
After the couple shares their first dance, dinner is served. You desperately try to avoid giving your ex any attention, and Eliot makes that easy. He eats slowly, taking time between bites to shower you with little bits of affection. His hand rests on your thigh through much of the meal and you hope that the flush that crosses your cheeks isn’t too obvious in the dim lighting. You could get used to these casual touches, if only they weren’t for show.
“How’d you like the food?” you ask, hoping that a bit of small talk can keep your wishful thoughts at bay.
“It was alright.”
That response alone was very telling so you quietly finish the sentence he was too polite to complete. “But you could’ve done better?” You raise your eyebrow at him as he half nods.
“I’m just sayin’ I know what these wedding caterers charge and they should take a bit more pride in their work.”
You can’t help, but chuckle at this as the DJ announces the father daughter dance. You turn your chair towards the dance floor to watch your father and sister share this moment and Elliot does the same beside you. He wraps his arm around you and pulls you closer to him. You can’t help but lean into the touch. You probably don’t need to do as much as you are to sell the act, but damn it, if this is your only opportunity to be this close with Eliot, maybe relishing in it a little isn’t a bad thing.
After the dance, cake is served and this time Eliot has no complaints. The cake is as close to perfect as any cake could be. As you finish, you remind yourself to ask your sister where she got the cake from so you could maybe stop by the bakery on your own before you leave town.
As the dance floor opens up, you take this opportunity to go talk to your parents. You haven’t had enough time with them this weekend and you really have missed them. Ever the gentleman, Eliot insists on tagging along to properly meet them. He is far too good at this fake boyfriend thing.
You greet your parents with a warm hug. “I’ve missed you guys!” you say trying to be heard over the music. “It’s been too long.”
“And whose fault is that?” your dad asks.
Your mom nudges him and gives a disapproving glare at his bluntness. “You should visit more. Maybe then it wouldn’t have taken so long for you to introduce us to this handsome fella.”
“I’ve been telling her the same thing.” Eliot steps in with the charm offensive in full force. “I’m Eliot.” He shakes each of your parent’s hands. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“All bad things I suppose?” your mom asks teasingly.
“Hardly. She’s told me so many fun stories about your family. Though maybe a few of those stories could be classified as embarrassing.”
It’s nice to see your parents get along with Eliot, though it shouldn’t matter to you. You will have a fake breakup in a few weeks and this will be nothing but a memory for both of you. A damn good one too.
You’re broken out of that train of thought when you hear your mom reply, “Oh, is that so?”
“She’s got plenty of embarrassing stories of her own.” your dad adds in. Eliot lets out a hearty laugh at the prospect.
“Oh? Any worth telling?” You bury your face in your hands in fear of the mortifying words that may come next from either of your parents.
“How about you buy me a drink and I’ll tell you anything you wanna know about our dear Y/N?” Your mom suggests.
“Gladly” Eliot guides your mom to the bar and out of your earshot as you sit with your father.
You sit in silence at first, just enjoying the shared time. Minutes pass before your father speaks again, without even looking directly at you, “He’s good for you, you know.”
You figure the best way to avoid being caught in a lie is to just stay as close to the truth as possible, so you tell your dad your real thoughts on Eliot. “I know, he’s a really nice guy. He’s funny and caring. I really love him.”
“That’s not what I mean.” He turns to fully face you. “I just haven’t seen you this happy in some time.”
“Oh.” you say, stunned. This statement catches you off guard but luckily your father continues, so you don’t have to fill the silence.
“You seemed so sad before, especially with James. You used to force those tight lipped smiles that you thought we didn’t notice. This new guy has brought back your infectious smile. The one you don’t even seem to notice, you just do it.” He pauses slightly, “I missed that smile.”
This conversation comes to an end as your mom and Eliot return laughing loudly. Once he approaches the table, he stops in front of you. “Care for a dance?” He offers you his hand.
You gladly accept and follow him out onto this dance floor.You dance through several upbeat songs, joking and laughing at each other’s goofy dance moves throughout. For a moment, you forget how painful going back to normal life may be because having this much fun with Eliot reminds you how important your friendship is. The heartbreak could never break this bond. The bitterness of pining could never overpower the sweetness of these moments you share.
He spins you around and holds you close to him, your back to his chest. As you sway together to the music Eliot whispers in your ear, “You know, your mom told me some interesting things about you.”
“Oh god. What did she say?” You brace yourself for whatever ungodly stories from your youth your mom may have dug up for this occasion.
“Nothing too bad. I actually thought it was cute.” You turn in his arms to face him and raise your eyebrow as if to ask him to elaborate. “First she told me about the time you cut your own hair.”
You let out a chuckle, mostly in relief at how benign of a story that was. “I can still remember the terrible bangs I had in my school pictures that year. It felt like it took forever for those to grow out.”
“So is that why you convinced your sister to do the same just two years later?” He looks at you accusatorily and you know that your mom had to have given him more ammunition if he’s already digging in on the teasing.
You raise your hands defensively, “I just handed her the scissors and told her I thought she’d look cute with bangs. What she did after that is not my business.”
You wrap your arms around Eliot as you continue to dance as you bicker. “Oh I’m sure it was all her own idea.” His smile only widens as he continues, “She also showed me this picture of you as a kid where you were laying face first into your plate of mashed potatoes. It was cute. You’re still pretty cute when you get all sleepy like that.”
This catches you off guard because it’s just one more moment that’s a step past friendly without any reason for it. Nobody could really overhear your conversation over the music. He said that just for your benefit, or maybe just to sell the act. Maybe in a different life Eliot could have been an actor, he certainly played the part of lovestruck boyfriend pretty convincingly.
Trying not to focus much more on his words, lest their implications consume you, you add, “Did she tell you how I used to fall asleep at my bedtime so religiously I would sleep sitting up at family gatherings or in the cart at the grocery store?” He shook his head in response. “Yeah I wish I was still that committed to my sleep schedule.”
“Well ain’t that the truth sweetheart.” There’s a softness about him that is so rare and nearly indescribable. It’s a nearly magnetic force and you find it impossible to look away from him. It feels like if you even glance away for a second, the levity will be gone and the weight of the world will once again return to rest on his shoulders.
Soon you have to shift your focus as the DJ announces the bouquet toss. The men clear off the dance floor as all of the unmarried women gather. Sure, it doesn’t really mean anything if you catch the bouquet, but you find yourself reaching for it nonetheless. Maybe it was fate or maybe just luck or maybe it was set up by your sister considering her earlier remarks, but regardless the bouquet is in your hand and you’re staring down at it in shock.
Your sister hugs you and you know it’s going to break her heart when you and Eliot “split up.” Though by now, you’re too deep into it and so you have to act excited about this turn of events. A small part of you is excited though, the part that has clung onto every romantic moment this weekend as if it’s more than a fantasy. Perhaps that part isn’t so small.
On the side of the dancefloor the excitement over your purely hypothetical future builds in Eliot too. Fuck it. He won’t have many more chances to do this. He makes his way across the floor to you and happily pulls you to him, first in a tight hug, then into a lingering kiss. One that he has to hope you can’t just feel the sincerity of his desire dripping from.
You could get used to being kissed like this. Though, as your family is currently about half of the room, you pull away from Eliot, you can’t convince yourself to go very far away. Your foreheads rest against each other and the tension is palpable. Damn. He really is committed to convincing your family. He would have you convinced if you hadn’t been the one to set up this whole ruse.
Around you the dance floor fills again as the DJ turns on a slow song. You and Eliot hold each other close as you dance. Eliot softly sings along in your ear. His soothing voice slowly erases every worry you’ve had about this night. You feel safe and at home in his arms, and even if it won’t last, you can’t help sinking further against him. Truly if your heart must be broken, there’s nobody you would trust more to break it kindly.
You and Eliot are lost to the world around you as you both relish in what little time you have left to hold each other. That momentary bliss comes to an abrupt halt as the song fades out and you notice a presence looming just behind you. Just then you hear James’ voice behind you as his hand touches your back, sending a chill down your spine at your own unease. Speaking to Eliot he asks, “May I have her for this next one?”
Something seems off to him, but you reassure Eliot that it’s fine with a polite nod. There’s a sinking feeling in his chest, of course this was never real so he should have been prepared for rejection, but it still stings seeing you in someone else’s arms. Maybe that’s why you invited him, not to avoid your asshole ex, but to make James jealous.
Eliot goes to the bar to drown in something other than his own self pity and insecurities, and is met with your mother inviting him to sit next to her. Despite his own feelings, he won’t ruin things with your family so he orders a drink and sits at the open stool she has offered him.
“You’re good for her, you know?”
“I try to be.”
“I mean it. She’s happier with you than she has been in a long time. She still thinks she doesn’t deserve you though.” your mom looks at him with a sad sort of smile.
“What?” he asks incredulously.
“She’s always been a worrier. You can see it in the way she holds you,” she pauses in thought before correcting herself, “in the way you hold each other. You’re both so scared the other will leave. You don’t think you deserve her either, do you?”
It’s a relief in a way to be able to be truly honest for once this weekend. “No ma’am. I can’t say I do. I’m happy to have her until she realizes that though, and that’s enough for now.” He waves to the bartender and orders a second drink.
“You’re both idiots, I swear.” Your mother lets out a long sigh. “Do you treat my daughter with kindness?”
Suddenly, under your mom’s gaze Eliot feels like he’s sitting in the principal’s office facing detention. He feels small. “Of course.”
“And you love her?”
“Yes.”
“So are you saying Y/N doesn’t deserve your kindness and love?”
“No ma’am.”
“Then pull your head out of your ass and stop acting like she’s going to leave you. That girl loves you, anyone could see that, so why are you sitting here with me at the bar, drowning your sorrows?”
He hangs his head in defeat, he couldn’t argue the point of your affections, not without ruining your plan, so he settles on the easier argument. “She already has a dance partner.” He gestures to the dance floor.
Your mom finally glances over to you and rolls her eyes. “God I’ve always hated that son of a bitch.”
Eliot can’t help the deep belly laugh that escapes him. Your mom cursing in anger is funny when it’s not directed at him. It’s then when you turn to where he can see your face, your features lined with sadness. His protective instincts finally kick in and he heads your way. He tries to hang back to get the full scope of the situation.
As Eliot was at the bar, your ex had been saying truly awful things. As Eliot reapproached, he continued. “He’s gonna leave you, you know?”
Eliot couldn’t make out any of what was being said, but he knew from the tension in your body that you weren’t happy. He’s kicking himself now for letting his own insecurities put you in the exact kind of situation he was here to help you avoid.
Not wanting to cause a scene, you plaster a fake smile on your face and through gritted teeth say “I fail to see how that’s any of your fucking business James.”
“I’m just looking out for you, babe.”
“Don’t call me that” you cut him off.
He continues, not acknowledging what you said. “I may have moved on, but I still care about you. You don’t deserve to be hurt when he finds a prettier girl and runs away with her.”
“Fuck off, James.” Eliot isn’t going to stay with you, but that doesn’t mean you need to tolerate James’ bullshit. You pull yourself out of his hold but he follows behind you.
Eliot quickly approaches as he sees this and is in earshot finally for the last insult James throws out. “You know, I don’t know why you bothered catching that bouquet. Nobody is ever going to love you, much less marry you.”
In an instant, James is grabbed from behind, turned, and pinned against the nearby wall. You barely hear the commotion behind you as you exit the reception hall and finally let a tear run down your face.
Inside all eyes are on Eliot and your family has gathered as he begins yelling at James, “What’s your fucking problem, man?”
All too cocky, James smirks, “Here to ask if you can have my current girlfriend when we break up? You clearly love my leftovers.”
That earns him a broken nose. Eliot’s fist makes sharp contact with his face and the blood from his nose quickly stains his white shirt. “You need to shut the fuck up and leave Y/N the fuck alone, or you’ll find out just how quickly I can break another bone.”
Ever the idiot James opens his mouth to reply, but, before he can, your sister yells at him, “Better yet, get the fuck out of my wedding.”
With the bride’s blessing, Eliot and your father drag James out to his car and, seeing he’s been beat, or perhaps fearing being beaten again, he leaves without another word.
He sees you sitting on a bench outside the reception hall and breaks into a jog, wanting to comfort you. He holds you to his chest as you gently sob. As much as you didn’t like that James was saying it, you couldn’t shake the feeling that he was right, but you let that insecurity burrow further inside your heart as you realize something far worse. You probably just ruined your sister’s wedding.
You sit up abruptly and wipe the tears from your face, “I need to go apologize to my sister.” You run inside, leaving Eliot to slowly follow, though he washes your ex’s blood off of his hand before re-entering the reception hall.
Your eyes scan the room and finally land on your sister. The anxiety makes the words practically spill out of your mouth, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to cause a scene at your wedding. I know I can’t make it better, but I’m sorry for ruining your night.”
Both of you are crying now. “You didn’t ruin anything. I shouldn’t have let him come, even if he was dating one of the other bridesmaids. If anything you fixed the wedding by getting rid of that piece of shit.”
“Well I’m pretty sure the getting rid of him part was more Eliot than it was me.” you chuckle. He walks up behind you, as if summoned by the mention of his name.
He looks toward your sister and her now husband as he wraps his hand around yours. “I am so sorry for,” he pauses and gestures vaguely towards the spot he had pinned James, “well, all of that really.”
Your sister laughs, “No need. We’ll just call it dinner and a show, and it was quite the show.” she leans in towards you both and in a far more serious tone adds “I heard from some of the others what he was saying before. You did the right thing, you could’ve gone a bit further to teach him a lesson if you ask me.”
He looks to you, now remembering that your ex had plenty of time in his absence to say far worse than what Eliot heard. “Wish I would’ve.” he lets out a nervous laugh, still unsure where he stands with everyone else. “I’m just glad he’s gone though and can’t cause any more trouble.”
Your sister replies, “Agreed. Though maybe try not to hit anyone at the next wedding?”
“I think I can manage that.” He smiles, glad to see that everyone is still in good spirits.
The groom, also seeming to relax, throws in, “You’d better because if those flowers are anything to go by, it’ll be your own.”
Eliot wraps his arms around you, and with more sincerity than you were prepared for says, “Hopefully.”
Trying so hard not to get lost in your imaginary future with Eliot, you change the topic. “Your wedding was really beautiful by the way. Congratulations.” You hug your sister. As you pull away, you lean back against Eliot and say. “I think it’s time for us to go back to the hotel though. I think we’ve created enough of a story tonight.”
“Of course,” she agrees. “Have a good night. Thank you both for coming.” Then as you walk away, your sister calls after you, loud enough for about half the room to hear, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, lovebirds.”
This leads to a few hoots and hollers from the other guests, just trying to tease and embarrass you further. You flip your sister off as Eliot guides you out of the room.
• • •
Next chapter
Let me know what you think!
Taglist: @mini-kunoichi @javicstories @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky @being-worthy @xkell-bellx @imaginecrushes @sleeplessskeleton on @fablesrose @unholyhuntress @wonderlandfandomkingdom @fictional-hooman
Community Service
Ted Lasso | Roy/Jamie (+ Roy/Jamie/Keeley-ish) | M | 1500 words
Jamie snaps his mouth shut. Keeley looks between the two of them again. Roy looks first in Jamie’s eyes then down at the neon mesh that’s glowing under the UV lights, then back up. This time his eyes stop at Jamie’s lips. “I mean like… if you’ve never kissed a bloke before then I suppose it’s just community service.”
Read on Ao3
To Love and Be Loved in Return - Chapter 4
Chapter 1 & 2 & 3
Roy Kent x Reader
Description: Between you, Roy, and Keeley, who will spill the beans first?
Note: Hope you’re ready for fluff because oh boy is that all I felt like writing tonight.
Word Count: 2.3k
• • •
Chapter 4 - Drunk Words, Sober Thoughts
Roy’s knuckles go white as he grips the wheel, trying to find his composure along the journey. He knew he would obviously see you again and have to reckon with his feelings now that he couldn’t just throw a pity party for himself over a rejection he hadn’t even gotten. One that he may not even get.
That little spark of hope that has only just crept into his heart might be the thing that breaks him. It’s that hope that has him imagining what it would be like if you were his actual date to the gala. It’s that hope that has him picturing you in his arms after a hard day at work. It’s that hope that has him imagining your lips on his after the team wins a game. It’s that goddamned hope that has his palms sweaty and heart racing faster than he knew it could as he pulls up to the club.
He pulls up outside the bar and sees the three of you standing together. Keeley is the first to notice his car and corrals you all in his direction. The excited smile that crosses your face as you notice his arrival is enough to make his heart melt. He can’t let himself read into that though, you’d probably be just as excited for an Uber driver considering how fucking late it is.
Of course, he’s lying to himself though, because he does read into it just a little. He does get his hopes up that even a fraction of that excitement was specific to him.
Keeley and Rebecca guide you to the car, perhaps using your drunkenness to expedite their matchmaking as they guide you to the passenger seat. It’s only when you get buckled and they’ve already settled into the backseat that you realize what they’ve done. You couldn’t complain too much at getting to be close to the man you had so clearly fallen for, but Keeley was about to give you reason to complain.
She is sitting behind Roy, so you can see the smile on her face as she begins what could best be described as a transparent attempt to make Roy jealous. “So, y/n, who was that tall guy you gave your number to earlier?”
Bummed at hearing this and completely oblivious to the mischievous smirk adorning Keeley’s face, Roy feigns casual interest, “Oh?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.
You whip your head around to reply to Keeley, not wanting Roy to think you’re unavailable, “It’s not like that and you know it.”
This piques Roy’s interest and he begins to steer the conversation, “Then do you give your number out to just any strange man?”
“No, not my number,” you clarify, “Beard’s.”
“What?” he asks, now more confused than he was jealous.
“So one time I was at the Crown and Anchor with Beard and some creep just wouldn’t back off. Eventually I relented and gave him my number just to make him go away. Beard told me to start giving out his number instead of my own to creeps. He gets to enjoy scaring shitty men and I get to enjoy a peaceful night with my friends with no creepy texts in the morning. It’s a win-win situation”
“That’s fucking brilliant” Rebecca chimes in, “I’ve got to start doing that shit.”
“So you didn’t find a date tonight?” Roy asks, trying too hard to be nonchalant about it.
“Wasn’t looking.” you reply more to the window than to him as a faint blush crosses your features.
He pulls up to Rebecca’s house first, and when she gets out Keeley adjusts to the middle, using the opportunity to finally see Roy’s face, and try to figure out if he feels the same for you. It doesn’t take long for her to see the softness that he looks at you with, but it will certainly take longer for her to get him to admit it.
“Since I’m taking her shopping tomorrow, you should probably tell me what color you’re wearing.”
Knowing your friend too well, you brace yourself for this conversation. Her lack of subtlety only worsened when alcohol was in the mix. “Don’t worry about it Keeley. He’s not bringing me as an actual date anyways. We don’t have to match.”
Roy is kicking himself for being so obvious with his feelings. Keeley could read him like a book and this was her idea of either teasing or being helpful. He hasn’t quite figured out which. “I don’t know yet. I try not to think much about that stupid event. If it wasn’t for a good cause I wouldn’t even go to the fucking thing.”
“But Cheryl would miss you if you stopped going.” She has definitely settled on teasing then.
“Fuck Cheryl.” he rolls his eyes. He is not looking forward to another year with her as the highest bidder. She may not be as bad as he made Jamie think, but the idea of going on a date with anyone other than you makes him feel sick.
“You would if she got her way.” you chime in.
At your teasing Roy can feel that heat in his face, “She won’t. I’m not interested in her.”
“But you are interested in someone?” she adds barely letting him finish his own sentence.
He growls, “I didn’t say that.”
“But you still aren’t denying it.” Keeley says with a smirk evident in her sing-songy voice. Though she is clearly taking this as confirmation he likes you, you sink into your seat hoping it swallows you whole. Him liking somebody doesn’t mean he likes you. Then she asks the question you’ve both been dreading, “So who is she?”
“She’s none of your business.” Roy lets out a huff. If he wasn’t certain Keeley knew he liked you before, he definitely knows now.
“Come on!” Keeley whines, knowing she won’t get her way but enjoying watching him squirm all the same. “Tell me who’s captured the attention of the Roy Kent.”
He has taken to ignoring her prodding in hopes that she’ll get bored or at least give it up for the minute or two left in the drive to her flat.
His hopes are quickly shattered by her adding “Is it someone we know?”
Now that’s a question he can’t answer. If he does, he’ll give everything away, and if he can’t have you, he’d at least like to not lose you.
Lucky for Roy though, you seem to have gotten tired of this subject too. “Knock it off Keeley.” you roll your eyes at her, trying your best to play at being casual.
The car ride continues in relative silence until you arrive at Keeley’s. She gets out and cheerfully yells bye at both of you. Winking at you both, though each of you assume it is directed at only yourselves.
Once the car is finally moving again, you let out a breath you didn’t realize you had been holding in. Even in your inebriated state, you can still feel the full force of the embarrassment Keeley brought on in her attempt to play wingman. You sigh, “Sorry about her. All of that really. It was pretty invasive.”
He smiles ever so slightly and glances at you before looking back at the road and replying, “No worries. Not your fault. I know she’s just drunk. She’s always a little nosy, but never more so than when she’s drunk.”
You both chuckle at how true that was. You can’t help recalling all of the strangers Keeley has practically interrogated on past nights out. “Yeah, she gets that way, but it is kind of my fault. She was just trying to help me out and she overstepped.”
You don’t quite register how revealing your words are until he parks just outside your flat. “What do you mean?” Roy has turned entirely to face you.
In this moment, you have half a mind to run out of the car and straight into your flat and bury yourself in pillows hoping sleep will make you forget this night ever happened. Though it must be true what they say about alcohol being liquid courage because you don’t move towards the door, but instead you turn to face Roy.
“Fuck it.” you let out a sharp breath and begin. “It’s stupid and kinda embarrassing, but I have feelings for you. She found out today and has been pestering me about it all night. I’m sorry, I didn’t think she’d bother you with it or –”
He cuts you off with a groan of “Fuck” but you continue, reading his reaction as confirmation of your every fear.
“That I’d be telling you for that matter. I didn’t really want you to find out, certainly not like this. Don’t worry about it though, I’ll text Rebecca and have her move me to work under a different department if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“Wait” he cuts in again.
“I can even look for a new job. I like it at Richmond but I know this probably ruins our friendship and I don’t want to make things weird for you at work too. It’s really no big deal.”
Finally frustrated with your flat refusal to listen to him he yells your name. This gets your attention and for the first time since you started rambling, you make eye contact with him. “Stop talking for a second, y/n”
“Ok” you reply. You immediately failing at the request makes him roll his eyes at you.
“Please don’t quit. I have been freaking out all week because I’ve been head over heels for you for months now and I was finally trying to ask you out.”
“What?” you look at him in sheer confusion. Just minutes ago the man groaned in frustration at your confession. You never would have guessed it was because he returned your feelings.
“I asked you to be my date to the gala.”
“But then you told me it wasn’t a date”
Stumbling over himself he continues “Well – I – You’re the one who replied to me asking you on a date by telling me I’m the best boss. That one’s kind of your fault too.” He drops the defensiveness and continues on. “Then I asked you to lunch today, but you had plans already. Fuck. You don’t make it easy to ask you out.”
“I can tell because you still haven’t actually done it.” you tease.
He grumbles in response. “You’re right. Y/n, I am madly in love with you. Would you please do me the honor of being my girlfriend?”
“Hm. Let me think about it.”
“Don’t you fucking dare start that shit,” he scowls and points at you accusatorily. Although he won’t say it right now because the last thing he needs is more smugness from you, that playful smile has his stomach doing flips. It is probably his favorite expression of yours. You look so unburdened when you’re having fun like this, even if it is at his expense.
“Absolutely. I’d love nothing more than to be your girlfriend Roy.”
Over the moon at your response, he finally realizes the late hour. “Let me walk you up to your flat. Wait there.”
He turns off the car and walks around to your side. He opens the door for you and steadies you as you step down. When you get up to your flat you’re barely not stumbling. Between the exhaustion, the heels, and the alcohol in your system, it feels like a miracle when you reach your door. You hand Roy the keys and he gets the door for you, his left hand still on your back to guide you. He walks you to your bedroom, finds you pajamas to change into, and closes the door as he leaves the room to give you privacy.
You call out from the other side, “Scared you’ll like what you see too much?”
“Shut up and get dressed,” he responds, his tone clearly light. He moves to the kitchen to grab you a glass of water and some ibuprofen, both of which you will definitely need come morning. He knocks gently on the bedroom door, “You decent?”
“Sadly, yes.” you reply. He opens the door and seeing your sleepy eyes light up leaves him in awe of you.
He swiftly crosses the room to place the pills on your bedside and the water on a coaster next to it. He pulls back the blanket on your bed and gestures to the space below it. “Come on, y/n. You need some rest.”
You settle into your bed and look up at him. “Can I get a goodnight kiss from my boyfriend?”
“Not tonight.” he replies as he tucks you in.
You pout at this response and ask, “Please?”
“Nope”
“Why not?” you whine.
“You’re drunk”
“And? It’s just a kiss. Why should that matter?”
He leans in and you think he’s going to give you your way, but he stops just shy of your lips and whispers gruffly, “When I kiss you for the first time, I want to be sure it’s fucking memorable.”
With that he pulls away and you're a little more turned on than you’d like to admit. The anticipation for something as simple as a kiss, has turned you into a sleepy pile of mush. Okay, maybe it was the alcohol that did most of that, but It sure didn’t help.
He turns to leave and you call out, “Roy?”
He turns to you and cocks his head slightly in confusion.
“Can you stay the night?”
“Of course. I’ll be on the couch. If you need me, don’t hesitate to wake me up. Goodnight y/n”
“Goodnight.” you doze off into a far more pleasant sleep than you expected.
• • •
Taglist: @infinetlyforgotten @taytaylala12 @siriuslyreads @ashy-kit @isla-finke-blog @laukora1030 @tamberjo @queen-of-the-downtown-scene @harry-bowie-mercury
Also a fun thing about writing for Roy Kent is it’s one of the few times that saying a character growls is fully accurate. Roy just growls sometimes and I love that for him. Back to writing chapter 4.
It’s like there’s a curse when you get back into writing to make life just a bit harder to slow you down. This is my dramatic way of bitching about a cold making me very sleepy and family stuff occupying what’s left of my remaining time. Anyways I’m back to writing now that I’m conscious a normal amount again and back at home
I don’t know if I’m sappy because it’s late, because it’s the holidays, because I’m stressed or just because I’m writing some sappy shit, but I just want to say I appreciate y’all. Each like or comment genuinely brightens my day. The fact that I immediately took a break a couple chapters into my fics and y’all came back anyways has meant a lot. I’m so excited to share more with y’all and I appreciate all of your patience and kind words
The Fake Dating Job - Chapter 3
Elliot Spencer x Reader
Chapter 1 & Chapter 2
Note: So sorry for the hiatus. Life got in the way. Thank you for sticking around and being so patient with me 💕
Word Count: ~1.9k
Description: You wake up in a comfortable warmth the morning of the wedding. This leaves Eliot consuming your every thought as you get ready.
• • •
You start to stir as you feel the light of the sun creep through the sheer curtains of the hotel room. You feel a comfortable warmth envelop you and sink further into it, seeking shelter from the harsh chill of the room.
Suddenly you feel the bed shift under you and realize the warmth you’re feeling is Eliot’s chest beneath you. His arms are wrapped around you as he pulls you close in his sleep.
A soft smile graces Eliot’s no longer sleeping face as he feels you cuddle closer to him. He knows he won’t often get the chance to hold you like this so he pretends to not notice the way you breathe hitches with every movement. He may never get to hold you like this again but he will dream happily at night at just the memory of your soft skin against his calloused hands.
You lay there, eyes now open, as still as you can and just soak in this seemingly unconscious act of affection. This isn’t like every other touch of this torturous weekend. This is real, perhaps unintentional, but real nonetheless. This isn’t for an audience, this is just Eliot holding you to him as he rests.
Sadly the moment is ripped from you as you hear your sister knock on the door to your room. Eliot pretends to startle awake and you do the same as you quickly pull away from each other.
“Y/N!” your sister calls out. “We gotta get going. The makeup artist will be at the venue in half an hour.” Eliot lays back down, now that he knows the disturbance had nothing to do with him.
You sigh and roll out of bed. “I’ll meet you in the lobby in ten!”
You wash your face and brush your teeth as you try to calm your racing thoughts.
By the time you leave the bathroom, Eliot has settled back in to sleep, stretching his body across nearly the entire bed. You can’t help the smile that crosses your face at the sight of the nearly always tense hitter at ease for once.
You grab your dress and the small day bag you had for the trip and close the door as quietly as you can.
***
You and the other girls are chatting in the green robes your sister gave you each as gifts. You are in the middle of getting your hair done when a text lights up your phone.
Eliot: Did your sister plan lunch for all of you?
“Ooh, you’re blushing y/n” you hear the voice of your sister’s best friend from across the room, “Texting your new man?”
The other girls chuckle and they continue to talk amongst themselves.
You roll your eyes and pretend to ignore them, but can feel the blush light up your cheeks. You show your sister the text to get her answer.
“Mom talked about running to the store and picking up salads or sandwiches later. I just don’t want anything that will upset my stomach. It’s already in knots with everything else today.” She points down the hall and adds, “There’s a kitchen through there if you want her to pick you something to make instead though.”
“Thanks,” you reply as you type out your response.
Y/n: My mom might be picking something up. There’s a kitchen in the bridal suite so we have options. Why?
Eliot: Tell your mom not to worry about it. If it’s alright with your sister, I’ll take care of lunch for you ladies.
Your sister elbows you lightly as she teases, “Do you smile like that at every text or just when pretty boys with long hair text you?”
“You should see the smile I save for spam texts” you deadpan back at her. “Eliot wants to bring us all lunch if that’s alright with you.”
“He’s handsome, has a southern accent and he cooks? Should I be expecting the save the dates when I get back from my honeymoon?” The shit eating grin on her face widens at your clear embarrassment.
“So is that a yes on lunch?”
“Yeah, and tell him I said thank you.”
The hair stylist interrupts “Alright, you’re good to go and I’m ready for the bride.”
You swap places with your sister and grab your phone.
Y/n: She said she’d appreciate you bringing food.
Eliot: Perfect. I’ll be there in 30 and I’ll make y’all something fresh.
Y/n: Thanks! You’re the best fake boyfriend I’ve ever had.
Your heart sinks in your chest as you read over your own words. It is for the best to stay reminded of the reality of the situation. It would only hurt more if you let yourself get fully lost in it. In just a couple of days everything will return to normal and you’ll still be pining after Eliot and he will remain blissfully unaware.
You try to brush off these thoughts and be present with the others and most importantly, your sister. You put your phone away and rejoin the conversation. “Eliot said he’ll be here in 30 to make us lunch.”
“Damn,” your sister’s maid of honor chimes in, “Where did you find him again and does he have any single friends?”
You and the others laugh at her joke. “I don’t know, with looks like that, I’m more interested to know if he has a brother.” adds in one of the bridesmaids.
Before long the makeup artist is done with the mother of the groom’s makeup and it is your turn in the chair. You settle in and try to distract yourself from Eliot’s imminent arrival by listening to the idle conversation the other women are having.
Part of you is excited that he’s showing up, in small part due to the rumble your stomach lets out, but mostly just because it’s Eliot, and you are a fool who couldn’t help falling head over heels for him. The minutes pass as you try to calm your ever increasing heart rate, but the moment you hear a rapping at the door, your heart begins practically beating out of your chest.
The artist only has your makeup a little over halfway done, so the maid of honor lets him in.He drops off an armful of groceries in the kitchen that the maid of honor leads him to and follows her back to the room you are all in.
He smiles softly at you, which you miss completely as the artist works on your eye makeup. “Hey beautiful,” he says, setting your cheeks ablaze, before turning to the rest of the room,”I should have lunch ready for you ladies in about 20 minutes.” With that he turns on his heel and leaves the room before you have a moment to reply.
The makeup artist makes quick work of the rest of your makeup as the girls chatter around you. Your sister in the chair next to you looks over at you and teases “Damn, y/n. If that’s how he looks at you when you’re not even done being dolled up, I don’t know how he’s gonna tear his eyes away from you long enough to even notice there’s a wedding happening around him in a couple hours.”
In lieu of being able to roll your eyes at your sister, you opt to flip her off.
A bridesmaid chimes in “No, she’s right y/n. That man is absolutely smitten with you.” For a moment, you almost let yourself believe it, but you know he was just playing it up for the girls. After all, that’s what you asked him to do.
Moments later the artist wraps up and finally you are free to go see Eliot in the kitchen. You quietly approach, and of course Eliot hears your steps and knows exactly who it is, but he pretends not to notice you standing in the doorway. He likes when you watch him and maybe he knows if he took the time to look at you right now, he wouldn’t be able to resist holding you in his arms again and you leaving this morning already nearly broke him.
You take in his frame, his arms flexing under his henley as he expertly chops up the last couple of vegetables in front of him, a few strands of his hair falling into his face from his half-ponytail, and those jeans that fit his ass just a little too well for your thoughts to remain pure. Maybe it’s a good thing you’re already in love with him because this almost vulnerable sight would be enough to make anyone fall for him. “Hey beautiful,” you parrot his earlier words back at him.
A goofy, lopsided smile crosses his face, as he puts the knife down and begins assembling sandwiches. He looks into your eyes, not daring to even let his eyes drift as far as your nose. “Hey,” he almost whispers “What can I do for you?”
“You’re already doing more than enough Eliot. I really just came in here to say thank you. Not just for this,” you gesture at the food, “but for this entire weekend. I know it’s a lot to ask of anyone and I really appreciate you doing this for me. I owe you one”
Returning his attention to the food he replies “You don’t owe me a damn thing sweetheart. I’m just happy to help.” He begins cutting the sandwiches into fourths diagonally, of course and you start taking them and placing them on the tray to at least help a little.
Your heart skips a beat when your hands graze against each other as he hands you the pieces that were on the other side of the knife. It is far from the most intimate touch you have had with him, but just like this morning, the private moments, even the unintentional ones, are a lot harder to brush off as part of the performance.
As you finish laying the different kind of sandwiches on the tray, he goes to the fridge and grabs a charcuterie board he had clearly made himself before you entered the kitchen. It was this sight that finally made your stomach let out a rumble. He looked you up and down before asking “Hungry?” with a smile.
“A little.” you joke in return.
He reaches around you to grab the sandwich tray. With both hands full, he leans over and kisses your cheek before replying “Then lead the way princess.”
And with that small act, clearly not an accident nor an act you were left reeling as you rejoin the others. He places the two platters on the table before “I will see you this evening, but I think your sister would be pissed if I show up to the wedding like this.”
Your sister laughs, “Well, he’s not wrong.”
With that, he takes his leave with a quick peck on your lips and a polite wave to the room. Your heart is beating out of your chest and you can only hope nobody can tell.
• • •
Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think
Taglist: @mini-kunoichi @javicstories @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky @being-worthy@xkell-bellx @imaginecrushes @sleeplessskeleton @fablesrose
Sorry for being MIA, still writing, just slowly. Thanksgiving got the better of me. I’ll be back fully soon 💕
