#fancfiction

[addictedball]

PLEASE check out The Ducks Affair from @starsmadeinheaven! While I was waiting for updated I got so excited that I drew some fanart of it! Natalia and Alfred are just so cute in it!!!

💖 Link! 💖

[moonmyman]

[trisarahtopssuh]

Haunted

Jack Abbot x Fem!Reader

Summary: 7 years after your death, Jack still hasn't fully grieved. He's haunted by you; you're everywhere. Reader relives events leading up to, during, and post your death.

CW: This is my first fic I've written in a while, Grammar issues (dont call me out I dont really care) Medical inaccuracies, Death, talks of death, allusions to suicide (kinda look hard you see it), Reader isn't really described physically, probably missing some, its depressing, no use of y/n

WC:~3.5k

October 28, 2025. 6:54 am.

Hues of soft orange paint the skyline of Pittsburgh. Normally, Jack believes that sunrises are just alright. Though he still looks at them. However, on this day, for the past 7 years, he believes that the sunrises are painted just for him, by you. A memory that you are still here, that you haven't forgotten him.

“Pretty rude to kill yourself on my shift.” Robby ducks under the railing of the roof and stands next to Jack

“7 years.” Jack sighs, “Feels like much–much longer than that.”

“Y’working today?” The man asks.

“Yeah, m’gonna go visit her then come back, probably a double, js’need t’be distracted,” Jack replies.

“Brother… you shouldn't do that. You need to think about her and spend time with family. I know you're visiting her, but- fuck all you do is work.” Robby huffed.

“You think that just because I work, that doesn't mean I don't process, that my wife one day just dropped dead while working!? She was all the fucking family I had! I get help, I go to therapy, I’ve grieved, hell, I fucking grieve every single year this day comes along. I just want one day where I can breathe!” Jack exasperated.

 Robby looks at Jack, but before he can get a good look at the dark circles and the look of a man who has been longing for someone for too long, the door slams shut. A confused Dr. Santos stands there. 

“Uhm- Dr. Robby.. We’ve been um paging you downstairs theres an MVC on its way, and we need you downstairs-” Trinity starts backing up before Dr. Robby can even reply.

“O..kay uhm yeah be right down.” Robby ducks under the fence and starts to jog towards the stairwell door. 

 October 28, 2025. 8:37 am.

Jack can almost hear your voice running through your head as the door to your favorite bagel shop dings open. “You can take the girl out of Jersey, but not the Jersey out of the girl.” It smells the same way it always does. Burnt coffee, Bread, and cream cheese. As Jack briskly walks towards the counter to order, he sees you. Walking past him, your dad’s rugged Yankees cap and his black Carhartt jacket, both 6 feet under, buried with you. His face blanches, before he can call your name- your face dissolves, leaving a woman as the opposite of you that can exist.

Jack takes a deep breath before walking towards the counter. “Yeah, uhm.. Garlic bagel, toasted, with cream cheese.” Jack hands the man behind the counter the money before he can speak.

He doesn't waste any more time than he has to in the small shop. He doesn't look at the fridge full of Snapple, where you read him the fun fact on the inside of the cap.

January 1st, 2010. 11:18 am

“Okay,” You smile while reading the fun fact while taking a sip of strawberry kiwi tea. You hum at the taste. “Mosquitoes are attracted to people who just ate bananas.” You look up at Jack’s confused face. “D’you not believe me? Here, look.”

 You hand him the cap. He reads it, and you see a look of surprise appear on his face, a smile forming on his face.

“Well, you must’ve just eaten a banana, and I'm a mosquito because I'm quite attracted to you.” Jack's attempt at being smooth fails miserably. You start to laugh uncontrollably.

 “Oh-oh m-my-god! Jack, I love you, baby- but that HA- was so-so-so-sooo horrible.” You topple over onto the checkered flooring. Holding your stomach out of pain due to laughter.

“Wait… you love me?” Jack ignores the jab at his attempt at flirting and goes straight to your love confession. Though you’ve been dating for nearly 9 months, neither of you has said the L-word. 

After you’ve collected yourself and are off the floor, you realize, “Yes, I do love you, very, very much. 

“Good, because I love you too.” He proclaimed. When you smiled ear to ear, he knew he was gonna marry you.

October 28, 2025. 9:38 am

Jack sits down in front of you with a grunt, placing your favorite bouquet atop your grave. 

He peers towards your headstone, your first name covered with moss; the only visible thing is the last name you share. ‘ABBOT’ written out in capital letters, right below it, ‘Some souls are too beautiful for this world & so they leave.’ ‘1980-2018’.

Jack unwraps the bagel. “ I also got you’re favoraite. Personally, I don't see why you like a garlic bagel, I'm more of a bacon egg & cheese man.” Jack sighs. 

“I’ve started to go to therapy.” 

“Every year, it only gets harder to keep going on without you. My therapist thinks I need to start cleaning out some of my things. I need to learn how to live without your presence,” He scoffs.

Haven't even moved your slippers from the side of your bed. He also says I need more hobbies.” Jack laughs, a grief-ridden one.

 “Maybe golfing. I’ll figure it out. Robby is also worried about me. He thinks I shouldn't work today.” Jack takes a bite of the bagel, “But who is he to talk about shit like that? He worked on Adamson's death.” Jack looks towards the gravestone awating an answer.

 “Yeah, I get it's different, mentor vs wife. But if I go home today, I'm not sure if I'll ever leave it. I really, really miss you.”

 Jack plays with the wedding ring on his finger, “M’not sure how much longer I can go on without you.” A lump starts to form in his throat, “Everywhere I go… I-I see you, no matter if it's in Canada or fucking Japan, I see things in you, the fucking Snapple glasses, the sunrises we would watch together, when the leaves start to grow back during April, I hear your excitement for summer. God.. I still can't walk into the break room without wanting to punch a wall.” Tears start to run down his face. 

After a few minutes of silence, Jack begins to sob; he hopes for the comfort he hasn't felt in years to come. He hopes, prays for you. 

October 28th, 2018. 5:34 am

You stir awake to your muffled alarm; you can feel the vibration of the alarm rumbling softly through your head. To your left, Jack grumbles. 

“Baby, forgot to tell you, Kiara’s sick, m’picking up her shift today.” You whisper. 

As you attempt to get up from the bed, Jack pulls you back down by the waist, pushing his face into the crook of your neck. 

“Thought you were working tonight.” He grumbles.

“Yeah, m’working a double, I owe Kiara for when we both got food poisoning.” You take in the moment before it's gone, the light of passing by cars softly illuminates the room, giving it an ethereal glow to the room. Jack's slow breath and stubble fan your neck as he leaves soft barley there, kissing along the line connecting to your collarbone. 

“You have time, s’only 5:40.” 

“Tomorrow we both have off again, right?” You try to remember the dates on the small whiteboard hanging from your fridge.

“Mm, planning on taking you to that steakhouse for dinner.” Your husband yawned.

You gasp, “The one that just opened was talking to Dana about that, apparently amazing.” You gushed.

“Reservation is for 8:15.” 

 After that, you and Jack lay there for another 20 minutes. For you and him, time moves 

differently, moving at a mile a minute. By the time you realize it's 6:15, hes fast asleep. 

As you slipped out of your shared bed, you decided not to wake him, but leave him with a kiss on the cheek.

Baby ❤️ left you a voicemail, 6:45 am

“You fell asleep before I could say bye, just wanted to tell you I love you, and I can’t wait for dinner tomorrow, but anywho, there's some leftover chicken and rice in the fridge, was gonna bring it for lunch, but, feeling a little nauseous, it's fine, sure it’ll go away. But just wanted to say I love you lots, and I’ll see you when you come in.” Softly in the background, your favorite song can be heard with the slow crunch of leaves beneath your sneakers.

[VOICEMAIL ENDED] 

October 28, 2025. 5:39 pm

“He wears a ring, y’know,” Trinity whispers to Dennis as Jack walks into the ED.

“So he’s married, he's like 45, that makes sense,” Dennis replies.  

“But have you ever seen his wife before? Or husband,” Trinity scans her ID, “Like not once has he talked about being in a relationship, actually, he never talks about himself now that I think 

about it.” Javadi walks up next to Trinity and Dennis. 

“He's widowed,” The 2 look at her.

“You know this how…?” Dennis questioned

“My mom told me she used to work at this hospital as a social worker,” Javadi whispers. 

Trinity gawed, “Do you know how she…y’know..”

“While on shift down here, she had like… a huge MI. No one saw her cause she was on break, she went into cardiac arrest, nobody got to her for a while.” Trinity frowns, Perlah comes up and whispers, “She had Coronary Artery Disease, barely had any symptoms. But today’s the anniversary, she was 38, he was 43, he was so in love, like she hung the stars.

“Shit..” Both Trinity and Dennis mutter. 

October 28th, 2018. 7:02 am

You walk through the doors of the ER, and the waiting room is packed with people, the line only growing longer as seconds pass. “Morning, Lupe!” you smile.

“Gonna be a busy one today, Halloween coming up,” The woman behind the glass types away at the computer.

Once you walk through the doors, you punch in your code to your compact locker. Place your bag in and close the door. 

As you walk over to the nurses' station, Dana peers over and sees you. “Morning, Dana, already starting?” You ask.

“Yeah, well, if I don't, this place will burn to the fucking ground.”

“Amen to that.” You laugh, “Night shift left a mess again?” 

“Haunted car wash gone fucking wrong and an MVC kept them pretty busy.” 

You whistle in response, “Well, heard were getting a new med-student today, right?”

“John Shen, MS3, I think, just missed him; last I saw, he was with Adamson.” Dana types away on the computer.

“Alright, well, better start working, gonna go find something to do to keep me busy.” While walking away from your spot at the nurses' station, pain accumulates in your lower back, and you hiss while walking by Robby.

“You sick too?” Robby peers over his glasses.

You huff, “No im fine, just tweaked my back, I think.” Robby smirks, “Ew, no, not like that.”

“Okay, Jesus.” He puts his hands up in surrender.

October 28th, 2018. 4:15 pm

The ED is never exactly slow; there is always some emergency, whether it is a critical patient or you can't seem to catch a break. Normally, you’re able to keep up with the speed. But today seems to be dragging, draining you faster than normal. Fatigue is setting in around 10 am when normally, it won't set in till the final hour. You tread over to the nurses' station, resting your head on the counter. 

“Everything okay, sweetheart?” Dana looks up from her chair.

“What? Oh- yeah todays just dragging, think m’coming down with something.” You press your palms into your eye sockets.

“Kay, well, go eat something, take ur lunch ill come in and check on you in 10.” Dana picks up the phone.

As you walk away, you can hear Dana yell to- it doesn't matter, about.. Well, you also can't seem to pinpoint that. With the world slowly spinning, and tilting every which way as you turn the corner into the break room and slowly sit into the plastic chair. Slowly, it feels like your lungs are caving in on themselves, and with every breath, they slowly cave in more. Placing a hand over your chest, attempting to get up, or maybe calling for help. But the act of pushing yourself out of the chair seems impossible. 

Inhale

Exhale

Inhale 

Exhale 

Inhale

Inhale…

Exhale…

Breathe….

October 28th, 4:16pm

Dana doesn't see you walk away. Shes more focused on the person over the phone. 

“Okay, 5 minutes yep.” Dana hangs up the red phone, “MVC 5 minutes out!”  The woman yells out to the ER.

With the crash, Dana forgets that she was gonna go check in on you. More focused on helping Adamson. In the 20 minutes she was helping.

 Not one person walked into the break room. The ED never stops for one person. 

“Has anyone seen...” Someone calls out your name, but over the chaos of the ED, no one hears or replies. Whoever was looking for you gets pulled into something else, leaving their question for later. 

October 28th, 2018 4:48 pm

 “Dana! I need a social worker. Is the one on call down here?” A resident calls out.

“Shit, I totally forgot, I'll go grab her!” She answers

Dana slowly makes her way towards the break room. Once she makes the corner, she walks in, without looking, 

“Breaks over, sweetie, you feeling better? You ever get to..” Dana finally looks up. You’re slumped in the vinyl chair, Jaw slack, head tilted slightly to the left. Dana takes in the image. Not sure if you're sleeping or if you’re dead. But once you don't take a breath in. Panic rushes through her body. 

“SHIT, ROBBY! FUCK- ANYBODY, I NEED A CRASH CART AND A GURNEY IN HERE!” Dana screams.

The scream sends the ED into a quietness that is rarely-no never heard in the department. Ice settles into everyone's veins. 

Robby sprints into the room. He freezes. Taking in the view. Lying down on the linoleum floor of the break room. Dana is right above you doing CPR.

“Holy- what the fuck happened?” A nurses run into the room, placing you onto the gurney. Dana is hopping onto the gurney with you to continue compressions. 

“I- I dont know, she wasn't feeling good, and I told her to take 10, I was go-ing to go check on her but got distracted with the MVC.” They roll you into trauma 2, nurses and residents freeze as they realize who it is. “When I finally had the chance, she wasn't breathing.”

“Somebody call Jack!” Dana calls out.

Perlah sprints out of the room, and the sounds of panic outside can still be heard while walking away. Using her phone, she clicks his contact. On the 7th ring,

“Perlah..? Whats up, m’just leavin-”

“Jack, come in now, it's... bad,  they're working on her now, but be quick,” Perlah says. 

In the trauma room, they work on you.

“Holy shit..” A resident mumbles while looking over the EKG. 

“What?” Robby asks, moving towards the resident. “Jesus,” He wipes his forehead. “Massive MI.”

Doctors and nurses work on your body.

“Pause compressions,” Princess calls out.

Asystole

“Fuck. Push Epi.” Robby looks at the monitor. Dana swaps with Shen for compressions. 

“Why aren't we shocking her?” Shen pants

“Its asystole, we can't shock asystole.” The man replies

October 28th, 2018 5:02 pm

Jack comes sprinting into the hospital. Immediately scanning for you, hoping they were joking. But as he scans the hospital, every nurse, doctor, paramedic, and security guard is staring at trauma 2. He sees Robby, now doing CPR on you. People bustling around you, moving equipment. IV bags hanging all around us. Anything to get your heart beating again. Jack drops his backpack in the middle of the hallway. In 2 long strides from the entrances to the trauma room, he enters. 

“Brother, we don't know what happened. She wasn't feeling good, went to take a break, and Dana found her like this.” Jack stares at your body. Shaking slightly everytime Robbys arms pump up and down. 

“Wh- she was fine this morning,” Jack stutters, moving towards the gurney, but before he can push Robby off so he can perform compressions himself, Dana moves into his vision. Tears streaked her flushed cheeks.

“Jack, step outside, you can't treat your own wife.”

“Fuck that, no, no im staying in here,” Jack pushes her slightly.

“Jack, get the fuck out. We’re all doing everything we can,” Robby yells at the man.

October 28th, 2018. 6:16 pm

“Pause compressions.”

Asystole

“Fuck.” Robby takes off his gloves, “Time of death.” He pauses to look at the clock. “Six-Sixteen Pm” 

The man walks out of the room, while the low hum of the monitor gets shut off. Around him, Tears streak nurses' and residents' faces. Outside the closed trauma room curtain, Jack sits on the floor. Unmoving, he stares at Robby.

“Jack…, im so- so fucking sorry. When we got to her, she was already in cardiac arrest. We don't know how long she was like that for.” Robby kneels in front of his friend, though he looks unfamiliar, grief aging him in the 1 hour it's been. “Shes dead, m’so sorry. We were doing compressions for over an hour. She wasn't getting any better. When we did an EKG, it showed she had a massive MI.” Jack looks up at Robby. Both men have tears streaming down their faces, silently crying.

“We had plans for tomorrow night, w-we were going to that new steakhouse.” Jack rambles on in denial.

“Dana comes out of the room your body is in. “Were gonna clean her up, get her to the viewing room. Once she's there, you can spend as much time as you’d like with her.”

 October 28th, 2018. 11:19 pm

Once you’re placed in the viewing room, Jack sits there. Staring at your body. Holding your cold hand. Nurses, doctors, med students who never knew you, even Gloria came in to say goodbye. But after a while, it was just you and him. Jack can’t speak. Even if he tried, words won't form. Like it left with your final breath on this earth. He plays with your wedding band. Slowly sliding off, leaving just your engagement ring. Jack takes off his dog tags, putting the ring on one chain. Putting the other chain around your neck. The cold silver sends electricity down his neck. 

Another hour goes by, and the viewing room is needed again. He needs to call your family and alert them of what has occurred in the last 7 hours. He’s not sure if he can say to your mother that she has outlived you. 

When Jack stands up, still gripping your hand, he leans over, leaving a chaste kiss on your lips. The final one you will ever receive. Tears come down jacks face and slowly trickle down to yours.

“Oh.. my love,” He whispers only to you.

November 2nd, 2018. 12:03 pm

The pews of the church are full as Jack steps up to the podium, paper in hand. Wearing your favorite suit, tears freely streaming down his face. He takes a slow, deep breath, looking out into the sea of people, also mourning the loss of you. In the front row, your mother and father sit together, Robby and Dana sitting closer to the middle, between you and Jack's relatives. Jack unravels the paper, setting it in front of him, he says your name. “On new years day of 2010, after only dating for around 9 months, I knew I was gonna marry you. In the bagel shop of all places, I knew. I knew when you said that stupid fact from a Snapple, that with my whole heart, I loved- love you. When I first met her-you on her first day of work at the PTMC, I didn't believe love was in the cards for me. I thought I was unable to give or receive love. But she taught me I was wrong.” Jack falters for a minute, “I love her so that I thought this was just a nightmare, that when I woke up, I would see her-you. I'm not ready to live this life without you, without your laugh, smile, stupid jokes, and seeing your face when I wake up every morning. The absence of you is heavy, heavier than- anything I have or will carry ever again. 11 years with you isn't enough, I need 11 more at least. Greed is one of the seven deadly sins, but being dead means being with you. But I'm living for you. My never-ending love means you're still with me, seeing your favorite animal when I'm walking, smelling your perfume while I'm in the park. You haunt me, but may I be haunted by you till the day I die, till I take my final breath and get to see your face again.” 

A/N: First time writing!!! I love sad endings to books or anything and I haven't seen a sad ending for a Pitt fan fiction so.. I decided to do it cause most fanfic writers write cause no one else has written it. Def will write again soon! if you guys have any requests send them in!

@deathbyvexs

[lqveharrington]

Family Tree | D.M.

summary: Eleven years after the second wizarding war, you find yourself making lifelong decisions on platform 9¾ once more.

pairing: ex!draco malfoy x fem!reader

includes: a LONG fic, daughter’s name is melody, talks about the war, abandonment, pregnancy, implied sex, cursing, hufflepuff slander (i’m a hufflepuff, i’m sorry), Pansy being a fun aunt & friend, teddy lupin mention being the coolest second cousin, melody is a mischievous child, teddy doesn’t like his god father, cursing, mainly angst with some fluff

a/n: i love him, your honor (he was truly my first love) this took way longer than i thought it would, so sorry 🙏

Years after you fought alongside Harry Potter to defend Hogwarts and the rest of the Wizarding World from Voldemort’s wrath, you found yourself packing trunks for Hogwarts once more. However, the trunks you packed were no longer yours. They contained unhoused robes and new textbooks that weren’t marked with your doodles and annotations. The pet carrier didn’t hold your own owl, but instead your daughter’s snowy owl.

Eleven years old. It was finally time for your daughter to attend Hogwarts.

The entire morning — the entire week — she would go on about finally being able to learn the spells and charms that protected the witches and wizards from evil. Just like you.

When you held her hand tightly to enter platform 9¾, she would continue to talk about seeing all the ghosts and paintings that were mentioned in all your stories. Of course, you never told her all the adventures you endured. She didn’t need to know where the Room of Requirements was.

“—And Moaning Myrtle! Is she as annoying as you said she was? I hope she isn’t. I want to ask her so many questions about you—“

“Melody, my love, you can’t bother the ghosts all the time. Hogwarts is a school.” You run your fingers through her platinum blonde hair and smile playfully when she scrunched her nose at you. You dusted off her shoulders and tilted your head, “What?”

“But it’s a magical school, mum. Shouldn’t I be able to ask questions if I have any?” She challenged you with a raised brow, pushing your hand away and adjusting her perfect hair — much like her father. She always wanted to be absolutely flawless, even when presented in front of you.

Your heart clenched at how similar Melody was to her father. Her smile and her mannerisms were all the same. It felt like you were eleven again and meeting him for the first time. The only difference between him and Melody was her eyes. She was born with your eyes — the ones filled with so much emotion with every single look.

Glancing down at your watch, you sighed and cocked your head to the side, fixating your gaze on the train that once took you to a place where you found everything and everyone you loved. Where you found him.

“Don’t miss me too much. I’ll be back every chance I get.” Melody took your hand in hers and squeezed, noticing your far off look. Her thumb traced the silver ring you wore on your left hand. She never knew what the M stood for on your ring — she always assumed it was for her name.

“I promise I’ll send an owl every week.”

“I know you will.” You pressed a kiss to the top of her head before your eyes caught a book being dropped by a young boy — who looked an awful lot like Tonks and Remus. Shaking your head, you bent to pick the book up and handed it to your daughter. “Can you quickly run and hand this to that young man? But come straight back. I want to properly say goodbye before you leave me forever.”

Melody rolled her eyes at your antics, but nothing could hide the smile that came with it. She made swift steps over to the boy before he boarded the train, eyes widening curiously when he faced her. The boy’s hair turned a bright pink as he thanked her, a sheepish smile gracing his lips.

“Are you a Metamorphmagus?” Melody whispered in excitement and watched his hair turned an electric blue. Her grin widened, recalling what you told her a while ago. “My mum says my aunt was one!”

The boy finally took a good look at Melody, a light bulb going off in his head when he realized who he was talking to. He recognized her the Black Family tree back at 12 Grimmauld Place. He opened his mouth to ask her who she was when his friends pulled him into the train without a single glance to whoever he was talking to.

Melody furrowed her brows in confusion before huffing, perfectly styled hair whipping behind her as she left to find you before boarding the express herself. She thought all Hufflepuffs were supposed to be sweet, but these Hufflepuffs seemed to ignore her like she was nothing but an itty bitty fairy.

She hoped she wasn’t put into Hufflepuff.

“My mum was one of the hero’s at Hogwarts.” She muttered to herself and — once again — flicked a piece of her blonde hair behind her shoulder, narrowly avoiding a collision of trolleys to her left. “I’ll tell her all about this.”

Melody made a quick turn to where she last left you before slamming into someone, nearly toppling over from the sheer force. She caught the person’s arm and yanked herself back before she could fall on her arse, mentally cursing herself for not looking at her surroundings.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” She muttered and dusted herself off from invisible dust, looking up at the person only to find a man staring at her with a shocked expression. Was he really that offended by it? He was an adult and she was merely eleven.

The man blinked before shaking his head, schooling his shocked expression to one of nonchalance instead. He looked around and tilted his head at the girl standing in front of him, examining her face like she was someone he recognized before. This girl reminded him of someone he used to know. Someone he used to love dearly.

Melody pursed her lips and rocked on the heel of her Mary Jane’s, avoiding his gaze. She wasn’t exactly uncomfortable with his staring, but she wasn’t comfortable either. Just as Melody was about to excuse herself from the man, she heard your familiar voice ring out, making her visibly relax despite your tone.

“Where were you? I told you to come straight back.” You rushed over to her and ran your fingers through her hair once more, unaware of your surroundings. You were so worried she had left before saying goodbye and it absolutely haunted you.

She looked back at the blonde man behind you for a split second before tilting her head down to the floor. Melody knew that you were waiting for an answer — she just had to suck up the embarrassment.

“I was coming to find you when I knocked into that man.” She gestured behind you and held back a whine when you tilted her head to check her for any cuts and bruises.

Melody made eye contact with the same person she knocked into again and hid her face in your jumper, hating that all the attention kept going back to her. She felt scrutinized under his gaze.

“Mum.”

You sigh softly and turn your attention to the man, still carding your fingers through Melody’s hair. You kept your eyes trained on her until she relaxed, finally looking up to meet the said person when years of memories hit you like a freight train.

“I’m so sorry about Melody. She usually isn’t this distracted — Draco?”

Your throat closed up at the sight of him — Draco Malfoy.

It was your Draco. The one who promised to love you his entire life; the one who promised to never leave your side; the one who left you alone with nothing but a broken heart and an unborn daughter.

Draco swallowed thickly and looked away. He felt horrible leaving you alone all these years, but he couldn’t figure out how to explain to you why he left so abruptly. Especially when you were about to drop your daughter — his daughter — off to Hogwarts.

Everything felt so overwhelming for the small family.

The whistling of the Hogwarts' Express immediately caught Melody's ears, her eyes widening at how little time she had left with you before departing for the next few months until holiday.

“Mum, the express is going to leave soon.” Melody’s voice snapped you out of your stupor, her small hand squeezing your ringed hand — which didn’t escape Draco’s gaze.

You cupped her face with both hands, kissing her forehead. This would be the first time you would be away from her for so long and you didn’t know if you could handle the separation.

“When you have time, send me an owl right away. Include your house in the parchment, alright? Be safe and make smart decisions.“ You instructed.

“I will.” She locked a pinky around yours before wrapping her arms around your neck, breathing in your familiar scent one last time. “I love you, mum.”

“I love you too, my sweet girl.” You held her tightly and made the horrible mistake of meeting Draco’s eyes. You looked away faster than he could mark the emotion in your eyes. “Now get on that train before it leaves without you.”

Melody ran on the train and found a compartment occupied by a couple of other first years, smiling when you waved to her as the Hogwarts’ Express left platform 9¾.

“You didn’t tell me you were pregnant.” Draco spoke and pushed his hair back — the initial shock finally settling in his chest.

You sigh and turn to face him, arms crossed over your chest. Although it had been years, the warmth from his gaze still filled you and you hated it. You hated that all the love you had for him was still stored away.

“Why are you here, Draco?”

He narrowed his eyes at your deflection but answered truthfully. He might as well begin with the truth before anything else.

“I’m the auror assigned to protect the wizards and witches at this platform.” Draco responded before glancing at his watch, frowning at the time it read back. “I’ll be back—“

You put your hand up and stopped his excuses, shaking your head and frowning. Pulling out your own wand, you pointed it at his chest and glared. You would never let yourself be fooled twice.

“That’s what you’re good at doing, Draco.” You tapped your wand on his chest, your heart screaming to stop but your mind blocked out every emotion you felt for him besides pure rage. “You’re good at leaving. That’s all I know about you, and that’s all Melody will ever know about her father.”

Draco’s hands clenched by his sides but made no effort to stop you. He could tell — your eyes betraying your every emotion — that you needed to reprimand him. He could see the way you wanted to scream and shout everything you kept bottled in your mind. Every single memory you had with him building up, ready to explode with any wrong move.

“Love—“

“You have no right.” You whisper at the nickname and shake your head at him, apparating away.

Melody watched in trepidation as first years were sorted into a house after Professor McGonagall read off their names from a long roll of parchment. Each and every one of them grinning brightly at the rest of the student body when the Sorting Hat screamed their respective houses out. Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long to be sorted.

After all, her mother blessed her with a last name that wouldn’t take ages to be called up.

“Bellemont, Melody!”

She beamed at the professors as she made her up onto the wooden stool, flicking a stray lock of blonde hair behind her shoulder as the Sorting Hat was placed upon her head. Melody wasn’t sure what to expect when the hat fell, but she knew she would rather move to America than be sorted in Hufflepuff like that group of boys she met at the station. They were all rude except for the Metamorphmagus she held an actual conversation with.

“A Malfoy who isn’t a Malfoy.” The Sorting Hat murmured to itself — and knowingly — Melody. “Clearly, you haven’t been raised with the pureblooded status quo. Perhaps your mother’s doing… But you have your father’s confidence and pride…”

Melody’s face twisted in confusion at the hat’s words. Who was Malfoy? Was that her father? Maybe her grandmother’s previous last name? She didn’t understand the hat, and as if it read her mind — which it could — clarified for the young witch.

“Your father was a broken soul.” The hat tutted and swished around her head like it was revisiting old memories of her parents. “Your mother wormed her way into his heart until she mended him.”

She blinked and looked over at McGonagall, who merely smiled at her. Melody pursed her lips and looked out into the crowd, hoping to find any kind of familiar face. Unfortunately, all her aunts and uncles decided to have children only a few years ago.

Melody frowned as the hat continued to make random comments about her parents, ultimately boring her from the ceremony. She wasn’t sure what the hat was going on about you and her father, but she was sure to send an owl to you soon.

“Nevertheless, your father and mother were in the same house.” The Sorting Hat commented before shouting its decision for everyone in the Great Hall to hear. “SLYTHERIN!”

Melody gave the applauding hall a tight-lipped smile as she walked over to the Slytherin table, finding an empty seat beside an enthusiastic prefect. She was ecstatic to be in the same house as her mother, of course, but now only one thing circled her mind. She didn’t feel the need to ever know about this before. You were all she ever needed. Yet the Sorting Hat planted something in her head, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it.

Who was her father? And who is Malfoy?

“I’ve been getting the same question back from Melody in every single letter. This is starting to get ridiculous.” You throw the recent letter you received from Melody on the kitchen counter, rubbing your face in frustration. “What the hell happened at Hogwarts for her to suddenly be interested in who her father is?”

On a normal day, Melody would never pester you about who her father was. Now, it felt like you got a letter everyday about who her father was. You weren’t sure what the best move was. Either way you went, everything would change drastically.

Pansy shrugged and read the letter, raising her brows at the perfect cursive that could rival Draco’s. “Maybe it’s time you should tell her. It’s been eleven years, and she’s old enough to know about him.“

You spun the stupid Malfoy ring on your finger and huffed. “It’s not about how old she is. I just don’t want her to know that Draco essentially abandoned her. Granted, he left before I could even tell him.” You glared at the silver ring. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t pull the piece of jewelry off. “Besides, she already met Draco. It’ll complicate the entire situation if I try to explain it now.”

“Wait — when did Melody meet Draco?” She furrowed her brows and sat up at the new information. Pansy squinted at your expression before gasping, nearly jumping out of her chair at the realization. “At the platform?”

“Yes.” You groan and bury your head in your hands. Even if you did want Melody to know about her father at some point, you didn’t want it to be like that. She doesn’t deserve such an abrupt change right before she hopped on the express for Hogwarts. “Melody bumped into him trying to find me.”

Pansy sighed and took your hands in hers, watching your reaction very closely. “It’s better that you tell her about Draco rather than someone else tell her. I don’t doubt you’ll make the right call about all of this, but please tell her sooner rather than later.” Pansy squeezed your hands and sent you a small smile.

You bit your bottom lip and glanced toward the moving photograph you hung on the wall. It was a picture of you, Pansy, and Blaise right before Draco’s final quidditch game. You were laughing at something Blaise said, but the photo only played that far into the memory before resetting.

Pansy caught your gaze and waved her wand over to the frame, changing the length of the moving photograph. Instead of you laughing at something Blaise said, you were pulling an unamused Draco to sit beside you for the photo.

Your heart clenched at the sight, finally giving into your daughter’s pleads.

“I’ll tell Melody when she comes home for the holidays. I don’t want her to find out via owl.” You sigh and wave your hand toward the photograph, setting it back to the way it was originally.

The photo was taunting you to look back over, but your fragile heart couldn’t take it anymore.

You could always tell yourself you wanted nothing to do with Draco, but everyone knew that you would run back if you found the perfect reason to. Maybe Melody was your perfect reason.

“Melody, wait!”

The girl turned to the sound of her name — blonde locks flawlessly following through — and her arms tightened around the textbooks she held. Out of all the people at Hogwarts, she least expected to see the boy from the train station jogging toward her. She looked behind him for his friends — if you could even call them friends — but it was just the boy. The Metamorphmagus boy.

“Yes?” She tilted her head and creased her eyebrows when his hair turned a horrid shade of green. The color made her feel uneasy, forcing her to wait until it faded back to its original state to speak. “I’m sorry, I don’t really know your — er — name.”

The boy blinked before sticking his hand out, shaking her hand profusely. “I’m Teddy Lupin. I’m so sorry about my friends back on the express months ago. They found an unoccupied compartment and wanted to claim it before someone else took it.”

Melody slowly nodded and glanced at her leather watch, frowning when she realized she was already seconds late to a study session with a couple of first years she befriended. She pursed her lips and gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Was that all you needed me for? I need to study for a charms exam.”

“Well — uhm — I don’t want you to not study, but I wanted to ask you if this was you. If it’s not, it looks scarily like you and has the exact same name. Except the last name matches my uncle’s — “

Melody barely processed the rest of his rambling as Teddy pulled out a photograph of a wall she couldn’t recognize. There were bits and pieces of the wall that were burnt and faces that were skeletons rather than perfectly painted — perfectly detailed — faces. It seemed like the wall went on forever until she glanced at the very bottom right.

Melody’s breath lodged in her throat as she read the last name painted beside her legal first name. Her eyes followed the family tree branch up to find — not her mother — but her father’s face painted on the wall. Although your face wasn’t painted, your name was still written underneath one—

“Draco Malfoy.” She whispered and looked up at Teddy with a shocked expression, hands gripping the photograph in confusion.

There was the last name the Sorting Hat kept muttering.

It was the same man she met at the platform months ago. The color of his hair — and the way you acted around him — should’ve been a dead giveaway that he was indeed her father. Melody shook her head and gave Teddy back the photo, determined to understand why you chose to hide this from her for so long.

“You wouldn’t mind helping me figure the rest of this out, would you?”

The wind breezing through platform 9¾ from the Hogwarts’ Express sent your hair flying through the air and your arms tightening around yourself. You were picking Melody up for the holidays and made the awful decision to not bring a stupid coat — thinking you could get out within minutes.

Silently cursing from how cold it was, you watch the students stream out of the train until you saw the platinum blonde hair you knew belonged to your daughter. Instantly, her eyes met yours and she ran. She ran until she knocked herself into your arms, nearly toppling the both of you over.

“Hi, mum.” She murmured into your neck and pulled herself impossibly closer. She tucked her chin in your shoulder, letting herself melt in your arms. “I missed you.”

You blinked away suppressed tears and kissed the side of her head. You didn’t realize how much you missed your sweet girl until she was in your arms again. “I missed you too, my love.”

You adjusted her Slytherin scarf — proudly, you might add — around her neck before pressing a kiss in her hair. You would make the most out of the two weeks you had with her if it was the last thing you did.

The commotion of the platform left the both of you unfazed as you went to grab her trunk from the express. You shrunk the trunk before tucking it away in your pocket, sending Melody a grin when she rolled her eyes at you. But as you went to leave the platform, Melody tugged you back in place with wide eyes.

You furrowed your brows and stared at her with a confused expression, hands ready to grab your wand in case she saw something that was potentially threatening. “What—?”

“Melody!” A boy ran over to your daughter and put a hand up as he took deep breaths, hair flashing many different colors before settling on purple. “I couldn’t find you after you left the compartment.”

You tilted your head at the sudden arrival of a boy before recognizing the face. You could recognize that face anywhere. After all, he was a spitting image of Remus and Tonks.

“Mum, this is Teddy Lupin.” Melody gestured to the tall boy and pushed up on her tippy toes to look past him, a small frown tugging at her lips.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Teddy.” You shake his hand and gently pull Melody back, eyeing her suspiciously before speaking to the young boy once more. “I haven’t seen you since you were an itty bitty baby.”

Teddy felt his heart kick up at the thought of you knowing him before now. You must’ve known him from when he was a mere baby. You probably knew his parents and who his parents were.

“You knew my parents?” He breathed with eyes shimmering with interest.

“Of course, I did. Your father taught me in my third year, and I absolutely adored your mother.” You tucked a piece of hair behind your ear and sighed, shaking away the thought of him being orphaned at such a young age. You would forever curse Voldemort for destroying so many families. “How are your studies going, Teddy? I heard—”

“Must we explain everything, mum?” Melody whined and interrupted your friendly demeanor. She didn’t want to stay at the platform any longer than you, but she needed to be here until he showed up, and she didn’t want to spend all that time listening to you being extra polite. It felt weird.

“Did you bring—?”

“He’s making his way over.” Teddy waved his hand in the air and rolled his eyes, slight annoyance filling them. Not because of her but because of his uncle.

He seemed to be taking his sweet time trying to find Teddy after he all but ran toward Melody the second he saw her blonde hair over crowds of reunited families. Although, he had to admit that his uncle was far better on time management than his god father. Harry Potter could save the entire wizarding world yet he still was late to all of Teddy’s milestones.

“He’s making his way through the crowds, although he was quite skeptic on why I suddenly asked him about dinner.”

You looked between the two and knitted your brows together. You knew Melody invited someone over for dinner, but you didn’t expect another person. So who was the other?

Before either of the two could speak, you interrupted with a stern tone. “Him who?”

“Ted, you can’t wander off and not tell me who we’re going to have dinner with — Oh, fuck me.” Draco caught up to his nephew, who he found standing beside the woman he loved all these years. He didn’t think running into you twice at the platform in one year would even be possible.

“Shit.” You mutter and quickly avert your eyes from staring at his disheveled figure, forcing your heart to steady itself.

Looking down at the two children, you crossed your arms and raised a brow. You couldn’t help but think the both of them planned it — and by the looks of their guilty faces — you knew you were right.

“What did you two do?”

Teddy folded before Melody could even utter a single syllable. He jabbed a finger in her direction as his hair turned a bright pink. “Melody did it.”

“Gee, thanks.” The said girl pushed his hand away from her face and met your questioning gaze. She knew she shouldn’t have surprised either of you, but she wanted the truth without you stepping on eggshells every single time. “Uhm…”

You tilted your head and waited for her to continue, feeling Draco’s looming presence right beside you. He was equally as confused by the ambush but was willing to listen to his daughter.

Melody nervously played with the ends of her hair before spilling everything, shutting her eyes tightly when she heard how selfish her plan truly was. If something horrible came out of this, it would’ve been her fault that you were upset and her father would never want to see her again.

“I just really want to know the truth! Teddy showed me the Black Family Tree a while ago and — well — I saw me on there connected to who I suppose my father is. And when I realized it was the same person we saw here, I knew I had to find a way to see him again. I want to know who my dad is, I want to really know him.”

Draco’s face twisted into surprise and looked over at Teddy for confirmation only to whip his head back to Melody.

“And your name was written underneath his, mum.”

Instinctively, you hid your left hand under your arm and bit the inside of your cheek. Though you weren’t officially married to Draco, his family signet indicated that you were promised to one another. Whether you decided to continue with the marriage or not wasn’t a controlling factor.

“You know he’s your father, what else is there to say?”

Melody peeled her eyes open and frowned. You were getting so defensive and she still didn’t know why you never told her about her father. Even Draco looked hurt by your words.

“Why did you never tell me?” She spoke softly — afraid that the only thing she’s ever known could fall apart in an instant. She loved you, but what you kept from her seemed so unfair.

“I promise I was going to tell you this week.” You matched her tone and pursed your lips when you saw her eyes swimming with sadness.

Melody shifted her attention to her father and crossed her arms, tilting her chin up with the same confidence he had at her age. “Did you come to the station on purpose?”

He swallowed thickly and shook his head, tucking his hands into his front pockets, fidgeting from habit. He hated confrontation. “No, I’m an auror stationed here when students head back to Hogwarts and come back.”

Melody looked to Teddy for confirmation — much like her father — and received a curt nod back, making her bite her lip in frustration. Neither of them was giving her the information she wanted needed. All she saw was the tension and the underlying love of two different people.

She wasn’t sure what to do. On one hand, she could press on and continue bothering them. But on the other —

“I didn’t even know your mother was pregnant.”

You perked up at the mention and glared at the blonde, eyes filled with the same anger and disappointment he saw months ago. “And whose fault is that?”

“I’m sorry that I wanted to protect you.” Draco narrowed his eyes at you, his tone challenging yours.

Melody took a small step back. This wasn’t how she planned this to go, but this was more information she received than from the last eleven years.

“You made that decision yourself.” You whispered, voice cracking with hurt. The walls you carefully built around old memories chipped away as you recalled them all — each moment flashing in your mind. “I could’ve helped, Dray. Instead, you pushed me away like I was nothing.”

Draco furrowed his brows together and shook his head — you were always so stubborn and so correct. “You could’ve gotten killed—“

“I would have died to stay with you.” You instinctively grabbed his hand. “Do you know how long I waited? How long I used to stay up — wondering if you would ever come back?” The tears began to well up as you continued to speak, voice trembling and hands shaking.

Draco quietly listened and stared down at your ringed finger, his family signet shining for all the wizarding world to see. He promised to marry you — to take you away from the mess of the past.

Yet he still left.

“I was praying to whoever was out there for you to come find me.” You quietly spoke and finally dropped his hand. “You left me with nothing.”

The both of you stared at one another with unspoken apologies. No matter how long it’s been, you could still read him and he could still read you. To one another, it was like reading a childhood book that could be recited front to back.

After seconds of stiff silence, you turned back to Melody and Teddy — handing your daughter the miniature trunk and keys to your car. “Melody, take Teddy and wait in the car.”

“Mum—“

“Now.” You cut her off and watch her and Teddy leave the platform. Steadying your breathing once more, you looked back at Draco and twisted your ring. “Do you even have anything to say?”

He looked between your eyes and ran his fingers through his hair, voice small like the seventeen year old Death Eater he once was.

“I’m sorry.” He spoke with so much emotion you swore you could see the colors surrounding him. “I’m so sorry I left without saying anything.”

A noise threatened to leave your lips, but you made no effort to leave your position nor say anything.

“But I was vowed to follow my father’s footsteps by becoming a Death Eater.” He took your hand in his and traced the familiar lines across your palm, effectively calming him and you. “Waking up beside you brought me comfort in all the torture they made me endure. I knew you didn’t deserve to suffer with me, so I left.”

Draco watched your hand delicately hover his arm where the mark was, biting his tongue when you thumbed the space below — something you used to do back in sixth year when he got so overwhelmed with his mission.

“I can’t ever take back the day I decided to leave and never show up again, but I don’t regret it.”

You silently absorbed his words and sniffled — signs that were so clear to Draco about what was to come. He tilted his head down to meet your eyes again, giving you a weak smile.

“You raised an excellent daughter without me.” He tired to cheer you up but frowned when he saw the shimmer of a singular tear streak down your face.

“I needed you.” You frustratedly wipe your tear and look away, knowing that the vulnerability of your heart was completely at stake. “Dray, I was seventeen too.”

He squeezed his eyes shut at the thought of the both of you — so young and restrained by everything.

“I was pregnant and terrified. I didn’t know if I could even raise a child on my own.” You breathed and looked up at the glass roofing, pushing the rest of the tears away. “Imagine how different our life would be if you just stayed.”

Another tear escaped and — suddenly — your barriers crumbled. The mere thought of raising Melody on your own without Draco consumed your every being. And somehow — even with just you — she ended up exactly like her father.

“Yes, Melody is amazing, but I really needed you.”

Draco caught your eyes and instantly pulled you in his arms, tucking your head under his chin — refusing to let go of you ever again. His heart continued to break at your silent sobs, each sniffle and hiccup chiseling the crack that formed years ago.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered and repeated it like a mantra, voice raw with so much sincerity. “I’m so sorry, my love. I’m sorry.”

“I needed you, Draco.” You sobbed and breathed in his familiar scent as you buried your face in his chest. You gripped the lapels of his suit, eyes squeezed shut as if you were afraid he would disappear again. “For more than eleven years, I needed you.”

“I needed you too.” Draco whispered and tilted your head up, thumbing your streaked face. His heart ached from all the time he missed out on. “I’m sorry.”

It felt like ages before you pulled away from him. The only sounds that could be heard was your occasional sniffling and the hisses of the express. You took in a shaky breath and wiped your nose with the sleeve of your jumper, mouth moving before your heart and mind could catch up.

“Would you still have dinner with us? I’m sure you’ve been here all day waiting for the arrival of the express.”

Finally listening to your own words, your freeze before slowly meeting his eyes. You were more shocked at yourself than his answer.

“I would love to have dinner with you and Melody.” He answered truthfully before waving his free hand around with the smallest smile on his face. “And Teddy.”

You match his expression and tilt your head to the right, wringing your hands together. “Maybe you could finally get to know Melody.”

Draco’s lips curled into a fully blown smile, his gray-blue eyes sparkling with delight at the idea of finally knowing his one and only daughter. “I would like that.”

“Me too.” You say softly and — for the first time in a long time — hide the rising warmth forming on your cheek.

Draco Malfoy. The biggest love and loss of your life.

©lqveharrington - all rights reserved. do not copy, translate or share my work on other media platforms

[lxtinalvr]

Off The Record

LARA X FEM READER

Lara Raj has millions of fans, but only few people see her as just Lara. Unfortunately, the one who makes her feel the most like herself is the one she's been told to stay away from.

Ignoring the warning is easier than ignoring each other.

Warnings: smoking (mentions of vaping/marijuana use), kissing/sorta suggestive content, swearing/strong language (?), contraband, sorta implied underage use of substances.

Also I don't rlly smoke so my fault if I gt the terms wrong or Whtv

I'm so sad abt Mexico's game so here is my unfinished story that was supposed to have smut😔

______________

Fame was strange and Lara Raj had learned that pretty quickly.

A few years ago, she was just another girl chasing a dream.

Now she was a part of KATSEYE, the global pop girl group who rose to fame a few months after their debut.

Being part of KATSEYE was everything she had ever wanted. The music, the performances, the fans screaming their names—it was unreal.

With fame came more hate, more work to do, less time to unwind, and more things to be careful about.

Which is why the girls tried their best to be private with what they could while also being open to their fans to create barriers and such.

For Lara Raj, those barriers felt paper-thin tonight.

The afterparty for Coachella was packed with influencers, friends of influencers, friends of friends, people who snuck in, and flashing lights from cameras.

Every smile she gave felt choreographed, every conversation felt like a networking deal, and she felt like all eyes were on her wherever she walked.

“Lara, come here! We need to get a picture together girl!"

“Lara, come say hi to this influencer?”

“My friend loves you so much if you could say hi to her-”

She smiled. She always smiled.

That was the job.

But tonight, the smile felt heavier than usual.

Suffocated by the heat and the constant, deafening thump of “PINKY UP”, Lara quickly slipped away from the rest of the girls, hunting for a place where she could just breathe for five seconds without a camera pointed at her face.

She ignored the questions from people passing by and pushed open a heavy metal exit door at the back of the venue, stepping into the hot night air of the alleyway.

The heavy door clicked shut behind her, instantly muffling everything that was overwhelming her earlier.

Silence.

Finally.

Or at least, as quiet as an alley behind a party could be.

Then Lara noticed she wasn’t alone.

Leaning against the brick wall was you.

The faint yellow glow that partially illuminated your face faded just before a thick cloud of smoke escaped your lips.

You wore baggy clothes, your body leaning on the wall, and your eyes were glued to your phone screen.

You had a chemistry quiz at 8:00 AM that you hadn't opened a single book for, but your college class felt incredibly small compared to the heavy cash resting in your inner pocket.

To you, tonight was just another night on the job. You didn't care about the music industry, you didn't care about the party.

You didn’t care about whoever contacted you for supplies, and you certainly didn't care about whoever just walked through that door.

You were just looking at your phone like the entire world could wait.

Which, to Lara, was almost unbelievable.

She was used to people noticing her.

You didn’t even look up.

A small smile tugged at Lara’s lips.

Interesting.

Before Lara could say something, the metal door groaned open again.

Daniela’s boyfriend, Jonah, stepped out into the dim light, checking over his shoulder before letting the door click shut.

“Yo,” he said, pulling out a crumpled bill from his pocket and handing it to you.

"Tell me you have something left. The music at this party is intense and I need to unwind.”

You finally looked up.

“Seriously?” you asked. “We agreed that you would text me”

Jonah laughed

“You know I forget"

“Clearly" you say rolling your eyes playfully

The exchange was casual, familiar.

Lara watched quietly, realizing this wasn’t some random interaction.

You knew him.

He grabbed the small package, thanking you before finally noticing Lara standing a few feet away, watching the exchange.

He cleared his throat, adjusting his jacket as a brief wave of panic crossed his features. 

That almost told Lara everything.

“Oh, uh, Lara. This is Y/N, my friend. Y/N, this is Lara—my girlfriend’s bandmate.”

You looked over.

For the first time that night, your eyes actually met hers.

Lara didn't flinch. Instead, she took a step forward.

Even dressed down in baggy jeans and a tight top, Lara carried a natural, billboard-ready aura that made the dirty alley look like a movie set. 

As her eyes locked onto yours, she braced herself for the usual reaction.

The surprised reaction.

The awkward excitement.

The “oh my god, you’re Lara Raj.”

Instead, you simply nodded.

“Cool"

Lara blinked.

“Cool?”

You shrugged

“Yeah?"

A laugh escaped her before she could stop it.

It was almost like you were treating the global pop star like she was absolutely nobody.

A genuine, intrigued smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

Jonah smiled, raising his hands. “Well, I’ll leave you both to it before I get blamed for whatever happens here"

You scoffed, “Whatever, Jonah,” you said as he walked back in.

Once he disappeared, the alley went quiet again.

Lara crossed her arms.

“So you’re always this welcoming?”

“No"

“No?”

“You’re weird,” Lara said.

“You’re standing in an alley behind your own party talking to a stranger.”

A pause

“Fair"

You turned your attention back to Lara “Don’t let me keep you from your party”

You put the cash in your pocket and turned to leave.

But before you could take a step, Lara spoke up, her voice cutting through the quiet alley.

“What if I don’t want to go back in there?”

You paused, looking over your shoulder.

Lara was watching you, her arms crossed against her chest as she leaned against the wall, a look of pure curiosity in her eyes.

“Then go home,” you said, shrugging

“Do you want me to?”

You looked at her, confused.

“What?”

“Do you think I should go back in?”

You shrugged “I don’t know you"

That answer surprised her.

Most people acted like they knew her.

You were the first person in a while who admitted you didn’t.

Lara rolled her eyes and laughed—a real sound that she hadn’t made all night, except for when it came to her bandmates' lame jokes.

“You really don’t care, do you?”

“Not really,” you said, pulling out the vape again.

“Do you even know who I am?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Yeah, Jonah said your Lara from the band Daniela is in,” you said simply.

“So you do care.”

“No, I don’t even know you like that. I only know Jonah and Daniela. I grew up with him, and obviously, I met Daniela through him and stuff when they got together,” you said, looking at the time on your phone.

Lara nodded, processing the fact that you genuinely just saw her as a regular person attached to a childhood friend.

It was incredibly refreshing.

You looked at her for a second, noticing the lingering exhaustion in her eyes. “Do you want a hit, or are you just gonna stare?”

Lara hesitated for a fraction of a second, the strict warnings of her media training ringing faintly in her head.

Don't get photographed doing anything reckless. Don't associate with strangers. Keep the image clean.

But looking at you—so entirely unimpressed by her global status—she didn't care.

She walked over, leaning in slightly as you offered her the device. 

She inhaled before slowly pushing the smoke forward with her tongue, pulling it back in with a grin.

She exhaled the final cloud with a soft sigh that felt like letting go of the entire night's stress.

“Look at that,” you said, a genuine smile breaking across your face.

“That was a good ghost"

Lara shrugged, a playful spark in her eyes.

“Not my first rodeo"

“Clearly,” you muttered, taking the vape back from her.

There was a lingering silence between you two, but it wasn't awkward.

The heavy, muffled bass of another song vibrated through the wall. A big difference to the quiet tension growing in the alley. 

"So, Lara. If you're not going back inside, and you're not taking a ride home... what's the plan?"

Lara looked down at your heavy boots, then back up to your eyes. "I don't know. Anything that doesn't involve a camera."

You sighed and looked at your phone again—1:30 AM. Your chemistry quiz felt further away than ever. 

"My car is parked three blocks down. I was gonna grab a drink and kill time."

“And?”

“And I was going to get food.”

“You’re inviting me?”

“I’m saying if you’re going to keep standing here looking miserable, at least do it somewhere with fries. You can tag along, but I'm driving a piece of shit"

For the first time all night, Lara didn’t feel like she had to be anyone.

Not a performer.

Not a celebrity.

Not someone who had everything figured out.

Just Lara.

“Okay,” she said.

You pushed yourself away from the wall.

“Again, don't complain about my car"

“I haven’t even seen it.”

“Exactly but when you do see it, don’t"

And for some reason Lara followed behind, texting the girls she was done for the night and she’d catch them at tomorrow’s practice.

_____________________

The next morning, Lara woke up thinking the night before had almost felt unreal.

Partly because of the performance.

But it was 100% not because of the afterparty.

It was because of you and that was the strange part.

She had met thousands of people since joining KATSEYE.

Influencers, celebrities, producers, fans, people who wanted pictures, people who wanted connections.

But somehow, the person she remembered most was the girl sitting in a parking lot at two in the morning eating fries from a McDonalds.

“You know you’re allowed to order actual food, right?” Lara had asked.

You looked offended

“These fries are food.”

“They’re barely anything"

“They're edible right?"

She laughed

Again.

And that was the problem.

Lara couldn’t remember the last time she laughed that much without thinking about how she looked doing it.

She sat up in bed, staring at her phone.

No new messages.

For some reason, she was disappointed.

She immediately shook the thought away.

She barely knew you.

You were Jonah’s friend.

That was it.

At least, that was what she told herself.

⸻

The KATSEYE dressing room was a chaotic blur of wardrobe racks, makeup lights, and hair extensions as the girls prepped for their next shoot. 

Lara was sitting in front of the mirror, carefully applying lip gloss, when Daniela slid into the chair next to her.

“Lara"

Lara looked up.

“What?”

Daniela faced her

“Who is Y/N?”

Lara froze for half a second.

Not because she was caught.

Because she didn’t expect the question.

“What?”

“Jonah told me"

Lara sighed, of course he did. She gave her a small side eye through the mirror, adjusting her hair in the mirror

"Yeah, he introduced us kinda? She's nice, she let me use her vape for a second, it’s not a big deal."

Daniela gave her a look.

“His friend who was outside the party doing stuff that Jonah definitely shouldn’t have been doing?”

The makeup artist glanced between them before quietly walking away.

Lara lowered her voice.

“Daniela"

“No, listen. I’m not trying to be annoying.”

“You’re doing a great job at it"

Daniela rolled her eyes.

“I’m serious"

The teasing disappeared.

And that made Lara listen.

“Lara, you know I love you, right?”

“Obviously"

“And I’m not saying Y/N is a horrible person.”

“Then what are you saying?”

Daniela sighed.

“I’m saying she lives a completely different life than we do.”

Lara looked away.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning we have people watching our every move. We have contracts. We have fans. We have a reputation we have to protect.”

Lara crossed her arms.

“So because she’s different, she’s automatically bad?”

“No"

Daniela shook her head quickly

“That’s not what I said"

“Kind of sounds like it"

Daniela softened.

“She’s not bad. Jonah loves her like family. I know she’s loyal. I know she has a good heart"

“Then what’s the issue?”

“The issue is that she doesn’t care what happens.”

Lara went quiet.

Daniela continued.

“And that’s what worries me. She could be a bad influence Lara. For your own sake, the band’s sake, just stay away from her”

Lara paused, staring at her reflection. 

“Okay” she said.

A bad influence, she thought to herself.

There was something raw and authentic about the way you looked at her last night, like she was just Lara, not a product.

And Daniela's warning only made her want to see you more.

Because who was she just to judge a book by its cover without reading the pages herself. 

________________________

Two weeks later, Lara completely threw Daniela's warning out the window.

You and Jonah grew up together, so your circles overlapped naturally.

Meaning Jonah’s phone was always buzzing with parties from either his side or his girlfriend’s and of course you were told to tag along.  Which to Lara seemed odd because she swears she's never seen you until that night.

So while Lara didn't seek you out actively, and you certainly didn’t chase after global pop stars, it all just came together naturally where you became a part of the routine.

A late-night hangout at Jonah’s apartment turned into Lara sitting on the counter while you fixed a loose wire on his television. 

A group dinner became you sitting across from Lara, making fun of her drink choice.

“That’s the most celebrity drink I’ve ever seen.”

Lara looked down.

“It’s literally lemonade.”

“It’s lavender lemonade.”

“And?”

“And you’re proving my point.”

She laughed.

“You’re annoying.”

“You keep talking to me though.”

___________________

Eventually the texting started.

A casual group chat Jonah made to plan a beach bonfire. 

Your name popped next to a string of digits, Lara wasted no time saving it.

That same night, Lara was lying in her bed at the KATSEYE dorms, the white light of her phone illuminating her face

Her finger hovered over your profile on Instagram. 

Your account was private, the profile picture just a blurry, aesthetic shot of a steering wheel at night, and your bio was completely blank. 

It was the exact opposite of her verified page with millions of followers.

She tapped Follow, and to her surprise, you accepted it within two minutes. You followed her back.

A minute later, her phone vibrated with a direct message.

[huhyn]: surprised you're allowed to follow people like me on your main

[lararaj]: I do what I want. Besides, nobody checks my following list at 2 AM.

[huhyn]: bold of you to assume that 🦭 don't get me banned from jonah's house.

[lararaj]: I won't. By the way, I’m also in the group chat Jonah made. Idk if my name came up to my number so its xxx-xxx-xxx

You didn't reply to the DM. Instead, a text message lit up her screen a second later from your actual phone number.

[Y/N]: If you're gonna text me, don't do it while you're at practice.

[Lara]: Good to know you're looking out for me.

[Y/N]: I'm looking out for my business, Raj. Go to sleep.

A few days later, a casual group text about grabbing diner food at 2:00 AM turned into you pulling up to the curb, only to find Lara sitting on the stairs waiting for you alone because Jonah and Daniela fell asleep upstairs.

"You're late, the others fell asleep" Lara said, sliding into the passenger seat of your car for the second time. 

"I have a life, Raj," you muttered, pulling away from the curb.

"Some of us actually have to study for midterms."

"Did you pass the calc test?” she asked, a teasing tilt to her voice as she adjusted the air vent.

“B plus ," you sighed, though a small smirk tugged at your lips. "Good enough to keep my parents off my back."

"You still hungry?"

"Obviously" she said looking out the window.

You nod before reaching over and handing her dinosaur shaped fruit snacks.

Lara stared at it before looking at you. She held it up and looked back and forth between you and the snacks.

"What?" you said

"These are dinosaur shaped..."

"They were cheaper" you said defensively

"I'm sure its the same price as the other ones"

"Well they taste better"

"I don't know it looks like typical fruit snacks to me" she says opening the packet.

"They're dinosaur shaped" you corrected

"Huge difference" Lara said smiling to herself

"You're such a weird person"

"and you're still in my car so who is the weirder one here"

Lara sighed dramatically.

Silence fell over the two of you other than the music playing softly. Lara occasionally stealing another gummy packet while pretending she hated them.

_______________

Over the next month, those late-night texts became a routine Lara grew dependent on.

KATSEYE’s schedule was a relentless blur of studio sessions, rehearsals, and content shoots because of their new EP releasing soon.

Every second of her day was controlled. Except for her nights which belonged to the quiet vibration of her phone under her pillow.

At first, it was casual.

Mostly jokes.

Mostly random things.

Mostly you sending pictures of something ridiculous and Lara wondering why she was smiling at her phone.

You were blunt, sarcastic, and completely unimpressed by the pop star lifestyle, which was exactly what she needed.

When she sent you a snippet of an unreleased track, you didn't fawn over it like everyone else.

[Lara]: [Audio File - Demo_3.mp3]

[Lara]: Be honest

[Y/N]: Its good but the bass is too clean. Sounds like a commercial😭

[Lara]: That’s the point, it’s a pop song lol

[Y/N]: It’s boring tho, sounds like everything else on the radio.

[Lara]: Wow

[Y/N]: You asked for honesty?

[Lara]: I expected support 🌝

[Y/N]: You have millions of people supporting you. You don’t need another person lying.

She stared at that message.

[Lara]: Come tell me that to my face then

[Y/N]: Name the place

___________________________

That was how the secret hangouts started.

The secret became a high-stakes game.

You would text her a location, usually a low-key spot near her dorms where the streetlights were broken.

Somewhere she could sneak into your car, and she be able to slip past the security cameras wearing a completely unbranded, oversized black hoodie.

However, the girls started noticing something.

Lara was glued to her phone during hair and makeup.

A small, private smile tugging at her lips that she quickly wiped away whenever anyone looked over her shoulder.

"Who are you texting so much?" Yoonchae asked one afternoon, leaning over the back of Lara's chair with a raised eyebrow.

"You've been distracted all week" Megan chimed in

"Just my mom," Lara lied smoothly, locking her screen and tossing the phone face down on the vanity.

Daniela gave her a suspicious look but dropped it as the stylist called them to the floor.

Most of the time, the drives were quiet.

You didn't pry into her pop star life, and she didn't say or ask too many questions about who you were meeting later. 

Except for tonight.

While you were stopped at a red light, Lara leaned her head against the cool glass of the passenger window and broke the silence.

"The girls were on my case today," Lara muttered, her voice flat with exhaustion.

"Jonah told Daniela about the alley, a few weeks ago. She went on this whole speech about how you're a bad influence because you drink and smoke, and how I need to stay away from you for the sake of the band."

You didn't look over at her.

You just kept your eyes on the road, taking a slow hit of your blunt before shifting into drive as the light turned green.

"She's not wrong," you said bluntly, exhaling the smoke through the cracked window.

"I don't really care about your band, but she's right. I'm a liability to your image. If you're smart, you'd take her advice."

Lara just let out a dry, quiet laugh, looking out at the passing streetlights. "Yeah, well. I've never been big on taking advice."

___________________________

After that night, things changed.

Not dramatically.

Not in a way either of you could point to and say, there. That was the moment.

However the tension between you two was a physical weight.

You weren’t just Jonah’s childhood friend who he dragged around.

You were Lara’s escape. 

She looked forward to hearing from you.

The girl who didn’t care about her fame.

The girl who never asked for pictures.

The girl who never treated her like she was untouchable.

You made her feel normal.

And that was dangerous.

Because normal was something Lara had been missing for a long time.

You'd pick her up at 2:00 AM, the interior of your car smelling like spearmint and the sweet undercurrent of your vape. 

You’d drive through the empty city streets, listening to blurry partynextdoor tracks, letting the cool air wash away the heavy stress of her reality.

Every casual shrug, every blunt comeback, and every accidental brush of your shoulders in the front seat was burning down a short fuse. 

The pauses became longer.

The jokes became softer.

The silence between you started meaning something.

You both knew something was bound to happen.

And that scared you.

Because you knew what this was becoming.

You weren’t stupid.

You noticed the way Lara looked at you when she thought you weren’t paying attention.

You noticed the way she started telling you things she didn’t tell other people.

Things about being tired.

Things about feeling like she always had to be “on.”

Things about missing the version of herself that existed before everyone knew her name.

And the worst part?

You understood.

Because you knew what it felt like to have people assume they knew you.

They saw the clothes.

The attitude.

The rumors.

They decided who you were before they ever asked.

The difference was Lara had millions of people watching her.

You only had a handful.

But the feeling was the same.

So you did what you always did when something started becoming important.

You made distance.

Not enough for Lara to notice immediately.

Just enough.

You took longer to answer texts.

You stopped picking her up after every late rehearsal.

You stopped sending random pictures of things that reminded you of her.

You convinced yourself it was the right thing.

Because eventually, someone was going to find out.

Eventually, a picture would leak.

Eventually, someone would ask why Lara Raj was spending so much time with a girl who didn’t fit the image everyone expected from her.

And when that happened?

You knew exactly who would get hurt.

Not you.

Her.

___________

Lara noticed on the third day.

Of course she did.

She sat in the dressing room, staring at her phone.

No new messages.

No sarcastic comments.

No random complaints about school.

Nothing.

Daniela watched her from across the room.

“You okay?”

Lara immediately locked her phone.

“Yeah.”

Daniela raised an eyebrow.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’ve checked your phone like ten times.”

Lara looked away.

“I’m just busy.”

Daniela didn’t say anything.

And somehow, that was worse.

Because Lara knew Daniela understood.

It finally broke on a Friday night, right around the three month mark of you guys being less than something but more than just anything. 

KATSEYE had just finished a brutal photo shoot and by the time Lara got back to the dorms, the other girls went straight to sleep.

But Lara couldn’t.

The walls felt like they were closing in, the lingering pressure of her public persona suffocating her.

She checked her phone—2:15 AM—and finally sent a single text.

[Lara]: You awake?

[Y/N]: Just finished a lab assignment. Why?

[Lara]: Did I do something?

You stared at the message longer than you should have.

Because that wasn’t what you expected.

You expected anger.

A joke.

Something easy.

Not that.

Not her thinking she was the problem.

Your fingers hovered over the keyboard.

[Y/N]: No?

A minute passed.

[Lara]: Then why are you avoiding me?

[Y/N]: I’m not

The typing bubble appeared instantly.

[Lara]: You are y/n

A few seconds passed before your phone rang.

Lara.

You stared at the screen for a few and then answered.

"Hey"

"Don't hey me y/n"

"what happened Lara?"

"Come get me please. The usual spot."

"Okay give me a few" you said and with that she hung up the phone.

________________

Ten minutes later, Lara was slipping past the lobby cameras, her heart racing in a way that had nothing to do with fear of getting caught and everything to do with the beat-up car pulling up to the corner.

She opened the passenger door and slid in, the familiar scent of spearmint and the sweet trail of your vape instantly washing over her like a breath of fresh air.

You didn't ask her how her day was.

You didn't ask about the shoot.

You just looked at her, noticed the exhaustion in the slump of her shoulders, and shifted the car into drive.

"You look like shit, Raj," you muttered quietly, your voice a low, soothing hum over the static of the radio.

"Thanks," she breathed, leaning her head back against the worn headrest. "Just drive. Anywhere."

You drove out of the city, away from the flashing lights and the billboards with her face on them, pulling up to the hill that overlooked the skyline below. 

You parked the car, leaving only the soft glow of the dashboard lights and music playing softly in the back.

The silence inside the car was thick, heavy with secret texts, midnight drives, and unsaid words that had been building between you.

Lara turned her head, her dark eyes tracing the sharp line of your jaw as you looked through your phone.

The faint light illuminated your features, making her pulse quicken. 

“I think Daniela still thinks you would ruin my life," Lara said softly, breaking the quiet.

A teasing, tentative smile played on her lips.

You let the smoke drift out of your mouth, turning your head to look at her.

You propped your elbow on the steering wheel, your eyes dropping to her mouth before locking back onto her gaze. 

"She's probably right. I spend my nights selling things I shouldn't to people like Jonah. You're a pop star on billboards. I'm definitely bad for your status, Raj."

Lara rolled her eyes and you smiled slightly.

“I’m trying to be realistic"

Lara didn’t respond.

“I’m not the kind of person people want you around"

“That’s not true"

“It is"

“No, it’s not"

You swallowed.

“You’re Lara Raj"

“And?”

“And people care about everything you do"

“So?”

“So I don’t want to be the reason something gets ruined"

Lara sat up and spoke again except her voice was softer.

“You think you’re protecting me"

“But you’re not"

Your eyebrows pulled together

“What?”

“You’re making the choice for me and I don't care about my status tonight or any time I'm with you" Lara whispered, her voice dropping to a low, quiet hum.

You rolled your eyes before pulling out a rolled blunt from the container stored in the glove box.

“Hotbox?” And Lara nodded, you got out your seat and moved the back where Lara followed. 

You locked the car doors, and Lara slid closer, the space between you vanishing entirely.

You looked at her smiling, handing her the blunt.

"First hit for you"

"Thank you baby" she said teasingly.

You looked down at her lips, your usual  ndifferent, unbothered facade finally cracking down the middle.

Your voice dropped slightly 

“You know something would happen if someone sees you out here with me? If a picture gets out?" 

“Then let them take it," Lara murmured, her breath hitching as she reached out, her fingers gently brushing against the your cheek.

"I'm tired of being perfect, Y/N. You're the only one who just sees me."

Your chest tightened.

You hadn't planned on getting attached to a global idol, but the sheer vulnerability in her dark eyes was undoing every boundary you had ever built over the last two months.

You let out a quiet curse under your breath. 

"Fuck it," you muttered.

When your lips finally met, it wasn't soft or rehearsed.

It was urgent, fueled by the adrenaline, the taste of cheap weed, and the quiet tension that had been burning down that short fuse.

Your hand slid up the back of her neck, fingers tangling in her glossy hair, pulling her impossibly closer.

Lara let out a soft, breathy moan against your mouth, her hands gripping the lapels of your jacket as she crawled completely onto your lap, abandoning the pristine image the world demanded of her.

Your hands moved down to her waist, your fingers digging into her hips to pull her flush against you.

The suggestive friction made Lara gasp into the kiss, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs as the music faded into the background.

You pulled back just an inch, your thumb sweeping over her bottom lip, tracing the smudge of her lip gloss in the dim light.

"I'm still a bad influence" you whispered against her skin, a breathless smirk on your lips.

Lara leaned back in, her eyes heavy and dark with desire. 

"The worst," she whispered back, before capturing your lips again, letting herself break every single rule.

[le3ry]

Saving Grace

Eng. Y/N fixes things. That’s just how the ship works. The molecular biologist, Dr. Ryland Grace, however, has decided today is the day he becomes an engineer.

✮ pairing: ryland grace x engineer!reader ✮ genre.trope: project hail mary, ryland grace, sci-fi fanfic, slow burn, femme y/n, comedy, silly, flirting, ryland grace x femme y/n, ryland grace x y/n, fluff ✮ w/c: 2.7k ✮ a/n: HIII! Leery here. This will be the first of the many fan fics I will be posting here. I just made this tumblr to share my fics with fellow PHM enthusiasts HAHAHAH. And it has also been taking over my life. I hope u all like it T-T.

✧ MASTERLIST / ✧AO3

It was another 'day' at the spaceship, doing tests, friendly banter with Rocky, and listening to Grace's internal monologues being broadcast to you and Rocky.

clank... clank... clank...

"What was that?" Grace asks. All of you were looking in the direction of the metallic sound.

"Sound bad." Rocky’s translator echoes through the ship. “Maybe outer shield.” Heavy footsteps follow as Rocky moves closer to the lab.

Y/N drags herself toward the doorway, clearly pulled away from something she was focused on moments ago. She looks half-awake, like the ship itself interrupted her brain mid-thought.

"It's a loose panel on the hull of the ship." She groans, Grace and Rocky, looking at her standing sluggishly at the doorway.

"We need to fix it immediately, or else other systems below it will be affected." Y/N rubs her eyes. "I'll fix it. Give me a few minutes to get into the EVA suit."

The thing about Grace is that he hasn’t fully processed it yet— but there is a pattern forming in his thoughts whenever she speaks. Whenever she moves. Whenever she fixes something too fast.

Something he absolutely refuses to name.

"Rocky, you go on comms. Grace you g—"

"I'll go." Grace interrupts immediately.

Y/N snaps her head towards him, confused.

“It’s just screwing something back onto the hull, right? I can handle that.” He shrugs. Rocky's carapace tilts, as if matching Y/N's confused energy.

“But Grace scientist,” he says through the translator. “Grace do tests in lab. Y/N engineer. Can quickly fix ship."

That comparison makes something in Grace shift immediately.

Not anger. Not offense.

Worse. Motivation.

“…Right,” Grace says, a little too fast. He clears his throat, already moving toward the EVA prep.

“I can do it,” he adds, like he’s convincing himself more than anyone else.

"You sure?" Y/N and Rocky following behind Grace. "Mayb... Yeah!" He says a little to quickly.

“Plus, you look tired,” he adds, then hesitates. “…and you were clearly interrupted from your robot thing.”

He lowers his voice slightly as they walk.

“Cute robot thing.”

"...Fuck you mean cute?" she says immediately. "And how'd you even know I was working on a robot?"

Grace freezes for half a second too long. 'That wasn't supposed to be audible' He curses himself internally.

“I said interesting,” he corrects way too fast. “You were hearing things. Also, language.”

Rocky’s translator clicks softly, like he’s observing a malfunctioning system. “Grace behavior: suspicious,” Rocky notes.

His pathetic excuse just flies by Y/N's ears. Because now—he’s thinking about it.

The last few days.

Y/N in the lab. Focused. Quiet. Always working on that robot thing.

He remembers standing a little too long in the doorway once. Just watching. Telling himself it was “quality assurance awareness” or something equally stupid.

He even remembers the moment one of its parts ejected unexpectedly, making Y/N jump. And with that, he accidentally drops a sample of Taumoeba on the floor, distracted by Y/N's reaction.

Now, walking ahead of her, that memory hits him again at the worst possible time.

Grace clears his throat, speeds up slightly.

Behind him, he is very aware of his own heartbeat. Which is inconvenient, because he would prefer not to be.

"Grace heartbeat fast. Is Grace sick? Question." Rocky asks.

"Don't worry, Rocky." Y/N says, leaning against the doorway of the EVA room with her arms crossed. "Maybe he's just nervous fixing the hull."

"No, I am not!" The slightly sweaty scientist answers a bit too quickly. "It's just a simple repair, I can do it."

He nods once, like that should settle it.

It does not.

Behind him, the EVA suit rack suddenly feels a lot more judgmental than it did five minutes ago.

Y/N lets out a small chuckle as Grace starts gearing up.

'God that laugh.' Grace thought to himself.

He shakes himself back to reality and actually starts getting into the EVA suit. Y/N and Rocky silently watching and judging him from the entrance.

"What are you both looking at?"

"Nothing. We'll handle communications now. G'luck." Y/N walks off towards the cockpit, Rocky following. "You've got the left and right boots mixed, by the way." she adds casually down the hallway.

Then she’s gone.

Grace pauses. Looks down, then fixes it.

Finally, for the first time in what feels like too long, he’s alone.

He exhales slowly, tension leaving his body in one long breath he didn’t realize he was holding. And unfortunately, his brain immediately fills the silence with the sound of Y/N’s laugh again.

He puts his face into his hands, calming himself down before he says something stupid again.

“Focus,” he mutters to himself.

The problem is, his brain is not cooperating because Y/N is… present in a way she really shouldn’t be right now. In his thoughts. In his timing. In literally everything that is supposed to be about fixing a hull panel.

She just has that perfect humor, energy, and intellect that Grace can't get enough of.

"The hell are you doing?" Y/N's voice echoes throughout the intercoms.

Grace jumps at the sudden voice in his ear and looks up at the CCTV positioned at the top-left corner of the room. "Nothing! Just finishing up."

"Quickly, man. Or do you want more problems with the ship?"

"Rocky want to go home. Rocky don't want ship go boom because Grace stupid." Rocky adds though the intercoms.

“Not helping,” Grace clicks his helmet into place. "Ready."

For a second, there’s quiet.

But not really. Because his brain is still replaying everything from earlier.

Y/N at the doorway. Y/N laughing. Y/N fixing things like she already knows the outcome.

The way she looks when something actually works.

The way she ties her (color) hair up when she's working on something.

'Woah' Grace talks to himself internally. 'Stop it, Ryland. Just fix the hull, then panic later.'

Then when he thought he was calm enough to get out of the ship, the intercom was filled with Y/N's laugh. "What are you gonna use to fix the hull with?"

'GOD THAT LAUGH'

"O-oh.." he says, grabbing the first toolbox within reach like it personally offended him.

"That's for internal ship repairs, silly." Y/N chuckles

'silly'

That nickname sent the scientist into a frenzy. All he wanted to do was sit on the floor and squeal like a teenage girl.

"It's the one on your left."

"A-alright.." Grace clears his throat and grabs the correct toolbox, carefully placing the other one back like it personally betrayed him.

"Opening the airlock now." Y/N announces.

The airlock begins to cycle, the heavy mechanism shifting open with a slow, mechanical hiss. Dark space reveals itself beyond the hull.

Grace takes a deep breath so sharp it almost hurts. "...You got this, Ryland." He whispers himself.

"I can hear you, you know." Y/N says immediately through the intercom, amused. Rocky lets out a short Eridian laugh in the background.

Grace freezes and forcibly shuts his eyes inside the helmet.

'Focus. Fix hull. Do not think about her laugh. Do not think about Y/N calling me silly.' He convinces himself.

'Especially do not think about the fact that it worked.'

Finally, he gets out of the hull, walking on top of it now. Looking around to find the damaged part of the ship.

"Have you found it?" Y/N asks. "Yeah." He stares at the damage.

"...It's on the side of the ship, though."

“Mm-hm,” Y/N hums. “Well. You were the one who volunteered to fix it, right?”

She stretches the last word just enough to be annoying.

Grace exhales through his nose.

Focus. Hull. Physics. Not voice.

He moves along the exterior, clipping himself securely to the ship before pushing off toward the damaged panel.

He opens the tools boxt and inside, there were too many screwdrivers. None labeled in a way that feels emotionally supportive.

“The one nearest to your hand,” Y/N says casually.

Grace grabs it immediately. “…Of course it is.”

He starts the repair. For a second, he thought that this wasn't that hard after all.

Back at the cockpit, Y/N was laughing out loud with Rocky. Yes, Grace was using the right screwdriver...

But he wasn't using it on the right screw.

"Alright, Rocky, time for me to go out there now." She wipes off a tear from laughing too hard.

"Okay. Rocky talk with Grace through intercom." Rocky chirps.

Y/N moves quickly toward the EVA room and starts suiting up.

“Good job, Ry,” she says casually through comms. She doesn’t see anything outside, but she hears—

clank.

A pause.

“Is friend Grace okay?” Rocky asks.

Grace is very much not okay.

'Ry.'

He hasn't heard that one in ages. The scientist immediately mutes himself on the intercom to let out a squeal. Supposedly, a release of the dopamine running through his veins.

"Ry?" Y/N calls off to confirm Grace's status. "You good out there?"

Grace takes a breath, forces his voice steady, and unmutes.

“Y-yeah,” he says quickly. “I just—dropped a screw. from the toolbox”

“…Everything’s fine.”

“Alright,” Y/N replies after a beat. “I’ll… go take a quick bathroom break.” Her tone is light. Almost normal, then she mutes comms.

Inside the cockpit, Rocky tilts slightly. “Why Y/N leave?” he asks.

“She didn’t,” Grace mutters to himself. “She said—”

He stops. A few seconds pass.

Something about that answer doesn’t fully sit right, but he doesn’t have time to unpack it yet.

“Rock?” Grace says into comms.

“Yes, Grace? Question.” Rocky replies.

And somewhere in the background channel—barely noticeable unless you were listening for it—

He sighs, not believing himself that he's asking rocky this. "Hypothetical. If a crewmate causes… persistent cognitive interference during critical operations, what is the recommended mitigation strategy?"

In the EVA room, Y/N pauses mid-motion. She’s still getting ready, but now she’s listening very closely.

Grace hesitates. "...Distraction."

And for the first time, there was silence all throughout the ship.

Rocky turns on the comms. "Grace behavior similar to mating behavior."

Grace and Y/N's eyes widen at Rocky's surprising answer. Leading to Grace dropping another screw into space.

"No—no, it is not—why would you say that—" He drops the screw in his hand. It drifts away slowly into space.

“Grace like Y/N.” Rocky cuts off the flustered scientist on the other side of the call.

This made Y/N stop tying her boots' laces. '"Is he being for real, right now?" She mutters under her breath.

Because Rocky doesn't joke. That's the problem.

"That is not— I don't— I mean—" Grace struggles to find the words to explain himself.

Y/N tries to shake off everything that is happening and goes out to space. She looks around and sees the usually— well, sometimes— composed scientist...

Floating near the hull.

Visibly malfunctioning.

Trying very hard to pretend his brain is not currently on fire.

The comms are still uncomfortably silent.

Grace is still trying to recover from the last thirty seconds of his life. Which is difficult considering he is currently floating outside a spacecraft, holding a screwdriver he is no longer emotionally qualified to use.

Then—

He hears footsteps.

He doesn’t turn immediately, but he freezes.

He already knows.

Of course he knows.

Footsteps.

Controlled. Confident. Annoyingly calm for someone entering open space.

"Grace." Her voice cuts through the comms system.

Just his name.

Nothing else.

And somehow that is worse.

He turns slowly.

Y/N is there now—fully suited, helmet reflecting the dull light of the ship, floating just slightly off alignment like she’s done this a hundred times more than she actually has.

She tilts her head a little and looks at him.

Then, very casually:

"So."

A pause.

"…Mating behavior, huh?"

Grace makes a sound that is not language. It is not even a coherent human reaction. Not even a coherent Eridian reaction.

It is something between a cough, a system error, and a man actively regretting every decision he has ever made.

"…That is not— I didn’t— I mean—Rocky said it—" He stops himself.

That was worse.

Y/N doesn’t move closer right away. She just drifts a little in space, stabilizing herself with one hand against the hull like this is a normal conversation and not whatever disaster this is for him.

"Oh." She says slowly. "So you’re blaming Rocky now."

"I am not— I am not blaming—" He gestures vaguely with the screwdriver.

Which is a mistake. The screwdriver drifts away again.

Grace watches it go in real time like he’s witnessing his own dignity leaving orbit.

Y/N lets out a small laugh through comms.

There it is again.

That laugh.

Grace immediately stops functioning for half a second.

"Okay," she says, finally moving in toward the damaged panel. "Let’s fix this before you accidentally confess something else to space."

"I am not going to confess anything to space."

"Sure," She replies, already inspecting the panel. "Space seems like it’s getting a lot of honesty from you today, though."

She starts working.

And she is fast.

Too fast.

Grace tries to recover by focusing on the repair.

He fails immediately.

"…You know." He starts, then stops.

Wrong time.

Wrong everything.

Y/N doesn’t look up. "No, I don’t know. Please continue your sentence, though. I’m curious which version of you comes out."

He physically freezes.

Then—

"Grace." Rocky’s voice cuts in through comms.

"Yes?" Grace says instantly, too relieved.

"Grace behavior: increasing instability."

"Thank you, Rocky."

"Not compliment.Statement."

"Noted."

Y/N laughs again, quieter this time, like she’s trying not to fully break.

And Grace, floating helplessly beside her, realizes something very important: The hull panel is not the problem anymore.

He is.

Grace tries very hard to be useful. This is, unfortunately, his first mistake. Y/N is already halfway through securing the panel when he reaches over to 'help.'

"Don’t—" She starts.

Too late.

He presses the wrong edge of the panel slightly off alignment. There is a pause.

A very meaningful pause.

"…Grace," she says slowly, "What did I just say about touching things?"

"I was aligning it."

"You were introducing new problems to it."

"That is not— I was helping."

"You were participating, yes."

That lands worse than he expected. Behind them, Rocky observes silently through comms.

"Grace efficiency decreasing." He reports.

"I’m aware," Grace mutters.

Y/N lets out a quiet laugh and adjusts the panel herself with practiced ease, tightening the correct sequence of bolts in a way that makes it look effortless.

Too effortless.

Grace watches.

That is his second mistake.

"You do this a lot." He says before he can stop himself.

Y/N doesn’t look at him, continuing the repair. "Fix things in space? Unfortunately, yes."

"No. I mean… EVA."

A pause.

Then she tilts her head slightly toward him.

"I don’t know." She says lightly. "Do you always stare this much at people who are just doing their job, Ry?"

That is his third mistake.

Grace goes still. He's cursing himself inside more than he ever was before.

"…That was not— I wasn’t— I’m observing the repair."

"Mm-hm," She replies, clearly not believing him.

She tightens the final clamp. The panel locks into place with a clean, satisfying click.

"Done." Y/N says.

Then, after a beat:

"You’re welcome, by the way."

Grace exhales. "I was also helping."

"You dropped a tool twice."

"That is irrelevant."

"It is slightly relevant."

"…Slightly."

She laughs again, and he immediately stops speaking for a moment longer than necessary.

They begin the return toward the airlock. Slow and controlled.

Space around them was quiet again, except for suit comms and distant ship hum.

"You know," Y/N says casually as they drift, "for someone who insisted on doing this alone, you didn’t actually do a lot of alone fixing."

"I did conceptual fixing."

"That’s not a thing."

"It is in my field."

"It really isn’t."

A beat.

Then, softer—almost teasing: "You were doing fine though."

Grace turns his head slightly toward her, slightly blushing. "That is not true."

"It is a little true."

That is worse.

Inside the airlock, gravity slowly returns. The hatch seals behind them, and air fills the chamber.

Silence shifts from space silence to awkward human silence.

Y/N pops her helmet off first, hair slightly messy, expression far too calm for what just happened.

Grace follows. And immediately regrets having a face again.

"Ry." She says, like it’s normal now.

He freezes slightly.

"…Yes."

"You’re worse in space."

"I am not— that is not—"

She smiles a little.

"I’m kidding."

Pause.

"…Mostly."

And Grace realizes, far too late, that fixing the hull was not actually the difficult part of this mission.

Rocky's voice crackles through the ship's intercom.

"Hull repaired." Rocky chirps. "Grace still malfunctioning."

From somewhere down the hallway, Y/N bursts out laughing.

Grace considers opening the airlock and trying again.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: GOD I LOVE THIS FIC SM. It made me giggle and swing my legs up like a teenage girl. I hope you all feel the same too hehehe. I added the GIF above bc it's what I imagine Grace chasing Rocky around bc he said the mating part HAHAHAHA

[hadrosauruss]

cherry on top +.

sum; your boyfriend yunho shows the flirty ice cream shop employee in a creative way that he’s taken by you, later decides to eat the dessert off of your body to further proof the point to you

heads-ups; (soft!dom yuyu x fem!reader), finger fucking, finger sucking, mentions of jealousy, dry humping, oral sex (frec), multiple orgasms, driving and fingering, vanilla ice cream as lube (#don't), yuyu’s an eater, cutesy aftercare

word#: 1.9k

࣪ ˚⟡˖ ࣪ ˚⟡˖ ࣪ ˚⟡˖ ࣪ ˚⟡˖ ࣪ ˚⟡˖ ࣪ ˚⟡˖ ࣪ ˚⟡˖ ࣪ ࣪

thinking about how messy yunho’s face would get when eating ice cream off of your pussy…

you two were on your way back home from a small get together with his closest group of friends. he was the one behind the wheel, that fact was way more than evident not simply because you weren’t physically steering the wheel but because your legs were spread wide as can be above the dashboard, the man didn’t turn to look at you not once as he killed you with his fingers. the stick of your thighs on that passenger seat had you reaching out for him in a hurry, scared he’d pull away. his right hand destroyed the in of your pussy, meanly penetrating the deepest part of your cervix with no care whatsoever, like the option of not doing so has failed to exist. yunho didn’t even acknowledge the top half of your body, his full attention being on the road and on the ramming of your cunt, and honestly you’d prefer it that way.

you prefer having him fingering you with the length of his fingers over the fucking of his eyes at least just for this second. you were close, so fucking close, he knew it, he felt it. felt the squeeze of your walls hug his veiny digits tight, secure. he finally fucking grinned, grinning with the slowing down of the car,

a big neon sign caught your attention from the squint of your eyes, it was an ice cream logo.

yunho was pulling into the drive thru of an ice cream shop. mid finger fuck.

he pulled out of you fast, slowed down the car just a tid more to give you time to pull down your dress, your panties already tossed somewhere far in the backseat. the leather you sat on made out with your dripping cunt messily, thankfully both windows were down you could swear you can sense your own essence..

you looked over at yunho guilt and nerves filling you in exchange of his fingers, the back of his head was turned to you as he had the front of his head poked out reading over the ice cream menu like he didn’t have planned such an easy order for something so sinister. he’d already spoken your memorized designated choice of order. the hair on the back of his head moved freely with the slow nod of his head as if he’d were to be having a conversation with him himself before announcing

“a vanilla cone..”

you heard as the girl on the other side of the speaker directed you both to the second window to pick up your dessert. yunho finally looked at you, messily kissing the swell of your lips before arriving right at the window, the hand he used to finger you sitting entirely too close to his mouth as he pulled closer to the window.

the bright of the in store lights filled the already bright of the interior of yunho’s car, you were mini flash-banged from what could’ve been from the amount of times yunho’s has made you come around his fingers. as soon as your eyes fell back open you caught view of yunho eating your taste off of his digits infront of the girl.

you felt pure confusion and a rising boiling feeling.

the girl at the window gave him heart eyes as he passed her his card to pay away, her fingers purposely grazing his as the mess that sat on his other hand was still being sucked nonchalantly as if he just finished a bag of chips.

you automatically read the room and realized that it’d probably hadn’t t been the first time she’d flirted with yunho, and for her to do it right infront of you had you beginning to go nuts, you wanted to wipe that quirky smile right off her face.

the same fingers yunho chewed on were now being raced up to your mouth, yunho silently asking for permission completely ignoring the girl who struggled with her card reader. you eagerly and boldly opened your mouth swirling your tongue around the digits, just for him to return the same fingers to his mouth just to collect your spit in his. you thought she must’ve really crossed the line for yunho to go this far this sudden.

part of you resented that she was lucky enough to watch the scene of him sucking on his own fingers the way you like to watch him do, but the major part of you dripped to the idea of him claiming you in such a dirty fucking way, much dirtier than she’d ever fucking imagine. you weren’t just both messily swapping spit with each other at the drive thru infront her; but tasting your pussy all in one all without her even knowing.

both of your eyes pressed onto the single girl at the window, that smile fading instantly like you just insta-manifested.

that thirty second interaction felt more like thirty hours but you fucking loved the adrenaline it came along with it.

both of your ice creams were being held by you now, yunho made it his mission to drive to a nearby park, stationing his car in a secluded area, pretty surrounded by trees, small body of river infront for you both to view. you devoured yours whilst you helped the melting of yunho’s cone, both of you growing comfortable in your secluded seats. yunho was always the best at planning dates, you were never left disappointed, his spontaneity matched perfectly with the way he worshipped your cunt.

you always knew whenever he was needy for more, although there’d be times where he’d be satisfied with simply just making out with you, fingering you or having you hand his cock; he’d have times where tearing your clothes off is the first thing in his mind whenever he gets at least five minutes alone with you. because he can do it if that’s what’s up to plan. he can last as little or as long as you choose, because you have the power to do that, the power to make him cum instantly. and he fucking loves it.

“backseat now.”

you jumped quicker than the thought processed, you positioned automatically ready to take whatever he was willing to give you, patiently. due to his height you watched as yunho adjusted his seat toward to give himself more room in the back along you. yunho held his cone in hand the all natural vanilla coating the soft of his lips, he licked them clean with a single swirl of his tongue before pulling you by your folded thighs closer down to him, your pussy entirely on display for him. you held his cone as he ate you, watching as he furrowed his brows groaning to himself to the view alone.

yunho dived in, how couldn’t he, you were glistening and breathing for him, for his mouth, his fingers.

yunho pressed his tongue flat against most of your cunt, flicking his tongue along the sensitivity of your bud, deep groans arising from his throat to tasting you against his tongue again, this vibrating dangerously against your need. he pulled away and this time, using the spread of his fingers to examine your cunt, he fucking moaned. you saw it in his face that he didn’t mean to, the bottom of his lip clenched tightly between his teeth. if he wasn’t orgasming to the view of your pussy before he for sure is now

your cunt was was coated in a milky white substance, dripping from your lips down to your smaller hole. it looked like he’d just filled you up, it was driving him insane. he sank back into your pussy this time switching from the melting cone to your mound.

the mess had become larger, there was foamy vanilla coating your entire pussy and lower tummy, with just a tiny bit left of the cone yunho stuffed the rest of the dessert in your mouth to muffle your mouth to the way he used the foamy liquid as lube and mercilessly finger fucked you once more, the milky drops now falling from his lips, fingers, chin. he was a fucking mess but so were you and all because of him.

he was somehow rougher than he was earlier, like the view of the dessert on you is tricking his brain to think that it was his cum in real time, and honestly you weren’t complaining not when you were this close.

“Mph.. close yunho. please don’t stop, please.” your voice rasped hard at the final plead, begging for your life.

“–fuck baby. i don’t know if i’ll ever be able to. serious.”

he somehow managed to lick you clean like it was no problem, using the long of his tongue to collect as much as the sweetness that lathered your lower body as possible. he couldn’t bring himself to stop though, he was obsessed with this new upbringing, obsessed with the look of it, the taste of it. everything that it comes with. you were climaxing all over him, he wrapped his mouth with you to collect you with ease. yunho cleaned you up, grabbing you by your thighs and fully consuming himself with your cunt, he was a fucking mess, kissing, sniffing, licking, he wanted to be one with your mound.

your lips fell messy with the remainder of the dessert dripping down onto the cleavage on your dress, yunho watched all of this happen, it was all it took to get him over the edge, he only getting closer himself with the silent humping he had started a while ago from eating you out at the edge of the backseat.

his mouth closed so tightly around you that the sudden deep growls and whimpering against your cunt sent visible-felt vibrations through you as he was now releasing all over himself, huge dark patch on his pants forming with little to none of his care.

he collapsed onto you. managing to pull yourself together, you reached your hands up to cup at his face, rubbing the top of his back you held his larger frame like he was small. easing his release, he sighed loudly, he was painting, so out of breath like he’d just fucked you for hours and for some reason it had the same intensity if not more.

his eyes turned soft, needy, doe. he looked up at you from the low of your chest from the position you both laid in from the backseat. his lips were painted red, plumper than they are normally and his face was flush, so fucking flush and messy. his eyes kept hitting the back of his head as he almost rocked himself to sleep from all of this. he was dizzy, pussy drunk, so postnut sleepy. he looked so pretty like this, you wanted to stare at him forever, rock him to sleep.

“i love you.” he woke and broke suddenly, the lift of his head off of your chest leaving you feeling cold, did this just to look you in the eye as he said it, thinks it’s more genuine that way.

you placed your hand along the soft of his locks, lovingly pushing his head back down onto your chest to ooze him back to sleep, “I love you too, yunnie.”

“it it okay if we do this again, please?”

“god yes. I love ice cream.”

-this was meant to be a tiny oneshot wtf happened..

[erodasfishtacos]

Potential Lost || CEO || - 2

prompt: harry figures out why theo is being so friendly

word count: 6k

warnings: angst, jealously, harry's an asshole to everyone but yn

author's note:

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-

Harry could have just as easily agreed to signing his entire estate away or promised up his firstborn child with the way he was nodding and humming along to the men who were speaking around him and at him.

He was good at acting like he knew what was going on even though he wasn’t actually listening to a single word of what was being said or what he was in fact nodding along to.

If anyone had stopped and asked him to repeat the last few minutes of conversation, he would have stuttered and floundered like a fucking idiot because from the moment he watched Theo make his way across the room and settle onto the barstool beside YN, Harry had not been able to pull his attention back to anything else around him.

He tries to focus, forcing himself to listen to the conversation in front of him as best as he could, to follow the numbers they were throwing out and the strategies being discussed but his attention keeps slipping, dragged back across the room no matter how many times he tried to redirect himself to the boring business men in front of him.

Harry tries to reason with himself, trying to get himself to be logical in this situation and understand it’s his emotions acting up because Theo is a candidate for an executive position and it is not only appropriate but a good move that he would introduce himself to YN.

She isn’t just Harry’s wife in this ballroom, she is the co-owner of the company, and even though she does not involve herself in the day-to-day of it, she still holds the same level of power and decision as he does which a lot of employees don’t consider at events like this. 

From his perspective as the owner, the CEO, there is nothing wrong about what is going on across the room, absolutely nothing that has him needing to react like this, and Harry is fully aware of that but is struggling to find the ability to logic his way out of the situation.

Nothing, not a single thought in his head is enough to calm the irritation building under his skin because no matter how he frames it, no matter how many times he reminds himself that Theo is simply doing what any smart candidate would do, Harry can’t ignore it.

When he finally always himself to really look over, Theo seems more comfortable than Harry would like to see.

He is pulling out the barstool like he was invited to take it, right next to her, and flagging the bartender over, gesturing casually toward YN’s drink even though it is still nearly full, Harry watches as YN waves him off at the offer of a refill, and it seems more than a basic introduction of names at this point.

Harry’s hand tightens slightly around the glass he is holding, he shifts his weight from one foot to another, antsy in a way he never is.

Though he keeps his demeanor put together as always to the men who were talking without realizing how disengaged he was with them, his shoulders have gone more rigid, his jaw setting to the point where his molars start to grind.

Theo leans in as he speaks, his body moving toward her with a relax body language that tells him that he feels entirely too fucking comfortable in the space of the co-owner. 

YN responds in a way that makes something in Harry’s chest pull tighter because she turns toward him, her shoulders loosening as her hand lifts to gesture while she talks, her expression open and friendly, he can see her tilt her head back and laugh.

It doesn’t allow him to come over and break it up because she doesn’t look uncomfortable, doesn’t look like she needs Harry to come over, and protect her from this man.

Harry notices all of it, the way she is interacting with Theo, the way the conversation is continuous, and what starts to bother him more than anything is that it seems like a normal conversation, not networking.

And that doesn’t fucking sit right with him, not when this is how she normally acts either because usually when any man approaches her, though she is kind, she struggles not to show how uncomfortable it will make her, especially if Harry isn’t by her side.

Harry has never struggled with jealousy before YN because there had never been a reason for him to.

As the women he had been with in the past had always been the ones pursuing him, wanting him, and he had never cared enough about any of them in return to be arsed about it, what they did outside of his presence, and there had never been any emotional attachment strong enough to make jealousy a necessary emotion for him.

He wouldn’t have cared if a woman he had slept with one night had shown up the next day with someone else because it had never been something that was important when there were no real feelings involved.

But now, as he stands there watching another man sit beside his wife and lean into her space like he has permission to do that, something unfamiliar begins to build in his chest, something uncomfortable and insistent that logic doesn’t get rid of.

The feeling twists together in a way he doesn’t fucking like, possessiveness was blurring with protectiveness and he cannot ignore the way it is making him feel as pushing it down isn’t working.

Harry had made a very intentional choice to keep their relationship as private as possible, to protect what they had from the constant scrutiny that followed him because of who he was and what he represented to a lot of people, he hadn’t wanted his relationship to be brought into that.

Hell, even bringing her into events like this had been something that he struggled with, he wanted her there, with him at all times but the idea of sharing her with anyone in this realm of his life felt wrong.

And now, watching someone else chat with her like this, in this setting, the fact that it’s this employee, it feels a little bit like he’s losing the sense of security or privacy.

He knew it was impossible to keep their relationship entirely out of the public eye, especially as who he was but Harry had always believed it could at least be someone maintained and kept on the down low.

But standing there now, he felt something uncomfortably close to a middle schooler watching his first girlfriend laugh with someone else, the reaction immature and irrational in a way he would normally have complete control over.

He wasn’t worried about YN.

Harry knew their relationship was fucking unshakeable.

And still, the feeling sat wrong with him.

Harry was not a controlling partner and he had never been the type of husband to try to tell her who she could or couldn’t speak to, he was never someone who would try to limit her interactions with other men or make rules about who she was allowed to engage with at events like this because he trusted her completely and because their relationship had never been affected by distrust or disloyalty.

It’s his own insecurities that he doesn't like to admit that he has.

At some point, he sees Theo roll up the sleeve of his dress shirt, showing off a tattoo along his forearm as he angles it toward YN, clearly explaining something about it, and YN leans in without hesitation to get a better glance at it. 

A second later she throws her head back and laughs as she sits back in her chair, shaking her head as he replies which only makes her continue to shake her head at him.

Harry’s patience doesn’t just thin, it fucking disappears entirely, snapping in a way that leaves no room for him to think about it for another minute before he’s just doing something. 

He finally stops pretending to listen to the men around him and simply walks away from the conversation mid-sentence, cutting someone off without so much as a glance and definitely not an apology.

It was the audacity of the situation.

The sheer fucking audacity of it.

That Theo thinks he can walk up to his wife and slide into her space like it is casual, like it is friendly, as if Harry does not hold his entire career in the palm of his fucking hand.

Theo acting like Harry couldn’t have him blacklisted from every serious position in this industry before the night is over if he wanted.

Harry knows that thought is unfair.

Who the fuck cares.

His jaw is tight as he moves, his stride confident, ignoring the people who attempt to grab his attention as he passes, hands reaching slightly as though they might stop him for a moment to chat but he’s moving to fast, voices starting to call out his name before quickly quietening back down when they realize he is not going to acknowledge them.

Harry does not spare any of them a glance.

He comes up directly behind YN’s barstool, close enough that his presence is felt as soon as he has arrived, his hand lifting without a moment of hesitation to rest at the nape of her neck, his fingers spreading there with deliberate touch as his thumb presses into the soft curve of her throat in a touch that is unmistakably possessive.

YN responds instinctively, her body easing back into him without thought, her head tilting slightly up to give him access as he leans down and presses a kiss to the apple of her cheek, his lips lingering for just a second longer than necessary, and she presses  further into the touch too because she’s so unaware of where his mind is right now.

Harry lifts his head slowly, his gaze settling on Theo over her shoulder, narrowing slightly, his expression steady but his eyes sharp in a way that he hopes makes his unhappiness known.

“I hope I’m not interrupting something,” Harry says, trying his best to keep his tone casual and unassuming.

“No,” YN responds with a smile, her body still relaxed against him in a way that helps soothe him only slightly but this wasn’t about YN, the anger was solely directed towards Theo, “I didn’t know that this was your CFO candidate that you spoke so highly of.”

Harry immediately regrets ever saying anything positive about him.

His teeth pressing together for a brief second as his hand remains firm at the back of her neck, his thumb still moving slowly along her skin to make it seem like he’s just being an attentive husband to what she’s saying.

“You two know one another?” He replies without giving himself away but his shoulders were tense enough he knew they would ache when he laid down in bed that night.

Theo answers before YN can.

“YN was the first girlfriend to cheat on me,” He says easily, his eyes bright with amusement.

Harry’s attention is caught now, not in a positive way but he’s actually taken by surprise because it doesn’t make any sense.

It doesn't match with every little piece of information that Harry had come to learn about YN.

He and YN had always been up front and open with each other about their pasts, about the kind of relationships they had been in, and infidelity had never been part of that conversation because neither one of them had ever cheated.

That can only last for a moment though because YN rolls her eyes immediately, completely unbothered as she leans her head back slightly against Harry’s shoulder, her tone dismissive as she replies, “We were in fourth grade and you considered it cheating that I sat on the bus with Caleb Alder during a field trip.”

Theo laughs at that, clearly enjoying taking the piss far more than Harry is, and he adds on like it is a necessary justification for his accusation, “You also admitted to sharing your sweets with him.”

There is an ease between them.

And Harry doesn’t fucking like it.

“Theo and I dated in fourth grade,” YN explains, her tone evening out slightly as she shifts just enough to look up at Harry, “But we also dated from junior year in high school to sophomore year of university.”

Harry’s expression does not change on the outside but something in him tightens further, trying to make all the information he knows fit but it’s hard because he also feels slightly foggy right now.

“I thought that boyfriend’s name was Jacob,” Harry says, his tone still reasonable but struggling because Theo is not a name he recalls ever hearing from her before.

“He used to go by his middle name, which is Jacob,” YN explains, which does make sense why he didn’t remember it but also, YN didn’t talk about him very often either.

“I see,” Harry replies, his expression staying completely neutral, giving nothing away even though the irritation has settled deeper into his body instead of improving.

His hand is still firm at the back of YN’s neck as his thumb drags slowly along the curve of her throat.

Harry shifts slightly, his body turning more toward Theo now, ready to fully address him, he doesn’t need anymore backstory to know that he doesn’t like Theo talking to YN.

“You knew that YN was my wife, before the interview, correct?” He asks, his tone still undeniable calm but carrying a faint accusation beneath it that is impossible to miss if you could tell he was irate.

Theo laughs.

And that only makes it worse.

“I think everyone in the world knows you two are married,” Theo says, his tone light, missing the tension, “Your wedding was on the cover of every magazine in the world.”

He continues without hesitation, clearly comfortable in a way that feels entirely out of place to Harry, “No one believes me when I say my first girlfriend married a billionaire though.”

YN rolls her eyes at that but Harry can’t find the humor, doesn’t try to.

“You didn’t mention this in your interview,” Harry points out, losing the eveness as this interaction goes on.

“I didn’t want any special treatment because I know her,” Theo replies, his tone straightforward like it was a given that he would, that he assumes that would make Harry like him?

If YN were not standing right in front of him, if this conversation were happening anywhere else, he would have scoffed outright at that comment, at the fucking gall it took to think that knowing YN would somehow earn him a treatment like he was special, as though Harry’s based major business decisions off of personal relationships.

Fucking insultling.

He is already done with this interaction, done with Theo being in his wife’s space, done with the casualness of it all, the familiarity of it too, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep the irritation from seeping into his tone.

“Perhaps you should be spending this cocktail hour networking with the other executives in my company rather than socializing,” Harry says, his voice more scolding, more boss-like than easy, the suggestion clearly not just a suggestion at this point.

Theo’s expression shifts immediately.

The easy smile he had been wearing drops, replaced by something more cautious as he picks up on the change in Harry’s tone, the realization that he may have done something wrong even if he didn’t know what.

“Yeah, um—absolutely,” Theo replies, clearing his throat awkwardly as he reaches for his drink, his movements less sure now as he nods once, glancing briefly between them before stepping away from the bar.

“Go get ‘em, hot shot,” YN says lightly, completely missing the tension as she reaches out to squeeze his shoulder, her tone encouraging, “We’ll catch up later. Text me?”

“Sure,” Theo answers, though the smile he gives her is much more unsure than it had been moments ago and he gives Harry a brief nod before turning and slipping back into the crowd, disappearing.

“I hope he does well on his one-on-one interview. He’s really smart, great for the position—” YN begins, her tone genuine and happy but Harry cuts her off before she can finish, his hand sliding from the back of her neck to cup her jaw as he turns her face toward him and presses his lips firmly against hers.

It is a little possessive in the way he holds her there for that extra second and it catches her off guard enough that she lets out a soft gasp against his mouth before melting into it, her hand coming up to rest against his chest as she kisses him back like she forgets where they are.

Harry remembers, he just doens’t fucking care.

Harry keeps his hold steady at her jaw, his thumb brushing along her cheek as he pulls back just enough to look at her, his expression composed again because he didn’t want her to know that this was bothering him, didn’t want her to feel any ounce of responsibility for his emotions right now when it wasn’t her fault.

“Dorothy’s around here somewhere and I know you wanted to ask her about the pound cake recipe before they have us sit,” He murmurs, his tone softer now, sweeter because she didn’t deserve any harshness and he was just happy to have her back to himself.

YN blinks at him for a second, still slightly dazed from the kiss, her lips parted as she processes what he’s saying, and then her expression brightens almost immediately, the distraction working exactly the way he intended.

“Oh my god, yes,” She nearly squeal, her voice lighting up with excitement as she moves in her stool, “She gave me the recipe for the cake but not the icing!”

Harry lets out a chuckle at that as he slides his hand down to help her off the chair, his palm settling against the small of her back to keep her close and right in the crook of his side.

He knows he should be doing something else.

He knows there are people here waiting to speak to him, conversations he is expected to have, relationships he is meant to check-in on and maintain like the CEO that he is.

But right now, he finds it difficult to put any distance between himself and YN, he was feeling clingy in a way that usually wasn’t there, of course he always wanted to be around her but this felt a bit different.

They eventually find Dorothy near one of the side tables, already in conversation with a few of the administrative assistants, and YN immediately slips into the conversation with her contagious friendliness that pulls Harry along with her.

He stays beside her, nodding along as Dorothy launches into an explanation about measurements and butter ratios, the conversation so far away from anything he should realistically be focusing on tonight that it would almost be comical under different circumstances.

He can feel the frustration around him.

The subtle irritation from people waiting for his attention, the glances, the quiet attempts to catch his eye.

He ignores everyone else in the room.

-

Dinner just so happens to place Theo at their table, something that had been arranged earlier in the day to give the candidate better access to networking to see how they would do, almost a test run.

A decision Harry himself had approved when the board brought it to him without much thought at the time though he finds himself regretting it now that Theo is pulling out the chair across by them and sitting down.

Harry’s arm rests along the back of YN’s chair, his hand wide and heavy where it cups over the curve of her shoulder, his fingers slipping just slightly beneath the strap of her dress.

YN brightens when she sees Theo sit down, her reaction immediate and easy in a way that draws Harry’s attention to it again, and he doesn’t miss the way her posture shifts toward him just slightly as she greets him, her expression soft with fondness for a friend.

Theo seems to have completely moved past Harry’s earlier reaction to him, whether because he had written it off or because he has had enough to drink to eliminate whatever caution he should be feeling.

Harry cannot even fault Theo for not networking with the rest of the table, not when the other executives seated around them are more engaged in half-drunk conversations about golf courses and crypto trades than anything remotely related to the business.

The conversation between YN and Theo flows, moving from one topic to the next without effort as they try to catch up on years in only minutes.

They talk about old college friends, high school classmates, and memories that Harry wasn’t a part of.

He can’t quite pinpoint why it irritates him as much as it does when the conversation starts to move from surface-level into something more personal, something that shows at one point, Theo was very much a part of her life whether Harry wanted to admit that or not.

Theo puts his glass down after a sip, “How’s Rosemary? I miss her. I see her when I’m visiting home, and she always remembers me.”

YN’s expression softens immediately, the fondness for her grandmother obvious as it sinks into her features as she responds, “Of course she does. I think she had a crush on you too. I didn’t forget the times she pinched your bum when I wasn’t looking.”

Theo laughs at that, his cheeks coloring faintly as he shakes his head, clearly amused, “Yeah, she was a bit handsy.”

“She’s good, loving retirement,” YN continues, her voice soft as she speaks about it, her hand drifting to rest on Harry’s thigh beneath the table, her fingers squeezing lightly.

“Oh really? I thought she’d never be able to stop working. I’m happy to hear that,” Theo says and there is nothing wrong with the comment, nothing inappropriate in the conversation, and yet Harry still can’t stand listening to Theo ask her private questions.

“Well, she put up a bit of a fight but Harry was generous and paid off her house, built her a beautiful new one, and supports her so that she doesn’t have to work anymore,” YN adds, turning her head slightly to look at him as she says it, her expression so loving that it makes him forget about everything for a moment.

She is so fucking pretty.

And the realization hits him all over again, it hits him at least once a day if he’s being honest with himself, that he would do absolutely anything for her, that every reaction he is having right now, every ounce of irritation and possessiveness is based on that one undeniable fact.

He has never loved someone the way he loves YN.

“Wow, no wonder you married him,” Theo jokes, his tone light enough but then he adds, “Money does buy love, huh? Was my gift to her of a new kettle not good enough?”

It’s supposed to be a self-depreciating joke on Theo’s end but it ends up feeling a bit like a jab to Harry.

His nostrils flaring in reaction as his grip tightens around the glass in his hand, the muscle in his jaw starting to tense and twitch again as his leg begins to bounce once under the table, a restless, irritated movement he does not bother to control.

And Harry’s restraint finally slips.

He does not snap directly at Theo, that would give him away.

Instead, his irritation moves outward, across the entire table as he shifts, his arm tightening slightly around the back of YN’s chair as he leans forward just enough to get everyone’s attention at the table without raising his voice.

“I didn’t fucking invite you all here to bullshit,” Harry says, his tone cutting through the table conversation, the words landing heavy and harsh in a way that shuts everyone up who was blabbering about meaningless, non-work related things.

The men around the table straighten, conversations cutting off mid-sentence as they realize that Harry wasn’t happy with them.

Theo goes still, in surprise, he hadn’t been around Harry enough to know what he’s like.

His eyes widen slightly as he glances toward YN, and Harry notices that too, notices the instinctive look in her direction like he is seeking some kind of reaction of understanding at his behavior and his hand pressing more firmly against YN’s shoulder, pulling her further into his body.

“If you all come into tomorrow’s meeting with no good ideas and a hangover, I hope you’re fine with getting a percent or two cut off your next bonus,” Harry continues, his tone calm but sincere with something that was obviously threatening, because he can say it, because he will follow through if he needs to, and each one of them knows it.

He lifts his glass and takes a slow sip of his whiskey as if he has not just scared the shit out of the entire table.

YN’s lips turn down slightly, her fingers pressing into his thigh with her nails slightly, in warning, in a way that pulls his attention back to her as he turns his head to look at her properly.

“Harry,” She says, her tone quiet but laced with disapproval, and it hits him in a way nothing could.

Because he had tried.

He had made an effort to keep himself in check around her, to keep the meaner traits of his work tucked away, and the fact that he let it slip like that, that she saw it, that she is reacting to it, frustrates him more than anything Theo has said all night.

Harry would not take criticism from anyone else in this room.

He would not even entertain it but the moment YN looks at him like that, even just from the corner of her eye, guilt starts instantly eating a hole in his chest at the idea of letting her down.

“What?” He replies, his tone innocent as he shrugs slightly, attempting to brush it off as though it had been nothing more than a passing comment, “S’just a lil’ motivation.”

“Don’t have to be like that,” YN tells him, her voice lower now to make sure no one else hears but firm enough that he cannot ignore it.

“They should be networking until dinner’s served, s’etiquette,” Harry mutters in response, the justification coming out more defensive than he intends as he lifts his glass again and takes a longer drink, the burn of the whiskey doing nothing to ease his nerves.

-

The entrees are served not long after that interaction, which naturally means the energy at the table eases as conversations quiet down and people turn their attention to their plates.

Theo has her full attention again, launching into a story about hiking somewhere across Europe, something that sounds long and detailed and entirely fucking boring to Harry.

Yet YN is listening with genuine interest, nodding along, asking questions because that’s who she is, that’s what she’s like with everyone around her, and it’s not just for Theo.

Harry just listens in, barely adding feedback when YN’s phone vibrates softly inside her purse, the sound just loud enough for her to notice as she pauses mid-conversation.

“Hold on a second,” She says to Theo, reaching down to fish it out.

Harry glances over briefly before returning his attention to the man beside him, trying to stay present in the conversation, trying to keep himself distracted from himself, from his stupid fucking emotions that he couldn’t control.

A second later, YN nudges him lightly with her elbow.

He turns his head toward her, his gaze dropping to where she is holding her phone just out of sight of the rest of the table, angled so only he can see.

The screen lights up with a notification that is impossible to miss with all the obnoxious emojis that follow it.

‘Today is your day, mama! Get to the bedroom and get to work! Today is your peak ovulation!’

Harry’s eyes linger on it for a second, considering as his focus hones in on it.

They had not started tracking at first.

It had been something fun and spontaneous in the beginning, something they assumed would happen easily but after months of negative tests, after disappointments that start to hit YN particularly hard.

Her doctor had suggested they be more consistent, more intentional with trying, and YN had taken that seriously, tracking everything with a diligence that sometimes made Harry’s chest hurt even more when they got a pregnancy test.

They are still in that stage where it feels exciting even if there is a quiet pressure sitting underneath it now.

YN looks at him with a small smile, something sweet and hopeful in her expression, and despite everything else that’s been fucking with him tonight.

The irritation, the jealousy, the frustration, YN giving him that looking fucking just makes him melt like a fucking ice cream cone.

Harry exhales slowly through his nose, setting his fork down on the table as his hand slides briefly over YN’s thigh beneath the table.

The jealousy is still there, the possessiveness sitting tight in his chest, and on top of all of that, the truth is really simple, the fact that he wants her, that he always does, that the reminder on her phone only gives him reason to act in this moment even if he shouldn’t.

Harry leans slightly toward her, his voice low enough that it stays between them.

“Come with me for a moment,” He says, trying to stay unassuming even though she’s completely oblivious, “Want to introduce you to someone, real quick.”

YN looks at him, clearly confused by the sudden thought, her brows pulling together slightly as she glances between him and the table but she nods anyway, trusting him without question.

Harry stands first, his hand immediately finding her again as he helps her up from her chair.

YN stumbles half a step trying to keep up with his pace, her heels clicking quickly against the floor as she glances up at him, confusion written across her face as she lets out a soft laugh under her breath.

“Harry,” She murmurs, confusion just becoming stronger in the moment, “Who am I meeting?”

He doesn’t answer her.

Instead, his hand presses more firmly into her back, steering her around groups of people without slowing.

YN’s confusion deepens when they make it into the back hallway, her steps slowing as she looks around, her brows knitting together as she tries to make sense of where he’s taking her.

“Who am I meeting back here?” She asks again, a bit of amusement slipping into her tone now because she knows something isn’t right.

Harry finally answers her by reaching for the nearest door and pushing it open.

A single stall bathroom.

Perfect.

Before she can process it fully, he is crowding her inside, not even bothering to look around, the door shutting firmly behind them as he moves her back until she is pressed lightly against the countertop, his body moving into her space in a way that makes her breath hitch in surprise.

YN lets out a soft laugh, her hands coming up against his chest as she looks up at him, her eyes bright and somewhat entertained. 

“Harry—” She starts, shaking her head slightly as she tries to piece it together, “What are you doing? We have ten minutes before you have to go on stage and give a speech.”

His hands grips at her waist, his gaze dropping to her mouth for a second before lifting back to her eyes, his hips pressing into hers as his hands start to gather her dress at her hips.

“You said it yourself,” He murmurs, his voice lower now, rougher around the edges, “We’ve got ten minutes to try to make a baby, yeah?”

YN’s lips part as she processes his words, another laugh slipping out as her grip on his suit jacket tightens, he doesn’t give a fuck that it wrinkles the fabric of the expesnive outfit.

“You’re insane,” She tells him even though there’s no resistance in it, and he can sense the excitement in her voice, “I didn’t mean we had to try now. You’re going to miss your speech.”

“Then you better come fast for me, my heart,” He says as he starts kicks her legs apart, ready to relieve the jealousy.