I wrote this in like an hour after watching the movie...
I’m sorry I love him so much.
Help me!
Author’s Note: Yes - he gets a cover, basically because I SWEAR there is one gif on the entire Website even though... he’s just... so... 🥵🔥
I mean I might turn this into a mini-series, I already titled it, as you can see.
End Up With You - Carrie Underwood - I might have decided on this simply because of the aesthetic of the lyric video... BUT it also works!
Disclaimer: Prime Mover and Associated Characters not mine.
Premise: Dating a truck driver didn’t come easy, and one thing was for sure, you always loved him being back from a run...
Words: 1421
Warnings: Innuendos. 🎉
I’ll leave it to you if they’re even talking about the truck or not
_______
I don't really care 'bout making any plans
Leave it up in the air, give it up to chance
Seein' where it goes, seein' where it lands
I just wanna go as fast as we can
And we could end up broke down on some back road
Lovin' in the back seat to the radio
Wouldn't be the worst scenario
'Cause all I wanna do is end up with you
To the end of the world if you wanted to
Don't leave it up to me, I'll leave it up to you
'Cause I just want one thing when the night is through...
---
There was no such thing as late. There couldn’t be any such thing as late; not in this line of work. There was rarely ever early either; with the amount of miles to cover and the number of hours to do it in, drivers were constantly pushing themselves to the limit to meet required work.
Which meant surprising – although nice – was never good. It usually meant he was cutting time out of jobs, and you’d rather not see him at all than for five fleeting minutes before he was dashing back to the cab of his truck and off again.
That didn’t mean that even when you knew scheduling, he wouldn’t surprise you at all. And today was one of those nice rarities when it was a good surprise.
“OH GOD! Phil-! Are you still using female mechanics-?! Geez - I’m gonna have to stop coming here!”
You leant your head against the truck you were currently working on, but couldn’t stop the chuckle from escaping at the sound of his voice. Asshole!
You took a pace back, setting your tools down - and slowly raised your gaze to the man standing in the door way with that grin on his face.
“I hope yours doesn’t need anything big doing to it…” You leant against the wall for a second – trying to ignore the elation running through your body at seeing Johnnie for the first time in months “Or this mechanic might just forget what she’s doing…”
He ran his tongue between his teeth as he smiled; “…Oh c’mon, you know the only people allowed to touch her is me and you.”
“Thought you might be forgetting that…”
He still had that grin on his face that you now couldn’t help but mirror; “Miss me?”
“As if, asshole.” You pushed yourself from the wall and took several running steps to him. He knew what was coming and braced himself for your jump. You wrapped yourself around him, and couldn’t help but let out a contented sigh at the feeling of being in his embrace again.
And then he kissed you, and it was like electric fire. The first one was always the best one, and the last by far the worst… But that was the way you lived. He would leave you, and you would stay here until he came back. And you’d always wait for him to turn back to you hold his hand out and ask you to ride with him for this one; Aw, it’s a long trek… It’s gonna get pretty lonely… Phil often let you go, because he could tease your significant other if he did that;
God, yeah, you better go – he’s gonna need a hell of a mechanic on a trip like that with the way he goes.
Then you’d have to push him back to his truck (laughing) before retaliation got neither of you anywhere fast…
Of course, that was both a blessing and a curse. Because you reckoned, even though with you there he should be more careful, Johnnie took it to heart that he had a good mechanic with him and decided he could be just that little bit more reckless… Which often just left him leaning against his truck as you fixed it on the highway in a pretty bad mood. You guessed that was all part of the fun for him though, because without fail he’d make a sweeping statement about you maybe having to stay out here. And then getting promptly shut down with a scathing look from you ‘If you think you’re getting that out here with your truck in this state…!!!’
Johnnie tipped his body back in order to balance you, whilst running one hand through your hair – the other dangerously close to wending its way up your shirt. This making out continued for a few minutes until Phil sighed;
“Jesus, you two-! That’s enough! Get a room..!”
Johnnie barely pulled away enough to retaliate; “Come off it! It’s been like, what, 4 months!?”
Phil waved his hand across the yard to the neatly parked vehicles, all of their drivers currently having well-earned rest (save one, anyway); “What, and you can’t walk back over to your truck first..!?”
“Why the hell do you think I’m here – I need a fix!”
“Yeah… I’m sure that your truck is really what you’re thinking of…”
“OH F-” You pushed a finger to his lips;
“Okay… Okay…” You hushed him as you hopped down, “That’s enough.”
“Did you hear what he just said-!?”
You swayed your head; yes, but… “I’m aware that he also employs me…” Johnnie grumbled to himself but remained fairly silent besides that, which earned him you closing the gap again for another kiss. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Regular maintenance – I didn’t do anything stupid…”
He knew that smile that ran across your face, “…Mmm hmmm…” Tell me another “I’ll take a look…” Your arms folded between the two of you as he took you back in his own; “I missed you…”
“I know…” you whispered gently as he pushed you back against the chrome plating of someone else’s truck that you’d just spent the last 3 hours on, his lips found yours again.
You were lucky that you knew Phil wouldn’t be clock watching – he trusted you to do your job and you did it well. You weren’t sure how the owner of the vehicle you were now pressed up against would feel about your hand prints all over it, though.
This time you had to breathe; “How long are you back?” You didn’t say home. You didn’t want to say home… There was too much hope in calling it home…
He gave a shrug; “A couple of days…” He pulled back enough to look at the roster sheets that lined the back wall. His was blank – for now “…Until something gets posted there. But you know how it goes. I won’t be back more than a week.”
“Couple of days is still better than hours.”
“Shhh-! You’ll jinx it…!” He claimed your lips rougher this time, which had you wrapping your arms around his neck again, and him pushing you up the grill of the truck. Phil wasn’t going to like this one bit.
Indeed he wasn’t. And he cleared his throat. Johnnie pulled away from you with a roll of his eyes;
“What?!”
“Got something for me?”
“Yeah it’s back in my truck – what is your problem!?”
“Can you please leave my mechanic alone to do her job! Or you can have one of those.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the papers attached to everyone’s clipboards.
Johnnie took a deep breath, that wasn’t an invitation for banter – but a warning, and this time even his arms left you, “Yeah, I’ll go get it.”
90% of the time Phil was good to you, and if he could he’d keep paper from Johnnie’s roster until he had absolutely no choice but to put them there. And you appreciated that. But sometimes, because of his experience there were runs that Phil would only trust your other half with – and even when he came back here on a scheduled stop, he’d be off again less than an hour later. And that was without counting depots wanting him to do other work around the country.
“I better get my duty papers… don’t go anywhere gorgeous.” He winked, making you shake your head again;
“I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I’m going to go back to working.”
He laughed; “Not if I can help it!”
“Then maybe you’d like to tell the pissed off owner why I’ve not completed repairs.”
“Easy, your boyfriend needs servicing and is far more important.”
You opened your mouth as the cheekiness of his almost serious facial expression, and found yourself folding your arms again. Then thought better of it, and flicked your eyes up and down what he was wearing;
“Well… you are wearing my favourite leather jacket… But it’s only worth it if I can steal it.”
“Oh no…” He took a pace back “Last time that happened I forgot it… How can I complete a run without this?” He put his hands in his pockets to fan the jacket out for you.
“Ugh-!” You placed your hand against your heart; “You’re killin’ me, go get your paper work – boss is waiting…!”
“Don’t forget which truck is the most important.”
“I’ll get to her.”
“She can wait until after me-!”
“Oh don’t worry, I know just how to fix you up…”
“Damn right…” You couldn’t see his grin, now he’d turned around and slid his sunshades on – but you could hear it. He held his hand up, in a casual wave goodbye. But only for a few minutes – not the months you were used to, and he walked back towards his gleaming red truck; even with the runs he did, you were glad to see he always took care of her.
You bit your lip watching him walk away. If you had your way, and you would, you’d be wearing that jacket by the time the sun went down.
Note: All my readers start out as OCs. That why reader has a little more description to her here. The fact that she is very short I made into an important story factor. The fact she has blue hair... a little less... but I stuck with her...
Hopefully you do too...
Author’s Note: Sometimes songs are kicked from chapters and playlists so they can find the perfect Mendo. And here we are. At last. Also, Grace - AUS represent!!
Set in an AU (I guess!) to Tangle, where everything is the same - apart from the last 15 minutes of the 10th episode.
Disclaimer: Tangle and related characters not mine / Gifs not mine / lyrics not mine
Premise: Dating a known cheater & divorcee was never really in your plans. Mind you, neither was moving to Melbourne. Enter Vince Kovac, who is about to shake your world up...
Words: 5822
Warnings: Swearing / Major set up, probably not that interesting / Essentially its one long talk about sex without... actually talking about sex.
________
You got what you give, so keep on giving what you get
Call it what you like but that does not say what it is
I'm a slave for you, I check my lashes in the whip...
Me and you, no stoppin' us
Love is hard to handle, guess I need to get a grip
Ooh, it's a game
Honey, it's a pity
And I'm a good girl, but even angels gotta cry sometimes
Oh, baby, just let me cry
You're just what I need now
This ain't funny, he ain't sweet
But he might be the honey I need now
Please now, got me on my knees, I can't breathe
You're the honey I need now
I usually like it simple but the compliments just make it complicated
And your confidence is far from understated
They say you're no good for me
But they can't tell me nothing
You're only gonna go and break my heart, I take the risk
Sittin', thinkin' bout ya, thinkin' bout ya, thinkin' bout ya
It's a trip
---
You had moved to Melbourne a few months ago. Goodness knows why they’d moved you here for work relocation; you could think of a million reasons why it would be better not to have moved you but you didn’t ask questions like that. These days you figured it make sense to go where the work apparently was. Although you spent maybe 50% of that travelling anyway.
So... the work was everywhere. Still, no, Melbourne.
Which you guessed was fine. Whatever.
You’d moved into an apartment and were renting when you arrived, but what you really wanted was a house. Which you could buy, of course - but why not use your own skills?
No no, you wanted to build it yourself. Only you didn’t build houses... so you needed to find someone who could.
“So, you need a construction company?”
You looked to your co-worker, Manuel, a good friend for many years as it was - and perhaps one of the only reasons you agreed to move out here; “This is where you tell me you know someone.”
“I know of someone...”
“Right... ever used them?”
“Oh, trust me they will do what you want, no problem.”
“But?”
“Why is there a but?”
“There’s a but. I can hear it in your voice...!!”
“I dunno... there’s a reputation that goes with it...”
“What kind of reputation?!”
“Well, for building itself you won’t find better... but there’s been a few disagreements.”
“Disagreements.” You repeated, in the same tone
“Yeah...”
“What kind of disagreements?”
“Oh, not with clients. Like I say they do an outstanding job... just, with contractors and the like...”
“Contractors that will be working on my house!!”
“Look they are the first ones I’d recommend... do you want the contact or not?!”
“Yes. If you’d recommend them!”
He brought out his wallet and offered you the card “Call ‘em.”
“Kovac Construction.” You raised an eyebrow “...you promise me they are good.”
“I promise you. They’ll do exactly what you want. And I know you’re particular...”
“That’s one word...” you agreed with a smile, “This Kovac got a name?”
You were left with a mysterious smile and a laugh “No. I’ll let you figure that one out for yourself...!”
**
The phone only had to ring twice before you were greeted with a rough Melbourne twang;
“Vince Kovac.” You almost laughed. Almost. Vince Kovac. oh yeah, he sounded like a troublemaker.
“Uh, Hi, Mr.Kovac - I’m F/N L/N; I’ve heard that you’re the man to come to if I want a house building...”
“Sounds about right, Y/N, how can my company help you?”
“Well, I’ve been here a couple of months, and already looked into and secured land... I just need it building to spec.”
There was a slight pause as your information was considered; “...Well, you got an architect?! You know what it’s gonna look like right-?! Cuz we don’t really do that stuff... though I can probably find you a good one.”
“No, that’s alright, and I was hoping to talk to you about that. But I can deal with that, I just need the construction company.”
“Well then I hope we might be the one.”
“As do I - you come highly recommended!”
**
So that was how you agreed to meet Vince Kovac at the QT hotel, lunch time two days later.
“You know what this Vince Kovac looks like?”
Manuel raised an eyebrow; “You don’t know? You got a google!”
“Are you serious?! Just tell me!”
“No! Find that out for yourself too...” He nodded to your folder “Hey! You already got a portfolio ready for him - damn girl!”
You smacked him with it; “Tell me what he looks like! I’m meeting him like right now.”
“Your detective skills got you his name, they’ll get you his face too.”
“I hate you.” You’d stay and glare at him for a little while longer, but you didn’t have time. You walked away, if you didn’t leave now you’d be late... and that wouldn’t look good.
He yelled after you with a broad grin; “You’re welcome!!”
You arrived at the hotel exactly on time and walked through into the lobby.
This wouldn’t be hard, you figured. He’ll be the only man here who looks like he works construction; you continued a short, slow walk around. Pretending like you weren’t looking for someone in particular. Like you might be here for a business meeting with a client, or just about anything else.
Then you smirked to yourself; sitting on a bench alone, looking at his phone, was the man who could only be yours.
Short neat dark hair that seemed to be going grey with the way the light caught it, blue T-shirt, black slacks and jacket – both faded from being worn often. Looks like he had a favourite set of clothes. His shades sat next to him and he was gazing at his phone. No briefcase, suitcase or papers.
Vince Kovac.
You walked over slowly; and he didn’t look up when you got to him; so you didn’t look at him when you addressed him - instead made a sweeping statement whilst gazing around the lobby again;
“I’m going to make an educated guess here, that you’re Mr.Vince Kovac.”
He looked up - and that gave you his eye colour, a sharp, intelligent blue - but had to look up considerably less than he was expecting. And your eyes turned back to him;
“Yeah.... which makes you Ms.L/N.”
“Correct.” Vince rose from his seat. Didn’t matter how tall he was, he would still tower you. He held out his hand;
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“And you.” Though you thought that might just be you saying a formality, considering it seemed he had a reputation.
He nodded to the folder “Looks like you already have your architect.”
“Yeah, there’s only one I trust.”
“That so.”
“Yeah.” You gave him a smile that seemed more like a warning, “I get what I want, Mr.Kovac.”
“Oh.” He raised an eyebrow; “That I don’t doubt.”
He looked around the hotel “Got a room?”
“Matter of fact I do…” You folded your arms
“Wow. I thought we were just here to discuss a business proposal… Having said that, I have no qualms with mixing business and pleasure.”
His eyes flicked up and down your stature and you narrowed your eyes at him; if you knew him a little better, you’d have hit him with your folder too. “Unfortunately for you, we will be sharing the room with a bunch of people – so I guess you can say I really ordered a table.”
You indicated for him to walk with you, and he blew out a breath like he was slightly disappointed as you led him to the restaurant.
Vince Kovac dropped a little behind you to watch you walk, to count the number of piercings in your ears, the way your hair colour ran into a powder blue. But you couldn’t have been much over 5ft in heels. Tiny. But even watching you he bit his lip; no less a woman, though.
“You’re not exactly what I expected.”
“What makes you say that, that I’m vertically challenged?”
“Ha!” He smiled “Maybe that’s it... maybe not.”
“Maybe I should take my heels off; would that make you feel better?”
“No, I’m just looking at you thinking you would be able to lie down in my truck bed no problems. And it’s a short truck bed.”
You paused and looked to him; he’d said that on purpose. You knew. “…I’m not sure what your truck exactly has to do with this Mr.Kovac…”
“Well. I’ll be driving it to your building site every day, so maybe we can just test my theory.”
You flashed him a small smirk “Ha. You’ll be lucky.”
For a second he tilted his body back and even though he was smiling he squinted. Oh, you guessed he might be used to being the kind of man woman found hard to resist. What were you meant to respond with? - ‘Oh yeah, guess you can throw me in the back of your truck now, where did you park…?’
You shook your head with an eyeroll and he had to go back to following you to the restaurant.
You weren’t dumb either, you knew exactly why he chose to follow you instead of walk with you – so you were glad enough when you could sit down and get a table between you. And he was still giving you that look, like if he tried hard enough he could get whatever he wanted out of you by the end of this conversation.
Nuh uh.
You placed your rolled up architectural sketch and portfolio on the table. “So. I don’t see much point in dancing around this – let’s get to the point. I’m going to show you what I want, and you’re gonna tell me if you can do it or not, okay?”
He placed his elbows on the table and leant on his hands “Okay.”
You rolled it out using the folder to hold it down flat. “It’s only two floors, but it’s a big build. Pretty much all open plan downstairs… Upstairs is a little more sectioned rooms.”
“You do realise the support needed for that to work, right.”
“I factored for that.” You tapped the drawing. “…Yes…”
He quirked an eyebrow and leant in closer to the drawing. Realising this wasn’t something from a CAD system. This was hand drawn. “…Did… you draw this…?!”
“Correct.”
“You…” His eyes flicked back to you “You’re the architect.”
“Yes.”
“…Well shit…” He sat back, arms folded “Then you know what you want I can’t do. We won’t have the same vision.”
“I understand that building it is you grounding me in reality, when what I see in my head will never be what I get. I’m asking you if you can be that man, Vince.”
He pulled the folder towards him and flicked it open; he’d seen things like this before. Essentially the plan in front of him blown up in much more detail. At the top of every page was neatly written script detailing everything you’d been thinking. “Geez…” He kept going. “…Do you know how much this is going to cost ya?!”
“If money was a problem I wouldn’t be asking…”
He closed the folder and slid it back to you “It’s ambitious.”
“Too ambitious?”
“I didn’t say that. I think it’s a big project. And we both need to be on the same page with how big it really is.”
Is he still talking about architecture here-!? He better be! “I know what I’m asking you to undertake. I also know that at every step of the way I’m going to have to alter my plan… I’m prepared to accept that. But I want someone who sees what I’m trying to do and wants to do that with me…”
There was a pause for a minute as both of you stared at each other, there was enough measuring going on here. However, he eventually gave; “…I do… And working on something like that would be… An experience in itself for me and my guys… But it’s months and months of very hard work.” Still Vince stuck his hand out “If you’re prepared to front the money for this – I would be honoured to take the project on.”
You gave him a small smile, but took his hand anyway; “Oh. You have no idea how honoured you should be Mr.Kovac.”
He gave a laugh “…Well. At the end of the day, I get to see you solidly for a few months. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up taking me up on the truck offer.”
You shook your head “In your wildest f**king dreams.”
You noticed the playfulness in the next smirk he gave; “That’s kinda what I was thinking, yeah.”
***
You emailed back and forth for a couple of weeks as you and he finished up other projects, and you got used to each other. His banter was always suggestive, and you played right along with that. It was funny to read between the lines of what he was sending you every day. You slowly warmed to him – and were at least looking forward to working with him – having scoured his company website you’d done a quick check in of his own physical builds. Nothing quite so ambitious as what you were thinking. But, lets an architect loose on her own house and she was bound to go a bit crazy.
It was his job as your builder to pull you back to Earth; Y/N that’s ridiculous… Y/N you realise if we use that the whole ceiling caves right?!... Come on, you can’t fight gravity, that entire structure will shatter if you do that. And Vince at least looked, and sounded, the type who was going to take every opportunity he could to overpower you and try to curb your feisty attitude.
You thought that his front was amicable, he didn’t know what he was dealing with yet…
Still, he agreed to meet you at the location you’d given him for your house. And when he rolled into what was to be the driveway, he realised his was the only car. You were sitting at the top of the slope on which the house would sit.
Vince slammed his car door shut and looked around. You appeared to have brought a plot of land at the end of a developed and developing street. Fascinating…
He wandered over; “Where’s your car?”
“Car? I ran here, I’ll run back.”
“Ran? Well... I run. Every morning before work.”
“Oh really.”
He seemed quite proud of himself with the way he folded his arms; “Yeah, quite serious about it.”
“Really? How fast are you?”
“Fast enough.”
“Keep pace?”
“Pretty well.”
“Ever run a marathon?”
His face fell “Oh. You’re a serious runner.”
“Damn right Mr.Kovac, if you wanna partner up with me, you best know what you’re in for.”
“So your stamina’s good?”
“Why don’t you find out.”
He looked away from you for a minute with a laugh, because he damn well knew that after building this house that was his goal. He’d get you it was just a matter of time.
You raised an eyebrow, turning in the direction of his parked vehicle and looking at his truck bed “You sure I’m gonna fit in that? I mean I know I’m small, but, even that’s a stretch.”
“Yeah, it’ll be fine we’ll work on it. I’ll make you fit.”
“You got a bar in there?”
“A bar?”
“Yeah to keep everything in place. Hold stuff still.”
“So you have been thinking about my offer then?”
You didn’t miss a beat to shoot him down; “Not in the slightest.”
At this point you were 99% sure you were both talking about sex but pretending you weren’t. And you realised quickly that nearly every conversation you’d ever had had followed this same pattern. If you weren’t careful this was going to get real complicated real quick. But that prompted enough questions of it’s own;
Do I really want to be careful, if he’s so sure of himself…?
***
It was strange, being on a building site with a bunch of guys. Usually they would just build away and you’d either get called in when it was time to get a bit more aesthetic, or if they couldn’t read something on your plan and problems were about to occur.
That of course meant you’d be back in the office drawing. But this was your house. So you wanted to watch it grow, to spec, every step of the way. You just did your actual work a little later in the evening, and you were on call in case anyone urgently needed you for something. But none of your current clients had particularly strenuous deadlines so you were fine doing this as you wanted.
It meant you got to come face to face with Vince Kovac and his risqué banter every day. Which amused you, because you decided that you could completely shut him down... or you could just serve that banter right back. And the more you did that, the more it turned into something a little more like flirting.
Today as you stepped into your car, you were wearing heeled boots figure hugging jeans a white shirt and leather jacket. And that didn’t really bother you too much until you decided to check your make up in the mirror. And then you realised that none of the decisions were subconscious.
“Shit!!!” You pressed a hand to your mouth and sat back in your car seat “...Y/N! NO!!!” You slumped against the steering wheel with a cry; “Oh you’ve done it now.”
How he’d got you, you didn’t know. Sure he was attractive, but Vince was such a lad for a grown up man. Builder covered it nicely. But there was something about that banter - and something curious enough in you to find out whether that was all it was. If he was a paper-thin framework. Call his bluff and he’d back down? Or call his bluff and you’d find yourself pinned in the back of that truck? Interested enough to realise that you’d worn this outfit and you’d worn make up to a building site simply on principle that you would be seeing Vince today...
Idiot...!
You had a crush, and probably a stupid crush to have considering how closely you worked together - but a crush none the less.
Could you afford to put that crush to the test? To see how far you could really push him. Part of you certainly wanted that. You’d met men a little like him, that same overconfident cocky outward attitude, but never a man so implicitly forward.
You wondered if that was his usual style, or if he was simply trying to keep that professional surface with you. Maybe neither, maybe he was just interested in flirting with as many women as he could, maybe that gave him a little bit of power. But then, you wanted to find out if that were true, too.
So you drove yourself in, and sure enough the red Kovac Construction truck was sitting on your drive before you got there. It was a competition now, who was going to get there first. You shook your head with a smile and parked behind him, hopping out of your car.
Vince heard you coming of course and was wandering out of the shell of the house they were building before you were even on the ground;
“Heels?! To a construction site?!” He called over “You didn’t have to dress up just for me, Darlin’!!”
“I didn’t!” you did. You wandered across the grass, shouldering your bag. “Still not running here then, Kovac?” There was a grin on his face every time you addressed him by his last name that you kinda liked seeing, so you did it often when you attempted to tease him.
“Aw, no, you don’t want me to arrive like that. I need to look my best on site, dontcha know?”
“Oh, is that what you call it?”
He placed his hands on his hips “Yeah... gotta build up nice and slow to where you get to see me all hot and sweaty, that’s for sure. Don’t worry...” he pointed at you with the paper in his hand “I’m sure we’ll get there.”
“Oh. Can’t wait.”
His voice dropped lower; “No I bet...” that smirk was back, and he let it linger between you for a while before jerking his head over his shoulder.
“Come on. Let me show you what on your little plan we’ll get done today...”
“Efficient, If I do say so myself...” You gave an approving nod
“Well, I do try to have all bases covered... a little efficiency never hurt anyone... I tend to find my way around things...”
You watched his face carefully - still not talking about a building site are we - and folded your arms with your voice edging disbelief; “uh huh.”
As expected from when you had started drawing your ‘dream house’; Vince needed you on site nearly constantly to re-draw or re-plan aspects. And also shake his head at you, point to something and declare it wasn’t architectural short hand.
99% of the time it was, and you took offence; but sometimes you had -isms you’d come up with yourself. Anyone who was used to working with you knew what they meant; you had to realise the men of Kovac Construction would not.
And this was a mild-dream house; one where you’d actually thought of the constraints of modern living! He was lucky. But had constraints of his own - namely actual building techniques.
But he had reasons of his own to like telling you to redraw something. And revelled in ever minutia of detail where he got to suck in a breath and tell you he couldn’t do it. That more than once earned him quick witted retaliation about just skipping it, but more often than not had you bent over a table to redesign something.
And that always happened to coincide with Vince’s tea and coffee breaks so that he could stand in the doorway and watch you. Which of course had nothing to do with you working. More so he could stare at your ass and fantasise about what it would be like to bend you over that table and do what he really wanted to do.
But you always looked good. And he noticed that you always wore clothing just tight enough or... just short enough to give him a little buzz. Seen as that had changed slowly the more banter you had exchanged there was little doubt in his mind that you were dressing like this for him. And he’d given you enough hints about the kind of man he was.
And you knew he wasn’t watching you draw. If he wanted to watch you draw, he’d be closer.
This wasn’t a “how do architects do their thing!?” type staring that curious people usually got as you sat there with mathematical measuring tools - oh no - this was keep 20 paces away and hope she doesn’t notice what you’re doing, staring.
So this time you placed your pencil down and turned around to him. “You’re gonna get a better view from over here...”
He took a sip from his mug and quirked an eyebrow “My view is perfect; thanks.”
“... Kovac! Get the hell out of here!”
“I could get off the site, and you wouldn’t get any work done.”
“Well it’s clear you’re not here for my drawing, so as far as I’m concerned you don’t need to be here.”
“Don’t you wanna know?”
“Know what?!”
He smirked into his drink “Why I am here.”
“I got a pretty good idea.”
“Oh, I can stare at you for all it’s worth - but really I like seeing you have to bend over that little table to correct something I told you to.” That was more than just admittance of fantasising; he’d added those last four words on purpose... Like what he would like was you to be in this position for him because he’d told you too.
That only made you stand up and fold your arms. But because of the shirt you were wearing he still wasn’t complaining about this view.
“You wanna try that one again.”
He took a significant gulp of coffee; “Well, I could also clear the table and bend you over it from this angle if you’d prefer… And I’d quite like too.”
Your tongue pressed into your bottom lip, and you looked to the floor for a minute, your face read that you were less than impressed, but your eyebrows raised; “I’d hope so… things like that can get messy ,and I really wouldn’t like to ruin my drawings…”
Suddenly his mug found the floor and he took the first five paces – until your held your hand up, and then pointed back to the door frame he’d just walked through: “Get back to work.”
“I’m on break!”
“How is that going to get anything done - I’m working on the changes - go make yourself useful on your construction site! I have to review you after, you know that too.”
“Trust me,” Vince winked to let you know he once again wasn’t talking about building; “you’ll only be giving me the best reviews...”
***
The tit-for-tat continued like this and a few days later when nearly all his construction workers were in to finish the ceiling off - and he was half way up scaffolding no less - you decided it was the optimum time to get him back.
Sauntering into the room you didn’t think you could have a bigger smirk on your face. You had a harder time keeping it straight when you even thought about what you were going to say, let alone getting it out of your mouth. A few of the workers had already spotted the look and nudged each other; knowing something big was coming.
You’d noticed how cut he was before; that wasn’t hard he used the majority of his muscle groups building or climbing things around here - but you’d also seen him run here on more than one occasion (after you’d mentioned how much he didn’t, no less). You didn’t know exactly where he lived, but you thought he was proving to you he could do it too. And his shirt stuck to him where it was soaked in sweat was easier on the eyes than he usually was. Usually he was covered in dust and building debris – but at least he looked like a man who worked for a living… Was that supposed to turn you on as much as it did? You know he knew how much you watched him when you were supposed to be doing your own work… He didn’t look like any of the men you worked with, sleeves rolled up pouring over every detail in every sketch, and certainly like none of the pretty city boys you were used to mixing with.
But his back muscles through his shirt from this angle were something else... and if Vince stared at your ass for as long as you thought he did, you had plenty of reason to stare at his too.
And there was no way you were about to be subtle about this.
You whistled; in a manner you thought these boys might be used to (considering the building site/pretty girl stereotype) and folded your arms - still with that brilliant smirk.
“Shit! I don’t even think as an architect I could draw something as fine as your ass-!”
You nearly regretted it as he slipped; caught by the harness - his crew weren’t howling with laughter at that, though. But all your ballsy blurt out.
Vince turned at you, blue eyes wide and mouth agape. Which almost surprised you, with the way he’d been going at it you thought he’d appreciate a little comment by you. Gratuitous or not.
“I didn’t think something so dirty could come out of a mouth like that!”
You gave him quite possibly your sweetest smile; “Why don’t you see what else you can make come out of it… Kovac?”
That only had everyone laughing harder, and they completely missed his expressional change – which had your heart skipping beats.
Dare ya to make me.
***
Eventually you got frustrated - and you couldn’t take any more of this teasing without any action; and it was no longer about overtly sexual flirting. Now him staring at you whilst you fixed another ‘mistake’ was pissing you off. You slammed your pencil down on the table and whirled around to him – he didn’t even need to be here anymore, the rest of his crew had already clocked out.
“Vince! Geez! For Godssake I can’t take this!! I will you stop saying this shit and actually DO something about it?!”
He stopped chuckling to himself, and there were five seconds where his eyes looked between yours to try and gauge how serious you were.
And you were, and the look in your eyes was fierce. So he took the step forward, yanking you to him as soon as he could get a grip on any part of your body. Vince was at the top end of five foot and he towered over you when he was this close, when his hands were in your hair and you could taste him on your tongue.
You had to put your hand out to steady yourself as he backed you into the table. You were lost in the way he was kissing you. You didn’t think you’d ever been kissed like this, you didn’t think a man had ever wanted you so bad he’d needed to kiss you like this.
Vince kept your body in and tight to his; his hands on either side of your face, not quite running into your hair – as he bent you back over the table; it wasn’t long until you were forced to sit on it; considering your feet left the floor, and then you decided you would tangle your fingers in his hair instead.
You’d both barely taken a breath and still he continued to fiercely make out with you. But his sudden sharp breath nearly made you jump and he pulled himself way from you.
“Shit!” he backed up and turned away; “F**k! F**k! F**k! F**k! F**k! NO… No, no, no, no, no!”
You straightened up and raised an eyebrow at him; what had just happened?
He turned back to you for a minute “I’m so sorry!”
“…Sorry!?” You let him know you thought he was crazy; wasn’t this literally what you both wanted to do-!? You didn’t think the both of you flirting the way you had been was ever supposed to lead anywhere else.
“Yeah I… We can’t do this.”
“We can’t!?”
“No… I can’t have this happen to you… F**K! If they find out, they’ll tell you everything… F**k!”
“…Who?”
“I dunno…” Vince gave a shrug with his whole body “…Anyone who knows!”
“Knows what? Vince… You can’t just tell me half a story!” Also you wondered why he thought you cared.
“Cuz you don’t look like the kind of girl who is just going to let me f**k you and leave.”
“…Well…We will still have to work together…” But he didn’t mean that, Vince Kovac was looking at you like a serious relationship.
“…Well if I was gonna do that, I would have done it by now.”
“Figured you might wait until we finished the house…”
He ran his hands over his face and through his hair; “You don’t deserve it… Frankly… So… I… Need to tell ya. Before they do.”
You leant forward, quite frankly this man was nearly a complete mystery, and you felt nothing he was about to tell you would come as a surprise. But you didn’t say anything.
“Well… Let’s start with the fact I’m divorced.”
He lost you immediately, and you looked behind you to the table; “…Well… I wasn’t exactly looking for a marriage proposal…” all you really wanted him to do was bend you back over this table – well, maybe you’d prefer to move all the papers on it… But still, that’s what you thought you were both doing… Where did marriage factor here?
“Yeah, but it’s the reason we divorced that they’re gonna tell you about.”
That meant he did something, that’s the only thing he was saying. “…Right…”
“F**k. Y/N… I…” Clearly, he wanted a serious emotional reaction from you by the way he stepped forward; and his voice rose to a level of anger. You didn’t have anything to be mad at yet…
“…I cheated on her.”
Your mouth opened, but you didn’t say anything. There was a nice level of awkward silence as you started to figure Vince Kovac out. What he said was bad enough. What he was saying was almost worse.
He had no reason to tell you that. Absolutely zero. He could have you right here and right now on the table you sat on, and have it mean virtually nothing and have no consequences. Maybe you’d do it again, a few more times. And you’d be a casual love affair with barely one string attached.
No. Vince Kovac was telling you he was a divorcee and a cheater (the cheater was the big one.) because he saw something here. He wasn’t looking to casually f*ck you when he wanted to. He was looking for a relationsh-
You couldn’t even say it to yourself. Vince Kovac admitted he was a cheater, because he was telling you he could do it again. And the only reason he wanted to tell you that, was because he wanted to stop this before it started. He wanted you to turn away from him in disgust before he could take so much as your jacket off…
It was a startling amount to process all at once. And you had two choices, you cared. Or you didn’t.
And either way what kind of woman would that make you.
“What do you want me to say?”
He took a hesitant step back, and there was anything but confidence in those blue eyes “I…”
“You either want me to say I don’t care – and I do. Or you want me to tell you I want you to leave… And I don’t.” You slipped off the table “…What you’re telling me this for can only be one reason…” You folded your arms “You want to be more than just the guy who is building my house. And you want me to be more than just the girl you casually sleep with whenever you see her.” He held silent. “So how about I field you the ‘are you single’ question to make sure I’m not the home wreaker here.”
“…Yes…”
“And are you looking for something serious? Or just a girl to fu-”
“Yes.”
You were a few paces from him now, and suddenly you seemed a lot taller, and you were fixing him with a hard stare that he felt was cutting him to his soul; probably what he deserved. “Then what the f**k are you playing at?”
“…I’m telling you the kind of man I am.” Finally, a sentence that was said strong.
“Ah.” You shook your head “No. You’re not. You’re telling me the kind of man you were - would he have told me that?” Your next step forward made Vince concede one; “Tell me you learned something.”
“I still think I am.”
You shook your head, “No. You’re doing this wrong. Don’t tell me who you think you are. Vince Kovac, show me who you really are.”
---
@dennismitchell @wltz-bby @happyskywhale
#MendoTagSquad.
@3134045126 @kylo-ren-has-an-8pack
Figured I might have got a Vince Kovac crew...?
Author’s Note: Whilst this will be a part of the ‘Relentless’ series (I say series. It’s more like another multi-part retcon) it’s still xOC.
I love her name too much to not have a really short OC fic to get it out of my system.
Disclaimer: Anything to do with Tangle (so. Vince.) isn’t mine, the OC & writing is mine. This is the one occasion where a Lyric is mine!
Premise: In an attempt to solve his girlfriends architectural problems, Vince Kovac recons there’s only one thing he can do...
Words: 2857
Warnings: Swearing
NOT Reader Insert
_____
So come with me and walk for awhile
Can I spring you outta here and talk for awhile
Gotta know what's the deal with you
Mister now I'm really feeling you
If you got a little extra time
Then won't you let me have it?
I like how your T-shirt cuts you right
And how you melt me deep inside
Oh, you're running in a different lane
Don't make me chase you, boy, you know I'm game
By the way you're rockin' it in them Nike's
Won't you let me play on your team tonight
We can go one-on-one, you and me
That's the way it should be
---
The kitchen work top was cluttered with papers, books and technology. An array of architectural folders and drawings – from simple framework plans to extensive detail – scattered themselves in front of her as she squinted at her Laptop screen again. From easy exercises to the plain absurd, the design project she was currently working on was taking far longer for her to work out in her brain, to commit to paper, than she would like. Which is why she’d turned back to books. Luckily, from the complicated wording, the woman sitting scribbling away knew what they were talking about. Lyric Brennan reached for another book and studied her drawing carefully again skipping a few pages onto the next chapter, lazily she held the book open in one hand and twisted her hair around her pencil in the other – muttering as she did so…
“Why would you ask for something so complicated when you already told me to make it simple on our phone call… That’s not simple… Do you have any idea how long this will take for someone to project plan… let alone build…? And they can’t figure that out until I can figure out how to draw it and fit it in here…” Lyric scanned the book, as if it would give her answers she knew it wouldn’t, and began scribbling away again.
Vince Kovac’s footsteps bounced down the stairs as he hummed some tune Lyric had recently heard on the radio – something catchy, it wasn’t his usual music taste, so far as she remembered….
“Morning!!” – The cheerful greeting was only returned with a mumbled,
“Yeah…”
“Lyric.”
She didn’t look up from her book, staring hard at her drawing and then the computer again, eyebrows furrowing. Vince placed his hands on his hips “Oy! Ms.Brennan!”
Lyric lifted her head slowly “What.”
“Are you not talking this morning, or what?”
She indicated to her computer “Like this isn’t giving me enough of a headache.”
He scoffed at her jab “What is it?”
“Corporate building…”
“Oh, they want a little Lyric-al flair do they?” His pun didn’t even raise a smile, so something was up.
“Uh huh. But what they are asking for is about as complicated as it gets, and hasn’t been well thought out at all…”
“Long project?”
“Will be if I need to oversee it.”
“It’s… here right?”
“Canada.”
“CANADA!?!”
“Mm hmmm…”
Vince looked to all the books and drawings in front of her; including some building manuals he’d given her as a joke. She clearly wasn’t joking though – this was serious. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” Lyric sighed “Sometimes I hate having an in industry name.”
“Yeah, when they put those plaques up in the building and people walk in and can automatically tell it’s a Lyric Brennan building it’s just the f**king worst.”
She gave a small smile “As long as it’s paying the bills… I suppose.”
“Heh…” Vince nodded, then skipped around the table, and wrapped his arms around her; “Well, I can tell you’re busy, and I’ll leave you alone then…”
“Oh, thanks.” Lyric closed the book in her hands and tossed it to one side.
“Well, you’re not going to talk, when you’re doing... Heck – what even is that!?”
“At this point. I can’t even tell you…” She leafed through her sheets to another drawing “This is what it should look like. But this is structural… And drawing it on paper structurally is not gonna…” She studied Vince’s face, and thought he had it on point, a builder’s worst nightmare. Essentially a corkscrew of glass and metal that would run in colours from one corner of the building diagonally to the other, and then up into the sky. Exactly the kind of artistic piece someone would want to hire Lyric for, though.
“Don’t, whatever you do give them my business card.”
“Shit! Should I ask for it back!?” Vince pushed her shoulder gently and brushed his lips to her cheek “When do you think you’ll be done?”
“…Oh… I wouldn’t like to put a time to it…” Lyric bit her lips together as his hands ran down her shoulders to her sides and down her body to her thighs. “Vin.”
“Aw, c’mon…”
“It’ll take even longer if you pull me out of the zone…”
“And how long have you been sitting here!?”
“Since 5-?”
“FIVE!? You left me alone in bed for 3 hours!?” He grabbed her waist, causing her to laugh as he peppered her with kisses “Oh, now I really need to drag you away from this! I deserve your love!!”
“Oh really…” She pushed him back with her elbows “Get off! I have a compass and I’m not afraid to use it.”
“How often are you going to threaten to stab me with drawing apparatus?”
“Get on with your work and we’ll see what you deserve, Kovac.” He bit his lip at that. She always had a certain flair to the way she said his last name. She always had. And he’d always liked it that little bit more when she did.
He straightened up, “I don’t have any sites to be on today, all legal paper work…”
She gave a shrug and turned back to her computer “As long as you’re doing it.” Vince gave a tsk and rolled his eyes, for a girl who liked trying to break the laws of gravity, she sure loved nearly every other rule in the book. “And by the way, the password on your computer – waaaaaaay too easy. And your pin-number. Even easier.”
“WHAT!? LYRIC! W-”
There was a teasing grin on her face, even though she wasn’t turned to him to use it, with the way she tossed her white blonde hair over her shoulder. He’d always liked that too, the white bleeding into blue; “I’ve only used it once, come on, I’m not gonna tell anyone.” Lyric’s incredibly neat writing flowed across the page as she made further notes.
He stared hard at her “…I’m changing them.”
“Good. I like a challenge.”
Vince narrowed his eyes; “Just f**king make sure the builder can understand those notes okay.”
“Alright Kovac, far be it from me to insult the intelligence of any of your builder buddies.”
“HA!”
She heard him muttering as his footsteps wandered away, but ten minutes later he came back with a load of washing; Lyric gave him a look with a raised eyebrow, Vince, washing!? She shook her head and continued with her work.
“Lyl. Did you wear my shirt to workout in; again!?!” Vince dragged one of his blue T-Shirts from the washing-machine.
“Yup.”
He sighed “Why??”
She gave a smirk; “I like wearing your clothes and nothing much else.”
He had to pause his train of thought before he said something he’d regret. For a woman who didn’t want to do anything until she’d finished working, Lyric certainly was going the wrong way about it. Truth was she just liked wearing his shirts to run in; they were way too big for her, but so comfortable. And every so often she’d wear one he’d worn for work earlier in the week – and if he couldn’t run with her that particular that day it was nice to breathe him in instead.
Vince got up and came over to the table again, looking at all the stuff that wasn’t architecturally related. A single coffee mug. But nothing else.
“Babe, didn’t you even have breakfast!?”
“Oh… No…” He could understand why, once Lyric got obsessed over something she couldn’t finish, that became the only thing she could think on until she’d figured it out. He’d watched her in the back room getting frustrated and throwing both screwed up paper and pencils at the wall from time to time.
“Do you want me to make you something…!?”
She looked up to him slowly; “As long as there’s no banana involved?”
“Yeah. Preferably.”
“You’re missing out, you know. You should eat one before running. You know they give them out after marathons right?!”
“Why do you think I don’t run marathons.”
“Sure, it’s all to do with the banana’s…” She leant on her hand for a minute and those blue eyes of hers softened. It was moments like that that he would see those pretty almost violet lines that criss-crossed through them. “…Go on, surprise me.”
“You sound like you need comfort food. Pancakes?”
“Pancakes…?” She gave an almost childish smile “…Before running?”
“Okay. I’ll make ‘em so you can still run on ‘em…”
“Why thank you.”
“Well, always got your best interests at heart, don’t I?”
“I noticed…” She scratched the back of her head with her pencil as she looked back to her drawing “…Thank you…”
Vince bent down and kissed her on the cheek gently, his unshaved face scratching against her skin and making her scrunch her face with a slight giggle; “Before I do that though - I’m gonna get ready…!”
Lyric eyes widened suddenly as she froze, a smile spreading across her face, she turned quickly in her chair as Vince ascended the stairs, this was important too.
“VIN..!!”
He stopped and leaned over, “Yes---?”
“I love you!!”
She always loved that smile; “I love you too!”
**
Half an hour later Vince appeared again, in what looked like training gear. Lyric frowned but continued drawing, she had her suspicions but she’d have to wait to see if he proved them right. He was an efficient cook she would give him that.
And no sooner was she finished with jotting down notes for the next piece of interior design was she receiving another kiss on the cheek as he placed the pancakes in front of her;
“High energy, low sugar. You’ll need it, given how far YOU run.”
She shook her head after him, daring him to say it again. He didn’t, just grinned.
She ate slowly and placed her attention back on her work, rather than he partner.
Even as Vince laced his trainers and attached a step-counter to the waistband of his tracks. Lyric was passed again as he collected his phone and zipped that into his pocket too; it was the one thing she always insisted he take. What did make Lyric prick up her ears, though, was the sound of the front door key –
“Vince! What are you doing…?”
“Going running!!”
She opened her mouth in shock, for all his talk about her running he was going to go early-!? “Without me!?”
“You’re working…”
“I don’t have to be…”
His footsteps echoed down the hallway and Vince appeared again, taking one of her hands, “Well come on then…!”
For a second it looked like she might drop everything and stand up, but she hesitated and he knew he’d lost her as soon as he’d got her; “NO! Oh God – all this stuff is due next week and I’m really no better off! I’ve got two days before I-!”
Vince waved his hands to calm her down; “Well, you need a break!!!”
“N-No!! I need to do this – I’m focused!”
He tipped his head and pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, clearly less than impressed; “Can you at least give me a straight answer?”
She dropped his hand with a shake of her head; it’s because she didn’t really want to say no to spending time with him. But Lyric knew how much work she had to get done. And how long she’d be out running. The times just didn’t collate properly. Vince tsk’d and ran upstairs again.
Lyric sighed and looked to the scattered papers in front of her – how badly did she want to be with him? Sure, she wanted to finish this, right now, but right now she was more worried that Vince would leave and not come back. Like it or not, she needed him to bounce ideas off, or for advice. A book couldn’t given her answers it didn’t have written. And certainly couldn’t make her laugh with a snarky attitude.
She slammed her laptop and book shut – sticking a paper in as a book mark, she lined her pencils up to the side of the drawing she was finishing, and straightened everything else on the table out neatly. Jumping up from the table and taking the stairs two at a time, Lyric rounded the corner into their bedroom and rooted quickly through her dresser, she found a running shirt and a pair of leggings – throwing them onto the bed.
Vince appeared and leaned on the door with a grin; “Ah. I see you’ve changed your mind…!”
She opened another draw and ran the hair tie around her wrist;
“Yeah... urm… Just let me change… Uhhh… Yeah. Right.”
He rolled his eyes in mocking; “Oh, come on. I’m not waiting for you now! You’ve got two minutes I’m counting!!!” Vince started his stop watch, (half as a joke) as Lyric gave him a look, then sprinted to the bathroom to change.
Vince raised an eyebrow; “What I can’t watch you change now!?”
“F**k you!”
“You may when we get back if you like?”
At least he heard her laughing as she slipped off her shorts and shirt and replaced them with her running gear. Tying her hair back into a high pony tail; maybe that wasn’t always the best idea, she knew he’d make the same joke about pulling her hair.
Aw, let him make it. See how he likes it!
“Right I’m going!!!” Vince laughed knocking on the door as he passed to go downstairs.
“HUH!?” Lyric thought hard for a second – no way that was two minutes…! She laced her trainers and flung open the door – scrambling down the stairs as Vince closed the front door,
“NO!! VIN!! WAIT UP-!!!” She sighed, frustrated, kicking the door, “Aw. C’MON….” Lyric turned, picking up her own phone and fishing her keys from her work bag, just in case she didn’t catch up. Checking she had everything she needed, Lyric opened the door – closing it firmly behind her, she ran after Vince at almost full tilt, who was jogging gently, he was waiting for her…
She sprinted passed him and turned around; now jogging backwards.
He flashed her a smirk; “Was wondering when you’d turn up!!”
“Shut up. I was calculating your mistakes. I recon you jumped the gun by at least 12 seconds!!”
“Did I?”
“No, you know you did!”
“Well. C’mon then! We’re doing a round of the block!”
She scoffed “You’ll be lucky if you get away with the block. At this rate you’re not even getting away with the running path.”
“Oh, don’t make me run all the way to the track and back.”
“Ohhh-! Good idea, hope that 12 seconds was worth it.”
He let out a groan; “You’ll be the death of me woman.”
She laughed; “What a way to go!”
Lyric levelled off and jogged next to him, getting as close to him as possible; “Okay, what’s going on...?”
“I’m cold…”
“Cold, eh?” Vince glanced around, it was autumn sure, but it was hardly cold yet. Plus at the rate she usually ran she’d be hot in no time at all. “What’s wrong with you!?”
“What’s so wrong with wanting to be with you…?”
That was unnecessarily smooth, Vince frowned for a second “Hm. Nothing, But I feel like if you want to be with me and burn calories we wouldn’t necessarily have to go outside…”
She only looked mildly disgusted with him; “I hope you want to end up in the middle of the road with comments like that.”
“How are you not used to me by now?”
“I am, sometimes I still can’t believe what I’m hearing.”
“And yet-!” He turned those smart blue eyes on her and she shook her head;
“For some reason I still love you.”
This continued for about half an hour – until they came to the park in the middle of town, by this time Vince was beginning to slow, no such luck that his other half would be doing the same. Lyric was now slaloming through the piles of fallen leaves and jumping every couple of times she did this – turning and changing pace whenever she could. He couldn’t help but smile at her self-training.
But she slowed down and turned, now walking backwards. Vince was grateful that now he could slow right down as well, and pretty soon found himself almost on top of her; given she was walking so slow.
Of course, this was Lyrics’s plan, and she placed her arms around him, almost at a standstill she was now being dragged backwards by Vince’s paces forwards. After realising this would only end up with him tripping, or her on the floor, she decided it best to walk again; but this time it was awkward. Luckily Vince wound his arms around her waist before she fell and slowed down his walk even more, they both eventually stopped – and closed the gap between them. Lyric’s hands moving through his hair slowly and his hands caressing the small of her back as she did so.
Ah! Now that’s much better!
The autumn leaves fell gently around them as they kissed…
---
@dennismitchell @wltz-bby @happyskywhale
#MendoTagSquad.
@3134045126 @kylo-ren-has-an-8pack
Figured I might have got a Vince Kovac crew...?
