♡ Hobbies for the Sons of Ipswich ♡ because I think they need some hobbies beyond warlock shit/being hot, you know?
Music and wood carving. There's always music playing with Caleb around, mostly rock. His grandfather liked to wood carve, said that it taught him patience and attention to detail, and he taught Caleb too. It helps with being a warlock, woods can be used to make talismans and things, but he mostly does it for himself...and for you, carving a little charm and hanging it from a charm bracelet for you.
Writing and mechanics. Pogue loves to write and hopes to one day be published. For now, he's mostly scribbling in notebooks (always with a dark blue pen, it's a tradition) and he always has a notebook and pen with him, just in case an idea hits him. Of course he loves working on his bikes and on cars too, music blasting in the garage and his tools everywhere as he gets to work, it's so relaxing and simple compared to everything else in his life.
Music and running. He's always listening to music, much like Caleb, but he dabbles in it too. Plays guitar and piano and writes his own songs (which no one has ever heard/read before), records them all on cassette tapes because he's old school like that. And running helps him clear his head, especially when he starts to lose his temper and get lost in it. That's actually how you meet, Reid blasting music as he runs, stumbling upon a pretty girl and her broken down car in the middle of nowhere.
Art and reading. Ty is a crazy talented artist, mostly in ink and charcoal sketches. But he also dabbles in painting (acrylic and watercolor) and a little in sculpting too. He has a habit of drawing/painting on everything, doodles covering his homework but no one minds. And he's always got a book with him, mostly historical fiction, sci-fi, horror, classics, and (secretly) romance. Pogue actually likes to read too as they're always sharing books.
Summary: Tyler and reader enjoy a day on the water to get away from the heat. Based on this post by @saviorsong which you should all totally check out!
“I called in sick?”
“Yeah, this morning. See? We crossed your name off the schedule and everything.” A finger tapped rapidly on the big whiteboard that had everyone’s name written in dry erase marker.
Sure enough, there was a hastily drawn line going right through the middle of yours.
They really had thought you weren’t coming in. “That’s impossible,” you said confused. “Because I didn’t call in sick.”
“Alright, alright. I believe you,” the supervisor said. “You’re one of the normaler ones that we have and a normal person wouldn’t have driven clear across town when they already had the day off.”
Both of you stood there scratching your heads. Your thoughts were leaning towards this possibly being a dream. You had weird dreams all the time, right? And it wasn’t unlike you to be dreaming of work even when you were off the clock.
There was a good chance you would wake up any second now, still swaddled in bed sheets.
The supervisor had a completely different reaction. “Well, the building ghost strikes again! They must’ve called on your behalf knowing how hard you’ve been working. Just take the day off. We’re covered anyway.”
“Are you sure?” you hesitated. It felt weird taking the day for yourself when you were perfectly able to work. “Since I’m here, I could do—”
“Nope. Enjoy some of this weather. Summer is almost over, you know.”
With that you were ushered out the door and left standing on the concrete sidewalk, not a clue as to what you should do.
There were always things to be done at the apartment. You hadn’t cleaned the bathroom in a while…yikes. Tyler also had his collection of expired leftovers in the fridge that he was terrible about tracking of.
Oh! You could wash the cars, too! Tyler had finally gotten rid of his monstrosity of a Hummer a few summers back in favor of a classic sixties car that Pogue had helped him fix-up. He liked to keep it spotless.
Speaking of his car…you looked up and noticed it parked across the street. And it was definitely his. Not only were there not many of them still out on the roads, but that was clearly Tyler smiling at you in the driver’s seat as he waved you over.
“Were you flagging me down this whole time?” you asked. He nodded with a heavy dose of enjoyment sparkling in those baby blue eyes. “Sorry. It’s been a weird morning.”
“Didn’t expect to have to day off?” Tyler’s smile becoming more pronounced.
“Of course not—wait,” you trailed off in realization. “It was you. You’re the one who called in sick for me!”
He stroked your wrist through the window with his thumb. “You caught me. But don’t be mad, I promise it was for the greater good.”
Greater good? You raised both eyebrows. “And what’s the ‘good’ in question?”
“Weather man predicted we’re supposed to hit high eighties today. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t drag you to the lake house to take advantage of it?”
“That’s a terrible excuse, Ty.”
“Fine,” he admitted with a laugh. “How about you’ve been working this whole summer, and I miss you and want to do something nice for you?”
On the inside you felt yourself vibrate with excitement but you tried to keep it together. You shouldn’t encourage him making plans without you, especially when they disrupted work, but you were a sucker for surprises. “Better,” you admitted with your nose titled up.
And he knew that. Knew that you weren’t really cross with him as he turned the engine over, jolting the car to life with a heavy rumble. “Come on, my lady. I promise that it’ll be fun.”
The lake house in question referred to one of several Simms family properties in Massachusetts, appropriately named for it’s position right next to a small, picturesque lake. The area was naturally beautiful with shimmering water that was encased by tall, shady trees that were a godsend when the sun became too much to handle.
The drive there went like it always did: fast, thanks to a good playlist and easy conversation, and soon Tyler was pulling up to the lake house.
Not wanting him to fixate on the fine dust the gravel kicked up, and how it was dirtying the car, you leaned over the center console to kiss him. It was just long enough to steal his attention.
When his hand cupped the back of your head, you pulled back. “Last one to the dock has to use the tacky orange kayak!” You stuck your tongue out at him as you dashed out of the car and towards the dock.
Unprepared for the challenge, Tyler sputtered as he tried to take his seat belt off with clumsy fingers.
You ran around the outside of the house and dodged trees as best as you could, laughing the whole way. You may have gotten the head start but you could hear the tell tale sounds of the man gaining ground behind you.
The dock was so close you could picture your victory as. Only a few steps more, you would’ve had it.
Then two arms wrapped around your middle in a steel tight grip, halting you in your tracks. A large exhale was forced out of your lungs at the sudden impact.
“No fair,” you whined. Slumping back into his embrace, you turned to look at his smug face. “I can’t match your stupid arm strength.”
Tyler laughed, the argument a familiar one. “We’ve been over this. If you can use the element of surprise, then the element of muscle is fair game.”
That was the agreement but that didn’t mean you couldn’t pout. Not everyone was blessed with good genetics and years of a background in competitive swimming.
“Well, let’s consider this a tie then because I refuse to use that hideous orange boat.”
Tyler hummed, the vibration noticeable against your back. “Nope,” he said. The answer was abrupt and before you could get another word out, you were sailing through the air, lake water rushing to swallow you up.
The shock made your lungs seize up and your limbs flailed in the haze of the foggy water.
Breaking the surface, hair and clothes plastered to your skin you paddled around to glare at him. The effect didn’t have the ferocity you hoped for because he merely but his hands on his knees and laughed so hard it seemed like he might tip over.
Dodging the water you splashed at him, he got the laughs under control and walked to the edge of the dock to give you a hand. You glared at it personally offended by the gesture. Those were the hands that had just thrown you in without any warning.
But Tyler was patient and held his hand out steadily until you were ready to grab hold of it. For a moment, you debated trying to sink him to the murky depths along with you, but as his impressive looking biceps flexed under the warm glow of the sun, you realized you’d have to take revenger later when you were more certain of your success.
With the added help, you hauled up to the dock. The access water from your clothes ran off, darkening the wood in random splatter patterns, and you realized for the first time that it was pretty hot out.
The sun was bright even with your hand covering your eyes as you looked up; not a cloud in the sky as the bugs buzzed around lazily.
“Sorry.” Tyler fidgeted awkwardly, bringing your attention back to down earth. “I didn’t mean to be, well, mean.”
“Most people would think you’re an angel but you surely have a competitive streak, Tyler Simms.”
He shrugged apologetically. After a moment, he stood up and called over his shoulder as he jogged away. “I’ll go grab a towel for you. Meet me in the cabin!”
It was hard to stay mad at him. Especially when he tried to make up for it by doing something cute, like literally running to get a towel. He really was puppy-like; a little reckless but very contrite when he realized he messed up.
True to his word, he did bring you a towel along with a whole bag of clothes he had packed for the trip. Figuring it’d be a waste to dry your hair—you’d be on the water soon again any way—you settled for patting down the rest of your body and changed into extra clothes.
After Tyler managed to coerce you into putting on sun block (he was strict about it, likely leftover from his swimming days, while you tended to be lazy about it), it was back to lake where each of you set off in a kayak.
And even though he had won the bet earlier, he took mercy and neither of you had to row in the garish orange kayak; a mercy on both pairs of eyes, to be sure.
The sun turned sweltering before it had even reached its highest point, the heat feeling like pin pricks all over your body. The water definitely helped. Between kayaking, swimming, and even a brief diving contest off the end of the dock, you kept cool enough.
Enjoying a late lunch under the shade of a large tree, you felt the pull of an after-lunch nap calling your name.
Tyler noticed the way your eyelids drooped and laid down on the blanket and pulled you into his chest. “Nap time?”
Utterly content, you nodded languidly.
“Alright then, let’s nap.” He pressed a soft kiss into your hair. “Thanks for letting me drag you here. This is perfect...”
The was the last words you heard as the summer heat, filling lunch, and buzz of cicadas lulled you to sleep.
_______________
We could all use a summer day like this. I’m contemplating writing more based on the other boys’ preferences too, but we’ll see. Hopefully this one was enjoyable!
Summary: What do you mean Halloween decorations don’t double as regular home decorations? Or Tyler always seems to attract people that think so. Next part of the exchange with @saviorsong.
“I like skulls as much as the next person, babe. I didn’t even have a problem hanging up the orange lights outside, or the small pumpkin farm you have going on the lawn, even though it’s hell on the grass. But this is where I draw the line.”
You looked over at him innocently. “What do you mean? What’s wrong with a little Halloween spirit?”
He gestured at the twelve-foot tall skeleton on display in front of the house. Ah, yes. Your magnus opus of Halloween decorations. “I can’t relax and watch tv without that boney ass in my face. How did you even put it up?”
Huh. Maybe he had a point, you thought as you leaned around to see the angle he was talking about. Sure enough, you had an excellent view up the backside of the pelvic bone. “It’s just some home décor, Ty. Relax.”
“This goes beyond home décor--this feels like I’m living in the Spirit of Halloween!” His hands rested on his hips. “Between you and Reid, I swear.”
What could you say? His best friend and you had immaculate taste.
Besides, you knew that he could be convinced. Giving him a warm hug, you broke out the puppy dog eyes. “Please? If we leave it up, I promise I’ll watch those cheesy old horror movies you love so much, without complaint.”
That got him to smile. “Fine. I guess it can stay. And if I hear a single complaint, the deal’s off.”
Summary: Reader confesses their feelings for Tyler through a note.
Passing time was always a chaotic in the halls of Spencer Academy. There was an allotted ten minutes in between periods to get to your next class, which could be difficult to navigate between the throngs of loitering bodies clogging up the halls and having multiple floors to climb. But the passing time after third period wasn’t too bad.
Well, if you were being honest with yourself, it was a great part of your day.
Hiding behind your locker door, you peered out of the corner of your eye to watch him. Him being Tyler Simms. Brunette, blue-eyed Adonis and adored academy student.
He was also your long-time crush.
It started during sophomore year, second semester when the two of you were assigned to be biology lab partners. Spending consistent time with him, you learned how smart he was, how sweet, how loyal. He was also one of the most non-judgmental people you’d ever met, a quality which was harder to come by at a private, prep academy like Spencer.
Several semesters later and you were still pining. Tyler hadn’t had anymore shared classes with you since sophomore biology but he still smiled and waved when you saw each other around, which was more than enough to keep the flame of your affections burning.
After today, your feelings wouldn’t be a secret anymore. You fingered the piece of paper in your hands, folded into a neat square. The note had undergone several drafts before it was deemed perfect and now all that was left was to deliver it.
Confessing outright was too much pressure. Not because Tyler was intimidating but because his status as a Son of Ipswich put him leagues above you in the social hierarchy of the school. Word of you confessing would spread and public opinion likely wouldn’t be kind to you. And speaking of Sons…
A blonde boy put his arm around Tyler with a laugh that traveled down the hallway. Reid Garwin was his best friend and wherever the blonde went, Tyler was quick to follow. You didn’t have a problem with Reid, on the contrary, you appreciated his wit and creativity.
But you weren’t keen on confessing with an audience, even if it was an audience of one and was your crush’s friend. Hence why you decided to go the route of writing out your feelings.
When the locker slammed shut and the boys walked away, you inhaled deeply to steel yourself. Time to be brave. Closing your own locker, you waded through traffic until you got in range of Tyler’s.
Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, you slid the note through one of the slanted slots near the top of the door. With a little push, the note disappeared without a trace.
Love note officially dropped off, you continued onto to class as normal, no one but you aware of what was waiting for Tyler. It happened swiftly and without fanfare, unlike what you had pictured in your mind. Now all that was left to do was wait and see what would happen.
You found it near impossible to focus during your class, your mind a foggy haze of anticipation and anxiety, and, before you knew it, it was lunch.
A flick reverberated off of your forehead and you smacked the offending hand away from your face with a grimace, your friend giving you an expecting look, the two of you eating in your usual spot.
“Well?” they prompted. “How is Operation John Keats going?”
“Why did you decide on Operation John Keats again?” you asked, pushing your food around with a fork.
“Because it’s just all so ‘Bright Star.’ Tyler is obviously the Fanny Brawne to your yearning John Keats.”
Cutting off their argument with a roll of your eyes, you maintained that you were very much not like Keats. For one, you weren’t suffering from consumption and second, you could only wish to have that poet’s talent for words.
“Whatever, I’m still keeping the name. But really, have you heard anything from him?”
“No, nothing yet,” you lamented with a sigh. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but whichever it is, I’m freaking out at this point.”
They split off some of their cookie with a supportive smile and handed it over to share with you. “Keep positive. You’re great and he’d be lucky to go out with you. And if he ends up being a jerk, it would be an awful shame if something were to happen to his Hummer…”
Appreciating the sentiment, you talked them down, hiding your laughs behind your hand. Yes, it would be disappointing if your crush was unrequited, but he really was a nice guy and you would feel guilty if anything were to actually happen to his beloved car.
* * *
The next day started and still no word from Tyler, or even a sign that he had received the note. Maybe it fell on the floor when you pushed it into his locker, or it got stuck behind something.
That line of reasoning was better than the alternative which was that he was so uninterested, he didn’t know how to approach you. Your heart clenching at the mere thought, you went to your locker after third period as usual, determined not to look in his direction.
Turning the lock combination with well-practiced twists of your wrist, you opened the door to get the books you needed. Maybe it was time to accept the rejection and focus on classes again. After all, there was an essay due next week—
A folded piece of paper fluttered down suddenly when you pulled out one of the textbooks, taking you by surprise. What in the world? Your head immediately snapped toward Tyler’s locker by instinct but he wasn’t there.
Jitters had your hand shaking as you unfolded the unassuming scrap of lined notebook paper with bated breath. Familiar scrawling handwriting stood out immediately and you scanned it over quickly. So quickly that you had to read it twice to make sure you understood it correctly.
Y/N,
Wow. That’s the only way I can describe it.
Sorry for blowing you off yesterday, but I didn’t know what to say without seeming like an idiot: I crushed on you back in sophomore year but you never made a move and I didn’t want to push.
So I was very surprised by your note, in a good way!
To get straight to the point, do you want to out this Friday? There’s a concert in the square that night, if you’re game. Let me know, I’d love to spend more time with you.
Tyler
“I see you got my note.” The voice ruffled your hair and you spun around to see Tyler in the flesh, rubbing his pants legs nervously but still wearing a smile. “So, what do you say?”
A loud squeak passed through your lips before you could stop it. “I mean, yes. I would love to go out with you, Tyler Simms.”
_______________
Haven’t written for my favorite witch in a while! I think Tyler would be too awkward to confess in-person as well and would appreciate a note instead. Also, I love John Keats. And you know Reid totally ragged on him when he found the note haha.
One of your favorite things about fall is apples. Many get lured in by pumpkin, but not you. You were always a very loyal type of person. Apple fritters, apple cider, caramel apples, you name it. It was the superior flavor. Period.
So, it was only natural that you loved going to apple orchards during this time of year.
Your phone started vibrating on the night stand next to your bed in the dormitories and you reached over to answer it. “Hello?”
“Hey, sweetheart,” Tyler’s voice came through clearly. “I just pulled up in the front.”
You grabbed your things and quickly locked the door behind you. “I’m coming. See you in a few,” you hang up with a kiss.
Tyler sat parked in his black Hummer just like he said. His arms leaned against the steering wheel while he messed around on his phone. When he looked up and saw you walking towards him, he hurried to get out of the car. He started waving excitedly, like a little kid, and had the biggest smile on his face.
Once you were close enough, he pulled you in for a tight hug. “I’ve missed you,” he mumbled.
You threw your head back and laughed. “Ty. We literally saw each other two hours ago. Plus, we talked on the phone last night.”
“I guess… Still missed you though,” he insisted, messing with your hair. You slap his hand away and it was his turn to laugh while you pouted. “Come on then,” he made a show of opening the Hummer door for you. “Your chariot awaits.”
That day Tyler planned to take you to an apple orchard just outside of Ipswich. It had taken a while to figure out scheduling—midterms were always in mid-October and Tyler was in-season with the swim team—but he was determined that he would take you. So much so that he had skipped a family trip to Boston with his parents that weekend in favor of going to pick apples with you.
Caleb was universally regarded as the sweet one, but, in your opinion, that role definitely belonged to Tyler. At least when it came to you.
The drive went by in a flash and soon the hand painted sign for Tanner’s Family Orchard came up on the left side of the road. Tyler was even more excited when he saw that there were only a couple other cars parked in the lot. “See?” he whooped. “Perks of being a responsible morning bird.”
“Says the actual night owl in this relationship,” you smile and roll your eyes.
The property was large, but well kept. The first thing you noticed was the coy red barn that acted as the main store front. Behind the barn, the trees seemed to stretch on forever in neat, uniform rows.
Inside smelled like quintessential autumn from all of the countless kinds of apple products. You grabbed a basket from the pile the owners had set aside for visitors who wanted to pick fruit for themselves. Basket in tow, Tyler and you went back outside and started lazily wandering. You weren’t in any kind of rush.
“What kind is your favorite?” he asked.
“Hmm… it really just depends,” you answer truthfully. “If I’m baking, or cooking, I use Granny Smiths. And you know, no one else in the family bakes besides me. Does that make me weird? Anyway, if I’m just snacking, Pink Ladies or Gala are my top choices.”
He chuckled and added some red apples to the basket. “I’ll be honest—before you I didn’t know anything about the specifics of apples. I used to distinguish only by color.”
You suddenly felt embarrassed by your enthusiasm. You had a bad habit of going off about your interests, most of which were niched topics that were unfamiliar to most people. And you knew that you shouldn’t feel bad about gushing to your boyfriend (Tyler had always accepted you and never judged) but embarrassment still crept up every now and then.
Whether is was your own insecurities, or him belonging to the untouchable Sons of Ipswich, you weren’t sure. Maybe it was a combination of the two.
He must have noticed you avoiding looking at him because he snatched the basket from you and marched up to a tree. “Might as well get to picking.”
Thankful for the distraction from your own awkwardness, you nodded and helped him add to the apple pile.
“So… what kind are these?” he asked with a wink. You couldn’t stop the large smile from spreading across your face. Tyler really was the sweetest.
Bit by bit the basket filled up with a rainbow of different colors. You figured there was enough space left for only a few more apples, if that, and you told Tyler as much.
“Yeah, I think you’re right.”
He pointed at a section of trees that had been picked near clean except for the very tops where bright green apples stood out among the leaves and branches. “How about we get some of those and call it good?”
You made a show of looking at the trees he was referring to. “Um, those are at the top, Ty. I don’t think we can reach those.”
“What?” he said standing at the base of a tree, hands on his hips. “I totally got this, Y/N, don’t worry. Besides, you need the green ones for your baking.”
You tried to reason with him but he ignored you in favor of shaking some of the lower branches. When nothing fell you told him again that he was wasting time. That got him to pause at least, and he tilted his head up to look at the tree in concentration.
He started shaking it again and the craziest thing happened—the all the apples started falling at Tyler’s feet. Your mouth hung wide open in disbelief. You didn’t know how else to react to what just happened.
He pushed off the tree and bent to pick up the newly available Granny Smiths. He arranged them and you continued to stare at him.
“How did you actually get to work?”
“Simms family secret,” he teased. “I can’t share it unless you’ve been initiated.”
“Fine. It really seemed like magic or something though.”
Suddenly, he leaned in for a kiss and you quickly forgot all talk of magic and secrets.
It started out as an innocent meeting of two sets of lips, but soon Tyler licked into your mouth. Tongues stroked and twirled together.
Your knees went weak and Tyler followed you to the cool ground, hovering over your body. He used on hand to raise himself up and the other stroked your stomach. Goosebumps raised on your arms. Your nails raked the back of his neck which caused him to moan into your mouth. You trailed kisses along his jaw and he whispered in your ear, “We should stop.”
Logically, you knew he was right, and you even answered, “We should.” But your body wouldn’t be turned off that easily, the warm energy extremely seductive, and your tongues met again.
It took a warbling bird nearby to break the two of you apart. “He’s totally judging us.”
“You guys should get a room,” you mimicked in a high pitch voice.
He extended a hand to help you stand. His baby blues still electrified, he said, “That can be arranged, you know.”
No words were exchanged. You both hurried to pick up the apples that had spilled when the basket tipped over during your tryst. You rushed back the barn to pay, even running at one point, so you could pay and leave without delay.
After all, you did love apples in the fall, but you loved your boyfriend more.
I’m back in a big Covenant mood these days and I’ve noticed my favorite Son, Tyler, has a criminally low amount of fics. I guess it’s up to me to write what I want to see. Thanks to anyone who took the time read it!
