My Moon • My Man
Pope Cody X Oc!reader
summary: Miller Richards and Pope Cody…No one knew about them. They kept their relationship hidden behind stolen glances, late-night phone calls, and excuses that never quite added up. The age difference between them wasn’t huge, but it was enough to make people question it, which only made them more protective of their secret. Their love was intense—consuming, even. They fought often, both stubborn and unwilling to back down, leaving scars made of harsh words and bruised feelings. Yet no matter how messy things became, they always found their way back to each other.
content warning: swearing, age gap, alcohol consumption, fighting, gun violence, not really smut buttt they be kissin! ;3
word count: 3.5k
Flashing lights, a bar that smells like pure alcohol and sweat, people stepping on others toes, and undeniably idiotic guys hitting on you and your friends. Seems like the dream…
For some people. Putting on a tiny dress that just barely covers your ass, and heels that are so uncomfortable they make your whole body ache, and going out with your friends is supposed to be what being a girl in their 20’s is all about. But, apparently God said, “Nope!” and now i’m the bummer-loser who wants to leave the bar at 9:00 p.m. on a Friday night. “Miller~ Come on! Please just stay. Please?” My friend Tessa begs, holding my hands in hers.
“I don’t know…I’m already having the worst time. Do you know how many guys have tried to cop a feel? I’ll tell you…too many.”
“Okay, well if any other guys come up to you…then i’ll kick em’ in the balls. I’m serious. I’ll be your body guard.” She grins and looks up at me with her big blue eyes. Everything with Tessa was nothing short of exciting. It’s my first night back from college, and honestly…even though it’s all i’ve been doing for the past 4 years, all I really wanna do is relax on my couch…with a bowl of ice cream and binge Love Island. When I got the invite, I almost said no. My brain was already scrambled from the flight home, and the thought of trying to look presentable irked me. But…I didn’t wanna feel like a total loser, and I missed my friends. So stupidly, I said yes.
“Okay, fine. I’ll stay. But I need you to help me find Deran. I haven’t seen him at all…I miss my best friend.”
“I thought I was your best friend.” She frowns.
“You were…and then you dragged me here.” I mock her expression.
“Okay, well, if I drop you off with Deran, then i’m resigning as your body guard. I want to dance.”
“Be my guest.” I flash my teeth at her.
Me and Tessa hold hands through the crowds of people. I never expected the bar to be this crowded. When Craig told me that Deran bought this place, I thought it’d be…y’know…dead? No offense to him. I just was surprised. We bump into person after person, everyone’s body rubbing up against mine. A part of me shudders. As much as I hate to admit it, i’m a germaphobe, through and through. And with the thought of all these sweaty body’s touching mine, a shower was calling my name. “Deran! Look what I have for youuu!” Tessa shouts from across the bar, my body still hiding being a guy at a bar stool.
“Let’s see…is it…a plane ticket that’ll fly you a million miles away from here?” I hear Deran make snarky comment towards her and I giggle.
“Haha. Very funny, but no.”
“Hm. Well, i’m all out of my own dying wishes, so what is it?”
“It is…your very own…”
Tessa pulls me into Derans sight, “Miller Richards!” I appear from behind the guy, flashing an awkward smile. When I say awkward I mean awkward, like cheesy grin, and furrowed eyebrows. I think a part of it was that introduction…sheesh. “Holy shit! Miller, what the hell? When’d you get here?” Deran runs around the bar to get to me.
“I flew in a few hours ago. I debated whether or not I should call you.” I give him a warm smile. Me and Deran have a really strong friendship, we’ve been friends since we were in 2nd grade. He pulled on my braid on time and recess, and when I turned around I instinctively punched him in the nose. Who knew the damage 5 little knuckles could do to a nose. We’ve been friends ever since. “You should’ve called me, I would’ve thrown a party! Or done something…”
“Blah! No, it’s already enough that i’m standing here right now in the first place.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, we missed you.”
He pulls me in for a hug, which is weird, me and Deran don’t hug. It’s all wrestling, and name calling. He’s basically my brother. “Missed you too.” I kiss his cheek, feeding into the love.
Out of the corner of my eye I see a familiar figure jogging up to me. “Is that who I think it is?” Craig. The large figure reaches his arms out and lifts me over his shoulder, spinning me around.
“Craig, I guarantee that if you don’t put me down right now, i’m gonna blow chunks. Nobody wants that.” He chuckles and sets me down. My stomach settles and I glance behind him, finding the rest of the Cody boys trailing in his path. Baz, J, and….Pope. Craig grabs one of my hands and lifts it into the air, twirling me around. “Look who went to college and got sexy!” He exclaims, looking down at me. I cringe at the comment, I hate compliments, I never know how to respond.
“Yeah, yeah, keep it in your pants, Craig.” Deran speaks up from behind me. Baz peeks around Craig’s shoulder, getting a good look at me. He raises his eyebrows, “Hey cutie, how you doing?”
“Never better.” I grin. They’ve all always been pretty flirty, especially Craig. I never reciprocate it, I can never tell if they’re really joking or not. Part of me believes they still see me as that naive little girl they used to know. Like, that time I tried to pierce my nose with a needle and an ice cube when I was 14, or when I first got boobs and did my best to hide them because I was embarrassed. Baz leans in to hug me, and I wrap my arms around him. My eyes are met with a startling sight. My voice slightly catches in my throat, “H-hi, Pope.” Baz releases me and I keep my eyes on Pope. He tosses a nod my way. That’s his own little way of saying hello. I open my mouth to speak when J cuts in. “So, you’re done with school now?” He asks. I nod, pursing my lips. “Cool. What’d ya study in?”
“Pediatric nursing.” I smile, and Craig hands me a beer from the bar. “What’s that?” Deran speaks up from behind me.
“Children’s psychical health…?” I look at him like he’s stupid. I mean, he is. But sometimes I gotta let him know.
“Wait, didn’t you wanna be a…a writer, or some shit?” Craig chimes in. My heart sinks and I look at all of them like i’ve got a brick crammed in my throat. “Uh, yeah, didn’t work out.” I blink, and look down at feet. It’s the most comforting sight right now. My pain induced feet, that have been stomped on all night. Thankfully, Tessa cuts in, noticing my discomfort. “Hey, Miller, let’s go dance or something.”
“Ooo~ count me in!” Craig grabs a syrupy drink from the bar, and gets a head start to the floor.
I roll my eyes and laugh, it was good to be home.
Even if it wasn’t ideal, and it wasn’t really a home. It was still mine. “Millerrr! Come dance with me, baby!” Craig yells from the middle of the room. My face glows a bright shade of red, and Tessa pulls me into the large crowd of people.
The bar pulsed with life, music blaring through the speakers so loudly it seemed to vibrate through the floorboards. Colored lights swept across the crowd, catching flashes of laughter, raised glasses, and bodies moving together on the packed dance floor. The air was warm with the scent of spilled drinks and perfume, and every corner buzzed with conversation and excitement.
Around me, the music continued to roar and people kept dancing, but all I could focus on was that unexpected look I shared with Pope that lingered just a second longer than it should have.
across the room, through the sea of dancing strangers, my eyes met his, while he stood at the bar. For a moment, the noise faded into the background. The flashing lights reflected in our gaze, and despite the crowd shifting between us, neither of us looked away. It felt as if the room had narrowed to a single line stretching from one to another.
I felt weightless, caught somewhere between the music and the alcohol, letting both carry me wherever they pleased. The crowd moved around me like waves, and I drifted with them, smiling at nothing in particular. My pulse stumbled over itself as the noise faded into the background. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was Pope, but for a moment I couldn’t tell where the dizziness ended and the feeling of being drawn toward him began. Popes eyes are darker than I remember them being before, they’ve got a sort of danger to them. Though, I’ve always like that. My eyes migrate to Craig, I look up at him through heavy eye lids. “Mmm…I’m gonna go get another drink!” I flash my pearly whites.
Deran grabs my arm, pulling me back to his side. “No, no, no…don’t you think you’ve had enough?” He asks. I knew at this point I was drunk. Like, off my heels, drunk. I giggle, “Nooooo…just- just one more!” I hold a finger up in the air, waving it around.
Suddenly, the room erupts into chaos. People stumble backward, dragging friends out of the way as chairs scraped across the hardwood. Someone shouted for security. “Oh, you’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me!” Deran shouts, running to break up the sudden fight. The music kept blaring for a few seconds longer, creating a strange soundtrack to the confusion before it finally cut out, leaving only the noise of the crowd and the angry exchange echoing through the room.
The shouting suddenly stopped when one of the men reached beneath his jacket and pulled out a gun. A wave of silence swept through the bar, replacing the chaos that had filled the room.
My stomach dropped as the reality of the situation settled over everyone at once. People ran out of the bar all at once, it was an instant flood of people, and I started to stumble back on my feet. My heart pounded as I realized I lost Tessa, and tears started to well in my eyes. I couldn’t think straight. My vision was delayed from the drinks flowing in blood.
Just then a strong arm wraps around my waist and lifts me off the ground, over their shoulder. Immediately I wrestle through the grasp, trying to escape. My heart hammered in my chest, and whether it was fear, adrenaline, or something else entirely, I couldn’t tell. They guided me through the maze of overturned chairs and frightened strangers, shielding me from the chaos as we pushed toward the door. The cool night air hit us the moment we burst outside.
“Put me down!” I shout. Immediately, they put me down. The sounds of the bar became muffled behind the closed door, replaced by the distant hum of traffic and our ragged breathing. Pope.
My Pope. We just stood there beneath the glow of the streetlights, my hair progressively getting more and more tangled in the wind. The cold air didn’t matter to me, his eyes made my body warm. He breaks the silence.
“What happened to being a writer?” He asks in that cool, undertone. I look at him furrowing my eyebrows. I knew Pope was a random guy, but this made no sense. We could’ve just almost died. “Pope, what? What the hell are you talking about?”
“You were supposed to be a writer, Mary.”
A chill ran through me. “Don’t call me that.”
Mary is my real name. People just call me Miller for…various reasons. “Okay…Miller. What the hell happened?”
I huff, and slouch my body against the brick wall behind me. “Mmm…happiness doesn’t exactly pay the bills.”
“You need money?”
“No.”
“That’s what you just said.”
“I meant that…at the time for a 25 year old in Boston, living pay check to pay check wasn’t exactly ideal.” I was barely living actually. I wasn’t eating 3 meals a day, and the meals I was eating were nothing short of disappointing.
“So…you just-“
“I switched majors. That way I could actually afford my electricity bill.” I squeeze out a small laugh, my nose crinkling. Pope however was…not amused. His face was as still as stone, never flinching. His gaze wasn’t hurried or curious.
It was steady, warm, and full of a kind of affection that felt impossible to fake. It was as if he was memorizing every detail, silently reminding me that I mattered.
I break eye contact looking over at his polish truck. I recognize it from before I left. The inside smelt like cologne and cleanliness…i’m sure it was still the same. Only one way to find out.
“You wanna take me home?” I smirk.
He blinks for the first time in what feels like hours. I push myself off the wall and stumble towards him, trying my best to compose my confidence. I rest my hand on his bicep and give it a small squeeze. “Please?” I look up at him through heavy eyelashes. He sighs.
“Take off your shoes.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Take em off. You’ll feel better.”
I take a step back, looking at him like he’s crazy. But he’s totally right, I would feel better.
“I am fine.” I’m a bold-face liar, but I hate admitting when something is wrong because then I feel like a baby about small things.
“Mary.”
There it was again. That fucking name. I don’t even fight him this time, just bend down and unbuckle the straps of my shoes. I step out of the both of them, the relief immediately rushing to the tips of my toes. “Ugh, oh my gosh. You have no idea how amazing this feels.” I reach forward and grip his shoulders, keeping myself stable.
“Here,” he reaches his hands out and takes the heels from my hands. I let him take them, I knew that if I tried to complain he’d only argue with me about it.
Slowly, but surely I manage to make my way toward the truck, my feet disintegrating beneath me. Pope offered to help me out by carrying me but of course I declined. It’s too weird now. It’s not like before I left. Things are different.
I climb into the passenger seat and let out a deep groan. Pope gets in the drivers side and starts the truck up. “Address?” He looks over at me. But i’m in pure bliss. My feet are resting on the dashboard and my head is hanging back. I can hear him, but i’m too tired to answer. I could pass out at any second. So I let myself.
I walk up to the sound of keys jingling in my ear. Everything seems so loud…could the hangover be hitting me already? I open my eyes and see a familiar house in front of me. I flinch when I feel the car door open up beside me. Pope reaches in and wraps his arms around me, picking me up. “Andrew…stop.” I groan, my head falling to rest in the crook of his neck. No, no, no…not again. Don’t fall for it. “Pope, I said stop!” My legs wiggle and I fall out of his arms. My feet hit the ground and I suck in air through my teeth. I forgot how badly my feet hurt. “What the hell is your problem?” He asks in a snarky tone.
“You. You’re my problem. Stop trying to help me.”
“You have got to be the most stubborn person I have ever met. You’re worse than Baz.”
I lean against the fence that leads to the backyard. “I just don’t need…help. Especially from you.”
Before I could think of something to say, he stepped closer, backing me gently against the fence. The headlight from the truck behind us faded until all I could focus on was the way his eyes searched mine. My breath caught in my throat as he rested one hand on my hip, leaving barely any space between us. The tension that had been building all night suddenly felt impossible to ignore. Neither of us moved away. Instead, we stood there in the charged silence, caught between hesitation and desire, as if the entire world had narrowed to that single moment.
“You scared, Mary?” His hand traveled lower through my mid section, his fingers tracing shapes on my belly. My head falls back against the fence and I look up at him. I could feel the pull of him, the awareness of every small movement, every shift of his expression. It was the kind of tension that made time slow down, turning a few seconds into something that felt endless. I shift into his touch, little by little. I didn’t totally hate the feeling of his hand roaming my body. His forehead rested against mine, the pressure was something I didn’t know I needed. His hand drifts lower under til it reaches the hem of my dress. His fingertips glide up my inner thigh and I bite my bottom lip.
“You scared of what might happen?” He mutters under his breath, repeating his question from before. “No…are you scared?” I throw back at him, a cocky grin spreading across my face.
“Of you?” He shakes his head and laughs, his head dipping in the crook of my neck. That must’ve been his way in to start kissing my neck. His lips made soothing motions on the soft skin of my collar bone, and I let out a strangled whimper. I feel his hands reach around the back of my ass, squeezing harshly. His hands kneed at the flesh, making my tummy explode with butterflies. “You miss this?” He mumbles between into my neck, causing me to shudder.
“Not at all. I actually- was doing- great…” I sigh, resting my hands on the sides of his ribcage.
“Oh, i’m sure.” I feel him lightly smile against my skin. His rough fingers wiggle under my panties and he grips my bare ass, squeezing harsher than before.
“We should go- inside...” I manage to speak up, but it’s so hard. He’s so tantalizing, it throws me sideways. But i’m stronger than this, I know I am. I’m better than I was before. My palms lay flat against his chest and I shove him backwards. He stumbles back on his feet and throws his hands haphazardly in the air, like he’s pleading his case. “Not scared, huh?” He mocks me. He could be such dick sometimes. Catching me at a vulnerable moment, and getting what he can take.
“No. This is me remembering how much you suck.” I show him a fake smile, it immediately drops when I stop speaking.
“You don’t want me to touch you?”
“Not if you’re gonna be an asshole about it.”
“That’s not a no…”
“Technically, yes it is, because you’re always an asshole.”
It’s like we’re trapped in this endless cycle of frustration and affection, unable to figure each other out but unable to let go. No matter how messy it gets, the connection between us always seems stronger than the reasons we shouldn’t be together. We argue over everything, challenge each other constantly, and push each other’s patience to the limit. But no matter how many times we swear we’re done, neither of us ever really leaves. There’s something about him that keeps pulling me back, something that makes every goodbye feel temporary.
I reach my hands up into my hair, stretching and groaning. “Okay…well this is awkward, i’m gonna go inside.” I giggle at his face, slightly smiling at me. I turn on my heels and walk towards the beautiful house I basically called home as a kid.
“Oh, and for your information…I’m not scared. I’ve just grown to be very…independent, and…liberated.” I defend my case, as though it’s working. It probably wasn’t though. It’s terrifying to care so deeply for someone who feels like both a dream and a warning. He feels like standing at the edge of a cliff, knowing the fall could destroy me, but still finding myself drawn closer to the edge.
“Bye, Mary.”
“Uh-huh, Bye Andrew.” I roll my eyes and smile as I walk up the front steps of the house.
I feel 22 again…in possibly the worst way.
