So I'm just going to own it now

“Do ya want another drink?” Austin called down to you, pointing to the empty can of beer in your hand. 

You squint your eyes up at him, trying to read his lips. He repeated himself, smiling fondly when you nodded your head. You were kind enough to let him drag you an hour out of town to see this show, so the least he could do was make sure you were taken care of. Not only that, but it was something that he enjoyed immensely. Austin knew just how strong you were, but it felt nice to know that he was needed. Taking care of you made him feel like a necessary part of your life. It made it easier for him to delude himself into thinking that you couldn’t be without him. 

“I’m not drunk enough for this.” You called back to him, motioning towards the stage. 

He heard your sly little comment and laughed all the way back up to the bar, maneuvering his tall body this way and that so that he wouldn’t bump into anyone in the packed crowd. Austin was surprised that so many people showed up to the bar tonight, the turnout usually being much smaller. 

He finally made it over to the bar, the toes of his sneakers swiping one of the bar stools. He grimaced, mumbling a quick apology to the man who had been jostled around by Austin’s uncharacteristic clumsiness. He was just about to try and grab the bartender’s attention when he felt a sudden pressure on his elbow.

 Samuel’s familiar face grinned back at him, his mousy brown hair cropped short. Austin gaped when he noticed the new hairstyle, eyebrows pinching together in confusion. He didn’t have to vocalize the question, Sam already pointing at his head with a comically dramatic frown.

“Work,” The other man stated simply, shrugging his shoulders with a “what can you do” attitude. “I’ll get another beer.” He reached around Austin so that he could hand the empty beer bottle to the bartender and then pointed towards the blonde. “And then put whatever he orders for him and his lady on my tab too.” 

The blonde whirled, quickly shaking his head. He wasn’t the type of person to take handouts. Ever. Even if they are as a gesture of kindness. Austin hated the feeling of owing people anything. He’d learned from a young age that most people, even the ones that seemed to have the purest intentions, expected favors in return for nice gestures. Maybe it was due to growing up on “the wrong side of the tracks”, but good deeds always meant that someone wanted something from you. 

“Nah, man. Ya don’t have to do that.” He tried, but the beers were already being placed down in front of him. 

Sam smiled at the bartender, giving her a flirtatious wink before clapping his old friend on the back. “You’re the one that got me my current gig. Two beers is nowhere near enough to pay you back for that.” 

The regional manager of the local electric company had all of their work trucks maintained at the shop where Austin worked. All the mechanic did was tell the head honcho that he knew a guy that was going to school to become an electrician. Thanks to Austin’s meddling, Sam had a job the second he got his certificates. Even though Austin was the one that set up the interview, it was the brunette’s skill and personable attitude that landed him the job in the first place. He didn’t want to take credit for the other boy’s undeniable skill. Instead of pushing the subject and denying the other man’s kindness, Austin- although slightly begrudgingly- took the beers with a small smile, nudging his elbow into Sam’s side. 

“Well thank ya for that. It’s weird seein’ your hair short though. Ya look good.” Austin took a sip of his beer, then stared down at yours, raising that can to his lips so that he could give it a taste. 

“You’re lucky that you get to keep your long hair. I mean- it gets more and more majestic by the day, Butler.” Sam teased, reaching a hand over to rustle his wavy blonde hair. It was past his shoulders now, and though you often teased him about getting a haircut, he knew that you’d be upset if he chopped it all off. He’d had long hair since high school, only trimming it when it became too much of a bother to maintain. 

Austin could see the way Sam’s eyes slowly searched the crowd, his smile slow and wide once he found exactly who he was looking for: you. The blonde knew that the questions were sure to come, and so he was quick to change the subject. 

“I’m glad ya came all the way out here to support Dave. I didn’t know ya were still close with him.” The dark dive bar’s doors opened, more metalheads pouring in through the front door. Austin steered them away from the bar, making more room for others who were waiting behind them for a drink.

“I love Davie- but Mark is my new roommate.” Mark was the aforementioned drummer. . . and the wildest of the band. Just two months ago at a bonfire the twenty four year old had set his hair on fire- hence the fact that he was newly bald.

You had been there with the group when it had happened, and thankfully were sober enough to pour your drink over his head to extinguish the flames. Only after you knew that he was safe did you double over with laughter. Austin hadn’t been so kind. He had nearly pissed himself the second that the idiot tried to jump over the giant flames. 

“That must be. . . fun.” Austin chose his words carefully, but Sam was quick to laugh. 

“It’s never dull, that’s for sure.” He agreed, lifting his beer up to take a swig.

The song that the band was playing ended, Dave walking up to the mic so that he could loudly thank the crowd and call out the shitty title of their next terrible song. The amp's feedback was piercing, causing the entire bar to wince and cry out in pain. 

Austin started to walk off in your direction, hoping that he’d been successful in steering clear of any questioning- but a grip on his shoulder stopped him. Every single one of his friends had given him “the talk” at one time or another. It was always awkward and hard to stomach. Nobody in their right mind would pine after a girl for even a fraction of the time that Austin had with you. None of his friends could ever begin to understand exactly what he could lose in the process of vocalizing his feelings though.

“So is this a date. . . or?” Sam asked under his breath, motioning as subtly over towards you as he could. 

You had looked over in Austin’s direction a few times, wondering where he was and what might be taking him so long. You’d stopped searching for him after seeing who he was talking to though, not wanting to interrupt. Sam was the only one in Austin’s male friend group that actually had a “real” job, and you knew that the two of them had more in common than the rest of the boys because of it. You turned back to the stage, giving Dave a quick thumbs up as a form of encouragement to pump him up after the amp malfunction. The blonde clenched his teeth for a couple of seconds, knowing that he shouldn’t lie (but wishing that he could), before turning to face Sam again. 

“No- not a date. She’s friends with the group. . . and Davie wanted her to be here tonight.” 

Sam’s face hardened as he looked up at the stage, glaring after the guitarist. Austin was quick to shake his head, backpedaling. 

“It’s not like that. Just as friends. He knows that I-” Am in love with her. 

Of course he didn’t need to finish the sentence. Anyone with eyes knew how he felt about you. Thankfully, none of his friends had ever even tried their hand at flirting with you, because they understood Austin’s feelings. It wasn’t a childhood yearning or an adult ache that plagued him. It was more complex than that. It was the sort of love that often destroyed adult’s lives. The kind of love that didn’t go away, no matter how much you wished that they would. He’d been in love with you before he could even add two plus two or write his full name in cursive. That love was just as much a part of him as his own soul was. 

Which was why it always bothered Austin when people looked at him with eyes filled with pity. Just like Sam was doing now. 

“Do you think. . . do you think she knows? Maybe she doesn’t want to turn you down because she doesn’t want to lose you.” Sam was trying to help. Austin knew that. He was just sick and tired of people constantly putting their two cents in. 

These sort of comments just added to the self doubt that crippled him. The years of anxiety over his unrequited feelings kept him awake at night, and he didn’t need tonight to be ruined. Despite the shitty music, the two of you had been having fun. Wake up calls like the one Sam was currently tried to give him often put him in a rotten mood, and you’d pick up on that immediately.

“She doesn’t know. Ya know how she is- she’s sweet, trustin’, and a lil’ bit naive. We’ve always been this close, so in her mind this is all we are.” And all that we’re going to be most likely. He took a swig of his beer, wishing that he could get drunk off of his ass. He hadn’t made any sleeping arrangements with his friends though, and the last thing he wanted was for you to be sleeping on some random guys floor because he got too drunk to drive home. 

Austin cleared his throat, gave Sam one last pat on the shoulder, and started to make his way through the thrashing crowd. Behind Austin, Sam opened his mouth to say something. The shift in mood was obvious, and he needed to apologize for bringing it up, but it was too late now. Austin was gone and in a solemn mood. 

The melancholy that threatened to eat away at him for the rest of his night was swiftly replaced with rage. 

There was a man standing beside you that he hadn’t ever seen before. He wasn’t a friend. . . or even a friend of a friend, for that matter. Austin watched as the male moved his hands excitedly as he spoke, dark brown bangs hanging into his eyes, his hair almost as long as Austin’s. 

Your childhood friend stood back and watched the interaction for as long as he could stomach, wondering what the two of you were talking about to have the male in such high spirits. Were you making him feel like he stood a chance with you? Had he been too late walking back to the bar, the two of you having already exchanged contact information? He was attractive enough- though as he smiled Austin noticed that his bottom row of teeth was rather crooked. Knowing you, you’d probably find the imperfection “cute”, which further enraged the blonde. 

Austin hated getting angry over things like this. Watching you talk to other boys had been something he hadn’t had to deal with in almost two years, which he had considered to be a godsend. It was just as painful every time. It was unfair of him to feel this way, and he knew that. He should have hung back and let you talk to the guy. If he was a real friend he would have done just that. 

Except Austin had staked his claim on you far before you’d been able to fully comprehend what dating really was.

 No matter how nice of a guy Austin was, he was territorial and easily made jealous. He had his faults. He was selfish with you, and he’d willingly admit that to whoever questioned him. So he swiftly walked up beside you, sliding your beer into your hand with a smile that was too sweet. 

“Sorry that took so long. Sam wanted to show me his new haircut.” That wasn’t a complete lie. Just a little ‘half truth’. 

You smiled widely up at him, then gestured to your “new friend”. The boy straightened his back, having noticed how large Austin was in comparison to his own gangly frame. He towered above almost everybody else in the room, his shoulders broad and muscular. The blonde smiled at the boy, making sure to show off his perfect, white smile. He was being petty. He was being rude and horrible and. . . and he didn’t care. Not really, anyway. Austin could feel bad about his behavior later, but for now he had to make sure nothing happened between the two of you. 

“Austin, this is Robin. He works at the local record store.” You introduced, motioning between the two men. 

Bless your sweet little soul. You probably thought that the two of them, having similar taste in style and music, would be fast friends. Maybe Austin would have liked the guy if he wasn’t trying to steal his girl. Maybe being the keyword. 

The stage lights flashed dully beside your little group, the thick clouds of cigarette smoke drowning out most of the light. You let out a pleased hum as Austin took Robin’s hand into his own, watching him shake it firmly. 

“Nice to meet ya, man.” Though it wasn’t very nice at all. “Robin. . . that’s an interestin’ name for a guy.” That was a childish jab, but Austin wasn’t above laying the guy out right here and now. That is, if you weren’t standing between them. 

You tensed beside your best friend, giving his arm a quick swat, as if reminding the giant to play nice. 

Austin barely felt it, your tiny hands doing nothing to deter him. Instead he placed a large hand on the top of your head, dragging you into his side and tucking you in tightly. Robin was about to say something- a rude remark to fire back at Austin’s insult- but froze as he took in the sight before him. Understanding flickered into his eyes, his mouth parting slightly. 

“Oh,” He whispered softly, then held his hands up in defense. “Oh, I had no idea. Really. No harm done at all. We were just talking about music. Strictly casual.” 

You were standing as still as a statue, muscles taught as you tried your hardest to feel out the situation. Was Austin pretending to be your boyfriend because he thought Robin looked suspicious? You chewed on the inside of your cheek, fighting off the urge to shrug his arm off of you. You’d hate yourself later for embarrassing him in public, and you were positive that your best friend’s intentions were good. Still, it annoyed you that he still treated you like a child. Sure, you could be a bit too optimistic at times, but you were fully capable of protecting yourself. 

The hatred in Austin’s chest fizzled out, and suddenly he felt like the biggest douche on the planet. You might be blinded by your sense of innocence, but you were often a good judge of character. Robin was a nice enough guy, and he had just been an asshole for no reason. Austin’s shoulders slumped and he quickly shook his head. 

“No- you’re fine. I’m just protective over her, especially in places like this. Ya can never be too careful… There’s a lot’a creeps out there.” Austin offered as an excuse, moving a tad closer to him so that he could shake his hand- anything to alleviate some of the awkward tension. Robin started to shuffle back, obviously scared of a potential fight, but Austin shook his head. 

He’d traumatized the poor guy. 

“So ya work at a record store? Do ya have a good thrash collection?” Something. Austin needed to think of something that might change the direction of this conversation. He could feel how antsy you were getting at his side. He didn’t have to look down to know that you were disappointed in him for his reaction. Knowing that he had upset you absolutely gutted him. He’d let his jealousy get the best of him, and because of that he’d acted like. . . well, like a complete dick to someone that didn’t deserve it. 

Robin’s grim expression softened, brown eyes pinching at the corners as he smiled- albeit a bit nervously. 

“Yeah, at the record store down the street,” Robin yelled over the music, pointing off in the direction. 

You and Austin had dropped by the place a few times, but it was usually for record signings. It was the largest store in the entire area, so any time there were any “obscure” new releases the male would have to drive an hour out just to pick it up. It was a pain in the ass, but the store owner was pretty nice and knew a handful of influential people in the music industry. 

Back when you and Austin were in highschool you had all but begged on your hands and knees to skip school so that you could get one of your “The Police” cassette signed. Much to his absolute horror you had insisted on blasting it the entire way home. Of course he put up with it. Why? Because you looked cute screaming the lyrics. 

“Ya must have just gotten the job. I was up there about two months ago and didn’t see ya.” Austin offered Robin another smile, and that was all it took for the guy to warm up to the blonde. 

Just as you thought, Robin and Austin hit it off. The two ended up talking for the rest of the night, even earning a few glares from other people in the crowd whenever their laughter got too boisterous to be considered polite. After closing out your tabs Robin parted ways with the two of you, quickly slipping his home phone number into Austin’s palm, which had been scribbled on the back of his receipt. 

You had wanted to congratulate the boys for putting on a good show, but everyone had jumped off the stage and headed straight to the overcrowded bar for drinks after their set. Everyone aside from Davie, who was busying himself with a group of cute girls that had been eying him all night. 

“Come on. It’s gettin’ late. . . let’s get ya home.” 

Austin was acting weirder than usual tonight. Sure, this particular bar wasn’t the safest place to frequent, but his earlier treatment of Robin was an overreaction. Your best friend had a bad habit of babying you far too often. He made excuses for it- telling you that the world was a rotten place and that he didn’t mind looking out for you. It had been something that you appreciated through high school, but now that you were an adult it made you feel. . . a bit too spoiled. It also blurred certain boundaries, which further confused your already suffering heart. If only Austin knew how you felt towards him, then maybe he’d start acting a bit differently with you. 

Yet here he was, opening up the door to his van for you with a broad smile that made your heart do somersaults. You wanted to blame the heat that was pooling in the pit of your stomach on the five beers you’d drank that night. You wanted so badly to blame all of this on your recent drought in romance. . . but it’s Austin. 

No one has ever treated you as gently as he has.

Men, your father included, had always acted like your wants and needs were an inconvenience. You were too “high maintenance” because you enjoyed spending quality time with your partners. Relationships have always been short lived for you. Austin had set an impossible standard for how you wanted to be treated. Even now he was chatting your head off, one hand on the wheel and the other hand mindlessly checking to see if your seatbelt was buckled, his fingers brushing against your hip as he gave it a testing tug. 

Being around him right now was dangerous. You weren’t drunk enough to make a fool of yourself, but tipsy to the point of possibly ruining everything. Because he looked beautiful in the dim lighting of the car's display. His jawline was even more defined due to the shadows, and his blonde hair looked even lighter in comparison than usual. It was longer than you’d ever seen it, falling in slight waves because of the spring humidity. 

And you really wanted to kiss him. 

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“Well-“ You started to shake your head before he could finish his sentence. 

“No, absolutely not. I’m not having those girls throw themselves at you.” Your reaction brought an amused look to Austin’s face.

“Why? Would you be jealous?” He smirked. You rolled your eyes and got up. 

“Well for starters, you are not a stripper. Second off, I already paid the strippers. Third off, I don’t want you to.” You walked over to your heels to put them on. 

“Look, just try and have a little bit of fun okay? If you girls need a ride, I’ll come pick you up.” He offered. You smiled softly and looked at him.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me.” Austin let out a light chuckle. He found it funny that you would thank him. You guys have been doing this for roughly over three, or maybe it was four, months now. The big day was closing in. 

“But I do. You are doing so much for me and… there’s nothing I can do to show how much I appreciate everything.” You explained. Austin made his way over to you and cupped your face.

“You being next to me is enough,” he leaned down and kissed you. You cherished this moment and made sure it was embedded into your mind. You were going to need it for tonight. 

“I’ll text you okay? I’ll drive to my sisters and then we’re going to get into an Uber.”

“Keep me posted, I’ll be… here. Might snoop around for some juicy secrets but.” You rolled your eyes at his comment and picked up your purse. You gave him a short smile and you were on your way. 

Once you got into the car and started it, you made your way over to her sisters. You didn’t listen to any music, you just sat there silently. Mostly because it wasn’t too long of a drive, you would’ve been there in a few minutes anyway. 

You went up to her door and rang the doorbell. The door quickly opened and your sister’s face lit up. You two were honestly so close, well… not close enough to tell her your lie. You just didn’t want to disappoint her. You didn’t want to disappoint anyone. 

“Hey bride, are you ready for the best day of your life?” You smiled. 

“Of course, but I need help with my dress first.” You nodded and closed the door behind yourself. 

“Yeah, what’s up?” You asked confused.

“I need to zip up.” She said and turned around. You zipped up her dress easily and smoothed out the wrinkles.

“All done. You're ready to go.” You said and walked around her so that you could look her in the face. 

“Perfect!”

“I’ll go order the Uber then. Our time frame at the bar starts soon.” You explained as you pulled out your phone. 

“Oh! That reminds me, we have some new guests coming along.” Amelia spoke up. You looked up from your phone confused. 

“What do you mean? It’s supposed to only be the bridal party.” You mentioned the original plans.

“I know… It’s just some of my friends really wanted to come, and I wanted to have them there as well.” She said with a big smile. You let out a sigh and shook your head. You couldn’t deny her. She already made the adjustments, you just had to go along with it. 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

After being out for a couple of hours or so, you were just about over the evening. You had some fun with Amelia, but after she got into the bar… she went straight to her friends. They were the ones enjoying the music, singing karaoke, dancing, and throwing money at the strippers. 

You made your way over to the bar, “Give me the strongest thing you have please,” you sighed as you sat down at the bar. 

“One sazerac coming up,” the bartender responded as he started to make your drink. You placed your little wristlet onto the bar and tapped your finger against the counter. You tried to tune out the loud sounds of girls screaming. 

“I’m guessing you’re with the bachelorette party?” He asked as he placed the glass down in front of you. You gave him a smile as a thank you and nodded. 

“Yeah, my sister is actually the bride.” You said as you picked up the glass. You looked at the brown liquid and brought the glass to your lips. You cringed at the taste and scrunched up your face. Now that was some strong… alcohol. 

“Never had someone buy out the whole bar before. Then again, you got twenty… almost thirty people here.” He pointed out. 

“It was supposed to be just the bridal party,” you mumbled lightly and took another drink, “I planned for… five… maybe six people. Not this much.”

“You seem to have… more on your mind than that party.”

You let out a sigh and shook your head, “I’ll just say this… Never lie. Because then… that lie will eat you away.” You finished up the last of your drink. 

“That bad huh?” He urged you to go on as he wiped down some of the wet glasses. 

“It’s worse, but I’m going to need another drink.”

“You drive a hard bargain… but deal,” the bartender smirked and started to make you another drink. He placed the drink in front of you and took away your empty one.

“It started a long time ago…” you started as you picked up the glass. “When I first moved away.” You took a sip of your drink. You turned your head to the back to make sure that your sister wouldn’t hear and turned back to the bartender.

“And how long, was a long time ago?” He questioned. 

“Well, I moved away six years ago… but the lie started four years ago.”

“Sounds like this lie has taken a toll on your life.”

“Well… it started after I got diagnosed with depression.” You stated after you finished off your second drink. “Another one please.”

“You’re gonna dry me out here, doll.” You cringed at the nickname he called you but just shook it off. You knew he was just being nice, but if he had any ideas- you could easily kick his ass.

“Well, keep ‘em coming. Especially if you want to know the story.” You tapped the empty glass. He chuckled lightly and picked up the glass.

“Well, as long as you keep me company, I’ll be fine with that.” He said with a wink. You closed your eyes and then rolled them. Was this guy really trying to hit on you right now?

“Right well… I was deeply depressed and didn’t want to go out. I wanted to stay home. So, my friends would try and get me to come out. My family… my sister… every time they came and visited. Well… I started the boyfriend lie.”

“Why not just say you’re busy?” He questioned as he placed down the glass.

“Because it wouldn’t work like that. Especially with my family. So… I played the boyfriend card.” You picked up the glass and took a long drink. The burning liquid running down your throat. Though, you didn’t feel it burning anymore. “Sorry, I’m busy with my boyfriend. Oh sorry, I got dinner with my boyfriend.”

“And how does this play into now? Four years later?”

“I got a call from my sister a couple of months ago. She was asking me to be her maid of honor. Of course, I was excited, I am excited. She’s my sister I love her very dear. I accepted and then she dropped the bomb on me. Told me that my boyfriend was the best man.”

“Hold up, isn’t the best man supposed to be someone you know?”

“Exactly! But she’s this… smart evil sister. I love her so much though. She wanted to meet my boyfriend, and she figured this would be the best idea.”

“I see…”

“So, I thought… fuck, I’m screwed. I would have to come clean, but I didn’t. I couldn’t,” you started to shake your head, drinking your drink. “So… I came up with the plan of getting a fake boyfriend.”

“A fake boyfriend?” The bartender raised his eyebrow. 

“Mhm, and I didn’t know how to do that. I looked through my contacts and I noticed most of them I used the boyfriend card on. Then my eyes fell on one contact in particular. Someone I haven’t seen in a long time. Austin Butler. My old friend.”

“Did he agree to do it?”

“Yes actually,” you chuckle lightly. “I’m honestly surprised. He basically saved me. Coming with me and agreeing to everything.”

“It’s fake?” You heard your sister's voice. You turned quickly in fear and looked at her. Was she there the whole time? No, she couldn’t have. You checked to make sure she wasn’t.

“What- No no no,” you started to shake your head. 

“I just heard you. You can’t just lie to me again. We are days away from my wedding! And you and Austin aren’t even together!?” She raised her voice. You swallowed a lump in your throat and felt yourself start to tear up. 

“It’s not like that… Amelia. Listen-”

“No, Y/n. You ruined everything… I can't believe you lied to me.” She said as she turned around, and started to head towards the door.

“Amelia, wait!” You called out to her. You let out a groan when she didn’t stop and grabbed your wristlet off the counter and went after her. “Amelia please!” You reached out for her hand. 

“Stop, Y/n!” She turned to face you, “I am not doing this. You do your maid of honor duties and nothing else. You are not my sister anymore. You lied to me for four years! You lied to everyone for four years!”

“I-I”

“Anything you say, will not be forgiven. I don’t want to see you until the wedding day.” She shook her head and walked out. 

“Amelia,” you whispered and watched as she walked away. The tears fell quickly and you fumbled to open your wristlet. It was all over… just like that. All because of that fucking bartender. 

With trembling hands, you pulled your phone out. You went up to your contacts and quickly called Austin. You were tipsy, you were crying, and not to mention your whole secret was out. You let out a sob and shook your head quickly. You needed him to pick you up. You guys obviously could no longer stay at your parent's house. 

“Y/n? Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Austin asked as he answered the phone.

“Code purple, she knows. We- we- we-”

“I’ll get everything packed up, and I’ll come pick you up okay? We’ll find an apartment and go onto plan B okay? Everything will be okay,” Austin explained with a calm voice. You nodded slowly and made your way back into the building. 

“Okay… Thank you, Austin,” you whispered in response. 

“I’ll be there soon okay?”

“Okay.” You said softly. 

“Bye, sweetheart.”

“Bye, Austin.” You pulled your phone away and hung up. You found yourself a seat and sat down with a sigh. You knew this was going to happen. You shouldn’t have done this. You should’ve just come clean in the first place. 

You rubbed your eyes and leaned your head back against the wall. 

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“What happened?” Austin asked once you two got into the hotel room.

“I was at the bar… and and, I told him not to lie and I told him everything. I made sure she wasn’t around and- I guess she just came up and- she heard everything.”

“Come here,” he whispered and opened his arms. You frowned as you walked over to him and accepted his warm embrace. You placed your face against his chest and let the tears fall. You’ve been holding them in since you got into the car. 

“She hates me,” you whimpered through the tears.

“She doesn’t hate you. She’s just… hurt and confused at the moment. Give her some time.”

“She’s gonna tell my parents, and then my parents will tell the whole goddamn family and- and- and-”

“Y/n, sweetheart.” Austin rubbed your back gently, “It may have started as a lie… but we came together.” You sniffled and pulled away. You looked up from Austin’s chest and stared into his eyes. How did you deserve to have such a fantastic friend… let alone someone who wants to be in a relationship with you?

You pulled away from his body and made your way onto the bed. You crawled up till you were near the pillow and let your body collapse down. You ruined everything for your sister. All because of this stupid lie. 

“I’ll order us some room service,” Austin announced as he headed over to the desk, where the menus amongst other pamphlets were. 

You reached for your phone and went to your messages. You read over everything you sent your sister. You begged for her to listen to you. To talk to you. Anything really at this point. She didn’t read them… How could you be so stupid? How could you mess up this badly?

You sighed and went into your photos app. You smiled as your eyes landed on the various pictures you and Austin took. You scrolled up and looked at the ones that held Amelia and you. What you would do to go back and take back the boyfriend lie. It just caused pain and mayhem for you. 

You heard Austin’s voice as he ordered you guys some food. You flipped onto your back and sprawled out against the bed. You stared up at the white ceiling and blew some hair out of your face. You had to fix things. Her wedding was days away and you ruined your sistership with her. 

Even if you tried to tell her Austin and yourself were in a relationship now, she wouldn’t believe it. Let alone believe that you loved him. You just knew that this caused you a new nickname with the family. The liar. The wannabe. The… attention whore. You faked a relationship to ruin your sister's wedding. You can just hear your mother now. 

“Come on, sit up.” You looked over at Austin and whined shaking your head. “Up up.” You let out a groan as you sat up. You looked straight forward at the blank black television screen.

“Arms up.” You held your arms up and felt as your dress was being pulled off. Soon, your bra came off and a new shirt was put on you. 

The smell of his cologne engulfed your nostrils. You hummed at the scent and wrapped your arms around yourself. You plopped back onto your back once you felt his lips brush against your cheek. 

“Did you want to watch something?”

“Do they have any good movies on?” You cracked open an eye to look at him. The bed dipped beside you as Austin sat down. He picked up the remote and turned on the TV so that he could look through the channel guide. 

“Pineapple Express?” He questioned as he turned to look for your reply. You just shook your head as you stuck your tongue out a bit. It wasn’t like you didn’t like the movie. You just wanted something soft. 

“Top Gun?” You shook your head once again. Jet flying and twenty-year-olds screaming didn’t really fit into that soft vibe you were going for. He just continued to name off movies and you shook your head. 

“Forget about it… There’s nothing I want to watch.” You sighed as you curled up into a little ball. That’s when a knock erupted through the room.

“I bet that’s our food,” Austin announced as he got up to check the door. You didn’t even want to eat right now. You just wanted to cry- Austin pulled the lids off the food and the smell poured into your nose. You didn’t know what boogie hotel you were at, but you knew that the food smelled amazing.

You already knew which food was yours. The toasted warm sandwich with a batch of fresh fries. You remember going off to Austin in the car that you wanted a warm toasted sandwich. It was a weird request, but… it was your comfort food. Along with the fries of course.

You two ate your very late dinner and then got ready for bed. He didn’t force you to take a shower. He knew you wouldn’t be able to stand straight up. He figured tomorrow would be the best option. So, as you both got comfy in bed, you fell asleep in minutes.

You woke up and immediately sat up. You let out a loud verbal gasp as the sound of your finger continued to go off. You looked over at your phone and mentally swore at yourself. You know you should’ve put it on silent. Why didn’t you do that? You always make sure to do that!

You let out a sigh as reached for your phone and answered it without looking at the caller ID. You placed the phone against your ear and plopped back down into the bed. You cuddled back up to Austin and let out a very tired hello.

“Y/n, where the hell are you!” Your mother’s loud voice made you pull the phone far away from your ear. What was the time anyway? “Your sister told me everything. You better come home right this second!”

“Mom,” you let out a sigh and rubbed your face. “I just need to talk to her.”

“You are not talking to her. You’re lucky you’re still allowed to come to her wedding!” Your mother stated. You let out a breath and looked at Austin with begging eyes. He gave you a sad smile and took your phone off your hands.

“Hi, Mrs. Y/l/n, Some things were said, and Y/n would really like to be able to talk to Amelia. We’d both like to talk to her and explain.” He talked to your mother as you closed your eyes. You let out a hum and fell against his warmth.

“I understand she’s upset, and I apologize. If you could convince her to meet us at the IHOP. Please… Y/n really wants to talk and apologize about what happened.” Austin tried to reason with your mother. She would most likely agree because for some reason she loved Austin. Well, it wasn’t hard not to love him. 

“Thank you so much, Y/n and I are grateful,” Austin said with a smile. You opened your eyes and looked at him. That sounded promising. “Yes of course… Yes… I’ll tell her. Of course. Goodbye.” Austin hung up and handed you the phone. 

“So?” You urged him to share.

“Your sister will meet with us at IHOP.” He said with a smile. You let out a sigh of relief and looked at him. What did you do to deserve this man?

“Austin, thank you so much. I… I really appreciate it.” 

“Look, we’re in this together. Which means, I’ll help you through every moment.” He pointed out to you. You nodded slowly and brought your face closer to his to kiss him. He hummed against your lips and pressed his hand against your lower back, pulling you closer towards him. 

You smiled and pulled away after a bit. “We should get ready,” You stated as you rubbed your nose against his.

“Mmm, we can save time by taking a shower together?” He suggested. 

“Yes,” You pressed a short kiss to his lips and got up out of bed. Austin followed suit afterward and you both headed towards the bathroom to hop into the shower together. What happens behind closed doors… stays behind closed doors. 

Never in your life have you been more thankful that you know how to school your face into something resembling normal and calm. You smile at his co-star as your hand reaches back to grab Austin's- noting how he grasps it with a ferocity you rarely see in public. "I'm so sorry to cut this short but I think Austin here's wanting my attention. I'll call you?"



"Of course," the woman croons before looking at Austin. "I don't blame you for wanting to whisk her away. I would too."



Austin's grip tightens once more as he kisses your neck and smiles. "She's a wanted woman."



You all share a quiet laugh before she moves away from the two of you and you finally turn around to face Austin, your free hand instinctively going up to cup his face, ignoring how he's shifted both of you just so that your thigh is pressed up against him. "What's wrong? You never say ma'am like this."



A low, barely there whine leaves Austin's throat before he answers, his body moving against your thigh, chasing something. "I— Everyone's been around you and around me and there was— I just need you."



As if to belabor the point, he rocks his body up against yours again and it's then that you feel it. He needs you not just as a person but as someone who he allows to hold the reins to his pleasure. Your eyebrows raise up just a hair as you run your thumb against his lip. His tongue darts out to lick it before nipping at it, earning a shaky breath from you. The two of you are in public, at a function that's important for both of you but from Austin's blown eyes and hard cock, you can tell that at least for now you need to try and handle him.



"We're in public, baby boy," your voice is practically a croon, even as you try and force both of you to a secluded area. The people who know you and Austin— who want to protect you and Austin keep most everyone occupied and looking away from you. You make Austin happy and he makes you happy to have that jeopardized by people who wouldn't understand the two of you isn't something anyone wants.



After what feels like an eternity, you finally make your way out of the room and into another one that is blissfully empty. Austin looks around, trying to see if he can see anyone in the darkness before you laugh. "Baby boy, there's no one here."



A groan of relief leaves his lips as he licks them and pulls you in for a kiss. You'll take care of him now, allow him to enjoy himself and have the edge taken off. You'll remind him that as much as he belongs to you, you belong to him and not the people who fawn over you.



"Everyone— Everyone kept touching you, ma'am. They kept touching what's mine and you couldn't stop them." Austin mutters against the skin of your neck, nipping and sucking small hickies. "Didn't want—"



Before you can even stop yourself your hand goes to Austin's hair, winding in it and pulling lightly. Normally he'd take that as a sign to move his head back and yet tonight he doesn't, too preoccupied with trying to touch you as if that will wash away everyone else's touch. Your chest heaves ever so slightly as Austin ruts against your thigh. You're in control but he needs to listen better right now. The hand in his hair yanks a little harder and finally he pulls away, eyes completely blown and lips turning redder and plumper by the second. "Ma'am?"



"Look at my baby boy, so needy for me. So impatient," you murmur, shifting your stance so that your thigh rubs up against him again. "So jealous of everyone else. Baby boy, you know I only love you. I only want to see that pretty face of yours coming because I helped you."



The whine that leaves Austin tells you all you need to know about how wound up he is. He had to have been aching for at least an hour to be this far gone. Perhaps it was when you were talking to Oscar that did him in, the knowledge that once upon a time you had joked about seeing if his wife would mind if the two of you borrowed him or if he could introduce the two of you to Jessica. Austin had finally let go of your hand and you use it to your full advantage, moving to unbutton his slacks and sticking your hand inside of his boxer briefs. He cries out softly at the feel of your hand around his cock, the brush of your thumb having him rut forward once again. "Ma'am. Ma'am, please, can't— don't tease. Help me, please."



"Aw, Austin, my baby boy. Of course. I've got you." Your hand shouldn't glide so easily but it does, moving up and down against his cock with an ease that tells you it's drenched in precum. Your clit throbs but you pay it no mind, too focus on the way Austin's panting and grabbing at your hips. His red lips are wet with spit and his chest heaves with every stroke of your hand. Austin needs you to the point of not caring who could walk in on you. "You just gotta be quiet, baby boy."



"Don't— don't care. Want them to see me like this, see that you only help me like this. Not anyone else." Faintly, you both register how bratty Austin sounds but only you file it away for later when you can properly punish and tease him at home. Your grip on his cock tightens though and he hisses through suddenly gritted teeth. "Gonna— need to come, ma'am. Need— it hurts."



Every muscle in Austin's body is tight, from his toes to his calves and thighs against you. His torso underneath your hand clenched in anticipation and you know he's trying to hold off, trying to be a good boy for you and it fills you with such pride that you can't help but pull him into a soft kiss. He sighs into it, trying to relax only to have you say the magic words when you pull away from his lips. "Come for me, Austin. Be a good boy."



It's as if he had been a puppet attached to strings that were cut when he comes, the intensity causing him to pitch forward against you, pinning you fully to the wall. Your hand is covered in his come and yet you don't bother to move it, instead focusing on using your free hand to rub his back as he breathes deeply.



After what feels like an eternity he moves to stand up properly and pulls your hand out of his pants. He keeps a handkerchief in his pocket specifically for cleaning up things like this and yet before he bothers to hand it to you, he licks a bit of his come off of your index finger, earning a growl from you. He cleans it up as normal after that, looking at you with a certain gleam in his eye. You start to open your mouth to question it before Austin sinks to his knees, moving to unbutton your own pants. He looks at you through his eyelashes,



"They won't miss us for another ten minutes."



It's another thirty before you head back to where you need to be.

Elvis has a hard time getting up and ready for the day in the afternoon, so one can only imagine how rough it is for him to get up as early as 8 in the morning. Fortunately (but also unfortunately) for you, you don't have to imagine.

It takes a bit of shaking him to even see a sign of life as you whine, "Elvis..! We have a flight to catch..! Wake up!" only for him to press his hand on your head as if he were turning off an alarm clock.

You sit on the side of the bed, next to where he is lying down, in defeat. You swing your feet nervously as you look at the clock on the bedside table then back to Elvis who seems to have not a care in the world as he cozies up against his pillow.

You whine again as you shake his arm, "Elvis…" The little tinge of a whimper that you had laced into his name had gotten him to drowsily drag his hand to rest on your thigh, rubbing it soothingly as he shushed you. It's muscle memory from nights you'd whimper with nightmares. But it wasn't night, and currently, he was your nightmare!

"Hush Hon, it's nothin'"

"Please get up, we need to get ready..!"

When he doesn't answer you realize you need to pull out the big guns. You move your thigh from his touch and mumble quietly, "Don't you love me..?"

At that his eyes open and he stares at you with a blank face for a few seconds, you make sure to quiver your lip just a tad as he makes his judgment on whether or not he loves you enough to get up.

Who was he kidding though, it was a losing battle to begin with. With that little quiver of your pretty lower lip, he groaned and began to sit up, eyes blinking slowly as he adjusted to the light of the morning sun. He then grumbles before getting up, "Gotta get ma own damn plane one of these days… Then we won't hafta worry 'bout these things"

When he's up and moving you sprint to the closet to find an outfit to wear. Elvis had a habit of lining his clothes up in the order he was going to wear them, so he had his outfits planned out for the next few months.

Later from your shared room's bathroom Elvis hears you whine in frustration a 6th time from choosing an outfit, he yells for you to hear with a mouth full of toothpaste, "Honey why don't ya take a break and do somethin' else? Ya stressin' yourself out"

You appear from the walk-in closet in nothing but your plain pink underwear, nodding your head to what he says as you walk over to your sink which is right next to his.

He stares at you through the mirror with a soft smile as he watches you carefully decide which perfume to wear for the day.

After a bit of admiring your focused face he leans over his sink to spit out the toothpaste and rinse out his mouth.

As he walks behind you to the towel cabinet in the bathroom he pinches your ass lightly, making you jump and send him a look of annoyance.

"You almost made me drop my perfume"

He'll shake his head with a smile as he grabs a towel. His excuse is always the same, "Can't help it when ya look so damn cute in your underwear"

You sigh with a smile as you rearrange your products, finish doing up your face, and of course, your favorite parts of getting ready which include spritzing perfume and hairspray.

You always put on a little too much of both though, which makes Elvis cough dramatically.

"Stop being a baby"

He'll look at you with a frown, "M not bein' a baby, look in the mirror there's a sparkly pink cloud of perfume an' hairspray hoverin' 'round ya"

You smile and lightly press a kiss on his cheek before going to tackle the hardest tribulation of the day, your outfit.

Just as you finally change into your outfit you hear the familiar sound of his shaving cream

"Stop right there Mister!"

Elvis turns to look at you, not even able to appreciate the way your outfit hugged your figure, because he knew what shenanigan you were about to pull.

"Now Honey…" He looked at you pleadingly, but you would not let up as you walked over to the bathroom counter, propping yourself up to sit on it with your hand out, waiting for him to hand you his razor.

As he stares at you nervously, you return his stare with an expectant look.

"You said you'd let me help you this time"

"But Honey, don't ya remember what you did last time?"

Oh yes you did. You had underestimated how far Elvis had grown out his sideburns and ended up taking his entire left sideburn out. It was in the middle of his filming Live a Little Love a Little, and they had to pause filming for Elvis to grow his sideburn out, because he refused to wear a prosthetic sideburn. His cocky mouth said to the director, "Nothin' beats the real thing. Trust me the fans will notice."

You giggled cheekily as you remembered it.

Elvis sighed and gave you his razor, staring at his reflection nervously as he watched you hover the razor over his face.

To put it simply, Elvis was probably right about not wanting you to shave. Thankfully you didn't take out his sideburns this time, but you accidentally nicked his cheekbone, chin, and jaw a few times with the razor.

You stared at Elvis apologetically as you put little scraps of toilet paper to catch the blood from the nicks. His face was almost more toilet paper than skin now!

"M sorry Elvis…"

Elvis' stone face had disintegrated as he saw how saddened you looked. It's not like it really hurt, he was just giving you a hard time as always.

Elvis pulled you close into a hug as you sat on the counter. You wrapped your legs around his waist, holding onto him like a koala as you apologized quietly into his ear.

He laughed loudly at the situation and to make you feel better he mumbled into your cheek after kissing it, "You'll get better with practice Baby, I'll let you try again tomorrow mornin'"

You rest your chin on Elvis' shoulder and hummed softly with a smile.

Elvis began to rock the two of you back and forth and mumbled, "Let's just get a different flight in a few hours… So we can stay here and relax for a while longer… And maybe…"

You pulled back to look up at him, the once-white specks of toilet paper on his face now looked a little reddened.

Elvis smirked before licking his lips and pressing his head against yours.

"Maybe… break the bed in one more time before we leave?"

You hummed with a smile which made him think you were agreeing.

He smiled and just as he went in to kiss you, you had placed a finger on his lips to hold them back.

He stared at you in confusion and you spoke sweetly with that smile of yours, "I'm not getting ready again…"

Elvis frowned and watched as you scooted down the counter to hop off it. As you walked away he didn't miss the opportunity to smack your ass.

But now with the groggy grumpiness of the morning gone, you looked back at him with a cheeky smile. Elvis clenched his fist in both sexual frustration and adoration.

God he loved you. Even at his worst time of the day. Even in the morning. He loved you so much

"Let's go Handsome! We have a flight to catch!"

I LOVED writing this so much!! Thank you to the anon who requested it! It's probably not formatted how headcanons are supposed to be, because this is my first time writing headcanons, but I hope you liked it!!

Feel free to send in more Elvis requests!!

Here is the link to the original request!

Again, this is the post I got the gif from! This post has amazing gifs of Elvis as Greg Nolan from Live a Little, Love a Little, he looks so cute in all of them!

Seven o’clock in the balmy hours of a Hawaiian morning, a solitary gunshot broke the peaceful silence and sent the beach birds squawking into the jungle’s dense foliage.

As seven AM was an ungodly hour of the day to expect anything from a human being, Elvis Presley was still in bed, asleep, and finally settled into that sorta circadian rhythm that helped him sleep through nightmares, alarm clocks, voracious wives and the pokes and prods of three to five children in his bed.

But a gunshot was jarring enough he swam to the surface of consciousness long enough to fling an arm out and pat Laney’s sweet ass and mumble an inquiry as to wether she had any clue why someone was shooting a gun in fuckin’ Hawaii. Especially as he, the only one likely to do so, was, quite obviously, in bed with her.

Except Laney’s sweet flesh wasn’t anywhere to be grabbed the more he flailed his arm in the cold sheets and, with a sudden bolt of terror, Elvis sat up and searched about the room only to find her gone. Jack was, predictably, still clinging to the same pillow Elvis had mistaken as her. He felt a little validated by that.

Two more gunshots punctuated his growing alarm and before two seconds had passed he was flying out of bed despite the way Jack’s legs clung to him and he exited the bungalow door with nothing but his silk night shorts on and espadrilles.

“Laney? The hell are you, woman?” he bellowed out the veranda with caring bravado.

No answer. Which didn’t mean much but it was harder to shake shit like this since the recent uptick in hate crimes and the way those girls had jumped her at their own gate last summer. His knuckles ached at the mere memory of the pummeling he’d given those tarts’ car hood. Nothing funny or harmless about it.

“Laney!”

Jesse barreled out shortly after and stood beside Elvis with a mimicking pose of concern, staring out at the beach with his hands on his hips, surveying the glittering water in the fresh sun’s rays and the undisturbed sand for miles. She wasn’t anywhere to be seen for that long stretch of golden beach.

“You seen your mother?” he asked Jesse sternly.

“No sir, didn’t hear her go out either. She not in bed?”

“No, and I didn’t hear her either. Neither did Jack and he’s always wound round her like a sloth to a branch.”

“Maybe she’s the one doin’ the shootin.” Jesse ventured with a mild expression of hope.

Father and son were both recalling when Elaine had given Elvis ample complaint and ample warning to do something about his reprobate pet chimp and when nothing was done and a child was harmed, Laney stalked into the den where Elvis and the boys were going over rehearsals and asked if he’d like to do the honors of shooting the damn monkey. When he laughed her off she trumped upstairs and the next thing Elvis knew was Tink clipping past the den and out the front door in her heels with his shotgun in her hand, while poor, unfortunate Scatter was being carried by the scruff of his sailor costume.

By the time Elvis caught up with her she’d put five holes in the hairy little pervert. To be perfectly honest he was aghast at such overriding of his jurisdiction but it didn’t prevent him from appreciating that when she meant business, she meant it.

So, it was plausible Laney was shooting something at seven am, and that was one of the reasons Elvis loved her. The only trick was, there was no Scatter here, no enemies in the general vicinity for her to be shooting at.

Elvis commented as much to his young son in grave deliberation.

“ ‘Cept for the colonel.” Jesse pointed out blithely and at that excellent observation all of Elvis’ blood felt like it rushed to his brain and pounded within like a tribal drum.

“Oh sweet merciful Jesus-“ Elvis wheezed and took off from his porch in a sprint along the beach hedges, towards the colonel’s adjacent bungalow, the roof of which -now that he was looking- appeared to have smoke coming out of its abnormally saggy thatch.

“She didn’t like it when he called ya fat yesterday!” Jesse was still hell bent on a little redeeming PR and Elvis waved at him with the back of his hand in acknowledgment that, if Laney was murdering, it would be for him.

And his fat self.

And for the reputation of her fried chicken that Elvis had been laying off of ever since he got so damn pudgy no director would hire him without contractually asking for a little casual bulimia on the side.

It was all part of the business, the snow job of an available and attractive man made harder by the real life presence of a wife and brood of children. The addition of a decidedly fatherly gut wasn’t gonna make them money.

He got it. Laney didn’t.

He tried to jog faster through the sand before she put her fingerprints all over the scene.

Inside the bungalow Elaine fanned the smoke out of her face with red tipped fingers and kept her diction very clipped as was most effective with this self consumed weasel.

“Am I understood? No more sedation and no more starvation and stop recommending those damn uppers that keep him buzzing while his body goes undernourished.”

Elaine still gripped the shotgun barrel, right there by the racker thingy but Parker had watched this woman long enough to know that if he agreed, then she would be pacified enough, he’d live to see another day.

“I get you, Mrs. Presley,” he assured in a pleasing tone, one that always suggested she started this long war between them, “no more. It was the business I was thinking of, it is my role. And yours is to nurture. You cannot expect me to have the same leniency as a wife, but I bow to your superior discretion.”

“You’ve kept him from home, colonel, robbed him and my children of valuable time together just because he knows he’ll be tempted to eat when he’s home. You’re a cruel, heartless Scrooge, that’s what you are. And this ain’t over.”

“It was merely business, Elaine.” he looks close to crying and she feels tempted to blast another shell into his roof.

“It's not your fault Colonel,” she steadied herself and he always liked how she was not so emotional like some women, even if she was icier than Elvis would ever admit, “I wouldn’t expect you to know what appeals to women, you never had the chance to appeal to them yourself. But I’ll tell you now, just for your excelsior betterment, some women like a sturdier man, some women like more cheeks on their husband, and your gravest omission when thinking of his appeal -a slight ponch rubs ever so delightfully on a woman’s clitoris when making love. You have heard of those, haven’t you? Maybe not, I’ll leave you to peruse the encyclopedia. It’s under C.”

Elvis got smacked in the face by the opening door as she stepped out right as he barreled in.

“Good morning honey, why on earth are you awake?” she greeted blithely as the door swung behind her and she raked his bed head back into place with her hands.

“Because you were shootin’ up the damn island.” he cried, “The hell’s goin’ on, Tink? You kill the colonel?”

“No. Of course not.” she rolled her eyes, “I’m just on a roll, keeping varmints in their places. It was his turn.”

“What’s he done wrong?” Elvis was aghast.

“Oh honey we haven’t got the time for all that on such a perfect morning.” she laughed instead, “C'mon back to bed, when you wake up again I’ll make you your favorite.”

“I can’t have flap jacks right now, Laney, you know that.” he mumbled sullenly as they turned back to the path leading to their own bungalow.

“Yes you can.”

“Says who?”

“Says the woman who owns ya before God, that’s who.” Elaine retorted sharply and he sucked in a breath in appreciation of the vindictive mood still clinging to her. He should chastise her for her language but right now he didn’t wanna shift the mood. The racked gun at her side may have added to the thrill a little.

“You’re real pretty totin’ that thing around in just your kaftan.” he complimented

“Oh Naughty.” she breathed, a little blush flaring on her face. His simple little sweetnesses still getting to her far more than any of his wiles or spice.

“Really, just so pretty, sun’s gettin’ in your hair like it’s what it got up to do this mornin’. S’all gold.”

“Oh naughty, hush.” Elaine felt a fit of compliments coming on and was a little rusty at receiving them, truth be told.

“Why can’t I tell ya you’re pretty?” he laughed.

“You can.” she shook her head in amusement and tried to keep walking but his narration stalled her a few steps down the path.

“Your legs are gold too.” he was saying “Is this like your witchin’ hour or somethin? Do I gotta get up at ass crack a’dawn to catch ya like this?”

“I am in a kaftan, Elvis. And this is hawaii, hardly a new sight.” Elaine laughed herself.

“Yeah, and the sun sure goes right through it.” he was admiring the way her legs were shapely shadows under the cream linen, the illuminating ball of fire in the sky giving him a little show. “Is this how early I gotta get up to see this?”

“You’re sleep deprived, that’s why you’re so astounded by a woman in a kaftan, c’mon and I’ll help ya get back to sleep.”

“No, no I don’t wanna go inside yet.” he objected like a child in the middle of his construction when the dinner bell goes off, “There’s kids inside.”

“Yeah there are.” Elaine’s lip curled in wry amusement.

“Colonel gets ya alone but I don’t.” he wasn’t saying it accusingly, just a contemplative pout and Elaine shaded her eyes to watch his face as he stood in front of the glittering ocean, so bright its reflective rays were almost painful this early in the day. “Why’ve we got so many damn kids.” he joked, “Hardly see ya.”

“Aww well I’m here now.” she was touched and a little confused by this mood but she sauntered up to him, leaning the shotgun against a dune marker, and put her arms around him.

That seemed to be the right course of action as he gave her one of those soft little expressions that weren’t smiles so much as they were bashful little cheek scrunches of recognition. The extra cheeks on him made the expression almost intolerably cherubic. “You got up to blow his roof off but..” he can’t accuse her of not getting up to be with him, that was a damn lie, Elaine somehow managed a schedule that fit both the normal world’s waking hours and incorporated in his bizarre nocturnal clock, he very rarely was awake while she was asleep although the same couldn’t be said for him and this morning it nagged him, what little pleasant nothings he might be missing at seven in the morning.

“It don’t make a habit of it,” she reminded softly, “he just needed a talking to. It’s like spanking or putting a child to bed, never meant to disturb you and was gonna slip right back in next to you.”

“Yeah well, three gunshots kinda have the opposite effect, woman.” he shook her shoulders playfully.

“Well I think I got the message across.”

“What was the message?”

“I-“ Elaine paused to restructure her complaint into the mildest terms possible to preserve his sleepy temper and the peaceful scenery around them. “It’s kinda like you were saying with me! I miss you, the children miss you and it’s got nothing to do with movies and making money. You’re tired from the pills and from the starving and -lord, if I see you excuse yourself after one of my meals one more time just to hear you gaggin’ it right up, I’ll-“ she couldn’t quite finish that, wasn’t sure what she’d do but the most constructive thing she could think of after hearing it last night before bed was to visit the colonel and put some fear of God in him.

“How’d you-“ he scratched the back of his neck, sheepish.

“Oh heavens Elvis!” she pinched his cheek, “It’s the oldest one in the book for us women, when I didn’t shift the weight in two months after having a second set of twins it was recommended to me by all the other wives. Just because it’s old or common doesn't make it healthy and I’m just saying that if you’re unhappy and wanna fit in your old slacks then so be it, I’ll feed ya salads and cut down on the butter but there ain’t a single movie producer I’m gonna let stipulate or pay you to starve yourself. Sweet Jesus I- I know you like looking pretty but for god’s sake! You are! You are pretty, you’re Elvis Pretty Presley for the love of God and what are your children gonna think growin’ up watchin’ you treat yourself this way? It isn’t business, no! No! It isn’t! Hush up! It’s not! Business can be constructive or destructive and Christian business only builds up. Actin’ like a pagan by starvin’ your bodily temple that the Lord gave ya isn’t gonna sell us more movies.”

“You done?” he asked her after letting out a long whistle.

“No not quite,” she cooled her tone a little but stopped her hug to cross her arms and hug herself defensively, “Marlon told me they’ve been asking the same from him and he told them to go- well, you know. And they did. They’re still casting him in serious roles even if he’s not a breathing Adonis. They should be castin’ you in movies about human life not posin’ you like some cut out in a storyline.”

“Brando told ya this?”

“Yeah.” she said, “Because Brando’s manager does what he’s supposed to. I was just reminding the colonel that he is *your* manager which means he’s supposed to be your advocate not your damn jailor!”

“Sheesh alright,-“

“Elvis! It’s serious! I mean if Marlon-“

“God!- stop all this talkin’ about Brando, dammit!” Elvis bellowed and Elaine flushed bright red for an instant and it made him do a double take, thinking he saw a flicker of something new there but in an instant it was gone and -this was Laney, it couldn’t have been there in the first place, “Lord ya need to cool off.” he muttered.

He saw Elaine heave in a deep breath and cup her hand over her nose in that tell-tale way she had when she was regaining her control, started with the nose then the hand would go to the lips and then drop as she shook it out like casting out the damn emotions it collected before it fell to her side, diamond ring glinting in the morning light.

He wanted to say he missed her again, but that felt redundant. Instead he busied himself with observing how pretty she was and before he could voice that again, her eyes cleared and she smirked at him.

“Last one in is chicken.” she dared him before taking off over the sand, headed for the decently violent surf.

That was an old trick of hers, when shit became too real she just- played, instead. He felt it was for his benefit but maybe not, maybe it kept them both sane. He was as fond of the old trick as he had been the first time she pulled it in the studio back in ‘56. Elvis caught up to her about three paces from the surf and managed to swing her up in his arms and crash into the water together. After that first gasp inducing plunge and the salty sting up the nose, the water became a sparkling friend to them, and holding onto each other they surfaced and bobbed for a brief time, enjoying the sounds of the island waking up.

“So I guess I gotta get up at the crack a’dawn to do this with ya.” he griped again and pouted into her neck.

Elaine laughed and stroked the curling hair at the base of his neck, “If you want to escape the heat of the day and catch this lighting, then yes, yes you do. Otherwise, I’m here anytime you want me.”

“Why’d we make so many people!” his face puckered playfully for a moment, “I miss you!”

“I dunno, just sorta happened.” she fibbed herself and after a moment of disbelief he caught the joke and laughed too.

“I-I mean I try to be a good father-“

“You’re an excellent father .” Elaine butted in sternly.

“a-and part of that is bein’ with ‘em and I do try,” he laid his head back partially and let the water buoy him, “whatever you may say, I do try, but when I try I-I well, I let Daisy give me a haircut because she had her heart set on it and then when I get to the film set I’m told that was a ‘dis-reee-spectful’ thing to have done. I just can’t figure out how to manage what everyone wants from me. Just can’t figure it out.”

“Elvis, I don’t know why you’re caring so much what a half a dozen crusty old men say.” Elaine murmured, “Especially not when your wife finds your haircut rather fetchin’ and thinks the meat on your bones feel real nice when you’re up against me.”

“Oh?” Elvis tipped his head back up and seemed to register their close proximity for the first time. As if a switch had been flipped it seemed to be all his eyes could process, the material of her transparent kaftan clinging to what parts of her torso he held out of the water by his hold on her thighs and- Elaine thought it sweet how sometimes her man had a singular track in his mind and that was for sex, but just as singular could be some other focus and a near naked woman wouldn’t strike his as suggestive at such a time until he was made to notice. “Oh, Laney!” his eyes lit up as he surveyed his wife and then the coastline behind her, “Hell, baby, we’re alone, we’re genuinely alone!”

“I know.” her voice couldn’t keep from pitching low as she tightened her legs around his padded hips and watched in awed appreciation for the way his face’s coloring looked like it belonged in the blush splashed sea. “Seven am, for the lighting and for -the solitude.”

“Oh I like the lighting.” he muttered as if to himself as he swayed closer, eyes glued to her wettend lips. “And I like not havin’ all those damn people around. You get it don’t you?”

“Yes I do.”

“You tired of our friends?” he asked.

That could be trick question so she carefully shrugged it off, “Not really, you?”

“Not really just-“ Elvis pondered for a bit, his full cheeks squishing his mouth up and he looked the closest to his babyish self when he had married her than he had in ten years. “It’s just always so crazy ‘round us and I -I want more of this. Just not at seven am. I’ve got a naked woman in the ocean and I’m so sleepy I can’t even stay on track to get in her!” and he laughed ruefully.

“You can just kiss me?” she begged, “Kiss me and we’ll get you back to sleep.”

As if he knew what kind of his kisses she’d been missing most in this fast paced life -for Elvis Presley had many different kinds of kisses for Mrs. Presley- Elvis brushed her hair off her face with gentle care before thumbing at her throat, making her pulse jump from the swipe of his thumb before he brought his lips nearer and nearer as her own trembled and puckered in anticipation until after painful restraint those two plush pillows caressed her own. And stayed. And stayed.

Stayed until the screech of a car peeling out on the path they'd just abandoned made Elaine look up and she saw the Colonel’s conveyance speeding inland after breaking to view their little rendezvous.

“I’m sure we cut a rather scandalous figure in here.” she realized.

“Where’s the scandal when you’re married?” Elvis scoffed. “Besides, not even the paps want a picture of me when I’m this fuckin pudgy-“

“-oh not this again!” Elaine growled, kneading said pudge with vigor as if it would get her point through him better.

“Laney, you're sick in the head, we’ve established this already.” he replied, teasing yet not entirely unserious, “What appeals to you ain’t a rule for the rest of the world.”

“Ha.” she tossed her head back, “Let’s talk about trends then. The trend is towards beefier, hairier men, less of this pristine crooner image, more of the beefcake -Redford, Bogart, that sorta thing.” Learning her lesson on the beach, she omitted Brando from the list.

“Neither of those men are fat.”

“And neither are you.”

“But I don’t look like a star no more-“

“-oh, oh trust me,” she crowed, “if you got yourself a role where you could play a man, a real , raw, gritty man, theaters would be forced to change their seat cushions.”

Elvis scoffed again but asked again with helpless curiosity, “W-what kinda man? I mean, I’m playing real men, honey. Whadda ya even mean, Tink?”

Elaine kneaded his shoulders and pondered the earthy, sultry lines of his face and the heft of his chest beneath her hands, “A working man.” she admitted. “Salt of the earth working man. A man they show working. That’s what I mean.”

“Want me to play a mailman or somethin?” he rolled his eyes. “Real innovative, honey. I’ve been a race car driver, a-a-a Cowboy, I-I’m playin’ a pilot now-”

“I mean a hefty, strong working man who crawls out from under a sink he just fixed and lays a lonely housewife on her husband’s table and gives her something to keep her company at night.” Elaine rasped in his ear.

She felt the gust of his shocked gasp against her wet ear. “Hell, Laney,” he choked, “this-this somethin’ you wanna play?” he sounded scandalized and eager all at once.

“Always, when you’re ‘in this state’, my dear.” she murmured, thumping at his back significantly.

“Hell mama, I could lay you out good.” he swore, going back in for another searing, messy kiss.

“Is everything alright boss?” a yell from the shore startled them both and Elvis fumbled with his grip on Laney’s ass to lower her further in the water for modesty’s sake.

“You’re a lil late, Jerrah.” he snarked back at his friend who was investigating gunshots from fifteen minutes ago. “But yeah, yeah all’s fine.”

“Yeah, yeah ok,” Jerry hollered back, slowly backing away from the beach and up to the hedges, “I can see that. That it’s alright, I mean, like, I can see y’all are very alright. I mean, yeah ok, I’ll go.”

“Why’s he actin’ so prissy.” Elvis grumped but began to ease them both out of the surf anyway.

“You know why it is.” Elaine’s color heightened and Elvis’ grin grew wildly proud. “We were mauling each other a bit.”

“Oh you’re thinkin’ of those early days, hmm? Fresh back from Europe and alllll the world clutchin’ their pearls over how much we loved each other. Fuck ‘em.”

“Elvis!” Elaine prostested, amused yet aghast, “We gave them some cause!”

“Yeah buddy we did.” his tone held masculine admiration for the memories of leading Tink away to a darkened alcove in her pretty jewels and silks and taking her up against one of the ‘Cabana’s marble pillars. He’d had to move so slowly not to attract notice that it was practically cockwarming with a little jive to it.

“Don’t forget the boat.” she pointed out as if she knew he was hung up on another memory.

“Ooh, oh the boat.” he clutched his chest as if she’d brought up the fondest of memories and he was an old man reviewing the best in the twilight of his life, “God you looked so damn good in those photographs, Laney.”

“Elvis! It’s not a proud thing to be the first “indecent” photograph on the cover of Life Magazine.”

“We were fully clothed! They’d no idea what-“

“Yeah, yeah just a man casually playing hoola hoop behind his wife, I’m sure. That stupid captain’s hat,” she pretended to bemoan, “if you wouldn't have been wearing that I coulda resisted and we wouldn’t be on Life.”

“Five years ago, ‘bout time to give ‘em a refresher on the faces you make when lil Elvis is hittin’ the spot.” he snickered at his own joke as she swatted him towards the stairs to their bungalow.

“Five years is not sufficient to dim for me the awful talking to the colonel gave us that night.” Elaine retorted wryly and watched Elvis’ broad back shiver at the recollection before he jiggled up the steps in just his soaked silk night shorts. She stayed below for a moment just to enjoy the dripping, meaty sight of him.

“Lord mama, what was all that for? Was that you?” a wall of young voices hit them as they stepped into their house, five children in various stages of undress and sleepwear scattered around the front kitchen area and worked up by excitement to an ungodly level of energy this early in the morning.

“Yes, that was me.” she admitted cheerily and Elvis loved her for it. “Oh heavens, we forgot the gun-“

“I’ll get it mama!” Jesse was up out of his seat in a flash. “What’d you shoot with it?”

She kissed his forehead in a good morning greeting and soothed, “There was a varmint out back, kept me awake all night so I took care of it.”

“Oh, that’s real cool, mama.” Jesse’s eyes filled with admiration before he backed outta the screen door and flew down the path to get the gun in a blur of blue swim drawers.

“Cool.” Elaine repeated and tested the compliment on her tongue as Elvis laughed in a tired rumble that reverberated against her back as he clung to her like a sleepy child, one hand around her waist, his chin on her shoulder and his other hand busy stroking a clinging Rosalee’s head.

“Yeah, you’re real cool.” he insisted, his voice warbling.

“Outta sight.” Daisy offered from her place on the floor amidst a pile of crayons.

“Mhmm!” Elvis grunted, all gritty and revved up in her ear and she shuddered from something besides her wet kaftan.

“Alright, alright thanks.“ she batted the air like she could knock the compliments down that way, while trying to spin in Elvis’ hold. “Your daddy needs his sleep. Woke him up with all that racket, y’all be good and I’ll be back to fix food. C’mon Mopey, let’s get ya tucked in.”

“But Jack’s in our damn bed!” Elvis bawled.

“Not for long! He’ll be up for breakfast, come on baby, let me tuck ya in.”

“Can’t tuck me in the way I need when he’s there.” Elvis grumped.

“Oooooooh.” Elaine drew it out in understanding before turning back round to address their sleepy little audience gathered round the kitchen table, “Y’all get the flour and maple syrup out for me, your silly daddy dunked us in the ocean so we’ve gotta shower off. I’ll be back.”

“I know how to make pancakes mama!” Ella piped up, suddenly very awake.

“Alrighty then, pancakes it is.” Elaine smirked and saluted her before leading Elvis into the adjacent master bedroom.

“You’re showering with daddy?” Jack grumped from their bed, his stuffed whale toy clutched and his blonde hair scattered across the pillow, “I need a drink, mommy.”

“There’s this great thing called a water faucet in the kitchen, son.” Elvis snarked, now he was the one tugging Elaine.

“Well I can-“ Elaine began before finishing with a little scream as Elvis hauled her bodily into the bathroom with him.

“S’real bad to let the salt stay in your hair for long, Laney, you know this.” he tsked before addressing Jack as he slid the door closed, “Mornin’ Trouble, hope that pilla kept ya good company.”

“You’re awful.” Elaine snickered behind him as she adjusted the faucets. “Having a rivalry with your own son!”

“You like gettin’ fought over, don’t you even try to deny it.” he murmured, coming up behind her to kiss her neck -and help her remove her kaftan. “And I can dance better than him. So it’s a clear choice, lil mama.”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t give me half the trouble you do.” she grinned, making fun of his nickname for the poor kid.

“You’d be bored to death without it.” he growled and it sent sparks down her spine as his damp and slippery silk shorts rubbed against her butt.

There was a knock at the door. Elvis quickly left off his romancing and bodily picked up Elaine and set her behind the shower curtain in the steaming bath.

“What?” he asked of Jack, because of course it was Jack.

“You’re not in yet.”

“Thanks t’you,” Elvis laughed, “now what?”

“My whale wants to go swimming with you.” he held up his fuzzy sea creature.

Elvis took a very nasally breath and held it, “Jack, there’s a whole goddamn ocea-“

“Elvis!” came a rebuke from behind the curtain and only the thought of Elaine naked and slippery back there gave him fortitude to begin again, although in a mockingly patient voice:

“Jack, there’s an entire ocean out there for you and your whale to swim in. He swam yesterday and I’m sure mama’s gonna take ya this afternoon. Now go eat Ella’s pancakes. Good mornin’.” and he shut the door.

He tore into the shower so fast he didn’t even shuck his swim trunks, spurred by the image of Elaine lazily wetting her hair under the spray. She looked at him and at his dripping silk shorts and the outline of little Elvis poking needily out the waistband and bit her lip to suppress a grin. It was pretty gratifying to be so wanted.

“Did you lock the door?” she asked breezily and saw the exhaustion cloud his face once more.

“No.” he admitted and stared at the shower curtain while contemplating the door beyond it, “Nope, and if he comes in, it’s on him what he sees.”

“The kid has seen a lot and it hasn’t deterred him yet.” she laughed.

Elvis still stared at the curtain, “Yeah, maybe we should take him to see someone ‘bout that.”

“Oh hush,” Elaine smacked his belly, “couldn’t be hereditary or anything, could it?” she joked.

“I did not cockblock my father at every goddman opportunity!” he railed, playfully backing her into the tiled wall.

“Oh?” Elaine grinned, “That’s not how Vernon recalls it.”

“Vernon’s a bastard!” Six years after Jack’s birth and Elvis was still aggrieved by the suggestion that his doppleganger was anything like him. “Just makes that shit up to justify remarryin’ so fast, actin’ like mama weren’t the best thing that ever happened to his sorry a-“

“I know, I know.” Elaine soothed, regretting this line of conflict. “Just teasing.”

“Don’t tease.” he begged, kissing her under the spray, “I’m tired and I don’t want it.”

“Ok.” she assured, returning his smooches, “No teasing it is then. C’mon now, help me, step outta of them.” she kneeled under the fall of water and peeled away his shorts.

It was a gift every time, pulling the fabric away to see her man and that alluring place that all his costumes and paraphernalia teased but only she got to see at the end of it all. Those deep and skimpy tan lines that marked her territory versus the rest of him that the world saw, like a sovereign country’s borders. Thighs thicker than usual and soft brown skin stretching over his fuller belly, that dark thatch of hair so fastidiously trimmed and leaky lil Elvis collecting shower droplets on his bubblegum pink head. She shifted on her knees and licked her lips, so impatient to taste him she had to force herself to finish the task of untangling his shorts from his feet.

“Think he’s gone?” she asked Elvis as he stroked back her hair in anticipation, spreading his feet to get a stance that didn’t make him knock his knees and crumple at the first throat tickle she gave him.

“Awful quiet.” he shrugged, a whimper caught in his throat as Elaine shifted closer on the hard tile and peppered his stomach with kisses, kneading those handles of his on his fleshy hips and nuzzling the little crease he’d begun to show where he’d once been cut and firm. Her tongue darted out and traced those lines lovingly and the way she held him so firmly to her attentions and the sweet arch of her back beneath the spray convinced him to view such things a little gentler, a little less obnoxious while his Tink’s mouth was worshiping them so gently.

Down she went, lovingly nuzzling and licking a path across his creases and up his thighs, nosing as his balls and rubbing her cheek against him before opening her mouth and letting Elvis guide his throbbing length onto her tongue. He clasped her head and started a rhythm, a gentle and steady pump to the back of her throat which she knew by heart, and when the cadence had been perfected he let her be and grabbed the shampoo and lathered his own hair before tipping his head back in the water and washing the suds out. Then he poured out a dollop again and, rubbing it between his hands, began to massage it through her locks, lovingly swiping any run-off away from her eyes and swirling hypnotizing little circles into her scalp.

That made her moan. It sent the damndest spark to his very toes and he thrust in harder, hissing and smiling down at her. She was smiling back -around a mouthful of cock. And she looked so pretty doing it, there wasn’t a sweeter or lovelier face to be found when she was hollowing her cheeks and stretching her lips and batting her sparkly eyes. Savoring the feel of a man’s meaty weight in her mouth, letting him gag her with aplomb. The suds squished under his grasp as lewdly as the slurping sounds Elaine made when her gasps grew short and she tried to sneak in a breath or two between his thrusts.

“Hell laney, you’re prettier than you ever been.” he realized with his chest fit to burst from love for her, her and the way she massaged his thick sides and the way she always smiled when sucking cock. The way she blew the Colonel's roof off over a point of honor, “How’d I ever get so lucky.” he muttered, realizing suddenly that she reminded him of those early days, before the babies -any of the babies- back when she was toned and lanky and bare faced. She had the prettiest smattering of freckles when her makeup was gone, he swiped the shower spray from off them.

She looked a girl again, the girl who gave herself to him for safe keeping.

She was trailing one hand down her stomach, flat and firm again, and down and down till she was playing with herself, he could tell by the way her arm moved in time with her head. He rubbed at her scalp again.

Another moan. His toes curl. His spine ran like hot lava.

It had been three years since…a baby. That would account for the toned and lean look, he had a sudden epiphany. Felt a fool for it immediately after.

It maybe wasn’t what they wanted but something a little feral and fond flooded his chest at this old Tink. Something told him to marvel at her, marvel at her like he had in her soaked kaftan at the beach. He had a beautiful wife. Damn stunning and he just -he didn’t see her enough, he felt. Odd, that.

“Laney, laney, hold up.” Elvis tapped her jaw and pulled her off him, chuckling as she wheezed in a breath, spit and precum sputtering thick and shiny off her lips and caught herself against the slick tile wall as if she had sparks in her eyes.

“What baby?” she gasped with eagerness, playing with the suds on her breasts and looking up at him coyley, knowing that tone meant her man had a notion up his sleeve. Probably a dirty one.

“I-I-I w-wanna, I-I wanna see you.” he begged and when she still looked lost he clarified, “I w-w-wanna w-watch ya p-play wi’yeself.”

Elaine’s face flushed crimson in pleased gratification at his adoring tone and with one last look of skepticism at his bobbing and visibly pulsing cock, asked with soft eagerness, “How’d’ya want me, daddy?”

Oh lord, it had been awhile since they played this game and his heart skipped a beat in anticipation. “Want ya to lay down on the tile, baby,” he instructed and watched as she sank back on her haunches without argument, slowly spreading her legs and scooting down until she was laying amongst the swirling suds, “Now, I-I-I w-want ya to spread your legs, baby, nice and wide f’me.”

Elaine did as asked, her hair swirling out in the eddy of water, her belly a canvass of sprinkles, letting her right foot push into the encroaching shower curtain a little, feeling a draft of the cold outside air rush in. “Like this?” she asked, her mouth dry from the sight of his bulk standing in a straddle above her.

“Jus’ like that.” he nodded down at her, his eyes darting all across her beautiful shiny self as the spray pelted down on her after breaking across his body, “Now this next part’s important to get right, Tink. Ya gonna be a good widdle bitty f’me, ain’t ya?”

“Yes daddy, I’d do anything for you, anything at all!” her voice rose.

“Then you spread those pretty pussy lips for me,” Elvis directed, “wanna see your itty bitty rosebud, gonna let the water do the teasin’ for us. Wanna see ya cum from the drip.”

Elaine did as she was told and stretched her labia, sucking in a breath as a small jet of water landed on her teased vagina. “Ooh, l-like this?” she hoped, sucking at her lip, trying to get on top of the teasing sensation.

“Fuuuck yeah, oh fuck, ‘xactly like that.” Elvis’ eyes were glued to her wobbling little petals, battered beneath the shower stream as he began to strip his cock with cruel, tight jerks of his wrist. Elaine nuzzled his ankle and glued her own eyes to his heavy sack, swinging above her in perfect view as it tightened up, guarded by those delicious, meaty thighs and her mouth hung open in craving. A drop of water ran off his heavy balls and landed on her forehead. “Oh Laney, you’re just perfect honey, jus’ perfect.” he praised. “It feel good?”

She was pretty sure if they kept this up he’d be spouting down on her face in a matter of seconds. “Yeah, it really does.” She craned her head back and stuck her tongue out in optimism.

—————-

Back in the kitchen a disgruntled Jack wandered into the little gathering of his siblings who were eagerly dishing out advice and praise to Ella as she capably flipped decently fluffy pancakes and stacked them onto a steaming plate.

“There, that should do for a start.” she declared and even Jesse and his ever growing appetite assented as he set the kitchen table with forks.

“Rosalee.” Jack sidled up to the auburn haired little girl trying to make a swan out of the paper towel Jesse had laid down as her napkin.

“Yeah, Jack?”

“Daddy said he’s gonna take us swimmin’.” he lied with the most guileless tone, “You wanna come?”

It was a calculated move, and a stunt Jack had pulled often to back up his own devices regarding monopolizing Elaine.

Rosalee went nowhere without her father and everywhere that her father did go, she went. And Jack knew this. She had meltdowns when she was escorted off sets and had meltdowns when she arrived at sets to find him holding his young co-stars instead of her. Jealous and sensitive, there was nothing more precious to her than time with daddy and at this news of an impromptu frolic, Rosalee clambered off her barstool so quickly she nearly split her head open.

“What are you up to, Jacky?” Nine years old with a head twice older, Jesse was onto him and stared his towheaded brother down with slanted gray eyes, “How is it daddy’s takin’ ya to the ocean when he’s washing the ocean off him as we speak? Don’t sound like somethin’ he’d do before going back. Waste a’time.”

“I’m just bearin’ the news.” Jack held up his hands, “It’s what he done told me.”

“But daddy’s gotta sleep, Jack!” Ella protested, always so keenly aware of her father’s irregularities and fiercely protective of his health.

“Ooooh leave off, he promised!” Rosalee whooped in joy and tore back towards the master bedroom with a maniacally gleeful Jack following on her heels.

Ella dropped the pancake plate onto the tabletop with a thump and Daisy immediately grabbed her fork and skewered four at once.

“Where y’all goin’?” Jesse cried out after trying to get a pancake of his own, abandoning it in favor of running down his two rogue little siblings who were about to start banging at the bathroom door like they had a death wish.

——————

Inside the shower Elvis felt his climax hit him like a freight train and bracing himself with one hand on the tiled wall, he watched with flitting eyes as his thick ropes of come joined the water shower to spatter across Laney’s chest and then down to the pattering of the stream against her pink house, then back up again. His thighs quaked and his belly shook and he kept stripping himself as wave after wave took over him from the sight of her down there, looking up at him with a pleasured grimace as the jetstream wiggled her nub. She had to be close, he could tell from the lines on her forehead and he managed to lift his foot and press it gently on her lower belly, jostling her womb like he did with his hand when he was inside. Her toes curled.

“Ya almost there, ain’t ya pretty girl?” he gasped, his own toes curling as lil Elvis didn’t seem content to flag after one shot alone, still standing stiff and interested in the proceedings below him. Elvis’ hand started to cramp.

“Elvis-“ her pretty pink tongue came out and touched her upper lip, her breasts jiggling with every big heave of breath.

Just then a round of knocks sounded on the door and if Elvis was any judge of distance -and he was a good one- he’d wager they were coming from someone about three feet off the ground and blonde as satan himself. “Not yet!” he barked, well past being patient.

“Elvis!” Elaine fretted below him, so close her eyes looked scared from desire. “I’m -“

“That’s it, that’s it you just take your time and feel it, sugar pie, that’s it.” he cooed to her and stepped over her, turning round in between her legs and running his foot further down, pressing on her little mound and after observing her hesitant moan, slipped his big toe along her soft seam.

The way her legs snapped closed like a trap spurred him on, as did her happy gasp as she thrashed and gripped at her chest like she was trying to hurt herself with the squeeze. He wiggled his toe in further, snagging her lil hole and plunging in, his leg shimmying in that controlled way he’d perfected on stage and she shrieked, happily, he was sure, except Jack didn’t know that-

“Mama I know you’re in there!” He demanded from behind the door, driven to outrage by neglect.

Laney was gorgeous when she was coming, and while often a moaner in the moments leading up to it -when propriety allowed- she was a silent screamer in the throes of it. Elvis kept up the merciless jimmying of his leg all the way through it and watched with distinct enjoyment a sight he rarely got to see from this removed vantage point. Caught in the vice grip of pleasure Elaine couldn’t humor her little brat any more than she could call on Jesus for help and Elvis just smirked down at her evilly as he kept the stimulation up. Kept it up until he was getting kicked in the gut by an overwhelmed wife.

The faucet stabbed his back as he stumbled backwards, laughing those hiccuping laughs of his and jostling his throbbing balls in one hand as Elaine cupped her mouth and tried to get her breath back. “You ok?” Elvis giggled as he knelt down and crawled over her to cup her wet cheek and bring her back down to earth. She was giggling herself, unable to voice anything but giving him a thumbs up to assure she was ok. He smooched her cheek vigorously.

“You’re still-“ she tried to form a full sentence but couldn’t.

“Those diet pills.” he whispered in explanation, gingerly still stroking his hard cock but over-sensitive cock. “It won’t go down, Laney.” he whined a little as he humped her slick belly, conscious that this was a lil pathetic to do on the shower floor but this is what he missed, moments like these where they could trust each other with all of it. He couldn’t stop himself now just to make it a little less animalistic, a little less needy. Truth was he needed her terribly and he didn’t mind her knowing.

Elaine’s hands came up and clung to the backs of his meaty thighs, as high as she could reach over his hips and she begged in a hoarse whisper that underscored the way her eyes were heavy and half mast “Sit, please, sit on my face, Daddy. Wanna taste you, I’ll get ya drained.”

She’d seen the chafed markings on her little friend from all the tucking and taping the wardrobe department had put him through, she’d tended to them with Vaseline and kissed the booboos goodnight. From the way she had her mouth open and her chin tipped back -Elvis knew what his wife wanted and with a weak moan he crawled over her again and at her insistent hands, turned back around till they faced the same way.

69ing he’d heard it called from a co-star. A filthy sorta indulgence that his ingenious wife had discovered on her own without the benefit of co-star gossip or ‘new wife’ magazines. “Gosh yes, yes that’s it, smother me baby, you're a hunk like this you know?” She gushed, gripping his hips firmly.

“Mama?” got yelled through the door along with another knock and a small racket as if there were reinforcements approaching -wether for Elvis’ cause or Jack’s, was yet to be seen.

“Go eat your pancakes!” Elvis hollered over the noise of shower spray.

“I need mama to cut them up!” Trouble hollered right back and Elvis looked down to see his fair temptress waiver at the sound of her son’s dire plight.

“Oh no, no you don’t, don’t even think it.” Elvis corrected her as he settled over her, a hefty thigh on each side of her face trapping her where he needed her, hard tile and grout lines digging at his knees. He patted at her belly and rubbed her hips as he stared ahead at the wall and slowly, almost apologetically, lowered his package over her sweet face. One ball slotted into her waiting mouth perfectly, aided by her eager little hands as she snuggled it onto her waiting tongue and with a contented grunt he muttered, “All you need to think about right now, my lil Tinkerbell, is how full and stuffed your lil mouth is with daddy’s sugar plums, how nice he is to give ya a treat n’how good you’re lil mouth is gonna make daddy feel, so good I just might kiss your lil kitty in thanks.”

Laney always got a little woozy when he didn’t give her a choice, told him it made her feel like goo inside and like she was a baby again -not in a bad way, mind. She loved it and he capitalized on it on occasions like this. After years together he’d come to understand she enjoyed a little sternness so long as he mixed it with affirmations and gentleness after. Something his younger and randy self may have been pitifully short on in his eagerness to sample her. So Elvis found himself able to squash the shame of teabagging his wife in the shower rather speedily, the obvious and untampered joy she took in the act helping him, as well as the feel of her rolling the damn things, one at a time due to size, in her mouth like his nuts were a Listerine swish.

How someone could enjoy gargling ballsack or having their noses smashed to an asshole was a little beyond Elvis, but when he said as much to her, Tink had told him she didn’t get how he could eat bloody pussy for hours.

After arguing this they had to call a truce. No accounting for taste. And since then, as a treat, Laney gets to suck his balls with the only addendum being she can’t lick his ass.

Never stops her from kneading it though, digging at the plain globes with her nails and pulling it apart -for his sanity’s sake he likes to assume she spreads it so she can get some air down there. He wishes he didn’t like that feeling as much as he does but hunched over her in the shower he has to admit the stretch of it feels rather good, combined with her suckling his sack. Little Elvis begins to pulse like he gets the memo. The better it gets, the greater the sensation becomes, the more he moans and shifts and bends double till he’s biting her thigh to keep quiet. In doing so he stops sheltering her little house from the spray with his shoulders, and with malevolent delight, he notices her jerk from the water jet.

It’s fun to watch from down here, her pretty pink petals getting battered and he adds his tongue into the mix on occasion and she thrashes and screams around his balls and he keeps his thighs locked against her cheeks, muffling it almost completely. He’s missed this, not just the filthy want for each other but -but the selfishness to do it. Sure he had been a cad in their earlier marriage, using her more like an animated glory hole than a cherished child of God, but they’d both trade the exhausted lassitude of the past year for that rigorous idiocy in a heartbeat. There’s gotta be some middle ground. He just can’t come up with the right balance with Tink mouthing at his balls like a feral harmonica player tearing up the riff to Orange Blossom Special.

“Daddy! Daddy when are you takin’ us swimmin?” That’s Rosalee’s voice, coming through the door and Elvis’ heart thuds to a stop for a moment in complete confusion as to why his lil pet expects that of him this morning, “I’ve been waitin’ patiently! Please daddy!”

She’s been waiting, by the door, this whole damn time while Jack’s been doing his regular, moronic behavior. She has been good. And somehow there’s been a mix up. He’s had little enough time to play with the kids on this set and Rosalee always takes that absence the hardest. The tile is unyielding beneath his knees and his resolve waivers.

“Oh sweetie I-I-“ he brings his fist up to his mouth to try to steady his wrecked voice, “sweetie I didn’t say nothin about that, did I?”

Elaine, callous succubus that she is, ignores his fatherly plight and begins to strip the base of little Elvis like it’s gonna spurt pixie dust for her. He falls down a little more in his kneeling posture from the intensity of it, forehead banging against her shin as he claws at the slippery grout lines.

“Jack said you promised to take us swimmin!” Rosalee sounds close to tears and it makes Elvis plan on wringing Jack’s little neck while the desperate need to cum rattles in Elvis' head until he’s humping Elaine’s mouth like a maniac. She digs in harder and he hides a sob as a cough.

Angrily he peels her pussy wider and let’s the jets sting her little nub, locking his legs resolutely against her cries until he sees a stream going in the opposite direction of the shower flow, a pretty little arc of fluid straight from her pussy and if it weren’t so diluted by the shower he’d know it tastes perfectly salty sweet. Satisfied with his revenge he covers her again with his back and lays his face on the tile between her legs, trusting her to either let him get up and console his poor daughter or else finish him fast.

Going with the first option becomes entirely necessary when he hears the door crack open and a cold gust of air rustles the shower curtain.

Panic gives Elvis’ voice a thunderous edge as he shouts:“The hell are you doin’? Don’t you dare open the curtain, don’t do it! Do not!”

“Oh daddy please don’t hit me!” Rosalee wails this idiotic plea like it’s a line from some dramatic afternoon Soap Opera, and Elvis is quite sure that’s where she learned it.

“Oh, s-s-stop the d-d-dramatics!” he begs, half to his children and half to Laney who seems convinced he can come from ball sucking alone, while he’s quite sure he can’t today.

“You promised!” Rosalee continues crying, very near the shower but not touching the curtain.

“Jack!” Elvis' voice thunders shakily.

“Yes Elvis?” the kid replies very calmly from the sink area.

“G-get out! Both of ya- get out.”

“I just wanted to take a bath with you!” Rosalee stays from sheer horror at having provoked such temper from her ever-loving father, “I’m sorry daddy! I-I-I didn’t mean to make you mad, honest I didn’t! Jack said-“

“Guys, what the- come on, get out!” That’s Jesse’s beautiful voice resounding in the bathroom, sounding like a general at nine years old and Elvis is gonna have to buy the kid another motorcycle for always being such a swell fella in times of need.

“But Daddy promised to take us swimming-“

“Guys out!” Jesse grabs ahold of Jack’s tshirt and starts tugging.

“But swimming-“

“Only Mommy’s and Daddy’s swim in showers, sometimes-“ Jesse insists.

“I just came to tell mama that Ella has caught the stove on fire-“

“Jack, liars go to hell.” Jesse reminds.

Elvis realizes then that maybe his thighs are squishing all the sound from Laney’s hearing and that perhaps she’s just coasting while enjoying her favorite hobby, unaware of exactly how nuts it’s gotten in here. Nuts was a bad word for it but- he starts to pull himself off her only to feel her teeth snap in protest at the thin base of his scrotum.

He can’t help his yelped,

“Laney!” that in turn spurs Jesse onto a frantic beg,

“Kids come on! Really, we need to evacuate now!” The poor boy sounds frantic and Elvis wishes he had the moral fiber to get off his wife’s face this close to the finish line. But he doesn’t, not for Jack, not even for Rosalee and any other sweet idiot spawn who didn’t obey the closed door policy.

This isn’t the first time.

Hovering as he is, balls clamped in a toothy prison, it’s like Elaine finally hears it all, processes her children and their proximity, finally gets it without the soundproof padding of Elvis’ thighs. She responds accordingly. Instead of abandoning their tryst as he expected, like a ninja geisha, she simultaneously grabs his cock and bends him backwards between his cheeks into her mouth, while raising her foot for Elvis to muffle his impending scream around some perfectly manicured toes.

To a chorus of wailing youngsters and one very admanet eldest son who sounds like a shell-shocked veteran encouraging the green troops to pull back, Elvis feels the persuasive suction of Laney’s mouth around his throbbing head, a flick or five to his weeping slit and he’s giving into her efforts, biting her toe to keep silent and smacking at the shower curtain in an attempt to stifle the need to move with his release.

Elvis shakes to the floor with an exhausted splat as his orgasmic loss of reality gives him a blissful five seconds of escapism where he lays, cheek down in the swirling shower drain, thanking Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit for his wife.

Elaine surfaces from beneath him with the invigorated gusto of a woman satisfied with her work, pulling herself out from beneath her man’s inert form only to be hit by a toy whale that’s been hurled over the curtain and onto her wet head -a last little defiance by a growling Jack who is getting tugged out by Jesse. An impressive throw, one Elvis is responsible for helping Jack perfect with the football many a summer’s night on Graceland’s lawn.

“Oh you silly thing!” she shouts with a laugh, “If any of you sprites are still in here, make yourselves useful, hand me those towels on the countertop.” she adds as she leans over Elvis, straddling him to turn off the tap, sticking just her hand out the curtain and making grabby motions with her fingers till the feel of fuzzy cotton meets it. “Thanks, sweets.”

“Why’re you so short mama?” Rosalee’s voice asks and Elvis groans beneath her on the floor.

“Cause I’ve been playing with sea creatures.” she explains without missing a beat and Elvis’ slick back starts heaving beneath her from suppressing his laughter.

“Oh.” Rosalee accepts it with a sniffle, having spent many hours in the tub or hot tub on her knees, the better to help her toys swim around.

Elvis rolls over beneath Elaine’s straddle and smiles at her with eyes still crossed from going to the grown man’s neverland. “Alright Rosalee, you run on now we’ll be out in just a minute. Promise.” he speaks up.

“And swimming?” she begs as she retreats.

“Well, uh, we’ll talk about that over breakfast.”

Elaine makes a sad face at the realization he’s not going to let himself go back to bed after causing so much heartache in their little people. “S’ok.” he insists, reading her mind and patting her thighs.

Hearing the latch click and the silence of privacy restored, Elvis clasps her by her neck and brings her face down to his, kissing her passionately, licking at her tongue and the traces of his spend on it. “You sure know how to love a man, Tink.” he murmurs, clinging to her warm body as the shower tile turns cold.

“All I ever wanted was to learn to be the best for ya.” she whispers, sweet and gentle.

“Born the best.” he insists, “The rest was just…a bonus.”

She brings the towels she’s been balancing out of the wet, onto his chest, and sitting up they rub each other dry, soft smiles and drowsy affection making them clumsy and open.

They stagger upright together and Elvis throws his towel around her and she throws hers around him and they’re cocooned in terry cloth this way, standing in the dripping shower, snuggled together and nipping at each other’s lips.

“How’s my lil friend.” she asks, sneaking a hand between them in the damp warmth of their burrow and cupping his harmless, shrunk little appendage.

“He’s good, he’s real good.” Elvis giggles, his cheeks turning pink, “Gentle with him now, he got wrung out by a cruel, lecherous gal.”

“He sure did.” Elaine grunts satisfactorily and it’s the most masculine sorta sound Elvis has ever heard her make, full of smugness and a dirty, gritty edge he can’t quite believe came out of his woman, his woman who is so polished and elegant most times. As if to underscore this departure from demure normality and diminish it all at once, Elvis feels her hand move again beneath the towel before an electrifying sting slices up his spine and down his leg from his freshly smacked ass.

“Laney!” he cries again, utterly aghast and pink as a baby and she can’t stand it anymore, standing on tippy toes to neck him some more, vigeorusly smashing her lips to his as she yanks the shower curtain open with her free hand

She steps out while Elvis lingers and bends down to retrieve Jack’s sodden whale plushie. He may wring the poor creature out more violently than necessary but it makes his wife titter.

“God! - I love you.” she insists, surveying her man as he steps out, his wet hair dripping in a boyish mop down his forehead and his lips kissed and bitten puffy pink and his cheeks bunched in a grin despite their bashful blush and the soft accumulation of fluff and good living filling out his chest and swelling his belly just that little bit. “Sometimes I think it’s gonna kill me, gettin’ to enjoy you, getting to look at you so much. Feels indulgent somehow, like you oughta be rationed to a gal, the same way you’re dosed out to your fans in little bits, one movie a time.” she laughs at her own silliness and he shakes his head shyly as he tucks his towel into a covering around his waist. “One day they’ll find me keeled over from palpitations brought on by starin’ too long.”

“That’s what the obituary’ll say,” Elvis snarks, “but you and I’ll know the truth of the matter, that you’re a lil squirrel who likes her nuts so much she don’t take time to breathe. Mark my words, that’s how you’ll go if you keep this appetite up.”

“Then I hope they accuse ya of manslaughter, right after.” Laney grins and he stalls with his comb in hand, raised to coiff his hair back, waiting for the punchline, “Because I don’t wanna be up there without you for too long.”

“Laney!” he repeats for the upteenth time this morning, but this time it’s hushed and his lower lip wobbles with emotion and his eyes swim, touched by the sentiment. Clearing his throat he adds, “I still wanna uh, sometime -yeah, uh sometime do that thing you were t-t-talking about in the w-water.”

She makes a puzzled face as she wiggles into a tiny pair of shorts Elvis bought her last month. She’s fit as hell, and he’s envious of it, and has to admit Jack’s overdue weening did serve one purpose at least, it thinned her out like nothin’ else coulda.

“Play handyman or-or whatever.” he blushes and turns his face away as he hangs up his towel, aware that they haven’t the time to linger over this with the kitchen possibly on fire and his children eager for a swim. “Ya recall? -what you were sayin’? Me uh, playin’ a handyman or plumber or, uh, whatever. Come visit ya.”

“Oooh that,” she goads playfully wrapping her arms around his belly once more, chin in his shoulder blades, “you wanna swing by Graceland and fix a pipe or two, find the rich and spoiled Mrs. Presley wasting away in her gold cage, rich but wanting in the worst ways? Hmm?” she runs her finger down the shell of his ear and it’s flaming hot to her touch, he must be red as her nails in the face, “Wanna take her on the table and give her what her posh movie star husband can’t? Wanna do that, huh Naughty?”

“God y-yes.” he stutters, head thunking against the wall in desperation at the mere

concept.

“Wanna make a movie of it,” she whispers into his ear, “like those ones Thumper and I made? Wanna make a movie so Elvis Presley has to sit and watch it later, hmm? Watch his wife get taken by a workin’ man?”

“Nghhh…” he growls smacking the wall, overwhelmed by memories and prospects.

“I see, well, that’s settled then.” Elaine murmurs before stepping away from their embrace, flicking his bare butt one last time as she laughs, “Only you would get the hots for cuckolding yourself.”

“Anything involving rearrangin’ your guts on a table gets me hot.” he mumbles defensively and Elaine smirkes at him with a promise in her eyes as she makes her way past him. He snags her back to him briefly by a finger in her back pocket, “Hey you,” he says adently with his hand cupping her jaw, “I love you too. I love you somethin’ fierce.”

~~~~~

“Daisy!” Jack’s voice warbled with betrayal as he entered the kitchen, “You didn’t!”

“Daisy!” Ella chimed in, whirling around from the stove to survey the kitchen table and her demolished stack of pancakes, “There was enough there to feed uncle Jerry and us besides!” she cried out as her little sister swallowed down the last of her syrupy goodness with a shrug,

“Oh, oh Daisy, oh my, that’s gonna -that’s gonna bite ya later.” Jesse sighed as he pulled up a chair and pushed around his abandoned, now cold and half eaten single pancake on his plate. “Your stomach’s gonna kill ya, Mae Mae.” he explained to a remorseless Daisy Mae.

“I was hungry.” she defends as Rosalee sullenly takes a seat next to her twin, “Sorry Rosalee, I shoulda saved one for ya.” she conceded but Rosalee shook her head.

“I don’t feel like eatin’ anything.” Rosalee moped.

“Why not?” Ella turned again from the stove, affronted for the reputation of her irresistible pancakes. “I’ll put blueberries in them and everything for ya!”

“I’m not hungry!” Rosalee repeated close to tears and her little chestnut bob swayed with her head shake.

“What happened to you?” Daisy grunted.

“Daddy got mad at me.” she whimpered.

“No he didn’t.” Jesse sighs, settling Jack into a seat by the scruff of his t-shirt, “He’d just told y’all not to come in and you disobeyed. He ain’t mad. He’ll be right as rain in a minute, hold tight.”

“He sounded mad! He sounded sad!” Rosalee’s tone grew in emphasis.

Jesse pinched the bridge of his nose and stared at his empty plate as Rosalee’s whimpers grew from just that to outright crying. “No, no look it’s-“ he glanced over at the stove to his twin who was industriously cooking another batch but not fast enough to circumvent Rosalee’ meltdown, “it’s like, when we all used to sleep in the big bed,” he chose his words carefully for optimal grief assuagement, “you know how some mornings you thought daddy was cryin’?”

“Yeah.” her little voice was garbled by snot.

“Yeah but he wasn’t, was he?” Jesse pressed his point, “He was just tryin’ to hold in his laughs so he didn’t wake you, while mama or Ella was ticklin’ him.”

“Yeah.” Rosalee cracks a small smile.

“S’like that.” Jesse reminded, “He ain’t sad. You ‘member how he’d start bawling when we started ticklin’ too?”

“Yeah.” Jack smiled in reminiscence of mornings when they’d all pile on top of Elvis and tickle him while Mama held his shoulders down. “But I know you don’t tickle people in the shower.” Jack fired back with six year old conviction, “Elvis hisself told me it wasn’t safe.”

Before Jesse was forced to choose between explaining further or else sullying his daddy’s reputation for safety ethics in the shower -or in general- the man himself and Mama breezed through the door, hair wet and as smartly dressed as always.

“Alright, alright, kids what’s groovin’ huh?” Elvis barreled in like his kitchen was his stage and topics of tickling and sadness were shelved, much to Jesse’s watery eyed relief, though he couldn’t quite meet his mama’s eyes when she scootched past him with a kiss to his head on her way to the sink. “Hey you I’ve got a present for you.” Elvis addressed Jack before plopping a very sudden and deformed whale plushie on the boy’s plate.

“Thanks a lot Elvis.” Jack muttered.

“Look on the bright side Trouble,” Elvis laughed while reaching down Jack’s back to grab a handful of his jean’s waistband, “all ya had to do was wait fifteen minutes and now mama’s got your glass o’water and your pancakes’ll be cut in triangles. Imagine that, patience.” and with that laughing admonition Elvis hefted Jack out of his chair by his waistband and proceeded to jostle his second born son in the age old manner often referred to as a wedgie. It even made Rosalee laugh and Jack hiccup from something they all suspected was enjoyment, although the kid would never admit it. “Alright, everyone alive and well? No fires?” He took stock of the place and found it comparatively tidy -little wonder as the kids didn’t have time to wreck anything, too busy knocking on his door. “Ella Bug those smell amazing and- Daisy, why’re you actin’ put out?”

“M’fine.” his daughter protested even as her face was folded into the identical sorta scowl that sold him a lotta records back in the early days.

“Is everyone mad at me?” he balked.

“No, she just ate fifty pancakes while everyone else was… busy.” Jesse cleared his throat. “Should enter her in a contest.”

“Oh Daisy, no!” Elaine swiped back her black curls and knelt by her, “Is your belly hurting?”

“Startin’ to.” Daisy was forced to admit through clenched teeth.

“Lordy, Mae Mae, that’s impressive,” Elvis murmured as he took his seat and, in a well worn routine, opened his arms and lap in welcome to a still sniffling Rosalee who catapulted into him, “what got into you?” he marveled as he tucked Rosalee into a snuggle and peppered her now glowing face with kisses.

“They were very good.” Daisy insisted and Ella beamed with pride over the stack of freshly made ones she carried to the table.

“Bet they were.” Elvis praised, tongue poked through his teeth laughing, “Glad ya enjoyed yourself at least.”

“Come lay down sweetheart, here on the couch.” Elaine led her to the adjacent wicker lounge. “Get you some ginger ale or something. Heavens, girly, the appetite on you!”

“Are you gonna eat with us, daddy?” Ella spoke up timidly as she took her own seat, the rather novel concept of her daddy at morning breakfast and the pride she took in her own cooking warring to make his verdict overly meaningful to her.

Elvis stared for a moment at the heaping piles of fluffy goodness with its melting pad of butter and sparkling syrup trickling to the plate as Jack voiced the very worry he had rattling in his head:

“That’s a lotta carbs.”

The whole table’s racket of pancake stabbing screeched to a halt and Elaine fumbled the glass bottle of ginger ale she had retrieved from the fridge to the very ground in her shock. “Jack!” she chatsized with more vehemence than the little stinker had ever elicited from her in his life, “Why on earth would you say a thing like that?”

Jack shrugged, although the combined weight of his family’s horror and Elaine’s blazing eyes made him timid, “It's just what the Colonel said. Last night. To daddy.”

“And why would you ever wanna sound like that good for nothin’ scallywag?” Elaine cried, “We appreciate a good appetite in this house, plenty of folks don’t have what we’ve got and we’re not about to thank the good Lord for his generosity to us by listenin’ to the worn out gimmicks of a corpulent glutton. Carbs! Maybe he should count some carbs-“

“Laney, laney.” Elvis moderated her with a shushing wave of his hand and she stilled, pinching the bridge of her nose in that way Jesse had learned from her and clipping over to Daisy with grief stricken eyes she hid behind her ire.

“Sorry.” Jack croaked while giving his mother the stink eye even as Jesse in turn glared at him, “I said I was sorry?”

“There’s nothin’ to be sorry about Jack.” Elvis insisted, eyeing his strangely cold wife as she tended to Daisy and got her a preemptive barf pan. “You were just statin’ nutritional facts and if you’re gonna be a scientist one day, your interest in ‘em will serve ya well. Now Ella, dish me up some a’those sticky carbs, won’t ya?”

Ella beamed and quickly stacked up a steaming pile on her daddy’s plate, presenting a blushing cheek for his kiss just as Daisy lost her battle with the bellyache and puked into the bowl Elaine held for her.

“Well that’s an appetizing sound.” Jesse pushed his plate away with a joking grimace and he and Elvis shared a silly moment that almost made Jesse forget about the shower and his subsequent vow never to look his daddy in the eye again.

“Poor Mae, Mae,” Elvis sighed, stabbing his pancake and making a show of chewing it obnoxiously for Ella’s benefit.

Elaine couldn’t help but smirk, even as she dabbed at Daisy’s mouth with a cloth, amused that her man was moaning louder over pancakes than he did from her attentions in the shower.

“So,” he spoke up as he scarfed them down, “what’s this about swimmin’? Hmm? For the record I never promised anythin’ of the kind but, loathe as I am to award bad behavior,” and here he gave Jack a pointed look over his poised fork, “since we’re all together, why not?”

“Really? Really?” Rosalee screamed so loud in his ear he shook his head just to get the ringing out.

“Oh daddy, it’s gonna be so fun! You there! Oh yes yes yes yes!” Ella was spinning in circles, having gotten out of her chair at some point to celebrate.

“Mhmm,” he hushed them and went on, pushing his plate away, “is it swimmin’ you’ve really got your hearts set on?”

“Well, no- we just wanna be with you.” Rosalee admitted.

“What? No! We wanna go swimmin’, just us and mama-“

“Jack, please hush up.” Jesse begged.

“See I was thinkin’,” Elvis rose above his six year old’s sharp remarks, “we could certainly go swimmin’ but then again, ya can go swimmin’ most anytime, near anywhere. But ya know what ya can’t do?”

“What, daddy?” a hushed chorus of anticipation went up from his little audience, even Daisy showed interest as Elaine doted on her.

“How would you Tiddlywinks like to fly ‘round in a helicopter?” He asked with a brilliant grin.

“No way!” Jesse nearley fell out of his seat and his eyes filled with excitement.

“Yes way, perks of the job, boyo.” Elvis sat smug at the head of his table as his children gushed around him in a frenzy of anticipation, Elaine watched their adoration with a pleased smile, praying only that he wasn’t going to be the lone pilot. “Now who’s glad daddy works for that ‘corpulent scalliwag’, huh?” he goaded and Elaine’s smile turned brittle as the kids laughed and cheered.

Elvis eyes met hers above the den of kids clearing plates and his sober, cobalt stare put her right back in her place, a place that more and more had little or nothing to do with his creative processes and business deals - a far cry from the production and artistry that first brought them to together. She bit her lip and walked the vomit pan back to the sink, receiving a wide berth from the little revelers as she did. “Alright well, help your mama with this mess and get yourselves sorted.” he clapped, “We’ll leave, soon as we’re ready. Gotta go brush my teeth.” he rose from the table, his hasty exit unnoticed by any save Elaine who postured herself to be in his path as he turned to go into the master bedroom,

“E,” she murmured softly as he brushed past and he didn’t stop, but she knew he was listening by the tilt of his head as he went “while you’re at it, be sure you don’t accidentally brush your tonsils again, silly man.”

This loaded tease met with a titter of laughs by the couple clueless kids who overheard it and this time it was Elvis’ face that grew brittle, his step halted and his lip was close to sneering as he lowly rejoined,

“If you know ‘nother silly man who can get you a helicopter ride, an all expenses paid for vacation to Hawaii and satisfy your particular tastes, then be my guest Elaine, you tell him how to brush his teeth.”

Hope y’all enjoyed! Your “bugging” and “screaming” is music to my ears, fuel to my fire and keeps me writing, please never hold back -this is a safe space for feral little Elvis loving rodents…like you and me.

If you’d like to be tagged in this particular series please drop a note below. I’ll admit I’m disorganized and have trouble keeping all the requests sorted when they’re scattered, what I do check regularly are the requests in the notes for chapters -and I do manage to get those added. So, if you’ve put in a request and I’ve failed ya, or if you’re new and would like to be added, please pop a note below. Xoxo

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@heartbrake-hotel

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@loving-elvis

It's been a little more than 30 years since the last selection, when queen Lori was selected out of the bunch by King David and now the result of their successful selection, their son, prince Austin, is about to have his very own selection. All of the girls in the kingdom between the ages 18-22 were asked to submit an entry into the competition, to hopefully end up being the princess of the kingdom and the future queen.

Emphasis on the word "asked" , we were not obligated to do it, at least not by our government, our parents however? Well the forced me to apply, dragged me down to the office where the applications were collected and made me sign up.

"Y/n it's time, come come sit!!" My mom shouts for me and I put down the paint brush, wiping my hands on a rag, brushing back some hair as I make my way to the very small, very crowded living room. My mom , dad and all my 5 siblings are spread around the tv, watching it like hawks. "Come sit!" Mom pats the spot next to her on the couch and I squeeze between her and my older sister.

I can't help but feel angry at the whole situation, my parents live in a poorer side of the country and the fact that they had 7 kids did not help, I'm right in the middle, being the 4th to be born, my older siblings, are married off to their own households where the also pop baby after baby, that is except for one of my eldest siblings, my sister Hannah, who's the reason why mom put me into the selection in the first place.

To back track a bit and explain, my parents met and got married when they were 20 years old, my brother Josh came a year later, he's now 26 married and expecting child number three, his income already stretched thin. Then came Anna, she's 24 she married in a more stable family, but with baby number two, turning into babies number 2 , 3 and 4, yes that's triplets that she's having, money is low. Mark, 22 now, not married, he's actually, well we don't know, he ran away with a girl from around here, we haven't heard anything in years and since we barely have time to live our own lives and win enough for a living, we've put him aside. My sister Hannah, 22 as well, she's Marks twin, she's supposed to marry, but the guy she chose is from a family of twelve and they have little to no money.

Then there's me, Y/n, 20 being auctioned away in the hopes that the weekly allowance my family will get for my participation would be enough for my sister's wedding and some other things for my youngest siblings. After me my parents had kids 2 more times, Kyle 14 and then the other set of twins, this time identical Tana and Lane, 10 years old.

My mom works as a nurse and my dad is a retired guard from our region. Money is low so we all have to work, but with 2 siblings out of the house and one waiting to marry, we lost working hands. I sell paintings on commission and I also work at the local bakery to try and make some extra money, but it's not enough to support me, mom and my younger siblings. Which is why I was forced by mom to join the selection, the family of the girl competing gets a weekly allowance for as long as she stays in the game, not to mention the chance of actually being queen.

As names are being drawn on tv I can feel everyone in the room tense as the 34th girl gets called out and it's not me, I had 34 chances and I lost them all, now I get one more, but I hope I'll lose again. I don't want to go, I don't want to meet the prince or be his wife, I'm not meant to be queen, I'm just not.

My breath gets caught in my chest as the host, Lucas, puts his hand back in the bowl of names. My ears are ringing as he read the name and I almost faint seeing my picture there. "You got it, hon, good job!" Mom says and all of my present siblings start to chant my name, happy for me. I can barely hear them though, so I get up with tears in my eyes, brushing everyone off, walking out, out of the room, out of the house.

My bare feet, touch the sharp gravel, but I can't give into the pain, all I know is I need to run, run for now, or at least until tomorrow when the people from the palace will be at my door to package me up and send me to their prince. Staring out into the midnight sky, I could see everything I had being ripped apart, I didn't have much, but I had enough. Dropping to the ground and letting the cold grass soak my thin cotton dress, I close my eyes, scared to death about the outcome of what I had just gotten myself into.

The next time I open my eyes, two guards from the royal guard stand in my door and my mom hands me a bag I didn't pack, pushing me out the door. I take one last look back at the people I'm leaving behind and I tell myself I have to at least make it a few weeks, so that my sister could use the money for her wedding, then I'd come back and move to a richer part of the country, where I wouldn't be able to ever see my family. Those are the rules, after you get into the game, when you live you have a higher status and income so they move you and you can no longer interact with your past the way you used to.

Watching my step getting out of the car that took me from the airport to here, I take in the palace, with it's high towers and beautiful architecture. People are outside, forming a pathway for us to walk as they chant different names of other girls who also got selected. I am so out my element here, the dress my mom picked for me was too tight and itchy, the high heel shoes hurt my feet and my hands were sweating too much. "Here it goes!" I say under my breath stepping forward and into the unknown building. The inside even more beautiful than I could describe, high ceilings with crystal chandeliers, gold accents and mahogany furniture, underneath my heels white marble floors.

"Ladies! Welcome, I am Silvia and I'll be you're etiquette advisor and teacher, I'll also be your voice here, anything you need, you ask me and I'll make it happen if it within my powers. You will now be less to yours rooms where you will meet your maids, they will help you with hair, make up and clothes and anything else you might need. Dinner will be served in your rooms tonight and breakfast is at 7 am tomorrow, after breakfast you will each get to talk with the prince and get to know him. I've left some pages on your beds with instructions about tomorrow as well as the schedule of our classes. Good evening going forward!" The tall blonde woman left our sight walking gracefully in her long gown. I wonder if I'll ever be like her? Back so straight, shoulders so strong, hair so put together, make up so natural yet so beautiful, voice so clear, everything about her spoke volumes on everything I was not. I don't know how they expect me to last a day here.

In my room, I stand and wonder how can a place for one person be the size of my home which currently houses 7, now that two of my siblings had moved out. "Lady Y/n!" Two petite women curtesy in front of me, they look like sisters, about the same age as me, but one of them looks a bit older. "Just Y/n" I lick my lips fiddling with my fingers. The older one nods, smiling. "A-and you are?" They seem confused by my question. "Your maids lady!" The other one explains in a sweet voice.

"Yes no, I know, I meant, your names, what are your names?" I ask again hoping I'm not making them uncomfortable. "I'm Jules and she's my older sister Jane, we're very happy and honored to meet you, lady Y/n" I nod, smiling as well, as they start pacing around the room fixing things up. My eyes watch them move, mesmerized by how synchronized they are. "Can you stand and turn around lady Y/n? We have the water running in the tub, so you can take a bath."

I stand and turn so that Jules could undo my dress, then sliding my arms through the silk robe. "Just Y/n please!" I ask again, all these official things making me uncomfortable. "Lady Y/n, if I may-" I open my mouth to correct Jane, but she puts her hand up stopping me. "You are now a lady, his majesty will refer to you as such and you have to keep to these titles, at least until you get to know him better." I nod at her kind advice and follow her into the bathroom, where she helps me step into the tub, taking my robe away and checking the water temperature one last time. "Well relax lady Y/n, when you're ready, call for us and we will get you ready for bed."

Before she leaves me to my own, I dare to ask her one more thing. "Jane, is he nice?" I ask, this being the first time I actually my curiosity about the prince, spiked ever since I was selected. Jane gives me a soft smile, fixing the creases on her apron. "That's for you to decide lady Y/n, but his majesty, prince Austin has always been well liked by the staff." She leaves before I get to asks anything more and I take that as her polite way of saying that's how much she's allowed to say.

The bed here is so much softer than the one at home, the one I uncomfortably share with my twin sisters. The sheets are so soft and silky, it feels like I could turn to fast and fly off the bed. Jules and Jane left shortly after, brushing my hair back and helping me into my silk night gown. Even in this big room, air feels compressed and I want to walk, so I find myself putting on my slippers , taking a moment to look at them, I've never had slippers before. I the dark of the room I make out the location of the door and I turn the knob slowly, trying to make no sound.

I feel a cool breeze brushing my bare legs and I follow it thinking this could be the way to find a door leading outside. Only thing stopping me are the two guards standing in front of it. "Miss are you lost?" One of them asks, making me blush, finally so aware of the fact that I left my room wearing only my thin silky night gown. "N-no, I was wondering how to get to the garden." I say hoping my voice didn't sound too shaky. "No can do miss, you need to get back to your room." The guard tells me, his eyes staring straight ahead. "Please, I, I just need a moment." I beg, taking a step closer and that's when they both move their eyes to look at me, their mean stares making me shiver. "Not allowed, back to your room miss!" The other guard speaks.

Suddenly another set of steps are heard and the guards stand straighter. I don't dare to make a move and look at who it might be. "Your majesty!" They say in unison and the blood freezes in my veins. I've never heard him speak before, his voice sounds so clear, a bit raspy, but still sweet, like warm honey. "Lay her be!"

"Your majesty, we can't-" the guard protests. "I said let her be, open the doors!" They do as he says and I don't wait to walk out, the cold air hitting my warm skin leaving goosebumps. "Stay 5 minutes, then back to your room, if you won't go willingly they have my permission to drag you there." I stop and without turning around I say. "Thank you, your majesty!" My voice sounding like it's under water.

I didn't stay too long after I heard him walk away, running back to my room almost immediately after. Sleep came to me easily after that, but I still felt restless now as Jane brushed my hair into a braid. They put me into a floor length light green dress, with beautiful lace details all around the corset. I looked like a princess this morning when I looked at myself in the mirror and I couldn't believe it and then for just a moment too long I had questioned why I pushed this competition away so vehemently. That last thought however got send back to the depth of my mind and I was now patiently waiting for my turn with the prince, tormented by the wonder of whether he would recognize me from last night or not. 

At last my turn comes and I get up from my seat, fixing my dress as I walk with my head down toward the table where he awaits for me. Sitting down, I still keep my eyes on the ground scared to look at him, feeling my heart thudding against my corset concealed chest. "Y/n? Right? Pleased to meat you, I do hope you're feeling better." His voice comes out first, breaking the silence and making me finally look at him. I had seen him on tv, but the screen did him no justice, the blue in his eyes is so electric, the gold in his hair, is so endearing, my fingers itched with the wish to have a feel at it, his pink lips look so soft and warm. Everything about him is inviting and the way he seats in his chair, leaned back with his legs crossed, his chin in his hand, makes him look so young and careless, which he is, being only 22 and a prince. 

"Yes, your majesty, I'm quite well, thank you!" I blush deeply, my hands clutching the material of my dress in a stupid attempt to calm my nerves. Austin's eyes move to my hands and back to my face, a concerned look painting on his god like face. "Are you all right? Lady Y/n?" He asks, changing his position in the chair, leaning towards me. "If you're not feeling well, I can have for the doctor to come and see you later Lady Y/n." He says in a whisper. The word doctor makes me immediately let go of my dress and smooth down the creases, breathing deeply. "I am fine your majesty, it's all nerves." 

Austin hums and I expect him to go back to his previous sitting position, but he doesn't, he actually leans a bit closer if that were possible. I can now smell his woodsy cologne and a warm fuzzy feeling takes over my body. "You don't need to be nervous, I'm just a boy, just as you are just a girl-".

"But you're not" I find myself rudely interrupting him. "You're going to be king some day and 35 women were randomly chosen to come here and allow you to peruse them. 35 is a strangely small number compared to all the women out there that could be potentially way better for you than any of us."

"Then why come here? Why put your name in the ballot in the first place?" He asks and I can't read if he's been offended by what I said or not. "Your majesty, I apologize!" I look away from him and I can't help but notice that the other girls are all watching us, just like I had watched the previous ones when they were up here. I can only imagine they are analyzing if he likes me better or not. 

"Don't apologize, keep talking, I feel you have a point." Austin urges me and I bite my tongue. "Lady Y/n, my situation is unique, but I have no choice, it does not matter if the love of my life is someone outside these walls, I am not allowed to meet them. So please keep talking!" I feel sad for him, it's clear he's thought the same thing as me, what if his one true love is not one of us, but he's obligated to choose one of us either way. 

"My favorite book, "Withering highlights" the protagonists were not allowed to love each other but they did and the impossibility of being together killed them, had they not ever met, they would've been able to love someone else and live. I think what I said is quite wrong your majesty, maybe neither of us will be the love of your life, but with time you might find someone among us, that you could learn to love and survive." 

Austin opens his mouth to say something, but he doesn't get the chance, since it's announced that our time is up and I must go in order for the next girl to come. I get up breathless and do a very bad curtesy. 

The rest of the day I can't help but feel like I'm sitting on egg shells, I knew I had let my stupid mouth speak before I gave to much thought, but something about him made me feel like I could speak my heart. Jane brushes my hair, as Jules arranges things around the room,  taking the pillows off the bed and putting in place the last things for me to go to bed. 

A knock on my door makes Jane jump as she brushes my hair and Jules goes to open the door. "Your majesty!" I hear Jules say and so I turn to see him, in all his glory, wearing the same dark brown suit from breakfast, only he's discarded the jacket and the tie, a few of the buttons from his shirt being undone and revealing some of his chest, the sleeves are rolled up and this look suits him much better than the previous. Realizing I was just sitting and staring, I quickly get up and curtesy. "Your majesty!" 

"How would you like a stroll out in the gardens, Lady Y/n?" Austin's voice is calm and my ears are ringing, so I barely make out what he's saying, but I nod. "Yes, um Jules, my robe please!" I say, remembering I'm just wearing my night gown, which was very inappropriate. "Lady Y/n!" Austin extends his hand and I walk the few steps over to him, putting my significantly smaller arm around his. 

He takes the lead and walks us out of my room and to the gardens. My thoughts are racing, I'm not stupid I know he could have every advantage right now to try and make an inappropriate move onto me, but he doesn't seem like that kind of guy, but how does that kind of guy look anyway. 

"You're awfully quiet." He says as we walk through the dimly lit gardens. "I was waiting on you your majesty." He stops and turns to look at me. "Why so?" Austin asks blinking. I simply shrug my shoulders. 

He sighs and licks his lips, walking further into the gardens without another word. The whole situation is rather spooky and I can't help the anxiety building up inside me. Soon we get to a table, decorated with candles and flowers, steaming cups of tea resting on it. "I thought we might enjoy some hot tea, it's a bit chilly out." He pulls my chair out for me and I sit down hesitant. 

"Tell me more about you, your favorite book is "Withering highlights", what else do you like?" It takes me a moment to realize that he is being serious I can't stop the giggle that comes out. Confusion is once again shown on his face, but this time is accompanied by something else, the corner of his mouth slightly pointing up, he's amused too. "You really want to know?" 

"Well I must find a wife somehow." The breath gets knocked out of me by his statement, for a split second I had forgotten why I was here, to play in the game of selection. 

"I like to bake and knit, I make clothes for my siblings all the time, but by far my favorite thing is painting, there's something so strange about being able to use my own hands to capture a moment I time li you would a picture." He looks at me as I talk and something in his demeanor tells me he's actually interested. 

"Picture, I, well I don't paint, but I do enjoy photography." He admits, his eyes glimmering with excitement. "Really? And what do you find best to photograph? Objects, humans or nature?" I ask, Austin blushing slightly. "All, I can't say I'm that good, I don't have enough time to dedicate to the hobby, but I enjoy it." 

"I don't believe that you must show me one day, any kind of art is good art. I don't have any of my paintings here, but perhaps if I got the supplies I could paint you something!" I propose, trading the experience of showing off our works of art. "Perhaps one day." Austin says absentmindedly, clearing his throat before getting up. "It's late, I should escort you back to your room!" He says hastily. 

I don't bring up how neither of us even touched the tea or what a short time had passed since we got here, the tea still steaming in the cups. Something about him has changed, he's much colder, stiffer if you may. No more words are exchanged between us, except the good night he rapidly wishes me, before walking away.

I'm left confused and with another feeling stuck in my heart, because for a moment there I actually let myself go and I got happy? Maybe, I don't know. 

Sleep came to me very difficult and when I woke up this morning I had a headache, I didn't want to see or talk to anyone. As Jules is complaining that I had tangled my hair so bad in my sleep another knock is heard and my heart stopped. Is this hope I'm feeling? Hope that is Austin? 

"Lady Y/n, a package for you!" Jane announces. 

I get up taking the note from her hand, looking at the huge box that bigger than her. I open the small envelope and the first thing I notice is the very clean and neat handwriting. 

 <Lady Y/n,

I hope you will forgive me for leaving so hastily as I did last night, but I figured that our encounter wasn't quiet up to etiquette and in fear of damaging you or me, I thought it better continue some other time. Please forgive me and accept this gift, I hope you'll have a painting to show me soon enough

A.B>

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“Your mother said she’ll make sure she’s here.” He tried to ease your worries. You nodded slowly and pressed your head against his shoulder. That almost confirmed that your mother was going to be here, and you didn’t know if you really wanted her to be. 

You turned your head back over to the window and waited for her car to pull up. Seconds soon turned to minutes, and those minutes made you suffer. Your stomach boiled with nerves and you felt as if you were going to throw up. All you wanted to do was go back to the hotel and hide under the covers. 

A very similar black car pulled into the parking lot. You knew it was your sister's by the stickers that littered her back window. Yet, right behind her another familiar car pulled one. What was your brother doing here? You nudged Austin with your elbow and pointed toward the vehicles. 

“That’s my sister… and my brother. Why is he here?” You turned to Austin for an answer, though all he gave you was a shrug of his shoulders. You gave him an annoyed face and just shook your head. “Go meet them by the door please?”

“Of course,” he nodded and kissed your cheek before getting up. Now you were just left with your worried thoughts. At least your mother wasn’t here. That was a positive. You just didn’t know why your brother was here. He wasn’t even thought about. Well, you thought about it at the beginning. Yet, there was no point for him. Unless he came to rub it in your face-

“Y/n,” your head turned quickly at the sound and saw Kenzie. You smiled as you got up from the table and hugged her. 

“What are you doing here?” You questioned as she returned your hug.

“I’m here to help,” she said with a smile. You pulled away and gave her a thankful smile. Everyone made their way over and sat down. Your sister was across from you and next to her sat your brother and Kenzie. Austin sat right next to you. 

“Let’s order the drinks and food first, then we’ll talk?” You suggested as you looked at Amelia who just held a cold stare. Yet, she nodded slightly giving you your answer. The waitress came around after a bit and you guys ordered the rest of the drinks and your meals. That was the easy part… now you just had to explain. 

“Amelia… I… I really am sorry. I didn’t think you would find out.”

“Of course you didn’t. You must think I’m so dumb.” She rolled her eyes in annoyance. You let out a sigh and felt Austin’s hand land on your thigh. 

“Look… it all started innocently. I just… I got to this really deep dark place in my life. I didn’t want to do anything. I just wanted to stay home and suffer.” You started to explain. Amelia’s expression softened lightly. “It started a bit after I moved away. At first, I thought I was homesick… but it just turned out I was just experiencing the realization. It sent me through this depression, which I’m still working through.”

“I didn’t know that… I didn’t know you even had depression.” Amelia spoke up with a soft voice. You gave her a sympathetic smile and shrugged it off.

“No one besides myself and my therapist knew. Then Austin found out… and now you guys know.” 

“I’m sorry…” Amelia said softly.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I caused this whole big mess. If I was just honest with you guys none of this would have happened.”

“Why didn’t you say anything when Amelia told you to bring him? That he was Nic’s best man.” Maxwell butted into the conversation. 

“Because of that. She asked me to bring him, and she made sure I would bring him by stating he was the best man. So, the plan was to just find someone. I couldn’t use any of my friends and well… Austin was an old friend. He didn’t have to agree with it, but he did and I am forever grateful for that.”

“And now you two are in love,” Kenzie said with a smile on her face. You nodded slowly and looked at Austin.

“Yeah,” you said softly. Austin looked at you and smiled. There was just something about his look that told you that he loved you. That he was in love with you too. You turned your head back at Amelia. “I wanted to tell you last night, but you just stormed off.”

“I’m sorry… I should’ve stayed and listened to you.” Amelia said with a frown.

“You don’t have to be sorry, I promise. I just… I didn’t want something like this to ruin your special day.”

“Eventually we would’ve told everyone the truth. We didn’t want to be that couple who had a fake four years of their relationship. Because then marriage would’ve been pushed. We’ve only been together… for almost a month at this point.” Austin spoke up. You nodded agreeing with him. 

Amelia and Maxwell shared a look between the both of them. You rolled your eyes as you knew what was about to happen. It was that shared look two siblings shared when their other sibling got into a relationship. 

“Well, Austin. Trust me when I say… if you do anything to break our sister's heart… let alone make her cry. We will be sure you won’t see the sun anymore.” Maxwell threatened. 

“Maxwell!” You gasped. 

“It’s fine,” Austin chuckled lightly, “I would never dream about hurting, Y/n. She’s everything I ever wanted and more.” The three girls were awed at Austin’s comment. You found yourself melting against his side. 

Soon the food came to the table and you all ate. It was Amelia’s last day before she got married. You were happy to be spending it with her and your siblings, along with Kenzie and Austin. It was like you felt all those adverse effects of depression fly away.

Of course, it wasn’t that easy. You never really get cured of depression. You just get better at handling it. You didn’t know how easy it felt when you were surrounded by people who loved you. Maybe it was time to move back home. Be the aunt who can babysit her brother’s baby. Be the sister Amelia needs. But… you didn’t want to leave Austin. 

That was something to worry about later on. You have to take it one day at a time. If not, you would start to worry. Especially if you decided to move back home… and Austin didn’t want to. 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The day came quicker than expected. It seemed like you had just landed with Austin, and now your sister was getting married. You just knew that this was going to be the longest day. You were already at her house with the other members of the bridal party. The boys were over at your parent’s house getting ready. 

It was about six in the morning and we were all up and running around. The wedding was scheduled for eleven. You ran the brush loosely through the tight curls. You hummed along to the music and smoothed out Amelia’s hair. She wanted glam, yet with a soft approach. She wanted to make sure all eyes were on her but also didn’t want to look like a slut. 

“There you go,” you smiled and looked at Amelia through the mirror. She looked up from her phone and smiled. She turned her head from side to side, making sure to look at every angle.

“It’s perfect, I love it.” She complimented your handy work. You nodded softly and walked away so that she could get her makeup together. You pushed out of her little makeup room and made your way down the hall.

Those same feelings you felt back at the bridal store you were feeling all over again. You couldn’t let your mother just control you like this. You couldn’t let her get to you anymore. You were going to get married. In all honesty, you wished it would be with Austin. Was it wrong to think that though? It was so early in your relationship. Maybe it was because you were getting older.

You reached the bathroom and closed the door behind you. You let out a sigh and looked at yourself in the mirror. You had five hours until you had to get the the venue. Five hours to in your thoughts. You were watching everyone run around getting ready. It stressed you out. You couldn’t even imagine what your sister was feeling.

You heard the tune of your ringtone and pulled out your phone. You looked at the caller ID and smiled. You answered and brought the phone up to your ear. “Hi, Austin.”

“Hey, sweetheart. I wanted to check on you.”

“I’m okay… I feel a little overwhelmed. My mom has been on me since I got here.” You let out a sigh and made your way over to the toilet. 

“I’m sorry I can’t be there,” he apologized. You frowned and sat down on the closed toilet.

“Austin, you are the best man. You have to be there for Nic.”

“I know I know,” he chuckled lightly. He knew you were right, but to also be honest… the guys were just hanging out. Some were even asleep. The truth was that they didn’t need five hours to get ready. “I just… I remember how I saw you in that dressing room. I don’t want to see you like that again.”

“Aus…” you blushed lightly and buried your face against your arm. “That’s so sweet.”

“I would suggest we sneak out and get coffee, but you might be more needed over there than I am here.” He joked lightly, but you also knew he was dead serious. If you were able to, you would sneak out to get that coffee. All you wanted to do was spend as much time around him as possible. 

“I still can’t believe this is a whole day thing. Sometimes I wish I was just invited and not pushed into everything else.” You admitted to him. You heard him hum in agreement and could only imagine him nodding. The way his curls would ever so slightly bounce. 

“You’re telling me,” he said as he let out a yawn, “most of the guys here fell back asleep.”

“You should get some sleep. I can hear it in your voice.”

“I can hear it in yours also,” he chuckled lightly.

“Hmm, I wish I could. Everyone is running around. Just finished Amelia’s hair. She’s doing her makeup next.”

“Are you in the bathroom right now?”

“Yes… How did you know?” You questioned your boyfriend’s ability. 

“Because I know ya. Look, I’m sure no one will be mad if you snuck off and took a nap.”

“Oh please, if my mom saw me like that she would kill me.” You admitted to him with a sigh. You could just see the sad look Austin held on his face. You knew he wasn’t the biggest fan of your mother.

“We don’t have to be at the venue till ten. You have plenty of time to take a nap, and then get dressed. Take a nap.” You let out a light whine and ran your hand on your face.

“Fine fine fine… I’ll try.” You told him. 

The two of you hung up shortly afterwards and you sat with your thoughts. You knew you told him you would take a nap, but you just didn’t want to risk it. So, you got up from your seated position and left the bathroom.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Hello everyone, if you don’t know me I’m Y/n. I am the maid of honor, but also her sister.” You started off your speech. “It’s been a crazy few months here putting together the whole wedding. You know, I grew up in a very rough household, at least for me. My mother was never one to love me too much. Hell, she still hates me. I found comfort in Amelia and our brother Maxwell. Amelia has such a kind-hearted soul, that when you accidentally hurt her, you’re the one crying. I made the mistake of telling her a lie. I wasn’t completely honest with her, and yet she still forgave me.”

You smiled softly at your sister and turned to look at Austin. He held such a proud smile on his face and you couldn’t help but blush. “A silly little lie that played a huge part. I’m very glad for what she did, and I think a part of her is glad she did. You got yourself a very lucky girl, Nic. Don’t mess this up, because this is the only chance you got.”

“Amelia will always be the girl you want in your life. She brightens up the room. She’s the smartest girl in the room. She’s the most caring and bubbly girl in the room. I always call her Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo, because she is the princess. Today she has become the queen. I love you, Amelia.” You smiled and put the microphone down. Cheers erupted in the room as you slowly made your way back to the table.

“Thank you, Y/n,” Amelia said once you sat down. You smiled and looked at her. You reached your hands over to her and took hers in yours.

“Thank you, Amelia.” You squeezed her hands and turned toward where the microphone stood. Austin was making his way up for his speech. Austin picked up the microphone and looked around.

“I’m gonna be honest here, I only met Nic a few months ago,” Austin started off, which caused the guests to let out a laugh. “Yet, that was just enough time to know the kind of person he was. He’s a great man and without him… I wouldn’t have found love. Nic is a special lad here, and I know he won’t mess this up. He loves Amelia with all his heart, and I know that. A man who is in love… he wouldn’t do anything to mess that up.”

Amelia looked at you and grabbed your hand. You smiled at her and rested your head against her shoulder. “Amelia is great as well. I mean these two are bound to be together for life. When you look at someone, you can tell when they are in love. These two are in love, and they will be for life.”

Austin finished his speech so long after and everything kind of calmed down. People were doing their own thing. Minging around, conversing, drinking… everyone was doing their own thing. You found your way outside. You loved your sister, but in all honesty, you couldn’t take it anymore in there. 

You heard the sound of a door clicking open and shortly closing behind you. You let out a hum and a smile already knowing who it was. You knew he would join you out here eventually. You kept your eyes straight and closed your eyes gently. 

“I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to head home,” Austin spoke from beside you. You nodded in agreement with his statement. You’ve been up since… five and you just wanted to go home and sleep. Yet, you had a feeling he meant home as in California. You knew you had to tell him how you felt, but it wasn’t the time now. 

“Yeah,” you said softly and opened your eyes so that you could look at him. 

“But you don’t want to,” Austin stated. You gave him a sad smile and looked away. He knew how to read you. He knew everything about you. Even the things you didn’t want him to know. 

“I want to move back home,” you admitted with a quiet voice. “Being here… it made me realize that I was lost without my family. I want to be with my sister… I want to be with my brother, and I want to be there for my niece or nephew when they are born.” 

“I want you to follow your heart, and I will help you move back home.” You shook your head at his words. You couldn’t help yourself with all the emotions you were feeling. 

“I don’t want to leave you. I can’t,” you shook your head and turned away from him. “I just go you back and I can’t lose that… and I can’t ask you to come with me because your life is in California… y-your family is there… I just… I-”

“Sweetheart,” he brought his thumb under your chin and turned your face. You looked up at him with teary eyes. “I lost you once years ago. I’m not losing you again. Ever.” 

Mutual Taglist: @darlinboypresley @emmymaehereeeeee @venus-haze @austinstyles

Just sucks that it had to happen now, at the premiere of your television series. A lot of people seem to forget that you too were into film and had a sparkling career on the screen long before Austin. But what do the cameras see?

You greeting Baz Luhrmann at your premiere with Austin smiling in the background, the headline—Y/N L/N—Riding Boyfriend’s Coattails Into Fame? The article is rather scathing, as if the writer had some sort of personal issue with you long before you decided to date Austin and be at this premiere. Wincing lightly, you skim through paragraphs and try not to let your body temperature rise in a slow boil.

None of this even matters anyways—

right?

Standing with it in your hand, you move to toss it into the kitchen trash—only if it were that easy. Kinda lives forever on the internet. Letting out a soft sound, you finally turn the paper upside down and begin to put it into the trash, quickly committing when Austin rounds the kitchen counter.

You startle a little, a soft laugh leaving his lips, “Sorry.”

“I didn’t hear you come in.”

“It’s almost Halloween, I’m workin’ on my scare tactics.”

A soft laugh rumbles in your chest, your hand gently pushing his shoulder, “Don’t even joke about that.”

Austin takes a step forward, wrapping his arm around your waist to keep you close. “Says the girl who loves haunted houses?” He dips his head down to brush his lips over yours.

You smirk but give him a soft kiss back, “Yeah, not in my house though—that’s the difference.”

This unironically feels like the calm before the storm because it’s only a matter of time before Austin finds out about that article. Not that you don’t want to tell him? But there’s no sense in winding him up about it, either. It’s not something that can be fixed and you’re not even too upset about it anyways (something twinges in your chest calling you a liar but you’re not about to consume yourself with it, either. Nothing will come from that).

“Breakfast for dinner?” You ask curiously.

Austin nods, “Only if we can eat it in bed.”

You smirk—should be easy enough of a promise.

Moving towards the bedroom, you want to grab an oversized cardigan and a hairclip for yourself before you’re knee-deep in making bacon, hashbrowns, and pancakes all at the same time. You purse your lips—or maybe waffles.

You hear the weight of Austin walking into the bedroom behind you, “Big question—pancakes or waffles,” Then, as you turn, “Better question—bacon or sausage—”

And sentence remains unfinished on your lips because your eyes zero in on Austin’s hand…holding onto the article you just tossed into the trash in the kitchen.

“Were you not gonna tell me about this?” He asks, setting the article down on the corner of the dresser. He’s not angry or demanding, there’s a soft inflection of concern to his voice and…you get where he’s coming from. You and Austin are open with one another, you share feelings and frustrations.

You’d want for him to tell you if something had been bothering you too so you could listen, offer advice, or help in any way that you could.

There’s also just a part of you that doesn’t want to talk about it.

You resist the urge to clam up, slowly allowing yourself to be pried open, “There’s just…there’s nothing to talk about.”

Austin sits down on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair. You can tell he’s not pleased with that answer—not frustrated with you exactly, but the fact that it’s not so easily fixable.

“I mean—” You pick up the article from where he’s left it, going to toss it in the trash again where you hope it stays. Feels like it keeps rising from the dead, “I’m not gonna cause this big fuss over someone’s wrong opinion.”

You cross your arms over your chest,

“They clearly got nothin’ better to do if they’re just makin’ shit up about me.”

Austin shakes his head, “But you’re upset.” And there’s something in the way he says it; it’s clear that he’s also upset for you. Like he doesn’t like leaving this situation not taken care of, especially because you’re hurt.

But also, it makes a wounded laugh slip right out of your throat, “Of course I’m upset.” You don’t really have any other words of explanation, just kinda shrug your one shoulder in saying and? What is that going to solve?

You’ve learned not to let yourself stew about things or it’ll drag you down like an anchor in the ocean.

Austin looks from the trashcan to your face, a soft sigh leaving his lips and stands just long enough to tug on your sweater. He sits back down, legs parting slightly so that you’ve found a position sitting on his leg, your own between his. He wraps his arms around you and at this angle, his face can slip into the crook of your neck. Austin places a long kiss to your shoulder, making you close your eyes. You can feel your body unwind from his touch, knots coming out of your upper back and down along your spine.

You completely relax into him, your head tipping forward so that your nose and lips brush through his hair. Pressing a kiss to the crown of his head, you run your fingers through the strands, moving to tip his chin up so you can kiss him.

“I’ll be okay,” You promise gently, tracing your thumb along his jawline. “Just a bad day,” You shrug, and a bad article. But you refuse to allow it to tear you down.

You do, however, accept Austin straightening his shoulders and drawing you down onto the bed until you’re both laying against the mattress, wrapped up in one another. You close your eyes, breathing in the scent of him as he occasionally kisses your forehead, feeling better already.

--

A week after the dust settles, your friend Rose brings up the article again—it’s mostly an offhanded comment while you’re having dinner together and on a second round of margaritas.

“You know that guy who wrote the article about you, Steve what’s-his-name?”

You sigh softly, dipping a chip in queso. How could you forget?

“I heard he’s gonna call and ask you for an interview—some sort of re-write?”

Blinking, your eyebrows draw together in confusion because what? That— “That doesn’t make any sense.” Because it’s not like you filed a complaint or tried to talk to the author yourself, you just sort of let it go, let it fade into the background and along with it your negative feelings.

“Well you know I got that friend who works at the same place,” She grins—because right, Todd. You’ve heard plenty of stories that went through the sexcapades of Rose and Todd. “And he told me that your boyfriend showed up asking to talk to Steve.”

A laugh startles out of you because no, that doesn’t…that doesn’t make any sense. Why would Austin—

“Are you sure?”

“Todd knows what Austin looks like,” Rose raises her eyebrows, giving a slow sip to her margarita. “Says he was perfectly polite and personable. Promised an exclusive interview for his next upcoming movie if he’d talk to you, write another article.”

And man, alright, maybe Rose does know what she’s talking about because that’s Austin to a T—especially if he wants something.

“Did he overhear the conversation?” You’re still wrapping your head around this. If he went and talked to Steve about the article that’s…that’s actually really thoughtful. You know some girlfriends might not be thrilled about him drudging up buried ghosts, or going behind your back to do it but…

You can’t think it’s anything other than protective, sweet. Just makes you that much more thankful for him.

Rose grins, “I can tell you what Todd overheard.”

You hum warmly, waving the waiter down for another round of chips.

--

Here’s the thing—Austin knows that you are more than capable of handling things on your own. This article that has randomly exploded in your face is unfortunately not the first or the last inconsiderate writer you’re going to have to put up with. He knows that a bit of time has passed and that there’s no lingering sense of resentment but…

Seeing you upset just doesn’t sit right with him either—which is how he’s ended up in Steve’s office talking to him for the better part of a half hour.

The guy wasn’t too thrilled when he showed up unannounced either. Austin has a feeling this isn’t the only time the boyfriend of a girl that has had a negative article written about her has showed up to resolve the issue. Steve was probably afraid he’d hit him.

Definitely crossed Austin’s mind when he first saw the article, not gonna lie there.

“All I’m saying,” Austin leans forward on the couch in Steve’s office, his elbows resting on his knees, “You don’t know Y/N at all if that article is who you think she is. You should talk to her, get somethin’ real to print.”

With that comes promises, things he also has to deliver—but that doesn’t bother him. Not as long as you’re happy.

--

Thank god you live in a time of Ubers because coming home from dinner, you’re a bit more drunk than you intended to be. That toasty warm glow that wraps around you like a blanket and makes it slightly difficult to toe your shoes off after the door closes. Humming, you set your bag down along with hanging up your jacket, making a b-line for the living room.

“Hey,” Austin smiles at you from the corner of the couch, a soft laugh leaving his lips when you end up putting yourself very comfortably on his lap. “Good dinner?”

“Great dinner,” You smile, pulling your legs up. You situate yourself sideways, legs along the cushions, back against the arm of the couch. “But you know what’s even better? You.”

Austin smirks, his one arm slipping around your back while the other settles on your legs, “You know I did hear something about that.” He teases.

And you know he probably has no idea what you’re talking about, you’re barely moving through all the nice things you thought to say the moment Rose told you about all of this. The margaritas are making your head feel fuzzy but it does little to dim how deeply you feel about Austin, how much you love him, how good he’s made you feel by having your back.

You can’t buy that kind of support.

“Thank you,” You whisper, cupping his cheek with one of your hands.

Austin’s mouth opens slightly, his blue eyes brightening with the realization that you know. He takes the hand off his face to press a kiss to your knuckles. “Nothin’ you wouldn’t have done for me.”

While you know that’s true, it still means something that you can’t quite explain with words—just a consistent thrumming behind your ribcage.

“You’re gonna get a boyfriend award for this.”

Austin cups both sides of your face and gosh, his hands feel so large right now against your heated cheeks. There’s a small thrill that shoots through your stomach at the sensation of the cold metal of his rings on your skin. You must say something about his touch outloud because Austin grins,

“And you’re really pretty,” He presses a kiss to the bridge of your nose, “And tipsy.”

You purse your lips, as if in thought. “Maybe.” A soft laugh bubbles up in your throat.

Austin presses another kiss to your temple, “Can I take you to bed?” He murmurs, lips still along skin. Smiling, you nod before wrapping your arms around his shoulders, pressing your face into the crook of his neck.

The two of you rarely go on public dates, something about how he doesn't want people to use you against him and doesn't want you to be hurt until you've decided you truly want to be a part of his life as it is now. Until you realize just what being with him in this period of his life truly entails. Part of your charm may be that innocence and pure light that emanates from you but it's also something he couldn't bare to ruin in any way that was less than pleasurable.

Still, he makes exceptions for important dates and what was more important than your anniversary. Those sort of things deserved a proper date with you curled against him inhaling his natural musk and cologne. He could move his head and smell your shampoo and just this once he could allow the both of you to enjoy a simple date. Nothing could have prepared him for the present you were going to give him tonight.

The thing about you that you've told Austin before is that you're a virgin. At the time he had laughed a little and made a joke about that's why you were so sweet and innocent only to earn a subtle slap to his arm and a warming of your skin that had him kissing any embarrassment you had away. It's not that you hadn't wanted to lose it, but when one grows up religious you either are promiscuous in spite of your parents' desires or you aren't. In college you had thought it was going to happen eventually, that you'd meet someone that maybe you'd fall in love with and they'd take your virginity or perhaps you'd lose it at a party or just some way that wasn't too heinous.

Life happens though and you were always too busy, even through law school you found yourself so busy and with nary a moment to yourself. You suppose it's funny how you met Austin so soon after finishing law school and finding a job. If you were the type to believe in fate you'd have said that you were destined to meet Austin then and only then. You're not, though and it's merely a coincidence— a happy one, mind— but a coincidence nonetheless. Whatever the case was, over the past year you've realized that you and Austin need each other— not in a sort of codependent way but one where you bring out the best in each other.

He's never pressed for you to have sex with him, sure the two of you have fooled around, with him between your legs his tongue on your clit and you between his legs, tongue tracing the veins of his cock and inhaling the unique musk from between his legs. But going all the way hasn't been something you've ever felt he needed you to do— were required to do to keep him in your bed. Perhaps that's why you found yourself finally read to actually go all the way with him. Perhaps that's why you felt the need for everything to be special. It's not that you needed to be. But after the amount of waiting Austin has gone through and after the patience he had shown you, it only seemed prudent to make sure both of you could take your time. It seemed like a good idea to allow him to show you the pleasure you had only been given hints of before.

It's for all those reasons that you found yourself opening your door in a new dress with a simple pair of matching white underwear underneath. Austin would enjoy the laugh, you think, his virginal girlfriend all dolled up in white panties. Probably make a joke about how he didn't think you could still wear them after all the times he had tasted your release on his tongue.

Austin's gaze has your heart fluttering inside your chest. The man who always looks so tough and tries to keep himself shuttered is looking at you as if you've hung the moon, the stars and everything in between. If you look hard enough there's even a hint of hunger for you but it's gone in a flash as he smiles. "You look nice."

A shrug is your only response as you step outside and pull him into a hug as you shut your door. "It's date night, why wouldn't I?" You smile back and bite at your lip. "Aus?"

His eyes for a moment stop flitting around the area, checking for anything that could cause you harm before he stares you down. "Hm?"

"After dinner, do you mind staying the night? I— I have a surprise I think you might enjoy." A surprise you hope he'll enjoy. A surprise you hope both of you can enjoy against your sheets or against the wall. A shudder passes through you at the image as Austin frowns, moving to take off his jacket.

"Here take—" his mouth opens to speak only to have you swatting his hands away. "Got it, you don't want the jacket. I— Of course I'll stay the night. Especially if you have a surprise for me. You know you didn't have—"

You cut him off with a short kiss, shaking your head. "It's our anniversary, I wanted to get you something. Besides, I think— You'll really like this surprise."

Without missing a beat, Austin wraps his arm around your shoulder and kisses the top of your head, pulling you close to his chest as you both start to walk to his bike. "Can I get a hint?"

What happens for most of the dinner is Austin trying and failing to guess just what surprise you had in store through mouthfuls of food and through causal brushes of his hand against your body. The brushes shouldn't have you on edge and yet they do, igniting embers low in your abdomen as you see Austin pout like he's just a normal man.

That— That more than anything confirms that you're making the right choice by giving this to him. He may be a biker and may be the sort of man you could have never seen yourself with before but at his heart he's still just the guy who treats you better than anyone else has before. If one earned another's virginity he would have earned yours in spades.

Normally when you ride back, Austin has you behind him, always wanting to feel your arms around his waist squeezing tight when he takes a tight turn or when he goes just that little too fast. Tonight though, tonight he chooses to behind you, his arms and body enveloping yours in a way that you've felt when he hugs you. This though? This is something else entirely, the vibration of the motorcycle earning a gasp or two from you as you press against Austin's front. You swear you feel him getting harder against you and you nearly groan from the knowledge. Instead you try and focus on Austin's body heat and what you plan on doing with him the second you get home.

The ride feels longer than it ever has before and yet when it ends you both leisurely slide off his motorcycle as if you're both not so keyed up that you're practically vibrating despite the lack of a motor between your legs. Speaking isn't something you want to do, not until you're inside and Austin doesn't appear to be much better. When the door finally shuts you watch as he leans against it, resisting the urge to touch you.

"So, what exactly is this surprise?" Your answer won't change anything from the look in Austin's eyes and yet you can't help the way you cast your eyes down, mildly embarrassed. It's best to rip the band-aid off, isn't it?

"I— I want to have sex with you. Like— full penetrative—"

Austin cuts you off with a kiss that you gasp into, the way he crossed the distance between the two of you startling you. His tongue caresses yours, soft and gentle almost as if he figures you might break if he goes any harder before he pulls away. "You want my cock in that—"

"In my— uh what do you call it? Gorgeous pussy?" The words leave your mouth casually as if you had told Austin the weather outside and the look on his face has you giggling lightly. His mouth is open just ever so slightly allowing you to see that pink tongue of his and practically see the way he's salivating for you. "That's what you call her, right?"

There's an innocence in the question that has Austin pulling you in for another kiss and pressing the full front of his body against you. It is what he calls her and yet you're asking him to make sure. You're asking him as if you haven't had your hands in his hair yanking and crying out when he mutters sweet nothings against it. A whine leaves your lips when you try to grind up against him only to have his hand on your hip stop you. "You're sure? Babe— If you're not— I can't stop myself if I start."

Your hand moves down between the two of you and Austin has nary a minute before he feels your hand cupping him through his jeans. A groan leaves his parted lips and you are powerful. Maybe it's just the rush from hearing Austin's groan but maybe that's what losing your virginity is supposed to be, realizing you have the power to bring someone to their knees just because they love one body part of yours so intensely it could burn them. His cock feels so heavy in your hand and your chest heaves not once, not twice but three times as you mouth at his jaw, his stubble tickling you just a tad.

"This is your surprise. I— I want to feel you inside of me. Feel how it is to take your cock inside more than just my mouth." If there's more words inside your head or in your mouth, they're completely eviscerated by Austin's simple action of picking you up with a grunt, shifting your body weight so that you can try to wrap your thighs around his waist. All you hear is Austin mumbling something against your neck that sounds like "all mine."

Austin's low and almost choked off moan when he starts to pull up your dress after he's gotten you on the bed. Your whites panties are exposed bit by bit until Austin sees them fully and freezes. You had had planned this down to the point of making yourself seem as virginal as possible. You made yourself seem like the purest of them all just for tonight. He hates to ruin the panties but he can't— he can't wait to drag them off your body and instead just slides them off to the side, marveling in the way you shiver at the motion.

"I gotcha," Austin pants as he starts to slide with painstaking slowness into you, watching your face for any minute changes to tell him he's hurting you. "You're— Can't believe you're letting me do this for you." To you, he means but he knows you'll understand the sentiment.

"Why— wouldn't I?" Your breath catches as he thrusts completely in, earning a moan as your body takes in the burn and stretch of his cock. "You're— You'd never hurt me."

Intentionally or unintentionally, if you're being honest with yourself. It's one of so many reasons you knew you could trust him with this. The reason you could trust him to show you the unique pleasure that comes from your first time being fucked by another person. He could coax you through any pain and discomfort you feel.

A low growl leaves his lips that he tries to muffle against your neck. Hearing these words come from you feels like praise and it spurs him to do even better, to make sure even if you leave him you'll never forget this night. His hand moves down to play ever so lightly with your clit even as his cock brushes against it with every thrust.

"I wouldn't. I'd never hurt someone who looks as gorgeous on my cock as you do," Austin murmurs, watching as your eyes roll back into your head for a moment. "I dreamed about this. Woke up with my hand on my cock, wishing it was you. You're taking me so well, babe. Natural. You're— fuck— you're a natural at this."

You don't try to speak, instead letting the way your pussy clenches at the praise tell Austin just what his words are doing to you. He smiles even has he grunts, delighting in the reaction. "You like hearing that? Like hearing how you feel like you're made for my cock? How I'm so fucking thankful you waited to give this to me? How I'm honored?"

His fingers brush against your puffy clit softly and yet it feels as if he's pressed a live wire down against it, your thighs clenching on either side of his legs. It's too much and yet too little all at once. You try to move away, try and tell him that this is too much and yet Austin's a little bit ahead of you. "Let go, I'll— I've got you, remember? You're giving me this on our anniversary. I'll— Let go. Let me see you come on my cock like I've only ever dreamed of."

Somehow those are the magic words for you, somehow like a command you find yourself leaning back, head thumping against the pillow behind you as Austin fucks you slowly through your orgasm, watching as pleasure he's seen before on your face take on a new form in this one instant. If he wasn't already almost irrevocably in love with you— he would be now. This would have had him on his knees worshipping you until you fell into his arms. Instead he watches you come with a silent cry with him following not too far behind as your pretty pussy clenches around him. He looks at you nearly fucked out and the mirror hanging on the wall and gets an idea.

His hand presses against the bulge he can see in your stomach and he marvels in how you practically keen at the sensation, your head flopping back against his chest. You've always been responsive but this is another thing entirely. It's another thing entirely to see your face in the mirror, pleasure covering every inch of your face.

"Babe, I want you to look at us. See what you look like with my cock inside you," Austin murmurs against your neck, lips pressing wet kisses all around it. He watches as you move your head back down and try to focus on the mirror, gasping as you see the outline of his cock pressing against your lower stomach. "You see it? See how full of me you are? See what I'm doing to you."

Words are supposed to be your strong suit but you can't help but stutter out your response. "I— That's— Aus— You're right there. I can—" Your words stop for a moment only to be replaced with a low whine as he presses down. "You're— God, Aus, just, I can feel you. Why does this feel good?"

Because it shouldn't, you think. It shouldn't feel good and yet somehow it heightens every sensation you feel and somehow helps to overcome the occasional tightness you feel from this being your first time.

"I told you. You— It's like it was made for my cock." His answer is almost breathless, as he watches and feels the bulge as he thrusts. "Want— You need to see how much you're mine, how I'm making— No one is going to fuck you like this."

You shake your head almost violently in agreement. "I don't— oh— want anyone to. Just you. I want—" A whine leaves your lips after one particularly sharp thrust. "Old lady. Wanna be her."

Somewhere in the back of your head, you realize you sound incoherent with those words, but from the way one of Austin's hands tightens on your hip you figure he understands exactly what you mean. A shaky exhale leaves his mouth before he tries to nuzzle at your ear, hand petting your stomach. "Say that again."

"I wanna be your old lady." Except it still sounds half slurred as your pussy tries to clench around him, the feeling of his hands setting fire to every inch of your skin it touches. "Yours."

Austin ought to say something, ought to tell you that's the words he's wanted to hear for ages from your lips but he doesn't. Instead he nips at your earlobe and forces you to look up at the vision of the two of you in the mirror. "All mine? Never gonna be anyone else's?"

"No." You utter, watching your tits bounce with each thrust of his cock. You watch the sweat drip down your skin and slide against his body. You don't want to be anyone else's and this confirmed it and settled it. You're Austin's until he's through with you or one of you dies. Maybe it makes you silly and stupid but in this moment you're so in love with Austin Butler that the idea of not being by his side isn't one you ever want to contemplate.

Austin's hand that's been settled where his cock could be seen moves up to your chest, grabbing ahold of your breasts and forcing your body to stay upright and looking straight on into the mirror. He can see how you're panting, how your lips are spit slick and how your hair is a wild untamed mane that he caused. He did this to you, you've allowed him to have you look so debauched that he doubts he'll ever forget this moment of seeing you laid bare for him in front of the mirror with a white dress and white panties on the bed behind you. His eyes drift to from your almost forgotten about dress to you and back again before he feels you clench around him, whimpering something about how it's too much.

"Shh, I— I'm almost there. You've been so good to me, babe. So good to me." He praises you, his thrusts getting a little sloppier until you feel the warmth of his release inside you. Both of your legs are a little wobbly but somehow he manages to get you both to the bed. A groan of discomfort leaves your mouth as he starts to pull out, the sensation feeling as if you're being left empty even as you know the brush of his cock against any part of your swollen pussy or clit or labia is too much right now. You reach out when he stands up, trying to get him to come back to bed only for him to return with a warm washcloth that he uses to gently clean you both up before flopping down next to you.

Without missing a beat you move to snuggle against his chest, his heartbeat a steady drum in your ears before he speaks. "I'm not letting you go."

You place a kiss to his chest, right where his heart is. "I don't want you to."

I put on the simple miss matched sweat pieces, I can literally see him in my head, fumbling around my closet trying to pick the perfect combination of a sweater and sweatpants, but ultimately failing badly. I brush my hair out and take a look in the body length mirror, laughing one more time at the dark pink pants with the light blue sweater. Before I go find him, I add some of my favorite lip balm in hopes of maybe getting rid of the dry lips.

"Austin?" I call out to him, immediately being met with the small kitten he got for me a few weeks ago after our first big fight. "Hi dandy" I pick up dandelion and stroke her soft white fur, she really looks like a dandelion. "Here, put on the rain coat." Austin tells me, handing it to me, a boyish smile on his lips. "What's happening?" I ask putting the cat down and dressing. "Shoes!" He's not telling me anything and the mystery makes my blood pump faster.

"Come on!" Austin puts his hand out and I take it. Now as I walk hand in hand with him to the elevator I take a look at him, he's wearing those ungodly grey sweatpants and his favorite long sleeve cotton shirt under his dark blue rain coat. "Phone!" I say as the elevator doors close and he pulls me back. "You won't need it." He says hugging me from behind, resting his head on my shoulder for the time it takes to get to the garage level. "I love you!" I say as we step out and he stops mid-step to look at me. "I love you too, my darling!" He leans down and touches his lips to mine, just a ghost of a kiss that leaves me wanting more.

"Come on!" Austin walks to my Jeep. "My car?" He giggles. "As much as I hate to admit, it's best for this weather." He clarifies, opening the passenger door for me. "So no Russian roulette tonight?" I ask quirking a brow at him referring to that time Timmy told Austin, riding shotgun with me was like Russian roulette, you never know how my driving could go. "I'd rather not tonight." He laughs at my joke, leaning over me to buckle my seat belt. His hand rests on my thigh, squeezing softly, as his blue eyes look into mine. "I trust you, but I don't want to ruin the surprise!" He says honestly, brushing some of my hair back with the hand that's not on my leg. "I know!" I say touching his face.

Austin then gets in the drivers seat, turning on the car and the heating at the same time. My eyes almost bulge out as I see the time 2:30 am. He rests his right hand on my thigh as he drives and the slow stroke of his hand, up and down my leg is all I can think about and suddenly when his hand goes so high it almost touches my core, the car feels to hot and I jump up, turning the heating down. Austin takes his hand off to switch gears and I curse the fact that I drive stick. The little whine that goes past my lips, is noticed by him and I see the corner of his mouth turn up right as his eyes watch me briefly. "Something wrong?" Oh he thinks he's so smug. "N-no." I say and wish that it sounded a bit more confident. "Ok" is all his says and I wait for his hand back on my leg, but it doesn't come and I try to not seem so bothered by looking out the window.

The rain started thickening, bigger and faster droplets of water fall from the sky and as much as I love him I kinda wish I was in my bed right now. Somehow I must of dozed off, because I try to wake up as I feel the car come to a stop. Looking at the clock it's 3:15 am so we drove for some time. I look out and I don't recognize anything. It looks like we are at the edge of a forest so we are clearly outside of the city. Did Austin finally go crazy and decided to kill me in the forest? I mean it's not unheard of. "I'm not going to kill you!" His voice startles me.

"How-?" I ask blushing. "I just know you and your weird little brain." Austin tells me, taking one of my hands in his. "Remember when we watched the notebook?" I nod, remembering the crying mess I was during the entire movie. "Well you said "kissing in the rain looks so hot" and I thought, when is it gonna rain next, cause I'm definitely kissing my girl in the rain." I'm shocked that he paid attention to my ranting during the movie and that he actually took me seriously. I shouldn't be tho, cause this is Austin and this is exactly who he is, the sweet loving boyfriend that listens and plans ahead.

"Come on. Take the rain coat off, we are going for the full effect." He says, starting to undress and I do the same, coming out of the car at the same time as him, impatient. "Let's dance." He extendes his hand out and I take it. I feel the rain soak through my clothes and turning my hair to a mushy mess. Austin let the headlights on so we could see, which makes the rain look like sparkling gems falling around us. I follow his lead, looking up at the sky, seeing the water shine in the light.

"I I loved you in secret

First sight yeah we love without reason

Ohh 29 years old, how was I to know"

He sings softly, spinning me in the falling rain. I move my body with his and hold tight onto him, placing my chin on his shoulder as he sings, his voice so soothing. His hands hold my waist tightly and carefully roam down my figure, sneaking under my sweater, cold fingers touching my flaming skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. I shudder in his hold and turn my head to catch his lips in a kiss. It's sloppy and wet and hot and cold and divine and everything, it's life. My hands move to his wet hair, fingernails scratching at his scalp, pulling moan after moan from his lips.

Suddenly he pulls away, looking at me with his eyes on fire, pupils blown with lust. "Baby, I-" he licks his lips, pausing. "I can't-" he starts again but he stops. His hands squeeze me harder and I push my body against his, feeling through the wet clothes the bulge in his pants. "I want you! I love you!" I say, wiping away drops of water from his rosy cheeks. "Ok. Are you sure?" He asks again and I answer by kissing him and pushing my hips against his. "Ok, car now!" He growls and we rush to get in the back seat. Thank god we took the Jeep, we wouldn't have had the space in his Audi.

Austin gets in first, reaching between the seats and turning off the headlights. "We wouldn't want anyone to see, would we?" He winks at me and I giggle blushing. Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I straddle him. Austin waists no time taking off my wet sweatshirt, his following close behind. My naked nipples sit hard against his warm chest and his hands find purchase around my breasts. He looks down at the way they fit so perfectly in his hands. "I love you, so much!" He whispers, giving my breasts a good squeeze, making me unconsciously press my clothed core onto him and grind on him, throwing my head back to moan. "Austin!" I sigh as his mouth takes a hardened peak in, swirling his hot tongue over my tender flesh.

He takes his time kissing up my torso and my neck, then my lips. I sigh against his plush lips and feel him lift his hips up, taking off his sweatpants and underwear at once. I feel his erection against my tummy and suddenly the burn between my legs gets so bad I can't take it anymore. I jump off of him, working my sweats off as he takes himself in his right hand, stroking himself. His Addam's apple bops up and down, his pleasure filled eyes watch me undress. "I don't have a condom so I have to pull out, ok?" Austin tells me as I climb back onto him.

I just got my first  birth control shot a week ago and I haven't told him yet, but I'll just keep it a secret for just the right time. "Sure" I say breathless, drunk on pleasure. My wet pussy makes context with his throbbing cock and I'm lost completely. One of his hands stays on my hip as the other goes between us and between my legs. Austin groans feeling how wet I am and his fingers venture further, circling my hole. "I'll just open you up a bit, ok?" He tells me and I nod, moaning as two fingers enter me at once, scissoring inside me and stroking the place that makes me go livid. I move against his fingers, fucking myself on his hand as he watches through hooded eyes the way his fingers get lost inside me.

"Such a good girl, fucking your self on my fingers, just how you like it. Hmmm so wet for me, so tight, so warm." He praises me, and I feel the bubble of my orgasm building up. Austin knows me so well, that he feels the change in me and stills me using the hand resting on my hip. I whine and show displeasure as he pulls his fingers out before I can cum. "I know honey, I know." Austin soothes me. "Please!" I sound pathetic, but I don't care.

Austin let's out a breathy laugh that ends in a moan, when his swollen head touches my warm wet pussy. Using one hand he placed himself at my entrance, holding my hip to stop me from sinking down onto him. "Slow, ok? I don't want to hurt you." He tells me, helping me down on him, slowly, inch my inch. When my bum touches his thighs and I'm all the way down, it feels like he's in my stomach. It feels so full. "Oh god, so tight all the time, fuuuck!" He swears throwing his head back.

Both of his hands go to my hips and he starts moving me up and down, it's devine, each time I come down his head nudges just the right spot making me shake. "Faster!" I say breathless needing more. "Fuck" Austin let's out, before his hips start moving up to meet mine. I brace myself on his shoulders and catch his lips in a kiss, grunting and moaning in his mouth. One of his hands let's go of my hips and goes to my clit, circling it teasingly.

I feel the knot in my belly about to burst. "Cum inside me!" I breathe, biting his ear as I start contracting around him, my orgasm building up fast. "N-no condom honey.." Austin reminds me and I intentionally squeeze around him, causing his thrusts to lose pace for a moment. "I'm on birth control, started this week, I get the shot." His blue eyes look at me begging, searching to see if I'm joking or if I'm serious. I nod and shut my eyes tightly as I feel myself so close to coming. "Cum for me Austin, come inside me." His hand goes from my hip to the seat in front of us and his movements get faster and sloppier as he teases my clit. "Fuuck!" We both sigh as we cum at the same time. My vision darkens at the edges and I feel euphoric, like I never have before.

"Y/n? Baby? Are you ok?" Austin sounds concerned, but I'm so comfortable here in his arms, with my eyes closed. His fingertips touch my spine traveling up to stroke the back of my neck and then massage my wet scalp. The feeling of my cold wet hair against my hot skin wakes me up. I lift my head from his chest, and look at him, with hooded eyes. "You're so beautiful like this!" He tells me cupping my face, kissing the tip of my nose. "Thank you, you're beautiful  too!" I say sleepy, yawning half way through. Austin laughs, shaking us both and I feel him soften inside me. "Can we stay like this forever?" I ask, hoping he'd say 'yes'.

He chuckles, gathering my wet hair in a ponytail at the back my head. "I wish, but we'd probably get pneumonia if we don't get dressed soon." I whine and cuddle further into him, enjoying his warmth. "I know baby, I love being this close to you too, but I think we should get home now." I nod defeated and he helps me up and off of him. The loss of him, leaves me empty and I look down to see our juices combined. Following my eyes, Austin curses looking at the mess we made, so he leans forward to grab the tissue box that I keep in my car, first taking his time to clean me as he peppers kisses over my chest and abdomen while I giggle from the ticklish feeling, drops of water falling from his damp hair. I tangle my hand in the mess of blonde locks and shake, making more water fall on my skin. "We won't get home soon if you keep like this." He warns, a taint of amusement in his voice.

"I wouldn't mind." I tease and Austin simply shakes his head, cleaning himself next. I start dressing so I keep my eyes away from the sweet temptation that is his body. And let me tell you, putting on wet, cold clothes is horrible, simply horrible.

After we make sure we are both decent and ok, we get out of the car, the rain has stopped by now. We get back in the front seats. I look out the window as we drive through the loud city, my fingers interlocking with his. I give his hand a squeeze 3 times and he responds by doing the same, our way of saying "I love you!"

"Thank you Austin!" I say to him, later when we are in the shower. His face softens and his eyes get watery. "Anything for you, my girl, my soul, my Y/n!" Austin confesses, hugging me tight and I close my eyes feeling at home. "My home!"

A/n: I know lately my blog has been lacking but this summer I really took the time to relax and work on myself, seeing as next year of college will be way harder than the last, this theme might last and post might come very inconsistently. So I want to thank you all for sticking around and reading, I love you!

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It’s a sweet legacy, the fact that’s what she’s known for, loving him. But she feels that too, that idiocy of still loving him like he never left, he’s just taking awhile to come to bed.

“You don’t need to be sorry,” she disagrees softly, “just means love him. And he’d like that, he liked being loved.”

Austin’s sigh of relief is sweet and precious, still a little bashful but the blood rushes into his cheeks from something besides mortified embarrassment.

Her old house was full, her mother had invited some of the relatives over, little cousins were running around the Christmas tree while Mason had taken to teaching them how to make wreaths out of popsicle sticks. Jade had taken to baking the kourabiedes and vasilopita while her mother prepared a delicious feast of lamb and potatoes.

The house was chaotic, loud with raucous laughter of older uncles telling stories and aunties gathering around the piano to sing old carols. The kitchen was blistering hot, but given the three feet of snow that awaited outside, Jade didn't mind. She had missed her family so much.

Christmas in South Carolina looked a little different for Austin. He and his dad had packed a couple bags to go visit his sister and her husband, who by now had carved out a comfortable environment for themselves on the East Coast. Regardless to say the family was elated to have Austin back after so long, and while it still took a little while for Austin to adjust to being back with his family, the intimate Christmas celebrations were just what he'd needed.

Austin sat amongst his family in the living room, the fireplace crackling away comfortable while they watched Miracle on 34th Street. It was snowing on Christmas Night, not harshly but it was enough for the neighbourhood kids to rejoice in. He was startled when his phone buzzed under his leg, curious to see Jade had sent him a photo. She was sitting by a window, frost crackling across the glass as the snow was obviously sitting very high, about four or five feet off the ground. She was pulling a face, somewhat exasperated somewhat amused, completely adorable.

Snowed in?

He'd texted her

Not yet, getting close. How's the snow over there?

She replied a minute later.

Smiling coyly, Austin reached over to take a picture of the snow outside the window. There was just over a foot and a half. He sent it to her, sniggering to himself as she responded with a middle finger emoji.

His father snuck a glance at him from his seat, curious but didn't press on about what was so important on that phone. But he knew, he'd seen that smile on Austin's face before, and without uttering a word, he sat back in his chair without another word, giddy.

Two weeks into the new year, Jade had the video shoot for Masochist. She wasn't sure what sort of deal Elsie had struck with whatever organization, but she managed to book out a beautiful cathedral in just shy of Little Tokyo. The strobes were being propped up, the stage was being set and the cameras and sound calibrated. Her and her bandmates were being worked on my their make up artists, chatting amongst each other about their holidays plans, light gossip, and whatever adventures they would get up to in the coming year.

Jade meanwhile was sat in her chair, dressed in tight leather pants, a white tank top and a sleek leather harness that was strapped snugly around her shoulders and waist. Dark shadows were dusted around and below her eyes and her hair was perfectly messy, she appeared as though she was ready to lead the revolution. She was reading the email Cam had forwarded to her; an invite to The Batman's premier at the beginning of March; Masochist was to be released just before the premiere date.

It would be her first public appearance in years -- her first formal one, anyway, and walking a carpet had always been a tense subject for her. Call it stage fright, call it crippling anxiety, but standing out on a pedestal, seeing flashes as opposed to faces and her own name ricochet violently in her ears was hell. No matter how often she'd beg and bargain with her management, it was slated in fine print to whatever contracts she had signed -- she had to go out there. She knew Cam felt bad for pushing them on her, but he too was binded to his job.

At least when she had to do these walks, she had Victor with her. With his hand on her hip, blue steeling for the camera; he was a nobody, and he loved the carpet moments. Thirty minutes felt like an eternity, but at least Jade had comfort that the spotlight wasn't entirely on her.

This time would be different, however.

Jade swiped the email away, a wild thought entered her brain as she opened her contacts. Maybe if she asked Austin to go? No, no, that wasn't their deal. Oh, but if she could only... wishful thinking albeit.

"Miss Theodore?" a PA approached her suddenly, a clipboard in his hand and a pager on his belt. Were pagers still a thing? "We're all ready for you,"

"Thank you," she smiled at him.

As she started walking towards the set, she had a sudden realization, her phone feeling as though it would burn in her pocket. Maybe Chris would go with her? He was a mogul in the industry, he probably wouldn't mind at all?

Austin couldn't help but wipe his clammy hand on his pants pocket, third time in, what -- fifteen minutes? The drive over to her place was frustratingly long, car horns blaring, grid lock backing up at an all time high. They were only half way through January, why were there so many people out and about?

Whilst he'd been sitting in traffic, the pet shelter on the boulevard had caught his attention. It was an independent shelter from the SPCA, colourful posters with adorable cartoon animals were plastered across the windows. Right in his line of sight was a bunny, grey, floppy ears, and a big smile. He wondered if Jade had known about this shelter, perhaps this was where she could find herself a lovely little rabbit?

He strolled up the stairs to her door, taking a deep breath in and out. Why was he so nervous? They were only going out to see a movie, the kind of platonic stuff friends always did together. But then he hadn't seen her since before Christmas, sure he'd talked to her plenty, but just being around her was like being around a flickering ball of energy, always renewing him in the most curious ways.

He rang the doorbell, ten seconds, twenty seconds, he straightened his posture as he heard shuffling suddenly. The door suddenly whipped open, revealing Jade -- dressed, but clearly flustered.

"Hey," she gasped.

"Hi," he smiled.

She glanced momentarily at her watch, "Fuck, I thought you were coming at seven, I'm sorry," she stepped aside to let him in.

"It's all good," he assured her. She was dressed in a white ribbed dress, figure hugging and falling just past her knees with white converse; one eye had eyeliner drawn on, "They always show twenty minutes worth of previews, anyway,"

"I know, still," she huffed, starting back for her room, "Make yourself comfortable, I'll be ten minutes,"

Austin couldn't help it as the corner of his lips curled, he called her back, "You look beautiful,"

Even in the dim lighting of her living room, he could pick off how Jade's face flushed, her bashful smile adorable, "Thanks. You look... decent," she teased back. Of course she was kidding, he always looked amazing to her.

Her baby grand sat in the corner, papers still littered across the top. Austin couldn't help but have his interest peaked as he skimmed the words on the open page. He felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Just put your hands around my throat Ain't been to heaven but I'm close Your love is a murder"

She was writing about him again, whether he'd ask or she'd admit it, he was feeling confident about that. At the top of the page she had messily scribbled Little Death. He was curious, to say the least, but he wouldn't broach the topic.

This was their first attempt at a non-sexual date. Ever since the two of them had started sleeping together, there was no way of keeping them dressed and appropriately distanced for more than half an hour. The whole point of "friends with benefits" was also playing up the "friends" bit. Though given the way they were dressed, anyone would pick off that they were on a date.

The first time they'd tried, he took her to a drive-in movie. Of course they were confined to the privacy of his car. One of his hands had slipped under her skirt. Oopsie. 

The second time they had tried for a cute walk along the beach. Which is a little uncomfortable for December in LA. At two am. Of course Jade had stuck to Austin's side and of course she had stared at the city lights as he hugged her from behind. For bodyheat reasons, of course. Of course they ended up at his place, getting a hot bath – and an unspecified number of orgasms. 

The third time she had invited him at her place for a hot chocolate and a film. They decided to watch The Dreamers. How could they not be affected by the sexual tension between Theo, Isabelle, and Matthew? It would have been an insult to their brains and their sex appeal if it didn’t turn into fucking. 

Maybe the fourth time it will work, Austin told himself. 

But tonight Jade had made a pact with him. No fucking. No foreplay, no dirty talking, no double entendres, no play on words and slips of tongue. So how was he supposed to keep his composure after reading that, knowing what she was doing in her music. One the one hand he was a little self conscious, on the other he couldn't help but be excited.

Not even ten minutes later Jade had emerged from her room one ankle locked behind the other. She saw he was looking at her music, though she didn't disturb him at first. He didn't back away, didn't appear uncomfortable or turned off. He only turned when he felt her gaze on him. She had on an oversized beige blazer thrown over her dress, her hair was tied back, her face fresh and flushed. She looked incredible.

"I'm ready,"

From the moment they left the house, it was the hardest fucking thing. No pun intended.

The King's Man was playing, there wasn't a lot of double entendres for them to play with. The theatre was crowded with people so they had to be on their best behaviour. She couldn't help but watch the way he sucked the butter off of his finger when he ate his popcorn. The sound he'd made was more or less the same sound he made when he ate her out.

In retaliation, she had found herself involuntarily teasing him with the way she was eating her chocolate bar, taking a bite too big and swiping some smudged chocolate off of her lip with her thumb. Again, she hadn't meant to.

His hand was on her knee. 

The heel of her shoe slid up his calf. 

They had opted to share a milkshake. 

Of course he saw the vanilla milk stain her lips. 

Of course he fixed his pants discretely. 

Jade could hardly pay attention to the movie and when it was over she realized she had barely picked up what had happened, so lost in her own head. And now they were both standing in front of the elevator.

"Did you like the movie?" he asked her.

"It was great," she replied.

He caught hold of her hand, “See, we’re doing good,” he said with a smile, “We’re doing excellent. Behaving. Platonic. Absolutely nice. Appropriate.”

Jade laughed, she was unsure whether he was trying to convince her or himself.

With a ding the elevator opened. Austin hesitated for a second: he wanted to lead her in with a hand around her waist, but he knew how easy it was for his hand to go waist-hip-ass in a nanosecond, without him even noticing. 

Both in, the doors closed. 

Shit. Austin wasn’t doing good, he realized. Did he really agree to this? Could he really send her home now? No going back at his, watching her take off those dusty sneakers and her figure hugging dress and emerge from it in green lace and silk from that lovely boutique she had confessed to frequenting for her pieces.

She smiled at him politely once he looked at her. They were both waiting for the other one to call the whole plan off so they could just get rid of the tension. 

But he kept staring at her. 

The doors opened. They moved to the parking lot. Climbed into the car. They stared at each other some more. Conversation felt somehow futile. He took the long way to get her home tonight, she didn't protest. He held her hand until they reached her house.

Jade felt her heart freeze as she realized they wouldn’t share the same bed tonight.    

“We’re here," she said. Already. 

“Yup,” he said, trying to be cheerful. 

“So, I’ll see you soon?”

“I’ll text you as soon as I get back home," he assured her. 

“Okay. Then... goodnight," she murmured, stretching to kiss his cheek. 

He half hugged her, “Goodnight.”

She got out of the car, quickly heading inside her house. As soon as she was safe inside, she saw his car leave. 

Undressing and getting ready for bed was torture. She was nervous, upset, lonely and too angry to be horny. 

As Jade got under the covers, she received his text, I’m home. Sleep tight ;)

She replied to him with a thumb-up and a heart, putting down her phone and trying to sleep. More than anything she found herself staring at the ceiling, the melody for Bossa Nova 22 was echoing in her ears.

It took Jade half an hour of nerves and frustration to decide to pick up her phone again, Can’t sleep. Would you come over?

The moment she hit send she felt ridiculous. He was probably already asleep, or it was late enough he probably couldn't be bothered to drag himself out of bed. The not two minutes later her screen lit up, so did her face.

Coming

Twenty minutes later Austin was at her door. Thank God it was late enough he could drive to her place easily.

The moment he laid eyes on her, tired and sad, he simply hugged her close and waddled to her bedroom, helping her to lay down. He took off his sweatpants with sharp tugs, his jumper also coming off quickly to reveal a simple t-shirt. 

He slipped under the comforter beside her. His body felt hot from the heat in his car but it still conserved the cold bite of the winter night. 

"I'm sorry," she chuckled sheepishly.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I made you drive all the way back here for my needy ass," she grumbled.

Austin simpered, stroking away the loose hairs over her forehead, "Nobody made me do anything, Jade. I’m here now. I’ve got you,”

Jade relaxed at his side.

She fell asleep without a minute’s wait. He fell asleep at her side, hugging her front to his chest and combing her hair. His large hand slipped under her shirt, not seeking anything naughty, only providing a cozy warmth as he rubbed up and down her back. It had been a while since Jade had fallen asleep like this; the biggest emotion coursing through her was safety. The second was... did she dare call it love?

Jade was his friend, they had been adamant that that was all their relationship should be. It was safer -- for himself or her he wasn't quite sure. However, he always felt so good when he was with, sex be damned, even just having lunch or watching TV together, he was happy. And he missed her when they were apart, he felt so corny but he couldn't help it. He knew he had to do something, whether he was confident enough to do something was another matter.

This was ridiculous; here he was, a thirty-year-old adult, and he was scared about his feeling for a woman. But then this wasn't just any woman, this was Jade. He'd known her since she was sixteen, he had lost her once and he was determined he wouldn't lose her again. He understood her fears, and if she wasn't ready he wouldn't push for a step up from their relationship. The last thing he wanted was to spook her.

With his heart pounding, he picked up his phone and dialled Jade's number. He'd never know if he'd never try, if she wanted to go out tonight then perhaps he could broach the topic?

"Hey, Austin," her voice rang through the phone, warm and familiar.

"Hey," he replied, hoping he sounded casual, "How's it going?"

She sighed, "I mean -- it's going," she chuckled.

"You sound flustered," he noted, smiling nonetheless.

"I'm -- I'm good," she assured, there was some scuffling in the background, "What's up?"

Austin paused momentarily, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," he could picture her frantic nod, her optimism clouded by whispers of whatever was bothering her, "It's just been long day. Are you okay?"

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm good," he replied, a little too quickly than he would've liked, "I... I was wondering if you wanna' hang out later tonight? Maybe we'll grab some dinner or something?"

There was a pause on the other end, and Austin held his breath, hoping for a positive response.

"Oh, Austin, I would love to --" Jade said, her voice tinged with regret, "-- but I have plans tonight,"

Disappointment flooded through him, but he masked it as best he could, "Ah. No problem at all. Just thought I'd ask," he sunk down onto his couch.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," Jade continued, her tone apologetic, "... I'm meeting a friend for dinner,"

Austin's heart sank, but he forced a smile, "No worries, Jade. Have a great time. Maybe we'll hang out this week?"

Jade's voice softened, "I would like that very much, thanks Austin," he heard her soft inhale, "What've you been up to?"

They chatted for a bit more, the conversation veering towards lighter topics. He told her about his latest audition for a sci-fi project, she updated him on the progress with her music. Austin did his best to be engaged and upbeat, even though his heart still stung with disappointment.

As they said their goodbyes, Austin couldn't help but let his true feelings slip through just a little. "Well, I hope you have a good time tonight. You enjoy yourself,"

"Thank you, Austin," she said warmly, "I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Definitely," he replied, the bittersweetness of the moment evident in his voice.

Hanging up, Austin leaned back against his couch and sighed. It wasn't the outcome he had hoped for, but he couldn't fault Jade for having her own plans and life. He would wait for the right time to tell her how he felt, and in the meantime, he would continue making like nothing was different. She was his friend, nothing more and nothing less.

Jade had a date tonight.

She felt weird telling Austin about it.

Nevertheless, Chris had asked her out last week. They had been talking casually, nothing past discussing their work and their favourite places for phō. Well, one thing had led to another and Jade was suddenly put on the spot.

She had to let her feelings for Austin go. He was her friend, and the fear that she might put their relationship into even more unstable territory frightened her. She didn't want to lose him as her friend, considering everything else she had lost the past two years, this one struck a little closer to the heart. So she had said yes to Chris, figuring it would be good for her to branch out, meet new people, have new experiences.

But that phone call, she wished she could've said yes. In the back of her mind she had to wonder if maybe -- just maybe -- he had been asking her on a date. But that -- no. They had made an agreement. And despite their fun, Jade knew they couldn't keep it this way forever. It also wasn't healthy for her to pine for someone who more than likely didn't see her that way. He had already caught her writing about him -- as if that wasn't embarrassing enough.

Jade adjusted her dress nervously as she waited at the bar for Chris. They had decided to go on a casual date, and her heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and uncertainty.

Everything felt a little more normal than it had been before, people were gathered in crowds, masks were dropped, no fear of covid creeping through the cracks. The soft hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses surrounded her as she sipped her drink, trying to calm her nerves. It had been a while since Jade been on a date, and she hoped she wouldn't come across as too awkward. As if on cue, she looked up to see Chris walking in, a warm smile on his face.

"Hey," he said, his eyes lighting up as he approached her, "You look great."

Jade's cheeks flushed, and she smiled back as she stood up, giving him a hug, "Thanks. You're not so bad, yourself,"

They settled onto barstools, the easy camaraderie they shared evident from the start. Despite her attempts to appear calm, her heart raced as they began to chat. She fidgeted with the edge of her napkin, hoping Chris couldn't see how nervous she was.

The conversation flowed effortlessly, from sharing anecdotes about their latest creative projects to discussing their favorite songs and performances. Chris had a way of making her feel at ease, and she gradually found herself relaxing into the moment.

As the evening progressed, Jade found herself laughing more than she had in a long time. Chris had a way of making even the simplest anecdotes sound fascinating, and his passion for storytelling was contagious. She realized how much they had in common, and her initial nervousness gave way to a comfortable sense of connection.

"You know," Chris said, leaning in slightly, "I've been listening to your music more,"

"Oh no," she muttered as she sipped her drink, an old fashioned, "Should I be nervous?"

"Not at all," he shook his head, "Your songs are beautiful. You have this knack for writing poetry that's just so... how do I say this without coming off cringe?" he wondered aloud.

Jade laughed, "It's okay,"

Chris sipped his own drink, bourbon and soda, nodding in thought, "You border on romanticism paired with a can't-give-a-fuck attitude and independence that's just so quietly genius. It's rare to find that kind of writing in mainstream music,"

Jade felt her heart skip a beat at his words, his praise made her cheeks flush again, "Thank you, Chris. It's an honour to win you over,"

As the night continued, they shared stories from their past, recounting embarrassing moments and childhood memories. Jade's nervousness began to fade, replaced by a genuine sense of enjoyment. Chris's warmth and genuine interest in her made her feel valued and understood.

However, as the conversation shifted, Chris started asking Jade probing questions about her career and personal life. She felt a knot of discomfort forming in her stomach as he inquired about her past relationships and the challenges she faced as a musician. The sexism, the disregard for health, even asking if he found concert congregation to mirror that of a cultic practice.

Jade tried to answer gracefully, but each question seemed to delve deeper into her private life, the topics she wasn't ready to broach on a first date. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, wondering why the tone of the evening had suddenly changed. She had hoped for a lighthearted and enjoyable date, not an interrogation.

She excused herself to the bathroom, her drink finished as the surrounding energy was dwindling down. The bar would be closing soon. She washed her face, fixed her make up, checked out her reflection. She was proud of herself for doing so well, putting herself out there and keeping up the conversation. Though she doubted she would do this again. Chris was nice as a friend, and nothing more. She couldn't picture moving forward with him; second date, late night talking, impulsive decisions and... certainly not intimacy.

She was stuck on Austin, how fucking juvenile.

Jade exited the bathroom and started back for their table. Chris hadn't noticed her coming, he had a lined notebook open and he was scribbling notes down. She smiled endearingly, admired his craft. However, as she glanced over his shoulder she was dismayed to find her name at the top of the page, beneath it notes about her personality and her job, everything that they'd spoken about.

A pit of nerves began to swell in her gut. Jade swallowed hard before she spoke, "What's this?"

Chris nearly did a double take when he heard her, moving to snap his notebook close, "Oh, it's just my --" but another name had caught Jade's eye.

It was another singer, she hadn't worked with her but she was well known in the industry; and Jade snapped the notebook away to have a read. More notes on this particular singer: her personality, her emotional status, how her mental health struggles affected her career and so on. It was all very personal, and Jade was disgusted.

"What the hell is all this?" she flipped through the pages, more notes on female singers, some more well known than others.

Chris made a move for the book, "Jade -- I can explain,"

She stared at him dumbfounded, "Explain? Sure! Explain your little black book with very degrading information on half of the female artists in LA, please,"

A rush of mixed emotions spread through Jade as she met Chris's gaze. She was torn between the enjoyable moments they had shared earlier and the discomfort of his intrusive questions -- their purpose now revealed.

Chris hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Alright, alright. There was another reason I asked you out --"

"Clearly," she snapped shortly.

"... The show The Weeknd is working on is based on a troubled pop star in Hollywood -- she has a nervous breakdown and it planning her comeback and she gets involved with a music mogul who some -- unusual rituals. And -- well, I was using you as a reference for the main character,"

Jade's heart sank. She felt a mix of surprise and anger; I would've rather you be a serial killer, "Okay -- lemme' see if I got this right: you asked me out, so you could study me, pick me apart, and blend me up with a bunch of other artists to create your super nova mentally unstable pop star for a TV show -- all without my permission, first. Is that about right? "

Chris nodded, a mix of guilt and excitement in his eyes, "Well... yes. But I also really like you as a person, Jade! And I thought it would add depth to the story. You have this intriguing blend of talent and complexities that would make for a compelling character arc,"

Jade's discomfort intensified, "Character arc my ass! You can't just -- does Abel know what you're doing?"

He shrugged back, "Levinson told me it would be good for the script,"

"Levinson?"

"Sam Levinson! You know -- Euphoria's Sam Levinson?"

She wasn't sure whether she wanted to be sick or slap him across the face, the disrespect and lack of trust flooding through her like an oncoming flu, "Aaaannnd you just gave me another reason not to watch this show. Wow," she turned on her heel and started for the door.

Chris slapped some money down on the table before he ran after her, guilt riddling up his spine, "Jade, wait! Wait, wait!" he caught up to her, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you -- "

"Upset me?" Jade scoffed back, "You lied to me! What about the names in your little black book? Do they know what you're gonna' do?"

"That's not the point --"

"Oh please!"

"Of course I'm gonna' credit them! And I'd credit you!" he replied, "You're an American icon! People think of angsty pop stars -- no disrespect, but they tend to think of you!"

Jade took a step forward, her frustration boiling over, "Alright, Spike Lee. Lemme' put it to you this way: if you or anybody on your team uses those details in your book; if your troubled young pop star resembles me in any way -- even down the nail polish on her fingers -- I'm gonna' call my very powerful, very expensive lawyer and she's gonna' sue you and Sam Levinson for defamation and copyright infringement," her voice dropped to a menacing tone.

"Copyright?" Chris asked, perplexed.

"Yes, copyright. My name is my brand, after all. You don't have my permission nor my blessing to use my brand; and if you don't want me to let Abel in on what you've been doing, you're going to burn that book without a second thought,"

Chris looked genuinely remorseful, he swallowed nervously, "Jade -- I hate to tell you this but... Abel is in on it. It's his and Sam's project,"

As if Jade couldn't have been any more disgusted, the betrayal of -- who she thought was -- her friend stung, stung worse than any scandal she'd been wrapped up in. The next emotion to hit her was fear; knowing she had confided some deeper conflicts to Abel when they were in the studio together. It was how they had created their music. And knowing that he knew all this stuff about her, and he was potentially going to model his show after her and so many other artists like her scared her so much.

She shook her head, looking off into space, "Motherfucker,"

"I'm so sorry, Jade," Chris said, "Really, I am so sorry. And you're right, I should've asked beforehand --"

But Jade didn't want to hear it, she started for the street corner, her boots clicking swiftly across the pavement. Chris called her back, but she just turned and flipped him off. Not the most mature response but she was to angry, too shattered to even negate reason.

She felt so dirty, as though someone had read her diary and projected it onto a billboard. Whether or not she had put the fear of God into Chris didn't matter, he still had all that stuff about her, he could use it however he wanted. There must've been something about her; something that lead people to want to take advantage of her. It was times like this where she truly, utterly, unabashedly hated being famous.

Jade opened her ride share app, unsure what to do, where to go. If she went home she would write, but she was too angry to get anything done. There was only one place she felt she could go, if not to vent then get some of her energy out in a -- not necessarily healthy way, but...

Austin was surprised when he got Jade's call, practically begging if she could come over. It wasn't as though he was doing anything productive, and he never minded her company.

Fifteen minutes later his doorbell rang, and Austin barely had the door open when she ran into him, her lips falling over his, heated, passionate.

"Hi," she spoke briefly.

"Hi," he was taken aback, though he'd never shy away from her affection. Though this was different; her desperation, her lack of explanation and warmth was unmistakable. Nevertheless the way she held him was verging on needy, how she backed him against the wall primal, and he almost, almost gave in to his baser desires.

However, as he looked into her eyes he could tell something was wrong. She was sad, she needn't speak or act, he could pick off her moods so clearly.

"Hey, hey, wait a minute," Austin took hold of her, stopping her as she tried to pull at his shirt. He studied her, the glazed eyes, the smile that was threatening to pull down, the lack of emotion and sparkle in her demeanour, "What's wrong?"

Jade scoffed, "Nothing," she went in to kiss him again but he stopped her.

"Jade --" he glared down at her, "Don't be like that; what happened?"

She hated him. She hated how he could break her facade so quickly, and how she let him become her safe space. It was wrong but she couldn't help it, her shoulders fell, her small smile vanished, her true colours began to show.

"I'm sorry," she started to back away, "This was a -- I'll just go --"

"Hey, stop," he took hold of her hand and pulled her back to him. He waited for her to explain, even utter some context for why she was upset. But her lips quivered, tears welled up in her eyes, and no matter how she tried, no sound came from her throat.

Austin didn't say a word, he simply held her tight, no questions, no prying. He let her calm down, her deep exhales warm on his skin, his shirt bunched up between her fingers, clinging to him for any whisper of comfort she could find.

He let her use the shower while he made her something to eat; he'd left his robe for her on the door hook. Jade felt so stupid; how immature could she be? Running to one date to get rid of her anxiety only to run back to the root of them all, it was be funny if it was't also tragic.

Nevertheless she calmed herself down, trading her tight dress for his bathrobe. Obviously it was big on her but she couldn't give a shit; she basked in his lingering scent, hugged the warm fabric around herself. Her hair wet and her face free of make up, feeling like a refugee as she stood in Austin's bathroom. The confidence reflected in the bar's bathroom was gone now as she looked into the mirror. She couldn't shake this gross feeling, nor the anger.

Austin had made peanut butter and banana sandwiches -- with the smooth peanut butter, of course. Jade couldn't help but smile when she saw the sandwiches laid on plates, cut into boats, meanwhile he had Community playing on the television. And his smile could light up any room, she figured just as much when he saw her coming.

He couldn't help but snicker at her appearance, as if she could get any cuter, "That's a good look on you,"

Jade smiled back, posing with her hands on her hips, her left leg propped on her toes, knee bent, her chin turned up, "Thanks, it's the latest spring bed wear collection,"

They settled on the couch with their sandwiches, the TV volume low. It took a little while, but eventually Jade had opened up to Austin about her date. His book, the show, how she was so disgusted in her friend. And Austin listened carefully. He was horrified for her, it sounded so outlandish at first it could've been an episode of Black Mirror. Then he became upset at this Chris guy, having the audacity to try and use her like that.

"That's sick," he shook his head, "Are you gonna' do anything about Abel?"

She scoffed bitterly, "I'm deciding between screaming at him on a phone call or burying his body somewhere in the desert,"

He simpered lightly, "Maybe see where option one gets you, first,"

Jade shook her head, staring down at her half-eaten sandwich. She was hungry but couldn't find it in her to eat much, "I haven't been on a date in a long time, I shouldn't be surprised that was how it turned out," she muttered, defeat laced in her voice.

Austin's brows furrowed, "What're you talking about? If you ask me, that wasn't even a date. He had no right to do that to you,"

"I know that, but it felt kinda nice to think that..." she trailed off, could feel his gaze falling over her, " -- Never mind," that somebody wanted her.

Austin scooted closer to her, "Jade, you had a bad date. It happens, but it's not the end of the world. And..." he hesitated briefly, pondering his words carefully, his heart catching in his throat, "and there's somebody out there for you. They'll be kind to you, patient, cognizant --"

Jade began to smile "-- And cook for me," she held up her sandwich plate.

Austin chuckled quietly, "And cook better than -- that,"

She gaped at him, "Oh, c'mon. Find me a better meal than a banana-peanut-butter sandwich. Bet ya can't," she smirked.

"What if I added Nutella to it?" he asked.

She pondered momentarily, "... Do you have Nutella?"

" -- I do not,"

She tsked at him, teasing devilishness curling across her smile, "I thought I was fucked up. You don't have Nutella in your pantry -- you're gonna' get canceled for sure,"

Austin rolled his eyes, taking the plate from her lap and onto the table, "I invite you into my home after you try to jump me -- and then you wanna' cancel me? I oughta' teach you --" his fingers gripped her waist through the soft fabric, kneading hard and quick, making her jolt and curl up with a squeal in a fit of giggles.

His smug smirk looked truly sadistic as he tortured her, her mirthful laughter music to his ears as he held her to his chest, "Maybe I'll tie you up and make you really scream for me. Would you like that, little rockstar?" his words were raspy whispers in her ear, nerves of excitement pooling in her gut.

"Austin, stop!" she whined, trying to push him away, "I'm sorry!"

He laughed himself as he ceased his torture, kissing her cheek. Jade puffed her loose hair from her face, glaring at him, "You suck,"

He couldn't help himself, "But I don't spit,"

Her face went bright red, her hand covered her mouth and the other one smacked his knee. She made more innuendos than he did, but whenever he did Jade couldn't help the sheer amusement, the giddiness she felt whenever he did.

"I hate you,"

She flinched as he took her by the waist, "It's okay, I'll be nice," he assured her.

Jade pouted briefly, her mood lifted nevertheless as she hugged his arm, "You're already nice to me. Too nice to me, sometimes," she muttered.

"And I will continue to do so until you kick me out," he replied with a coy smirk.

She furrowed a brow, "... Austin, this is your house," she pointed out.

He scoffed back, "You know what I mean, smart ass," much to Jade's chagrin, he began to stand up. She hadn't time to process herself before her hand flew to his arm, stopping him.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

Austin sat down again, his gaze soft on her, "I have to put the plates away. You can go vape, if you want," he said.

It had been a while since she'd had a smoke, though her craving wasn't very strong right now. Her fingers never left his wrist, stroking gently at the skin below his palm. Her gaze followed up his arm to his shoulder, exposed from his muscle tee, and she pressed a kiss to his skin. A silent 'thank you'.

If Austin's heart could've leapt out of his chest, it would've. He melted as she rested her chin on his shoulder, looking up at him with her big green eyes, her soft lips falling in a natural pout.

"I'll help you," she was so sweet, her voice just over a whisper. He couldn't help but lean down and give Jade a kiss. He wanted to savour her everything, shield her from the world, keep her just for himself. He didn't care how selfish that sounded; he wanted her so badly, for so much more than just her body.

He kissed her again; that was the moment he knew.

He had fallen for this girl, he had fallen hard.

"Do you want to stay, tonight?" he asked.

She loved sleeping next to him.

As much as Jade love sleeping over, she found herself enjoying waking up at there that much more. Instead of the blare of her alarm clock or the incessant barking of the neighbour's dog, she woke up to the quiet sounds of a suburban neighbourhood and the soft snores leaving Austin's lips. Instead of the blistering sun pouring through her window, she felt the gentle breeze of a ceiling fan keeping her cool. Instead of feeling every ounce of the department store blue and white duvet she'd bough, she barely felt the weight of the cream coloured quilt that covered Austin's plush bed. Instead of feeling alone in the sea of pillows decorating her bed, she felt surrounded by cozy and warmth, with Austin's arms wrapped around her waist.

Jade had always been a morning person, even against her will. Weekends and days off, sleeping in was near impossible. Her body naturally forced her awake. She'd always used that time to catch up on news and messages she might’ve missed, scroll through social media with dull disinterest, force herself up to work out, or lay alone with her thoughts eating her up from the inside out.

Rarely enough though, Austin woke up before she did.

Mornings like this, the ones where he woke with a warmth blossoming in his chest and a smile on his lips, were a quiet favourite.

He was elated to find her still asleep beside him, face pressed into the pillow and her chest rising and falling. When he looked over, took in the sight of her buried beneath the covers with her eyes shut and her fingers curled around the edge of her pillow, he couldn’t help but smile. She looked so calm, so soft and gentle, without the weight of the world on her shoulders and he couldn’t help himself as he reached out to gently brush his fingers down her spine.

She stirred quietly, a noise of dissatisfaction leaving her lips at being woken up, he whispered an apology before he spoke, “How’re you feeling this morning?”

“Tired,” she grumble into the pillow, the events of last night rushed her like an eighteen-wheeler, her voice muffled by the fabric, “ticked off, but I'm okay,” she pried her eyes open, blinking sleep out to focus on him. He looked so soft in the mornings, "Thanks for letting me stay,"

Austin hummed his acknowledgement, nudging the sheet down just enough to catch sight of his robe wrapped around her, not tied anymore, “Think nothing of it, you're always welcome,” he whispered, shifting a little closer to brush his fingers over her cheek, “You want some coffee?”

She shook her head, pouting, “Don’t leave,” she whispered, shifting onto her side and placed Austin's arm over her waist, “Can we just stay for a little bit?”

Austin knew the type of mood she was in, knew how needy and clingy she could be. He shuffled closer, held her fast to him, “No problem,” he assured her, "Did you sleep well?"

“Mhm,” she hummed against his skin, her face buried in the crook of his neck, “You're really warm. But not uncomfortably, you're perfect. I like it,”

She could feel the vibrations of his laughter and it made her own lips quirk into a smile.

"Good," he shivered as her breath fanned over his neck, could feel her smile against his collarbone. He adjusted so he was level with her, kissed her sweetly. She came alive beneath him, her already warm skin electrified as she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

His kiss soon moved from her lips to her neck, and then back to her chest. His lust for her was always insatiable, always on the hunt for his next fix of her like she did of him.

Jade didn't say a word, satisfaction bubbling in her gut as she felt him against her hip. Her slim fingers slipped across the exposed skin, her nails skittered down his chest, smiling like the devil when she felt his stomach flex as her fingers neared his hipbone.

“You okay?” she hummed, trying to bite back her smugness as she pulled away and watched his face, her fingers slipped a little lower. She brushed his thigh, fingers a barely-there pressure against his skin, before she ghosted a finger over the head of his hardening cock.

"Yeah," Austin groaned, voice gravelly in his throat, he pulled his hand from her hip and guided it between her thighs. His fingers slipped between his robe and swiped through her folds, gathering the slick that had accumulated on his fingers, and he swallowed harshly as his thumb found her clit, "I'm just great. You wanna' play a little, rockstar?" he breathed into her ear, his thumb a barely-there pressure on her clit.

Jade nodded, shifting into him, quietly asking for more friction. Her hand slipped into his briefs, found his cock, stroked him slowly, steady, shuddering as he exhaled into her ear, lips pecking across her jaw.

Austin knew just how much she wanted him, he could feel it as his fingers brush through her and could see her expression overcome with bliss. He wanted to be inside her already, wanted to bury himself to the hilt and let her have what she wanted, but he didn't want to rush.

She had her own ideas, though. His eyes snapped open when he felt her push him over onto his back, her thin panties dampening as she sat in his lap. The robe fell open around her shoulders, she was disheveled and soft and so fucking sexy. His eyebrows quirked upward as her fingers tucked themselves beneath the waistband of his briefs, using her other hand to circle her palm over the slightly raised head between his thighs.

"What are you doing, naughty girl?" his voice came out in a heady whisper.

Her lip was caught between her teeth, eyes locked with his as she brought his cock out of his tight underwear, his stare faltering slightly when she swiped the pad of her thumb over his leaking slit.

"Showing gratitude,"

Bringing her thumb down to trace along the vein running down his cock, Jade smirked knowingly, she became excited as his breath hitched, chest rising and falling faster and faster the more she teased him. Whimpering, Austin watched her hand squeeze around his base, sliding up and down, her hold snug. His jaw fell open as she rubbed the velvet skin of his balls with her fingertips.

"Oh -- fuck, Jade,"

Austin huffed out a breath, head lolling to the side as he scrunched his eyes closed. Her hand worked quicker on him, urging him closer and closer to his release. She watched him open his mouth slightly, eyebrows furrowing as he let out a puff of air while trying to conceal his noises.

“Feel good?” she asked, tilting her head as she stayed in his lap. He licked his lips, eyes hooded as they slowly open before fluttering back closed as she pressed her thumb harder against his tip, “Come on, answer me,”

He groaned, biting his lower lip so hard it started to become sore. He could feel the throb quiver through his skin, he let out a soft whimper that was pure music to her ears. He knew she'd heard him judging by the smirk on her face as she worked her hand faster. He slightly bucked his hips up, gasping when she flicked her wrist and added a heavy pressure to his tip, turning him into putty in her hand.

“I asked you a question,” she leaned over, whispering in his ear as she spoke.

He gasps, “yes, fuck yes. feels so .. so good,” his voice became deeper, trailing away into nothing but deep moans. He looked so fucking pretty like that, too. His hair was becoming messy, sticking to his forehead as sweat covered him all over. He was glistening, beautiful under the soft morning glow peaking through the blinds.

She tilted her head, looking at his lips as he licked them, “You like my hand on your cock, right Austin?” he stuttered, swore he’d never felt so damn good before. He wasn’t used to her being so dominate but he was losing his mind, unable to stop the bucking of his hips as he basically fucked into her hand.

She cocked an eyebrow, “Wanna fuck my hand, hm? Come on, baby,” she kissed his neck, trailing more down to his collarbone, utilizing all restraint she had not to leave a mark, “Fuck my hand, fuck me like you’re fucking my pussy,”

He gasped, one hand tugged desperately at the sheets below him, the other gripped at her hip as she worked him, "Fuck! i’m so fucking close, Jade,” his voice became a thin whisper, nevertheless sending a spark to her abdomen and she clenched her thighs together. Austin was too focused on the intense pleasure to even notice.

She tightened her grip on his cock, “Come on, you can come, Austin. You can fuck me after you do,”

A long drawn out moan and the F-word left his lips as he released all over himself, his hips stuttering and slowing down. She gripped him tightly, watching as his cum flowed over her hand, too. She smiled to herself, seeing his head thrown back and his eyes clenched tightly. She leaned in for a kiss, he happily obliged her, one of his hands reached for the back of her neck and held her to him. His breathing settled, her giggles jingled in his ear, she loved seeing him like this.

"Are you okay?" she asked as he came down, reaching for the tissues on the nightstand.

His large hand wound up her shoulder, over her neck and to her nape, squeezing gently. It didn't matter whether he was lethargically fucked out, Austin wanted so much more to return the favour. Her soaking panties against his thigh only drove him further.

He nodded, "Get down," and she obliged him, rolling onto her back, her chest soaring. Everything about him was intoxicating as their lips crashed; she could smell his after shave, fresh detergent, it was all so refreshing and bright. The grasp on her waist became stronger, more needy, and she ran her hands along his slim figure in response. Curiously, he had curves of his own; though they were subtle, balanced artfully with soft muscle. It surprised Jade how naturally Austin responded to the slightest movements.

Though time seemed to have stopped altogether, she was growing steadily more aware of the wetness spreading between her legs. She tried to squeeze her thighs a little, her hips shifted as her clit tingled in anticipation… and of course the movement wasn’t missed. Austin's breath caught in his throat. He pecked her cheek, her neck, moving down to ravage her collarbone and chest. Holding her close, his second hard on was unmistakable as it pressed into her hip. His heartbeat skipped as her body responds lewdly to his growing erection.

“A-ah… Austin…” she pleaded as he found her nipples, giving both an equally soft, stimulating tongue lashing. His left hand ran under the hem of the robe, she could feel his fingers trail over her hip, slipping under the thin elastic of her panties.

Austin's mouth was at her ear, her skin prickled deliciously.

“You make me so crazy,” he whined, though she heard the amusement in his voice. She pressed her forehead to his, his hot breath tickling her nose as he exhaled.

Finally, achingly slowly, his fingers slipped under the lace and Jade felt him tug them down her thighs. It didn't take long for him to find her swollen nub, taking to it delicately, rolling it between two fingers. The difference in his touch made her squirm at the pressure, and though he was being gentle, the sensation was unusually strong. She peeked under heavy lids, exhilaration rushing through her at his carnal expression, he watched how he undid her. His dark eyes met her, unapologetic, a moan slipped out from her lips. She felt a slight pinch as he released her clit, his fingers sliding down…

Austin knew what touches could invoke her writhing, her little mewls and whimpers as he played with her pussy. He loved watching her come apart, like opening a delicate package lest he ruin the surprise. She met his gaze, almost challenging in her stare, pushed her hips into his fingers. He explored her, stroking and caressing her slit, soaking his fingers in her honey.

“So wet already… you’re incredible…”  he breathed. He paused at her entrance, pressing his fingertips over her for a brief second before slipping them into her with ease. They curled deep into her body, his long digits hooking her and pressing the spot that always seem to electrify whenever he touched her. Jade gasped, her eyes snapping shut as he mind zeroed in on the tingles, the repeated strokes of pleasure as his fingers bent and curled. Austin murmured something but the words didn’t register in the heat of the moment. She sighed as he stretched her walls, her lips were caught between her teeth.

His hand ran along her thigh and he lifted it up, gently pushing it back as he held her in place. Her fingernails dug into his back, her pussy angled perfectly against his waiting fingers. Again and again he thrusted them into her, quickly, hitting that same sweet spot. Goosebumps erupted across her skin as the pressure built, her moans becoming louder, bordering on desperation. But he never relented,  driving his fingers into her, skillfully, mercilessly. She couldn't locate the words to tell him how incredible it felt to be fucked like this, how she would beg him to never stop.

"Austin -- fuck! Please!" she noticed his mouth always parted, except for when she made a sound. Then he'd caught his lip between his teeth, determined to ruin her no matter what. It was too much. Her body felt hot white, all thought obliterated, words nonexistent as she stayed suspended in that limbo of extreme bliss. Austin's fingers curled inside her, pressing hard into her g-spot as her pussy contracted hard around him. The pleasure never subsided, her thighs suddenly felt cold and wet.

The realization hit her, then.

“Oh my God,” she gaped, mortified, realizing that Austin had witnessed the full brunt of what he could do to her. She was always curious to know what it was like, never having been able to squirt before, or else she could have warned him. He was a little taken aback at first, mouth agape, and Jade worried for a split second that he was disgusted. But his lips turned up into a huge toothy smile as she collapsed back against the bedspread, her body felt like it was on fire.

“Wow… that was incredible,” he said, a little pride in his voice. Jade was at a loss; on the one hand she had finally experienced a squirt, on the other... she was a little self conscious. She covered her face with her hands, though Austin took them away, kissing her knuckles, then leaning down to kiss the bridge of her nose, her eyelids and forehead and her body sunk in relief.

“I didn’t expect…I didn’t know…” she stuttered, feeling rather undone,“I've never done that before...”

"Never? That was your first time?" He seemed a little taken aback at her confession, surprised as he would've thought of all people, Jade of course would have experienced this. But she shook her head. He was the first.

His dimples reappeared, she noticed him swallow hard as his eyes traveled down her legs to the panties around her ankles. A curious grin played across his lips, and he continued to trace his fingers along her hipbone.

She reached between them, feeling his hard cock through his knock into her wrist as she traced around his V. The noise he let out was something between a moan and a choke, and she knew that he needed more. Purposefully, she slipped her fingers over his head, just rubbing softly, never letting on enough pressure even for a lick of relief.

“I won’t last long,” he warned.

“I know,” she replied. She had been the same, needing that fast relief -- and she knew Austin needed it too, “Anyway you want me,”

She tasted his gratitude on his lips, the kiss sloppy and heavy, but so erotic as he licked into her mouth. She loved to tease him, skimming her fingertips delicately, closer to where he needed her.

“Wait..” he muttered, drawing himself up, “... Turn around,” 

She obliged him happily, flattening her front to the warm bedspread. He peeled the robe off of her, finally having her open for him, glorious. Her entire backside was exposed, so was the sweat film, and she felt so vulnerably naked, nevertheless tingling with anticipation. He couldn't contain his excitement, running his hand up her leg and cupped his hand over her slick. She could feel her nipples growing hard against the sheets, enjoying the heat of his palm and the chill of the air on her back. She flinched when he leaned over her, covering her effectively to plant a kiss between her shoulder blades. She pushed her backside against him, and he guided himself into her with ease. 

Jade was still sensitive from her own orgasm and she moaned loudly as he filled her. Almost leisurely, Austin slid into her as he enjoyed the feeling of her cunt around him. Her insides quivered, and after a few long, slow movements, he grabbed firmly at her hips and started pounding into her. The snap of his hips against her ass were sharp and severe. Austin pulled out nearly the whole way before slamming back into her again, making Jade gasp from the sharp intensity. She could hear his breath grow shorter, almost whining, and he slammed into her hard. There was a pause, and a loud moan, and she knew he had reached his own high. He remained inside her for a few moments as he savoured her. Utterly satisfied, he swept her hair to the side to watch her, enamoured with her bliss.

He kept up his pace as long as he needed to, sending her toppling over the edge, her eyes rolling back in her head as he helped her ride out her high, soothing kisses dotted along your shoulder and up her neck.

“You feel so good, sweet girl,” 

Wearily, she murmured in agreement, feeling thoroughly fucked. As he pulled out of her slowly, he pressed his fingers against her entrance to stop his cum from leaking out. “I don’t wanna make a mess,” he whispered softly, reaching to grab the tissues off of the nightstand. Always with great care,  he cleaned her up, allowing her time to come down out of her headspace.

Austin wrapped the used tissues into fresh, balled them off to the side and let her turn over. He laughed as Jade clung to him, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder, twitching softly when his thigh bumped her pussy. He pressed a kiss to her temple.

They had stayed in bed for another hour. The time struck ten forty-five when Austin decided they had to get up and at least be a little productive. Jade conceded, still keeping his robe wrapped around her as he made them a pot of coffee in the kitchen. She kept staring at her phone, there were miscellaneous texts from Elsie, some from Florence, a plethora of texts and calls from Chris, and one message from Abel asking her to call him. Jade supposed he'd heard about the "date", and quite frankly she didn't want to deal with it right now, but then again she knew that pinch of anxiety in her gut would never go away until she did.

Austin stayed in the kitchen while she excused herself to another room. He could hear bits and parts of her conversation, her voice would raise when she was upset, trying to make her point without yelling. He was worried about her, he wanted her to yell and cuss and lose her mind on Abel; but then again he understood why she couldn't, lest she may give him more ammunition for his show.

He opted to make some fried eggs and toast, internally scolding himself for not having much in his fridge aside from the bare necessities. Jade had returned by the time he'd plated up breakfast, her expression gave way to how pissed off she was.

"So?" Austin sighed, bringing the plates to his table, "Do I dare ask how that went?"

Jade rolled her eyes, shuffling over to sit across from him. The eggs and toast smelled fantastic, and she was endeared to see he'd put out the peanut butter and jam on the table, that being said, she wasn't feeling very hungry.

"Abel agreed he wouldn't use any of the notes that Chris collected on me. He couldn't promise he'd do the same with the other girls in his book," she shook her head, "I told him 'you're playing with fire if you do this wrong' 'you're not an actor, you're not a screenwriter'. And he's just like 'no, no! trust me, it'll be great! we're gonna' be exposing the evil underbelly of Hollywood' and yada-fucking-yada,"

Austin smiled sympathetically, "I didn't realize you were a part of the evil underbelly of Hollywood," he mused, slicing into his eggs.

"End of the day, we all are. But that's not the point," Jade replied, "It's one thing to make a show exposing corporate bullshit, it's another to be exposing your friends' bullshit without documented consent. He's going to get himself in trouble if he's not careful,"

She started eating, but Austin was still curious, "What's this show even about?" he asked.

"A young and troubled pop star has a nervous breakdown and she starts fucking a cult leader who's posing as a music mogul and -- I don't even know," she said, "They got an old friend of yours -- Lily-Rose is on board,"

"Shit," he hummed, "If he did it right, it could be interesting," she grumbled back, "But obviously, you're not convinced,"

"I think he's still riding off of his Blinding Lights fame and he's going to crash and burn if he's not careful," she huffed back.

"Probably. You should be safe, though," he noted, "Because as far as I know, you're not fucking a cult leader,"

A smirk graced her lips, "No, but I am fucking Elvis," she mused, garnering a laugh out of him, "And my party trick is keeping that shit to myself,"

"You've done a good job, too," he simpered.

"We both have," she replied, "Less scandals we make, less headlines we create, the less panicked phone calls we get from our agents,"

"Was that a haiku?" he teased, to which she scoffed back, smiling, "You think... and if I can be serious for a moment -- you think we'll get tired of all this sneaking around one day?"

Jade glanced up with hooded eyes, pausing just before she could take a bite of her toast. A flicker of panic struck up in her chest, "... I mean -- maybe? Are you tired of it?" she asked tentatively.

"No," he shook his head quickly, trying to piece together his next words, "But -- obviously this can't be just for fun in the long run. I mean, you were on a date last night,"

Jade bit the inside of her lip, what little hunger she had subsiding as she sat back in her chair. He was making a fair point, her date was an attempt to distract her from the very thing they were doing now. Yes, they had talked about their boundaries and the limitations of their situationship; Jade had to be pragmatic that they couldn't keep this up forever. And if he was growing tired of sneaking around, or perhaps he had his eye on someone else, then who was she to stand in his way? She knew she couldn't have him, she wouldn't allow herself to even entertain the idea because she knew she was no good for him.

She tried to keep her emotions at bay, especially from her face as she spoke, "Yeah, but... you saw how that went. I mean -- whenever you're ready to stop this, we can. Just say the word,"

Austin nearly jumped out of his seat, "No, no, I don't wanna' -- I don't wanna' stop this. I'm not even thinking about that," he was being honest; Jade had become his favourite person, beyond her body and their sexcapades.

"Then, what's your point?" she asked, trying to keep her knee from shaking under the table.

Austin opened his mouth, silence all encompassing as he tried to force himself to say it, confess to her how he'd been feeling. He was coming from the perspective of if maybe, just maybe, she would give him a chance, they could try to be together as an actual couple. He wanted her so badly, he wanted to reach across this table and kiss her and keep her with him for all eternity. That being said, the signals she was giving him were telling him something else.

Instead, he put on a brave smile, "Maybe next time you go on a date, you'll stay away from the screenwriters?"

Jade exhaled slowly, anger bubbling up in her gut then, but she understood where he was coming from. Time and time again it seemed she had the worst choice in men; the only person who wasn't a total disaster choice was him. Even then, if she had pursued Austin, who was to say he wouldn't turn out the same as all the others?