Key

Yellow = Sam

Purple = Colby

Blue = Corey

Red = Jake

Green = Multiple

✿ = NSFW

°✿ = Suggestive

♡ = Fluff

°♡ = Extra Fluffy

■ = Angst

°■ = Slight Angst

★ = A Favorite

✿ = NSFW

One-shots

Ghost in the Mirror °♡ / ★

Fourth of July Moves ♡

Hammock Nap ♡

Requests

You may request: smut, fluff, angst

I will not write: rape, noncon, incest, murder, human death

I will not write requests quickly, it may take me some time. I'm fresh out of highschool and getting my life together, so I'm busy

I will write for: Sam, Colby, Jake, Corey

Jealous Alpha ♡ / °■

Old Works

Tired at the Carnival ♡

Sleep Aid ♡

Drabbles

Cold, Dark Car °♡ / ★

Hip Pain ♡

Leaving. ■

Reblogs

That's What I'm Here For °♡ / °■ / ★ — @annab-nana

AU's

Assistance — Avian!AU ♡

30 Day Challenges

Masterlist — 1

You had the heebie-jeebies. Never once did you think a family fun center could eventually run down into nightmare fuel. The amount of debris you had to step over was astounding. "How did most of this not burn up?" You voice, silent in awareness of the echo speaking would bring. "I don't even know..." Sam gasps, pinpointing his flashlight on what looked to be remnants of the carpet at his feet. "There's so much to check out." Colby says, already looking towards the stairs for the second floor.

Just as Colby starts heading in that direction, he turns, "We need to split up though, we can't be here more than an hour." Your head rolls back and onto your shoulder, realizing he's got a good point. "I'll go upstairs if y'all want to stay down here." You offer, making a face at the one 4Colby gives at the suggestion of taking his floor. Sam nods, making the agreement for Colby too as he pulls the brunette further into the building. "Be safe!" You half yell, half whisper after them.

The stairs are rickety and unstable, wood rotting away under carpet long void of color. You don't make it to the top for a solid minute maybe, so worried about falling through. It was very freeing to explore without toting around a camera, as this trip was just to get back into the swing of things. The boys hadn't touched abandoned locations in a hot minute, but recently had been pressured just enough to consider checking out one or two places. You were a little disappointed at what you saw upstairs, slowly discovering a whole lot of nothin'. The upstairs floor seemed to just be a dining area, nearly empty except for some bench tables in shambles. Flashlight dancing around, you found not much else than lewd graffiti and names on the wall.

You went to turn, stopped halfway at a frigid cold feel at your face. Shivers wracked your body, ran up and down your spine, but it was simply played off as a cold draft. But then there was the faint outline on the wall, and with some movement of your light you were able to debunk it not being your own shadow. You whipped around, seeing nothing between you or the far wall. Momentarily distracted by the hushed chatter of your friends downstairs, you forget to watch your step and walk forward without even bothering to look down. Your foot shoves against metal with an alarming clang, leaving you flat on your belly in the dust. "Motherfucker!" You hiss, hands braced on the floor at your side to hoist your body up. Everything downstairs stops, eerie silence. Once on your feet, you call out, "Sam?"

No answer. Maybe the boys assumed the noise was from outside. You try to step, immediately collapsing at the intense pain in your apparently injured right foot. Did you really kick the scrap metal that hard? Your flashlight glances over your foot and you gasp, blood running cold; blood oozes from your shoe, but you can't seem to tell what was bleeding and why. "Sam?" You call out again, voice trembling. The pain was starting to settle and you were freaking out at the sudden feeling of loneliness. "Colby?" You cry, louder than you should while doing something illegal.

Eventually you start to cry. Left behind in this dingy, stupid run down arcade. Bleeding profusely enough to leave a little wooziness in your head, unable to walk down stairs yourself and get to a hospital. You sob, a pitiful little hiccup following. Next to the pain sat anger, towards the people you thought were best friends leaving you, towards yourself for crying like this. Just because you were left behind.

You grab your flashlight, rolled over a foot from you. There was some way to get out, alone. Aha! You were next to the railing, able to pull yourself up with it as support. Going downstairs was a challenge, hopping one step at a time and leaving your injury up. The blood trail you left only added to the creepiness of this stupid place. "Are you okay?" Sam gasps, bolting to you from his spot at a counter near the door. You shove him away the moment he's in reach, nearly falling in the process, "Don't fucking touch me after you left me behind."

"We were in the bowling alley, what are you talking about?" Colby says, picking his way through the rubble towards you. Tears well up again, instead out of guilt for being so angry when they never left you behind. "What happened?" Sam asks, persistent, offering his body support. You fall into his arms, oh so cliche, and wince. "I, I don't know. There's blood. A lot. I'm dizzy." You whine, unwillingly resting most of your weight onto the blonde. Colby helps him carry you out, to the car hidden in the darkest corner of the parking lot. You're sat in the back seat, awkwardly sitting sideways with your bleeding foot up on the seat. Instead of sliding in to the seat in front of you, Sam hurries into the backseat opposite you and oh so gently lifts your partially mangled shoe to sit in his lap. "Oh, my god. You're losing a lot of blood. Oh my god." Sam gasps, voice trembling.

"There's an ER somewhere around here, I remember passing it on the way in." Colby says, peeling out of the parking lot the moment he starts his car. "I'm gonna get blood on your seats," you cry, promising yourself you'd pay for a interior detailing. Sam shushes you, patting your knee in an attempt to console you. Dizzy and panicked, you just can't stop sobbing. You're barely aware of the car lurching to a stop at some point; or being pulled out of the car; or suddenly being set on a hospital bed. When did you wait in the office? Or check in?

Your head throbs and the light makes your eyes ache, having to squint when you watch a team of doctors usher the boys out. "What happened?" A nurse asks, helping you sit up and intake some water. "Uh," you slur, "talk to th' blonde. Or the uh, um, emo?"

She looks frantic, turning away just as you're slipping into a peaceful, silent darkness. When you wake, it feels like just a couple seconds. So you expect to see medical staff tending to your wound, but instead you're met with a nearly empty room. Nearly; Sam sits at the window on the bench, looking so incredibly bored on his phone. The sky behind him is blooming in warm colors, signaling sunset. "Hey..." You rasp, coughing at the stab in your throat. Sam looks startled at your voice, tossing his phone onto the couch as he rises. "I was only out a couple hours?" You ask, knowing that it was somewhere around 2 in the morning at the arcade.

Sam frowns and crouches next to you, reaching a hand up to stroke the hair from your eyes, "no. The sun's going down, you were out all day." With him this close, you realize how tired he looks, the water building at his lash line. "What happened?" You ask, having heard that sentence a dozen times already in the last 24 hours. "You ended up kicking into a spike that was still attached to some metal. Y'know those thick nails they use to keep big stuff in the ground?" Sam tries to explain in a way your mind can comprehend right now. "Yeah... I didn't feel that though. It just felt like I stubbed my toe?" You counter. "No, you fractured your foot though."

You turn, looking up at the IV leading into your arm. "Am I gonna be okay...?" You fear the answer. "You're gonna be fine." Sam promises, standing and placing a kiss to your forehead. For the third time, you cry. "Will you get into bed with me?" You ask, voice petulant like a child. Sam doesn't answer, instead squeezes into the uncomfortable hospital bed with you. Without request, he pulls you to him, letting you turn over and rest your head on his shoulder. "I thought you and Colby left." You confess, feeling the dribbles roll down your cheeks. "No, we were just in the back and didn't hear you. I still feel so bad I wasn't paying attention." The blonde whispers, comforting hand drawing nonsensical patterns into your back, "I should have checked on you."

Vegas in the winter was miserable. It got below 'holy fuck it's cold' after sundown and left every breathing thing wishing it'd just catch hypothermia and die. And that exact thing led you to starting a tiny little fire nestled against a boulder.

You and Colby had gotten into one of the nastiest fights so far, leading him to storm off further into the townhouse yelling some rude nonsense about how 'being your best friend was so difficult'. In turn, you walked right out the front door and slammed it extra hard just to send a message. One road led to another, and another brought you to the middle of absolutely fucking nowhere. Paved road had turned to dirt, and you had found yourself hidden away in a field filled with sizeable rocks and bushes.

The silence stretched far back behind your little nook, quite literally not a single sound more than the crackling of fire. And, on top of that, the fire was— obviously— only able to really warm one side of you. You were honestly very shocked that there had been no emotion the moment you slammed the door. Up until this point, sitting in the dust, you had felt... nothing, honestly. Your phone sat screen up in the dirt, fire reflecting off the screen to make a little square of orange. You had done so good about handling your feelings and expressing them: and now, seeing Colby's contact pop up on your phone screen as it rang, broke you.

At first the tears were slow. One pattered onto your thigh, soaked up by your jeans. Then, two and three heavy, thick drops fell. The damn broke, and you went from emotionless to sobbing in the middle of a field, cold, lonely and hurt. The incessant ringing cut off, and you were left in the near silence again.

After some time that you didn't keep track of, headlights pulled up a distance behind you. It didn't garner a reaction. It was Colby, nobody else would be all the way out here; and especially not for you. Silently, he sat down in the dirt next to you. "Your location was still on Life360." He whispers, his own voice hoarse. You don't even acknowledge him. "Don't shut me out." Colby says, nudging your shoulder with his.

"I didn't know my habits bothered you so much." Finally, after several long minutes, you speak. Colby stares at the fire, "They don't. I was just angry and said things I shouldn't." You lean against his shoulder, head tipped to rest in the crook of his neck. His head lays on yours, and you smile for the first time all night. "I'm sorry." He apologizes. while he doesn't elaborate, you don't expect nor want him to. And you weren't apologizing; you weren't at fault.

Colby convinces you to get up and get in your car, eventually. It's some time very late into the night, cold and dark. You follow him home— after kicking the fire out— and even though you park second, you're in the house first. Before you can march up to your room, a hand grabs your arm and spins you. "I don't think apologizing is enough." Colby says, holding you close. You sigh. It'll be rocky for the next few days.

Tired eyes blink, long. Weary brain finally losing its emotional adrenaline, you're hardly aware you're moving until you're hyperaware of being in your best friend's bed. "Why can't I be in my bed?" You ask, voice cracking. "You're freezing. I'm worried." Colby bites back, and he's right; you can't feel your digits and there's a subtle but firm tremble to your body. So you let him crawl in and pull you close, and he lets you leech off your body heat. You start crying again, at some point. In the dark, in your best friend's bed, in his arms. He shushes you, hand softly stroking your hair. You feel emotionally broken, fighting with Colby had drawn so much energy.

You shouldn't be standing at the door to his townhouse. Knowing well that Colby was long asleep; as were Kat and Sam, really. Fist raised to knock, the door creaks open before you make contact. "It's after midnight." Colby says, quiet. You're gawking, like a deer caught in headlights, because he shouldn't be up. "The Ring detected movement." He says, gesturing to the electronic doorbell to your right.

"I... sorry. It's literally dead of night, this is weird." You sputter, face flushed in obvious warmth and embarrassment. Guilt starts to sink in. Colby looked tired and disheveled, hair mussed and eyes sporting dark bags. Just as you made a step back, Colby leans forward to snatch you inside. Being your best friend— one of three— he knows to clap a hand over your mouth before you can squeal in shock and wake the house.

Your lagging mind takes a moment to register Colby's hand silencing you, standing close enough at your back to feel his body heat. Slowly, he steps back, and you don't know what else to do other than clear your throat.

His home is dark and entirely too quiet, leaving you with a feeling similar to dread but far more mild. Standing awkwardly by the front door, you look around as if you'd never been inside before; or as if you could actually make out anything more than shapes in the black. "Come on, dimwit." Colby sighs, dragging himself back to his room. A little confused, you follow nonetheless, not having had a plan past knocking.

His room is warm, both figuratively and literally. LEDs lining the ceiling glow a soft orange, bathing everything in a soft light. "I'm going to sleep. Are you going home or are you sleeping here?" Colby says, tacking on a not so fake yawn as he settles back under his duvet. You nearly trip as you strip from your hoodie and crawl into his bed. He lifts the covers for you and the moment you're under, he's scooping you into his embrace.

"Are you sure tonight will be warm enough, Bee?" You huff, already feeling the cold nip first step from the car. With a bundle of blankets, Colby rounds the car to find the best spot to setup, "I brought extra just in case."

He doesn't let you help as he lays out bedding, insisting you shouldn't, 'have to lift a pretty little finger' tonight. So, you decide to wander a little; not far, just a short way past the backend of the Corolla. The field is somehow so silent but full of noise and life at the same time, it's surreal. Crickets chirp in the sparce bushes, a creek trickles somewhere parallel to the car. Barely a couple yards from Colby, he calls out to locate you, "Marco?"

"Polo!" You reply, light and airy. As you all but bound back to him, thinking of how spoiled you are. Your boyfriend taking you to a scenic lookout to cuddle under the full moon, just because he felt like it. You round his vehicle, and he extends his hand to you. The moment you accept the offer, he's pulling you into a tight hug. You downright squeal, even louder when he pulls you down to the blankets with him. Face pressed to his collarbone, awkwardly propped up over him. "The ground is hard," you wheeze the moment you slide off him, "you know I can't lay on the floor for long."

In compromise, he sits up and situates you in front of him, back to his chest. "You're beautiful in the moonlight." Colby whispers, pressing a soft kiss to your head. You tilt back, his smile warming your face. He looked just as good, bathed in silver and all soft features blending in the dim.

Conversation came and went. Making comments on how bright the moon was, how pretty the stars were. Caught between staring at the night sky and the city lights of LA, sneaking kisses between words. It did eventually grow colder, once it neared midnight. "I hope you were prepared for me to whine about freezing." You laugh, voice soft and low with tiredness. "I did." Colby hums, accepting your puckered lips as a kiss request. By the time you broke apart, a soft blanket was draped over your shoulders. "Might fake being cold just to steal that hoodie." You muse, hinting to the one he wore; also one he had the longest and had been permanently scented with cologne. He laughs, "You'll have it before we get home no matter what excuse you can make."

Blanket + Moonlight / Scenic Views

Dead of Night / After Midnight

"Don't Shut Me Out." / Fight & Flee

Left Behind / Metal Scraps

Gaming Night

Spooning + Holding Hands

Getting Lost Somewhere

Petnames

Hospital Visits

Death of Someone Close

Sleeping In

Thunderstorms + Baking

Teaching The Other How To Do Something

Needing Each Other

One Of Them Is Sick

Halloween + Party

"Where were you? I was worried sick!"

Dealing With Children

Moving In Together

Pillow Talk

Chores Around The House

Arguing + Making Up After

Only One Bed

"You're mine."

Lazy Day

Stealing The Others Hoodie

Winter + Electricity Goes Out

Driving At Midnight

Romantic Surprise

"I know it's late, but can you come over?"

“if i told you i loved you, would it make you want to stay?”

Colby halts. your stare bores into his back, tears streaking down your cheeks. he glances over his shoulder, cold eyes locking with yours. "You what?" Colby asks, voice barely there.

you sob. "I love you. why can't you see that."

he turns to face you fully, the space between feeling like miles. "no you don't." he snarls, and the verbal bite makes you flinch. Colby turns and grabs the last box of his belongings, starting for the door. "I've loved you since we were in high school." you confess, your words doing nothing to stop his movement.

"You only love me because I'm leaving." Colby tosses out, clearly irked. you're quick to dart after him, "why are you so stubborn!"

you catch his arm in the hallway. he reels around to face you, expression twisted into anger. "who's been there for you since we were kids?" you ask softly, and Colby scoffs. "Sam."

it's all a blur and suddenly you're watching him shove the box into his car. your apartment void of anything he owns. little items here and there he's left over the years; some of Sam's items mingled in. "Colby!" you cry out desperately, and he barely pauses at the driver door. "I love you." you cry, legs giving out as you slide to your knees.

his face softens, and he makes his way back to the front step. Colby is silent as he stares down at you, and you up at him. "do you?" he whispers. you nod. he sighs, and lifts you to your feet. "why confess now." he asks.

your forehead meets his shoulder. "because im scared."

he brings a hand up to cradle your head. "why?"

more tears fall, spattering into the concrete. "you're leaving." you hiccup, hands coming to clutch at his hoodie. "im sorry." Colby offers a feeble apology, but it holds no sincerity.

"i missed my chance." you say, and he hums in agreement. he releases you, then detaches your hands from him. "i have to leave." Colby sighs, pulling from you entirely. you lock eyes. he looks away first, turning to his car. you're silent as you watch him get in. then he's driving away.

you were about to hop off of messenger after your friend said she had work; different time zones, it was 8:00am for her and it was 3:00am for you. the one thing that made you stop was the little green dot over colby's profile picture. it was way late, why was he up?

you were quick to text him.

why you up, bubs?

why are you up???

i asked you first

i can't sleep, insomnias a bitch

i haven't been going to bed until 4 or 5 the last few nights

does your bitch ass need cuddles

…no :pleading_face:

liar

i'll be there in 2

you gathered up your weighted blanket before snatching up your phone and heading down the hall to his room. this wasn't the first time you've offered late night cuddles. this isn't the first time he's accepted them.

you didn't knock, just waltzed in. he looked up looking very excited, albeit tired. extremely tired.

“i'm gonna chuck this at you.” you laughed quietly, referring to the heavy blanket on your shoulder.

he ignores the threat and made grabby hands, jutting his lip out while he gave you his best puppy dog eyes. it worked. damn, it worked.

you, somehow, managed to lay out the weighted blanket straight enough it could cover the both of you. colby stole your blanket he had named 'heavy' often because he didn't have his own.

he adjusted it as you lifted up both blankets to crawl into his side.

“can i be little spoon?” he asked softly.

you immediately started to gently nudge him onto his side with his back towards you. when he was situated and comfy, you scooted up to press your chest to his back, wrapping your arms around him with a little effort getting one of your arms under him.

you pressed a kiss to the back of his neck before reading your forehead against it, squeezing him tight for a split second.

there was a long few minutes of silence as his breathing evened out.

Your eyes wouldn’t really open all the way, drooping to match your downcast expression. Tiredness stung your vision and left things with a slight blur, your shared apartment dim and nearly unrecognizable. After dealing with shitty people at work all damn day, you were drained and worn out. You had run the shop by yourself, extremely understaffed. 

Colby was supposed to be home; he was tasked with babysitting your cat because it was an off day you couldn’t bring him in with you. Throwing your keys to the counter, you literally did not give a single fuck at the moment. Hopefully your cat was at least alive, forget how long Colby had actually stuck around to do what he offered. Inward grumbling was silenced when you walked to the glass sliding door, finding it open. You step out, looking out towards the ocean to your right; the sinking sun cast it in a brilliant shade of orange that almost chased your blues away.

“You’re home late.” The voice makes your head whip towards it, and you find Colby lounging in the hammock on the opposite side of the balcony. One foot kicked up, the other pressed to the wood planks to rock himself. Your eyes roll, then flutter shut, frantic heart rate starting to still after the sudden scare. “Sorry,” you apologize, crossing the deck to stand at his side, “I was literally the only person that went in today.”

Colby grabs your arm, gently but forcefully pulling you down. It was a couple awkward moments of situating, before you were comfortable tucked against his side. His hand comes to rest at the small of your back, thumb rubbing soft quarter-moons into the skin revealed by bunched up fabric. “So… bad day. That why I didn’t get any texts at all?” Your best friend asks, continuing to rock the hammock side to side in a gentle lull. You simply nod in response to both questions.

you sucked a hiss through clenched teeth, woken up by sharp pain flaring bright in your right hip. the goal was to turn to your other side, but the act put too much strain on your half asleep body. even trying to stretch it did nothing to aid the stiffness. the most you can manage is rolling to lay flat on your back, staring at the ceiling with sleep‐burned eyes.

Sam stirs enough to scoot two inches, resting his head on your shoulder. he drapes an arm across your body, grabbing at your side as he nuzzles into your warmth. "Hey, baby." you greet him, well aware he probably wasn't coherent enough to hear. the most you get is a gruff hum in answer. Sam wakes up the moment you shift your bad hip and stiffle a whine at the pain, tilting his head to look up at you.

"what's up?' he asks, hand at your side starting to stroke up and down. you scowl, free hand trying to rub the pain away. "bad hip is really fuckin' with me." you yawn. Sam sits up, resting all his weight on his forearm so he can look you over. he cracks a smile, "bed day!" you return the joy right back, unable to remember the last time your boyfriend has spent a full day in bed with you, doing nothing but basking in the others presence.

Sam lays back like you were, patting his naked chest. with some effort, you were able to maneuver yourself half onto your boyfriend, head on his shoulder, injured leg half hiked up onto his own. the stretch was uncomfortable but needed if your hip would be back in semi working condition. he grabs the remote he had stolen from your side of the bed last night and puts your favorite show on.

As the door shuts softly behind you, the downstairs is eerie silent. Usually either Sam or Colby are puttering around, using the TV as background noise. You head towards the stairs, faintly hearing the muffled slam of a dresser being slid closed. Ah, the boys must be getting ready for something, you think, making your way to the top floor. Colby's room is the first stop, some emo boy music filtering through the door. You knock loudly, wondering if he'd even be able to hear it above the noise.

His door swings open and he looks down at you, puzzling up at him because he's dressed in day clothes. "Are you ready to go?" He asks, and you tilt your head to the side, "I just got home... go where?"

"Don't worry about it. Are you ready?" Colby dismisses you with a wave, turning to his room. You cock an eyebrow because what in the hell does that mean. "What are you hiding?" You ask, leaning to sit back against the wall opposite his door.

A door opens down the hall, causing both you to look away from Colby and towards the noise. Sam steps out and shuts his door behind him, and as cheesy as it sounds, he winds you. This man has style and geez does it tack on another level of attractiveness. You had to admit it may be the non-prescription aviators he wore just for the style so often. It was a simple outfit; a burgundy beanie— one he stole from you— to pair with the deep maroon 25x25 letterman he layered over a red hoodie. With black jeans and solid black converse to match, it really tied everything together and almost made you drool.

"Oh! You're home, good." Sam speaking snaps you from the oggling very quickly. "Why does it matter?" You ask, nervous at the fact he's walking towards you with a bandana. He shushes you and ties it around your head, blocking your vision entirely. "I don't like this, uh, what the fuck." You're very nervous now, never fond of not being able to y'know, see. Sam turns and pushes you towards the stairs you just came up, and you nearly trip at the first step. "Samuel!" You shriek, immediately throwing yourself (you hope) into his side. He's forced to catch you, and you make him help you all the way down the stairs.

As you're led out of the apartment complex and to the car, every single one of your questions involving what's going on is shot down. In the car, both Sam and Colby converse like nothing is wrong; you're silent because you're now very scared and wondering if you're gonna be pawned off into the Black Market. Being blind and not able to see what you pass, the car ride feels like hours before you finally roll to a stop. You fumble to unbuckle, and don't bother opening your door because you've got no clue what could be near your side of the car.

The door opens for you, and then Colby grabs your hand and helps you out. The ground beneath you is gravel and not tarmac, a large surprise. Suddenly the blindfold is pulled off your head and you have to blink away the light in order to properly adjust to vision again. You're... standing in the parking lot of a fairground?

"What in the hell did you kidnap me for?" You ask, turning to glare at whoever you saw first. Sam shoots you a toothy smile and you blush, turning to Colby instead. "Well you said you've never seen Fourth of July fireworks so we're gonna watch them from the festival tonight." He explains, tucking the bandana into his pocket.

The three of you explore the vendors around the grounds, seeing one item of interest you felt wasn't worth the money; this simple little lightning bolt pendant on a black cord. You made sure not to show too much interest in it though, because Sam was a little shithead that liked to throw money around. As the sun set, Sam pulled you from the vendors, "lets go set up our chairs. I think fireworks start when the sun goes down."

You end up being the only one not in a chair, opting to sit on a blanket instead. Sam sat directly behind you; you were sat between his legs, head tipped back into his lap to tell shitty jokes up him. Suddenly a voice was announcing a countdown over the speakers littered around the field, and you glanced off of Sam's face to the black sky above you. The countdown ended and you thought it was a fail, until suddenly the sky exploded in color.

The boom that echoed scared the shit out of you, and you lurched forward and pressed your hands to your ears. Too loud, too quick. You shivered, eyes squeezed shut as you felt the aftershocks of the fireworks and tried to focus on how cold you were instead. Almost as quick as you started, the shivering ceased as a blanket of pure warmth was placed over your shoulders. You peek back and see the white sleeves of a letterman at your side, and your face flushes incredibly warm. Sam slides out of his chair and presses your back to his chest, arms coming around to hold you in comfort. He pulls your hands from your ears and whispers, "look..."

You look up just as a firework soars up, exploding into shimmers of gold that streak across the sky. The boom makes you jolt, but Sam just holds you tighter and presses a soft kiss to your temple. The noise scares you less and less as colors flash in front of your eyes, bathing the once dark sky in hues of all kinds. One particular firework bursts into the shape of a pink heart, fizzling out to a blue glitter effect. You smile and point, as if the boys weren't seeing the same as you. The booms breeze by and you're fixated on the fireworks for at least half an hour, and the grand finale scares you enough into leaning back and turning away with eyes closed. Your eyes flutter open and you're face to face with Sam, leaning over your shoulder. So close your noses almost touch, he closes the distance and presses a soft kiss to your lips. You lean in and your eyes fall shut, a little to eager in the return because holy shit the person you've been pining over for years finally made a move.

the travel from the airport to the hotel was easily over three hours, and nobody save for the driver would stay awake long enough to see the sights along the way. Nate had the most energy and volunteered to drive, because everyone else was dead tired. Amanda was going to give directions in the passenger seat, you and Sam sat in the middle row, and Colby was already stretched out across the back seats and asleep.

dead winter in Minnesota was the worst time to visit, and Sam wouldn't listen no matter how many times you had explained that fact. Nate turned the car heater on high, "y'all gonna have to suffer back there for a bit." you laugh with what energy you've got left, sounding tired and drained. Nate drives the van away from the airport, and you try to make out the scenery in the dark; it was well before sunrise.

while you could feel the heater pumping warmth towards you after a bit, it wasn't enough to keep you from shivering. luckily you had packed a blanket that while thin, would at least help insulate your own natural body heat. forehead pressed to the cold window, blanket situated on your lap, you'd be falling asleep soon. that is, until you felt the seat shift. you turn to look at Sam, who's pressed against the door sleeping... and trying not to shiver. you unbuckle and slid over, pressing your body to his. he begins to stir and ask something, but you shush him as you throw part of your blanket over his lap.

you press into his side, letting Sam leech your body heat. he didn't do the best in colder conditions, but he'd never complain. he pulls his arm from beneath you, stretching it across your shoulder to hold you close. you nuzzle into him, enjoying the feeling of comfortable warmth taking over the cold. while you two do fall asleep, you wake up an hour-ish in and don't manage to get back to sweet sweet unconsciousness.

as slowly as possible, you reach for your phone— that you left on the other side of the van— and turn the brightness down before starting to scroll through Instagram. you stay tucked into Sam's side, stopping your social media viewing to pull more of the blanket onto the blonde. the silence starts to make you uncomfortable, "Nate, will you turn the radio up a little?" he reaches to turn it up just a few pegs, enough that you could hear but not enough to wake everyone up.

you felt bad for him honestly, Amanda had fallen asleep at some point and he had been left on his own in the eerie quiet, except for navigation occasionally telling him where to go. when you shifted to get a little more comfortable, Sam's arm around you held you tighter; so now you knew you were trapped. the thought made you snicker under your breath, feeling rather fond of him at the moment. but to be fair, you felt that way about him often. there was this odd, unspoken affection that had been going on for a long time now.