Itâs okay to take a break.
- We all need time to recharge, and your fans will still be there when you get back!
Itâs okay to go from fandom to fandom.
- Nobody is going to criticize you for following your muse, and if they do, then you know who not to associate with in the future!
Itâs okay to have a niche.
- If smut is where itâs at, then write smut. If youâre all about the fluff, then schmoop away. If angst is what does it for you, then invest in tissues. Nobody has the right to tell you that you should be doing something else if that isnât what interests you!
Itâs okay to be critical of your own work.
- Just donât allow yourself to become so self-deprecating that you freeze!
Itâs okay to ask for help.
- If youâre unsure of a trope, concept, fact or universe, reach out to your circle of friends. Chances are, theyâll be more than happy to help you because they want to see you succeed!
Itâs okay to ignore criticism.
- Constructive criticism is only constructive if it helps you. If someone says something that doesnât assist or improve you in any way, then please feel free to ignore whatever nugget they are imparting, because chances are good they donât have the best of intentions for you!
Itâs okay to stop writing all together.
- Your fans will miss you (and chances are good you have way more than you realize,) but sometimes, you just gotta do you!
Itâs okay to write with whatever method works for you.
- Long writing marathons where you bang out 12,000 words in one day? Great! Linear, dry style that means you occassionally get stuck because you canât figure out this scene, but itâs all worth it in the end? Rad! Piecemeal work that you thread together at the end? Fabulous! As long as it works for you, there is no wrong way to write!
Itâs okay to have fun.
- I think this goes without saying, no? But it seems that sometimes, authors need permission. So consider this permission to wile the hell out, and enjoy the ride!
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iâm gonna say it because not enough people do: fanfic writers deserve the world. they might not know it but YOU are one of the reasons someone smiled today. someone escaped their shitty reality today. someone felt loved today. YOU did that
im absolutely heartbroken that this fandom has been so quiet lately. there are still many writers and people with AMAZING art skills and gif makers, but their hard work does not have enough recognition!
so PLEASE
PLEASE REPLY/LIKE/REBLOG THIS POST IF YOU ARE A WRITER/ARTIST/GIF MAKER OR ANY KIND OF PERSON IN THIS FANDOM SO I COULD FOLLOW AND LIKE/REBLOG YOUR STUFF!!
Do you guys care if minors follow you and are you comfortable with that?
Hey anon, thanks for your ask! That is a very interesting question and we thank you for giving us the opportunity to open up about this matter. Let us start by saying that:
Our blog is open for everybody and we do our best to make everyone feel happy and safe on here đ»
However, we are aware that some content may not be suitable for a certain age. That's why we always put warnings and small summaries before our stories: everyone should know what they're getting themselves into and we certainly wouldn't want anybody to feel uncomfortable because of us, because that would make us feel uncomfortable.
So, our warnings have a valid reason to be there, but the Internet is free, right? so what links you choose to click on and which stories you choose to read, is not really on us.
If you feel confident and comfortable enough, we have no problem with it! Again, as long as you're sensible about it.
We know this sounds like "the parent talk", but we kind of feel like the "big sisters" in this situation and we both actually are big sisters in real life, so yeah we kinda have some experience in "parent talk".
As long as you're safe, happy and aware, we are only glad you choose our blog đ»đ
Would you ever do a part 2 to that angel Rog fic? đ and why canât I see the requesters blog? rogah-drowse I think it was?
Hi dear anon! Honestly, we havenât thought about that but if you have any ideas about what youâd like to read as a part two of the angel Roger one shot, please feel free to share it with us! đđ„°
Unfortunately, these last months have been intense for both of us so we did not dedicate much time on writing, but as soon as we are back on track weâd love to work on your request!đ
About the ârequesterâ, you canât see their blog because if we remember well they decided to deactivate it a few months ago đ
Take care, stay safe and feel free to send in your request if you have any! Love you â€ïž xx
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To Tired Writers. To the people out there whose hearts very, very much want to write and work on WIPs, but who are just mentally and physically exhausted right now. Itâs okay. It is okay to rest sometimes. Allow yourself time to rest.Â
Maybe instead of saying "save the Queen fandom!" And "the Queen fandom is dying!" it should be more like "Reblog content!" "Here's some of my favourite writers!" "Check out some of these awesome fanfics!"
Some writers aren't writing anymore, but that isn't anything to do with them lacking love for Queen - more like lacking the motivation. Because nobody reblogs anything these days. So now, I guess, people need to realise the importance of reblogs. People reblogging things kinda counteracts the Tumblr tagging system, which actively goes against creators on this website.
The Queen fandom doesn't need to be saved; the Queen fandom doesn't need a special hastag for saving it. Fandom creators need to be motivated, and helped to get their creations out there. THAT'S what we can do to help.
Unpopular opinion: when writers stop writing because of lack of engagement, part of me thinks itâs because that donât actually like to write. đ€«
in the words of the ever-wise dâangelo wallace, hereâs why youâre wrong:
writing is rough. it can be stressful and hard to get things just the way you want them and often, that doesnât even happen. when you put your blood, sweat, and tears into a piece only for it to get only a few notes, itâs really hard. yeah, iâm writing for me, but iâm also writing for you guys, so when the effort i put into something goes unnoticed, itâs more than a little discouraging.
writing is more than just a hobby. though i love to write, i love more the discussion that my writing creates on the blog. writing on tumblrâat least for meâis about having an easy connection with those who read what i write. when that connection isnât there, it hurts.
again, writing is ROUGH. i canât speak for everyone but for me, i hate the process of writing a solid 60% of the time lol. the best parts are starting, finishing, and posting to read what yâall say about it.
even if thatâs the case....? thatâs okay. itâs okay to want to do things for the interaction. itâs still art being put out, connections being made, and content for us to take in.
writing is so important. not only is it wonderful for us to read, but itâs a fantastic way for writers to share themselves in ways that itâs difficult to do otherwise. even if they arenât entirely dedicated to the art, theyâre dedicated to US.
on an unrelated-but-not-really note, itâs so hard to see such wonderfully talented people going unappreciated. pleasepleasePLEASE like, reblog, or even just comment on what you read. it doesnât have to be a message if youâre nervous to message an author (but please donât be!!! we love to get those messages and i can guarantee any author would be thrilled to hear from you), but even a simple tag on a reblog is enough to make a writer smile.
i know this is a little disjointed but PLEASE treat these writers with a little bit of compassion and appreciation. now more than ever, a lot of us need it. life is rough right now, so letâs be extra kind to one another, okay? đ
What happened to CLTCL??? It's been so long since the last chapter. Have you given up on the story??? It's an amazing story btw. I'm looking forward to the next chapter.
Hello dear anon â€
First of all, thank you so much! Weâre glad youâre enjoying the story and weâre happy to see that thereâs someone who is waiting forward to the next chapter! đđ«đž
To answer your question, donât worry: weâre still working on the story. These past few months have been pretty busy for us both and we found ourselves terribly late on our chaptersâ schedule. We now decided to write as many chapters as possible before publishing one again to avoid another âhiatusâ đđ€žđ»ââïž
We hope the wait will be worth it and that you will love the next adventures we have planned for our beloved characters đ
Thank you again for asking, have a good day and stay safe đ xx
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This year feels surreal. Everything thatâs happened in 2020 so far is surreal. The latest events of this week proved for the hundredth time that we donât have equality. We live in a world that wants to convince us weâre all considered the same, but facts show the complete opposite.
Words canât change what happened, but we do hope that even the smallest voice can make a difference. Thatâs why we should not shut up, we should not ignore what happened, we should not see it as âsomeone elseâs problemâ because what happened can happen everywhere, in every town, all over the world.Â
Weâre here to remind all of you that here, in our blog, youâre safe. This is a safe place for everyone, for any kind of person. And we know itâs not much, but in our own little way we decided to raise our voices, we decided to stand against injustice and crimes. Weâre posting this to spread the word, to remind all of you that you matter, that you are loved and that, at least in our hearts, we are all the sameâŒïžđ€
Hereâs a link that you can use to help the cause. Donate, sign petitions, or simply just spread the link. It will literally take you two minutes. You can sign as many petition as you want and we advise you to sign as many as you can. You can also donate money if you have the chance and if you donât have the chance thatâs still fine. Whatâs important is for us to be listened to.
Consider this:
A vase only fills drop after drop.Â
Be the drop that makes it overflow.
You can still change the world đđđ
We can still do this together.Â
âđżâđŸâđœâđŒâđ»â
Anywhere you are, stay safe. Stay strong.Â
We stay and we stand with each and everyone of you during this hard time.
âđżâđŸâđœâđŒâđ»âÂ
We love you. And we care for you. If you ever need someone to talk to, weâre always here. Remember that â€
Just a small celebration of this huge milestone for our special little blog đ„
We'd like to thank every person, blog and tumblr bot lol that's been following us from the beginning, those who joined along the way and our newest followers.
We hope our blog brings you some of the joy that we find in managing it and that our stories fit what you were looking for when you first clicked on our tag.
â€đč Thanks for following us đčâ€
We hope to be giving you a reason maybe more than one to make you stick with us as long as possible đ
Stay safe in this troubling time and remember our inbox is always open to anything you'd like to talk about, write about, discuss and even to the random thoughts you get at 4 in the morning.
Yeah yeah, we know itâs kinda our fault and we are very sorry we couldnât keep up with our regular chapter schedule, but our personal lives interfered in our creative process and we found ourselves a little behind on our plans.
If you follow us regularly, youâll know weâre in the middle of our second series, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, of which we published the 11th chapter about a month ago and you can find it in our masterlist or in the prologue.
We are currently writing the following ones and waiting to have enough of them in stock to avoid another horrible hiatus. So bear with us folks and know that all the work weâre putting into this story will be hopefully worth the wait.
In the meanwhile, you can check out previous stories from the masterlist or leave a request in our box if you feel particularly inspired. âšđ
If you choose the latter, know that weâll take some time in answering requests (we actually already have some in the inbox and weâll probably focus on writing those first), but we if youâve been following us for a while, youâll know we always deliver. đ€đđ€žđŒââïž
Anyway, this is just a heads up to let you know what weâve been up to these last weeks and to check in on you guys â€
Itâs a crazy time we are living and we hope you are all okay â€
If you ever need to talk to someone or share something thatâs weighing on your chest, know that our ask box is always open or, if you prefer, you can always contact us on our main blogs ( @deakyswhitequeen & @sweetgcreature ).
We promise weâll be there for you. đâ€đ
Until next time, stay safe folks and weâll try to keep you updated on our progress âđŒđ
We really do hope youâre all good in this very difficult situation! đđ«
Weâre here, sharing this post because, due to some personal reasons, we did not have enough time to finish the next two chapters that were supposed to come out, one, today and the other one, next week đ
With that said, do not worry: we are fine and the story will continue as soon as possible! So stay tuned, because weâre not going anywhere đđ·đ€žđ»ââïž just, give us a few more days and weâre sure weâll be back on track and in the next weeks weâre surely going to keep updating yâall with new chapters âšđșđ
Thatâs it, folks! Please, stay safe and, as we said before, stay tuned! New chapters are on the way đ€đ
Hi love, just wondering if you are taking requests for one shots? If you are, do they have to be based on the prompt list or can they be an original idea? Love your writing x
Hi, sweetie! đ„° thank you so much, weâre so happy you like our writing đ€žđœââïžâšđž
Technically, requests are closed, but if you have an idea and you want us to write something for you, feel free to send us an ask and weâll write it as soon as we have time for it! đ
And, to answer your other question, you can send us whatever your idea is without creating a story using the prompt list đ weâre always happy to receive and write original ideas đ
Hope to hear from you soon, darling â€ïž stay safe đ«âš xx
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A few elements from the main plot: A fine line falls between fiction and reality: what starts as a musical slowly becomes a game-changer. Tables will turn and it will get clear as the sun that the only unstoppable power in life ⊠is love.
Summary Chapter 10:Â Elizabeth and Joe finally have the chance to spend some time alone. Will it be the right time for them to admit their feelings?Â
Word count:Â 4.8K+
Warnings: SMUT! (protected sex and graphic descriptions) towards the end of the chapter - Please read it only if youâre 18+; cuteness and FLUFF are all over the place & some language here and there as usual
A/N: Believe us, folks, you are not ready for this chapter! Sit down and enjoy the ride, a pretty wild ride if you ask us đ¶đđ
Tuesday, 24 December 2019Â
âBecause you are the only one for me.â
âHow can you be certain? We were all fooled by the spell cast by the love filterâŠâ
âI never needed a spell to look into your eyes and see loveâ
âDo you think heâll keep his mouth shut?â Joe asked, without averting his eyes from the book he was holding. He was laying on Elizabethâs bed, his head on the pillow and the book in one hand, while the other flipped the pages.
âWho?â Elizabeth asked, briefly looking in his direction without stopping her pen on the notebook. She was practising drawing buildings in perspective and she had chosen the 9th dormitory as her first try: she knew that building like she knew the insides of her pockets.
âBen,â Joe answered and Elizabeth stopped drawing to look at him. She was sitting crossed legs beside him, her back leaning on the bedâs headboard.
âWhy wouldnât he?â she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
âDunno, - Joe licked the tip of his finger to flip another page â no reason, I guess⊠Just wondering if we should be more carefulâŠâ
Elizabeth hesitated a moment: did he meant he regretted moving in with her? Was that his way of telling her?
âJoe, - she took a deep breath â if youâre having seconds thoughts about this I understand, I-â
Joe shut his book and sat up to look at her, âWhat? No thatâs not what I meant.â He gently threw the book at the end of the bed and turned to cross his legs as well, âIâm just worried something could jeopardise my year⊠or yours, for that matter⊠or even the play, I donât know what Iâd do if they expelled me or worse⊠- he took a pause â if they cancelled the play.â
Elizabeth chuckled while going back to her drawing, âYou need to sort out your prioritiesâŠâ
Joe laughed, âRon Wesley? Seriously? Youâre throwing Harry Potter and the Philosopherâs Stone to my face?â
Elizabeth slowly nodded, biting her lip to keep from laughing as well and drew another windowpane to the building.
âItâs your fault, Hermione⊠â she giggled â Your life spins around that play a bit too much if you ask meâŠâ
Joe opened his mouth and brought a hand to his chest, exaggerating his shock, âExcuse me?!â
Elizabeth couldnât stop giggling and she knew her lack of concentration was messing up her drawing, âStop making me laugh! I canât work like this!â
She uncrossed her legs to get up and go sit at her desk, but a hand trapped her arm and made her fall on her back on the mattress. She squealed and left the grip on the notebook, that fell on the floor with a thud.
The girl giggled and realised she still had the pen in her hand. It took less than a second to Joe to understand what she was going to do and he reacted immediately, but he wasnât fast enough. Before he could trap both her hands by her sides, Elizabeth had managed to draw a small line on his cheek.
For a fraction of a second, they stared into each otherâs eyes.
Joe raised an eyebrow, âReally? How old are you? Five?â
Elizabeth giggled shrugging her shoulders, âIt was self-defenceâ
âOh really? â Joe grabbed both her wrists with a hand â And how do you defend from⊠the tickle monster?â
âWhat! â Elizabeth widened her eyes and tried to wriggle herself free from his grip - Let me go, Joeâ
She got out of it before it was too late and she swiftly turned around to trap him against the headboard, the pen in her hand and a wily smirk on her face.
âDonât mess with meâ she theatrically threatened him.
Joe couldnât stop smiling and giggling like a dork, he was well aware of that. But he didnât care. Because in that moment, in that room, there were only the two of them. And it felt like a jump in the past when they were in middle school and they were always at each otherâs houses.
He didnât want to interrupt that moment of silliness but he couldnât resist. He began chuckling to himself, âYou know? This will sound weird but⊠this reminds me of when we were thirteen â he looked at Elizabeth and she had sat back in front of him, deposing her fearful weapon - Iâd sleepover at your house and you at mine and weâd play Nintendo till past bedtime⊠I still remember your mom yelling at us to turn off the light and us laughing and turning it off just to turn it back on once weâd hear her climb under the covers.â
Elizabeth giggled, âYeah, I remember that too⊠And my mom does too, for that matterâŠ- Joe chuckled as well â She still asks me about you sometimes.â
Joe was surprised, âReally? Martha asks about me?â
Elizabeth lightly slapped his arm, âOf course she does⊠she wants you to stop keeping me up playing Nintendo games all nightâ
Joe chuckled, âSo Iâm the bad influence on you?â
Elizabeth forcefully nodded, âSure, she says I should really stop seeing you⊠- Joe acted shocked and she couldnât keep a straight face â But donât worry. Iâll never get rid of you, babeâ
And in saying so she theatrically and gently caressed his cheek.
It would have been completely normal for them to act that way, but in that moment, as she caressed his cheek, even if she was play-pretending, she suddenly felt embarrassed and the warmth spreading on her cheeks betrayed her. She blushed evidently, partly because of what she realised sheâd sad and partly because of how close they were in that very instant.
From Joeâs point of view, the situation had become awkward as soon as Elizabeth had trapped him against the headboard and he couldnât help but think about what else could have happened there besides threatening each other with a pen.
When her soft hand had caressed his face and redness had spread on her cheeks, heâd understood she had probably perceived the awkwardness as well.
He cleared his voice, âWell we should tell Martha, that her daughterâs not very good either⊠she draws on peopleâ, he decided to say instead, trying breaking the tension.
Elizabeth lightly chuckled and without thinking about it twice, she licked her thumb and rubbed the black line sheâd drawn on him. It was a reflex, something that had looked innocent in her head. Something she had already done in the past and it had been fine.
But that night, it was everything besides fine.
It was like everything they did they could only make the situation more awkward.
Did we lose our chemistry?, she asked herself. Are we not friends like we used to?
She feared those three weeks of reacquainting with one another had been a waste of time. What if their friendship had been damaged permanently?
Joe gulped, the tension was back to make his spine stiff again and his ability of reasoning weaker.
Elizabeth let out a burst of constraint laughter, âIâm sorry, I donât know whatâs gotten into me tonightâŠâ
She shifted on the bed and instead of sitting in front of him, she sat by his side, her back leaning on the headboard and her head abandoned to fall backwards.
Joe glanced at her and cleared his throat again, his voice serious, âItâs okay, Liz.â
He saw her closing her eyes, biting her lip and lightly shaking her head. She probably thought it was imperceptible but heâd seen her.
He took a deep breath. He had to say something. He had a feeling all that was happening for one reason. And he didnât know whether to be happy, confused or scared that the reason might actually have been what he was hoping for.
âLiz, - he started quietly, slowly turning to look at her as she did the same, the head still resting on the headboard â you remember how we used to play true confessions in high school?â
Elizabeth sluggishly chuckled and nodded.
âWell, - Joe continued â I have a confession to make.â
He paused for a few seconds, knowing he was going down a one-way road, with no chance of turning back.
She frowned, âWhat, Joey?â
Joey, he thought to himself. If on the outside he looked nervous, the mention of that stupid nickname was causing a storm of emotions inside his head. Joey and Lizzie were how they called each other anytime the other needed to talk about something serious: those nicknames had always made them laugh so they seemed perfect to mention when all the other person needed was a smile.
It worked like it had every time before.
Joe smiled before continuing and Elizabeth smiled at him back.
âLizzie, - he started again with a half-smile â I know Iâll be talking nonsense from now on, so please stop me if you decide you donât want to hear it. Because once I say it I wonât be able to get it backâŠâ
The girl furrowed her eyebrows again. Her instinct was telling her she already knew what he was about to say. At least, she thought she knew. She hoped, she knew.
She shifted again and turned her body towards him, leaning on her side on the headboard, a silent gesture to say âIâm listeningâ.
Joe exhaled for the hundredth time in those last five minutes.
âIâve been meaning to tell you for a while now - he began slowly - Well actually I didnât know I wanted to tell you at first⊠I thought I was misreading things and I tried to forget about it all, but then Gwilym happened and I didnât know how to talk to you⊠you had disappeared from my life and I couldnât stand ââ
Elizabethâs smile widened. She still didnât know how to feel about what was happening. She was feeling too many emotions to choose only one.
âJoe-Joeââ she tried interrupting him, but he kept on talking, his sentences speeding up as they followed one another.
âBut when I saw you that day at the park and I told you I was fine, I knew you knew I wasnât and when I found you alone there, I couldnât help but feel relieved, even it that makes me a terrible friend to Gwilym. I was happy I could try again and-â
âJoe could you just-â she chuckled: it was like trying to have a conversation during a rapping contest.
âAnd then, â he continued undaunted, his lips curving into a smile because he knew she had caught on where he was leading to - I came here to tell you because I wanted to know what you wanted to say to me that same day at the park but I saw-â
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, the biggest smile lighting her face.
And without thinking of it twice, she shut him up properly.
She swiftly turned and, placing a hand on his cheek, she guided her lips onto his.
Joe hadnât registered immediately what was happening and the kiss remained barely a long-lasting smack for a couple of seconds.
When he realised words werenât strictly necessary to let her know what he wanted to say, he smiled against her lips and, bringing a hand behind her neck, he inclined his head to deepen the kiss.
Elizabeth felt like someone had lighted a hot air balloon inside her chest. She couldnât stop smiling between one kiss and the other and Joe curving his lips in a smile as well could only make her smile more.
They pulled away at the same time, both breathless and with a spark in their eyes. They stared into each otherâs eyes for a few instants, before bursting out laughing in unison.
Elizabeth rubbed her eyes, trying recomposing herself. Joe placed a hand on his belly to stop himself from laughing more.
âWhy are we laughing?â he asked, still chuckling.
Elizabeth brought a hand to her forehead and shook her head with a small giggle, âI really have no ideaâŠâ
They both sat back, their gazes fixed on Elizabethâs desk at the end of her bed.
âSoâŠâ Joe started again.
âSo,â Elizabeth echoed him, turning her head to look at him, a small shy smile on her face.
âSo, you liked my confession?âŠâ Joe asked and Elizabeth pushed her shoulder against his chuckling.
She looked at her hands fidgeting in her lap, âI donât know why I did thatâ
The smile slowly vanished from her face as she thought about it. She had been impulsive. Again. Just like she had done with Gwilym. And look where it has brought youâŠ, she thought to herself.
She hated jumping back and forth from happy to worried all the time. Doing something and then overthinking about it. She was sick of it. Why couldnât she be more decisive? Why did she have to always question everything her own mind thought?
Joe slowly stopped chuckling and stared at the weaved blanket at the end of the bed, confused. What did that mean? Why had she kissed him if she was already regretting it? Had it not meant the same to her as it had to him?
âDid you⊠- he tried to find the right words â âŠwant that?â
Elizabeth forced herself to think about the answer. YES. More than anything Iâve ever wanted, her heart shouted. And please tell me you wanted it as much as I did.
âYes, - she said instead calmly â but I wish it hadnât happened⊠I think I might have made things weirdâ
âOh, - Joe replied, more disappointment in his voice than heâd wanted to let transpire â then⊠why did you do that?â
Elizabeth knew he wouldnât have stopped asking questions until sheâd told him the truth and sometimes she hated how well she knew him.
She huffed, âI donât know, JoeâŠâ. She got up from the mattress and picked up the notebook.
Yeah, I do, she thought to herself.
âI think you do,â he replied, a little bit of anger mixing to the set of emotions he was feeling in that moment.
âNo, I donâtâ, she walked to her desk to put down notebook and pen.
Stop lying!
âYes you do, Liz, stop lying!â Joe got up as well to follow her.
âStop reading my mind!â she shouted back, not realising that was supposed to be just a thought.
Joe raised an eyebrow. Anger and confusion were having the better of him, âWhy canât you be honest? I exposed myself over there! â he pointed at the bed where theyâd been sitting â Why canât you do the same?â
âIâm trying to protect you!â she shouted back staring at him, her eyes slightly watered by the emotions she was trying to push down.
When he frowned again, she averted her eyes and looked outside the window, where darkness had already taken over the sky.
âI donât want it to happen again, - she confessed under her voice â not with youâ
Joeâs expression softened, âCan you please articulate your thoughts?â
Elizabeth forced her hands down her sides so that she could stop fidgeting.
âI donât want what happened with Gwilym to happen with you as wellâ she repeated.
She huffed and brushed her hair away from her forehead, âNothing good comes from when I get impulsive. I only get myself into trouble and end up hurting myself and others - she paused for a second â I already lost a friend. I donât want to lose youâŠâ
Joe furrowed his eyebrows shaking his head, âWho says youâre going to lose me? â he took a step closer and fixed a loose strand of red hair behind her ear â Just because it didnât work with Gwilym doesnât mean it wonât for usâŠâ
Us. At the bare thought, she could feel butterflies flying in every direction inside her stomach. She had never felt that way. With anyone in her whole life. Maybe itâs a sign, her hopeful heart commented.
âHow can you already talk about âusâ? - she half-smiled â And even if what you say is true, do you really want to risk everything? Knowing it might not work out and it might end like it has for me and Gwilym? Do you want to sacrifice everything weâve built for an impetuous decision on a casual Christmas night?â
Joe registered everything she had listed and he really wished he could think everything through. Twice. But he had already made up his mind at the first half-smile she had given him.
âLiz, - his lips curved into a smile, unable to contain the excitement of the anticipation â you are worth the risk.â
He watched the redness spreading on her cheeks and the smile gleaming on her face but he didnât give her the chance to reply. Before she knew, his lips were on hers and his hands were already holding her.
Joe had longed for that moment for such a long time he couldnât believe it was happening. He thought at any time his alarm would have rung and he would have woken up like he had done several times in those last few months.
And somehow even if he had imagined it, kissing Elizabeth was nothing like heâd thought. He figured there would have been hesitation and shyness from both sides, but it couldnât be further from reality.
There was an unspeakable hunger for the other person from both sides. They looked for each other in every kiss, every touch, every breath, and faster than they could realise, they let passion drive their bodies.
Without breaking the kiss, Joe stepped forward to the desk, making her walk backwards and hit the wooden surface with her lower back.
She effortlessly jumped on it and opened her legs to let Joe stand closer to her. He smiled on her lips when she did that and adrenaline shot up to her brain. She wrapped an arm behind his back and pulled him closer, while his hand found the way behind her neck beneath her loose hair.
Joe felt like soaring a hundred feet above the ground. The scent coming from her hair was inebriating and he felt like he was losing the last brims of lucidity he had left. He felt incredibly happy and the excitement of finally being with her was almost overwhelming.
He was well aware of her doubts and he felt like he could not blame her after everything he had watched her go through. But somehow his gut was telling him that anything could have happened to them and they still would have made past it. Together.
Elizabeth could feel the excitement running through her veins, a sensation sheâd never experienced before. Not at that extent at least. It was like someone had poured fire inside her veins and in the few fractions of a second she was lucid, she thought that with Gwilym it had been nothing like this.
Her ability to think straight was being obfuscated by Joeâs hands holding her tight and roaming around her back, but she was well aware of what she was feeling. And she knew, deep inside her self, that Joe could have been endgame.
She suddenly pulled away to stare into his eyes, looking for something even she wasnât quite sure of. Something to tell her this time her instinct may have been the right path to follow.
Joe simply smiled, asking with his breath short, âIs everything okay?â
She cupped his chin with her hands and lightly brushed her thumbs on his cheeks, returning him the smile, âIâm okayâ.
Joeâs smile grew brighter as he leaned in to kiss her gently. He slid his hands down to her lower back and moved her legs to wrap around his waist, picking her up from the desk.
Elizabeth broke the kiss giggling, âWhat the hell are you doing?â
He did not seem to be handling it well and chuckled, trying to hide the effort he was actually putting into it.
Elizabeth could not help but laugh the whole way to the bed â which took three steps â and her laughs grew louder when he dropped her on the mattress and collapsed beside her.
Joe tried to push down his laughs as well not to interrupt the rather passionate moment, but her laughter was too damn contagious.
âI thought itâd be hot and romanticâŠâ he said between chuckles, a tingle of disappointment in his tone.
Elizabeth got up on her elbows, laughter slowly fading away, âIâm sorry, Joe â she extended her arm to caress his cheek and guide him closer â It was really romanticâ
Joe chuckled and shook his head, âYouâre a terrible liar,â he said, closing once again the distance between their lips.
He rolled on top of her, holding himself up on the elbows. Her hands climbed up his back, beneath the sweater and t-shirt and it felt freezing cold against his hot skin. That contrast only helped his excitement to grow and a hushed groan disappeared into the kiss.
Elizabeth ran her hands up to help him get his head out of the sweater and for a brief moment they shared a look that meant âis this really happening?â.
He came down to kiss her again, hands flying at the brim of her sweater, taking it off with a few rapid motions. His lips left hers only to trace a trail down her neck and above her collarbone. Elizabeth exhaled deeply, her hands roaming on his back and through his hair to keep him close to her body.
The moment he nibbled at the skin underneath her ear, her brain was no longer in control of her actions. A hand rushed to the edge of his shirt and pulled it up so that she could throw it on the floor.
Pulling away for an instant, he got her out of her t-shirt as well. His brain was acute enough to realise it was not the first time he had seen her bra, but it sure was the first time he had seen it and felt the urge to rip it off.
Without a warning, Elizabeth got up and undressed from her pants, while Joe followed with a burning gaze. From a drawer in her desk, she pulled out a silver square and with all the nonchalance she could find, she walked back to the bed, pulled back the covers and gestured him to join her.
Joe was still startled and had trouble thinking and acting straight. The direction they were heading towards was pretty final and irreversible and he couldnât help feeling a little nervous.
He got out of his pants as well, suddenly feeling⊠exposed in front of her. He kneeled back on the bed and looked for comfort into her eyes. He could see she was thinking the same. As she rested a hand on his shoulder and gently pulled him closer to crash her lips onto his, he kept thinking how crazy it was doing all that with her.
They shifted so she could lay down on her back again and without breaking the kiss, Elizabeth reached out and turned off the switch of her abatjour, leaving the room in almost complete darkness if it wasnât for the street lamp outside the window and the decrescent moon watching over them.
He lowered himself and broke the kiss to trace a trail of kisses down her neck to the middle of her breasts. She hushed a moan and ran her hands in his hair, as his lips proceeded down her belly until the elastic of her panties.
âJoe,â she uttered, lifting her hips to help him pull down her knickers.
He smirked on her skin, planting a kiss right where the elastic had been and climbed back up to kiss her lips again. Her hands grazed his skin till the elastic band of his briefs and very slowly pulled them down.
Joe thought he could have cum just because of how slow she was rolling them down: it was torture. He shifted so that he could climb out of them with a sigh of relief.
As he came up to hover her again, he slid a hand underneath her back and unhooked her bra. She got out of it and threw it on the floor with the rest of their clothes, exposing the last piece of herself.
They looked for each otherâs eyes in the darkness for one last proof it was all real and just smiled, nodding at each other.
This is it, that meant.
She opened the silver package and Joe adjusted himself and after another brief glance of reassurance, he sank into her, hushed groans leaving his pink lips.
Elizabeth arched her back and exhaled heavily, quiet moans escaping her lips as Joe found a slow pace. Her arms and legs involuntarily wrapped around his body as if to cling to him and keep him as close as she could.
At that new angle, Joe was nearly overwhelmed with pleasure, he shut his eyes and bit his lips to hush himself from groaning out loud.
âG-God⊠Liz, youâre killing meâŠâ he managed to say and she let out a brief breathless chuckle but couldnât bring herself to articulate any words.
She roamed her fingertips up and down the soft skin of his back, causing him to mutter something that sounded like fuck under his breath.
While he had slowed the pace to rest a little, she held the grip with her legs and rolled both of them over so that Joe was now laying on his back. As she sat up and started circling her hips in a slow deadly pace, Joe ran his hands through his hair, moaning and muttering swear words.
When his hips spasmed upwards, signalling he was close to his climax, Elizabeth let her head fall backwards, overcome by a rush of pleasure. It felt like electricity in her veins. She felt her core clenching and she knew she was very close as well.
She stopped her hips and lowered herself to kiss him again. Joe took the chance to roll over and thrust a few times more before letting the climax rush through him. As he kept moving for a few seconds after, waiting for Elizabeth to come undone as well, he intertwined his hand with hers and held it tight.
They collapsed next to each other. And for a few seconds, the room was dead silent. The only noises were the radiator and the freezing wind shaking the plants outside.
Elizabeth was still incredulous of what had happened, and even if she may have thought about comparing the experience with Gwilymâs before, she knew she had no reason to. She didnât want to. They were two completely different matters.
âYou literally know everything about me now,â she whispered, a dopey smile on her face.
Joe slowly chuckled, sliding his arm under her neck and intertwining their fingers together, as Elizabeth rested her head between his shoulder and chest.
He hesitated, suddenly vulnerable and insecure, âDid you⊠regret this?â
Elizabeth tilted her head back so they could look at each other in the eyes, âThis may be the first time in my life when I am sure I have done the right thing.â
Joeâs smile widened as he let out a sigh of relief and leaned to kiss her forehead.
âWell, you have done me, - he continued in his usual playful tone â so that would make me âthe right thingâ?â
Elizabeth chuckled and shook her head, âYouâre a doofus as alwaysâ.
Joe was glad she looked relaxed: heâd worried heâd forced her into something she didnât want to be dragged into, but now that they were back to their usual shenanigans, he knew they were fine.
âFunniest thing is â Elizabeth continued â Hardy thought we had already done this⊠I mean from the look he gave us, he seemed to think, if we hadnât already, then we would have done it soonâŠâ
âWell, we proved him wrongâŠâ Joe sarcastically said they chuckled, as their fingers kept intertwining and untangling.
Elizabethâs phone lighting up partially ruined the quiet atmosphere. She excused herself and got up to fetch it from the desk, while Joe headed to the bathroom to dispose of the condom.
âItâs my mom⊠Itâs past midnight,â Elizabeth said, before realising she was standing butt naked in the middle of the room.
As she picked up her knickers and Joeâs pijama t-shirt, Joe reappeared into the room with a new pair of boxers and a sweet smile on his face, âMerry Christmas, Lizzieâ
He walked up to her and planted a chaste kiss on her lips.
âMerry Christmas, Joey - she replied with a smile, - We are in big troubleâŠâ she added, rotating the screen of her phone in his direction.
Joe furrowed his eyebrows confused and tried focusing on the chain of notifications, âHoly crap,â he just commented.
2 voicemails.
5 missed calls.
3 missed video calls.
37 texts.
All from Alex, the last one saying: âI am gonna kill you, womanâ
-
Chapters: ⏞ previous | next â€
Pretty spicy and damn cute, donât you think so? Let us know your opinion, reblog and like the chpater if you enjoyed it! Stay safe during these hard times! đ
A few elements from the main plot: A fine line falls between fiction and reality: what starts as a musical slowly becomes a game-changer. Tables will turn and it will get clear as the sun that the only unstoppable power in life ⊠is love.
Summary Chapter 10: Christmas is coming and some people go, others stay at the campus. But what if, as it always happens, plans will change last minute? And what if âthese plansâ are none other than Benâs plans?
Word count: 5.2K+
Warnings: Language here and there, but this chapter is mainly fluff / descriptions, so safe territory everyone
A/N: This chapter is indeed one of our favourites, folks! We loved writing it, so we do hope youâll like as much as we do! đ xx
Tuesday, 24 December 2019
The Sorceress was right: he had leaped without looking.
Leaped into something that was bigger than him and any of us mortals.
Suddenly, a plan unravelled before his eyes.
To fix everything.
To make amends.
This time he knew he couldnât do it by himself.
He needed help.
The alarm going off made him jump off the bed. He turned it off fast but not fast enough to prevent Rami from waking up.
âSorry mate,â Ben apologised to his roommate as he pulled a suitcase from under his bed.
âItâs Christmas Eve â Rami mumbled, rolling on the other side of his bed â did you need to set a goddamn alarm today?â
âItâs almost twelveâŠâ Ben observed, chuckling.
âYeah, but still⊠Christmas EveâŠâ Rami complained, using his pillow to cover his ears.
âMy dadâs picking me up in an hour â Ben shook his head chuckling and threw him a cushion â weâre going to Italy on the annual ski tripâ
âRight, - Rami threw the pillow back and got up, stretching his spine â how did he convince Miss New Americana?â
When his parents were still together, the Hardyâs would always go to Italy in the winter break and Ben only had happy memories of that time.
After Benâs mom died just as he was starting college, he and his dad went on the ski trip on their own for a couple of years. And then he met Linda, a sparkling pink American who inexplicably made his dad happy but who was clearly more interested in his dadâs money than she was in his actual happiness.
That would have been the first year someone outside the family had joined their trip and Linda didnât seem like the type of person who liked to⊠mess up her hairstyle with sky goggles.
âI suppose heâs gonna tell her weâre gonna go to Milan to go shopping and then listen to her complaints during the whole trip once she realises he lied to herâ Ben answered, making Rami chuckle from the bathroom.
Rami closed the water and emerged from the bathroom with the towel around his neck, âAre you gonna survive with her there?â
âNo Rami, - Ben stopped and pointed a finger at him â the question is: is she gonna survive with me there?â
Rami laughed, âOh God, youâre gonna be your own first client, Mr lawyerâŠâ
They were both laughing when Benâs phone rang and his dadâs number appeared on the screen.
âYeah dad, Iâm almost ready, what time are you gonna be here?â
Rami got out of his pijama and went through his drawers to find a shirt, he could tell something had happened by Benâs facial expression. He watched him slowly put the wool socks back on the bed, out of the suitcase, and sit on the mattress.
âYou must be joking. Tell me youâre joking.â Ben harshly said on the phone and Rami mouthed him a âwhatâ but Ben just shook his head.
âDad, you know sheâs just playing you, right? Are you still falling for her crap?â Ben rubbed a hand on the back of his neck and let it fall on his side.
âI cannot believe youâre taking her sideâŠâ
Rami walked up to him and sat on his bed while buttoning up his shirt.
Ben was defeated. His dad was one of the best lawyers in the UK, after all. He let his head fall forward and hid his face in the palm of the hand that wasnât holding the phone.
âFine â he blurted out, interrupting his dad on the other side â Do whatever she says. I donât care. I hope you two are gonna be happy.â
He was about to hang up when, âOh, and Iâm glad to hear Iâm the only one of us to still give a shit about mom.â
Hitting the red button, he ended the call and threw the phone into the suitcase. He brought his hands to his face and rested his elbows on the knees, exhaling frustrated.
âI canât believe her â he began â when he told her about the trip she flipped out and caused a scene in the middle of his Christmas dinner party and threatened to leave him and go back to her parents and my dad, being the dumbass that he is, told her they didnât have to go if she didnât want toâŠâ
Ben exhaled tiredly, even if heâd just woken up.
Ben got up again and began unpacking, âYeah, I knowâ
âYou can come with me and my folks⊠I can try booking you a last-minute ticket to Egyptâ
âThanks, Rami, but I donât think itâs possible⊠and in any case, Iâd feel like an outsider with you and your familyâ
âYou know my parents love you,â Rami patted on his shoulder before going to the wardrobe again to pick out his trousers.
Ben half smiled, âThanks, manâ
An effusive knock on the door interrupted them.
Rami opened the door and an impeccably dressed Lucy made her entrance.
âHappy Christmas Eve boys,â she kissed him on the cheek and went up to Ben to place a kiss on his lips.
She noticed Ben was unpacking and frowned, âArenât you supposed to be already packed? â she shot a look at Rami and he shook his head while looking down â What happened?â
Ben exhaled and threw his last T-shirt on the duvet, âLinda. Thatâs what happenedâŠâ
Lucy placed a hand on his back and brushed it soothingly, âIâm sorry, babe⊠you can always come at my parentsâ if you wantâ
âThanks, Luce, but I think Iâm not in the moodâŠâ Ben walked away to put his clothes back in his drawers, letting Lucyâs hand fall back to her side.
She furrowed her eyebrows, âSo where âre you gonna go?â
Ben closed the wardrobe and put his hands in his pockets, âI think Iâll stay hereâŠâ
âHere? â Lucy shrieked â You wanna be alone at Christmas?â
Ben huffed, âIâm not gonna be alone, Luce. Thereâs a lot of people who donât go home for Christmas and I know theyâre throwing a small party tonight at the cafeteria⊠more like a Christmas dinner for the ones who cannot have one with their families and-â
âItâs because of her, isnât it?â Lucy cut him off. Steam was already bowling up in her head and she had to force herself to listen to what he had to say instead of storming out of the room.
âWhat? No, Lucy I-â
âDonât play dumb with me, Ben, I know youâre not telling me something and I plead you tell me before I walk out of that door or I wonât be coming backâ
âAlexâs gonna be at her parents for the holidays⊠â Rami jumped in â She was telling Elizabeth the other day at rehearsal. Sheâs leaving tonightâŠâ
Lucy moved her eyes from Rami to Ben, âThat doesnât answer my question, thoughâ
She knew Ben better than she knew herself and he was hiding something. Since the beginning of the month, she had noticed that something was off with him. He talked less and missed a couple of rehearsals. He hung out more with his canoeing team than with the cast of the musical. And more importantly, heâd been avoiding physical contact as much as he could.
Lucy knew something had happened with Alex, she just knew.
Since that kiss on stage, she hadnât believed a word he had told her. He swore it didnât mean anything and he was just acting but she smelled the lie from miles away.
Lucy distinctly remembered Ben kissing her like that, with that passion⊠but it had stopped ages ago. And she had been fine with it because she had always been told that after the excitement of the beginning, it was normal to lose the spark in a relationship and âget usedâ to the routine.
Seeing him having the same spark they had with another woman had nearly driven her crazy.
She refused to believe they were done. She couldnât accept the idea she was losing him. Ben. They had been through so much together and she knew for sure her parents were already looking into wedding halls for when theyâd graduate. They had not-so-discretely told her they needed to be together because âit was good to the familiesâ on countless occasions.
And even though all of the above was true, she still needed to know what had happened so she could dump his ass before he could do it with her. She refused to be the cheated loser who got dumped by Ben Hardy. God, my parents are gonna kill me, was the only thought that circled inside her head.
She struggled in keeping up her stone-cold bitch façade, but she felt like she was crumbling to pieces and she knew she couldnât have held it much longer.
Ben almost involuntarily glanced at the dresser by the door and Lucy followed his gaze.
The picture of them at the first canoeing race he ever won was sitting in its frame, the glass completely shattered.
âWhat happened to that picture?â she asked, her voice squeaky.
âCrap,â Rami muttered under his breath and walked away from the couple, closing the bathroom door behind him.
Lucy stared at the broken glass, her mouth agape, âDid she do this?â her voice feeble.
Ben looked at his feet, running miles in his head to find a plausible answer that wouldnât completely shatter their relationship.
âFucking say something, Ben!â Lucy shouted.
âIt was an accident! â Ben shouted back, still averting her eyes â Alex had come by and-â
âThatâs all I needed,â Lucy cut him off and aimed to the door, but Ben blocked her arm.
âLet go of me,â she wriggled her arm away.
âIâm sorry, Lucy, I really am-â
âFor what Ben, uh? For wrecking our first memory as boyfriend and girlfriend? For cheating on me? Or for me founding out about you two? Uh?â
Ben didnât know what to say.
âYou bastard,â Lucyâs voice broke as she completed those last words and while Ben stood there she opened the door.
She walked out, but before shutting the door behind her she turned one more time, âRot in hell, Ben Hardyâ.
With that said Lucy slammed shut the door on their relationship.
It was over.
Ben walked back to his bed and sat there staring at the floor.
âJeez mate,â Rami emerged from the bathroom.
Ben looked up to him, âYou heard everything I supposeâŠâ. Rami nodded.
Ben scoffed, âWhat have I done, man?â
âWell, to be honest⊠a fucking messâ Rami sat in front of him and Ben emitted a bittersweet chuckle.
âThanks⊠â Ben brushed a hand in his hair â What do I do now?â
Rami exhaled, âHow much do you need me to be honest?â
Ben looked at him and realised Rami was probably the only person who knew him well enough to give him advice on this, â100%. Shoot.â
Rami nodded, âListen, Ben, youâre my best mate and you choose complete honesty so I have to tell you⊠You acted like a dick.â
Ben sarcastically chuckled, âWell thanks, man, I needed thatâŠâ
âLet me talkâŠâ Rami shushed him, âYou acted like a dick with both Lucy and Alex. You cheated on Lucy, knowing all the shit you two had been through and you lied to her about the kiss with Alex on stage. You deluded Alex you two could be together without telling her that you still hadnât talked to Lucy and you had no intention of doing it soonâŠâ
Ben was staring at the floor, feeling all the horrible things heâd done stabbing his back like daggers.
âSo now you have to do only one thing and you have two ways to do it⊠- Rami continued â You have to make things right with both of them and you can either choose to run after Lucy or go talk to Alex. Your choice.â
Ben finally looked up at him and saw a half-smile on Ramiâs face, meaning that heâd support either of his choices. Like he had always done.
He smiled, âThanks, Ramiâ. They both got up and Ben hugged him, suddenly knowing what to do.
He walked away from his friend, picked up his phone, jacket and keys and headed to the door.
âIâll probably be gone by the time youâre back, â Rami said, making Ben turn to look at him â so donât do anything stupid. And keep out of trouble.â
Ben smiled, âMerry Christmas, mateâ
As he closed the door behind him he heard Rami shouting Merry Christmas asshole back to him. He chuckled to himself and let his feet walk him in the only direction he wanted to go.
***
âSo youâre telling me youâll spend New Yearâs Eve here?â, Denise tucked her phone between her head and shoulder and picked up her books, then headed towards the libraryâs exit.
âApparently so,â Gwilym was cheerier than sheâd expected and it made her smile to herself.
âThatâs cool⊠â she tried to keep a straight tone while dodging the people in the corridor and finally stepping outside the building â Well, let me know when youâre gonna be here. We could⊠grab a bite⊠and maybe wait for New Years in the main hall with the othersâŠâ
Gwilym smiled widely, âI would love thatâ
Denise was able to contain her joy only because of the books she was holding. She was actually jumping around inside her head.
As she proceeded on the sidewalk of the 9th dormitory, she noticed a familiar puff of blond hair waving at her from the distance.
âListen, Gwil, Iâll call you back.â She hung up the phone and fished it not without some struggle in her pocket.
âHi, Ben⊠What are you doing here?â
âHey Denise, â he sounded nervous and after everything Alex had told her, she didnât know how what to think of him â I was looking for Alex and I know she lives here, but I donât know her room⊠Is there any chance you could tell me?â
Denise furrowed her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes, âAnd why should I tell you that?â
Ben was confused at first, but then he realised Alex had probably told her what had happened between them.
âListen, Denise â he started, brushing his hair nervously â I need to speak to her as soon as possible. She hasnât picked up my calls in weeks and, besides that, I need to do this in person⊠I wanna make things right, trust me. Iâm here to make things right.â
Denise stared at him and he did look desperate. She knew Alex would have killed her, but she decided to trust her instinct, âThe room is 986. Second floor, west end of the corridor.â
Ben let out a breath he didnât know he was holding, âThank youâ.
He patted her on the shoulder and smiled, before climbing the steps to the building.
âDonât make me regret this, Hardyâ she shouted before he could enter and he turned to wave as if to say âpromiseâ.
Ben eluded security and ran towards the stairs, jumping two steps at a time. He was so focused on arriving in time that he couldnât think of anything to say to her face.
When he got to the door, he almost hesitated to knock.
Suck it up Hardy, he said to himself and rapidly knocked on the wooden surface, eagerly waiting for an answer.
âWho is it?â Elizabeth asked.
âItâs Ben,â he cleared his voice.
The door opened and Elizabeth emerged with only her head from behind it, a nervous smile on her face, âHey Ben, what are you doing here?â
Ben looked her up and down and hesitated for a second, wondering who was she waiting for that made her so nervous.
âUhm, I was looking for Alex⊠I need to talk to her urgentlyâ
Elizabethâs expression changed, âOh, ehm⊠she left last night to go to her parents⊠Iâm sorryâ
âOh,â he lowered his gaze as to think about a backup plan. He had not seen that coming. He looked up to Elizabeth again, âThey live in town right? Do you know the address?â
âWow, well Ben youâre asking me a lotâŠâ Elizabeth inadvertently opened the door more and he took it as an invitation to walk inside.
He looked around and noticed that only one bed was undone, sign that at least one of the roommates had probably not slept there that night.
The girl closed the door with a scoff and he squared her up and down. She was wearing a large t-shirt that was most certainly not hers and that only barely covered her super short shorts.
Elizabeth scoffed again and crossed her arms on her chest, âEyes up here, Hardy⊠- he recomposed himself but couldnât hide a smirk. She was evidently waiting for someone â What youâre asking me is betraying a friend. A friend that clearly doesnât want to hear from you⊠or she would have picked up at least one of your calls, wouldnât she?â
Ben looked at his feet and brought a hand on the back of his neck, looking for a good excuse as to why Elizabeth should have trusted him.
When he was about to speak, the noise of water starting and stopping right after interrupted the silence.
Ben looked at the girl with a confused and way too amused face, âIf Alexâs not here⊠whoâs in there?â
He watched her gasping for words and then hiding her face behind her palms when the bathroom door opened.
Joe emerged from the door frame in pijama pants, with no t-shirt on and a towel around his neck. He widened his eyes as soon as he registered what was going on.
Benâs eyes widened as well and he brought a hand to his mouth in disbelief. He darted his look between the two of them and a smirk gleamed on his lips, as he did the math: Joeâs pants and Elizabethâs t-shirt were undoubtedly two pieces of a whole pijama.
âOh shit,â was the only thing Joe could say.
âOh my God⊠â Ben snickered â what the fuckâs going on here?â
Joe glanced at Elizabeth but she was still hiding behind her hands. She peeked from between her fingers and she could see the two boys staring at her. She let her hands fall and huffed.
âWe are both staying here for Christmas and both roommate-less⊠- Liz hoped the phrase would complete itself, but when she saw Ben nodding in her direction, asking to continue, she rolled her eyes â Joe moved in here for the holidaysâ
Ben laughed out loud, earning a punch on the arm from the girl, âCut it out, Hardy.â
She knew she should have been more worried about someone knowing that a guy was sleeping in the female dormitory, but when she caught Joe who had started breaking as well, she couldnât help but chuckle.
âFine, - she conceded recomposing herself â but you canât tell anyone about this, okay?â
Ben tried pushing down the laughter and nodded forcefully, clearing his throat, âDonât worry⊠Your little secret is safe with meâŠâ. He winked at Elizabeth, unable to hide his wily smirk.
âThereâs no secret â Joe blurted out, his face more nervous than he cared to admit â Nothing happened hereâŠâ
âRight, â Ben nodded condescendingly â and sheâs wearing your tee because she doesnât have any clothes?â
He raised an eyebrow and chuckled at the redness that was spreading on both their faces. They were so cute, both embarrassed and awkward every time he suggested there was something between them.
It was crystal clear to his eyes that there was something there and he smiled to himself, wishing he and Alex had taken things as slowly as they had. Because it was evident to him now that there had always been something else besides friendship between Joe and Elizabeth. All those stolen glances he had caught during rehearsal and the way Joe had reacted when heâd seen Elizabeth kissing Gwilym. It was not casual.
Only after a few seconds, he realised that whatever had happened in that room, they probably hadnât talked about it yet.
âListen, guys, - he started, - Iâm not here to mess around⊠I have to talk to Alex. I screwed things up and I want to make them right, now that I have the chance. I need to make things right.â
Joe and Elizabeth shared a glance.
âCan you please help me? â Ben continued â Iâll keep your secret, I swear. Just please, will you help me?â
Elizabeth glanced at Joe again and he nodded as to say âitâs your callâ.
She exhaled, âIâll write it down for you â Ben let out a breath of relief, but Elizabeth continued â but you have to swear on everything youâve got that you will not make me regret helping you.â
Ben forcefully nodded, âSure, I swear. I doâ
âAnd you have to shut your mouth about what you just saw,â Joe jumped in.
Again, Ben nodded and watched as Elizabeth picked up her phone and texted him the address.
âThank you. For real,â he said to both of them.
Elizabeth half-smiled, âYouâre welcome, Hardy. Now get out of here before I change my mindâŠâ
âMerry Christmas, guys,â Ben said with a chuckle, before patting Joe on the shoulder and sprinting towards the door.
As it closed behind him, Joe turned to Elizabeth, âYou know you sent Alex a ticking time bomb right?â
She sat down on the bed, thinking that Joe was probably right and that Alex would have killed her for what sheâd done. But she also knew Ben and Alex were both secretive, big-headed people that lived in the fear of letting someone close.
Well, sometimes people like them needed a small push to take the leap.
Elizabeth chuckled to herself, âYeah, thatâs my Christmas present.â
***
âI told you, itâs not just another musical. It will be very important for my extra credits and, besides, I get to play the piano in front of the whole campus which is the closest Iâve ever gotten to a concertâ Alex replied, shrugging her shoulders and placing the carrots on the cutting board.
âThank you, dear,â her mom said and Alex smiled, kissing her on the temple. It was Christmas Eveâs afternoon, but Christmas dinner was already taking its form on the stove.
âStill find it useless, you could be studying other stuff instead of wasting your time playing a witchâ her brother Jason commented.
âOh, like economy? Like you, Jay? âm sorry to disappoint you, but my place will never be behind a computer typing on the board all dayâ Alex sassily replied, raising her left eyebrow.
âAnd whereâs your place, Alex?â Jason used his smart-ass tone, that knew would have bothered his sister for days.
Alex inhaled sharply and walked towards the table where Jason was sat at. She put her hands on the marble surface and leaned down until her eyes were looking straight into his.
âIn front of thousands of people, that cheer my nameâ
âLike mother like daughter â their father appeared in the kitchen, still wearing the gloves he had used to collect the firewood â she always used to say she would have sold theatres and would have danced for the Queen,â he proudly continued, hugging his wife from behind.
âAnd thatâs exactly what I did. Apart from the exhibition in front of the Queenâ, the woman chuckled, turning her head to place a brief kiss on her husbandâs lips.
Alex looked at them and sincerely smiled, before turning in her brotherâs direction.
âYou see: a dancer, a conductor â she started, indicating their parents â a wanna-be musician â she went on indicating herself â and then thereâs you, an accountantâ she ended her sentence indicating Jason.
They all started to giggle.
âHow many times will I have to hear this story?â Jason asked, defeated.
âUntil mom and dad admit youâve been adopted, thereâs no other explanation to meâ Alex joked, messing his hair up. He pushed her away and they cackled again.
âIt would be weird to discover that at thirty years old, donât you think so?â
âThereâs always time for new discoveries. Am I wrong dad?â Alex said, walking closer to her mom and stealing a carrot to munch it.
âYouâre absolutely right, my dearâ the man answered, winking at his daughter and walking out of the kitchen to go and light the fire up inside the fireplace.
The two women started to laugh, while Jason rolled his eyes getting up to help his dad with the wood. Alexâs mom scrolled her head and kissed her daughterâs forehead.
âLet me help you,â Alex said, taking the knife from her hand.
All of a sudden, while the two men were struggling with the fire in the living room and Alex was cutting vegetables for her mother, the doorbell rang.
âGeorge, are you expecting someone?â Alexâs mom shouted from the kitchen.
âNo, Eveline, Iâm not. Christ, why wonât it light up?â her husband answered in a rush, before starting to insult the wood that did not want to burn.
âIâll go and see whoâs it,â Alex promptly said, and her mother thanked her before going back to cook.
She cast a glance at the salon and could not contain a hushed chuckle that escaped her lips in seeing her dad so pissed kneeling in front of the fireplace and an even more pissed Jason standing behind him.
She scrolled her head and toddled towards the door.
Alex did not know whom she was expecting to find; maybe a familyâs friend, or the postman, or even one of their relatives that had decided to surprise them. She was sure of only one thing: she surely wouldâve not expected to find him.
âBen! â her welcoming smile fading away from her lips in the exact moment she opened the door and saw him, standing there â how ⊠what ar-â
âItâs over. Between me and Lucy, itâs overâ he cut her off and let out in a rush.
He seemed out of breath as if he had run a marathon to get there in time. His coat was unbuttoned and his scarf was carelessly entangled around his neck, while the keys of his car were dangling from his index finger.
Alex opened her mouth and, looking behind her back, she took a step outside to have some âprivacyâ.
âBen, I ⊠thatâs ⊠I mean, I donât think itâs the right time to have this conversationâ Alex stuttered and had to cough halfway into the sentence to recompose her tone.
Her heart was jumping at the sight of him, but her brain was sending thousands of warning signs. She had to think about the way she had felt when she left his room that day, the way she had felt every other day at rehearsals when she had to pretend nothing had happened. Â
Ben slightly nodded and looked down to the ground for a brief instant, while a few snowflakes graciously fell on his blonde hair.
âItâs just, that⊠âve missed you, Alex. And I know I screwed everything up, but ⊠you know, when this morning Lucy walked out of my bedroom I felt I finally had a choice,â
He paused again, finding the strength to look into Alexâs eyes.
âAnd I choose youâ he then confessed.
A long stripe of frozen breath flew out from the corner of his mouth and, while he was breathing, free from the burden he had carried on his chest, Alex, at those words, felt as if her lungs had stopped functioning.
âBen â she started, unsure on what saying after â I think itâs better if we talk about all of this after the holidaysâ her tone was cold. Glacial.
Panic had taken over her body and her insecurities had immediately built a barrier to shield her, cutting Ben out once again.
âThereâs my whole family inside, itâs not the right time for this. You understand that right?â she proceeded when she noticed Ben had not dared to speak a word yet.
âI understand â he echoed her, nodding â Merry Christmas, thenâ and saying that, he turned on his heels and walked towards his car.
Alex felt tears reaching her eyes and had to look up to push them away. When she decided to reserve one last gaze at Ben, she noticed he was struggling with the carâs ignition.
He punched the steering wheel and exited the car.
âIt doesn't start-up,â he said, letting his arms fall loose by his sides.
âAre you joking?! â Alex shouted, feeling her heart pumping harder inside her chest; when he scrolled his head, she knew she didnât have any choice â come insideâ she surrendered.
Benâs chin touched the ground as he tried, and failed, to hide the big smile that was now adorning his face. Alex opened the door for him and let him step inside first.
âI talk, you keep your mouth shut!â she threatened him and, as an answer, Ben pretended to zip his lips. Â
âAlex, who was at the ⊠oh, hiâ Jason appeared from the living room and grinned at the scene in front of his eyes. Soon, their parents too emerged from the salon and the kitchen and Alex felt as if she was under the spotlight. Â
âEhm, this is Ben, a friend from college â she cleared her throat and felt her mouth go drier â his car broke downâ
âOne of my friends is a mechanic! Iâll call him and tell him to come here and have a lookâ Alexâs dad, promptly suggested.
âNo need to rush, sir. Really. No one is expecting me at home, so Iâm in no hurryâ Ben almost innocently replied in front of all that kindness, not thinking about how terrible his situation sounded from outside.
Alex had snapped her head in his direction, not sure she had heard correctly. When Ben met her worried gaze, he immediately said:
âNot a big deal, no need to be preoccupied. Everything is⊠fineâ
âDonât be ridiculous, no one should be alone on Christmas! You can stay here with us. Alex what do you think?â her mom kindly offered and Alex could not stop the redness that spread all over her cheeks.
Jason smirked when she saw her blushing.
Alex looked up at Ben, who shrugged his shoulder and she found herself sighing in defeat.
Her heart had won another match. Â
âYou can stay. If you wantâ
On Benâs lips crept a smile so big, that he thought he would have burst of happiness in a couple of seconds.
âI canât even find the words to thank you right now,â he then said, diverting his eyes from Alex to her family.
âOh donât worry, dear. Itâs a pleasure â Alexâs mum said walking closer to hug him â George, Jason, ask him if he needs help with the luggage and Alex, come in the kitchen and add one more seat for tonightâs dinnerâ she added, plucking Benâs cheek.
âAt your ordersâ Jason answered and took his coat. Once he was close enough, he elbowed Alex who reserved him an immediate middle finger.
Ben laughed under his breath and it was in that moment that Alex thought about one thing. She took him by the sleeve of the jacket and, as he was about to step out and guide Alexâs brother and dad to his car, she pulled him down and whispered:
âHow did you know my address?â
Ben flushed and, nervously adjusting his scarf, he caressed the back of his neck and replied:
âThatâs actually a pretty funny storyâ
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