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masterlist
A/N: Apologies if I got some of the timeline wrong I'm trying lol. I used Käärijä and his real name Jere interchangeably so if you get confused that's why. Also when they're talking they're obviously talking Finnish irl but I only know some sentences so just pretend 𼴠(Definitions of Finnish words I may use are at the end of the chapter) I still don't know whether to turn this fanfic into a Bojan x reader x Käärijä...help me pls, comment below (I am deranged for them both I'm not sorry)
Being one of Käärijä's dancers for Eurovision 2023 was the best job you could ask for. You and Käärijä, or should I say, Jere, grew up together and have been through thick and thin. Nonetheless, you are still just as close as you were when you were younger.
To say you and Jere were friends would be an understatement. Best friends, sometimes slightly more if you had too much alcohol...It seemed either way Jere would always be the protective one, constantly looking out for you and prioritising your needs (and everyone else's) rather than his own. You would tell him that he had a habit of doing that, yet he would simply shrug it off.
You had the chance to meet a couple of the other contestants before arriving in Liverpool at a pre-party, specifically two nights ago at the Nordic Party, but unfortunately, or fortunately, you cannot remember a single thing from it. Thank you Finnish drinking culture! (Seriously, drink responsibly.)
Currently, the turquoise carpet was happening and Käärijä had finished his short interview which was the cue for you and the other three dancers to join him on the small make-shift stage to pose for the camera.
As soon as he saw you his eyes lit up, finding someone he was familiar with amongst the chaos of not only the carpet event but later on in the entire competition was comforting, and with having to mostly talk English (which he wasn't hugely knowledgeable on) in interviews and with the competitors, only made it more difficult. Despite this he had you and that's the only thing that mattered, and doing well in his performances, of course. You knowing slightly more English helped too...
Embracing you in a side hug was his way of showing he cared for you, for now, words are for later. While you hugged you turned to each other and smiled, both still not believing that you were in this together, at Eurovision! At this, the camera took its last snap of you two like that. You could certainly foresee it being featured in a video titled "Fave moments of Käärijä and Y/n" or something along those lines.
Once you all began making your way to the carpet your nerves kicked in, something which Jere picked up on and whispered you some words of comfort making you struggle to shake the fuzzy feeling he gave you. Now is not the time to fixate on whether you have feelings for your best friend...
You all moved along the carpet, which consisted of talking to fans and more posing for different cameras. While Käärijä was distracted with a fan you and the dancers decided to have a mini 'Cha Cha Cha dance moment' in the middle of the carpet for the cameraman to film. He was shifting his attention to you when he heard loud cheering. seeing you leading the dancers at the front, Cha cha cha-ing away, as he does. A laugh escaped you as you noticed him giggling at you out the corner of your eye so you dragged him by the arm to join in before embarrassment kicked in.
"You're already trying to replace me?!" Jere joked as he brought his hands on his hips.
"Maybe. I think I'll make a great Käärijä."
"I think you'll be more of a Juoppo, or better, Kalsarikänni" He teased back resulting in you playfully punching his chest, huffing, crossing your arms and facing away from him. From the corner of your eye, you thought you noticed him gazing at you for a little longer than normal but you brushed it off...
Of course, the cameras couldn't get enough of this. Another moment to add to that video!
After the carpet event, a few contestants were at a small bar table nearby, wanting to meet some other contestants.
You all had been there for around twenty minutes and the dancers had already left to get another drink leaving you and Käärijä to enjoy the last of your drinks together before planning on joining conversations with fellow opponents around you when a band had come over to the bar t order drinks.
"I think that's the guy I saw at the party!" Jere turned to you with a glimmer in his eye before waving and catching the man in question's attention. You followed his gaze and your heart skipped a beat. He had a black sequined flowing shirt on that made him sparkle in the light and complimented his dark blond locks, and you had to admit, he was nice to look at. Most importantly he was very familiar. Had you seen him at the party? You couldn't quite remember...
You hadn't had time to think about anything else as you noticed the man striding over, forcing you to take a sharp breath in, primarily because you were worried you were going to make a fool of yourself which left you to also mentally curse Jere for putting you in these ridiculous neon pink outfits and blinding white fake teeth and orange tan that gave uncanny valley to anyone who looked at you for longer than five seconds.
"Hey, I'm Bojan, singer of the Slovenian act, 'Joker Out'...We saw each other at the party!" He smiled at you both as you started to just about recognise him from the first time you and Jere met him at the party.
"Yes yes, Joker-man!" Jere joked in remembrance, making Bojan laugh and at that moment you thought you were dreaming. Hearing his voice again without the loud party music was nice but hearing his laugh? That was heavenly.
Jere finally (officially) introduced you to him. "This is Y/n, remember?" The man shook your hand. Your nerves were slightly eased when none of your fake tan left any marking on him, although they came right back as he spoke. Now you knew he was not only hot but had a pleasant voice too. All you had left was to hear his singing voice...
"Yes! I remember!" Bojan eagerly replied. You noticed a tinge of redness appear on his cheeks and hoped he was just feeling hot, as he physically does anyway, and not because of a recollection of something embarrassing at the party (that you still could not remember any major details of...) Deep down you knew the latter was probably true yet tried to keep yourself calm and collected.
"Good to see you again," You lied, wishing you were saying the right thing. What if you had done something stupid and now you're saying it's good to see him again? What if this isn't good?! Is it good? It must be. He is being nice to you after all...
Your thoughts were interrupted as the rest of Joker Out came over and once again said how great the party was...Even they had memories of it and they weren't even invited!
Leaving you and Bojan alone, Käärijä and the other boys began steering away, closer to a table by some other contestants the boys wanted to introduce Käärijä to.
"Hey, remember that drinking game we played at the party? That was fun..." Bojan trailed off, speaking of a moment that must have happened at the party.
"Oh...yeah! That was so fun!" You lied again, having no idea what he was talking about. Oh god, what if you had kissed him and not remembered...
Almost like an angel, Jere began walking back over with two drinks in hand, clearly seeing what you needed. Or he was sabotaging you because at this point you were ready to leave your Finnish roots behind and vow never to drink again, seeing the circumstances.
Before leaving to join the others Bojan leaned over and whispered into your ear. "You don't remember anything at all, do you?" At that, he simply walked away, leaving you standing there even more confused...and concerned.
"Smooth." Jere had obviously heard the last of your conversation with Bojan and sent a smug smile your way.
You weren't sure but had Jere sensed the tension or were you going crazy? Guilt was filling you up now. How could you not remember the Nordic party? You Nordics are known for liking a drink but not remembering anything, at all, is a new low even for you. Even in Käärijä's view. That hasn't happened since you were a teenager, he would know.
You felt like Jere was not telling you something or maybe he thought you had remembered what happened already... Again, you had no time to think, which was a typical thing lately much to your hatred, because a young woman around your age approached you. "Hi, I'm Alessandra! You're Y/n, right? I saw you at the Nordic party!" She smiled. Ah, yes, the party you barely could remember. As if you needed any more reminding.
"Hi! Good to see you again." You could lie for the whole world at this rate.
Alessandra introduced you and brought you over to the table where Joker Out and Käärijä were as well as the last few people who were at the bar; Luke Black who was representing Serbia and Alika who was representing Estonia. You got along well with them and you all decided to plan a get-together where tomorrow you'd all hang out at a cafÊ nearby and everyone was so excited about it! You were too, but, after that interesting interaction with Bojan, you were nervous to say the least.
As time passed the bar became quieter and quieter as they began leaving to go site-seeing, and back at the hotel, the day turned into night.
Even though you were sad to do so, even with Jere protesting otherwise, you both knew you leaving him to have an early night was for the best. To him, he assumed you were tired but you knew the only way you could escape from all the confusing and slightly flirty looks from Jere and Bojan was the comfort of your hotel room which was overwhelming at this point.
Taking a nice hot bath would surely do the trick of ridding your mind of not only them but also the stress of the competition...Until you had a vision, of yourself in a sauna. Kaarija's sauna. A pleasant steaming sauna with two other figures sat close to you. Bojan and Jere. Then it vanished away like a dream.
What was that supposed to mean?
While you clambered into bed for the night in your hotel room you tried to rest but something was keeping you awake, or someone, orrather two people. That bath did nothing but further confuse you!
Maybe watching Joker Out's interview from the carpet event would (worsen) help you... At that, you flipped over to your right side where your bedside table was and grabbed your phone, opened Youtube and the first thing to come up was the video in question. Seems like even your phone knows something's up.
The first was the official interview by the two hosts of the Turquoise Carpet. It opened with the usual questions like "How are you finding it all?" and "Do you like Liverpool?"Â Â Â Although, as the interview progressed it built up to "Have you been anywhere you like?"
The band responded with site-seeing places like The Cavern Club where The Beatles performed but to you, the most important place was the Nordic Party..."Okay, that wasn't too bad," you thought to yourself.
The next video was by one of the reporters who was one of many along the Turquoise carpet and you thought it couldn't get any worse...but it did. The question that stuck out the most to you was "Which contestant would you rather get stuck in a sauna with?" which caused the band to erupt in laughter.
Luckily, while the video was being recorded earlier that day, you and Käärijä and the other dancers were further along or had left the carpet by then, otherwise, the answer they gave would have probably provoked anyone within reach to ask you about: "I think I've already done that already..."  Bojan hesitated yet finished the sentence; "...with two people here already..."
He then had the cheek to mutter under his breath: "Someone close to Käärijä." Bojansmirked and the rest of the band giggled. If you weren't slick you wouldn't have caught it but it looked like Jan said something under his breath to Bojan...something that looked to be your name.
So, in conclusion, that 'vision' you had in the bath was in fact, a memory.
A/N:
Juoppo = drunkard.
Kalsarikänni = getting drunk in your underwear at home. (I still find it so funny they have a word for this...I love Finnishđ)
ALSO THE DRAMA, GUYS, THE DRAMAAAA!!!
Sugar Daddy!Joel Miller x Female!Reader
Overall Warnings: slow burn, angst/comfort, power imbalance, age gap, possessive tendencies, eventual smut, #daddyissues, independent reader learns to let go and relax, emotionally constipated Joel Miller learns to be vulnerable; (more specific warnings to be added to individual chapters if necessary)
Chapter Word Count: 4,501
Summary: You spent your entire adult life supporting yourself and barely getting by. It's why a life of ease offered to you by a mysterious stranger sounded so foreign and unbelievable. Joel Miller, dressed in flannels that had seen better days, didn't look like the kind who could promise you the world on a plate, but he seemed desperate to help out. All he asks is that you let him take care of you. That wouldn't be so hard. Would it?
[a/n: I'm feeling Fridays for the update day, but i'm not married to that idea yet. also thank you for all the love this has seen so far!! I am so happy to know I'm not the only one that would sell my soul to have Joel Miller as my sugar daddy.]
"the way his voice sounds, or the words he speaks, i can never decide what pulls me in more." -butterflies rising
âMorning, sugarâ.
You chuckled at the term of endearment and leaned back in your seat. The other people on the bus surrounding you were living their own lives as always. You recognized many of your routine bus neighbors. The woman who ate an onion bagel every single morning on her way to work, the man who still read an actual newspaper rather than use his phone, the brother and sister duoâ¤only teens⤠on their way to school. You wondered how these people classified you in their head.Â
âMorning to you tooâ¤â You paused. Should you call him âdaddyâ again? Saying it teasingly was one thing, but typing it somehow made it seem more permanent. Which was a stupid thought to have, but it was the one that plagued you nonetheless. You deleted your words and started again. âMorning! Howâ¤â Again, you froze. Was the exclamation mark too much for this early in the morning? It was only yesterday that you made this deal with him and it would be sad for you to annoy him so early in the deal. Delete. Repeat. âJoelâ¤â Way too formal. Okay. You were officially over thinking this.
âHey! Howâs your morning going?â
The moment you hit send that dumb little anxiety riddled voice at the back of your head tried to criticize your choice of words and you had to wrestle it back down. Almost immediately you saw the text bubble of dots pop up as he typed.
âGreat. First meeting got canceled. You?â
It was marginally funny to you that the man who owned this huge company seemed so dead set on avoiding meetings. Plus, it was kind of cute that he was more comfortable in flannel than suits.
âJust on the bus heading to work!â
The text bubble popped up immediately, then disappeared, then came back, then disappeared once more. As you waited for it to return, his name filled the entire screen as he called you. Your eyes widened in surprise. After getting past your shock, you answered, âUh, hi.â
âSorry, repeat that for me.â Joelâs voice was nearly drowned out by a bunch of noise that youâd have to guess dealt with some kind of construction. âYouâre on the âwhatâ heading âwhereâ?â
âBus? Work?â You replied in confusion.
Joel cleared his throat and he must have been moving since the noise simmered down. âYeah, thatâs what I thought you said, darlinâ. Can I ask why?â The sound that left your mouth was a good representation of your broken brain. âBecause Iâm pretty sure you and I made a deal yesterday. Didnât we?â
âWe did.â You said slowly. âButâ¤â
âDarlinââ¤â
âIn my defense, I canât just quit work. I respect Henry too much. I have to at least give him a two weeks notice so he can find a replacement.â You argued. Even if Henry wasnât someone you considered family youâd still feel obliged to quit the correct way. Still, maybe that was something you shouldâve mentioned yesterday before the two of you parted ways. âSorry, Joel.â
He let out a small sigh. âThereâs no need to be sorry. I understand. Youâre too responsible for your own good.â You chuckled. âBut the bus? The bus?â
You had to resist the urge to laugh at how insulted he was at the prospect of you on public transportation. You glanced over your shoulder out the window to see how far from work you were. âWell, ubers and taxis are so expensive from my house to the bakery. Plus, I have a bus card!â
âBus card?â Joel repeated. His incredulous voice took an amused tone. âSugar, you got daddyâs credit card.â Your eyes widened and you felt your entire face burn as heat filled your cheeks. As if somebody would be listening in, you glanced around at the people sitting near you. Joel chuckled, the sound low and deep, âWhatâs wrong? Cat got your tongue?â
âI, uh, I⤠Thatâs a good point.â You cleared your throat. âIt felt silly using the card for something like an Uber or taxi though. You know?â
âNothinâ is too silly. I want you to use that card. All the time. Understand?â
âI understand.â
âI understandâŚâ Joel repeated with enunciation at the end. Waiting for something. Waiting forâŚ
âIâm on the bus.â You whispered into the phone, in shock, while covering your mouth.
Joel hummed. âOh, I know. Now. I understandâŚâ
You chewed on your lower lip, glanced around, then whispered into the phone quickly, âI understand, daddy.â
âSorry, sugar. Couldnât quite hear you there. Must be because of how loud and hectic that bus is.â
Your lips curled up into a broad grin as your face continued to burn. He cleared his throat to urge you on, and you shook your head with a slight chuckle. You blew out an amused breath and repeated yourself. âYes. I understand, daddy.âÂ
An older woman sitting to your left shot you a curious glance and you sunk in your seat, and turned toward the window to laugh. You could hear Joelâs breathy laugh over the line as well. Joel spoke up, âThatâs better. As for this transport problem,â You rolled your eyes still grinning, âCan you drive?â
âWell, yeah.â You replied and the smile fell as a thought occurred to you. âThat is not a reason to buy me a car.â
âWow, you really think Iâd buy you a car right out the gate like that?â
âOh. Right. Sorry. Iâ¤â You paused then shook your head. âWait, no, actually I do. I do think youâd do that.â
âYouâre right. I would. You got a preference, sugar?â
âPlease do not buy me a car.â You blurted. âI⌠I really donât like driving around this city. Last time I even got behind a wheel was over two years ago.â
âFine. No car. Iâm gettinâ you a driver then.â
âThat still feels excessive.â You replied hesitantly.
âDo it for me then? Iâd feel more comfortable knowinâ youâre not ridinâ around with strangers.â
The words were spoken with kindness, actual concern, and a part of you wondered if he was saying what he was because it was expected of him? The deal was for him to take care of you and keeping you safe could arguably fall under that umbrella of responsibilities. You just found it hard to believe heâd care out of the goodness of his heart considering how little time you had spent with one another thus far. It wasnât a criticism of him at all. Maybe he was just that kind deep down, maybe he did have a bleeding heart. It was the process of trying to apply that thought, those concerns, to yourself that felt silly. At the end of the day, that voice of anxiety just couldnât fathom a near stranger actually worrying over your well being with no ulterior motive of their own.
Joel said your name over the line, snapping you out of your line of thought, and you forced your smile to return. It wasnât hard to find. âAlright. For you.â
âGood.â He blew out a breath of what almost sounded like relief. âWhat time does your shift end?â
âItâs Sunday so I usually close up the shop around 5:30, then pack away all the leftovers to take to the shelter a few blocks away.â You replied. Anytime the shop had any leftovers, which was happening more and more, Henry would donate the goods to the local shelters and kitchens rather than toss it.Â
âIâll have my guy there around 5 then. I donât want you waitinâ on him.â
âYeah, but now heâll have to wait on me.â
âI know. Thatâs the point, darlinâ.â
You couldnât decide which you liked more. Joel calling you âsugarâ or âdarlinâ. Then again the sound of your name was equally as intoxicating. Honestly, it wasnât fair how good his voice sounded in general. The bus peeled off to the side to come to a stop and you hiked your bag up your shoulder to get off.
âIâm at my stop.â
âSay good-bye to the bus. You ainât ridinâ on it again as far as Iâm concerned.â You chuckled and as you walked off you couldnât help but glanced back at the familiar people you had gotten used to seeing so often. You mentally wished them a farewell. It was cheesy, but it nearly felt like the end of an era. Joel spoke again as you stepped onto the busy sidewalk. âAnd remember, my guy is pickinâ you up today. No ubers. No taxis. No buses.â
âI know, I know. I promise I wonât make a run for it.â
âGood girl.â Joel chuckled and your face immediately went warm once more. A habit you were beginning to pick up around this man. Joel said quick good-byes, saying he needed to help someone out on site and promised to text you later. You echoed his sentiments and tucked the phone away after hanging up. Wow, okay, it seemed hearing him call you âgood girlâ won in a fucking landslide.
As it turned out, Henry had come in early to bake for the day, but left it open for you to set out as he hadnât been feeling well and had to leave before you even got the shop fully open. It was incredibly poor timing because you planned to announce your two weekâs notice to him and that seemed like a dick move to do while he was sick. Tomorrow. Youâd try again tomorrow. No big deal. What would a one day difference make?Â
The bakery always had itâs busiest days on Sunday, weirdly, but still it was nowhere near the kind of traffic this place truly needed. Usually days where it ended up being you alone were even more painfully boring, but today had been, well, fun. Joel continued to text you through the day and the conversation was a decent distraction from the dichotomy of doing nothing between customers. Plus, without Henry there, you didnât even have to pretend like you werenât playing on your phone the entire time.Â
The last hour of your shift had gone by without Joel as a distraction because of a meeting. One he had grumbled about twenty minutes prior to it. You were in the process of packing items away when you noticed a black SUV sitting outside on the side of the road. Pausing in your work, you ran your hand down your apron and made your way out of the shop and toward it. You had just planned to tap on the window to get his attention, but you were barely halfway to the SUV when the man behind the driverâs seat jumped out and hurried around with a nod.
âMaâam.â
âHi.â You gave a small wave. âIâmâ¤â
The blond man blurted your name out with a nod. Of course he knew who you were. âIs there anything I can do to help you, Miss?â
âNo, no. I wanted to invite you in! Itâll be a minute before Iâm done.â
âItâs alrightâ¤â
âI insist.â You said firmly. He hesitated once more before going to turn the car off. He was older than you, if you had to guess, and he wore a clean, black suit and a pair of dark aviators over his eyes. If he had a little radio in his ear youâd have him pegged as some kind of secret service guard. âWhatâs your name?â
âRiley Talbot, maâam.â
You motioned for him to take a seat at one of the tables with a smile. âWell, Mr. Talbot, you have a muffin preference?â
âJust Riley is fine, and you donât have toâ¤â
âEither you tell me your muffin preference or Iâm gonna pick at random, Riley.â You replied then ran through the options you had today. Riley hesitantly told you his preference for the banana nut option and you brought it over for him on a small plate. The man took his sunglasses off, tucking them into his inner suit pocket, and you took note of his very blue eyes. âHow long have you worked for, Joel?â
Riley shrugged. âIâve been working for Mr. Miller for the last five years.â
Your eyes widened in surprise. Five years as a driver for Joel? You couldnât imagine Joel using a driver. The man who preferred flannels over suits seemed like the kind who was adamant about driving himself. Plus, this wasnât the person who had picked you up yesterday. How many did he have?
âWell, give me a second here and we can head out. I just gotta finish packing up todayâs leftovers.â
âPlease, take your time.â Riley nodded then motioned to the muffin. âAnd thank you.â
You left him to enjoy his snack in peace so you could go back to cleaning out the display stand. It was repetitive, simple work that you had gotten very used to doing mindlessly over the years. You were on the last row of cookies when your phone buzzed in your back pocket. Pulling it out you saw it was a text from Joel.
âDid Riley show up?â
âYupp. Heâs in the bakery eating a muffin right now.â
âYou didnât need to feed him, sugar.â
âToo late. Besides, thatâs one less muffin for me to carry now.â
âPut it on my tab.â
You rolled your eyes, as if a singular banana nut muffin was of significant cost, âShouldnât you be focusing on your meeting?â
There was a longer pause before you got a response.
âToucheâ
You chuckled under your breath and tucked the phone away once more. After stacking a few of the boxes on top of one another, you shrugged out of your apron to hang it back up on the wall. Riley had risen from his seat and you took the plate from him before he could argue otherwise. You gave it a quick wash before setting it away to dry for the night and when you returned Riley was still standing by the boxes of baked goods.
âIâm almost done. Iâm gonna carry these down to the shelter.â
âIâll help.â Riley replied.
âYou donât have to do thatâ¤â
Riley gave you a friendly smile. âItâs my pleasure. Mr. Miller was adamant about me helping out where I could.â
Knowing arguing was only going to stretch this process out you nodded and he took half the boxes. At least this would save you a second trip. As the two of you made your way down the street you learned that he was older than you, in his mid thirties, and he had been in the Marines before picking up work with Joel. It was actually through Riley that you learned Joel had a brother who had also been in the military as well. Youâd have to ask him about that.
âIâve been saving to buy a ring.â Riley shrugged as you both got onto the topic of relationships while on your way back from dropping off the boxes.
âIf your girlfriend is as sweet as you claim Iâm sure sheâd be charmed by anything you got her.â You argued. âAnd how long have the two of you been dating?â
âThree years next month.â
âAw, congrats!â You chirped.Â
Riley continued to gush about his girlfriend and how she worked as a kindergarten teacher. The way his voice held so much love for the woman he bragged about to you made your heart ache. You had always thought this was how your last relationship would look like. You and your ex-boyfriend had been on a similar path after all. When he broke up with you six months ago, the two of you had been weeks away from your three year anniversary. For the longest time, he had been the one you thought youâd be marrying.
And here you were today with a sugar daddy on speed dial.
Funny how life worked.
âLet me grab my stuff and lock up and Iâll be right back out.â You said and Riley agreed with a nod before heading to the SUV himself. Maybe youâd text Nima and see if she was busy tonight. It had been a long time since you thought about your ex and letting him slip back into your head had been a dumb move on your part.
Once out, Riley held the back door of the SUV open for you to slide into. He asked for your address which you provided before settling back in your seat. The radio played a soft tune, you couldnât hear the roaring of the roads outside, the air smelled clean, and you had ample space to stretch out. This was a far cry from the bus. Nima texted you back, answering your request for drinks tonight, but she had to turn it down because she had a date. Though she did follow it up to ask if you were feeling well and that sheâd bail if you needed a girlsâ night. You smiled at her words, but reassured her that everything was fine.
âHang out with your daddy! đ¤Şâ
Despite the teasing nature of her text, she may have been onto something. Riley was getting closer to your apartment complex and you leaned forward a bit. âHey, Riley?â
âYeah?â
âDo you know what time Joel usually gets off of work?â
âIt depends. I think he mentioned today he was gonna be working late. Thatâs why he sent me instead of coming to get you himself.â
Your eyes widened in surprise. It hadnât dawned on you that Joel wanted to be the one to pick you up and just hadnât been able to due to his own work. Still, that shot your back up plan in the face. That was probably for the best. You didnât want to come across as clingy. Though, maybe you were supposed to? Joel said there was no social quota for you to meet, but you doubted the validity of that.
âThanks, Riley!â You said after exchanging numbers with him and climbing out of the SUV.Â
Your apartment was nothing to write home about, but it could be worse. It was a simple one bed, one bath on the fifth floor of a complex that had technically seen better days. However, despite the age and general weariness of the building itself, the residents you lived beside were nice, the owner actually cared about the people renting from him, and security was decent. More so than the other places in this area.
After dropping your stuff down and tossing your keys into the bowl near your front door, you pulled out your phone to see you had missed a text from a few minutes ago. âYou home?â Quickly, you responded with a positive and thanked him again for sending Riley to pick you up. âGood. Donât thank me, sugarâ.
You rolled your eyes. If he really thought you were going to accept things without thanking him he was dead wrong. Hell, you were struggling with the âaccepting thingsâ part which was hilarious considering you had chosen and agreed to this deal with full knowledge of what that meant. You set down your phone to clean the work day off of your skin.
A few hours had passed, where you showered, changed into home clothes, ate, and then settled on the couch with a large glass of wine. Despite it only being close to nine you were almost considering chugging the remainder of the wine in your glass and calling it a night. You had work in the morning after all. As you brought the glass to your lips, your phone buzzed off to the side.Â
The text was from Joel. It was simple, and honestly hilarious to see.
âYou up?â
Your cheeks warmed and you wondered if he knew the connotations of texting a woman that message with no warning at night.Â
âYes lol I am upâ
âCan I call?â
Your eyes widened in surprise at the request. You took another rather large sip of your wine before setting it down on your coffee table and responding to him. The affirmative text hadnât been sent longer than a few seconds when his name flashed across your screen. You had gotten used to mostly texting the people in your life rather than phone calls. This would take some getting used to.Â
âHello?â
âHey, sugar.â Joel breathed. âSorry for calling late.â
âItâs hardly late.â You glanced at your clock on the wall. 9:07. âAre you just getting home from work? Riley said youâd be stuck there late.â
âYeah. Unfortunately. Every once in a while Iâm stuck in the office all day like this. At least I got to be on site this morninâ.â He groaned.
It sounded like he was pouring something on his end of the line. You commented on it, âAre you making yourself a drink?â
âMhmm.â Joel took a sip of whatever it was he had poured, you could hear him swallow and made your throat dry up. âThat alright?â
âHey, Iâm on my second glass of wine so I can hardly judge.â
âSecond? You have a long day, sugar?â He asked in concern. Again, the sound of it caught you off guard. You could count on one hand the number of people who showed you genuine concern in the last two years. âEverythinâ okay?â
You forced out a chuckle and nodded despite him not being able to see it. âIâm fine.â It was probably a little early to be flooding him with your problems and the history of your ex. Instead, you jumped over it entirely. âI was actually gonna ask if you wanted to get dinner or drinks, but when I asked Riley what time you got off he said youâd be working late.â
âWhat?â Joel asked in surprise. He grumbled under his breath before speaking up. âDonât ever let that stop you, darlinâ. I always got time for you. Honestly, it would've been a nice surprise and a good excuse to leave early.â
You let out a soft laugh. âIâll keep that in mind for next time.â
âYou better.â Joel grunted as he dropped down into a seat. Another tired sigh left his lips and you opened your mouth to suggest that he get some rest, but he beat you to speaking. âTell me about your day, sugar.â
âIt was pretty boring.â You replied. âYouâve seen how empty the bakery tends to get.â
âSo? I still wanna hear. Talk about somethinâ at least. Lemme hear that pretty voice.â
You grinned to yourself. âYou think my voice is pretty?â
âI think everythinâ about you is pretty. Now, no more stallinâ. Hit me with it.â
If he wanted to hear about your boring day youâd be more than happy to indulge him. His words still caught you off guard though. He liked your voice? It was extra funny considering how much you liked his voice personally. You talked about the few customers you did have today, how thankful the shelter had been for Henryâs leftovers, and getting to know Riley.
âYeah, Riley is a good guy.â Joel agreed. âFigured the two of you would get along. Plus,â He took another sip of the whiskey he had told you he chose as his drink earlier, âI know heâs head over heels for that girl of his so I didnâ have to worry about him makinâ a move on you.â You laughed at the sentiment and Joel let out a small chuckle himself. âI ainât kiddinâ, sugar. I only just got you to agree to put up with me. I ainât planninâ on losing you quite yet.â
 âPut up with you.â You scoffed. âAs if I donât equally enjoy talking to you.â
Joel chuckled in response then cleared his throat. âHowâd it go with your boss? Howâd he take the news?â Your smile turned sheepish and rather than answer you picked up your wine glass, now at the end of your third, and took a long sip. Joel sighed. âSugar?â
âOkay, so, hold on.â You blurted. âHe was sick today. Henry left like right after coming in to help me open and I didnât wanna spring the news on him when he already felt so terrible.â You set the wine glass down then buried yourself into the couch under your blanket. âIâm already worried Iâm gonna break his heart.â Joel blew out a sigh and you winced. âSorry.â
âNo, no. Donât.â Joel responded, but it wasnât sharp or demanding. He just didnât want to hear you apologize. âI want you to stop workinâ because I think youâd be happier out of that place, but Iâm not tryinâ to shove you into quittinâ if you ainât comfortable with it yet, darlinâ. IfâŚâ Joel paused. âIf you think you need to stay there a little while longer then Iâm not gonna guilt you otherwise.â
His words made your lips curl up into a small, soft smile. It wasnât that you loved your work there by any means, but you did love Henry. He was family. Plus, that small voice of anxiety was still nagging loud enough that you couldnât quite fully ignore it. This was still so new. What if Joel got to the end of this week and decided you were more annoying than entertaining. You couldnât just tear up your roots with no guarantee that this life was fully concrete.Â
You didnât know if Joel understood that from the same angle you did, but you did appreciate that he was willing to bend on that topic. âYeah.â You said quietly then added in a teasing inflection added, âThanks, daddy.â
Joel chuckled in response, âYouâre gonna be the death of me, sugar.â
You remembered a topic you had planned on asking him earlier in the day, and maybe it was the three glasses of wine that had loosened your tongue, but you blurted it out without thinking. âSo, hey, I hear you have a brother?â Joel was quiet for a beat and it was only then that sober logic regained control. âI mean, Iâm sorry, I wasnât trying to blurt it out like that. Riley mentioned he was in the military and that you had a brother who was too. I didn't mean to pick at a sore topic ifâ¤â
âNo, sugar.â Joel chuckled. âNot a sore topic. Just caught me off guard is all. But, yeah, I got a baby brother. Tommy.â Tommy Miller. You tucked the information away in the folder of facts you were learning about Joel. âHe was in the Army for a while, but left a long time ago. He actually works with me now at the company. Was with me when we went from small time contractors to whatever the hell we are now.â
âBig deals.â You joked. âIf your fancy building is anything to go by.â
âGuess so by someoneâs definition.â Joel snorted. You liked that he still felt so grounded and to the earth. It had been part of the reason his proposition caught you off guard because after meeting him you never wouldâve suspected him to be the kind who owned a large and very rich company.
âYouâre not mad that Riley told me that, are you?â You asked. âBecause if you are, I'll admit to wrestling the information out of him.âÂ
Joel laughed. âI ainât mad, darlinâ. Like I said, Iâm glad the two of you get along. Youâre stuck with him now.â You hummed in confusion and Joel added. âHeâs your driver. Anywhere you need to go, any time, just call him.â
âWait, seriously?â You cried.
âI told you I ainât letting you get on a bus again.â Joel replied like he was still appalled you had done so this morning. âAnd since you wonât let me buy you a carâŚâ
âFine, fine, fine.â You blurted and he let out a soft laugh. A beat of silence stretched between the two of you, but it was a comfortable one. The kind where you just enjoyed knowing he was on the other end of the call even if he wasnât actively speaking.Â
You accidentally let out a small yawn and Joel hummed. âYou need to get to bed.â
âNuh uh.â You replied. âItâs onlyâŚâ You found the clock and your eyes widened. 12:01. âOh.â
âYeah. Oh. Iâve kept you up long enough, sugar.â
âIâm not even tired.â You whined and rose to your feet. The stiff movements made you realize how close you had been to just passing out on the couch.Â
âSure, you ainât.â
You meandered to your bedroom, flipping out lights as you went, and shut your bedroom door. âWill we talk again tomorrow?â
âYou mean later today?â Joel joked.
You chuckled. âYes.â It didnât even matter to you that you may have sounded needy. Being on the phone had not only been fun, but it had been just what you needed to settle the turmoil you had accidentally scourged up earlier. âSo?â
âCourse, sugar. Iâll text you on your way to work. Rileyâll be there at 6:30 to pick you up.â
âAlright. Night, Joel.â You replied sincerely. âThanks for talking to me.â
Joel hummed and you could hear him moving around on his end as well. âShould be thanking you.â He added quickly, a tinge or nervousness seeping into his voice. âHey, do you wanna, uh, you wanna plan for dinner?â Your eyes widened marginally but your lips spread out into another warm and wide grin. âI got a few more busy days, but this Wednesday Iâll be free all evening. Wanna make a night of it?â
âYes!â You answered much faster than you had initially planned. There went being cool and collected. Joel chuckled. âI mean, yeah. That would be⤠That would be fun.â
âGood. Get some sleep, sugar.â Joel replied. You wished him well before the call ended and you were left standing in your bedroom feeling like you were on cloud nine.
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â¨J.M. Masterlistâ¨
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Masterlist
Synopsis: Bradleyâs washed up before his career has even really begun. He doesnât want to fill his fatherâs shoes and he doesnât want someone else to either. Stuck in limbo, living the same way he always has, the opportunity to step up wanders through the door of his gym in a mini dress and heels that are a size too big. Boxing au.
Warnings: unspecified age gap, violence, probs boxing inaccuracies somewhere along the line, blood and injuries throughout the fic but will be specified in the warnings of the chapter. Smut and other 18+ content, minors dni, oral (m receiving)
âHeâs in a good mood this morning.â You comment. Bradleyâs grinning, light on his feet as he dances around the ring. He lets Jake draw closer to him and steps quickly out of the way, taunting him in his every move. Your lips quirk up slightly.
Heâs not even trying. If he wanted to, he couldâve caught Jake in the ribs just there. Instead, he quick-steps back and sways his body to the music in the background. Steve Winwoodâs Higher Love is blasting over the speakers, filling the gym with upbeat lyrics. Bradley dances, unfazed as Jake puts his guard back up and steps towards him â he sidesteps, slams his glove into Jakeâs ribs and continues to sway, mouthing the words.
Jake rolls his eyes and steps into Roosterâs space just as quickly.
âUhg⌠help.â Mickey grunts under you.
Your eyes widen, looking down quickly and remembering yourself all of a sudden. A soft gasp slips your lips as you catch the bar seconds before it hits his chest. Your combined strength is enough to lift the bar and set it back on the rack, saving him from being crushed.
âShit, sorry.â
Mickey sits up quickly, brows furrowed, dark curls sticking to his forehead, mock-betrayal on his face. Your cheeks burn as you shoot a quick glance back to Rooster and find him looking right at you. Shit, he absolutely caught that exchange.
âWho, Rooster?â Mickey pants, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his arm. You turn your gaze away and give a small nod. âYeah, he got a fight confirmed this morning. Itâs his first gig in like eight months â thatâs why heâs showing off.â
Mickey rolls his shoulders back and grabs his water bottle from the ground.
âWhy hasnât he fought in eight months?â You ask, leaning forwards to rest your hands against the bar, tilting your head as you watch Rooster and Jake sparring. Nat always takes it easy on you, which you should probably appreciate, but itâs interesting seeing Jake and Rooster fight â because neither one of them is taking it easy on the other.
Mickey gulps down around half of his bottleâs worth of water and then settles down with a sigh, his skin glistening and sticky under the gloomy white overhead lighting. He pushes himself up from the bench and glances across at Rooster, then grimaces.
âMm⌠I probably shouldnât say. Ask him, he might tell you.â He shrugs his shoulders and then lifts his arms out, flexing his biceps. âSo, do you see a difference?â
You smile at him and nod, patting his side as you step past him. âI see that your fly is down.â
He looks down quickly, smile faltering â then realizes that heâs wearing gym shorts, there isnât a fly for it to even be down. He groans and turns to tell you off. Youâre already wandering away, walking over to the ring and resting your hands against the ropes.
âUgh, fuck.â Bradley grunts as Jake catches him in the stomach.
âKeep dancing, bird boy.â Jake taunts, stepping back to put some space between them again. Now doubled-over, Bradley is at your eye level. His eyes glint mischievously as he catches sight of you, smiling at him from the ringside.
âWhatâs up, Bambi? â Wanna jump in?â Bradley offers, lips quirking up into a confident smirk as he stands upright again, running his fingers over the affected area of his toned stomach. He begins towards you, Jake turns in interest to watch the conversation.
You smile softly up at him. âI wanted to ask if you were free later.
Jakeâs brows raise slightly, he glances across at Bradley and then back at you. Bradley wets his lips with his tongue and takes a step closer, leaning onto the ropes.
âLike a date?â
Jake almost scoffs at the certainty in Roosterâs voice. He knows that heâs cockiness embodied himself, but he still finds himself amused at how sure Rooster is.
You smile softly, then shake your head. âLike the interview that you owe me â youâre the only one Iâm waiting for.â
He almost sighs. Instead, he glances quickly back at Jake and shrugs his shoulders, then checks the clock on the wall. âUh â if you let me finish up down here, I can stop by upstairs when Iâm done?â
Jake does scoff this time. He has said some pretty forward stuff to girls in his time, but watching Bradley invite himself up to your apartment is just embarrassing.
âWell, are you busy right now?â You ask, looking up at him through your lashes as he stands on the canvas. His brows furrow.
âKinda.â He answers back, adjusting the gloves on his wrists. You frown at him.
âMav said that you have to do the interview before tomorrow, he wants the website toââ
âMav isnât my boss.â Bradley reminds you. Itâs swift, calm and it shuts you down in four syllables. You close your mouth, still looking up at him. âI said Iâll stop by later.â
Swallowing softly, you nod your head. A few sheepish steps back away from the ring, youâre still nodding at him dumbly. Perhaps you should apologise. You donât. âOkay. Thanks.â
Jake watches you turn and walk away, shaking his head softly.
âWhat?â Rooster frowns.
âI just donât get how you can look at that sweet face and be such an ass,â Jake answers amusedly, giving a small shrug of his shoulders. He takes a step back and brings up his guard as they get ready to go again. âItâs like being mean toââ
âI said Iâd do her interview!â Bradley defends himself, taking stance and shrugging his shoulders. They should really be focusing more than this with the fight coming up, but he really doesnât see what he did wrong.
Bradley takes his time finishing up his training. Fashionably late or whatever. He knocks on your apartment door and waits, clearly learning from his past experiences with Tank.
You answer the door in another cute patterned sundress, having ditched the workout gear after your shower.
âBob asked if Tank could come downstairs to play.â Rooster explains, trying to finger through the mess of his curls. Headgear always fucks up his hair.
âOh. Sure â let me just-â
âHeâs at the bottom of the stairs waiting. She said itâs okay!â Rooster relays back.
You smile and lean past Bradley to look at your friend. He grins and waves as Tank brushes past Bradley with a small growl, and then pads happily down the stairs towards him.
Rooster settles down onto the couch, you sit directly in front of him, resting on the coffee table. The interview begins.
âHow would you describe yourself in three words?â You ask.
He takes a while to consider it. You stretch your legs out in front of the coffee table and look up at the dust on the ceiling fan â you should clean that. Even after eleven full rotations of the ceiling fan, he still hasnât presented you with the slightest hint of answer.
âIs there a right answer to this?â He asks back, his eyes on you. One of his arms is draped along the back of the couch, the other resting against his thigh. He nudges his foot into yours and pretends that itâs an accident.
âI guess not.â You shrug. His lips quirk as he raises his brows at you.
âYou guess not?â
âWell, there are good answers and bad answers, donât you think?â You reply, not really feeding into his game as much as he would like you to. Parting his knees further, his body mass stretches over more of your couch unapologetically.
âSo, what are the good answers?â Rooster challenges you.
âI canât tell you that until youâve answered, otherwise it wonât be genuine.â Professional, polite, holding back from just calling him an ass and making him answer â you probably have a future in journalism.
âWhatâs this for, again?â He taunts. You both know that he knows exactly what this is for. Heâs just being pedantic.
âA meet the staff page. I want people to know your faces, know who theyâre coming in to see. Itâll make this place seem less⌠scary.â
âThis place is scary?â Heâs outright avoiding the question at this point. You sigh, giving a small shrug of your shoulders.
âIt can be.â
He nods his head. He doesnât understand what you mean â he was raised in this place and the only thing scary about it is that heâll probably be here for the rest of his life too.
âSo⌠three words?â You remind him gently.
Rooster sits at a crossroads in your living room. He has two options before him, to sit in the afternoon sun and annoy you further, or to just give in and answer your silly little questions.
âOrganised, loyal⌠handsome.â He decides finally, smiling across at you. The second time, perhaps another accident, he nudges his foot into yours.
âJake said the same thing.â You answer immediately, giving a soft chuckle as you turn your attention towards your notepad.
This goes on for a while. The back and forth. The excessive way he spreads his limbs out over the couch just to remind you that heâs a big guy. The bullshit answers.
You check the time on your phone, then squint at him seriously. An hour has passed and youâve gotten him to answer only four out of your ten questions.
âWhy havenât you fought in eight months?â
His eyebrows raise calmly, biceps flexing as he crosses them over his chest. He stares back at you. âIs this part of the interview?â
You shrug your shoulders, âYeah.â
âWho said I havenât fought in eight months?â He asks you, sitting forward in the seat and leaning closer to you.
âCouple of people, actually,â You lie to him, which isnât untrue, they would have let it slip eventually. It doesnât seem to be a secret. âWhatâs up with that?â
His eyes are russet under the afternoon sun streaming in through the window to his right, bright and shining. Somehow colder under this warm light than they had been the other night by the arena.
His eyes trail, slowly looking down and then back up over your form. He sits closer again, leaning his broad form forwards and resting his hands against his knees.
You know instantly that youâve probably overstepped, but he was being an asshole too.
âI got suspended from competing for six months.â Sitting so close that every breath you take is the cedarwood, cypress and nutmeg of his cologne, youâve got a front row seat to how he feels about that.
He doesnât give much away, but you can tell that he accepts the judgment. He knows that he did something wrong â thatâs good, right? â that he knows he screwed up and maybe feels bad about it.
âThen after that, no one would fight me for two months because of what happened before.â He doesnât have to reach far to be touching you, his arm barely stretches before his hand is tucked around your knee, stroking at the curve of the joint with his thumb.
You keep your eyes on him, studying his features, looking for a crack in that exterior for just a moment.
âWhat did you do to get suspended?â You shift closer with him, his fingertips smoothing against your skin, staying below the thigh, near the knee.
His lips quirk softly. Itâs clear that heâs not going to answer you from the get go.
âYou ask a lot of questions.â He comments.
âThis is an interview.â You quip. His eyes roll as he throws himself back against the couch, chuckling dryly â bested again. When he looks at you again, youâre smiling softly.
You probably wouldnât be if he told you what he had done. With the way youâre looking at him, he debates not keeping it from you. His thumb strokes softly over your bare skin, eyes on yours.
He thinks heâs got you right where he wants you, you can see it in that mischievous look In his eye. You reach out and rest your hand against his knee.
This time, instead of looking at each other, you both watch your fingers move along his skin. At first, tracing small patterns on his knee, similar to what heâs doing to you. Innocent enough.
His eyes dart up to your face, then back down, as your fingertips smooth along his skin, brushing well past his knee and dangerously close to the hem of his shorts. His brows scrunch softly.
Kissing him down by the marina two days ago, that was one thing â he doesnât think that youâre bold enough to do this. So, he calls your bluff. He parts his knees further and sits back comfortably against the couch.
Rooster is an attractive guy and he knows it. More attractive than Jett was, undeniably. Tanned skin, broad shoulders â but a soft smirk on his face that just makes you want to prove him wrong.
âEveryone else knows why you were suspended?â You ask, raising your brows at him as your nails skim along the inside of his thigh. Rooster watches your fingers move, feeling the delicate touch on his warm skin.
âSure, but I didnât tell them.â He answers calmly. It would be easy enough to tell you the full truth right now, itâs just a couple of words. I beat the shit out of a guy who wouldnât shut his mouth. But, your ex-boyfriend was a violent prick and Bradley doesnât want you to look at him like that.
The others were all at the fight that night, Rooster doesnât really have a choice about them knowing or not knowing. Youâre different.
You tilt your head just slightly. He looks at you again. You pout your lips in consideration, watching your fingers breach under the grey confines of the left leg of his shorts. Bradley glances down and then back up.
âIs this the first time youâve been suspended?â The question seems to come out of nowhere, and Bradley almost winces when you ask it because he knows that his chances are getting lower and lower. He sighs softly and shakes his head.
âNo, not the first time.â He replies calmly.
You lift your gaze to look at him through your lashes, fingers stilling against his skin. âThen, I think I should probably know what you did. Right?â
âBroke the rules,â He shrugs his shoulders softly, hoping that youâll accept that answer but knowing that you wonât. Your lips purse, hinting at a slight frown. âItâs a long story, but my last fight kind of turned into a real fight instead of a boxing match, it was a mess. Thatâs all.â
âDid you hurt him?â You ask.
Roosterâs hand skims from your knee to the edge of the coffee table that youâre sitting on, fingers curling around the underside of it. âYeah.â
âBadly?â
He shrugs his shoulders once more, âHe recovered, if thatâs what youâre asking.â
âWhy?â You press.
âIf you ask Nat, sheâll tell you itâs because I was dropped on my head too much as a baby.â Bradley tries to spin this back, make it light hearted again. The meekness in your voice worries him.
Your face doesnât soften. âIâm asking you.â
âHe said some stuff that I didnât like and I got angry.â Bradley says quietly. You sit back, straightening your spine and crossing your ankles. Itâs not quite a recoil, itâs something much more low-key than that, but it has the same effect.
Bradleyâs brows knit together as he opens his mouth to defend himself.
âOkay â itâs deeper than him just saying something I didnât like, I want you to know that,â Bradley rushes out, he can tell that the suddenness of it surprises you. There it is, the gap in that hard exterior. He wants you to like him.
He rubs a hand over his jaw, his eyes soft as he looks at you. âThereâs kind of a history with this place, yâknow, some stuff that went down between my dad and Mav and some of the guys in the circuit. People giving me a hard time for stuff that happened before I was born. Itâs â just, complicated.â
âDid it make you feel better after you hurt him?â You ask softly, fingertips coming to life on his skin. He glances down as you trail your fingers back along the curve of his knee.
It takes him a moment to consider what you have asked. At a base level, yes, it felt good to make that asshole finally stop running his mouth. He definitely didnât like the consequences that came after, but thatâs not what youâre asking him. Did he feel better after he beat that guy up? â No.
He remembers the bruising around his knuckles. He sees it every day in the way that Mav looks at him know â Mav has barely spoken to him since it happened.
âNo. Didnât solve anything, really.â Bradley mumbles.
Just like with the first question you had asked him, there were good and bad answers to this question. The answer he gave is satisfying enough.
He rests his elbows on his knees and leans forwards, head hung slightly to watch your fingers on his thigh. You sit forwards slowly, leaning in and pressing a delicate kiss to his warm cheek.
He looks up, youâve surprised him again. He was sure you were going to ask him to leave.
You kiss his lips. He rushes, reaching for your skin, ready to pull you against him. Instead, you stay where you are, both perched on the edges of your seat, leaning forwards to kiss. Fingers smoothing softly over the scar on his cheek, you hum gently against his lips, contented.
Impatient, fingers curl into the fabric of your shirt. Heâs pulling you forwards, urging you closer until youâre on the couch, straddling his hips. Knees on either side of his clothed torso, you match his energy, curling your fists into his shirt and pulling him into you. Deepening the kiss, his hands in your hair, your tongue running rampant against his own.
The taste of mint passes between the two of you. His is spearmint, yours is peppermint. Itâs a quick and shocking revelation that you had both been planning for this kiss to happen.
His fingers curl around your hips, tugging you forwards, grinding himself up against your core. The second that the bulge in his shorts touched you, you stiffen. Itâs hard to miss.
âYou alright?â Rooster murmurs, pulling back brows scrunching in slight concern. You look over his features, then nod hurriedly. His brows scrunch tighter together as you push yourself up and away from his lap.
Thereâs a calm silence as you settle between his legs, pressing your plush lips to the inside of his knee. His tongue darts out to wet his lips with his tongue as he settles back against the couch. You just keep on surprising him.
Surprise after surprise as you tease your mouth along the inside of his thighs until heâs rock hard and straining against the inside of his gym shorts. Even after that, when his shorts are down by his ankles and his eyes are closed in anticipation, you donât give him what he wants.
Instead, your nails rake softly along his sensitive skin, followed by your lips. Open-mouthed, gentle kisses onto the most tender parts of his skin.
When you finally work up the confidence to curl your fingers into the sides of his boxers and pull them down, your breathing shudders. So relieved that his sigh almost becomes a whine, he readily lifts his hips for you to guide his boxers down. Both his boxers and his shorts pool around his ankles as he tugs his shirt up and over his head.
Heâs so hard it seems painful, the head of his dick flushed the same way that his cheeks do when he gets embarrassed.
Youâve talked a lot with your girl friends, and you had known that Jett was around average â nothing special, but Bradley is. Before now, youâve never seen a dick that looks heavy in the same way his does.
Admittedly, youâve thought about this a couple of times since you had come across Bradley on the floor of your apartment in those damn near sheer white boxers of his.
Sitting nestled between strong legs, warm, tanned skin. He rests his arm along the back of the couch, letting you look as much as youâd like. Itâs been a long time since he was insecure about his body.
You sit forwards and look up at him. Rooster considers for a moment whether he should stop you or not. The second your fingers curl around the base of his cock, his mind is made up.
Your warm tongue tracing his dick up and down, eyes on him for reassurance as his thumb strokes in time against your cheek. Your lips wrap expertly around the tip, sucking on it like a lollipop, the tip of your tongue tracing over the slit.
His breathing quietens, brows furrowing as he watches you. Itâs good, it feels good â heâs had better, but he probably shouldnât have been expecting too much from a meek little mouse like you anyway.
Rooster hums softly in approval when you lick a stripe up the underside of his shaft. Testing the waters, you skim your hand along his thigh. His head rests back against the couch as your main focus shifts to his balls.
Your tongue lingers on the head, darting over his slit to collect the precum that had seeped out. It makes him dizzy, the needy way you lick at his cock, the experienced way that you touch him.
Everything after becomes less about what you should be doing, and more about his response to it. He pants hard when you pull back and pepper kisses along his shaft. He groans loudly when your nose brushes his pelvis and youâre looking up at uk with those doe-eyes, all brimming with tears. He jolts when your nose presses into his thigh as you tease open-mouthed kisses along his balls.
Itâs good. So fucking good. Heâs lost track of what heâs saying in his head and what heâs saying out loud, unsure of if he should slide a hand into your hair. He doesnât need to, somehow youâre right where he needs you, right when he needs it.
Rooster shudders, fingers curling into the couch cushion as he involuntarily bucks his hips, feeling your throat squeeze around him. âShit, fuck â- Iâm gonna cum, Iâm â Iâmââ
You look up at him, drool-soaked lips quirking at the corners. Heâs pretty when heâs right on the edge like this. Knuckles whitening, muscles shaking under the intensity. Head thrown back, lips parted, deep groans spilling from his lips.
His body jolts, fists curling hard into the sheets. Every aching muscle in his body contracts, tightening and trembling as his orgasm tears through his nerves. He comes with a strained groan. His dick twitches against your tongue before releasing his load down your throat, leaving you with little choice but to swallow. Luckily for him, that was the plan anyway.
You guide him through his high, not stopping until heâs a trembling wreck under your fingertips. Rooster grunts, mouth hanging open, brows furrowed tightly as the aftershocks of his orgasm tear through his nerves.
Finally, you sit back on your knees and wipe the spit from your chin with the back of your hand.
He swallows, taking in a shaking breath and pushing the base of his palm into his eye socket, trying to make those white splotches in his vision go away. You wipe the smudged mascara from under your eyes.
His legs are still shaking as he pulls his shorts and boxers back up in one move, draping an arm over his eyes. âFuck, where did you learn how to do that?â â itâs a stupid question, but he just canât imagine that this kind of expertise came from your ex.
âI read about it.â You answer softly, smoothing your fingers tenderly along the hair on his thighs. His brows furrow as he feels you move to sit down beside him.
He turns his head. Every line on his face deepens as he scrunches his features up, lost. âYou⌠read about it? â Like in a book?â
âSomething like that,â You answer him, trailing your fingers over the ridges in his bicep. Your gaze flickers up to meet his. âWas it okay?â
Roosterâs brows lift. He chuckles breathlessly and pulls the covers up over his waist, then brings his hand up to rub at his eye. âOkay? â It was â that⌠Wow.â
You smile softly at him. âCan I ask you for a favour?â
âTrust me, sweetheart, Iâm going to take care of you. Just, let my hands stop shaking.â Rooster breathes out, still recovering as he squeezes your knee. You press your knees together and shift back.
âOh, no, not that. Iâd prefer it if we left it at that today.â
He turns his head and frowns â Bradley has never not reciprocated in his life, and he doesnât intend to start now. âButâŚâ
âYou can make it up to me another time, just not today⌠if thatâs okay.â There she is again. That meek little mouse. As if you didnât just give him the most earth-shattering blowjob. He shakes his head and sits up.
âSo whatâs the favour?â He asks calmly.
âI want to do a fight like you guys do. Like a real one.â
âŚ.
lee jeno x fem!reader (idol AU)
IMAGINE: you keep your relationship as private as possible
⢠he comes to pick you up every chance he gets when you have closing shift.
⢠you only do home dates, mostly at yours.
⢠lots of movie nights and take away dinners.
⢠cuddles are your night routine fr.
⢠"you're so warm and soft"
⢠during comeback season you don't hangout as much and he suffers the lack of your touch.
⢠"i miss you so much i think i'm gonna die" "you won't die, baby"
⢠shower sex is his thing. he loves it for some reason.
⢠"your skin is something else, i swear"
⢠he LOVES watching you getting ready in the morning, he knows your skin-care steps by heart.
⢠"you're very creepy, just there staring at me" "i'm very in love with you"
⢠a lot of skin-ship, he loves to touch and caress you.
⢠you're his comfort place.
⢠he doesn't speak a lot when you hangout but when he does, his deep and lazy voice never fails to turn you on.
⢠he's very good at using his hands and his tongue.
⢠when you complain about him going to the gym instead of spending time with you, he records himself doing some exercise and send you the video. you shut your mouth immediately.
⢠"you're the sexiest thing i ever saw in my life, istg" "(.ââĄâ)"
This is so cute đŤ
in which jake is your roommate and ruins all your dates. accidentally. accidentally, right?đť 18+ only!
Jake Seresin isnât an ideal roommate. He sings in the shower at 5 a.m., he canât load a dishwasher to save his lifeâseriously, who puts mugs on the bottomâand he has a habit of walking around shirtless that is beginning to interfere with your love life.
Of course, heâs got a lot of good qualities. Heâs a surprisingly good cook, with a recipe for chicken and dumplings youâre pretty sure is the best thing youâve ever eaten. Heâs also got that Navy-mandated tidiness, so the apartment you share is always vacuumed and dusted. And he has a habit of walking around shirtless, which, as appealing as it is for your eyes, isâŚ
Yepp. Starting to mess with your love life.
Because guys see Jake making a smoothie in the kitchen or getting back from a run or literally doing anything and decide they have to have some stupid pissing contest with your roommate, who remains, you think, entirely oblivious to how threatened he makes the men you bring home. Because why would he see them as a threat, right? Heâs so far out of your league that your dates have nothing to worry about. Jake Seresin could pull any girl he ever wanted so why would he want you?
Youâre almost grateful heâs deployedâdespite your usual worry for his safetyâwhen you bring a new guy home from the bar. No Jake means no weird energy and maybe a chance to actually let a relationship get off its feet.
Until he comes out of the bathroom and youâre smiling at your phone because Jake sent you a text, a photo of the two of you at the beach from last year. One of those iPhone memories that apparently made him think of you.
This came up on my phone yesterday. Miss you, sweetheart. Donât burn the place down. Oh and Iâm safe in case you couldnât tell.
Your date isnât thrilled to see the photo, even though he asks to. Tells you it looks like youâre a coupleâas ifâand that Jake seems really comfortable touching youâheâs just a touchy person.
The night ends with some mediocre sex and, despite his words to the otherwise, your date never calls you back.
You try not to blame Jake, but itâs hard not to see him as the root of all your woes in love. And if youâre not mad at him, youâll have to analyze why heâs accidentally ruining every date youâre on and maybe youâll have to admit that itâs because none of these guys actually measure up to Jake.
Youâd have to have the startling realization that you are hopelessly in love with your roommate.
So when Jake comes back a few weeks later maybe youâre cold. Maybe youâre quiet. Maybe youâre keeping to yourself and maybe you tell him to fuck off when he keeps asking what he did wrong.
You move to storm out of the apartment and itâs all very dramatic, but Jake stops you with a hand grasped firmly around your wrist. Itâs not rough, but determined, and he pulls you gently closer to him, his green eyes burning with confusion under furrowed brows.
âWhat was that?â His skin is sun-kissed and he canât tell you where he was deployed but you know it was somewhere warm from the way the few freckles that dot his nose are more prominent than usual.
âFuck. Off.â
Jake blinks, undeterred. And then he stares at you, gaze so focused you feel like youâre a target in one of his stupid training exercises. You want to shy away, but when his other hand comes up to wipe away the tears you hadnât realized weâre gathering in your eyes it all comes out. All your weird and messy feelings that will certainly ruin everything and make it so you need to find another place to live.
But when youâre done talking, Jake just frowns. He pulls you impossibly closer and rests his chin atop your head. âIâm sorry, sweets,â he mutters, âBut Iâm glad I scared those guys off.â He doesnât add that he was totally doing it on purpose as often as he couldâthings are still too fragile for that. One day heâll tell you. And on that day, heâll receive a face full of chocolate cake as punishment.
But for today, he just lets you sniffle in his arms, holds you close as you put a wet spot down the front of his t-shirt. âTheyâre not good enough for you,â he continues, âI just helped them realize that sooner rather than later.â
âJake,â you complain, âYou canât keep doing that. I needâŚI want to find someone.â
His frown deepens and he places his hands on your waist, tapping your hips lightly to warn you that heâs going to pick you up. Carrying you into your bedroom, he sighs. âFine. Iâll stop, if you give this guy I know a shot.â
âIâm listening.â
âHeâs Navy,â Jake continues, âAnd heâs got a killer body.â
âDefinitely listening,â you laugh, but try to ignore the pang of hurt that is Jake setting you up with one of his friends.
Jake rolls his eyes and takes a spot beside you on your bed. âHeâs a great pilot, some say the best. And heâs a gentleman, Texas-raised so he knows his way around a kitchen.â
Oh. Oh.
âJakeâŚâ
He holds up a hand, not willing to be interrupted. âAnd heâs shit at loading the dishwasher, sweets, but I know heâd be willing to learn.â
I don't need any analysis of these photos.
The conclusion is Jure is hot as fuck and gets all the bitches and I want him in ways I cannot begin to describe.
Jure the perfect slut i love him. No wonder they saved him till last