in which an old flame reappears back to his life [m.h]

«Tenderness is forbidden with you. Sometimes I feel like your only desire is to be shattered» Language EN March 13 2020 - June 15 2020

Wary of the decadence and skewed morals that her burgeoning music career might impose upon her, Joanna feels out of place at the rite-of-passage Notting Hill party her new manager has invited her to, until she encounters Matty - practically an old hand in the business, but sweetly untouched by their strange surroundings. The instincts and values Joanna used to cling to don't guide her now as well as they used to, and as the venues get bigger and the radio plays rack up, it becomes increasingly difficult to know what her friendship with Matty is really about. 'My ability to stay awake was waning, and I could feel myself dropping off, the darkness and warmth enveloping me. But somewhere in that liminal space, between consciousness and a blank stupor, I vaguely registered a hand finding mine across the sheets, fingers interlinking and holding it there, in the space between our faces.' (((* = mature content))) COMPLETED 19/11/20.

'Death? In every photograph?' 'Well, every portrait...' ~ Alma takes photographs at parties, at her studio and for prestigious commissions. She's critically respected and highly sought after, but her photographs are only meant to capture a transient moment - there can be no messy entanglements, no interplay of emotions. But Alma and Matty are utterly fascinated by each other, against their better judgement. So when she takes his photograph, what is she really capturing? And what is she taking for herself? PLEASE NOTE - this story is pretty kinky and there is mature content all the way through, although chapters with explicit sex scenes will be marked with an asterisk*. CW for discussions of eating habits, nothing disordered but would rather give the warning than not. Part Two coming soon...

Matty can't stand Ray, he knows that much. But he admires her. And he finds her devastatingly attractive. And she surprises him at every turn. And he feels an inexplicable urge to catch her when she falls. And, in his moments of weakness, she even brings out a side of Matty that he hasn't seen before - but it's one that he really doesn't like. So, to be clear: he can't stand her. ~ "Witty," her glass is empty, a useless prop in this exchange. She imagines throwing it against the wall so it shatters right by his head, just to watch him jump. "I've heard." "Arrogant, too." Their eyes meet. "Confidence, actually." "Semantics." He observes her coolly. Her heart pounds in her chest. She wonders where he'll go in this verbal sparring match, if he'll push back even further. She's struck by the sickening thrill of their barbed words, eager to see what he'll do. "Nice to meet you," he says finally, turning on his heel and leaving her in silence.