One shots

“You don’t have to do this, you know?” Y/N laughed. The tall guy ran his hand through his dark hair, shook his head, and took the bag she handed him.

“I lost, and a bet is a bet,” he replied, though it was obvious to everyone around that he wasn’t thrilled about it. Y/N gave him one last chance to back out, but that wasn’t his style. Letting it go would’ve bruised his ego and that simply wasn’t an option.

“Alright, Dave. In that case, go get ready. I put the invitation in the pocket of your jacket,” she added as she sat back down with her friends. David finished his glass of whiskey and headed backstage. Their favorite bar was packed - perfect for publicly humiliating a friend. Or so they thought.

David wasn’t thrilled about the costume he’d been assigned. It didn’t take him long to figure out who had picked it. Lately, he’d been lost in his memories, unable to clear his head.

“So, ready to make a fool of yourself?” came a voice from the doorway. It was David’s best friend, Adam.

“That’s all I’ve been thinking about today. I’m ready. This costume was Pam’s idea, wasn’t it?”

“Why ask when you already know the answer? How are you holding up?”

“Fine, except these pants are way too tight.”

“Dude, I’m not asking about the pants. Has Jordan moved out yet?”

“She took the last of her stuff today. Don’t spread it around, please. I don’t want to ruin the fun for everyone. Especially not for Y/N, she gave me her wedding invitation in person today.”

“You should tell her. Or I will.”

“I don’t know what I’d even say. She’s getting married.”

“You know exactly what I mean. Either you tell her, or she’ll hear it from me. Your choice. Don’t be an idiot and let her slip away again.”

David wanted to respond, but his name was suddenly called from the stage. He took a deep breath and walked toward the spotlight.

The guys weren’t paying much attention, so the girls started chatting among themselves.

“Y/N, you’ve known him the longest. Do you really think he’ll go through with it? He hates country music, hates showing off, and none of us have ever heard him sing,” the blonde asked her friend. That wasn’t entirely true - people just assumed it. He actually sang beautifully and played guitar like a dream.

“He’ll do it, Pam. Maybe in his own way, but he will.”

“Can I ask you something, Y/N?” Annie chimed in. Y/N nodded with a smile.

“I don’t want to sound nosy or anything, but we’ve all been wondering. Did you two ever have something? Don’t take it the wrong way, but you’ve known each other forever, and you’d be adorable together.”

“Annie, unless you count one kiss I gave him to save his butt from a clingy girl, we’ve never had anything. And now we barely know each other. People change, you know? Before I moved back home, we hadn’t seen each other in three years. New friends, new job, new me. When I moved back, he was engaged to a girl who cheated on him in high school and treated him horribly.”

“You mean Jordan, right? Awful woman,” Bianca jumped in.

“Yeah, that’s her. We never got along. Then I left for a few months on a work internship, and now I’m back. So to answer your question: yes, we have a shared past, and no, we’ve never been together.”

“You can’t let him marry that harpy. You know why she never liked you? You were a threat,” Annie added with a wink.

“Annie, I’m just happy to have my friend back - even if he can’t stand my fiancé. Pam, why did you pick that costume for him?”

“Why do you think? I just wanted to check out our dear friend. And don’t pretend you didn’t. A cowboy stripper costume seemed like a good idea. Plus, we’ll finally get to see that tattoo of his.”

“When he sees that costume, he’s going to curse you. You know that, right?” another friend chimed in. Just then, the host’s voice echoed through the bar.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special performance prepared by our very own cowboy David! The stage is yours!”

All eyes turned to the makeshift stage. David walked out in cowboy boots, tight jeans, no shirt, and a cowboy hat. The whole bar could see his tattoo in full glory. He really had gotten the design he’d wanted since high school. His mom had loved wolves, and this was his tribute to her. The women in the bar went wild - except for Y/N, who burst out laughing.

“Good evening, everyone! I promised my amazing friends I’d sing something tonight. Just hope it doesn’t make your ears bleed,” he joked into the microphone and began singing one of his favorite songs.

“You don't waste no time at all

Don't hear the bell but you answer the call

It comes to you as to us all

We're just waiting for the hammer to fall”

To everyone’s surprise, David was actually enjoying himself. When he finished, the crowd cheered - except Pam.

“David, that’s not country! You know the rules!” she shouted across the room. The crowd backed her up. But David didn’t flinch.

“Alright, alright. Country it is. I’ve had this one tucked away for a while. Here you go.”

No one expected him to bring out a stool and a guitar. He sat down, scanned the room, and began to play. The whole time, his eyes searched for just one person.

“I'll wear my black suit, black tie, hide out in the back

I'll do a strong shot of whiskey straight out the flask

I'll try to make it through without crying so nobody sees

Yeah, she wanna get married

But she don't wanna marry me”

“Ladies and gentlemen, that was our romantic cowboy David! Best of luck to you, man!”

David disappeared backstage, and his friends started buzzing. Adam accidentally let slip that David and Jordan had broken up. Y/N received an urgent message and had to leave quickly. She said goodbye to her friends and headed home, piecing together the puzzle in her mind. “Ryan, are you here? What’s going on? Are you okay?” Y/N called out as she entered. The message had sounded urgent, and it scared her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you. I just prepared a surprise for you.”

He led her to the balcony, which offered a view of the entire city. After a moment, silence settled around them, and she felt the warmth of his body behind her. Ryan stood just a few centimeters away, looking out the window. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. She knew she had to finally do something about her feelings. A tear rolled down her cheek. She was about to do what she should’ve done long ago.

“Is something wrong?” he asked when he saw the look on her face.

---

Text messages:

Pam:

Y/N, are you okay? Why did you leave?

Y/N:

Sorry, I got an urgent message. I had to take care of it.

Pam:

David was looking for you. He got weird when he found out you’d left.

Y/N:

I need to settle this once and for all. I’ll call you later.

---

She sent the last message, placed her phone on the seat beside her, started the car, and drove toward David’s house. Snow began to fall. After a few minutes, she stood at his door. She took a deep breath and rang the bell.

“Adam, I’m done talking about this! She’s getting married, damn it! Come over for a beer if you want, but this topic is off-limits,” David shouted toward the door - then flung it open. He stood there in jeans and a hoodie. His green eyes were glassy. He looked like he’d been crying.

“Did you mean it?” Y/N asked directly. David had expected anyone but her.

“Every word. But it doesn’t matter. You’re marrying Ryan, and I picked the worst possible moment to say it.”

“David, I…”

“Wait. I want to say it out loud. I love you. It started with that first kiss in high school, and I only realized how serious it was now. Just say the word, and I’ll either stand quietly in the background or disappear from your life forever. If you say yes, I’ll pull you inside and never let you go again. The choice is yours.”

“In that case, I say YES.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, you fool. Ryan and I broke up. We wanted different things. So yes, I mean it with all my heart,” she replied with a smile.

David pulled her close, and she finally kissed him. He drew her into the hallway and shut the door behind them.