#and put away one of the three giant piles of clothes on my floor
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i'm so so fucking tired
#today i vacuumed a Bunch of fixtures & replaced ALL the upstairs lightbulbs with warm LEDs instead of harsh white ones#and uninstalled the weird insufficient peg rack in the bathroom & spackled all the holes#and installed two new (normal) towel rods#and did a bunch of online shopping for more house things like coated steel clotheslines for the pulley system i'm setting up#and put away one of the three giant piles of clothes on my floor#and showered#i'm just so weary#first time using spackle & damn that shit is magical#$5 putty knife and it goes on So smooth#i am gonna get a LOT of practice bc the previous owners put nails for art EVERYWHERE#personal#my house in the middle of my street
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Chapter 34
            Hadlee looked at the pile of folded moving boxes on her bed and nodded.
âOkay Sawyer,â She said glancing at the cat who had sprawled out on her desk even though there was a perfectly good cat bed not even three feet away. âHow long do you think this is going to take? Jethro said that heâs on his way over to help.â
            Sawyer lifted his head and meowed quietly before putting his head back down, looking the other way. Hadlee chuckled and shook her head.
âThanks for the help.â She muttered before pushing herself out of her desk chair and picking up the packing tape to start constructing boxes. She didnât have much but it was a matter of staying calm and not getting flustered when things started to move around. So, to keep herself sane she decided to construct all of the boxes and label them in accordance with their contents, books, desk stuff, clothes, bed, Sawyerâs stuff, etc. Once sheâd put together and labeled all of the boxes she began to put away some of the more personal things that she wasnât comfortable having Jethro, Harrison, or Maggie pack.
âHads, you here?â A voice rang out through the apartment.
âIn my room.â She called back.
            Jethro pocked his head into her room with a giant smile on his face.
âHey babe.â He said.
âHey.â She said accepting the hug and light kiss that he pulled her into.
âSo, where can I start?â He asked.
            Hadlee exhaled and ran her hands through her hair, turning this way and that.
âUmm,â She muttered, taking inventory of what sheâd done so far, what had to be done, and what she wanted to do herself. âWhy donât you start with my desk. The box is on the floor somewhere, itâs labeled. Oh, and wrap the more fragile things in bubble wrap.â
âOn it.â He said and headed off to complete his task.
            Hadlee smiled and turned back to where she had been putting some of her breakable items into a box full of bubble wrap. However, when she looked into the box Sawyerâs head popped out.
âOh geez,â She jumped, obviously not expecting the cat to pop out from the peanuts. âSawyer, get out of the box.â
            Sawyer simply looked up at her with eyes that seemed to say âOh, this wasnât for me?â
âDonât look at me like that, howâd you even get in there?â Hadlee asked the cat.
            Again no response, not that sheâd been expecting one.
âOkay, no, we arenât doing this.â Hadlee said, reaching in and pulling Sawyer out of the box.
            When she set him on her bed next to the box he simply jumped back in, content being in the middle of everything.
âSawyer!â She scolded.
âHey now, whatâs with the raised voices in here?â Maggie asked coming into the room.
            Hadlee hugged her soon to be sister-in-law and smiled. Maggie was almost four months along with it approaching the end of January and her bump was now large enough to be seen in pretty much anything that she wore. Another new development in the household was that Maggie had officially moved in. She had practically been living with Harrison anyway so the move wasnât so much a move as it was a change of address. Either way though, Hadlee was happy with how things were turning out.
âHey Mags. Sawyerâs being a goof,â Hadlee said, chuckling lightly. âHe just wants to play.â
            Maggie laughed and pulled Sawyer out of the packing peanuts again and held him to her chest. Sawyer, content to be getting attention pushed his head up under Maggieâs chin while she scratched the behind his ear.
âWell, I can take him into the other room until Harrison gets home. Then weâll come in and help you guys out.â Maggie offered.
âThat would be great.â Hadlee said.
            Maggie nodded and took Sawyer out of the room.
âNow, I can finally get some work done,â Hadlee said and looked over at the desk to see Jethro looking at one some of the pictures that she had put underneath the glass paneling that lay on top of her desk. âHey, whatâcha lookinâ at?â
            Jethro looked up briefly and smiled.
âJust at your pictures. I donât even remember you taking some of these. Like this one,â He said pointing to a picture of a night sky with only their feet at the bottom of the picture. âWhen is this one from?â
            Hadlee walked over and sat in his lap and ran her finger over the picture.
âThat one is from the first time we went to The Lookout. Remember, we had that very long conversation about anxiety and constellations.â She said, slipping her right arm under Jethroâs hair and massaging the bottom of his neck softly.
âI remember that being the first time we spent the night together,â He said and Hadlee smiled remembering Harrisonâs face when he had found out. Jethro reached up and used his finger to direct her face towards him. âI also remember telling you that I want to be your safe place.â
âOf course you remember that part.â Hadlee laughed.
âI also remember that conversation ending a little like this.â Jethro said, his voice dropping to a whisper and he pulled Hadleeâs lips down to his.
            Hadlee inhaled deep through her nose when their lips met. She wasnât surprised when he pulled her in for a kiss but she was unprepared for the spark that she felt when he did. Her right hand laced through the hair on the back of Jethroâs head and her left came up to his cheek, holding them together.
âNow this certainly doesnât look like packing.â Harrisonâs voice brought Hadlee and Jethro out of their little world and they separated, both smiling.
âWell, we wanted to take a little break.â Hadlee shrugged.
            Jethro reached up so that his mouth was next to Hadleeâs ear.
âCan we take another one?â Jethro whispered and Hadlee blushed heavily.
âI donât even wanna think about what he just said to you.â Harrison said.
            Hadlee laughed and got up off of Jethroâs lap.
âLetâs get back to work.â She said.
âIncoming!â Maggie yelled from the living room.
            Hadlee furrowed her brow, confused as to what she could possibly be talking about. But when she saw a brownish blur come barreling down the hall and right onto the bed, sliding off the other side from his momentum, she understood.
âOh Sawyer. Youâre lucky youâre cute.â She laughed.
~~~~~~~
            Three hours later they were finally nearly done. All that was left was Sawyerâs things and a few more random items.
âIâm gonna start on Sawyerâs things.â Maggie said.
âOkay, sounds good. Jethro and I are going to carry the desk down.â Harrison replied.
            After a moderately long discussion about what way was the best way to get the desk out the door Harrison and Jethro finally made it through the apartment and out the door. Hadlee laughed as she taped shut the few boxes that were still in her room. Once the last one was shut she looked over at Maggie who was looking around the room and picking up the scattered cat toys.
âSpeaking of Sawyer, where did he get to?â Hadlee asked.
            Maggie looked up from her ever growing pile of toys and furrowed her brow.
âHeâs not in the living room?â She asked.
âI didnât see him when I helped the boys with the desk.â Hadlee replied.
âIâm sure heâll turn up. Heâs the worldâs laziest cat,â Maggie said. âAll he does is sleep. Iâm sure he just found a corner somewhere and curled up. If we canât find him on our own then weâll finish bringing everything down and have the boys help us look.â
            Hadlee nodded and shrugged. It took a while to collect all of Sawyerâs things but eventually they had piled everything on Hadleeâs old bed.
âNow where did that box get to?â Hadlee muttered.
âItâs over here,â Maggie said. âAnd apparently so is Sawyer.â
            Hadlee walked over to where Maggie was looking and there was Sawyer, laying upside down in the box marked for his toys.
âWell, at least heâs in his box this time.â Hadlee laughed.
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Bed time stories

Player: Virgil Van Dijk
TW: Fluff, children
Promptlist: Children
"Daddy, will you read us a bedtime story?" Your son asked as he lay resting in his bed. Your children were taken up in their shared room wanting nothing more than to hear their father's voice to send them to sleep.
"Yes of course I can" Virgil softly said with a laugh as he crouched down in between the two beds. He was huge compared to everything in the room, he was almost a giant. Virgil had to think quickly about what story he could tell, the boys often wanted all of his football stories - winning the champions league or simply hearing about James Milner's terrible dance moves.
"Tell us about you and mummy" You heard one of your boys ask as you wandered past the bedroom door with a pile of washing occupying your hands. You quickly placed the pile of clothes down and raced back to the door. Your heart swelled at the thought of your children wanting to know about you and your husband.
"Well I and Mummy met when we were in school and she was in my maths class" Virgil started with a smile at the thought of how the old days used to be - innocent, young and full of mischief.
"Ew I hate maths" Your youngest admitted with a laugh as he stared at his father now resting his back on the side of the bed whilst sitting on the floor.
"well she helped me with my maths and then we started spending more time together and after all of that we went to prom with one another" Virgil explained again thinking about the day he saw you in that gorgeous pink dress. His eyes were like magnets on you and couldn't help but want to love you forever. You stood at the doorway admiring the three boys you called home, their eyes were soft and they were clutching onto their favourite teddies, Virgil was chatting away and before he knew it he was in his world. The nostalgia from your relationship was something nothing else compared to. Your mouth turned into a smile and your head rested on the door frame, all you wanted was to keep them with you forever.
"And then we had you two" Virgil finished his story as he noticed his two little versions of himself in a deep slumber. You lent off the door frame and wandered towards your husband.
"How sweet are you?" You asked with a giggle as his large body stood up and turned to you. He put a finger on your lips as he shushed you with the familiar smile he always sent you. You giggle against his hand as he kissed your forehead and leads you threw the door.
"They asked to hear about me and you" He explained as he quietly shut the door and wandered towards you. You wrapped your arms around his waist with a smile as you rested your head against his chest.
"I love you and I love them two and I also love how soft you get with them" You teased as you looked up at his tall frame. His slick bun and perfectly shaped frame sent your eyes into heart shapes and want nothing more than to be with him.
"Less of the soft ey?" Virgil teased with a smug smirk as his arms tangled tighter around your waist. Feeling him against you was everything to you. This was heaven, right here, right now.
Hey guys đđ» I hope you enjoyed this imagine đ there are still two prompts left on the prompt list â€ïž requests are open and feedback is greatly appreciated đ have a good day đ masterlist 2022 đ masterlist 2023 đ
@prettylittletrent @cornertakenquicklyyyy @trentalexanderarnold @robbo38 @robbothegoat @kostasstsimikass @chelseamount @chloereddy @tsimikasfamily @avenirdelight @blueathens @jordanhendersunshine @mrs-henderson @thatonesexycancerian @hendersons1truelover @nyctophilic0vitnir @peekapeaches @tsimikxs @tsimikostas @trentalexarnofan @leddows @moneymasnn @superkittywonderland @virgilvansike @virgilvandickmedown @hopefulromantic1 @robbo-trent-fanfiction26
#lfc imagines#lfc masterlist#liverpool imagines#lfc imagine#england fc imagines#england x reader#england team imagine#footballer imagines#trent alexander arnold imagines#lfc x reader#virgil van dijk x y/n#virgil van dijk x reader#virgil van dijk imagines#virgil van dijk imagine#virgil van dijk#footballer x reader#football fanfic#footballers#y/n#masterlist#promptlist
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The Moon
The Moon represents illusion and deception, and therefore often suggests a time when something is not as it appears to be. Perhaps a misunderstanding on your part, or a truth you cannot admit to yourself.
Authorâs note: hi!! Itâs been THREE weeks! Iâm so sorry!! Itâs really hard trying to find time to write at the moment, but this fic will go on! To makeup for it, this chapter is about 2x the usual chapters. Thank you so much for reading & get ready for whatâs in store. Enjoy!!!
Pairings: Sam x reader & Jake x reader
Warnings: alcohol consumption, cursing
Word count: 7k
PART 5:
You were stressed. You were supposed to leave tomorrow morning and you were still packing. After you had finished your work for the day you had ran to the mall and to two different Targets- yet you still feel like you didnât have everything. This would be the last on a whim trip you ever planned. You were currently sitting in the middle of your bedroom floor astonished at the mess that was everywhere. Stringy bathing suits, curling irons, sunscreen, and sunglasses were all you had in your bag. Well a few other things too but you still had a lot to do. You could hear your phone vibrating from under your pillow. You groaned and rolled over to grab it. It was Danny.
âHello?â You answered.
âUh can you come and open your door? Weâve been banging on the door for five minutes.â
âShit. Sorry, yeah.â You say hanging up.
Another unplanned visit and right now wasnât the best time. You glanced down at your outfit which was essentially just a giant bleach washed t-shirt and athletic shorts. It was just Sam and Danny though. Except when you opened the door you stood face to face with Jake.
âHey Birdie? All packed up for your little trip?â Jake says with a smirk.
You huff. âNot at all.â
When you look past him you realize theyâre all here. Sam is digging around in his car, but the other three are on your porch.
You back off of the door and fast walk to shut your bedroom door so they canât see the mess. Danny is holding three boxes of pizza while Josh has a pack of White Claws in hand.
âSorry to barge in on you like this Birdie. We just wanted to have a little send off dinner before you and Sam abandon us for the weekend.â Josh says, plopping the box down.
âHow sweet.â You say, giving Josh a smile.
Sam comes sauntering into the door a few minutes later. He takes a deep breath and pushes his hair back. Then greets you with a smile and nod that you reciprocate.
He heads towards you. âReady for tomorrow?â
You pull your lips into a tight line. âNot at all. My shit is everywhere and I am not even close to being packed.â
Sam looks around. âIn your room?â
You nod.
âShow me.â He says.
You glance around at everyone. Danny and Jake are rummaging about your kitchen grabbing plates and napkins while Josh starts putting drinks in the fridge.
âItâs embarrassingly messy, but okay follow me.â You say trying to be as incognito as possible.
Sam gets the hint and follows just as quietly. You quietly shut the door behind the both of you.
âOh shit.â He says as he sees the scene in front of him.
âTold you.â
He huffs a little. âOkay. Well letâs start.â
You laugh. âWeâre about to have dinner- you donât have to help.â
âNo, they'll be fighting over a movie in a matter of minutes. We have a good fifteen minutes of packing and organizing. Just tell me what to do.â Sam says.
You contemplate for a second before realizing youâre not in any position to turn down help. âOkay um- my bathroom stuff. Basically the two bottles on the shelf, my razor hanging up, body wash, face wash, loofah, and shower oil. Then my makeup wipes from the middle drawer and the dry shampoo and hair oil on the counter. There is a travel bag in the bathroom closet, left side.â
Sam nods and heads into your bathroom. While you turn back to the pile into your floor. You grab all of the clothes and fold them. You make two stacks; one for definitely taking the other for putting away.
Sam comes back a few minutes later. âWhat else goes in this bag?â
âMy travel toothbrush and toothpaste kit is in the first drawer under my eye masks. Then the bottom drawer has a small bag full of travel medicines. That should be all. Thank you.â
âYeah youâre welcome.â Sam replies heading back into your bathroom.
He comes back a few moments later and honestly these few minutes had already made an impact.
âI can help you more after dinner.â Sam says, while youâre putting clothes back away.
âNo itâs okay. I donât want to take you away from all of the fun.â You say, pointing towards the other three in the kitchen.
Sam half laughs. âI can after they leave, I mean.â
You make a confused face.
Sam continues. âI figured since you had shelled out so much for the tickets and airbnb I could contribute too. We fly out early in the morning and Iâve rented a car at the airport. That way we have more time there and can still have the freedom to go wherever.â
You smile. âWow. Yeah thatâs awesome. Thank you Sam.â
âItâs the least I could do. Ready to go eat?â
You nod and both leave your room. As Sam predicted, they were fighting over a movie. You make eye contact with Sam and share a giggle.
âSam, Terminator or Robocop?â Josh shouts when he looks up.
Sam chuckles and starts walking towards them. âNeither.â
You grab a plate and slap some pizza on it, then decide to grab a drink.
âWhere did you run off to?â
You look up from the fridge and Jake is standing in the kitchen grabbing more pizza for himself.
âOh I was packing. Iâve been slacking.â You say.
Jake lightly furrows his brows. âWith Sam?â
âYeah, he helped.â You say shrugging.
Jake nods but keeps that look on his face. You grab your plate and drink and laugh when you emerge into your living room to see the opening credits of Terminator.
**
After you all had eaten and the movie ended Jake, Josh, and Danny headed out. Leaving just you and Sam to finish packing and prepare for your trip tomorrow.
âI think this might be the last of it.â You said as you sighed, closing your suitcase.
âFuckin hallelujah.â Sam said with a chuckle, plopping down next to you on the floor.
You smiled and looked over at him. âThank you for all your help. Iâm not sure I could have gotten everything so organized without you.â
He turns his head and grins back at you. âYou most definitely would not have. But Iâm excited for this weekend. Weâll have fun.â
âMe too.â You say back.
âNow. Shall we get some rest? We have to leave for the airport in about seven hours.â Sam says, starting to get up.
âShit itâs that late?â You say glancing down at your watch. âI guess we should get some rest. Um, do you-?â
Sam huffed a laugh. âIâll take the couch Birdie. Sleep well.â
Then heâs strolling out of your room. Leaving you feeling a little funny. You brush it off and climb into bed. Itâs a little hard to sleep with all of the anticipation, but eventually you doze up.
**
âDo you want to grab a coffee?â Sam asks.
You two were at the airport after an adventurous morning. Your alarm had failed to go off so you and Sam rushed to the airport like that scene out of Home Alone 2.
âAfter the morning we just had, absolutely I do.â
Sam laughs and takes your hand, practically dragging you through the crowded airport. You both have a backpack and a suitcase, which makes slipping through the crowd a little harder. Finally, you make it to the coffee shop and you grab a place to sit while Sam gets the drinks. He returns a few minutes later with two iced coffees in hand. He hands you the lighter colored coffee with a layer of cold foam.
âThanks. What is it?â You ask, taking a sip
Sam plops down. âIced honey almond latte with sweet cold foam. Iâve seen you order coffees before and knew you liked them a little sweeter.â
You smile big at him. âYum. This is perfect. Thank you Sam.â
âYeah of course. Our gate is just over there. I think we can start boarding in about twenty.â
You huff a laugh. âWe really cut it close huh? Thank god the airport isnât jam packed at-â You look down at your watch. â6:42 in the morning.â
Sam groans. âGoddamn itâs early. Iâm going to sleep like a baby on the plane.â
And he did. Sam had booked you nicer seats on the flight right next to each other. He nuzzled down into his seat and was out before you had even reached altitude. You never could sleep on planes, not well at least. Every time you would doze off you suddenly would become hyper aware that you were in the sky. Sam didnât seem to have a problem with it. You couldnât help but grin when his head tipped over onto your shoulder. You glanced down at him. His eyelashes were longer than you had noticed. His skin was so clear. You hadnât really noticed until now, but Sam was pretty? He snored softly on your shoulder, completely unbothered. That made a weird feeling flicker in your stomach. You brushed it off and cracked open your book. You were so ready to just land and be there. A few minutes later the snack cart came by.
âCan I get you anything?â The flight attendant asked.
You smiled up at her. She was young, probably around your age, and very pretty. âIâll just take some water. Thanks.â
She handed you a bottle. âAnything for your boyfriend?â She asks, motioning to Sam passed out on your shoulder.
Your cheeks flush and youâre grateful Sam is asleep so he doesnât have to feel this awkwardness too.
âIâm not entirely sure what my friend will want. Um, probably just some water and whatever snack.â
She nods fully gathering what youâre saying. âOkay. Iâm going to grab a pack of cashews and Iâll be back around.â
You thank her and fully divert your attention back to your book. When the flight attendant comes back you barely notice as she drops off the nuts and napkins.
âLooks like we will be landing in about 20 minutes folks. We want to thank you for flying with us today and we hope you can enjoy this beautiful weather.â You snap your eyes from your book and realize youâre almost there. You glance over at Sam who is still out and decide to wake him.
âSam.â You half whisper as you nudge him.
He groans a little and opens his eyes. âShit are we here?â
You giggle. âNot yet. Almost. I just wanted to wake you up so youâre ready.â
He yawns and stretched out. âI must have been out. My mouth is so dry.â
âOh I had the flight attendant bring you water.â You say motioning towards the small bottle on his side tray.
âOh perfect.â He says grabbing the bottle and chugging. âAw you even had them bring me a snack too. Thanks Birdie.â
Sam grabs the packet of nuts to rip open and then reveals something on the napkin that the pack was sitting on top of. Your eyes widen a bit when you notice itâs a phone number scribbled down on the paper.
Oh.
Sam lets out an awkward laugh. âInteresting.â
Your face turns a little red and you canât explain why. âHey, she's cute.â You donât know why you said that.
Sam shakes his head a little. âEh, not my thing. But these cashews are. Want some?â
âSure.â You say, accepting some that he plops in your hand.
You and Sam finish the cashews in approximately three minutes, but itâs okay because you can feel that the plane is lowering every second.
Lastly the flight attendants come by with trash cans to collect up all of the loose garbage. The same pretty flight attendant comes back to you.
âAny garbage?â She says, smiling big at Sam who is now awake.
âYup.â Sam says, collecting up both of your bottles, the cashew packet, and the napkins. He tosses them into the trash can. âThanks.â
The flight attendant makes a confused face at him then huffs and walks away.
âThat was kind of awkward huh?â Sam asks.
You canât help but laugh. âYes, it was.â
Sam turns his head to you and smiles. âAlready making memories Birdie.â
**
The next few hours had been a little hectic to say the least. You had to wait forever to retrieve your bags, then it took a while to get your rental car. But finally you were on your way to the house. Sam was driving while you provided music for the drive. You were softly humming to Hurdy Gurdy Man when you happened to look up. Finally you saw the ocean. You beamed a smile and perked up in your seat. You rolled your window down and inhaled deeply.
âYou good?â Sam asked, amused.
âIâm great actually. I love the smell of the salt and the sea. Itâs refreshing to the soul.â
Sam chuckled. âYouâre right.â
Then he rolled his window down too and turned up the radio.
**
âIs this it?â Sam asked, slowing down.
You had just pulled up to a small peach colored house on the beach. It was charming on a small, less crowded part of the beach.
You nod your head and Sam pulls into the driveway.
âIâll grab the bags. You go ahead.â Sam says, waving you forward.
You take in the view for a second before climbing the stairs up to the house. You type in the code and step inside. You were straight in the living room, and you frowned a bit when you saw the couch. It was tiny. There was no way Sam was fitting on that thing. You decided that you would sleep there instead. The small kitchen was attached to the living room. The bedroom was modest sized with a full bed in the center of the room and a dresser. Lastly there was a full bathroom and that was it. The decorations were vintage beach themed and you decided that you loved it. You stepped to the back porch and admired the view. It directly faced the ocean. You wished you could wake up to this view every morning.
âWow.â Sam said, stepping outside with you.
âRight?â
âThis place is nice. I like the privacy.â
âItâs small, but I feel like I could live here forever.â You say.
Sam chuckles. âI know what you mean.â
âShould we unpack and then grab something for lunch?â You ask.
âAbsolutely. Iâm starved.â
âSam.â You say with a smirk. âHave you realized the opportunity we have here?â
He looks at you and furrows his brows light heartedly. âWhat?â
âWeâre at the beach.â
âUh- yes Birdie we are.â
âSam! We are pescatarian! Itâs like a buffet everywhere we go!â
He lets out a laugh. âI didnât even think of that. Now somehow Iâm more excited.â
âSo, fish tacos and then hit the beach?â
Sam smiles at you. âYou read my mind.â
**
You and Sam had made a run to the grocery store and grabbed some tacos to-go so that you could have a little picnic on the beach. You were now changing while Sam made margaritas. You had decided to go with a simple black bikini. It was high cut and very cheeky while the top was strapless and ruched with a black circle in the middle. You knew it would make for an interesting tan line, but it was cute. You threw on a white linen button shirt/cover up, tan sandals, large black sunglasses, and a black floppy hat. You were ready to lay in the sand all day long. When you emerged from changing Sam was already in a pair of red short swim trunks. He had sunglasses on top of his head containing some of his hair. He was fighting with the blender a bit which made you laugh. You grabbed all of the food, two towels, sunscreen, and water bottles and threw it into your beach bag.
âYou look nice.â Sam says, handing you a margarita.
âOh thank you.â You say accepting the drink. âYou better get some sunscreen on before you turn the shade of your shorts.â
Sam laughs and grabs the beach bag from you. âDonât worry. You can rub me down outside. Letâs go.â
You follow behind sipping your margarita, it was so good. You tilt your head back when you reach the sand just to soak in the peaceful rays. Sam had already trekked up ahead, picking a perfect spot near the water. He started laying out the towels while you grabbed the food and sunscreen. You strip your shirt and started dousing yourself in the SPF but couldnât get your backside.
âSpray me?â You question.
Sam nods and you turn around. He slowly bends and sprays all the way from your calves to your shoulders. You held your breath when he was level with your ass, you werenât sure why.
âThanks.â You say taking the sunscreen from Sam. âNow your turn.â
Sam dramatically takes a sharp inhale when the coldness sprays on his chest. âWhew Birdie if youâre going to drown me thereâs an ocean right there.â
You laugh that off. âFunny Sam, but call me in 20 years when you donât look like a splotchy leather sofa.â
Sam snickers at that then spins around to presumably dry himself off. You plop down and start opening the boxes of food up. Fish tacos were your favorite and you and Sam had gotten plenty of different kinds to share. Sam finally sits down next to you and grabs a taco.
âDamn this is good.â He says, chewing.
You swallow and take a sip of your margarita. âItâs so good.â
âI for one especially love the subtle taste of sunscreen on these. Just phenomenal.â He says through a smirk.
Somehow his smile looks even brighter through your sunglasses.
You huff a laugh. âShut up.â
Then you two sat in comfortable silence eating your tacos and drinking your margaritas. Completely content to soak in the view.
**
You stayed at the beach all day. After devouring enough tacos to feed an army you were so tired. So you laid down and let the crashing waves and sea breeze lull you to sleep. When you woke up it was still sunny and beautiful. You turned your head and squinted your eyes to see Sam reading splayed out on his towel.
âHow long was I out?â You ask, starting to sit up.
Sam looks over at you. âMaybe an hour and a half? Not entirely sure. I was out for a while too.â
âItâs just too peaceful out here.â You say with a yawn.
âWith that being said, wanna go for a swim?â Sam asks, closing his book and turning towards you.
You bite your lip. âI have a confession.â
Sam laughs. âWhat might that be?â
âIâm a little bit terrified of the ocean. Not in a symbolic way either. Touching the little fish with my feet just freaks me out. I canât stand to touch the bottom of the ocean with my feet.â
Sam laughs loudly. âBirdie! I had no idea you had such a phobia. Is that why youâre pescatarian? Fish piss you off?â
You roll your eyes. âItâs not a phobia! Itâs just-â
Sam cuts you off. âIâm just teasing. Itâs okay. I promise Iâll protect you.â
He extends his hand out to you and you contemplate for a minute before accepting. But, surely enough you had gotten up and tied your hair in a bun so that you could go for a swim with him. The water was cold, but not freezing.
âCâmon Birdie. You canât tiptoe in, that makes it worse.â Sam chirps.
You huff because you know heâs right. Then you charge into the water leaving Sam long behind.
âYou coming or what?â You yell to him.
He nods and then jogs into the water too.
Then youâre both laughing, splashing around in the water.
âAh this feels so nice.â Sam says, pretending to lay back and float.
âItâs much warmer than I expected and the waves arenât too crazy at the moment.â You say, looking off into the horizon.
âIâm so happy to be at a beach and just get to relax. I don't have to cosplay.â Sam says, flicking his sunglasses down.
You stifle a laugh. âCosplay? What do you mean?â
âFucking Jake and his obsession with pirates. Everytime we go to a beach I swear he turns into Captain Jake Sparrow.â Sam says with a laugh.
You feel uneasy when you remember Jake exists. Today was the first time in a while that you hadnât thought of him and now thatâs over. Then you feel something brush up against your foot.
âFuck! Sam!â You exclaim and practically jump over to him. âSomething touched me!â
Sam laughs and scoops you up, holding you in the water so that your feet arenât on the bottom anymore. âDonât worry Birdie. I gotcha.â
You feel a little embarrassed at the situation, but decide you would much rather be embarrassed than feel fish touching your feet.
You huff out. âOkay can we go back to the beach now?â
Sam pouts his lip out at you. âCome on Birdie. Stay with me just a little while longer.â
You give in. Then you two stay in the water until youâre prunes. Sam held you almost the entire time, but it didnât feel uncomfortable or strange. When you went back to the beach you two decided to go inside and get ready for dinner. Sam had found a local beach bar with live music that he was just itching to go to. Of course that was definitely your scene as well. Sam let you have the shower first while he unpacked the beach bag. Then you were out drying your hair and doing skin care as quickly as possible. When you were finished you gave Sam the bathroom and went into the room to change. You decided on a casual outfit for tonight. You went with a 70âs looking scarf and tied it around as a top. Then a pair of white linen flowy pants with tan sandals. You threw on a small pair of gold hoops and pulled your hair half back in a clip. You contemplated makeup, but decided to do minimal. Your tan was already nice looking, so you put on bronzing drops, concealer, a touch of contour, and highlighter. Then added bottom mascara and brushed out your lash extensions. You looked cute, but topped the look off with perfume and lipgloss. When you opened the door Sam was sitting on the couch, already dressed. He wore a pair of short khaki shorts and a blue and pink paisley patterned button down shirt that was half unbuttoned. He wore his signature Birkenstocks.
âWow. You look nice.â Sam said, respectfully taking in your appearance.
âThank you. So do you. Are you ready?â
âAbsolutely.â
**
Dinner had gone well. You and Sam both agreed to have one beer each so that you could drive back safely and not feel sick tomorrow for the festival. You both split a lot of oysters and enjoyed the live music. Dinner was so comfortable. You filled the evening with jokes, conversations about dog breeds, and way too much laughter. It was nice to just feel so relaxed with another person besides Margo. It almost shocked you how easy it had been with Sam. You were always friends of course, but you hadnât expected to pick up where you had seemingly left off years ago. Now you two had arrived back at the house and you were unsure how to navigate the sleeping situation. You started rummaging through your bag for pajamas while Sam was in the bathroom. You decided to go with a large Pink Floyd t-shirt and a pair of gray sleep shorts. You quickly changed and threw on a pair of white fuzzy socks. Then, Sam emerged and you excused yourself to the bathroom to get ready for bed. You took off your makeup, washed your face, brushed your teeth, and did a few steps of skincare. When you came out you saw Sam sitting on the couch. He looked exhausted, but you knew he was sitting there out of respect.
You walked over to Sam and sat down with a groan. âIâm so tired.â
He lightly chuckled. âYeah. Me too Birdie. Today has been fun, but Iâm ready to sleep for ten hours straight.â
You nod along. âI know what you mean. Listen, this couch is like tiny. You take the bed and I can sleep here.â
Sam furrowed his brows. âNo, absolutely not. Iâm not putting you out of the bed. Iâll be fine out here.â
âSam, it's entirely impractical for you to sleep on this thing. Please just go get in the bed.â
Sam shakes his head at you. âSorry Birdie. No can do. I promise Iâll be okay.â
You sigh and stare at him for a minute. âOkay. Well what if we both just take the bed?â
Sam looks at you cautiously. âNo, I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything.â
You throw your hand up and scoff. âOh please you could never make me uncomfortable. Besides, Iâll be making a pillow wall. I canât have those dogs out on me all night.â You say teasingly, glancing down at his feet.
Sam half smiles but his eyes never leave yours. âAre you sure?â
âYes. Now come on, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.â You say, getting up and heading towards the bed.
Sam shrugs and follows you. You lightly place a pillow in between the both of you and scoot to your side. Sam didnât dare cross over the pillow one time throughout the night. You both just laid there and slept.
**
The next morning Sam had gotten up before you. You slept surprisingly fine. There were no issues with the bed sharing. When you emerged from the room you saw a note on the counter.
Going to grab coffee and bagels. Be back soon.
-Sam
You took in a happy breath, thatâs what you needed to kick start your day. You decided to take a quick shower and get your skincare done before Sam came back. When he had taken a little longer than you anticipated you decided to start on your hair and makeup. It was a festival. It was going to be a long and hot day. While you wanted to look your best you also had to be practical. So you decided to spray a good amount of salt spray in your hair and let it naturally curl up. Then you took out two smaller sections on both sides and did bubble braids with orange hair elastics- they matched your outfit. Then you decided to move on straight to makeup. The first step was gobbing your face with sunscreen and primer. Then you went in with a tinted moisturizer, concealer, cream contour, and cream blush. Sam walked in about mid way through your blending and you assumed you probably looked insane with all of that on your face.
âHey sorry it took me way longer than expected. I didnât realize the best coffee place was on the other side of town and traffic is already a bitch for the festival.â Sam says, walking in with bags and cups.
You laugh a little. âItâs okay. Thank you for going out and getting all of this.â
âYeah of course. But I do think Iâm going to call us an Uber to the festival. Parking looks like a nightmare.â Sam says handing over your things.
âThatâs fine with me. Iâm so ready for this day.â
Sam gives you a smile. âMe too.â
**
You and Sam had sat and chatted for a bit while you both had eaten your breakfast. But you knew you had to get a move on as you had a lot to do. So after, you finished your makeup. Doing a messy eye look with brown eyeshadow and a lot of gold glitter. Then you set your face with a half a bottle of setting spray and threw on some lipgloss. Then you got changed into your outfit. It was definitely a little scandalous, but it was a music festival. There was a tiny stringy burnt orange bikini that hugged your body perfectly. The only thing you had to wear over it was a matching orange mesh coverup that wrapped around your hips. Then you put on a gold body chain around your waist and matching earrings. You had decided to wear white chunky sneakers with white tube socks, as boots wouldnât do well in the sand. Then you put on loads of body glitter and perfume before grabbing your large tortoise shell sunglasses. Finally you put lipgloss, sunscreen, gum, blotting papers, and a small thing of deodorant in your small white bag and threw it on your shoulder. You gave yourself a look in the mirror. You kind of looked like a glamorous Hooters girl that was somehow wearing less clothing than normal. But you felt confident.
âOh wow. Um oof wow.â Sam said, his face turning a little pink as soon as you walked out of the room.
You laugh it off. âI know I look a bit ridiculous, but thatâs the vibe of music festivals I suppose. You ready?â
âRidiculous is not the word I would personally use, but yeah let me call an Uber.â
Sam was in a pair of patterned navy blue and pink short swim trunks, his Birkenstocks, and a white light button down shirt that was completely undone with the sleeves rolled up. You couldnât help but notice how nice his outfit complemented his tan. He had a pair of sunglasses on his head and a small backpack. He looked festival ready.
The Uber arrived a short while later but it took longer than anticipated to get there. It was crowded to say the least and inside was even more crowded. Sam took hold of your hand immediately as you entered the grounds. He led and you followed through the crowd of people. You had told yourself you would pace yourself with drinking, but that went out the window quickly as Sam beelined for one of the bars.
âShit itâs crowded. Want a drink?â Sam asked, leaning in close so you could hear him.
âYes please. Just a Twisted Tea for me.â You reply, basically yelling back.
Sam motioned towards the bartender and held up two fingers so you assumed he got the same as you.
âOh my fucking god! Is that Sam Kizska?â You hear a voice say.
You spin your head around and see two girls staring in shock as Sam is completely oblivious at the bar. They look at you, unsure what to do- to be honest youâre completely unsure what to do as well. You had never been in a situation like this before. You think quickly and smile at the girls waving them over.
âUh Sam. Youâve got some fans I think?â You say, still a little baffled by the situation.
âHuh?â Sam says as he spins around and then hums at you when the two girls approach.
âHi! So sorry to bother you, we just wanted to say weâre big fans.â One of the girls nervously belts out.
âNo bother at all! So nice to meet you. What are your names?â Sam asks, smiling.
âIâm Sophie and this is Yara.â The same girl speaks.
Sam smiles. âWell Sophie and Yara, itâs a pleasure. Would you guys like to take a photo?â
âOh my gosh- yes definitely!â The other girl says pulling out her phone.
âBirdie, would you mind?â Sam asks you.
You nod your head and take the phone. âNot at all.â
Everyone moves away from the bar slightly and Sam sets the drinks in the sand before standing in between the two girls wrapping his arms around their shoulders. You take about forty pictures before handing the phone back.
âThank you so much.â The girl says, taking her phone back.
âNo problem at all. Are you guys excited to see The Red Hot Chili Peppers?â You ask, trying to make conversation.
âSo excited. We drove all the way from Louisiana for this.â She replies back to you.
âWow! Thatâs so far. That must have been a heavy drive. We took the easy way out and flew here.â Sam says.
The other girls steps in. âThat probably would have been a smarter decision honestly. But we donât want to bug you guys anymore. Thank you so much for talking with us and taking a picture.â
Sam waves his hand up. âNot bugging us in the slightest. Thank you guys for saying hello. It was really great to meet you. Maybe weâll catch you later at the main stage for the Chilli Peppers.â
With that everyone says their goodbyes and Sam hugs them both. That was so wholesome. Sam was so incredibly nice to them, that made you feel happy.
You and Sam had trekked up to a smaller stage watching a band you had never heard of before. They were good and Sam really seemed to enjoy them. They began to cover Fortunate Son by CCR and Sam grabbed your hand. He started spinning you around while you both sang to one another. You couldnât help but giggle. Normally you would feel embarrassed in a situation like this, but with Sam everything felt comfortable.
When the song ended Sam leaned down to you. âWanna go grab some food?â
You nodded your head and you were off again through the festival. You two ended up at a food truck and both got shrimp quesadillas with loads of hot sauce.
âLetâs just move here. I canât go back to not having this food everyday.â You said.
Sam hummed at you. âDonât tempt me with a good time Birdie. Iâll call my realtor right now.â
You laughed at that. âDo you think theyâll let us bring a sack full of these quesadillas on the plane?â
âAs long as they fit in our carry-ons.â Sam bantered back. âIâm going to grab another drink. Want one?â
âYes please.â You say, as you begin to collect up all of the trash.
Sam returns a few minutes later with cans in hand. âI have a request.â
You take the can from him. âIâm listening.â
âBefore we get shitty, can we take some pictures? I would like to document this momentous occasion.â
You pretend to contemplate. âWho said we are getting shitty?â
He sighs at you. âOh Birdie, here I was thinking that you and I had a mutual understanding.â
You let out a laugh. âOkay okay, only because youâre so convincing.â
Sam opens up his phone and snaps a few selfies of the two of you. Then he hands his phone to a guy passing by who takes a few pictures of the two of you.
âHow cute.â He says admiring the pictures. âIâll send them to you.â
âThey are cute. Now, ready to get shitty?â You say with a smirk.
âYouâre speaking my language now.â
**
As the day began to wind down you were a little more than buzzed. You two had walked around the whole festival and gotten a drink at every available place. You had checked out different bands and bought a few art pieces from various vendors. The Chilli Peppers would be taking the stage in about an hour so you had decided you should probably head over to get a somewhat decent spot. You knew you wouldnât be anywhere near close, but you couldnât justify spending your whole day standing in a spot.
âShould we head over to the main stage now?â You asked Sam, finishing your beer.
âYeah if youâre ready. Can we stop by the bathrooms first? I feel like my bladder might explode.â Sam said with a laugh.
You nod. âYes, I am feeling a similar sensation at the moment.â
Then you two pop into the bathrooms by the bar you were hanging out at. Surprisingly you looked a lot better than you thought. Your eye makeup was slightly smudged but it went with the look. Oh well. You washed your hands and Sam was waiting on you outside.
He took your arm and linked them together. âReady mâlady?â
âOnward.â You said, linking your arm back.
You two walked through the festival and finally made it to the main stage. There were so many people there.
âOh fuck wow. I didnât think it would be this crowded. Weâre going to have a shit view. Iâm sorry.â You say.
Sam smirked at you. âIâm not so sure about that.â
You look at him confused and he pulls you through the crowd to the other side of the stage. He takes you all the way up to the VIP section which has its own lounge.
âSam?â You say.
He doesnât answer and continues walking. The security at the rope nods at Sam and lets you two right in. You were undoubtedly way closer to the stage. There was still a pit of people in the VIP, but it was eons smaller.
âWhat was that?â You asked.
Sam smiled at you. âI pulled some strings. This place has an actual bar. Letâs grab some cocktails and then get a spot.â
You were a little taken aback but also delighted.
âYouâre impressive Kiszka.â You say as you and Sam take a seat at the bar.
Sam blushes a little. He looks so pretty in this view. His skin is perfectly sunkissed, the sun itself is setting, his shirt has been long gone. Why were you thinking like this? The alcohol must have seeped into your brain.
âSometimes I can be okay I guess.â Sam modestly confesses. âCan we get two tequila sodas?â
**
One cocktail turned into about three and it was safe to say you were now drunk. Your spot in the pit had no longer been as important because you were having an incredible time just laughing with Sam at the bar. All of a sudden the music cut off and stage lights began to dim. Sam staggered up to grab your hand to take you to the pit.
âOh shit! The show is starting Sammy!â You say through giggles.
Sam looks at you- with a way you had never seen before. Then you realized you had just called him a name that hadnât left your mouth in years. He gives you a beautiful smile and continues to drag you into the crowd. Sam finds a small opening in the pit and starts to carefully navigate you through.
âOkay Birdie, this is as close as weâre going to get.â Sam says, putting you in front of him.
Youâre a lot closer than you thought you would be. Maybe 4-5 rows back from the barricade.
You hear the opening chords of Canât Stop start billowing through the speakers and the whole crowd becomes energetic. Sam instantly wraps his arms around your waist from behind you to keep you sturdy and both together. You donât mind. You and Sam sway to the music and his hands never leave your waist.
**
After the Chilli Peppers went off you and Sam decided to hang around at the bar for a little longer to grab a drink and wait out the crowd. You two had no intention of staying at the after party. But you waited and had about two more drinks each. You were so drunk and so was Sam. But not like a sloppy drunk, more like you felt like you were levitating. Just pure happiness in your being. Sam had called you two an Uber back to the beach house, then he made cheese pizzas in the oven while you tried your best to get out of your glam. You decided just to throw on a white bra top and black biker shorts. It was the best you could do. You took the elastics out of your hair and used three makeup wipes to get everything off to the best of your ability. When you emerged into the living room Sam was sitting out the pizza and two bottles of water.
âBirdie! Perfect timing!â He exclaimed.
âOh my god Iâm starving. This looks so good.â You giggle and plop down next to Sam.
You both start devouring the pizza and try not to choke from the laughter shared between you two.
âThanks for coming, Sammy. Iâve had so much fun.â You say, genuinely.
Sam seems to melt at that. âThank you for allowing me to come. This is the most fun Iâve had in a long time. I really enjoy being around you.â
You smile back. âSame.â
Sam groans. âShould we get to bed? Iâm dreading our flight tomorrow. Iâm so glad you brought Advil.â
You laugh and nod your head. You both clean up and then saunter off to bed. That night there was no pillow barrier, and at some point Samâs arm ended up over you. Instead of scooting away you scooted in. You could feel him pressed up against your back. You tried not to laugh about it, but you werenât entirely sure how to feel honestly. Whatever it was you were feeling, you were absolutely sure that it wasnât discomfort. Maybe it was even the opposite. This weekend changed a lot of things for you, and you hadnât even realized it yet.
**
thank you for reading!!! :)))
#greta van fic#greta van fleet#greta van fleet fic#jake gvf#jake kiszka#jake kiszka x reader#sam gvf#sam kiszka#sam kiszka x reader#the moon#jake x reader#sam x reader
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decontamination s.k.

simon kalivoda x fem!reader
summary: after a long night getting chased by dead serial killers from shadysideâs past (y/n) figues itâs now or never to confess her feelings for her best friend.
authors note: after a million and a half years i finally wrote something and went through with it !! everyone can thank @jinxthequeergirl simon headcanons that spark this and @fearstreetss entire blog only fueling my love for simon. I hope yâall enjoy it because pure fluff is sum of my favorite things to write about.
words: 1359
â ïœĄâ Ë.đ„ Ę Ë
The lost and found box was placed on the school floor as everyone crouched down and started going through it. Each finding something that actually fit and didnât have giant holes in them. âAlright, we have to decontaminate.â Josh said as they all piled their clothes into their arms. "You canât have any of Samâs blood on you.â
âWell, not much we can do about that.â Sam muttered before walking off to a classroom as Deena followed. âDeena, you have to get clean too! Not a single drop, oaky?â He yelled after them.
âRub-a-dub-dub time!â Simon remarked as the three of them were going into the bathroom as Kate stopped them seeing she was going in by herself. âHey, wait. I donât want to go in by myself. donât want to go in there alone,â
âI donât either, which is why Iâm staying with the one who knows whatâs happening, and Simon.â (y/n) remarked getting a âheyâ from Simon.
âIâll go with you,â Josh said as Kate gave him a smile in return as Simon and (y/n) shared a look thinking the same thing. Holding the door open for her as he followed in right behind her.
(y/n) took the sink at the fairest end while Simon took the sink one over from the door. Each piling off their clothes, turning the water on and washing away the blood and dirty they could. But it came clear to her that she was gunna need some help. She glanced over to him seeing he was looking over himself.
âHey Si--,â She started to say but had to clear her throat, âCan you check my back?â
At first, he didnât answer looking her up and down once before looking in face not wanting to push anything she didnât want. As she stood in front of him in her underwear and bra. She stepped closer waving in front of his face. âHello? Earth to Simon?â
He blinked a couple of times before nodding, âYeah, yeah, yeah.â
âYou sure? You zoned out for a sec,â She asked as he nodded insteading he was fine. She turned around holding her hair up. He looked over at her lightly moving her bra strap to check under it as small bits of electricity jolted through her body while each touch made tiny goosebumps raised on her skin. âGood news youâre clean,â
âAnd bad news?â She asked knowing there was always âbad newsâs with him.
âOur therapist will think weâre crazy.â He said, making her laugh. He loved her smile and definitely needed it after what they had seen.
She turned back to face them as she quickly realized how close their faces, each other noses basically brushing against one another. "Yeah, thatâs if we make it through tonight,â She remarked, grabbing the ugly gym shorts she had and bending down and putting them on.
âHey,â He said softly, grabbing her hand getting her attention, âWe are going to get through this. Alive, all of us.â
âYeah, well I have things I want to do before I die, so I hope youâre right about this.â She remarked looking down. That certain thing was how she felt about him. She had a crush on Simon for as long as she could remember. Kate knew how she felt after one-to-many longing looks in his direction. She made her swear on everything that she would never say anything to him. But what (y/n) didnât know was Kate had a few hours earlier sworn to him she wouldnât say anything to (y/n) about his feelings for her.
He smiled pushing his floppy hair from his face, âOh really? What are these things?â
She quickly looked down picking at her nails, not wanting to look him in the face. Knowing if she didnât say something now, she wouldnât ever do it. Not knowing if the adrenaline from running from dead serial killers all night was still going through her veins, or if it was actually herself doing this. He saw her picking at her nails knowing she only did it when she was nervous about something.
âYou know what--â
âNo, itâs okay, I--â They both said speaking over each other, Simon trying to change the topic and get her mind off it not wanting to see her stressed. And (y/n) just trying to get it out, but the words just wouldnât.
âNo really you donât have to--â
âI like you.â She blurted as the room fell silent as they both looked down.
âIt's justâŠâ She trailed off picking at the white part of her nail, swallowing harshly. âI just donât want to die with regrets. And with everything weâve seen I donât want to take any--â She started to ramble as he quickly cupped either side of her face and pressed his lips against hers. It was sweet and simple but made the same goosebumps appear on her arms. Pulling apart from each and pressed their foreheads together. â--chance.â
His wide smile quickly made its way on his face, swiping his tongue along his bottom lip tasting her sweet cherry chapstick. âGod Iâve been wanting to do that forever,â
âTook you long enough,â
The two basked in each other for a little to long. Realizing it and quickly throwing on whatever clothes they could find that didnât have blood or dirt on it. âYou two almost done? We got some serial killer ass to kick!â Kate yelled banging on the door frame as the door was a simple push door.
They smiled at each other before walking out. (y/n) fixing the stiff loose-fitting shirt that swallowed her body, while Simon followed out behind her. âBlame my shoes, they didnât want to tie properly.â
Josh nodded looking around for any sight of his sister and Sam, while Kate knew better. Seeing how close they stood next to each other, closer than normal, and how with each glance at each other a smile grew more and more on each of their faces. But the nail in the coffin was when she noticed they had the same red tinting on each other's lips. She crossed her arms as a sly smile creeped itâs way onto her lips. âRight. Your âshoesâ took up both of yâalls attention.â She used air quotes before gesturing between the two. âIt was about time,â
âOh really?â (y/n) questioned looking over at Josh and back at her. âPlease, it was barely first base.â She insteaded.
Simon grabbed (y/n)âs waist turning her to face Deena and Sam, âWait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Did you⊠all go to pound town?â He asked after resting his elbows on her shoulders so he could talk with his hands. Everyone stayed quiet before he broke out into a giant grin, âUs too!â She looked up, hitting his chest lightly shaking her head.
And they went to get started on the plan. Kate and (y/n) were about to walk off to get the CPR dummy before Simon grabbed her hand playing with fingers.â One kiss before we die?â
She smiled turning her full body towards him looking at his lips as she brought her lips closer to his. Swiftly putting her finger to his lips, âYou can get the kiss when we survive,â She said walking backwards, âWeâll be right back, I promise!â She shouted, turning and hooking her arm with Kateâs.
#fear street#fear street part one: 1994#fear street simon#horror#netflix#netflix horror#movienight#horror movie#flimtv#fear street kate#fear street deena#fear street sam#fear street josh#horror x reader#simon kalivoda#simon kalivoda x reader#fear street 1994 x reader#fear street x reader#simplyhale
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I would like to request a Lookism one please
ok so:
The reader is like a single mom and after a couple dates eith either the lookism boys or girls she decides that she want's them to meet her baby (who's like idk 1 ig you can change it I dint mind) how eould some of them react to their s/o having a kid?
you can do what ever characters! (but can one of them be Vasco? You can have whoever else!)
OooO that sounds interesting!
Iâll be combining it with this request since itâs pretty similar.
Writing under the cut!
CW: Children, Single parenting, Mentions of abuse and kidnapping (mild)

Vasco, Samuel, Jake, and Sinu Finding out The Person They're Seeing is a Single Parent
Euntae Lee
he probably wouldâve never found out you were a single parent until you told him
he just assumed that you were busy with your life
never questions when you had to leave a date early after getting a notification on your phone
after a few dates or so when youâre finally comfortable enough, you take him to see your child
inviting him to your home was easy enough, you suppose
heâs a little confused on why youâre insisting on meeting up at your home, but is actually very excited to see what your home life is like
is taken aback by the sheer amount of toys littering the ground
you apologize, clearly embarrassed by the mess
the babysitter turns to greet you, surprised and a little terrified by the man at your side
however when they see your interlaced hands, they understand almost immediately, excusing themselves after handing your child back to you
if Vasco was shocked before, heâs definitely very very confused now
upon seeing him, your child would freeze before whimpering and sobbing
dropping his hand, you coo at your child, gently brushing away their tears whilst gently bouncing them in your arms
â...Is that your little sibling?â
you softly shake your head, refusing to meet his questioning gaze
the gears start to turn in his head; from your early exits to the toys on the floor
this was your child
heâll stare at you for a moment, his eyes shining brightly with an emotion you couldnât quite name
heâs mesmerized by how quickly you were able to calm the child--your child and is captivated by pure amount of love your gaze holds
after your child calms down, theyâll stare at Vasco for a moment, protectively clinging to the fabric of your sweater
their gazes sends cold shivers down Vascoâs spine
would they hate him?
do they find him scary--
heâs broken from his thought as a small babble makes its way to his ears
your child reaches out to him, their grabby fingers grasping onto his clothes
he stills for a moment until you let out a soft laugh
he watches as you allow your child to latch on to him, the soft smile on your features sending butterflies throughout his stomach
yeah, he could get used to this
Samuel Seo
definitely one of the more suspicious ones when it comes to your secretÂ
he wonât question it as much if you tell him youâre okay or to stop being so nosey
but, to be fair, when have words ever stopped him?
he wonât do much, just a little digging
which lead him to the fact that you live with someone else
a someone that youâve never told him about
however, thatâs not the part that surprised him
what surprised him was that the other tenant was a minor; listed as your dependent
how he found this out, youâll never know
heâll confront you about this
you werenât happy to see him snooping around in your life, but you eventually sigh before taking him to your house
the babysitter was surprised to see you back so early, but handed you your child nonetheless
Samuelâs eyes would flicker between you and the child, noting the striking resemblances between you and the child
unsure of his feelings, he would excuse himself before making his leave
to be honest, heâs terrified
heâs never been the best when it came to familial relationships
from a young age, Samuel was exposed to violence which blossomed into a few dangerous habits
ex: nearly losing it whenever heâs interrupted
he doesnât want to project said habits onto your child and potentially lose you; the only one whoâs been able to put up with him
when he comes by the next day, you raise a brow as you open the door but usher him in anyway
your child just stares at him and he stares back
itâs just really awkward until you step back in
you move to pick your child up only to be stopped by your lover
he bends down and picks them up underneath their arms, lifting them up lion king style before continuing to stare at them
âThis is fine... I suppose.â
Jake Kim
like Vasco, Jake is an idiot who probably never found out you were a single parent unless you told him
thereâs also the fact that heâs also extremely busy and wouldnât question your random disappearances
the way he found out you had a child was actually an accident, really
you were just taking your child for a small stroll in the park when Jake spotted you
he was concerned as to why you were hunched over and what currently had your attention
as he approached, the light coos of your child began to fill the air, mingling with your laughter
a hand on your shoulder caused you to flinch, quickly turning to face the person
your eyes widen as your eyes land on none other than Jake, subconsciously trying to shield your child from your lover
when he sees the child the first thing that goes through is mind is whether or not you kidnapped this child
no, like, seriously
â...Did you kidnap a child?â
âWha-- No! Why would I kidnap my own child?!â
it takes a moment for your words to sink inÂ
but when they do, Jakeâs eyes are wide with disbelief and youâre covering your mouthÂ
your child only stares, unable to read the tense mood between their parent and the giant man
when Jake shakes himself out of his daze, he sighs
at first you think heâs mad at you
that is until his arms wrap around your waist and he nuzzles his face into your shoulder
you can feel his lips pull into a smile as he continues to hug you
âYou didnât have to hide this from me. I would still love you regardless if you had a child or not.â
Sinu Han
he strikes me as the kind of guy who would already know but would want you to be comfortable enough to share it with him
when you do, heâs over the moon
...even if it was just a slip of the tongue
heâs so charismatic that you wonât realize what you said until you see the gleaming smile breaking his face
âIâm glad youâre finally trusting me.â
you blink up at him, âYou knew?â
he ruffles your hair his unwavering smile sending butterflies fluttering in your stomach
âOf course I knew!â
when you offer for him to meet your child heâs so happy he almost immediately dragging you to buy gifts your child
even if you tell him that itâs fine and that Big Dealâs already tight on funds heâll insist that he buy a gift because this is your child, after all
yeah, Samuelâs definitely pissed with his sudden splurging, but says nothing to his boss
definitely doesnât stop him from glaring at the pile of toys and onesies Sinu bought for your child
Jake on the, other hand, is just concerned
he knows his boss could be weird at times...but was it really necessary to buy three versions of a single cat toy?
upon actually meeting your child, they just instantly click
almost as if they were his child all along
not going to lie, you were pretty jealous
but as long as the to people you cared most about in your life were happy, who were you to be sad?

i- uhhhhhhh Iâm back??? Definitely not my best work... especially Samuelâs part, so if you arenât satisfied with these feel free to shoot an ask! Again, so sorry for disappearing off the face of the Earth like that...Â
Edit: LMAO NOT ME FORGETTING TO ADD TAGS FJDIHFJOIDKJFNODKL
#lookism x reader#lookism#sinu han#sinu han x reader#jake kim#jake kim x reader#euntae lee#vasco#vasco x reader#samuel seo#samuel seo x reader
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Succession Chapter 4 (Karl Heisenberg/female reader) Resident Evil Village fanfic
Hereâs chapter 4!! Â I hope y'all enjoy it!
Title: Succession Chapter 4
Characters: Karl Heisenberg, female reader
Rating: PG-13 for language (possible kidnapping trigger warning) this is a slow burn; it will get very smutty and spicy later on!
Summary: you discover a long lost relative has died and made you his sole beneficiary. Â While flying to collect your inheritance, you crash in a village in Romania.
Authorâs Note: I do not own the characters from Resident Evil Village. This is a work of fiction. Anything remotely similar to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter 4
The factory was not a cozy place. Â The air was stifling and steam rose sporadically from slits in the walls. Â It was a dark place with sparse light bulbs overhead guiding the way down the halls. Â Some of the bulbs hung busted and dark. Â Red lights sat over doorways to show where the exits were or pointing towards the direction of the nearest exit.
You remembered the various turns and doorways so you could easily escape if and when you were given the chance.
Heisenberg kept his grip on your arm tight as he pulled you down the hallway towards his living quarters. Â He lifted the cigar in his other hand up to his lips, taking a deep puff. Â You walked through the smoke as he exhaled, unable to stop yourself from enjoying the smell. Â He stopped before a door at the end of the hall.
âHere we are,â Heisenberg announced, turning the knob to the door. Â He pushed it open and took a step back, releasing your arm, and allowing you to be the first to step inside. Â You stood there and gave him a stoic glare.
âCome on...in you go,â he said, his arm coming around behind you and his firm hand connecting to your ass.
âOuch!â you yelped as the force of the spank pushed you over the threshold.
His living quarters were surprising.  In a massive building where everything seemed cold and hard, this room was quite cozy.  It was a large room, twice the size of the room he had you locked away in.  It was warm due to the small fireplace against the wall.  A tiny kitchen area was directly to the right with a sink, countertop, and a stove with an oven on top.  Against the far wall was a queen size metal bed with headboard and footboard.  Both ends had vertical metal railings.  A small nightstand sat next to the bed with a lamp and two books on top.  On the other side of  the bed was a large dresser with six drawers.  Next to that stood a large bathtub along with  a full standing shower with head to toe glass walls.  You looked to the left and saw a large table that acted as both a dining room and a desk.  Papers lay strewn across it along with a dirty plate, dirty mug, and an ashtray..
âThis is where youâll stay...with meâŠâ Heisenberg said, closing and locking the door behind him.  You watched as he locked it with a key that he put in his pants pocket.  Damn, you thought, no chance getting out without the key.
âAnd where will I sleep?â you asked...but you dreaded the answer.
âIn the bed,â he answered as if you had asked him the stupidest question he had ever heard. Â You scoffed. Â
âAnd where will you sleep?â you asked, dreading that answer even more.
âIn...the...bedâŠâ he said, getting closer behind you.  He leaned in and inhaled the scent of your hair. Â
âI am not sleeping in the bed with you!â you firmly stated, turning around to face him head on.
âWell, itâs either in the bed or on the hard floor,â he shrugged, going to his desk and rummaging around the papers with his cigar hanging from his mouth. Â You looked down at the floor and grimaced. Â It did not look like it had been swept or cleaned in a very long time. Â
âYou think Iâm going to willingly sleep in that bed with you?â you asked in amazement, âwhat if I try to escape while you sleep? Â Or what if I try to kill you in your sleep?â
Heisenberg looked at you and let out a loud laugh before walking to the bed. Â âYou truly are a little spitfire, arenât you?â Â He bent over the headboard and picked up a long chain with a vice-like contraption that looked like handcuffs. Â You narrowed your eyes at him.
âDo you do this to all the women you bring back here?â you quipped, finding yourself getting more brazen with your words.
âHavenât had any complaints before,â Heisenberg joked, letting them fall loudly to the floor.
You rolled your eyes and turned your back to him, going towards the table. Â A drawing was facing up and it looked like sketches of some kind of person. Â You walked over, your curiosity spiked. Â As you reached for the paper and the stack of papers beneath it, the dirty plate and mug slid across the table and fell on top of the picture. Â You yelped and jumped back, turning around towards Heisenberg. Â His left hand was extended towards the table, his fingers curved as if reaching for something. Â You looked between him and the plate and mug.
âHow are you doing that???â you asked in disbelief, remembering how he seemingly moved the cot telepathically in the other room to stop you from escaping. Â Heisenberg chuckled and lowered his arm.
âY/N, you are in a place that defies any laws of physics, genetics, science, or biology....â he said as he shrugged his trenchcoat off his shoulders.  He went to the chair next to the table and draped his coat across the back.  âI know you are afraid, you are in shock after the crash, and you think I have brought you here to do God only knows what to you...but trust me when I say that this factory is the safest place for you.  You have no idea how dangerous it is in the villageâŠâ
âAnd youâre not dangerous? Â You literally have a giant wheel and conveyor belt full of bodies rotating out there!â
Heisenberg laughed as he sat down on the chair.  He rested his elbow on the table and took another drag off his cigar.  âDonât comment on something you know nothing about,â he murmured, ânow, I think you should relax and rest your weary head.  Iâm sure surviving the crash has left you a bit shakenâŠâ
You shook your head defiantly. Â âNo...no, I need to call for help! Â I was on my way to Moldova...I need to inform them that Iâm still alive! Â There has to be a rescue crew searching for the wreckage...please let me go! Â Let me call someone!â
Heisenberg continued to smoke his cigar, studying you as you began to panic. Â âCalm down, doll face,â he said, putting his cigar out in the ashtray, âlook...this place isnât on any map. Â We are surrounded by mountains, and the only person who comes through here is the Duke when he sells supplies and his wares.â
âThe Duke?â you asked, âwell...when will he come around again?  Could I get a ride with him to the next town and call for help?  Or the castle...that Moreau guy said there was a telephone in the castleâŠâ
âYou are not stepping one foot out of this place, Y/N, and that is final!â Heisenberg roared, standing to his feet. Â He took three steps forward, ripping off his sunglasses, and looked down at you. Â His sudden burst of anger scared you, but something about his eyes made you go still. Â Yes, they held menace and were threatening...but...it was like he wanted to protect you from something. Â A tiny glint showed in his gaze as he looked from your eyes to your mouth and back again. Â You felt your throat go dry and your heart beat increase. Â You glanced at his mouth and back to his eyes. Â A soft stirring formed in the pit of your stomach.
Heisenberg put his sunglasses back on and walked towards the table. Â He cleared his throat and shuffled his papers. Â Gathering every piece of paper in a pile, he turned back to you. Â âYour full name is Y/N, right?â he spoke gruffly.
You took steps backwards and sat down on the bed, still shaken by his gaze and closeness. Â âYes,â you murmured softly. Â Heisenberg picked up a pencil and wrote your name on the top paper in the stack.
âIâll go to the wreckage and see if I can find whatever is left of yours amongst the cargo...maybe a few other suitcases that you might be able to use.  In the meantime,â he said, walking to his dresser, âhere is an old shirt of mine.  Your clothes are covered in dirt and bloodâŠâ
You looked down at your clothes and saw that he was right. Â With all the hell you went through, you didnât stop to look at how your clothes were riddled with dirt, snow, and blood (both from you and from when the lycans drooled over you.)
He pulled an oversized beige shirt with three buttons at the neckline. Â He held the shirt out to you and you took it from his grasp. Â âThank you,â you whispered.
Heisenberg walked to the door and retrieved his key from his pocket. Â âYou can get water from the tap. Â There are some books on the table and on the dresser...they arenât much, but theyâll pass the time until I get back.â
You watched him as he opened the door, stepped out, and closed the door without another word. Â You continued to sit on the edge of the bed, his shirt in your hand, and your thighs pressed tightly together.
#resident evil village#resident evil village fanfic#karl heisenberg#karl heisenberg x reader#karl heisenberg fanfic#heisenberg#daddy heisenberg#house heisenberg
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Slush and a Side of Toys
Part 1
A/N: I'm months behind on everything but here is my piece for @sweater-daddiesdumbdork and @sagechanoafterdark Winter/Holiday Festival Challenge. I chose #38 donating toys to children.
Pairing: Chris Evans x reader
Warnings: 18+, SMUT, angst, frustrated reader, swearing, alcohol
Words: 5800+
Part 2 will be up soon!!
Please like, comment and reblog. I appreciate it and thanks for reading.
All mistakes are my own
A reminder - my work is not to be reposted anywhere.
Thereâs a muffled humming coming from somewhere under a pile of paperwork and takeout containers on your floor. The sound is constant, piercing, and irritating. Eyes still closed, head pounding from an evening of too much wine and schmoozing, you reached down towards the sounds and ran your hands over the stack, following the vibrations of your phone. Once found, you yanked it away from it charging cord and used every ounce of energy you had, pulling the phone close to your face. Opening one eye a sliver to hide from the light, you read from the bright screen.
Hey, listen, I know we've had our differences the last few years but I think it's time we put all of it behind us. I saw Rosie the other day and asked her how you were doing but she kept it pretty vague. I hope to hear from you soon, even if it's only a text to say youâre doing okay.
Reading over the message a second time, in utter shock that he had the audacity to message you and pissed that he even dare ask your friend about how you were; you decided to turn off your phone and toss it into a pile of clothing on the floor. Â
What. A. Dick.
Rolling back over into your cozy blanket cocoon, falling back asleep, temporarily pushing away any thoughts of the man from your past.
The message was all but forgotten until later that day when a familiar song came on the radio and you couldnât help but think about how you had both downed several beers at a pub and sang it at the top of your lungs. Maybe it had been a dream earlier and the text never happened. Pulling your phone from your back pocket, hoping it was all your imagination, you indeed saw that there was a text.
The ever-so-hard to escape blue eyed man, was trying to weasel his way back into your life and you weren't having any of it. Dropping the phone into the bag sitting at your feet, getting up from the desk, shaking out a bit to ease the tension that one tiny text had accumulated. Â
"Don't think about him. Don't think about him. Don't think about him," you repeated the words over and over, hoping to push all thoughts aside. In stocking feet, walking around the small hole you called your office and continued to shake it out. The calm didnât last as long as you hoped, anger slowly creeping up and out. Â
"Stupid frikkin guy!! UGH!" The sound of your disgruntled cry, shook you a bit, the frustration clearly coming out louder than expected. "All right, settle yourself down, you can't let him have this sort of pull over you," hoping the self-talk would work, you ran your hand through your hair and walked back to the desk. "Delete it, pretend that you never looked at it and it will go away." Â
There was no way the struggle going on inside your head would even fathom deleting the text. Truth be told, as much as you cursed and hated the thought of him trying to slide back into your life, there wasnât a month that went by without a thought of him crossing your mind. A song playing, a Romcom from the 90s, the pizza you both loved so much. Why couldnât you escape him?
You shot off a quick text to Rosie, curiosity was killing you now, itching inside you, desperate to find out how the hell you had come up in conversation.
Y/N -Word on the street is that you ran into a clown I once knew; Iâm curious what was said.â
Rosie: Oh no, he didnât.
Y/N: He did and it was pathetic
Rosie: It was a super quick interaction. Both of us waiting for a coffee and being friendly. He asked about you almost right off the bat though. It almost rendered me speechless after what happened. Â
Y/N - So, thatâs it? What did you say? Did you tell him how fantastic my life is going and that I probably wouldnât even remember him?
Rosie: you and I both know, that thatâs a load of shit. Iâve had wine nights with you, that man-child has never left that brain of yours. Â
Y/N Shut up.
Rosie: Really though, it was super quick. I said you were doing charity work and were still in the city, happy and healthy. Â
Y/N- good to know. Iâll just sit here and pretend his message never happened then. Carry on as usual. Â
Rosie: see you later this week?
Y/N Definitely, bye babe.
Placing your phone down on your desk, you continued opening your mail: thank you cards for volunteering, appreciation notes from parents and kids, and requests for you to help out at other groups around town. The next month would be hectic, with collecting the many donations from around the city. You had to finish training several new volunteers that would assist with wrapping, delivering, and presenting gifts to the charities and individual families that you helped support during the Winter months. Â
It became a mechanical process, opening envelope after envelope, that you werenât paying attention to the return addresses. It wasnât until you read the first few lines that the letterhead caught your eye and did it burn. Â
Blue-eyed monster strikes again via his mother.
You knew it wasnât the case though, his mom, was offering a bursary to some of the kids you helped out and she was reaching out to you and other groups in the city to help. Â
It didnât take much to pull your mind from work once you had read the Evans name on the letter. Bits and pieces shifted in your mind; you couldnât fight it any more today. The letter slipped to the floor and you sat back against your desk, the memories that you had been pushing away, were flooding back.
It all started innocently about three years ago, bumping into one another around town, having several acquaintances that knew each other, and a tendency to make the other smile when the lamest dad jokes were thrown around. His face was incredibly animated and you loved the way his eyebrows would jump up while he spoke, there was mischief behind them that you wanted to discover. Even a quick peek, would ease the curiosity.
You recognized that laugh from across the room of the gallery â full of heart and genuine. Turning around, you spotted Chris mingling with other attendees of the charity event. You were here to help raise money for low-income families in the community that could not afford music lessons or music therapy for their children. The profits from the art sold this evening, would help buy instruments for the school that was set to open the following month. You knew Chris had donated and you had volunteered to help teach the parents with baby's groups every second weekend. It was the least you could do, you had a bit of extra time and needed to give back to the community that helped you and your family out during your childhood.
âHow did I know you would be here?â Â
You must have zoned out thinking about that boisterous laugh that you didnât see Chris walking over to you. You smiled as he leaned in wrapping one arm around you, a beer being held in his other hand. His smell was intoxicating â a mixture of orange and the woodiness of sandalwood. Would it be wrong if you pulled him closer to take a quick whiff before he pulled away? Â
He took his time moving back from you, winking as his arm shifted back to his side and lifting the beer to his mouth with the other, take a long sip.
âSo, you out here to buy some art?â he asked, taking another drink.
âNo, not buying tonight. One of the pieces is mine, I donated it to help out.â
âYou have something up for sale here?â He questioned, taking a quick spin around to quickly look at all the art hanging around the gallery. âWhich one is yours?â
âOh, I am NOT telling you that. I think Iâll leave it up to you to figure out which one is mine. You can play the role of Sherlock Holmes.â
âNow, thatâs just cruel.â
âCruel? Nah. Mysterious? Yes. Are you up for a little game of 5 questions to help you out? If you can guess which one is mine, then I guess you have bragging rights because I havenât discussed my art with anyone here. If you donât figure it out, then I suppose it will be a mystery forever.â
âOh, I KNOW Iâll be able to figure this out!â Chris says loudly, clapping his hands together and popping each shoulder up and down. âIâm always up for a challenge.â
âHereâs the deal, you ask me whatever you need to to figure out which one is mine. Obviously, you canât ask which one is mine as one of your questions. Ready?â
âReady!â Chris said enthusiastically. He took your hand and brought you to the front of the room to observe the first of the paintings. âLetâs take a quick gander and then Iâll start. How does that sound to you?â
âWhatever you need to do, Evans.â
Chris pulled you from canvas to canvas, still holding your hand as he inspected each piece. âFirst question. âDid you only use paint for the one you donated?â
âNOPE, next question, Evans!â
âOkay, okay, I got this,â he bounced around on the spot and turned his head to quickly glance over the works close to him. âShit, I guess I should have asked if what you donated was a painting, right?â
You walk a circle around Chris âIs that your question?â you ask, eyebrow raised.
His blue eyes flick quickly to yours before he says, âYa, actually...ya. Thatâs what I want to know. Did you submit a painting?â
âYes, one of my paintings is hanging somewhere in one of these giant rooms.â Â
âYou really donât think that Iâm capable of figuring this out, do you? Ye of little Faith,â he smirked and pulled you to the back of the dark room. âAny reason why itâs so dark back here?â
âMaybe thatâs what the artist wanted?â
âHereâs question three then,â he said as he pulled you closer to him, your eyes looking into his as he asked. âIs you painting in the dark room?â
âIs that really what you want to ask me?â
Chuckling, you take hold of his hand and lead him to another section of the gallery. âI donât want you to miss any pieces, so take a look around here before you ask number three.â He squeezed your hand and looked up, the ceiling adorned with a beautiful piece; birds in flight but as they reached the furthest wall, the began to decay, until only single feathers remained. Â Â
âHereâs number three, ready?â He looked to his left where you were nodding your head back. âDid you mainly use your hands for this piece? I mean, instead of brushes or other tools.â Â
You were silent for a moment before answering, did you want to tell him how much of yourself you had put into this piece? That what the brushes couldnât do, you did with your hands and arms? âI did. This one needed more than brushes.â
Chris smiled at you, âfeel like telling me what else you used?â
âNot a chance,â you said, grabbing a glass of white wine from the tray passing by. âYou want a glass?â Â
Chris held up his bottle, its content revealing that it was still half full. âI think I have a pretty good idea which one is yours, so these last two questions are going to be good.â With two large gulps, he finished up the rest of his beer. âSo, what happens when I guess, do I get some sort of prize? Maybe you could paint me or something?â
âIf you mean, could I dump a bucket of paint over your cocky head, then, sure!â
Chris burst out laughing, pulling you into him for a squeeze. Â âI love how you make me laugh and I bet you would actually do that to me. But really, if I do guess, what happens?â
You kept your body close to his, his arm still holding you close as you responded, âwhat do you think would be suitable prize, Chris? Do you want me to paint something, make you a prince? Maybe something of you and Dodger? Or maybe I could paint your like one of my French girls.â
âI would love one of your pieces, but if I win this, Iâd like to take you out. Is that okay with you?â
Your grip tightened around the wine glass, trying not to let it slip to the floor. It was a shock, to hear that this man, one that you had flirted with for months, was asking if you wanted to go out with him. Â
âY/N?â
âSorry, I... I didnât expect you to ask me that,â you answered, fidgeting with your hands out of awkwardness.
âItâs ok, you can say no! Itâs all right to tell me no.â
âNo. No. Iâd love that. If you can guess which one is mine, I will gladly go out with you. Dinner, drinks, walk â whatever you like.â
Chris placed his empty beer on the table closest to you. âReady for my last two questions?â
âAs ready as one can be.â
âIs your piece hung on the wall as a landscape?â
âLook at you Evans, you got another one.â
Chris rubbed his hands together, his smile wide and full, clearly showing that he was on a winning streak. âHereâs number four and then Iâll go right to the painting I think, the painting I know it is. Chris walked back and forth in front of you before turning to face you with his last question. You had grabbed another glass of wine and took a sip, waiting for his winning question. âDoes your piece use more than black and white? â so many of these photos, sculptures, paintings are very monotone.â
âYouâre good Evans and yes, I filled my picture with the rainbow. So, take my hand and show me what the answer to this mystery is.â
His warm hand took your free one and he walked you to one of the side rooms â this room was full of colourful pieces. You could feel the heat flushing across your cheeks and a thin layer of sweat formed at your hairline. Chris stopped and turned towards the back wall and pointed to one of the paintings. âIâm pretty sure this one is yours,â he said with a half-smile. âAm I right?â
You had wished, during those few minutes he had suggested that he take you out, that he would guess which one is yours. But what were the chances with over 40 pieces around you? You tried to keep your body from slouching before you softly answered âNo. Thatâs not mine.â
The happiness in his eyes left quickly once you responded.
âAre you going to tell me which one is yours though?â He asked you eagerly.
âNo, I think Iâm going to keep that secret to myself. Thanks for the fun, Evans, I should get home. Another day of charity work for me tomorrow.â
âWait, Y/N, Iâd still like to take you out though, will you let me do that, please?â
âI guess weâll have to see what the future brings,â you replied, giving him a little wink and a squeeze to his hand, you took one last sip of your wine before heading to the coat check.
Chris watched you as you wrapped a scarf around your neck and slipped your arms into the long, wool coat. Â Walking back over to him and wrapping your arms around him, it was a quick hug and he barely had an arm around you before you were stepping back. With a smile on your face, you turned and stepped out into the night. Chris watched as you turned right and glanced his way, your hand lifting up and into a quick wave. He couldnât stop smiling and knew he had to see you again.
It didnât take long for that to happen. You couldnât get him out of your thoughts and dreams after the encounter at the gallery. He really was something; funny, compassionate, a hard worker, and you couldnât deny that he was incredibly good looking.
After an event in town and a few drinks later, it was easy as pie, asking him over for dinner. He had initially thought you were pulling his leg. Â
Chris couldnât stop laughing. "Oh ya, sure you want me to come over for dinner," laughing at your request and taking a sip of his IPA.
The pink that had flushed across your cheeks when you had shyly asked him was disappearing like an ice cube in hot soup. He picked up on the change immediately and apologized profusely. "I didn't think you were serious! You are serious, right?â
"Why wouldn't I be? It's just dinner," you shrugged. âI donât see why you would have such a dramatic response to a simple question.â There was an awkwardness now and maybe you shouldnât have asked him to come over. âSorry, I thought since we kind of hand a friendship blooming and I tend to invite friends over...â
He took hold of your arm and pulled you into his chest, a big smile across his face. âI'll come by; donât you worry. Which day this week works for you? I'll be out of state after this week for a bit, so hopefully something the next few days will work for you,â he said, squeezing you a bit before he released his hold on you. Â
Trying not to be awkward, you responded "This week will definitely work, tomorrow or the next day are open for me."
"Letâs go for tomorrow, okay? Â Would you like me to bring anything?â Chris smiled Â
âBe sure to bring the dog, he's the one I'm really inviting.â
"Well, fat chance of me coming by now, I see where your allegiances lie, " he said half closing his eyes and glaring at you in a teasing manner.
"Ok then, just drop the dog off, I'm sure he'll enjoy the feast."
Chris couldn't help laugh at the way you were carrying on with this charade. The half-smile that was currently on your face was one full of mischief and it was something that he had come to enjoy the last few times he had run into you around town. He could see a sparkle in your eyes, something that he didnât notice before today and it was something, that he could get used to. Â
âA thought crossed my mind... what exactly would have happened if I had guessed right?â
âSince that didnât happen, I guess youâll never know,â you said with a shrug and nudged him with your shoulder.
âYou sure like to tease me.â
âWhat exactly am I teasing you over?â
âThe opportunity to be in your presence again,â he replied, a slight blush crossing his cheeks.
Finishing up your drink, you placed the glass back on the cardboard coaster and turned to face him. Â
**
âWhat the hell is THIS?â he asked grabbing at the green monster type thing that was hanging from a lamp in your living room
"That, is a flying frog - one of those weird ass dad gifts - he's always finding these peculiar creatures for me and I can't seem to part with them.
"It's sure ugly"
"You're ugly!â You shouted back at him and burst into the most beautiful smile he had seen cross your face.
"What are you, 12?
"Sometimes,â you replied.
Chris couldnât help but laugh at you and pull you into a quick side hug. "You're a funny one" he feels you squeeze him back softly, a smile crossing his face at the quick interaction.
"I better go take a peek in the oven and make sure everything is baking the way it should. Make yourself cozy, I'll be right back." Â You looked back to him, pointing at the couches before turning and walking down the hallway to the kitchen. Turning you head back, forgetting to offer him a drink but his long strides had brought him right behind you quickly, almost colliding with your body. He tripped up a bit and moved his hand to your hip to catch himself.
"I want to see what you're up to in here, see what the chef is cooking up.â Chris resting his chin on your shoulder to peek at what you were stirring on the stove.
âYou couldnât sit still and wait for me to come back, did you miss me that much,â you teased.
âI couldnât stand to be apart from you for a second longer.â
âThat is the cheesiest lines, Evans. Does shit like that work for you?â
âWhat matters is, if itâs working on you. So, is it?â
You hummed, refusing to answer the question and carried on taking care of the food in the oven. Satisfied with how everything looked, you turned the timer back on and offered Chris a drink. Agreeing on wine, you pulled a bottle from the rack, passed the stemless glasses to Chris, grabbed his hand, and lead him back into the other room. Sitting on the larger of your two couches, Chris took a place beside you, taking the bottle from your hand, opening the bottle, and pouring you a generous glass before pouring his own. Â
âTo friendship,â he said raising his glass
âTo friendship, good food, and drinks,â you added and brought your glass to his, a quick clink, and sips were taken. Â
Dinner was ready within the hour and you both continued to chat while enjoying your meal. Â
âThat was one of the best meals Iâve had in a long time, thank youâ, complimented Chris as he wiped his mouth with the napkin when he had finished his last bite. Â
The compliment brought the feeling of heat to your face and out of awkwardness you almost knocked your glass over as you reached for the wine.
âWant a refill?â You asked, holding up the second bottle of red that night. âYou have good taste in wine, Mr. Evans, this wine is top notch,â you said, looking over the label of the wine he had brought with him.
Chris smirked and slid the glass to his left âIâm glad you think so, Iâll definitely have another. This should probably be the last one though, I feel like Iâm overstaying my welcome.â He watched as you poured, your hair falling forward as the wine glass filled. âCheers, thank you for the invite and many thanks for a delicious meal. You are constantly surprising me with your talents.â
âYou arenât overstaying. Iâm enjoying your company and donât want you to leave yet. Here, let me show you what Iâm working on for this yearâs event,â you said and pulled your phone out of your dress pocket and slid your finger across the screen. Shifting your body across the cushions toward Chris, you held the phone out towards him. Â
âWhat is it you are putting on this year?â
âAnother charity event, itâs to help out the single parents that live in the community. I try to donate as much time to charities as possible.â
âYou have a heart of gold.â
âI want everyone to have a special holiday season, you do it. I see that you donate time and money to charities.â
âI have the means to help and giving back is extremely important to me.â Chris looked through a few more of the photos before placing the phone down next to him on the couch. Â
Reaching over to take her phone, Chris put his hand over yours and slid closer. âI know you always think Iâm joking around with you when I say how much I love seeing you smile but Iâm being 100% honest. Your smile is contagious and I feel like it lights up anywhere we are. Itâs a beautiful smile and its part of why Iâm so attracted to you.â Â
You couldnât help but laugh at him. âOh shush, you!â Â you said pushing your hand into his chest, your smile wider than he had seen before. Â Again, he put his hand over yours and pulled you to him gently with his other hand. Â He brought you close, enough to hold you against him for a hug. He watched as your eyes tried to find a joke hidden in his face but you quickly realized that there was something else there. You werenât sure who moved first as your lips met quickly enough that your teeth clacked together and you swore in pain. Â
âOh fuck, only I would ruin an almost perfect moment. Iâm such an-
He pulled you to his lips again, kissing you softly and trying not to laugh at the look on your face.
âAm I a joke to you, Evans?â you asked, kissing him back on the lips.
âOh, not at all, I didnât want to have to explain to people we know how I broke your teeth though. I mean, I could make up some ridiculous story about it, could be fun,â he chuckled.
You couldnât help but throw your head back and laugh, bringing yourself back up to face Chris and pull him by his shirt towards you and kissing him without any stupid errors. You could taste the wine on him, the sweetness adding to the softness of your kiss. He took the lead, pulling you closer and slipping his tongue delicately across your bottom lip before deepening the kiss. Â
Your eyes opened when you hear Chris let out a soft moan, not expecting to hear such a sound from him before you could emit one. He did it again and you felt it all the way down your spine and into your soul. Your hands, still in idiot mode, found their way to his hair, and were quickly taking apart his well-coiffed hair by running your hands through it.
âHow does your hair smell so damn incredible?
âHow do you taste so fucking delicious?
You pulled back, staring him in the eyes âHmm, maybe you need to taste a bit more, clean that palate of yours,â you teased.
âAre you implying...â
âNot implying, the buffet is open, sir. Dig in.â
Chrisâs face went a light shade of red.
âOh, did I catch you off guard, Casanova?â
âI mean, no... no...â he stumbled, âOK, fine yes, yes you did.â
âWell, now that you know, letâs get back to business. All right?â
You took control, standing up, taking his hand roughly and leading him to your bedroom. Â
âI want you to take off my clothing, piece by piece. I want to see it on the floor and,â you said placing her finger on his lips, âno more talking,â you ordered.
âAnything you want,â he whispered into your ear and he ran his tongue down your neck so softly, that goosebumps raised over yours arms. His hands wandered from your shoulders and down your arms, taking hold of your hands and moving them to his belt buckle. Â
Looking up to him, he nodded, silently urging you. Undoing the belt and still staring into his eyes. Moving to unzip his jeans and push the button away, Chris was unzipping the back of your dress, the cool line of metal touching your back as he drew the zipper down the length of your back. Â
âYou have goosebumps, do I need to warm you up?
âIâm hoping you get to that. Now, what did I say about talking?â
He smirked, pushing the dress down each shoulder until it dropped to the floor. Stepping out of it, you kicked it off with one foot, tossing it towards the wall. Chrisâs hands were already roaming, his hands on your hips, fingers sliding into the thin elastic of your panties. His hands slipped across your warm flesh and directly to your cheeks, grabbing each one and squeezing, and pulling you closer to him. His lips were pressed into yours, his tongue back to searching for yours as he wrapped his arms around you and brought you to your bed. Gently, he sat you on the edge and leaned into you bringing you down to the mattress. Â
His kisses ran down your sternum and across the soft skin of your breasts while his hands ran across the tops, gently running his fingers over your nipples. Â
âKeep doing that, keep... keep touching my breasts, Chris.â
You could feel him pressing into you, his erection, warm and pushing against your core.
His hands squeezed your left breast while he brought his mouth down to your right, taking the nipple into his mouth, gently sucking it. Running his tongue around the bud, a chill running across your arms and a moan escaping your lips.
âI need to be in you now, please, y/n,â he said, kissing up your chest.
âIn the drawer, condoms are there and hurry the hell up, Evans, Iâve waited forever for it to rain and fill up the well.â
He chuckled as he crawled over you, limbs knocking yours, a soft hand slapped across his ass, as you watched him open the nightstand drawer, which got stuck in his effort to hurry. âCome on Evans, you got this,â
âA little self-talk over there to get you motivated?â Â
Chris smiled as he held up the package and smiled at you before sitting on the edge of the bed to roll the condom down his hard length. He was on you again, returning quickly, his lips pressing against yours. His lips, wet and warm, pushed harder against your mouth as he pushed your legs further apart, taking himself in his hand, rubbing across your wetness and pushing halfway. The groan that escaped his mouth while his tongue continued to touch yours, sent a tingling sensation down your body. Â
âChris, please...â you started to plead and before you could continue, he finished pressing himself into you with a grunt.
âCome on baby, show me how well you can move,â he said as he licked a strip across your neck. Â
Wrapping your arms around his neck and shifting your body against his, you let out a wail. Your bodies moved together, the pace quick, the sounds of your wetness echoing throughout your room. Â
âListen to the sounds weâre making, baby,â Chris panted and drove deeper into you. His body was incredibly warm against yours, the sweat making his chest glisten in what light crept in from the hallway. Â
Chris slipped his hand down and his fingers met your warmth, crawling in to press against your clit. You clenched around him; a low moan escaped his mouth as he continued his movements.
âA bit more, a bit more,â you groaned, your back arching as Chris sped up. You looked up at him and reached your hand up to his face, holding on and staring into his blue eyes as you felt the tingling ball up within. Â
Faster than expected and with one last swipe of his fingers, your orgasm spread out from within. Your shoulders tingled, spreading down to your fingers as you yelped out, the warmth of pleasure flowing down and across your body. Chris had shifted to move into you, helping your orgasm along as his own shuddering began. His lips were pressed into your neck, your name crossing his lips as he slowed his pace, and leaned onto one of his arms. He continued kissing up your neck and met your lips, heavy breaths escaping from both of your mouths.
âYouâre incredible Y/N. Incredible.â One more kiss was pressed to your lips before Chris sat up, heading to the bathroom. You watched the light turn on and the door close behind him. You rolled to your side; a smile of satisfaction crossed your face as you closed your eyes.
Your heart jumped when you were woken by blankets being pulled half off of your naked body. It took you a few seconds to realize that a man, a very handsome man, was sleepy peacefully beside you. Turning to face his back and shimmying closer, you pulled the blanket to cover your shoulders and back. His muscular back stared at you and you couldnât help but raise your hand to the pale skin, bringing your fingertip to his warm skin and drawing lines to connect each freckle. Â
âYou, know, that feels incredible, please donât stop,â Chris asked, his words muffled into the pillows.
You continued using his back as your canvas; swans, sunrises, all the beautiful pieces of the world this man helped you see. Â
Pushing back into you Chris spoke, âIâm going to be away next week, so Iâm hoping I can see you again before I head out of town?â Â
Your fingers drew the word yes on his shoulder in response. Chris turned over to face you, pulling you closer to him for a soft kiss. When he pulled back you couldnât help but smile and pulled him in for something a bit more passionate.
*
Bags packed and his dog set to stay with his family, he walked by the room Scott was in. âHey, Iâm heading out, the car is almost here. Give me a hug for the road.â His younger brother stood up and embraced him, giving him a few pats on the back and wishing him well for his short trip. âWill I see you when I get back or you heading back home?â
âIâm pretty sure Iâll be around still. Mom wants me to stay in town a bit longer. You okay if Iâm still free loading off of you a bit longer than planned?â
âYou know youâre more than welcome to stay,â he said as his phone chimed from his pocket. âCars here. Take care of the fam and Dodger for me.â His brother gave him a smile and Chris grabbed his coat and carry-on from the table before heading to the front of the house. Dammit, he had forgotten to remind Scott again about what they had discussed earlier that day. âScott, make sure you get that message to Y/N, okay? This schedule change was pretty last minute.â He shut the door before he heard a response from his brother. The driver held the door open for him and collected his bags to place in the trunk. He couldnât get you out of his mind on the way to the airport; your smile, the scent of your hair, the warmth of your naked skin pressed against his. He couldnât wait to be next to you again.
#chris evans#chris evans x reader#chris evans x you#chris evans rpf#chris evans fanfiction#chris evans fic#writing challenge#ssholidaychallenge#redwrites
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call me babydoll | reader x chan


a/n: ahhhhh holy holy heck this chapter is SO DAMN EXCITING hehehe I had sosososo much writing and doing all the research!! please let me know if there is anything factual/cultural that I need to fix! I tried the best I could although I most def am not an expert in Egyptian culture so I appreciate it a lot :) hehe i hope ya have fun reading this chapter teehee oh! also I love hearing what you thought of it too! :DÂ
FourÂ
Pairing: self insert, female reader x bang chanÂ
Genre: action, mystery and suspense, fluff, smut, angstÂ
Tags: (of this part)Â bodyguard au, secret agent au, royal au, moderndayprince!chan, secretagent!reader, secretagent!jeongin, secretagent!jisung, collegestudent!seungmin, royal!minho, skz side characters, adventure and mystery, action and peril, plot driven, running out of time, slow-ish burn, growing feelings, sexual tension, explicit language, several mentions of food and alcohol as well as getting tipsy/drunk that good, good making out, suggestive themes
CWs: mentions of guns, mentions of knives, themes of jealousy (expressed by the reader)Â
Word count: 7.5k
PartsÂ
ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVEÂ
âWell, weâre in Cairo alright.âÂ
Two tugged the amazed young stow-away-student, Seungmin, by the hand of his backpack to keep him from running into one of the palm tree planters decorating the terminal. The young man had nearly slept the whole flight due to the length as well as the exasperation that he had just been through. While his eyes were still darkened from his nap, his glossy pupils still wondered all around him.Â
âI take it back. Iâm so glad that I almost died so I could end up here with you guys.âÂ
Jeongin slapped him from the backside of his head. âNever be thankful for almost dying. Life is a lot more fucking fragile than you think. This isnât just some joyride--âÂ
â--Ease up F.â You interrupted your partner as you shouldered your bag. The kid had already been through enough already: he didnât need accosting on top of it all.Â
The dashing prince sighed out and stretched his arms. âAhhhh Cairo. Itâs been a while; too long actually.âÂ
The airport was humid: the kind of sticky warmth that dripped down your neck in a matter of seconds to then get caught above your lip. It wasnât much help to the anxiety that already had seeped into your veins. The closer you got to a gun the more comfortable you would be. You and the other two guards created a formation around the prince with two in the front and the other in the flank. While each of you were dressed in regular street clothes, your responsibility of his detail still hung over your head with a severe air.Â
Chan threw his arm over the young student with an obscene grin. His hair had become a little disheveled from the plane seat and his hoodie, but he didnât appear to mind. Seeing him so normal was somewhat of an odd change to your previous unbreakable impression of him.Â
âSeungmin my friend, youâve never lived until youâve been to Cairo. Iâve never seen another place so enriched in history in my whole life...it puts my kingdom to shame. Itâs almost like...you can just feel the time here: hundreds of thousands of years...beauty, art, food, industry...Iâve got a thing or two to learn.âÂ
Seungmin nodded at the princeâs grandiose gestures in the terminal with an enamored smile. âI canât wait to see it!âÂ
Your partner put a firm hand on the princeâs back to guide him to the baggage claim. âWe wonât be here for long, so, donât get too excited. Weâve come here for one reason and we shouldnât dally otherwise.âÂ
The young boy appeared to frown, and Two bit his lip with a little chuckle. âWay to crush the kids dreams F.âÂ
âYou know the mission, J.â Jeongin gritted his teeth with the words. âEverything is set, there will be a car waiting for us in the garage, and at the hotel weâll have anything we need.âÂ
Prince Chan lulled his head back with heels clicking on the flooring. Rogue strands of his hair hung over his sunglasses where he threw a look back at you while pulling them down.Â
âDonât forget our little deal Bee? Weâll have time for a little pleasure.âÂ
The white haired agent rolled his eyes with gusto then adjusted the royalâs glasses over his face. âWeâve still got to be careful, you Highness. We never know where they could have eyes.âÂ
âI know where Iâve got mine...â He turned back once more to throw his cockiness in your general direction.Â
âListen to F, your Highness...if you want to live.âÂ
âOooo. Feisty as ever, Bee. I love it when you bite back.â Chan turned to his new pet, Seungmin, âSheâs really something isnât she?â
The young man nodded, but not necessarily because he agreed, but it just seemed like it better to agree with a prince than to disagree with him.Â
The air appeared to turn even thicker in the summery and arid city and your group approached the parking lot half shaded. Outside of the cement lot, iridescent waves of heat wiggled on the horizon, and further, the astonishing urban sprawl of Cairo, and just over it, the stretch of the Nile and Giza. Palms and other varieties of plants spotted the landscape and above it all, a perfectly crystal blue sky streaked with thin clouds. Had the circumstances been different, you really would have wished to have been there for pleasure.Â
âThis one. Right here.â Jeongin announced upon spotting the black armored sedan. It wasnât the most inconspicuous vehicle, but you were prioritizing safety over aesthetics. Your partner touched his index fingerprint to the car doorâs invisible panel, and it flashed blue just as the lock had at the safehouse with the ticking clock insignia.Â
Two whipped his head around to make one last check of the surroundings before taking off his sunglasses and reddened eye. âGet in. Both of you.â He urged the prince and the student. He popped the drivers side open to find a different pair of glasses in the storage compartment: gold framed aviators.Â
âHuh,â He said happily while putting them on. âThis is more my style.â He rummaged around a bit more to find a new pair of black framed glasses there too. âFox! Think fast!â He threw them over to your partner who sighed out with relief.Â
âThank god.âÂ
The trunk opened with a mechanical sounding creek, and you lifted up the trunk bed to find your whole arsenal: Heckler & Koch MP5âČs submachines, Remington 870 shotguns, and Glocks complete with thigh holsters. Among the pile of metal, various knives and other weapons were held in foam holders.Â
âTheyâve got knives back there?â Two asked while pulling the rearview mirror to see.Â
âOh yeah. What? You more of a knife guy?â You teased while looping your thigh holster over your cargo pants. It fit just right.Â
The illusive man popped his gum with a shiny smile. ââDonât ever have to reload them...thatâs what Iâm saying.âÂ
âThank you Carroll.â Jeongin sighed upon seeing the thick laptop among the weapons. âFinally I can do some real work. That kidâs damn Chromebook was killing me. I nearly short circuited it trying to connect to our network.âÂ
âYou what?!â Seungmin was suddenly much more interested.Â
âDont worry yourself too much, its still fine.âÂ
âAre there cameras in here?â You quickly asked your partner.Â
âAgency shouldâve fried them a long time ago. Why?âÂ
From the trunk bed you sized up the Glock to feel its weight and how cool it settled into your sweating hand. You unloaded the magazine to see that it had already been filled.Â
âCarroll. She really is too kind to us.â You slid the magazine back in then, pulled back the slider to lock it once more, catching Chanâs adoring glance.Â
âSomething interesting pretty boy?âÂ
The prince appeared to shiver a little, but brushed it off sighing, âOh, nothing.âÂ
ââââââââââČâââââââââ
Either it was Carroll or the King, but someone had spared no expense on the young prince. The sun set upon the sparking Nile where you had arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza.Â
Anything for His Royal Highness The Prince.Â
The towering and gleaming building was a sight to behold in and of itself. It was nestled right into the riverside anchored with several leisurely sailboats bopping in the evening breeze. As day crept into night, the city grew with a swell of lights washing as far as you could see. Extensive bridges and roadways glowed with headlights and every building appeared to be illuminated along with more boats strolling down the river in a rainbow of colors and music.Â
The prince craned his head as close to the window as he could and rubbed together his hands excitedly. He looked from you to your partners, finally making a disapproving scoff.Â
âCome on. Youâre not just a little excited to be here?âÂ
âWeâre here on business, how many times do we have to explain?â Jeongin typed away at his computer from the front seat.Â
âBee?â He looked back to you with a hopeful little glint to his eye.Â
âLike Fox said...tomorrow is our appointment with White Rabbit, then weâre on the first flight back home for you.âÂ
The young prince frowned, but this quickly faded once he had seen the golden brass doors to the magnificent hotel. Seeing the state that the four of you were in, it was a bit comical that you had rolled up to a place such as this. Immediately a valet and bellhop jogged up to the car wearing perfectly pressed uniforms and spotless shined shoes. Little did they know you had no belongings to your name...the rest was waiting in your suite: the royal kind.Â
Seungmin cranked his neck to take in the scale of the building in all of itâs regal glory and let out an airy laugh his with his backpack straps snapped tight.Â
âHoly shit.â He exclaimed with a giant smileÂ
Two rose a âno thank youâ hand to the valet, and asked him where the garage was in perfect Arabic. The gesture surprised you...as many things did with that man. Jeongin gave a little nod in appreciation to the bellhop and expressed with his own broken version of Arabic that you group had no luggage. The young man was confused, but still gladly took the bills that Jeongin had slipped into his hand for the inconvenience.Â
âWeâre staying here?â Seungmin wondered while he followed you in.Â
âWhen you travel with The Prince, it comes with some perks.â Chan tore off his glasses with a particularly prideful grin.Â
âI feel like I need to pay for just...breathing in here.âÂ
Indeed, it was a luxurious and grand place. The atrium was patterned with various plush lounge chairs and benches and the path was made of emerald green marble tiles with swirling designs of beige loops. Thick, round columns also supported the ceilings in the lobby, and crystal glass chandeliers sparkled. On several tables, massive floral arrangements had been freshly placed, and you wondered how much the hotel must've paid for them to look that good just to have them replaced the next day.Â
A couple formalities were exchanged with the worker at the front desk, and soon the keycards to the royal suite were placed into your hands. Seungmin held his piece of plastic as if it were a gold bar in his hands whereas Chan shoved it right into his front pocket.Â
âEverything that we should need should be up in the room.â You told the group who were too distracted to hear what you had just said.Â
Just before you had entered the elevator, a tug at your sleeve stopped you in your tracks. Jeongin pulled you back, nodding at Two to go with the others up first.Â
âRemember what we talked about before?â He muttered in the hollow and stone corridor. âAbout the prince?âÂ
âI need to stay beside him?âÂ
Your partner nodded with a furrowing brow. âWeâre out in the open here, itâs a big city...anyone could be watching us. No distractions, no messing around, no anything. We see White Rabbit and we leave. Hell, Iâm even inclined to make sure he doesnât leave the room...âÂ
âJeongin...â You squeezed your partnerâs shoulder which felt stringy and tense under your fingertips. âI got it. Trust me. He wonât leave my sight. I promise.âÂ
â..Okay.â He said with a nervous brush to his hair, then he pressed the elevator button with his knuckle.Â
âYou...okay?âÂ
The young man appeared to snap out of a trance. âWhat? ...Yeah. Why wouldnât I be? Iâm keeping it together fine. Itâs just...thereâs a lot riding on this mission. I donât...âÂ
The gold and reflective elevator dinged to the ground floor.Â
âWe canât disappoint Carroll with this one. Thereâs too much riding on it...I canât disappoint Carroll.â   Â
You invited your partner into the marbled and mirrored interior of the small space.Â
âDonât worry, we wonât.â
ââââââââââČâââââââââÂ
 Even without the help of his royal helpers, Chan managed to clean himself up nice...provided, only the finest clothes had been sent for him to wear. While they werenât the usual designer labels that he was used to, it was clear that they had been picked out from the finest markets and boutiques in the area. Chan, as he always was, was a prince to the full extent of the word. After a shower and some perfume to his chest, he was the same man that you had been introduced to.Â
A loose linen shirt swayed from his frame with little regard for the usage of buttons. He wore slacks that had been pressed made of a kind of fabric that you had never seen before, but looked airy and comfortable. As always, there was a small assortment of shoes for him to choose from as well. He picked brown leather loafers, then tucked up his sleeves to reveal his arms; scratched as they were, but still strong and spiderwebbed with thick veins.Â
Arrangements had been made for you to share one of the bedrooms with him--as much as you had fought it at first. Chan was thrilled with the idea, and gladly let you settle into his room with your small assortment of sidepieces and modest set of clothes by regulation of The Agency. While it had mostly been denim button downs and several kinds of functional trousers, they had sent an evening gown.Â
The silky white fabric was not unlike the dress that had worn for the gala, but it appeared to be even more sultry once you held it to your frame. The thin spaghetti straps barely held to your shoulders and the back dipped nearly halfway down your back.Â
Knowing the man that you had an appointment with, you figured the dress would make it just a little bit easier to talk to him. Along with it, there was a matching set of diamond earrings and a necklace that glinted with the same sheen of the sea.Â
âYouâll look gorgeous in that.â Chan said while slipping on a wristwatch. âIâm sure that it will suit you perfectly.âÂ
The wooden bedside nightstand creaked when you put your holster and Glock in with a matching matte black knife. You had to be careful with that one, as it had nearly cut your finger upon inspection earlier.    Â
âHm. I think the both of us know that youâd prefer it on these lovely marble floors rather than on me. Correct?âÂ
The confident prince strode across the room in the dim lighting of a couple lamps with stained glass shades. Outside of the balcony attached to your room, the sheer curtains blew in the night air and distorted the city lights across the river. Further, Cairo Tower surged with a pink light wrapping around the length were the cylinder pierced the sky.Â
âMaybe.â He tutted, then crinkled the king-sized bed where he sat. The princeâs disposition was alluring, there was no denying. He tiled his head to inspect you further, jaw clenching with a sharp angle and a testing glare to his brown pupils. The man smiled slightly while rubbing his index and ring finger down the sleeve of your considerably less scratchy blouse.Â
âI hope that during our time here Bee, Iâll get to know you a little better. Iâm...really looking forward to our drink later. I made reservations for us.âÂ
âReservations? When did you do that?âÂ
âOh. When you were showering.â He smirked at his sneaky plans unbeknownst to you.Â
âIf you think that Iâm letting you go anywhere else besides this hotel--âÂ
â--Bee?â The young royal grew quieter, softer, careful even. His hand cascaded from your arm down to your waist where he tentatively went to grab at your hip and squeeze lightly there.Â
While your first reaction was to swat him away, your second crept up on you unexpectedly, and swelled with a kind of confused euphoria feeling the pressure of him on your body. You let his hand linger there, thumb pressed into your hipbone.Â
âYou donât need that dress to be beautiful.âÂ
His words snapped you back; sickly sweet, and sticky in your chest. You cast his hand off of you.Â
âYouâre crossing the line, your Highness. Donât...donât touch me again.âÂ
The royal sighed as he rose, then inspected his face in the sizeable mirror. Each of his cuts and scars had been skillfully covered with makeup the best he could manage. Â
âBee, Iâd cross multiple lines for you. I thought you knew?â  Â
âTHIS BED IS FUCKINâ AMAZING!!â Seungmin called from the opposite of the suite.Â
The prince smiled, then followed you to the door.Â
âIâve already got enough on my hands, your Highness. I ask that you not distract me.âÂ
âDistract you?âÂ
As soon as you had said it, regret bit at the tips of your ears. You couldnât meet his teasing glances, but rather slid one of your more discrete sidepieces into your crossbody bag--as if guns as such could be such a thing.Â
âI-I...Iâll sleep on the couch.â You then resolved out loud, however the prince chuckled at your sudden break.Â
âAs you wish Bee.âÂ
ââââââââââČâââââââââ
âI think that this is the best meal that Iâve ever eaten in my entire life!!âÂ
Seungmin kicked his legs under the table to the embarrassed glances of both Jeongin and Chan. Before you, the prince had ordered a variety of both cold and hot mezzah dishes with a couple main entrees for you to share. While he was the only one to drink, he indulged in the most expensive wine that the hotel had to offer. Granted, everything would be paid for in cash from The Agency, however the Prince swore up and down that anyone could order anything that they wanted and that The Agency would be paid back in full. You and your partners ate modestly, however the young student didnât hold back. As the boy shoved his face, it appeared to make the prince happy to see him eating so well.Â
You were still an odd group, and garnered curious glances from other restaurant guests. While they were only glances in passing, they still didnât make you feel any better. You had already drawn enough attention to yourself with you being an odd mix of foreigners who each held themselves differently. You could sense that you partner felt it too while he sipped at his seasonal soup with eyes up to scan the room as he did so.Â
Chan threw his arm behind your chair to take in the rest of the room: perfectly decorated with jade green chandeliers and perfectly symmetrical wallpaper and furnishings. It was as if he felt somehow content with your strange little group; like he was the ringleader of it all or some king of the round table. For a moment, he paused to watch the way that the boats passed by on the river from the window nearest to him and sighed. Knowing him, he was probably enjoying running for his life in this way.Â
Two cleared his throat and unbuttoned his fashionable suit jacket as the waiters came to clear the table for dessert.Â
âSo. What are the specs for tomorrow?âÂ
Jeongin fiddled with his glasses, then dabbed away at the corners of his mouth. âHeâs invited us to come around 11pm. He wants us to dress up too--as Iâm sure youâve all seen the clothes that have been provided for us. He apparently loves his formalities, but, anything to make him feel more comfortable I suppose. His men will meet us in the front and take us to him, then we try our best not to fuck it up.â
â--Which we wonât.â You soothed your partner.Â
Seungmin perked up, âIâm coming too?âÂ
âHow else are we going to look after ya, kid?â Two ruffled up the young manâs hair.Â
âW-wait. Didnât you say that itâs a club? Will they even let me in? Iâm not like, 21 yet? I mean, I will be in a couple months--âÂ
â--Ahhh youâre so cute.â Chan beamed. âIf youâre rolling with us that doesnât matter.âÂ
Seungmin blushed and played with the condensation of his water glass. âOh.âÂ
Your partner shifted in his seat. âSpeaking of. Considering that youâre âone of usâ now. We need to discuss something important with you. Your identity.â He looked over to you to finish the rest of the speech that had been pushed off for just a bit too long.Â
âYour name...is your most valuable asset. Itâs the only thing about yourself that you can keep for yourself. No one else should know it besides you...and, well, us. If they know your name, they know your family, they know where you live, where you go to school, even that girl that you had a crush on in the fourth grade. Got it?âÂ
Seungmin gulped dry with blown out eyes. âI-I think that I understand.âÂ
âWhat do you want us to call you from now on?âÂ
He paused, considering towards the ceiling. âWell...if youâre B, and heâs F...and heâs J...I could be S? Simple enough right?âÂ
âS it is then.âÂ
The waiters arrived with every dessert possible: chocolate cake, CrĂšme Brule, fruit cheesecake garnished with mint, as well as traditional desserts like Om Ali and Mehalabiya--a type of milk pudding dressed with delicate, pink, edible flowers.Â
Seungmin--now dubbed S--made happy little eating sounds while he tried a little bit of everything.Â
âThank you.â You finally spoke to the prince, who now smelled strongly of Lotus and Jasmine.Â
âDonât worry about it. I donât mind treating my friends.âÂ
The word hung in the air, and you didnât quite know what to do with it.Â
Friends.Â
âWhere is this reservation that you mentioned?âÂ
He took a swing from his crystal glass with finesse. âHm. Thatâs for me to know and you to find out.âÂ
âJeongin told me that I need to keep an eye on you, you know that? It would be best if we didnât leave the hotel at all--âÂ
â--But what would be the fun in that?â The prince nearly pouted.Â
From the others side of the table, Two in his aviators brushed off his lap before standing. âIâm going to get some sleep, if thatâs alright with you? Iâm feeling pretty jetlagged and I want to be prepared for tomorrow. Excuse me.âÂ
The slender man bowed to you at the table, then even deeper to the prince.Â
âWhat was that about?â Jeongin muttered while he poked at the thin caramel layer of his French dessert.Â
âActually, I think I want to head to bed too, Iâm stuffed.â Seungmin rubbed his belly in his contentment. âAlso...I think I might have homework due...heh. I donât know...Iâve got to figure out all these all these time differences and stuff.â He pushed in his chair then gave the prince a deep bow. âThank you, your Highness.âÂ
âMy pleasure.â Chan said with a tiny bow back. âRest up, kid.âÂ
With the empty holes at the table, the silence was deafening.Â
âAnd then there were three.â Jeongin yawned. âBee? Wanna do some laps in the morning? I saw that they had a pool? Wanna see if you can beat my record...again?âÂ
âPsh. I was coming off that biochemical cocktail the last time we tired. You had an advantage.âÂ
âThen youâll beat me? Hm! I look forward to that.â Your adorable partner flashed the first smile that youâd seen in a couple days. You missed it, you realized.Â
âSleep tight Bee. Goodnight your Highness.âÂ
âThank you Fox.â The prince mirrored his warm smile.Â
Knives and forks clinked on china in the dining room, and music softly payed the soundtrack of the evening. A low hum filled the space where the tourists and patrons chatted among themselves. It was peaceful and normal amidst everything that had been pricking your skin and plaguing worry over your mind. The prince merely sighed, sparking eyes reflecting the candles dying out on the table.Â
âAnd now itâs just the two of us.âÂ
âSeems like it.âÂ
âCan I whisk you away now?âÂ
âWhisk? Who said that I would allow any whisking?âÂ
âCome on...Bee. Just this one time? I promise to be on my best behavior.âÂ
You laughed out incredulously at the comment. âYou out of all people canât promise something like that.âÂ
âI guess youâre right about that. But...still, I wonât try to make a scene or anything.âÂ
The royal placed his napkin on the table with his knife and fork respectfully tilted off the edge of his plate.Â
âFollow me?âÂ
Chan held out his hand. It was pink with heat and scraped a little from the glass that had pierced the fragile flesh. In some way, you had felt a twinge of guilt seeing the small injury knowing that you couldnât have protected him well enough then. You allowed him to lace your fingers with yours, and felt the rough cuts of his scars in your palm.Â
You had promised to yourself that he would never know such pain again.Â
ââââââââââČâââââââââ
âAnnnd...this is it!âÂ
You had taken all of twenty paces outside of the hotel when Chan gestured with open arms to the riverfront. Just at the riverbank, a steamboat was anchored with open doors for hotel guests to enter. The massive, multideck, white steamboat shone like the moon peaking at the oceanâs horizon. Each of the semi-circle windows were lined with white lights and from the inside, the delightful sound of laugher and live music spilled out to the glossy water of the Nile.Â
âW-what is this?âÂ
âWellâŠitâs a dinner cruise but I just signed us up for the bar part. Are you...surprised? I thought that it must be pretty safe considering that weâre on the water and no one can drive up and shoot at us.âÂ
âI mean...itâs a bit closed off, but nothing that I canât handle.âÂ
The prince held out his arm for you to lead the way, then took your hand to help you watch your step down the stairs. Chan provided his name to the conductor in elegant sounding Arabic, leaving you shocked.Â
âY-you speak Arabic too?âÂ
Chan chuckled once more, taking your hand in his to bring you down the creaking wood deck with swinging with lanterns above your heads.Â
âAs a royal and diplomat, itâs best for me to know how to communicate if I might need to.âÂ
âI must say your Highness, I am definitely impressed.âÂ
âWhat? You thought I was just another pretty face?â The charming prince escorted you to a room within the steamboat that was lined with red velvet carpets and small bar tables with tea candles and water lilies floating in a shallow dish. He pulled out your chair before his own, then settled with hands folded in his lap. âIâm trained in hand-to-hand too, although I could use a refresher; that was so long ago, back when I went to school.âÂ
âHand-to-hand? Well! You really are full of surprises.âÂ
The prince appeared smug and faintly amused by the compliment as he crossed his legs under the table and leaned in with his dizzying floral scent.Â
The waitress appeared and Chan flexed his language skills once more while he ordered a Hemmingway Daiquiri for himself and a French 75 for you. Somewhere off in the distance or perhaps a different part of the boat, louder and more excitable music played along with the echoing claps of those who listened along. Here, it was much quieter, and the loud sound was replaced with a jazz song that you had heard before--likely from your more formative years.Â
âItâs a beautiful night.â Chan began, âThank you for agreeing to do this with me. I know that Iâve been a bit forward, but, I appreciate you entertaining me.âÂ
âIf I had said no, what wouldâve happened then?âÂ
âWell, maybe I wouldâve dropped it, but...knowing you...I donât think that I wouldâve given up easily.âÂ
The waitress returned with the drinks on a silver platter: his grapefruit pink and yours the color of a lemon drop.Â
The royal rose his glass for you to clink with yours, âTo...adventures.âÂ
âTo adventures.âÂ
With a resounding sound, the glasses met, and you watched the way that the shimmering liquid ripped across the princeâs nose.Â
The two of you sat for several moments more, saying nothing, but sipping and soaking in the night breeze and the humidity that made your whole body feel blanketed with a sense of calm. You had felt this way before back at the safe house, and it snuck up on you once more. Simply exisiting with the prince provided you with a sense of solace that had long since faded from your life. The sense of responsibility that you felt for the man was noticeable, but you couldnât help but notice how he provided for you the same sense of safety that you did for him.Â
Perhaps it was the loneliness of the job and the solitude that came along with it. Was that you craved to be touched? Listened to? Admired? You had distanced yourself from irrational things such as love and other feelings of attachment. In your line of work, people died often, and you had to move on just as fast as their lives had been taken from them. You supposed that you had become unfeeling at this point...but this prince, so full of himself and focused on the material...there was something about him that reminded you how to feel.Â
âBee? What are you thinking about?â He asked carefully.Â
âOh...nothing.âÂ
âYou looked kind of lost here.âÂ
âWas I?âÂ
âYou okay?âÂ
âYeah...yeah. Iâm fine. Maybe the drink is just...getting to me.âÂ
âJust one drink?â Chan giggled a bit, âI didnât take you for being a lightweight Bee. I thought that they gave you like, drinking lessons or something back at that agency of yours.âÂ
âIâm fine. I shouldnât have more than one drink anyway.âÂ
The prince nodded, understanding. âSo, what will you tell me about yourself? Is there anything that youâre allowed to tell me? Or...will you always be this mysterious, beautiful, enigma?âÂ
âMe? Enigmatic? Ha! Hardly.âÂ
âWell? What then?â The prince sucked at the lime garnishing his glass. âSince I donât have the pleasure of knowing your real name, Iâd love it if you could tell me something.âÂ
Over the stereo, the muted trumpet played along with the twang of thick upright bass strings,
âI suppose I could tell you how...â Chan leaned in, âI didnât want to join The Agency. At first.âÂ
âOh? Whyâs that?âÂ
âIt felt like a bit of a last resort and anything that is a last resort is something that canât come easy.âÂ
Chan titled his head as if to say, Iâm listening.Â
âLife...fucking sucks sometimes. Sometimes...youâre left...living with your sleazy uncle with a letter addressed to you post mortem telling you to carry on the family name if you want to feel some connection to the parents that you never knew.âÂ
The royal cast his eyes down, âI-Iâm so sorry.âÂ
âThe Agency has been everything Iâve known since I was a teenager. This life...itâs everything. I think in a way I feel obligated to it...since it was what took my parents from me...I owe it to them to do a job that they spent so much energy on so that it wasnât in vain.âÂ
You stopped, realizing the weight of your words in the air and how they cut like the blade of the knife that you kept tucked in your waistband sheathed in a leather cover. Once the sharp metal was taken from itâs confines, there was nothing to protect those from the damage it could do.Â
âBee...I donât know what to say besides Iâm sorry. Thatâs terrible. I canât imagine what it must be like to loose your parents and have been thrown into this life...no one deserves that.âÂ
âIts okay.â You sighed. âI did it to myself. Now, itâs of no concern. I can take care of my own, and I have a new family. I try not to look back.âÂ
As he had done numerous times before that night, Chanâs hand reached out for yours under the table, brushing up against the white cloth.Â
âI canât say how much I appreciate you enough for what you do; risking your life for me...I owe you everything Bee.â The prince softened, rubbing his thumb against the back of your hand.Â
The chug of the steamboat hissed softly behind you in that back bar room, and just through the windows, you could see the stars dotting the sky just as they did in any corner of the world. They were a reminder that while some things changed, others didnât.Â
The echo of footsteps on the deck clicked, causing you to turn a careful glance back to the direction of the sound. The man who entered was dressed in a casual cotton button up and navy slacks. On the white of his breast, he wore a pin holding the symbol of a crest.
âLee Minho?â Chan gasped.Â
âYour Highness!â The handsome man bowed immediately with a startled little smile.Â
The friendly prince stood immediately upon seeing the other royal to shake his hand. âWhat a coincidence that we meet again!âÂ
Lee Minho shied with a polite smile while fiddling with his hair that looked to be masterfully styled. âMust be...fated. Or something like that.âÂ
âAre you alright? Last I saw you was at the shooting at the gala. Iâm so glad to see that youâre safe. You didnât get injured I hope?âÂ
This close, Lee Minho had oddly cat-like eyes that were as intense as they were alluring. He was just as you had remembered him to be--put together and polished like a true royal, dastardly handsome with all the right curves to his body, and just enough mystery to him to pique the interest of anyone who had sensed his air--just as the prince had.Â
âWhat are you doing in Cairo?â Chan asked, gesturing for the stranger to pull up a chair.Â
Lee Minho swatted away the question with an annoyed cringe. âRoyal stuff, you know how it goes. Everyone is always trying to poke their noses in places where they shouldnât be...unless theyâre looking to get themselves killed. That's why they send me. Iâm dispensable.âÂ
âOh, Iâd hardly say that.âÂ
In seconds the princeâs entire body had shifted towards the direction of the other man, and hung onto each of his words as if they were a siren song.Â
âWhen youâre not as high up in the ranks as you are your Highness, royalty starts to feel more like servitude than a legitimate position.âÂ
âSo, where are you poking your nose?âÂ
Lee Minhoâs eyes nervously flicked to you, and Chan realized that he had skipped right over introductions.Â
âOh! Iâm sorry, I didnât introduce the two of you. Minho, this is Bee, my--âÂ
â--Iâm a member of his detail.â You spoke for him. âItâs a pleasure to meet you formally Lee Minho. I recall seeing you at the gala.âÂ
Minho bowed slightly, âItâs a pleasure to meet you too.âÂ
It was obvious that you had made the man uncomfortable, just as you had liked it to be. While you could see what the prince had seen in him, you had the disposition to be much less trusting than his Highness.Â
âWhich royals are employing you? Iâd love to know! Itâs always exciting for me to learn about who is plotting what. The royal drama keeps me really entertained.âÂ
Minho sat up straighter, then waved a hand for the waitress to come scuttling over.Â
âSome of my family members. You wouldnât know them, weâre all dreadfully insignificant to be honest. They heard all this business about those men with the red crests and theyâre starting to get scared. After they targeted...you, theyâre wondering which royal family might be next...if any. Iâm here to find out who they are, their whereabouts, anything else.âÂ
âWow! Thatâs actually what we--â
â--And where are you planning on getting this information if I may ask?â You hushed the princeâs loose lips as quickly as you could.Â
Minho leaned in over the flickering candle to lower his tone, âI heard that thereâs an informant here in the city who might now something about this group. Theyâve been popping up on national news too as of late. Iâm looking to talk to him tomorrow evening. Luckily, I was able to make an appointment but it was no small feat. I had to bribe him to high hell to get him to speak with me.âÂ
âHm. Sounds familiar.â You mumbled.Â
Chanâs eyes widened, then he looked back to you to ask for permission. You gave him a nod.
âIt seems like weâre here for a common purpose my friend.â The prince leaned in to bridge the gap between them, his hand notably reaching to rest on the other manâs thigh below the tableâs surface. âWeâre seeking similar information and I think we might be speaking of the same informant.âÂ
âBut your Highness, isnât it dangerous it you to do something like this?âÂ
âNot when Iâve got her around.â Chan threw a sly grin to you across the table. âIâm well protected. And you? Whereâs your detail?âÂ
âIâm afraid that Iâm out here alone. Like I said, when youâre as low in the ranks as I am...âÂ
âWhat? Thatâs terrible!! They arenât even protecting their own? Bee!!âÂ
âYes, your Highness?â You already knew where this was going.Â
âLetâs bring Minho along with us tomorrow! We know that thereâs safety in numbers--âÂ
âYour Highness, in case you havenât noticed, our hands are already a bit full...â
âI can fend for myself.â Lee Minho suddenly piped. âTravelling alone, Iâve picked up a few things about protecting myself. You donât have to protect me, but, I appreciate the offer.âÂ
âNonsense! You should come with us! I would feel more comfortable if you did rather than went by yourself.âÂ
Lee Minho gave the royal a smile in his thanks, it was pure and a little adorable you had considered...but that was likely the champagne going to your head.Â
âReally? I appreciate it, your Highness.âÂ
While you were distanced, you nearly couldâve sworn that the prince had squeezed the otherâs leg reassuringly, and you were willing to bet he had rubbed it with his thumb too just as he had done to you.Â
After long, the waitress returned with Lee Minhoâs drink, and the two men chatted like old college buddies while you slipped away at your drink in an attempt to make it last as long as you could. While Chan did try to engage you in conversation, it would never last for long until he would become puppy-eyed over the stranger again. In the end, you wondered if the tipsy prince wouldâve also confessed to this man if he had one too many drinks.Â
The table bumped with their jovial and restless legs, and you could only imagine what wandering hands sought to discover.Â
ââââââââââČâââââââââ
The hotel was quiet save for the click of heels on the marble floors from ladies who had just gotten off the steamboat and clung to their husbands in their drunken stupor. They cackled in the empty and golden lobby, then pressed hasty kisses into the stuttering mouths of their husbands whoâs mouths then smeared with hot pick lipstick. Chan giggled at the sight while he tripped over his own feet too.Â
âAhhhh. Being in love is so cute.â He adored them once you had entered the elevator.Â
âYouâre not going to throw up on me, are you?âÂ
The prince hiccupped, then shook his head. âUnlike you I know how to hold my liquor. Iâm fine. Just a bit sleepy I think. Must be the jet lag.âÂ
The tones for each floor beeped in the compartment, and Chan lulled his head back and forth.Â
âSo. Lee Minho huh?â You said, not even able to help yourself. The alcohol had brought you a bit of an edge...so you thought.Â
âLee. Minho.â He sighed out dreamily. âWhat do you think of him?âÂ
âI think I canât trust anyone as long as I havenât ran at least three background checks on them.âÂ
âAwww, Bee, youâre so thoughtful of me.âÂ
In the empty hallway, the prince with squinting eyes leaned against the doorframe to the royal suite, reaching out to brush up against your blouse once more. You let him, excusing his drunken state. After he did so, his eyes hazed over with something much different, while he looked exhausted, it was laced with something else: something much more longing.Â
âBee...fuck, I really want to kiss you again.âÂ
âHm. Thatâs ripe coming from you who was just viciously flirting with Lee Minho.âÂ
You could see his head spinning in his dilated pupils. âWhat?âÂ
The door clicked open and you less than gracefully lead the prince through the dark to your shared bedroom.Â
âB-Bee, what are you talking about?âÂ
You scoffed, âIâm not blind, you know.âÂ
âA-are you...jealous?âÂ
âW-what? Fuck no. Iâm just...you canât just...toss people around thinking that theyâll all bend to you.âÂ
Chan sat at the edge of the bed and rubbed at his temples when you turned one of the lamps on.Â
âI-I was doing that?âÂ
You tore a pillow from the bed as well as the throw blanket at the end. âIâm sleeping on the couch. Good evening, your Highness.âÂ
âWait! Bee!â The young prince stumbled after you, stubbing his toe against the bedpost in the process. âAh-FUCK!â He grunted.Â
âWhat?â You growled back to him, half shrouded in the darkness of the suite living room.Â
The royal stumbled out, eyes blank and backlit from the bedroom. While you couldnât see him fully, you later could assume that there was something in him terribly torn and ripped in that moment that made little sense to him, as it did to you to.Â
Arms reached out, bodies softly illuminated by the lights of the city, and the prince leaned himself fully into you, pressing bitter tasting lips to yours with a heat and desire that only seemed amplified the breather he had gotten. While he tasted of lime and grapefruits, with a twinge of alcohol. He was just as addictive as any vice. You wanted to feel him. As infuriating as he was, and oblivious, your abhorrence to him was just as strong as your attraction.Â
âMm, Bee--â He moaned directly into your mouth while shuffling both of you back to the bedroom.Â
The princeâs trembling breath floated from his mouth to yours where he used both of his large hands to pull your face closer to his. You knew that in some way, there must have been something ingenuine about the whole scenario, but you didnât care too much, not when kissing him felt like something. Maybe he had kissed you out of pity, or because he really had wanted to kiss you. You broke for seconds before both of your tangled limbs hit the bed.Â
âBefore...you said that you wouldnât kiss me.âÂ
âI didnât make any promises...but, how come...you said that you wouldnât hesitate...? But you kissed ba--âÂ
You silenced the princeâs words with your own heated kisses that made little sense, only that kissing him as such felt good. You straddled the man while his hungry fingers traced all the way down your back. The princeâs hips sunk into the cushiony mattress, and you screwed him down even harder into it with your own heated hips grinding into him with as much pressure as you could muster.Â
âThis is what you want, right?â You pulled at his lip with your teeth to hear him groan from it.Â
âIs it...what you want?â Chan got out between more kisses.Â
You could blame it on loneliness or lack of touch all that you wanted, but it wasnât even close.Â
âWait. Wait.â Chan suddenly interjected.Â
âWhat? What is it?âÂ
The prince looked up at you, that haze in his eyes now fading to something much different that wasnât covered in the lust that he held before.Â
âBee...I-I donât know if I want it to happen this way. It feels...itâs not...âÂ
âNot what?âÂ
He brushed his hand upward now to caress your face, lingering on the side of the peach fuzz on your cheek. âYou deserve better than whatever the hell this is.âÂ
âOh, so when I finally want to fuck you, youâre saying it isnât right?âÂ
âIâm saying, Iâm drunk, itâs late, clearly thereâs something thatâs upsetting you, and I want to know what it is before we do anything else. Tell me, whatâs wrong?â
It mightâve been Lee fucking Minho, or it mightâve been something else much stickier for you to admit, but seeing the prince like this, it was too much. He was gorgeous under you, practically angelic looking.Â
âI-Iâm...complicating things.â You whispered out, and the prince softened even further.Â
âThatâs what it is? Bee, I told that you donât have to worry about--âÂ
â--Yes. Yes I do...your Highness. I-I canât feel...âÂ
âBee--letâs just talk about--âÂ
The prince mightâve said more, but his words faded into murmurs once you closed his door behind you, then crawled onto the couch in Jeongin and Seungminâs room, locking their door too.Â
~đč~
Bunch of (Ro)ses!
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The Rules of Engagement (4/5)
part of the The Better Love Series
pairing: Javier Peña x fem!reader/ofc (Ears)
summary: (slow-burn, sexual tension, angst, a little bit of h/c in later chapters) Heâs a DEA agent. You work for Centra Spike. Peñaâs not your boss, exactly, but youâve been fwb long enough that certain people are starting to think of you as An Item, and that just wonât do.Â
words: 3.7k
warnings: 18+ for alcohol, language, smut, violence, general trauma.Â
a/n:Â unbetaâd. Yeah, I know - I canât count. This is gonna be five chapters.Â
part one | part two | part three | part four | part five
MASTERLIST
Murphy nearly bowls you over on his way down stairs, pulling up short when he sees you.Â
âShit!â
You glance down at yourself. Your clothes are rumpled and covered in ash and bile. You donât even want to know what your face looks like. Thereâs rubble in your hair.
Murphy is still staring open-mouthed.
âThe pharmacy below my apartment got bombed,â you explain hollowly. âIâm fine, I just need a shower.â
âYou look like you need a hospital,â Murphy counters, eyeballing you with something akin to worry. âFucking Christ, Ears, if Javi -â
You snap your eyes up at the mention of Javi. âHave you heard anything?â
For the first time since youâve met him, Steve Murphy cracks a grin at you. âOn his way home now.â He looks as relieved as you feel. âWe got him.â
You manage to smirk back. âGood.â
âCongratulations, by the way. This oneâs on you as much as anybody.â
âThanks.â You sag against the side rail, trying to be subtle about it. Now that the adrenaline has worn off, your legs are shaking, and you think itâs only a matter of time before you fall over.
Murphy notices, because he reaches for your shoulder to steady you. âI really think-â
âNo.â You cut him off forcefully, glaring at him with all the energy you have left. âNo, Steve. Iâm tired, thatâs all.â
He sighs. Narrows his eyes. Frowns. âYouâre bleeding.â
What?
Murphy gesturers to your temple with a finger that you have to stop yourself from flinching away from. âYouâre bleeding, Ears,â he repeats, as if heâs expending a great amount of patience by pointing it out to you.
You reach up, wincing as you notice for the first time that your head hurts. When you draw your fingers back, they are coated in blood.
Murphy moves closer to get a better look.
âItâs just a scratch, Murph,â you tell him wearily. As far as you can tell, thatâs true. Thereâs no gaping hole or giant gash, just a stinging little cut right at your hairline. âYou know how head wounds are.â
Heâs still glaring suspiciously at you, and you let him, meeting his gaze in silent challenge.
Eventually he sighs. âOkay, your funeral, I guess. Gimme a minute.â
Before you can retort, he ducks back inside, leaving you standing awkwardly on the front step. The walls are thin - you can hear him rummaging around in the kitchen. Heâs back seconds later, key in one hand, a slip of paper in the other.
He hands you the paper first. âThis is my pager number. Javiâll be back soon, but I want you to contact me if anything crazy happens.â He motions to your head with his thumb.
âOkay,â you promise.
âAnd hereâs this.â He presses the key into your hand.
You look up at him wide-eyed. âMurphy, you canât just give me Peñaâs key.â
âWhat, you think it would be any different if I stepped across the landing and did the honors for you? Iâm already late.â He runs a hand through his hair with a huff. âBesides, heâd want you to have it.â
Somehow, you seriously doubt that.
Murphy fixes you with a stare. âTrust me.â
âHardly,â you mutter, taking the key from his hand anyway. You hold it up for emphasis. âBut youâre taking the fall for this one, alright?â
Murphy rolls his eyes. âI think I can live with that. Stay safe, Ears, and page me if you need anything.â
â
You resist the urge to flop down on Javiâs sofa and sleep for a thousand years, instead making your way to the shower. Peeling away your dusty clothes feels so incredibly good. So does the hot water. You take your time, exploring the lingering aches and pains in your body as you scrub them with Javiâs little sliver of Irish Spring. Aside from a few bruises and that one little slice on your temple that wonât quit oozing, youâre not injured anywhere. You think you might be a little sore from being thrown backward tomorrow, and your lungs still feel funny and raw from having the air knocked from them, but otherwise, the bombing of your apartment is more inconvenient than anything.
You try very, very hard not to think about Emilio.
You step out of the shower only when the water runs tepid, the cold jarring you awake. Javi only has two towels, it seems - one left out to dry on the towel rack, the other crumpled in the corner with a pair of boxers. Nice. You opt for the one thatâs on the rack, wiping yourself down then wrapping up your dripping hair.
Thereâs something deliciously deviant about sneaking naked through Javier Peñaâs apartment when heâs not home. You shake away your guilt, trying hard not to be too weirded out or too turned on as you rifle through his dresser drawers. Youâve got to wear something.
Eventually, you come away with the green t-shirt and the only pair of sweats the man owns. You eye yourself in the mirror, considering. Javiâs clothes are ridiculous on you - you have to roll the sweats three times at the waist just to keep from tripping - but hell, at least you arenât naked. Looks like that cut finally stopped bleeding, too.
Carefully, you pull your hair into a sloppy braid and gather your dirty clothes, doing a cursory sweep of the apartment to see if Javi has anything else that needs washing. Other than the little pile in the bathroom, you find a t-shirt and a pair of mis-matched socks in the corner by the nightstand. Not bad for a single guy living alone, you decide.
You make the trip downstairs to the communal laundry room quickly, noting the time on the kitchen clock when you return. You donât feel like waiting beside the machine today. Flopping on the sofa has lost itâs appeal - youâre bone weary, but every time you close your eyes, you see fireballs and charred bodies.
Sleep is not on the agenda.
Sighing, you make your way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, glancing at the clock for the umpteenth time. 9:42. You put the water on, then shuffle downstairs to switch the laundry to the dryer. 40 more minutes, and then you can get out of here.
And then what?
You examine your options and find that the list is short. You arenât going to stay here any longer than necessary - youâve intruded on Javiâs privacy enough. Your only friend in Colombia is Ana, and thatâs off the table for obvious reasons. Murphy isnât at home, and Connie had left for the States just weeks after youâd arrived. Back to work, then.
You decide thatâs best anyway. Somebody fucking bombed your apartment. Well, the mark was probably Emilioâs drug store, but still. Bombings donât happen in BogotĂĄ - thatâs a MedellĂn thing. Especially a civilian target.
The rush of anger that consumes you is staggering. Who did this, and why? Â Bombing a business is a very Pablo Escobar thing to do, but a small pharmacy? In BogotĂĄ?
Ana and her father are good people. You know deep in your bones that they arenât involved in the drug trade. You also have major doubts that this was an accident. So, what the fuck?
The injustice of it all makes you feel small and cold and helpless.
Youâre missing something big.
Javi doesnât have a television in his apartment. Even if you did have access the news, the information that youâre seeking is hardly going to be broadcast on live television, and certainly not so soon.
Work really is the best option, then. Between the bombing and Verdugoâs arrest, the sicarios must be on red alert. Maybe you can pick up on some chatter.Â
Besides, you probably need to let Stechner know about your situation as soon as possible.
You glance at the clock. 10:07.
Ugh. You rise up on your tiptoes, bouncing in frustration. Caffeine and adrenaline have made you jittery. Thereâs something really cringe-worthy, too, about being alone in Javiâs apartment without his knowledge, especially given the way things ended between you.
The memory chafes, and you shake your head hard enough that it throbs.
Goddamn this day.
A shrill beeping jerks you from your thoughts, and you barely manage to stifle a shriek. Your pager! Â Youâd forgotten all about it. Your stomach swoops as you pick it up.
The number that flits across the screen belongs to Javi.
You take a breath. Weird. Aside from that one brief conversation yesterday, you havenât spoken to him in weeks. It probably has something to do with Verdugo, you decide. Maybe he wants to inform you personally. That would be nice of him. After all, this was a pretty big arrest for you, too.
You locate the phone in the kitchen, dialing the number with trembling fingers. Damned coffee.
âPeña.â His voice is terse, clipped.
âGot your page,â you say warily. He sounds like heâs in a mood. âIs there -â
âWhere are you?â he demands, cutting you off harshly.
You blink, startled. Forget âa mood,â Javi sounds fucking livid. Youâd assumed heâd be pretty relaxed, considering. âUmm, Iâm actually at your place,â you speak slowly to hide the shakiness of your voice. Fuck, of all the times to get emotional. âListen, my apartment was bombed. I just needed -â
Youâre interrupted again by a sharp sigh. âStay there,â Javi grinds out, and then thereâs nothing but dial tone.
Slowly, you place the phone back in its cradle, processing the conversation.
What. The. Fuck. Â
Bits of plastic clatter to the floor as the pager smashes into the refrigerator - youâre hardly even aware of throwing it. You sink to the kitchen floor, cradling your head in your hands and doing your damnedest to just breathe.
Itâs not fucking fair. He was the one who stormed out slamming doors. You havenât pressed him, havenât been a nuisance. Well, aside from basically breaking into his apartment and borrowing his shower.
But fucking hell, somebody - probably Pablo Escobar - Â just bombed your fucking apartment. Youâre living in a foreign country and you donât even speak the fucking language. Thereâs nowhere for you to go, and your clothes were a mess, and goddamn, you are just tired.
What were you supposed to do?
Footsteps thunder up the stairs. God, that was quick. You manage to leap to your feet just as the front door slams open with a bang.
Javi stops dead when he sees you, and your tirade dies in your throat.
âHey.â Itâs awkward, but itâs all you can manage.
Heâs just staring at you, standing stalk still in the open doorway. Heâs breathing heavily, like heâs been running. His expression is tight, carefully closed off. One fist is clenched at his side, the other still gripping the doorknob.
âMurphy let me in,â you babble. You knew he was on his way, but still, his sudden appearance startled you. âMy place, I mean, the drugstore -â
âI know.â Heâs toneless, expressionless, frozen except for his eyes. They rove over your face and body, and youâre reminded suddenly of watching him read reports - quick, efficient, and exacting, like heâs taking in every detail in an instant.
Fuck. Heat rushes you as you remember that youâre still wearing his clothes. âOkay,â you breathe shakily, hardly aware of speaking aloud. This is getting weird, and you really donât have the emotional capacity to deal with Javier Peñaâs shit today.
Your laundry is probably dry anyway.
âWhere are you going?â Javi demands, resting a hand on your shoulder as you attempt to push past him.
That does it. âTo get the laundry!â you bite back, twisting away from his touch with a lot more drama than is really necessary. âMy clothes are dry!â
He pulls away as if burned, a muscle twitching in his jaw.
You stand there like that for a long moment, just assessing each other. Youâre glaring up at him warily, sizing him up, while he watches you with an expression that you donât recognize.
âIâll go,â he says softly. Thereâs something quiet, almost regretful in his tone, and it shatters your defenses. You bit your lip and nod shakily, and then heâs gone, descending down the stairs without another word.
Jesus.
You exhale another shaking breath - everything you do seems shaky, today - and pour another cup of coffee.
â
You feel like youâve got a little more control of yourself once youâre back in your own clothes. Javi is lighting a cigarette at the kitchen table when you exit the bathroom, a fresh butt still hot in the ashtray next to him.
âRough night?â you ask, dropping his half-folded t-shirt and sweats onto the counter.
He huffs sarcastically.
You sigh. Your patience is wearing very, very thin, but you decide to try one more time, just for the hell of it. âCongratulations, by the way. Murphy told me about Verdugo.â
He blinks up at you, like youâve pulled him from deep thought. âYeah,â he says slowly, still staring at you with an intensity thatâs starting to really freak you out. He pulls hard at the cigarette, and the moment breaks. âWe couldnât have done it without you.â
You nod, suddenly tired.
He notices. âEars?â
âI need to go back in,â you cut him off before he can ask whatever he was going to ask.
He frowns. âDidnât you just leave this morning?â
Frazzled as you are, it doesnât occur to you to ask how he knows that. âYeah, Peña, I did,â you snap. âBut then some fucker bombed my apartment, and Iâve got a nasty feeling that it has something to do with Pablo Escobar. I canât go home, and I canât get any sleep, so I might as well make myself useful and see if thereâs anything worth listening to today.â
His gaze had drifted during your speech. Heâs resting his jaw on his his palm, staring off into the middle distance.
Ugh.
âSo, will you drive me, Peña, or am I calling a cab?â
âSorry,â he says softly, breaking himself out of whatever stupor heâd been in. He stands and extends a hand like he might like to reach for you before deciding against it and grabbing his gun instead. âOf course Iâll drive you, if you feel like going in.â He catches your eye as he tucks the gun into his belt, serious now. âI really am sorry about your home, Ears.â
God. All Javier Peña has to do is throw you a tiny bone, and you fucking melt. The relief you feel is palpable. âThank you,â you whisper, closing your eyes for a long second.
You hear him rustling around with keys. âLetâs go, then.â
â
The car ride to headquarters is silent. Javi smokes three more cigarettes, tossing the butts out the open window before you even hit the parking lot, one after the other. You wonder what the fuck is going on with him.
He makes a point to let you out of the passenger side door, a little quirk that had been hit or miss before, depending on his mood. You walk together up the embassy steps, him hanging close to your shoulder but not quite touching you, and you wonder if this is his strange way of apologizing for the weirdness before.
Youâre halfway to Stechnerâs office when you realize that Javi is still following you. You arch a curious brow in his direction. He pointedly ignores it.
Okay, seriously. âDonât you have somewhere to be?â The question comes out a lot harsher than you intend, but hell, itâs been a terrible day.
He glances down at you, almost apologetic. âIt can wait a minute.â
âEars!â
Oh, fuck. Steve Murphy is running up the hallway, gaze zeroed in on you.
âWhat the fuck are you doing here?â He doesnât wait for you to answer, just whirls on Javi. âJavi, what the fuck is she doing here?â
You bite the inside of your cheek in an effort to keep from screaming. âIâm trying to go do my job, Murphy, if the fucking DEA will let me.â Thankfully, your voice comes out pretty level.
Javiâs looking at Murphy with a narrowed gaze, head cocked, hands on hips. âWhat do you mean, Murphy?â he asks in a low voice.
Murphy throws his hands up in consternation. âI mean she should be in bed, or at a fucking hospital. You should have seen her this morning, Javi. Looked like sheâd come straight from a war zone!â
Javi whips around to stare wide-eyed at you. âWait. You didnât sayâŠâ All of the color is draining from his face. âYou were there?âÂ
Something about the breathlessness the words, like theyâd been punched out of him, sends little shocks of electricity zinging across your skin. âIâm fine,â you manage. As protests go, itâs pretty weak.
âGod, Ears, youâre still bleeding.â Goddamn Steve Murphy and his fucking preoccupation with your blood. âNow get out of here, please, before I call you an ambulance. Jesus.â
Javiâs face is a storm cloud of emotions as the pieces continue to click into place. âEars,â he growls, more horrified than angry. He grips you carefully by the shoulders, looking you over again. This time, he brings his fingers gently to your temple. They come away bloody.
He sucks a sharp breath, glancing up at Murphy. âYouâll handle Verdugo?â
Murphyâs lips are pressed into a fine line. âAbsolutely, Javi. Get her out of here.â
â
He escorts you from the building with a hand pressed firmly against the small of your back. It would be sweet, if not for the blistering pace and the stony expression thatâs frozen on his face. People take notice, leaping out of your way, craning their necks to watch as you storm by. By the time you reach the doors, your cheeks are flaming.
âAgent Peña!â
Oh shit. You hadnât even noticed Martinez and his entourage milling around the entrance.
âYeah?â Javi bites out.
Martinez raises a brow at the scene the two of you make - you, bleeding and shamefaced, Javi damned near parading you into the parking lot with all the subtly of a thunderclap.
God, thereâs no way this ends well for either of you.
âVerdugo is in interrogation room three,â Martinzes says, clearing his throat awkwardly.
Javi doesnât even slow. âStick Murphy on it,â he snaps over his shoulder. âIâm busy.â
Nobody dares argue with him.
â
Instead of getting into the car, Javi leans heavily against the door.
You pause, opening your mouth to question him, but he reaches for your jaw before you can speak, carefully tilting your face up into the sunlight.
âAre you okay?â
His voice is soft, but heâs looking at you in undisguised concern, eyes roving over you with an intensity that tempts you to drop your gaze.
You shiver. You canât help it - youâre exhausted and emotional, and things with Javi have been so weird for so long, and now heâs staring at you, sharp and worried, running his thumbs across your scalp to gently assess for injuries.
No, you are not okay.
He notices the little tremor that darts through your body and rests one hand on your shoulder, leaning in to look you straight in the eye. âHow far were you from the explosion?â
âAcross the street,â you tell him, breathless for all of the wrong reasons. Itâs only half-way true, youâd been crossing the street when the bomb had gone off, far closer to the blast zone than youâre leading him to believe. But heâs so close, cupping your cheeks in his hands, leaning forward to shield you from the traffic-side of the parking spot with his body as he continues to draw his fingers across your skin, gently assessing for more damage.
âIt just knocked me off my feet,â you continue. Your throat is suddenly so dry. âStartled me, more than anything.â
Javi reaches with one finger to expose the wound on your temple. Itâs still oozing.
âAnd this?â he asks, pinning you with another piercing stare.
You reach up, catching his hand as his fingers begin to drift down your cheek. He twitches reflexively. âJust a little scratch,â you promise him. âFalling glass, or shrapnel, I guess. Something grazed me. I never hit my head.â
This is not a lie. You never blacked out; youâre not hurt.
He blusters a sigh, scrubbing his face with his palm for a brief second. âI should really take you to the hospital.â His jaw tightens as he speaks.
âI just said I didnât hit my head. Iâm fine.â You indicate the wound on your temple. âThis is nothing. You know how head wounds like to bleed.â You look up at him, projecting as much wide-eyed, awake, vibrant woman as you possibly can after walking away from a fucking bomb, and squeeze his hand in reassurance. âPlease, Peña. I just want to go -â
Home, you almost say.
You stop yourself just in time. There is no home, not anymore. And you wonât make the mistake of referencing Peñaâs place as anything other than âPeñaâs place.â That would be supremely stupid, given all of the recent drama.
âTo bed,â you manage instead. âIâm just tired.â
And god, that is the truth.
If Javi notices your faux pax, he doesnât mention it. Heâs hardly taken his eyes off you. Heâs near enough that you can feel the heat of his skin, one hand still twined in yours.
Itâs all you can do to avoid resting your head on his chest.
âOkay,â he mutters begrudgingly, and then shakes his head like he hadnât meant to agree. âIâll take you home.â
You smile wanly at him. âThanks.â
â
authorâs notes/confessions
I know you still have questions. I promise you, I will answer them.
Steve Murphy is a good bro.
Yâall hit me up if you want a little Javi one-shot after this next chapter. I wrote it for my own reference, but it might be a fun read, if youâre wondering whatâs happening inside his head right now.
@tiffdawgâ, look what you made me do. ;)
#Javier Peña x reader#javier peña#javier pena x reader#narcos#pedro pascal#narcos fanfiction#Javier Peña fanfiction#Javier Peña imagine#javi x you#javi x reader#reader insert#angst#hurt/comfort#slowburn#friends to lovers#the rules of engagement#better love#pedro pascal fandom#pedro pascal fanfiction
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So you asked about prompts? ;D What about Joe/Nicky + any team member cuddling for warmth? Or something about all of them sharing clothes? Huge bonus if Lykon is still part of the Guard â€ïžâ€ïžâ€ïž
Thank you anon for the ask!! đ This took forever but here it is~
Read on AO3
âWhose idea was this, again?â Joe complained, readjusting the weight of the front half of the giant plastic evergreen. He was sweating and freezing at the same time, which was decidedly one of his least favorite feelings ever.
âYeah, I wonder,â Quynh seconded from behind him, throwing Andy a dirty look.
Andy sauntered hands-free in front of them, talking animatedly with Nicky and Lykon as they walked. The three of them clearly loved the snow, though Joe doubted they would be having even half as much fun if they had to carry the tree.
Quynh spat out some plastic pine needles. âAndromache! Itâs your turn to carry this, come here!â
âPleeease babe, weâre almost home!â
âYeah,â Nicky interjected. âBesides, we have to carry the presents!â He waved the small, sparkly gift bag at them before pointedly turning back around.
Joe muttered something in Arabic about lazy spouses with nice asses, and Quynh cackled.
âAlright, alright,â Lykon interjected, jumping in front to get everyoneâs attention. âBooker just texted me that heâs managed to get Nile out of the house under the pretext of, and I quote, âthe snowball duel of the century.â Theyâre going to the mountain pass, so we have two hours to get set up.â
âPerfetto,â Nicky said. âItâll take me about twenty minutes to get the cookies in the oven, and then Iâll help decorate the tree.â
âYou better get out in less than twenty,â Quynh warned. âWhen am I supposed to work? Do you even know how long it takes to cook chicken?â
âHe doesnât,â Joe confirmed.
âHabibi, thatâs not fair. What about that time I made-â
A long, ominous buzz innervated all of their phones simultaneously. It was an emergency weather alert.
âBlizzard warning until 2:15 AM. All inner city residents are encouraged to shelter in place until further notice. Sudden snowfall and landslides may prove deadly,â Nicky read.
âLykon, text Booker,â Andy ordered.
âOn it.â
âNo use,â Nicky cut in. âTheyâre probably already at the mountain pass. They wonât make it back in time.â
Andy swore loudly. âJoe, get the car. Weâre going after them.â
Quynh and Joe dropped the tree and ran towards the house. By the time Joe started the car, Quynh was climbing down the porch steps with an armful of towels. The five of them piled into the car and tore down the icy roads.
The storm picked up with terrifying haste. When they got to the bridge near the mountain pass, visibility was already nearing zero. Joe switched places with Andy, clambering into the passenger seat so she could take the wheel. If anything could help them now, it was Andyâs extensive experience with driving in extreme weather conditions.
As they traveled through the pass, everyone kept their eyes trained on the snowy slopes, looking for any signs of Nile and Booker.
Suddenly, Lykon cried out in horror. Only a few feet away from the road were two motionless bodies, almost fully buried in a snow drift.
âCazzo!â Nicky yelled, leaping out of the car. âThere must have been an avalanche!â
Andy shoved the gearshift into parking and followed, joining the others as they attempted to dig out their friends with their bare hands. About two minutes after the frostbite set in, they were able to pull Nile and Booker free of the drift.
âWhy arenât they waking up?â Lykon asked, a tinge of panic in his voice. Andy rubbed Nileâs wrist as she looked at her watch, attempting to measure a pulse. Nicky tried to do the same for Booker, unconsciously chanting a Hail Mary under his breath.
Quynh stepped forward. âWe need to get them back to the car. The heater will warm them up and help dry them off. Come on.â
Joe picked up Nile in his arms, cradling her head. Quynh threw Booker over her shoulders in a firemanâs carry. This time, they noticed neither the weight nor the cold. Their entire focus was on getting their friends home to warmth and safety.
âJoe, your coat,â Andy said as they got to the car. âItâs fleece. Take Nileâs ski jacket off and give her yours.â
Joe obeyed without hesitation, bundling her in his own winter gear and buckling her into the back seat. Meanwhile, Quynh and Nicky used the towels to dry off Bookerâs snow coat as best as they could. Lykon climbed into the passenger seat, and Andy began to drive.
Thankfully, the storm didnât get worse on their way back (though Joe seriously doubted it could get worse). By the time Andy pulled into their driveway, Nile and Booker were beginning to stir.
âHey, easy now,â Lykon soothed, helping a dazed Booker out of the car. âLetâs get you inside. There we go, youâre okay. Just a little farther.â
Behind them, Nile leaned heavily on Quynh as she half-carried her up the porch steps. Joe paused, watching them enter.
âAll okay?â Andy asked, placing a hand on his shoulder as the wind whipped the snow around them.
âThe treeâŠâ Joe muttered, fazed. âI dropped it somewhere. We were going to surprise Nile, and I-â
Andy turned him gently to face her, pulling his woolen beanie down to cover his ears.
âItâs alright, love,â she said softly, switching to Arabic. âShe needs a different kind of comfort from us now. She and Booker both. Letâs go take care of them, okay?â
Joe nodded, following her into the warmth of their home.
A fire blazed happily in the hearth. Someone had expanded their futon and pulled it closer to the fireplace. Nile and Booker were seated on it now, wearing large, clean sweatpants - Nickyâs sweatpants, Joe noticed - and fuzzy Christmas sweaters. Quynh and Lykon were snuggled up on either side of them, feeding them something from a thermos flask and adjusting the heated blankets.
âRoom for two more?â Andy grinned, curling up next to Quynh and gesturing at Joe to sit. âWhatâs that?â Joe asked, sliding under Lykonâs side of the blanket and pointing at the steaming drink in the thermos.
âI made apple cider earlier and left it in the instant pot,â Lykon replied. âIt was still hot.â
Lykon held the drink to Nileâs lips. She took a large sip, sighing happily. Joe made a mental note to pour himself some cider if he ever got out from under this heated blanket.
Just then, Nicky walked out of the kitchen, balancing a large tray in his hands. âSoup time! Everyone sit up, letâs eat.â
Joe blinked, wondering how his husband had had the presence of mind to immediately go into the kitchen and make soup, of all things. He himself was still recovering from the last hourâs ordeal.
Nicky tutted disapprovingly. âBoss, get changed. Joe, you too. Why would you think itâs a good idea to get under an electric blanket in wet clothes?â
Andy grimaced, throwing her jacket and t-shirt on the floor and snuggling up to Quynh in just her bra. Quynh tugged Andy closer.
Nicky turned to Joe, raising an eyebrow. âHabibi?â
Joe pulled a face. âDo you have any sweatpants left for me?â
âAlways.â Nicky ruffled Joeâs curls. âMy gray university ones are in the dryer. Theyâll still be warm if you hurry.â
Joe got up, returning two minutes later in the gray sweatpants and a black tank top he stole off of Andyâs dresser. He hastily dove back under Lykonâs heated blanket.
In the middle of the couch, swaddled in blankets and eating soup, Nile and Booker were looking much more alive. The color returned to their cheeks, intensifying as Nicky began to scold them.
âBooker, what the fuck were you thinking?â he demanded.
âI donât know! You said to distract Nile, and she wanted to have a snowball fight. So I said yes!â
âWhy didnât you just go to the park?â
âI thought driving out to the mountain pass would buy you guys more time. It was a bad idea. Iâm sorry.â
âYou could have died, Book! Just because weâre immortal doesnât mean we can play with our lives like that. Not to mention, you put Nile in danger!â
Quynh sat up, reaching for Nickyâs hands. She swiped her thumbs over his knuckles in a soothing gesture. âHey, lay off him, would you? Theyâve had a tough night.â
âBut what if-â
âNo what-ifs, Nicky. Itâs alright. Theyâre safe. Now put the rest of that soup down and come here.â
Nicky sighed in secret gratitude. This was not a night he wanted to be left to follow his thoughts. âFine.â
He squeezed onto the futon between Quynh and Nile, accepting the blanket Andy threw over him. He wrapped his arms around Nile, who snuggled closer.
âNicky?â she mumbled after a moment.
âHmm?â
âIf youâre not still angry, can I ask you a question?â
Nicky pulled back to look at her. âSorellina, Iâm so sorry. I was never angry at you. Nor at Booker, really. Just a bit worried.â
âYeah,â Joe piped up from the other end of the couch. âHe gets mean when heâs scared.â
âI am not mean,â Nicky insisted. âNile, what was it you wanted to ask?â
âWhy did Booker say you wanted him to distract me? Distract me from what?â
Lykon laughed. âShould we tell her, Nicky, or do we plan to try again tomorrow?â
âWe lost the tree, so I think we should just tell her,â Joe voted sleepily.
âYou just donât want to carry another tree,â Booker accused.
âEasy for you to say!â Quynh jumped in. âNext time, Iâll distract her, and you can walk a mile in the snow with plastic pine needles in your face.â
âOkay, thatâs enough,â Andy said, lips twitching. âNo more attempts. Jesus wasnât actually born on this day, anyway. I was there.â
Nicky blinked at her, and then rapidly shook his head to clear it. He looked at Nile. âWe were trying to surprise you with a Christmas party. Remember last Thursday, when you were telling us how your family celebrated it back home?â
âYeah.â
âWe wanted to recreate all the same traditions. We got a tree, and some ornaments, and stockings with your initials on it, and, uhâŠâ
âPresents! And that Christmas music you like,â Joe added.
âYes, and Nicky was going to make cookies shaped like reindeer,â Quynh said.
âAlso,â Lykon pointed to a folded-up tripod in the corner, âwe were going to take family photos in our sweaters and put them on postcards. Copley said we canât send them to anyone, but we could still make some.â
Booker sighed. âSorry I ruined it, Nile. I thought- wait, are you crying?!â
Nile sniffled, turning away from Booker to tuck her face under the blanket. âNo.â
âOh, honey,â Quynh cooed. We can still do it all tomorrow, if you wantâŠâ
âItâs not that,â Nile croaked. âItâs just- You guys did all that just to surprise me?â
âItâs nothing,â Nicky assured. âWell, itâs really nothing now, but even if everything had gone according to plan, it still wouldnât have been any trouble. Itâs your first Christmas with us, and we wanted it to be memorable.â
âYouâre the best,â Nile said, voice choked with emotions. âAll of you. And this is the best Christmas Eve ever. Thank you.â
âHush,â Andy smirked. âIn this house, we show gratitude by not dying unnecessarily.â
âOh, that was all Bookerâs fault,â Nile countered smoothly. âI would have been content with a snowball fight in the park.â
âReally loving the underside of this bus,â Booker muttered as the others laughed.
Over the next hour, the lighthearted conversation drifted into sleepy silence. By the time Nicky thought to ask who would turn off the lights, Joe was only half-pretending to be fast asleep.
#the old guard#joe x nicky#fanfiction#kavi writes#tog fanfic#fluff#hurt/comfort#found family#platonic cuddling#holiday season#lykon#nile freeman#andy#booker#yusuf al kaysani#nicolo di genova#quynh#yes quynh is alive as well!!
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the brightest light is you
https://archiveofourown.org/works/28681833
Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff, tooth rotting fluff
A/N: Hi friends!! This fic is a secret santa gift for my love @lonely-rabbit (you should totally follow her) and our lovely fambly. The prompts were âFirst Christmas,â and âProposals.â I hope you like it! <3
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December 10th
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Katsuki saw the sign to the pet store before Izuku did, and immediately knew he was in trouble. Why is there a pet store inside a fucking strip mall?
âKacchan, look!â Izuku pointed at a baby, chocolate colored bunny, sleeping in an enclosure on display in the front window.
âAbsolutely not.â
âBut look how cute she is!â Izuku pouted.
âDeku, we already have a cat.â
âYeah, so sheâd have a friend!â
âNo, sheâd get fucking eaten.â
âChip would never, sheâs too polite.â
âSheâs a fucking demon!â Katsuki snapped.
âPleeeease, Kacchan? She needs a home, and itâs just in time for Christmas,â Izuku wrapped his arms around Katsukiâs middle, staring up at him.
Katsuki averted his gaze and gritted his teeth, knowing he couldn't resist Izuku's pleading eyes.
âNo. Donât give me that fucking look.â
To Katsukiâs surprise, Izuku just laughed and released his hold on him.
âFine, fine, youâre right,â Izuku sighed dramatically, âletâs go before I get too attached. Iâm hungry, anyway.â
Katsuki watched as he walked away, considering for a moment.
âGod fucking dammit,â Katsuki muttered, pulling out his phone to snap a picture before Izuku noticed.
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December 18th
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âLook at these, Kacchan!â Katsuki looked up from an outrageously priced scarf to see Izuku holding the most hideous sweaters he had ever seen. They were bright red, each decorated with a matching design that, when held together, formed a Christmas tree that was adorned with real tinsel, glitter, and colored pom-pom ornaments.
âFuck no,â Katsuki spat, and Izuku burst into laughter.
âWhy not? Theyâre perfect,â
âNo way in hell youâre getting me to wear that shit,â Katsuki snapped.
âI can think of a few ways,â Izuku winked. Katsuki sputtered, pink dusting his cheeks.
âCâmon, Kacchan, itâs Christmas! We have to get ugly sweaters.â
It was their first Christmas together since buying their new house, and Izuku had insisted on decorating accordingly. Apparently that also included embarrassing the hell out of Katsuki.
âI donât have to do shit.â
âPlease?â Izuku pouted his lip.
Katsuki pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned.
âFine,â he growled, while Izuku cheered and tossed the sweaters into the shopping cart.
âOh, we could get matching Santa h-â
âDonât even fucking think about it, Deku,â Katsuki pushed the cart forward, swiftly exiting the clothing section of the store as Izuku giggled behind him.
----------------------------------
It had been at least 30 minutes since Katsuki had seen Izuku. Where the fuck had he gone? This shop was too small to get lost in. He had checked all the aisles twice, but Izuku was nowhere to be found.
âGoddammit, every time,â Katsuki muttered, pulling out his phone to call again.
âOh, Kacchan! There you are!â Katsuki jumped as a mop of green curls popped up from behind a giant red bin. How had he missed that?
âJesus, Deku! You scared the shit out of me. How long have you fucking been there?,â Katsuki grumbled.
âWay too long. Iâm trying to pick out lights, come help me,â
Katsuki sighed as he approached and took in the sight before him.
Izuku was muttering incomprehensibly to himself as he knelt amongst a messy pile of packages, each containing string lights of different sizes, shapes and colors.
âThose white ones in the big box,â Katsuki pointed, interrupting Izukuâs train of thought, âtheyâll match the walls and the trim on the house."
Izuku looked up at Katsuki and beamed.
âYouâre so smart.â
âDamn right,â Katsuki grinned, âand weâre getting a shit ton. Weâre gonna have the best fucking house in the neighborhood," he pulled five boxes of lights from the bin, tossing them into the cart.
âOkay, Kacchan,â Izuku laughed as he cleaned up his mess.
----------------------------------
Their shopping cart was practically overflowing with decorations now, but Izuku didnât seem to notice, excitedly pulling Katsuki all over the store.
âWe already have three of these, nerd,â Katsuki watched as Izuku pondered over a vast selection of snowglobes.
âYes, but not little ones! We could put these all over the house,â Izuku turned to face Katsuki, holding up a miniature globe with Dynamightâs signature gauntlets inside. Katsuki sighed and draped an arm around Izukuâs shoulder, knowing his mind was already made up.
âCould give this one to your mom,â Katsuki pointed to one that was large, green and orange, with âWonder Duoâ engraved on the front. Inside were little statues of Dynamight and Deku, posed dramatically in battle.
âShe likes-,â Katsuki paused, abruptly letting go of Izuku and all but sprinting away, disappearing behind a shelving unit.
âKacchan whatâs-,â Izuku called, startled. He gasped when Katsuki returned with a box three times his size.
It was a giant, twelve foot tall statue of a Yeti wielding a staff. Katsuki poked his head around the side, grinning wickedly in delight.
âKacchan, where would we even put that?â Izuku stared in disbelief.
âWeâll make room,â Katsuki grunted.
âMake room where?â
âWe can put it next to the fireplace.â
âKacchan, thatâs where the stairs are.â
âFuck the stairs.â
âThat thing is taller than our ceiling,â Izuku stifled a laugh as Katsuki struggled to balance the weight of the box.
âThen weâll put it outside,â Katsuki huffed in frustration.
âI donât think our neighbors would like that, itâs scary.â
âFuck the neighbors, this is badass.â
Izuku was laughing in earnest now, tears coming into his eyes.
âI canât get a bunny, but you can get a giant monster?â
âThis is way cooler than a fucking bunny.â
âIâm blaming you if we get in trouble with the landlord.â
----------------------------------
December 20th
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âThatâs not food, Chip!â Izuku cried. âLet go!â
Katsuki snickered, slicing vegetables to add to a pot of bubbling curry while Izuku struggled to protect the tree from their cat.
âShit!â
A resounding thud came from the living room, and Katsuki sighed as he dumped the ingredients into the pot.
âI need help here!â Izuku called desperately as Katsuki entered the room.
Izuku was on the floor, becoming increasingly tangled in ropes of tinsel as Chip rolled in it like sheâd struck gold.
âI give up Kacchan, she wonât let- stop laughing! Can you grab her please? She keeps nibbling meâ Izuku scowled.
Struggling not to choke on laughter, Katsuki whistled, quickly catching Chipâs attention.
âCâmere, you little shit, Iâve got something that tastes better than Deku,â Katsuki kneeled, dangling a piece of chicken in front of him. The tabby sprinted to him and happily devoured her prize.
âDumb fucking cat,â he muttered under his breath.
âShe likes you more than me,â Izuku chuckled, untangling himself from his tinsel prison to finish wrapping it around the tree.
âCourse she does. She only likes the best,â Katsuki grinned, scratching Chip's chin as she purred and rubbed against his knee.
âThere,â Izuku stood back to admire his handiwork, âI think it just needs the star now.â
âCan you even reach, shortstack?â Katsuki teased, watching Izuku struggle on his tiptoes.
âOf-â Izuku grunted,â of course I can.â
Wordlessly, Katsuki wrapped his arms around Izukuâs middle, lifting him up with ease to place the silver star atop the tree.
âIt looks good, right?â Izuku grinned as Katsuki lowered him back down, still hugging him from behind.
âYeah. Nice work, nerd,â
âThanks, Kacchan.â
âHm.â
âChristmas is gonna be great,â Izuku whispered.
âBe more fun if we just stayed home,â Katsuki grumbled into Izukuâs neck.
âThat could be fun,â Izuku laughed, turning in Katsukiâs arm to hug him properly, âbut itâll be good to see our parents. Itâs been over a month.â
âTch. I guess,â
âThanks for making dinner, Kacchan,â Izuku squeezed him tight and tilted his head up for a kiss.
âItâs gonna fucking burn if you donât let go of me,â Katsuki murmured against his lips, but kissed him back.
âHmm. Thatâs fine,â
Katsuki snorted.
âHey, I think the demon spawn is ready for round two,â he nodded at the sneaky cat, who was quietly approaching the tree again.
âDammit,â Izuku whipped around, tearing out of Katsukiâs arms, âChip, stay out of there!â
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December 25th
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Katsuki woke to soft lips on his forehead
âGood morning, Kacchan,â Izuku whispered in his ear.
â âS too fuckin early, Deku,â Katsuki groaned, eyes still closed.
âItâs almost 10.â
âI said what I said.â
Izuku yelped in surprise as Katsuki grabbed his waist and unceremoniously tugged him down onto the bed.
âKacchan, itâs Christmas,â Izuku laughed, snuggling into his side, despite himself, âweâre supposed to be at your parents house in three hours.â
âMmm, fuckâm,â Katsuki grumbled.
âI have coffee brewing,â
Katsukiâs ears perked up, the scent suddenly filling his nose. Sighing, he stretched his free arm above his head and cracked his eyes open to see Izuku smiling at him, wearing that atrocious sweater heâd picked out. Katsuki tucked a stray curl behind his ear.
Too cute for his own damn good.
âCome on, Kacchan, I made breakfast too,â Izuku pulled Katsuki by the arm as he sat up.
âYou made breakfast?â Katsuki was dubious as he slid his glasses up his nose.
âYep. My specialty,â
âCanned cinnamon rolls?â
âCanned cinnamon rolls.â
â....fuck yeah.â
Katsuki had long since accepted his role as the chef in their relationship, because Izuku couldnât cook to save his fucking life, but canned pastries were a guilty pleasure he knew heâd never shake.
----------------------------------
It was a peaceful morning. The sun peeked through the curtains, bathing the room in warm, golden hues as they sat by the fire, Chip asleep on the couch between them.
âHey, nerd, go open your present,â Katsuki nudged Izuku, who had begun to doze on his shoulder.
âHm?â Izuku yawned, stretching his arms, âoh, okay!"
âItâs that red one,â Katsuki pointed to the largest package under the tree. Izuku eyed him curiously before crawling to open the gift, excitedly ripping through the paper and tape to reveal...
Another box, wrapped in different paper.
Izuku raised both eyebrows at him in confusion and Katsuki grinned.
âWhat, you donât like it?â he mocked offense, as Izuku narrowed his eyes, âIâm just fucking with you. Keep going.â
Katsuki chuckled and quietly slipped out of the room while Izukuâs attention was occupied.
âKacchan, this is so unnecessary,â Izuku groaned, as he pulled out yet a third box.
âMaybe Iâll just take it back, then,â Katsuki declared loudly as he re-entered the room, startling an oblivious Izuku.
âKacchan, when did-â Izuku gasped. Katsuki was leaning against the wall with a smirk, holding a familiar small, chocolate brown bunny in his arms.
âI had Shitty Hair get her after we left the mall,â
âSheâs been here for two weeks?!â Izuku cried in disbelief.
âYou think I took care of her on my own? Fuck no,â Katsuki grumbled, meeting Izuku halfway and carefully passing him the rabbit, âhad your mom keep her. Picked her up last night while you were asleep.â
âI love her,â Izuku smiled, burying his face in Katsuki's chest, âthank you, Kacchan."
Katsuki sighed, wrapping his arms around him and kissing his hair.
âI just knew youâd never shut the fuck up about it."
âDid you introduce her to Chip yet?â
âYeah. She couldnât fucking care less.â
Izuku laughed, kissing the bunny's soft head.
âI told you theyâd be friends,â
âYeah. Friends," Katsuki rolled his eyes, "go sit, there's one more,"
Izuku smirked as he watched Katsuki stumble over the ruins of his prank to retrieve the gift.
âThereâd better not be another box in there, Kacchan,â Izuku warned, warily taking the package.
âJust open it, dumbass,â Katsuki barked a laugh and joined him on the couch.
Izuku pulled the lid off the long box and stared. Inside was a tall, holographic photo frame filled with drawings Izuku and Katsuki made as children. When tilted to the side, the images changed to reveal photographs of the pair as Pro Heroes.
âKacchan, you- you kept these?â
Katsuki shrugged.
âThey were too badass to throw away,â
âKacchan-â tears welled up in Izukuâs eyes again, âitâs perfect. You big softie.â
âTch. Iâm not the one crying,â Katsuki wiped the tears as they rolled down his cheeks.
Izuku laughed again.
âBut you know Iâm right. My turn now?â
Izuku didn't wait for his response, clambering over the sea of boxes for the present without putting his furry new friend down.
âHere!â
It was surprisingly heavy, and topped with a comically large bow.
âShit, Deku, you put bricks in here?â
âJust open it, Kacchan,â Izuku watched him with excitement in his eyes.
Katsuki ripped the package open to reveal a thick, leather bound scrapbook, with Dynamightâs signature X on the front. The inside cover read, in handwriting Katsuki immediately recognized as Izukuâs,âThe Legacy of Dynamight.â
His eyes widened as he flipped through the book of memories.
There were journal articles of him in action. Newspaper headings; âPro Hero Dynamight makes his big debut!â and âPro hero Dynamight saves Musutafu Childrenâs Hospital!
Then came the letters glued to the parchment paper, comprising the majority of the book. Katsukiâs mouth fell open as he read words, handwritten, that heâd never seen before.
There were letters from citizens that had watched him take down terrifying enemies, praising him for his good deeds. Letters from people heâd saved, grateful for the chance to see their families again.
Letters from sick children heâd visited in the hospital telling him how awesome he was, several thanking him for giving them the encouragement to keep fighting.
And finally, there were multiple pages filled with artwork. Most were childrenâs doodles of Dynamight in action and Dynamight saving the day, but there were also several beautifully drawn and painted portraits.
The remaining pages were blank, waiting to be filled.
Izuku had written on the inside back cover:
This is a book of memories, of growth, of victory, and salvation.
If you are so fortunate to see this, know you are reading a testament to the strongest person this world has ever known.
The fiercest hero and most loyal partner, who always wins and always saves.
The legacy of Katsuki Bakugou, Pro Hero Dynamight.
At the bottom, Izuku had doodled several explosions and grenades, and Katsuki grinned.
âI sent a letter to the World Hero Association Journals, asking people to send in their thoughts about Pro Hero Dynamight. There were so many! Those kids were full of stories. They think youâre really cool. And we can fill the rest of it with new memories, too," Izuku said softly, smiling at him.
Katsuki tried to speak, but nothing came out. He was speechless as he stared at Izuku.
âI just want you to know how proud of you I am. How proud everyone is. Youâre amazing, Kacchan," Izuku was looking at him with those big, knowing eyes, and picked up an envelope Katsuki hadn't noticed at the bottom of the box.
âOpen the last one.â
It was a page full of more doodles from when they were kids, and potential hero names theyâd created. At the bottom read âDynamightâ in uneven, capital letters.
âWe had the same idea,â Izuku laughed.
âDeku, I-â Katsuki stuttered, still unable to find the right words.
âI know.â
Did he know? Could he possibly know how much this fucking meant? How much he meant?
They both startled as Chip dove into the pile of wrapping paper on the ground, ripping it to shreds.
âOh-wait, come back!â Izuku reached for his bunny as she leapt from his lap to explore the wreckage, but Katsuki grabbed his chin and pulled him back.
âI love you,â Katsuki said firmly, capturing his lips in a searing kiss.
It felt like hours, but Katsuki knew it had only been minutes when Izuku pulled back.
âKacchan,â he was breathless as Katsukiâs lips trailed down his chin, âI donât know where she went.â
âSheâs fine,â
âBut-â
âSheâs fine.â Katsuki growled, silencing Izukuâs burst of laughter with another kiss.
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âItâs fuckinâ cold, Deku, letâs just take the car,â Katsuki complained, rubbing his hands together to warm them.
âItâs not that cold, Kacchan. And look how pretty it is!â Izuku insisted.
Thin flecks of snow fell from the sky, disappearing into the fluff that already coated the neighborhood. Water dripped slowly from the tree branches as the snow began to melt in the sunlight. The air smelled of evergreen, crisp and cold enough that they could see their own breath.
âBesides, itâs not that far of a walk. Come on, weâre already running late,â Izuku hauled a bag of gifts over one arm, reaching for Katsukiâs hand with the other.
âOur house is the most badass,â Katsuki grinned, looking up at his prized statue. The giant took up half of their front yard, it's long shadow peering over their roof.
âKacchan, that thing is an eyesore,â Izuku grimaced.
âShut up. Itâs cool as fuck as you know it."
Izuku laughed and shook his head.
âDo you think theyâll be alright without us?â Izuku worried as they walked, thinking of the animals theyâd left at home.
âWho knows. Maybe the demon spawn will have eaten that fluff ball by the time we get home,â Katsuki teased.
âKacchan! Thatâs not reassuring,â
âYou asked,â Katsuki smirked, interlacing his fingers with Izukuâs, âtheyâll be fine. Theyâre fucking animals. And sheâs in her pen.â
----------------------------------
The walk was short, but still longer than Katsuki cared for in the cold.
âOh, momâs already here!â Izuku pointed to the small, blue car parked in front of the Bakugou household.
The house was huge, decked top to bottom in red and green lights that matched the trees in the yard.
âHope the old hag hasnât eaten her alive yet,â Katsuki mused.
âKacchan, thatâs not very nice,â Izuku playful shoved him, âweâd better not keep them waiting,â
They were greeted at the door by Inko Midoriyaâs warm, smiling face.
âMerry Christmas boys!â She squealed, pulling them both in for a tight hug.
âMerry Christmas, mom,â Izuku grinned, wrapping his arms around her. Katsuki hummed, loosely returning the embrace.
It was pleasantly warm inside, and smelled of cinnamon and vanilla.
âOh, those are so cute!â Inko exclaimed as they discarded their coats, pointing to the abhorrent sweaters Izuku had insisted they wear, much to Katsukiâs chagrin.
Katsuki groaned as Inko poked at the ridiculous pom poms on his chest.
Dekuâs lucky heâs so fucking cute.
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Katsuki had just finished bickering with Mitsuki when he overheard Izuku and Inko talking in the next room. He paused, leaning against the wall to listen unnoticed.
âI canât believe you kept Nibbles a secret!â
Nibbles? Where the fuck did that name come from?
âIt wasnât easy, I was so excited! But I was more than happy to help. Sheâs very well behaved,â
âShe is,â Izuku laughed, âthank you for taking care of her, mom.â
âOf course, dear. Katsuki came to check on us almost every day.â
Katsuki flushed as the pair laughed.
âWhat did he think of the scrapbook?â Inko asked excitedly.
âHe liked it, I think. He was quiet, which is Kacchan for âthank you."
Inko was laughing again.
âI think it was a great idea, honey, it's very thoughtful."
âIâm just...really proud of him, yâknow? Heâs come so far. I donât think words are enough,â Izuku was sniffling now, âgah, I'm sorry mom, I donât mean to be so mushy.â
âDonât apologize. You get it from me,â Inko chuckled, the emotion clear in her voice too, âdid you like your other gift?â
âI love it, itâs so perfect. Did you know about that, too?â
âHe asked me if I thought youâd like it. I said yes, of course,â Inko paused, âhe really loves you, honey.â
âI know. â
Katsuki flushed deeper, leaning quietly against the wall.
Did he know?
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The rest of the day passed in a blur. Inko cried in appreciation for the snowglobe Katsuki had picked out, and locket theyâd customized with a photo of the three of them. Mitsuki and Masaru enjoyed the cheesy as fuck digital photo frame Izuku had insisted on, with less teasing from Mitsuki than Katsuki had expected.
Everyone was delighted to see All Might when he stopped by to visit in the afternoon, but Katsuki barely even noticed him. In the crowded room, all he saw was Izuku.
Izuku, who had saved him so many times, in more than one sense of the word. Izuku, who had rooted for him his whole life, the only person who had never stopped truly believing in him, who had reminded him of his true purpose.
Izuku, who had never expected more of him than he had to give, but encouraged him endlessly to reach new heights.
Izuku, who was currently asleep in his lap, wrapped in his new blanket hoodie.
Izuku.
âCan i sit with you, dear?â
Katsuki was interrupted from his reverie by Inkoâs soft voice.
âSure,â he murmured, scooting over as best he could without waking the sleeping lump.
âThank you for the gifts, they were very thoughtful.â
âWas Dekuâs idea,â Katsuki lied. Inko laughed.
âSure."
They sat together in a calming silence for a while, watching the flames crackle in the fireplace.
Katsuki was frequently comforted by Inkoâs presence. She was a beacon of light, always warm and wise. He thought she was about to speak, but she was interrupted by Izukuâs sudden snores.
âHeâs loud even in his fucking sleep,â Katsuki rolled his eyes.
Inko chuckled, running a hand through her sonâs hair.
âIt adds to his natural charm,â
âYeah, itâs real charming waking up to the sound of a fog horn in the middle of the night,â Katsuki grumbled, earning another musical laugh.
âYou know, I donât think I ever congratulated you on your new home,â Inko hummed.
â Sâjust a house."
âOf course it is,â Inko smiled knowingly and patted his arm, âIâm very proud of you both.â
Katsuki was silent for a moment, before squeezing her hand.
âThanks,â he whispered.
----------------------------------
It was dark when they finally bid their farewells, and considerably colder outside.
âDrive safe, mom!â Izuku waved as Katsuki helped her into her car and shut the door.
âLetâs cut through the plaza on the way home, Kacchan, I want to see the lights,"
âThatâs ten fucking minutes out of the way, Deku,â Katsuki growled.
âItâs our last chance to see before it gets taken down! Itâll be fun,â Izuku pleaded, hugging Katsukiâs arm.
âTch. Youâd better fucking walk fast."
Izuku grinned in victory as they left.
âToday was a nice day. I didnât expect All Might to actually come by, since heâs so busy. It was good to see him,â Izuku thought aloud.
âWoulda been pissed if he didnât,â Katsuki grumbled.
âDid you invite him, too?â Izuku looked at him in surprise as he shrugged, âthatâs really nice, Kacchan,â he smiled, leaning his head on Katsukiâs shoulder.
âI guess.â
They hadnât been walking long when the light show came into view. Izuku gasped, releasing Katsukiâs arm as he stared.
Silver and gold arches stretched across the narrow street, wrapped in bright, white lights. The roofs of the buildings were covered in brightly colored stars that illuminated the sparkling snow, and the lamp posts were decorated like candy canes. A large statue of silver bells sat in the green field at the center of the plaza.
Katsuki had to admit, it wasnât all that unpleasant to look at.
Izuku was fucking loving it. Katsuki watched as he stood under an arch, beaming in delight as he admired the view.
Does he know? Katsuki thought back on the events of the day. Does he really know?
âKacchan, come look,â Izuku called to him.
Katsuki was still lost in thought as he approached, and Izuku paused, eyebrows furrowing in concern.
âAre you o-,â Izuku startled as Katsukiâs hands came to cradle his face.
There were so many things left unsaid, things heâd wanted to say but didnât know how. Katsuki had always been better with actions than words, and Izuku had always accepted that. He accepted and loved him as he was without a second fucking thought.
âThe strongest person this world has ever known.â
Izuku made him stronger.
âThe legacy of Dynamight.â
Staring into eyes that were as soft as the falling snow, Katsuki decided he knew.
âIzuku,â Katsuki murmured, looking him straight in the eyes.
Every moment had led to this.
âKacchan?â Izuku breathed.
The legacy he cared for most was the one heâd forged with Izuku.
âMarry me.â
Izukuâs eyes widened in surprise.
âListen, Iâm- Iâm not good at this sappy shit. I donât know what to fucking say. But-â Katsuki released he didnât realize heâd been holding as Izukuâs palm brushed his cheek, âthe world is a fucking shitty place. But itâs less shitty with you. And I donât want anyone else by my side. So marry me,â Katsuki voice softened, âPlease."
It wasnât exactly the most romantic of proposals, and there wasnât a ring, but Izuku didnât seem to mind.
âOkay,â he whispered. A breathtaking smile spread across his face that put all the fucking lights in the world to shame.
Katsuki met Izuku halfway, lips colliding in a passionate kiss.
The world could be ending for all Katsuki knew, and he couldnât fucking care less.
Izuku wrapped his arms around Katsukiâs neck, murmuring I love you against his lips, over and over again as he deepened the kiss, and nothing else mattered. Nothing mattered except for this fucking moment as they melted into each other, ignoring the world around them.
Just as their tongues brushed, Izuku pulled back, resting their foreheads together.
âWe should-,â Izuku breathed with swollen lips, âshould we go home?â
Reluctantly, Katsuki lifted his head and nodded.
âYeah.â
----------------------------------
It was past midnight when Katsuki woke. They had fallen asleep on the couch, Izuku curled into his side with Nibbles, with Chip resting at their feet. He watched the shadows from the fireplace dancing on the wall, the room gradually becoming dimmer as the flames died out.
Izuku stirred in his sleep, tilting his head up to look at Katsuki with a blissful smile on his face.
âMerry Christmas, Kacchan.â
Katsuki pulled him closer.
âMerry Christmas, Deku.â
----------------------------------------
A/N: thank you for reading!!!!! this is the first fic iâve ever posted so im super nervous lmao.Â
also: the italic lines are supposed to be Katsukiâs thoughts, I wasnât sure if that was totally clear lmao
also!! big shoutout to @jekacatrina and @thatpinkbetch who helped me with the idea for kacchanâs present and also for the encouragement!!! (best parents ever)
#much love for my bunbun i hope you like!#and my fambly!#boku no hero academia#my hero academia#bnha#mha#bkdk#bakudeku#ktdk#katsudeku#fambly#birdie writes#my fic#its sfw but it gets a lil steamy just a heads up if that's not your cup of tea#how the fuck do you write a kiss?? i sure as hell dont know#anywho#thanks yall!
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i - your grandma must have been strong
word count: 2,007
"I'll spend forever wondering if you knew I was enchanted to meet you."
index
You zipped your last luggage closed, huffing tiredly as you stood up. You looked around you- your empty room, your plain, pink walls that were once decorated with many posters and pictures, your floor that was once covered by a big fluffy white rug and some clothes and stuffed toys.
You sigh, smiling. You were surely going to miss this place. Your back tingles as you turn around to see your mother leaning on the door frame, looking at you with sad eyes.
"Do you have to go?" Her voice is soft and calming- it always has been. She's the only person who could ever calm you down especially when your father left the two of you to work at the Heroes Association in Japan.
"I want to be able to protect people. Children, women, the elderly... I wanna be someone people can depend on. Someone you can depend on." You place a hand on her arm which she covers with her own, he warm palm along with her soft smile about to send you to tears.
She nods, walking inside your room to help with your baggage. "The movers just finished loading up your other stuff. All we need is your excess baggage." She pushes the luggage towards the door, you mirroring her actions.

She cups both of your cheeks, looking you at you with adoring, glassy eyes. It's your first time being separated from your mother in you sixteen years of existence. The two have always been attached to the hip, you traveled everywhere together, even as the two of you had constant arguments you could never stay mad at each other for too long.
She was the only one you had.
"Stay safe in Japan, okay? If your father gave you a hard time, call me. I'll pick you up no matter what time it is, no matter where you are. I love you." She kisses your forehead and you finally let your tears fall as you wrap your hands around her thing wrists.
"I love you so much mom." You sob, hanging your head as your mother wrapped her arms around you. You hear a voice of a woman through the speakers, telling you your flight was taking off in a few minutes.
You quickly give your mother a kiss on the cheek before letting one of your guards assist you with your bags. You waved good bye to your mom and soon after, your trusted body guard.
You were on your way to Japan, to a new life, a new school, new friends and hopefully to reach your new goal: to prove yourself worthy of becoming a hero without your father's help.

You walk towards the giant gates of UA, taking a deep breath before finally taking a step inside the campus. Your heart thumped on your chest nervously as your palms began to prespire. You kept your eyes forward, not wanting to do anything with the teens around you as your only goal was to pass the entrance exam. You walked inside the building you were lead to, taking a seat at the very back in fear of attracting any unwanted attention.
"What's up UA candidates?! Thanks for tuning into me your school DJ! Just as your application said, today you will be conducting your exams in seven different locations! Your location has been assigned to you in the paper you were given." The loud blond man with long hair swept way to the back of his head announced, making you click your tongue. Not to be a mood buster, but isn't he being a little too loud?
You take the piece of paper he was talking about, eyes lower to read the letter that's written on it. Test Location: Battle Center C.
"Excuse me sir but I have a question." Your eyes fall to a purple-headed boy with glasses whose hand is raised. The blond teacher acknowledges him and he begins talking about how there are four villains in the paper you were given and not only three.
He then begins running his mouth about how a minor mistake such as this would be an embarrassment for a school such as UA. You scoff, muttering something about having a stick up his ass.
After the teacher ended his speech, you along with the other students began piling out of the room and to your designated battle centers. As you enter your specified location, you take out the black leather gloves from your pocket, wearing them. You clenched and unclenched your hands to make sure that it fit you well.
"Hey grandma." An unfamiliar voice catches your attention, unfortunately for you the rude nickname was directed towards you.
"Grandma?" You raise a brow, unsure what he meant by it.
"You white hair reminds me of my grandma's." He snickers, pointing at the white streaks of hair you have beside either sides of your face as a few other students chuckling behind him. He looks plain, very, very boring. "Why don't you give up on this exam, grandma? Your knees may start hurting."
The signal went off and the robots began moving behind you. As you kept a straight face, your hands begin glowing a blinding white light as a black with blue and silver accent claymore appears in your hands. You run to your left, applying your speed quirk as you ran towards the gigantic robots, swinging your sword vertically.
The slash creates the same blinding white light, the robots, the buildings and concrete ground that the light touches all disintegrating into nothing. You speed into the other robots, stealing the targets of other students as you accumulated your points. Once you finish and only a few robots are left, you return to your spot to where the plain-looking boy along with his little friends were still standing at, jaws hanging eyes blown wide.
"You grandma must have been very strong."

"I got in." You say into your phone and you hear your mother squeal in delight from the other end of the line. A smile breaks into your face and you feel your phone vibrate, signaling a new notification. As you pull your phone away to see what it is, your eyes widen in surprise as you read your notification banner.
'Mom' sent you $100.
"Mom what the heck is the money for?" You chuckle. "I'm not there with you but I want you to celebrate getting into UA. So go use the money and spoil yourself."
"Mom you don't have to-"
"Okay, mom mode off. I demand you go and award yourself eith the money I sent you." Your mom's tone switches from soft and caring to cold and demanding, making you chuckle. "That doesn't suit you at all." You laugh, you can practically /hear/ your mom pout at the other line.
"Okay, okay. I'll do as you say. Thank you, mom. I love you."
"I love you more my baby."
The call ends and you change out of your usual sweats and oversized tee. You put on a black spaghetti strap and high-wasted mom jeans. You hoop in a black belt and fold the ankles of your pants to show your white sock inside your checkered vans. You finish the look with medium-sized hoop earrings and a oversized red zip-up jacket which you leave unzipped with one shoulder hanging off.
You step out of your apartment, pocketing your keys and taking a deep breath in. Japan is just so beautiful, the scenery, the buildings, even the weather was perfect. You strut down your apartment building, scrolling through your phone as you searched for cafes nearby. It was a five minute walk of calm and relaxing vibes. You step into the cafe, eyes darting around the adorable cottage-core aesthetic it had going.
"Hey my name is Mio. What can I get for you this lovely afternoon?" The cashier beams brightly, your day becoming better and better with every move you make. "I'll have a strawberry shortcake as well as a strawberr frappe with extra foam, strawberry syrup and strawberries." You beam back at her and she takes your order with a bright smile, tapoing away on the computer's screen.
"Does your life depend on strawberries or something?" A rough and deep voice asks behind you, causing you to turn around. Once you do, your eyes widen at the sight of a young blond with vermilion eyes. He looked around your age.
"I like strawberries. Is it that big of a sin?" You ask, soft smile across your face as you cross your arms together. The guy had such piercing eyes, those red orbs looked like they could trap you in them forever.
"Not what I'm saying, but if you're that much of a strawberry fan, I recommend their strawberry pop tarts." His eyes drop to the display fridge beside you and your eyes follow his, landing on the adorable little tarts with red jam on top of them.
Just as you were about to order them, the cashier speaks up. "Your total is 1,500 yen." She smiles brightly, making you pout. You didn't want to cause more trouble for her seeing as your bill has already been printed by the machine.
You scan their QR code, paying virtually as she hands you your buzzer. "We'll give you a signal whrn your order is ready. You can find a seat and wait there thank you!"
You turn around at the blond who's looking at you expectantly, "I guess I'll have to try your recommendation some other time." You smile at him, walking off to the table catering two chairs. It was seated at the far back of the cafe, away from the many customers the cafe had.
You began scrolling through your social media, liking the posts of your past classmates and chuckling at some memes you saw.
A plate full of the same tarts with red jam is placed on your white table and you didn't have to look to see who it was. "Is this you way of flirting with me, rubies?" You ask, looking up at him with a teasing, smug smile. His face contorts into annoyance, "Hah? Flirting with you?" He scoffs, "Not a chance. And who're you calling rubies?"
"Your eyes remind me of rubies. They're pretty."
The blond's face relaxes and you push the seat across from you, silently telling him to sit down. He does as 'told', huffing as he watches you pick of a tart and bring it over to your lips. You bite on it, eyes widening as the flavor explodes in your mouth. It tastes sweet but not the sickeningly sweet kind, it's soft soft in the inside and lightly crunchy on the outside.
"You look like you just ate food made by gods." He chuckles, "You look dumb."
"But it really does taste so good!" You've never felt this much excitement since you found out you got into UA. And that speaks a lot given that you've only ever felt this kind of feeling with your mom.
"I should have bought the entire stock if I knew you liked it that much." Your heart skipped at his words. What is this feeling? You felt nervous all of a sudden, you can barely contain your smile and somehow, you didn't want to go home yet. This is a very new feeling for you. It's kind of... scary.
"I'm L/n."
Idiot. Stop it.
"L/n Y/n." You extend your hand towards him which he looks at for a few moments before taking. You shake both of your hands with a soft smile, your thoughts going haywire at how soft his palms feel.
"Bakugou. Katsuki Bakugou."
You pull your hand away, finishing the last piece of strawberry pop tart on your plate before your buzzer turns on. You pick it up, standing up. "Thanks for the tarts. See you around, rubies."
"Call me that one more time and I'll blow your face up."
You snicker, smirking. "Whatever you say, rubies."
#bakugou fanfiction#bakugou katuski x reader#bakugou x y/n#mha bakugou#bakugou bios#bakugou katsuki#bakugou x you#bakugou imagine#bakugou x fem!reader#mha imagines#bnha imagines#bakugou fluff
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the normal one {Leo Valdez x Reader}
Words: 14k
Summary: Your sister is the demigod. Youâre just the unlucky one who got dragged into her mess.
Genre: angst??
Notes: support my writing or ask me about commissions! - omg happy first day of nano yâall.Â
---
 You never knew your sister was a demigod.Â
  Of course you didn't; it's not the kind of thought that crosses the mind of a logical individual, though it seems obvious now that you're being greeted with the proof.Â
  Emma has never been particularly normal. She's three years older than you, and yet she carries herself like she's been through years upon years of unforgiven trauma, glaring at anyone who dares even speak to her. You used to just describe her as grumpy, not-a-morning-person, just leave her alone and you'll be fine.
 Now, you're beginning to think it might not be as simple as all that.
  Your day starts off pretty normal; you wake up, greeted by the sunlight streaming through the curtains you once again forgot to close over the previous night. You look down, not surprised to see you're still dressed in a pair of jogging bottoms and a loose white shirt instead of the pyjamas your sister has been trying so desperately to make you wear at night. You got ready, brushing the knots from your hair before marching downstairs.Â
  Your mum is in the kitchen, whistling to herself, frail hands forever trembling around the pot of boiling oatmeal; you and your mum don't really talk that much. She favours Emma over you, and she's never found much point in wasting breath on the child she doesn't necessarily like. She'll smile, feed you, let you have a roof over your head, but neither of you pretend like your relationship with each other is permanent. One day you're going to move out, and your mum is never going to contact you, never going to step foot in your house, never going to give you a house-warming gift.Â
You're fine with that.Â
Emma is sat at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. It's not even that weird of a sight, considering you've always known Emma to be into the dramatics. You sit across from her, folding your arms over the table before whispering, rather loudly, "Rough night?"Â
Her head jerks up, revealing her wild, bloodshot eyes. "What?"Â
You laugh, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl in the centre of the table. "You look like shit, Em. Where have you been all night?"
 Her jaw twitches, and she doesn't respond, which is a pretty normal reply for her, especially at this time of day.Â
 "Whatever," you mumble. "Can I borrow that fancy deodorant you bought back from that summer camp you go to?" Emma nods. You grin, banishing the conversation all together as you stand and skip upstairs.
 So, yeah. The day was starting off pretty normal. Not a single worry in sight. You would go to school, mope around classes for a few hours, come home and stress eat over a pile of unfinished homework that was probably due multiple days ago.Â
Instead, you have to deal with the boulders being thrown through Emma's bedroom window.Â
The first one hits just as your grabbing Emma's fancy deodorant from her bottom drawer. There is no warning, no low whoosh sound that would give you a chance to step away and make a run for it - no. Instead, it goes straight to the shattered glass and bloodied arms. Instead, it goes straight to the boulder smashing against your hand, crushing your fingers against the wall.
 You are stuck, legs crumbling beneath you. You should be slipping to the floor right now, probably unconscious, maybe dead, but your hand, trapped between the biggest rock known to man and the wall, keeps you upright. Blood leaks from gashes forming on your fingers, dribbling down your wrist, your arm, dripping onto your knees. You stare at the scene in shock for a moment, unable to register what on earth has actually just happened.Â
And then Emma is screaming your name, thundering up the stairs, and you're crying out, trying to form words but they get lodged in your throat, replaced by the overwhelming pain and realisation that you're going to die, you're going to fucking die on your sisters bedroom floor because there is so much blood, and there is no way in hell you won't be drained before the end of this day, probably within the next ten minutes, probably within-
The door opens. Emma barrels inside, wielding a golden sword that honestly just makes you think of course she has a golden sword.Â
"You son of a bitch!" she cries out, darting to her bedroom window. She stands upon the sill and waves her arms at the sky. "You got the wrong L/N, you idiot! Get back here and finish me off if you're so tough!"Â
"Emma," you croak, tears flooding down your cheeks. "Little help here."Â
"It's the giants." She leaps off the window sill and swivels round, darting to your side. Something has changed in her, something you've never seen before; she seems stronger, her eyes a little brighter yet still eerily dark at the same time.
 She crouches beside you and begins manoeuvring your trapped hand back and forth. You hiss, throwing your head back as blood spurts down your arm, staining your shirt. Emma grits her teeth, keeping her eyes peeled on her work. "They've found me," she continues muttering. "We need to get out of here - all of us. You, me, Mum. They know where the house is. How did they find out where the bloody house is?"Â
"Can you shut the fuck up talking crazy for one second?"
 Emma pays you no mind, taking a tiny knife from her back pocket and wriggling it between the wall and the boulder. "I'll have to get in touch with Chiron, tell him I'm bringing a few mortals with me to camp this summer."Â
You grunt. "I'm not going to some hippy-Christian summer camp with you."Â
"It's not a hippy-Christian summer camp." Emma swats your head, forcing you to look away from the blood dribbling down your arm. "It's a place that will keep you safe, alright? So don't argue."Â
"Don't tell me what to - AH!" The boulder falls, crashing to the floor. Tables rattle, things tumble off shelves, and your hand is freed. You pull it to your chest, but Emma doesn't let it go unaided for long - she grabs your wrist and tugs it back, examining the damage; your nerves have clearly been ripped, fingers cold from lack of feeling. Gashes have been made into the back of your hand, fingers torn to shreds.Â
 She shakes her head. "I'll get Will to have a look at this."
 "No, you idiot, you'll call 999 before-"Â
"We have to go now. That giant will be back soon enough, especially once he realises I'm taking you guys with me." Emma doesn't even give you a chance to respond before she's grabbing your good hand and dragging you from her bedroom. You hiss in pain, stumbling behind her, but there's really no point in arguing. When Emma has her mind set on something, she goes for it no matter what objections people put in place. Mum always said she gets that from her dad, but you've never met the man, so you wouldn't know.
 Speaking of your dear old mother, the woman doesn't even give you a second glance when Emma drags you into the living room and shoves you onto the sofa next to her; she's frozen in fear, fingers pulled to her lips as she bites on the nails, a habit she's had for as long as you can remember.
 She shakes her head, dazed. "He's coming back to me. He's sending signs."Â
Emma groans. Looking over, you see her with a phone pressed to her ear, big and bulky with an oversized antennae peeking from the top of it. "Mum, that wasn't Dad sending signs. That was a giant trying to kill me."Â
You blink, certain your blood loss is contributing to this wild conversation somehow. "A giant? Your dad?"Â
Emma raises a finger, telling you to be quiet. Mum whimpers at the movement and goes back to chewing her nails, gazing steadily out the window. She looks terrified, but her knee is bouncing in that way it always does when she's excited. You've given up trying to understand her. In fact, you've given up trying to understand your entire family.
So you just sit there, trying to fight off the black spots dotting your vision and the blood dribbling through your fingers; you don't know why Emma hasn't called 999 yet, considering you're basically on the verge of unconsciousness, but your throat is too dry to ask. Instead you listen as she says, "Leo! Where are you? Are you close?" and then she sighs in relief, and within three minutes, there's a knock on the door and she's barrelling out of the living room to grab it.
 You look up, dazed, when she returns with a small curly haired boy in tow. He's a bit scruffy, you have to admit, but in a cute way, like a bunny with a bit of dirt on its nose.Â
"Not really the time for guests, is it, Em?" you grumble, before falling face first into the floor.Â
---Â
You wake up, and immediately wish you hadn't.
 Emma always messes things up - always.Â
Her life has to be so damn dramatic all the damn time, and you're getting pretty damn sick of being dragged into it. All you want to do is sit in bed with a nice blanket and a cup of tea, maybe practice a bit of witchcraft, maybe sink into the dirt and become one with nature.Â
You don't want to be hunted down by rabid, murderous giants, that's for sure.
 You also don't want to be trapped in a hospital bed at some hippy-Christian camp you don't even know the name of. But that's exactly what has happened.Â
When you open your eyes, you're greeted by the sight of white, cloth walls and multiple eager faces gazing down at you. Most of them have blonde hair and the brightest eyes you have ever seen, and then there's that curly haired boy, and Emma herself, and there's a guy who is half horse-
 "Oh god, this is death. I've died."Â
"She's awake!" the curly haired boy - Leo, you remember - cries, throwing his hands in the air. "Good job, Apollo kids! Another point for you!"Â
"Shut up, Leo." One of the many blonde haired kids steps forward and places the back of his hand against your forehead; in any other situation, you might have pulled away and told him to step back, but the feel of his skin against your own is surprisingly soothing. It's almost against your will when you melt into it, eyes gliding shut. Your hit with images of you and Emma as children, running through fields, her punching that guy in the nose because he called you short that one time, and-
 He snatches his hand back, startling you back to reality. "The fevers definitely going down," he says, turning to Emma.Â
"Uh, excuse me," you chirp, raising a timid hand. "She's not my legal guardian, I'll have you know." You glance at Emma. "Where is my legal guardian, by the way?"Â
Emma rolls her eyes, and that's answer enough.Â
"Ah. Frollicking in the leaves again?"
 Emma hums. "I left her to it; we have bigger things to worry about than her love life."
 "That's a bit morbid, Emma," says Leo. "Love is a magnificent thing."
 "So is me not dying," you say, before turning back to the blonde haired boy. "Can I leave?"
 The boy blinks, staring at you like you have two heads. It almost makes you uncomfortable, but his eyes are so pretty, and the way his palm felt against your forehead-Â
Leo shoves to the front. "Will here is gay, Y/N. Stop staring."Â
You look away, flustered. "I wasn't even staring."Â
"Yeah, you were. I see that look of lust on people all the time - I get it a lot, to tell you the truth."Â
You look at his curls, the oil on his tattered overalls, the dirt smothering both his cheeks, nose and hands.Â
"I'm sure you do, big guy. I'm sure you do."
 Will sighs, shoving Leo out the way again. "I'm gonna do a final check up before I let you leave; I can't give mortals any nectar or ambrosia, so the healing process might take-"Â
Awkwardly, Emma coughs. The entire tent goes silent, turning to her with raised brows and narrowed eyes, but all you can focus on is Will's strange choice of vocabulary. Nectar. Ambrosia. Those don't sound like common prescription pain meds.Â
"Emma..." Will drawls. "What have you-"Â
"I'll talk to them," Emma mumbles. "Can you guys just give us a minute?"
 You grab Will's hand. "Please don't leave me alone with her."Â
Will gives you a timid smile, squeezing your hand gently before he, Leo and all the other blonde haired strangers exit the tent, leaving just you and Emma to your own devices.Â
And honestly, Emma's your best friend. She means the world to you. She's the one person in that god forsaken house that actually pays you any attention, and it doesn't even matter that she's the favourite, that Mum basically licks the ground she walks on for a reason you have yet to pinpoint. You love Emma with all your heart, but right now, you would rather be anywhere but in her presence.Â
You pull the quilt up to your chin and say, "I'm very confused."Â
Emma pulls a stool over and takes a seat. "I know. I should have explained. I need to explain."Â
"Yes, you do."Â
She hollows out her cheeks, which only makes your fear spike - you've never seen Emma act like this. She's usually so brave, bold, confident. She doesn't do a single thing without planning it out perfectly beforehand, and yet here she is, looking completely stumped. You almost feel bad for her until you remember the way she completely ignored your pleas for her to call 999 when you were fairly certain you were bleeding out.Â
"Well?" you push. "Go on, Em. I'm listening."
 Emma sighs, scrubbing a hand down her face. "Do you have any idea where we are right now?"Â
"Absolutely none. There was a guy with a horse body-"Â
"That's Chiron. He's a centaur."Â
You blink. "Okay."Â
"This place is called Camp Half-Blood; it's where I go to every summer."
 "Well, I assumed."Â
"It's a camp for Half-Bloods. Demigods. People who are half-god, like. . . like me. Like Leo, and Will, and probably loads of other kids, too."
 It's starting to get jumbled now, a string of words that don't form to make a coherent, sensible sentence.Â
You don't even respond, simply staring at Emma until she is forced to continue.Â
"It sounds insane, I know, but I'm not lying. I'm a demigod, Y/N, daughter of Ares."Â
It goes silent, because of course it does. What are you even meant to say to that? The logical part of you says to just call her out on her lies, ask her where the hell you actually are and where Mum is and why she brought you here in the first place. But the other half recognises that Emma being the daughter of a war god kind of makes perfect sense.
 In your conflicted state of disbelief, you say neither of those things. Instead, you look at Emma and say, "Mum hooked up with a god?"Â
Emma breathes a laugh, closing her eyes. "Yes, little one, she did."Â
"And she couldn't have done the same thing when she was conceiving me?"
 Emma winces. "I don't want to talk about Mum conceiving either of us, thank you very much."Â
You shake your head. "So that's why she's always hated me."
 "Mum doesn't hate you-"Â
"I'm the repair kid. I'm the one who-"Â
Leo pops his head in the door. "Did someone say repair kid?"Â
Emma looks up, giving Leo a tired little wave. "You can come back in now. Y/N's all caught up."
 "Oh, happy days!" Leo marches in and reaches for your good hand, giving it a vigorous shake. "Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus. Nice to properly meet you."Â
"Y/N L/N, child of - uh - that guy from McDonalds.
 Emma stands up quickly, grabbing Leo's shoulders as his eyes narrow. "Alright! Now that we've got the niceties out of the way, I think it's time we let Will back in here so he can do his final check up. Sound good?"
 "Sounds fantastic," you mumble, sinking down into the pillows. "Bring the nice looking blonde boy to me now, please."Â
----Â
Camp Half-Blood kind of looks like a dream scape. But a really bad one.
 A nightmare-scape.Â
There's sword fighting, and teeny tiny girls in green dresses that get wildly offended when you call them Tinkerbell. There's people riding around on winged horses like it's no big deal, and you're almost certain it was raining when you left the house earlier, so why is it sunny and warm right now?
 Leo is the one who greets you when you're finally allowed to step out of the tent - the infirmary, apparently, run by the kids of Apollo. All of them were really nice. They all had really nice hands.Â
"You're looking fresh," Leo says, tucking his hands in his pockets as the two of you stroll across camp together. "Will and his siblings really know what they're doing, huh? I had my doubts, with you being a mortal and all. I don't know how often they work on people like you."
 You shrug. "It was just a bit of nerve damage in my hand."Â
"You passed out."Â
"I blanked. It happens to the best of us."
 Leo's lips twitch. It shows you just the briefest hint of dimples, and you hate that it immediately turns your tough-guy demeanour to mush. It seems like you have a soft spot for demigods. You look away quickly, tucking your hands - bandage and all - into your pockets. It's this movement that seems to tilt Leo's attention to the clothes you're wearing, all of which are smothered in your own blood.Â
Pleasant.Â
He grimaces, stopping dead in his tracks. You would continue walking, being an independent mortal and all that, but you don't know your way around this place, and you'd rather not accidentally walk into a fighting arena. So, you stop and look back at him. "What's wrong?"Â
"You need a change of clothes, my friend."
 You blink. "No, I don't think-"
 "They might be a bit big on you, but I have the perfect pair of overalls you could borrow. Come on. To Bunker 9 we go."Â
He starts walking away before you even have a chance to protest. It really puts the fear of god - gods? - in you, because at that very moment, a winged horse slams into the floor at your side. You squeal, immediately sprinting after him, and the bastard doesn't even turn back to look at what has just startled you. He merely grins, cocky and annoying, and says, "Yeah, stick with me and that won't happen."
 You grunt, knowing he's right.
 The two of you arrive at Bunker 9 in no time. It's like an old bomb shelter, with tin walls and a door that looks like it's about to fall off it's hinges. You make a joke about why Leo can't just fix the hinges, considering he's a machine expert and all that, and Leo rolls his eyes and says, "I'm busy enough as it is."
 The room lights up without a switch needing to be flipped, which you think is pretty cool.Â
 "My school used to have lights like that," you point out, gazing up at the ceiling. "They were motion censored."
 "Mm. They're handy little things until you haven't moved in fifteen minutes and they switch off whilst you're still standing there. The amount of times I've nearly put a screw through my finger." He shakes his head, tossing aside discarded tools in his search for the overalls he promised you. "Mental."Â
You pluck at a random copper wire hanging out of a drawer. "So, is this like. . . your dorm room?"Â
"Hm?" Leo looks at you. "Oh, no. I don't sleep in here - I sleep in the Hephaestus cabin. I'm the head counsellor, so I have to keep an eye on things, you know."
 You raise a brow. "Is your bed more comfy in the Hephaestus cabin?"
 "That, too." He blushes, lowering his eyes back to his search. "But honestly, my job is pretty important. I've got to keep that place running, keep all my siblings in check."
 "I'm not being funny, if Emma tried telling me what to do, I would tell her to piss off."
 Leo scoffs. "Yeah, I got that vibe off you."
 "So how do you do it?"Â
Leo pauses, glancing over his shoulder."How do I do what?"
You push yourself up onto the counter, ignoring the saw dust that now litters your hands and the back of your already ruined jeans. "How do you get them to listen to you? You don't look to be much older than I am - surely you have older siblings in that cabin of yours. It can't be easy getting them to fall into line, too."Â
Slowly, Leo turns. He leans against the chest of drawers he has been digging through, regarding you with a single raised brow. His gaze is hard, but you keep the eye contact, smiling just the tiniest bit.Â
He doesn't respond with words. Instead, he stretches his hand out, palm towards the ceiling, and uncurls his fingers, revealing a bright orange flame dancing in the centre. It doesn't make you jump as it probably should have; instead, you are mesmerised, caught in the slick movements of the tiny ball of fire.Â
You slowly reach out. Leo slams his hand closed and pulls back. "You can't touch it."
 "I wasn't going to."Â
"You were fully going to touch it."
 You scowl, folding your arms over your chest. "What was the point in showing me that?"Â
He turns on his heel, going back to digging through the chest of drawers. "That's why I'm head counsellor - no other child of Hephaestus can do that." He glances at you. "You don't think it's weird?"
"Well, yeah - very weird." You shrug. "But who am I to judge? I can do this thing where I dislocate my shoulder, and that's pretty weird, too."
 Leo blinks, mouth opening like you've caught him off guard. He swipes his tongue along his lower lip before he turns away and mumbles, "Yeah. That is pretty weird."Â
Bunker 9 is doused in silence after that. Leo rummages through his drawers as you inspect every nook and cranny of the place, running your fingers along the tin walls, picking up tools you have never seen before; you can feel Leo watching you from the corner of his eye, probably making sure you're not stealing anything. Honestly, the golden screwdriver set is pretty tempting, but you wouldn't want to risk getting on a demigod's bad side.Â
Finally, after what feels like far too long, Leo pops his head up, grinning broadly with a set of overalls in his hands. "Found them!" He tosses them at you with no warning; you just barely manage to catch them. "They got shrunk in the wash, so I was gonna rip them up for hand towels in here, but I'm sure they'll be more useful for you."Â
You pull them into your chest. "They smell like oil."Â
Leo spreads his oil stained hands. "Yeah, well, that's how life is, love. I'll let you get changed - I promise I won't peak!"
 Laughing, he leaves Bunker 9; his footsteps stop there, though, and there's a glimmer of relief when you realise he isn't just walking away and leaving you to your own devices.Â
 You get changed quickly, bundling your blood stained clothes into a ball and shoving them beneath your arm - you don't know where you can possibly wash them, but you refuse to leave this camp in Leo's old overalls. First of all, they're much too big on you, pooling over your feet despite Leo's own small stature. The striped shirt he gave you to put underneath it has oil spots embedded in it, too, which just makes you look like even more of a slump. Nonetheless, you throw open the door to Bunker 9 with your arms outstretched and call out, "How do I look?"Â
Leo peaks his head around and freezes.Â
You drop your arms, rolling your eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. This isn't a romance movie."Â
His nose erupts into flames. He yelps, swatting the fire away before he awkwardly coughs and says, "Good. You look good."Â
You grin. "Thank you. Do you have any idea where I can put these?" You offer up your pile of clothes. Leo takes them from your hands and tosses them over your shoulder, back into Bunker 9. You frown. "Do you have a washing machine in there?"Â
"It won't take me long to rig one up. I'll have them washed before you leave, don't worry." He offers his arm, grinning yet again. "Now, how about we go up to the dining pavilion and get some food? I'm starving!"Â
----Â
Leo did not know one of his best friends was related to such an attractive individual.Â
It wasn't really that big of a shock when he walked in and saw you sitting there in the living room, looking dazed and out of it with blood dribbling from some pretty severe cuts in your hand. Emma had rang him and filled him on all the details, so there was no surprise at the scene. And plus, Emma's not exactly ugly. She has that rough look to her, sure, but Leo would probably date her if she asked him. Again, it wasn't much of a surprise when he walked in and saw you there, all pretty with the innocence only a mortal could have.Â
But then he got a glimpse of your personality.
 No. Scratch that. He got an entire bucketload of your personality, and he was still craving more by the end of it.
 He tried his hardest to fight off these feelings, because he's felt them before - with almost every person he finds attractive, in fact. He gets it lodged in his head that he can impress them, that this is the one and he can make it work if he just tries hard enough. It's kind of hard not to think that way - hopeful, desperate, almost - when all his friends are hooking up and getting boyfriends and girlfriends, generally just having the time of their damn lives. And Leo is just. . . making machines.
 But then the two of you went and had dinner together, and he found himself asking if you wanted to go for a walk along the lake before you would have to go to bed. You had agreed, and the conversation had continued, and Leo has never laughed so much in his entire life.Â
You tell stories of these little memories you have with Emma, enjoying the embarrassing little details you add in whenever you can. Leo struggles to imagine the daughter of Ares being anything close to the Emma you're describing, but he can tell in the passion of your words you're not telling lies.Â
"What about you, though?" he asks.Â
Your hands drop to your side, smile curving. "What about me?"
 "Well, you're going on about Emma and all the cool stuff she used to do - what about you, though? What have you been up to?"Â
It's a pretty simple question in Leo's mind; with his ADHD brain, he is able to come up with a million different answers on the spot.Â
You, however, look at him with a raised brow. He stares right back.Â
Finally, you crack and say, "Uh. . . I've been doing some school work, I guess."Â
Leo blinks. "You go to school?"
 "I do indeed. I'm studying psychology, but it's really difficult, so I might drop it."Â
Leo nods like he understands, even though he doesn't. All he really remembers of his school days is him sitting in the back of the classroom plotting his next escape. "Interesting," he says. "Does Emma go to school?"Â
"She's doing an apprenticeship at some mechanics place. She dropped out when she turned sixteen."
 "Naughty."Â
You shrug. "She does what she wants. I would love to drop out, but Mum would flip." Leo glances at you; the mention of your Mum seems to be something a little heavy, as your smile immediately dips, your shoulders slumping. Leo knows he probably shouldn't pry, but he's Leo, so he does anyway.Â
"Is your mum tough on you?"Â
"No. She's not tough at all. She's not light, either. She just. . . lives with me, I guess."Â
"She just lives with you?"Â
You inhale, looking out over the lake. For a moment, Leo thinks you might start crying, but then he shakes that thought out of his mind, because you don't seem like the type to cry in front of a stranger, and that's really all Leo is, which is why he shouldn't expect you to open up to him right now, not if this is something you don't want to-Â
"Mum only had me because she wanted to see if she could get over Emma's dad." You wince. "Ares, I guess."Â
Leo pauses. His fingertips start glowing, a sign of his anger, but he shoves them in his pockets and dispels the flames before you see them. "That's horrible."
 You shrug halfheartedly. "It's fine. She was crazy about the guy from what I've heard - it's why Emma's her favourite. She's the only piece of him she has left, really."
 "But that doesn't mean-"
 "You don't have to tell me she's a bad mother, Leo. I know. I've known from day one; I've just gotten used to it." You pick up a rock and toss it into the lake. "Honestly, we're better off out of each other's hair anyway; put us in a room together and make us talk, we'll probably burn the house down."
 Leo doesn't know how to respond; he's never felt like that. Ever. Even with his dad, there's always been some level of affection there, even though his dad is a Greek god who only pops in when he wants something; Hephaestus has never straight-up ignored him, never made his favouritism clear.
 Leo finds he wants to punch something, and not even the steady whisper of the lake can calm him down. He walks a little bit behind you as the silence settles, you picking up random rocks and tossing them into the water, apologising profusely when the eighteen tentacled octopus pokes its head up and yells at you.Â
Your calmness makes it even worse, though, because that lets Leo know that this treatment is something you've grown used to. You've never known any different.Â
----Â
Three days in, and Emma still insists on keeping you at Camp Half-Blood.Â
"You're not leaving until that giant is dead, and that might take a while."Â
You drape your arm over your forehead, still sprawled across her bed in the Ares cabin. It's a pretty musty cabin, to be fair, but you won't mention that when all of Emma's siblings are glaring daggers at you. "Do you have any idea how many assessments I'm missing? Mr Wrightchuck is gonna be furious with me, and I do not have the mental energy to deal with his shit right now."
 Emma throws a pair of shorts at you. "Shut up and fold those for me."Â
 You grunt, sitting up and getting to work; you've decided to make yourself at least a little bit useful around here. These people were nice enough to offer you accommodation, even though it's clear being around mortals isn't exactly their everyday routine. The amount of times you've hissed in pain because of your hand and been offered a chunk of ambrosia is uncountable.Â
 "So," Emma starts suddenly, taking you by surprise; she hardly ever initiates conversations, preferring to brood in her own head when she can get away with it.Â
You look at her, sitting cross legged on the floor in front of the bright pink laundry hamper she stole off your Aunt Grace. She's not even looking up, lips pursed, eyebrows raised as if expecting you to fill in the blanks from that single word.Â
"So, what?" you push. "What did I just say, Emma? I don't have the mental energy-"
 "You and Leo have been hanging out an awful lot these past few days."Â
You pause. That certainly wasn't what you had been expecting to hear.Â
"Uh. . . I suppose. He's a cool guy. Cool fire, and stuff." You wriggle your fingers, imitating flames, though Emma's sideways glare makes you mumble an apology and drop your hand to your side. "Is there something wrong with Leo and I being pals?"
 "Leo's a very. . . hopeful boy," Emma replies. "He tends to get lost in his own fantasies sometimes."
 You blink. "What, like kinks?"Â
 Emma groans, throwing some socks at you. "No, you idiot! When he likes someone, he tends to get a little carried away. It's quite sad to see, actually."Â
"What does that have to do with me and him being friends?"
 Emma glances at you; you recognise that look. It makes your stomach curl, heat rising to your cheeks. You look away, coughing awkwardly into her shirt before you mumble, "No. No, absolutely not. Leo doesn't like me that way."Â
Emma shrugs, grin spreading across her face. "Maybe, maybe not. I'm just saying, if you don't like him that way, try and break the illusion as soon as possible. It's easier to just rip the bandaid off."
 "You're heartless."Â
"I'm a daughter of Ares, Y/N. We don't bullshit people. We say it how it is."
 You scowl, snatching another set of trousers from her wash pile and getting to work, trying to ignore the thump of your heartbeat, which suddenly seems to have sped up a fair bit.
 ----Â
You lose track of how long it has been since you last saw your mother.Â
This happens sometimes, these long stretches of time when neither of you will acknowledge the other person; it's easier that way, just pretending she doesn't exist, just pretending the house is empty besides you.
 You've been caught up in camp activities these past few weeks. Your hand is starting to heal, the nerves tingling, which Will says is a good sign. You've been talking to other campers, learning more and more about the world Emma has kept hidden from you for so long, a world that fascinates you, a world you will never want to be properly part of.Â
Now, however, you see her. Sitting on her own by the lake, knobbly knees pulled into her chest, dazed eyes locked on the swirling water in front of her. The little sea creatures have long since hidden, probably put-off by the presence of a stranger, but your mother doesn't seem to care. She just sits all on her own, long hair billowing out behind her as the moon begins to rise in the distance.
 You lean against a tree just a little bit behind her and say, "Are you not cold?"Â
She doesn't even flinch, like the voice of her child has no effect on her whatsoever. Instead, she digs her fingernails into the dirt and grabs a handful of stones, lobbing them into the lake.Â
You sigh and crouch down next to her; she smells of sweat and dirt, a sure sign that she hasn't been taking much care of herself these past few weeks. "Let's go back to the Big House, Mum. You're gonna get hypothermia out here."
 "He will protect me," she replies. "He's always protecting me."Â
"You mean Ares? Emma's Dad?"Â
"He's protected me from day one; he loves Emma and I. He's just busy."Â
You swallow, staring at the side of her face. "I'm sure he does, Mum. But he's clearly running a little late right now, so he's asked me to come make sure you get wrapped up before the wind eats you alive." You gaze at the trees. "Which I'm pretty sure is a thing that actually happens here."Â
Finally, your mum gazes at you, lower lip trembling. "I just want him to talk to me."Â
You freeze; it's most unlike your mother to talk like this, especially to you. She rants and raves about Ares to Emma, but she barely pays you any attention when it comes to things like this. You don't really know how to handle it, whether you should comfort her and tell her Ares loves her - this Greek god, surviving somewhere on Mount Olympus, overlooking the entire world. Yes, of course he still loves her. Of course he does.Â
But the other half of you just doesn't want to lie. You don't want to get her hopes up any more than they already are, because anyone with a brain will be able to see that Ares has long since forgotten about the mortal woman he apparently fell in love with, and the daughter they created together.
 So, you grab your mum's hand and drag her to her feet. She slumps against you like a child having a tantrum, and you have to basically lift her off the floor to get anywhere. Nonetheless, you eventually have her standing, and together, you walk up the hill, back to the main camp.
 It's dark, probably past curfew, but campers are still walking about. Mostly the Apollo cabin, never off their feet with the casualties they have to tend to in a day, though there are other campers enjoying a late night cup of hot chocolate by the fire, laughing merrily. They don't notice you walking up the hill, don't notice your mum mumbling to herself, words you can't even grasp being right beside her.Â
"The Ares cabin," your mum suddenly blurts.
 You pause, nearly stumbling over your own two feet as your head whips around to the direction she is now staring, eyes wide.
 "Yes, Mum," you grumble. "That is the Ares cabin - now, can we keep moving before my fingers fall off?"
 "Is that where you've been sleeping these past few weeks?"Â
You narrow your eyes. "What? Yes, Mum, it is; Emma lets me sleep with her, now can we please-"Â
"He isn't your father."Â
You stop dead in your tracks; oh no. You've heard this line of speech before, and it's never pleasant. Mum gets angry, enraged, when she thinks you're trying to take on the same status as her beloved Emma, daughter of the war god. She likes to keep you in your place, which is a good few tiers below everybody else, apparently.Â
"I know that," you say quickly. "Emma was just nice enough to lend me her bed so I didn't have to sleep in the Hermes cabin - you know I don't know my way around here, so-"
 "He wouldn't like you sleeping amongst his children. He told me."
 "He what now?"
 She shakes out of your grip, gritting her teeth. Her eyes are wild, dilated beyond anything you've ever seen, and when she next speaks, the words are a cry. "He told me!" She shakes her head, gripping the strands of hair between trembling fingers. "He's so mad at me, Y/N; he told me it was disrespectful to have a child with another man. He said he would burn you to the ground if you stepped out of line. He said he would kill you, just to teach me a lesson for going behind his back!"Â
You blink. You're used to this. You're meant to be used to this, but holy mother of god - gods? - you don't know what she's on about. You've never heard her talk like this. You've never heard her speak of your death before, and the words coming from her mouth are so eerie, so fucking terrifying that you stumble back, hands trembling, tears rushing to the surface.Â
"You crazy bitch."Â
She laughs, loud and clear so the entire camp's attention turns directly to her. "That's what he said! He called me insane, and then he said he loved me and gave me a child - and that child certainly wasn't you."
 "Mum, what are you-"Â
"He talks to me sometimes, you know." She nods, hands still buried in her hair, tugging her eyes back so she looks demented. "In my head, he talks. We have little conversations, but he's been so much more talkative since we arrived here, like this place really is my home." She releases her hair, eyes dimming. "But you're not meant to be here; he told me that, too. He said Emma and I were welcome amongst his kind, but not you - not a bastard like you."Â
You look around; all the demigods are on their feet now, staring at the scene in confusion. It's embarrassing, absolutely mortifying to suddenly be the centre of their attention, especially under such circumstances.
"Okay," you croak out. "Okay, that's fine - I'll go, then. Leave you and Emma here. I don't mind, Mum. You don't have to get angry."Â
Mum's nostrils flare. "It's not me who's angry - it's him-"Â
"Well, tell him that he doesn't have to get his godly bollocks in a twist, because I'm leaving." You raise your hands in faux surrender, taking a few tentative steps back. "I'm leaving, and you'll never have to see me again."Â
The words hurt, but they're the truth - especially now. Mum doesn't respond, merely stares as you take a few more steps backwards, turn on your heel and dart towards the Ares cabin, fighting desperately to push the tears away, because crying is stupid.Â
This is just your mum being. . . your mum, just as she's always been. Sure, her words tonight were a little harsher than you're used to, but her neglect has given you thick skin, thick enough to take her words on the chin.
 You see the Ares cabin, and run right past it towards the lake. You nearly slip in the mud on your way down the hill, catching yourself before finally crumbling to the floor against a tree by the lake side.Â
You'll take her words on the chin, but you'll cry over them first.
 ----
 When Leo hears the news, he's pretty sure his blood turns to fire.
 He's half-asleep, but that doesn't stop his understanding of Will's words, his descriptions of the scene he just witnessed at the camp fire.
 And the thing is, after hearing all the things your mum has done to you, Leo isn't even surprised to hear it's finally boiled over.
 Doesn't make him any less angry.Â
He storms out of the Hephaestus cabin wearing nothing but his pyjamas. He feels the heat beneath his skin, threatening to break the surface as he forces it down, gritting his teeth. He's half tempted to turn to the Big House to give your mum a piece of his mind, but his main concern at the moment is you, and where you've gone, and where you plan on going, because according to Will, your last words to her were "I'm leaving, and you'll never have to see me again." That's a horrible thought. Leo doesn't want to think about that.Â
He heads to the lake, because according to Will, that's the direction you were running, and Leo knows how much you like the lake; it calms you down, you said, and he stored that piece of information in his brain for weeks, as if in preparation for this very moment.
 He stops at the top of the hill and gazes down, lighting up the darkness with a ball of fire cupped in the palm of his hand. You don't flinch at the sudden intrusion, instead curling into a tighter ball against the roots of a tree, burying your head in your knees. The sight breaks his heart. He swallows, slowly waddling down the hill, careful not to fall in the dirt.Â
You don't look up when he finally arrives at your side. "Y/N."Â
"Who told you?"Â
Leo crouches. "Will. He said you seemed upset."
 "That's literally nobody's business."
 Leo sighs, slumping against the tree beside you; his shoulder brushes your own, and for a moment, you stiffen against his side. "You don't have to tell me what happened if you're not cool with that," he says. "I'm not being nosy or anything."Â
"Yes, you are."Â
"No, I'm really not. I just wanted to make sure that witch didn't hurt your feelings too bad." He pauses. "What did she actually say?"Â
Your head snaps up, eyes blood shot, lips dry. "Ah, see! You are just being nosy!"Â
He swats your arm, scowling. "Be quiet, no I'm not; but how am I meant to help you if I don't even know what happened?"
 "I never said I wanted help, Leo. My mum not caring about me isn't something that can just be helped." And you didn't even realise those were the words you were going to say, because they sound so heartbreaking, so self-pitying, even though they're the truth. You've always just brushed your mothers behaviour off as normal, the only hand you've ever been dealt, but phrasing it in that way, claiming she doesn't care . . . something about that makes your heart break.Â
Your lower lip trembles before you can stop it, fresh tears springing to the surface. You remember holidays, catching Emma wrapping up gifts of her own to give to you, just so you could wake up to something on Christmas morning. You remember making your own Halloween costume because your mother spent all her money on Emma's. You remember thinking it was okay, because it was all you ever knew.Â
You're older now, though. You can recognise mistreatment when you see it, but it's still a blow to the chest realising that you were on the other end of it, that you're a victim, whether you want to deny it or not.
 Leo notices your sudden change of emotions and immediately lurches forward. His fingers are hot, almost scalding when they make contact with your arm, his brown eyes burning holes into your own. His eyebrows are furrowed when he says your name in a whisper, just your name, like nothing else needs to be said.
 You close your eyes. "I'm fine."Â
"I wish you'd stop saying that. It's starting to grate on my skull, and I can't afford that kind of damage."Â
You let out a breath of a laugh, just because you think it's appropriate; in truth, you find none of this funny. You want to curl up and cry. You want to leave Camp Half-Blood and everything it stands for, start a life away from demigods and Greek gods alike.
 What's stopping you?Â
Leo's hands heat up on your arm, forcing you to look at him again. He's closer now, head tilted, all amusement flushed from his features, which is a sad enough sight on it's own. It's been two seconds, but you already miss that sparkle in his eyes.Â
"Hey," he says quietly. "Talk to me."
 And you do. You don't know why, but you do. The words pour out like a broken faucet, a complete mess of incoherence's that Leo - and only Leo - would ever be able to understand. He nods along like the words are making sense, like these sentences aren't just complete gibberish.
When you finish explaining everything that happened down at the camp fire, you gasp, starved for air. Leo grabs your hand and tugs you forward, cupping your face in his attempts to calm you down; you didn't realise the tears had started pouring, didn't realise you're breathing heavily, totally lost, unable to catch a breath.
 "Calm down," he mumbles. "Y/N, calm down. I'm here. I've got you, pal, I've got you."Â
You close your eyes, leaning into his palm. He traces his thumbs along your cheeks before slowly, slowly, slowly running his hand over your ear, tucking a strand of hair back. His eyes never leave your face, despite the state you know you are in, how awful you must look.Â
"I'm sorry," you choke out. "I didn't mean to. . . to get so worked up."Â
"Don't be stupid," he replies. "Did she really say all that to you?"Â
"She's not in her right mind out here. She thinks she's one of you guys, that she can be part of the group just because-"Â
"Because she slept with Ares?"Â
You laugh, exhausted. "Yes, exactly."Â
Leo rolls his eyes, finally letting his hands drop back to his sides. "Honestly, everyone and their grandfather has probably slept with Ares. She's nothing special, and she needs to get that through her head." He pauses. The air crackles. "But - uh - you're, you know, special. Very special."
 You blink, certain you heard him wrong. The words don't really make sense in this context, so you're trying to disentangle them.Â
Finally, you crack and say, "What?"Â
Leo rubs the back of his neck, glancing awkwardly over his shoulder. Over the hill, everything is silent as Half-Bloods sleep, unknowing to the panic attack that has just captured you, unknowing to the magic Leo has just cast to calm you down.Â
"I said you're special," he mumbles. "In a good way, I mean. Like, a really good way."
 Your heart thunders. "Thank you?" Â
    "You're welcome." He looks at you then, chirping up. "But seriously, don't let her get to you. She's just a love sick psycho who doesn't know when to back down. Clingy ex-girlfriend and all that."
 He changes the topic so swiftly it nearly gives you whiplash. You stare at him for another moment, and just when you're about to open your mouth to continue the previous, deserted conversation, Leo stands and reaches his hand out. "Shall we go before Hedge thinks there's some funny business going on?"Â
You nod dumbly, taking his hand only because you don't know what you want to say in response to what he has just said - he called you special, and he said it like it was just. . . normal, like it was something you could slip in without any further questions being asked.Â
You try and let the subject drop as Leo leads you back into camp. He walks you to the door of the Ares cabin, and it is there that he turns to you and says, voice low, "You can sleep in my cabin if your mum is in there; Chiron won't mind, and I won't either."Â
"No, it's okay," you reply. "Mum's staying in the Big House; I'll just slip in next to Emma." You glance at him, his eyes meeting yours because he never looked away. He looks so sweet beneath the lantern light, flames dancing across his skin like they were always meant to be there, like Leo has lived his life in fire and came out smiling every time. "Thank you, Leo; you really didn't have to help me tonight."Â
He scoffs. "Don't be daft. Next time you have any issues, I want you to run to me instead of the river naiads, you hear?"Â
You smile and nod. "I hear."Â
And so, Leo and you bid each other goodnight, and you watch as he walks across camp, past the Hephaestus cabin, right in the direction of Bunker 9. Half of you wants to go after him, question him on his use of the word special earlier on, but you don't. Your limbs are heavy with exhaustion, and so you turn on your heel and head into the Ares cabin, unable to stop the tiny smile that forms on your face.Â
----
 Bunker 9 looks very nice in the morning.
 "Oh, the tin is just glistening!"
 Leo yelps, dropping a spanner on the ground as he whirls around. His overalls are covered in oil, along with his face, arms, legs, and every other body part that is presented to you on this fine Monday morning. In your hand is a plate of steaming cinnamon buns that Leo's eyes immediately fix upon, his startled expression quickly being replaced by one of pure hunger. You're almost certain you see his mouth salivating.Â
You tug the plate back, holding one arm out. "Not so fast, Fire Boy."Â
He frowns. "What did you just call me?"
 "No cinnamon buns for you until you tell me how many hours of sleep you got last night."Â
Leo raises a brow, a tiny smirk making an appearance. "Are you kidding?"Â
"Nope. I want the details, Valdez, or these cinnamon buns are all mine."Â
"That's really unfair, and very unnecessary. A body like mine was made to work off two hours sleep."Â
Your eyes widen. "Two hours? Leo!"Â
"Can you just hand me my breakfast already?"Â
You groan, but a promise is a promise. You set the plate down on a nearby toolbox before pushing yourself onto the counter, legs swinging. Leo dives for the plate, nudging your knee with his hip as he grabs the first cinnamon bun he can see and stuffs it in his mouth, nearly swallowing the thing whole.
 "Watch you don't choke."Â
"Why are you so protective this morning?"Â
"Two hours sleep, Leo? That's awful."Â
He shrugs, fingers hovering over the plate as he searches for his next victim. "I'm used to it. I'm not even tired! It was a really refreshing two hours."
 "You get worse, you know."
 Leo rolls his eyes, looking up at you. "And how many hours of sleep did you get, Sleeping Beauty?"Â
"More than two hours."
He clicks his fingers. "I want the details."Â
You roll your eyes, swatting his hand away. "I had six hours, if you must know. I'm refreshed and ready for my day!"
 "So am I."
 "Liar."Â
"And what?"Â
You laugh, and Leo smiles, making the noise louder than it really is.
 "But no," he continues. "Don't you go worrying about me, dear. Ol' Leo Valdez can handle himself."Â
"Ol' Leo Valdez needs to take a nap."
 "A nap? Sounds cowardly." He grabs the spanner from the floor, spins it in the air, catches it with an ease that makes your breath catch. "How about I show you the new updates I've made to Festus?"Â
Festus, Leo's pride and joy, the one thing in the world he will talk about for hours upon hours on end; you've sat there and listened to him every single time, absorbing every word, even if you don't understand it. He talks about circuits and updates and tools you have never heard of, but he says it all with such enthusiasm it's almost impossible not to get involved. And even though you know you should be stubborn, insisting on him getting into bed right this instant, you want to see him in that state again. You always want to see him in that state, eyes glittering with passion, hands moving all over the place, smile brighter than anything.Â
He doesn't need an answer. You simply smile at him, slightly exasperated, and he says, "Alright!" before spinning on his heel, the very beginning of his lecture.
 You listen to him talk like how you would listen to lo-fi music. Your legs swing back and forth, back and forth, a tiny smile gracing your features. Leo shows you different parts, illuminating the inside of Festus's new helmet with fire ignited in his calloused palm. It makes his grin impossibly brighter. It makes his curls that little bit darker. It's him.
 Finally, he spins and says, "Cool, right?" and even though you were mildly distracted the entire time, you nod and say, "Very cool. As always."
 "What are you doing here so early, anyway?" He strolls over, casually plucking another cinnamon roll off the plate and taking a bite.Â
 "I saw you heading to Bunker 9 last night and just assumed this was where you slept. I thought you said you didn't sleep in here?"
 He shrugs. "I sleep in here when I'm stressed; gets me away from the ruckus of everyone else, you know."Â
You raise a brow. "You were stressed?"
 "Of course I was stressed." He looks at you, exasperated. "Do you not remember anything we discussed last night?"Â
You blink; it's not that you had forgotten - there's no way you'll be forgetting that night any time soon - but you thought for sure Leo had. Yes, he'd been there to help you through it, and he was the reason you went to bed smiling, but you were still a mortal, and your problems surely could never be as big as his. You genuinely sat in front of him and cried about feeling neglected by your mother when his own mother is dead, and his Dad doesn't even talk to him, too busy producing other godly children. But here he is, head tilted and eyes slashed with worry. You almost want to look away, but the colour in them has become so noticeably entrancing these past few weeks that you find it nearly impossible to do so.Â
"I didn't mean to stress you out," is all you can manage. "I was just ranting."Â
"You were crying."Â
"I was - I mean - like - yeah, I guess, but you don't have to stress."Â
Leo narrows his eyes. "You really are dense, aren't you?"
 You open your mouth, ready to chastise him for saying such a thing, but your words are swallowed by the loud clang clang clang of the door opening. Leo stares at you for a second longer before glancing over his shoulder, sharing your shock at the sight of Will popping his head in the door. His lower lip is pulled between his teeth, movements slow and timid.Â
"Uh, sorry to interrupt," he says. "But we kind of need Y/N up at camp."
 Those words are terrifying. They jolt you and Leo into action almost immediately; you slip off the counter, stumbling over a few discarded wrenches and old toolboxes. Leo catches you before you can fall, but neither of you comment on your suddenly linked hands before following Will out the door, curiosity getting the better of you.Â
You hear the commotion before you see it.Â
The sound of your mothers shrill voice is all-too familiar, and it echoes now. Bouncing off trees, sinking into the dirt, giving you a blistering headache that immediately makes you want to turn around and pretend you never heard it. But there's a crowd, an ocean of demigods, all with weapons and angry expressions trained on the woman who raised you - the woman who tried raising you - and despite the anger you once felt towards her, you pick up your pace, rush into the scene and say, "Ay! Get that spear out of my face!"Â
The demigod - you don't even know who she is - stumbles back, gaping at you. You don't give her the time of day, instead pivoting on your heel towards your mother.Â
There she is, stood in the middle of the clearing with her arms above her head, screaming up at the sky. Blood coats her elbows and knees. Chiron and Emma are beside her, but it seems like both of them have given up trying to make her see sense; they simply stare, Emma with tears in her eyes, Chiron looking like he's on the verge of booting her out of camp right this instant.
 Leo stumbles to your side and grabs your arm. "What's wrong with her?"Â
You touch your mum's arm. "Mum, you're being proper embarrassing right now."Â
She spins. Her hair is matted, the product of having not been washed in weeks. Her eyes are dark, lips chapped and bitten, utterly destroyed. You've seen her when she's having one of her episodes, but this is worse. This is the worst you've ever seen it. It breaks your heart, even though it shouldn't. It was only last night she was basically calling you worthless, a mistake, the reason her little affair with a Greek god didn't work out.Â
You swallow. "Mum. . . It's me."Â
"Emma?"Â
 You bite your lip, trying to ignore how much that hurts. "Uh. . . not quite, but nearly. Emma's over there."
 "Don't get me involved in this," Emma spits, roughly swiping a hand across her cheek. "I don't want anything to do with her."
 Your heart judders. Your mother's eyes narrow, like she's taking a little longer to process her first childs words. You decide to step in before she has a chance to.Â
"No, Mum, I'm not Emma, I'm Y/N. I'm here to - uh - take you home."
 As soon as you say it, you want to curl in on yourself. It's a truth you've been trying to avoid these past few weeks, the idea of finally breaking away from camp and heading back to your shitty apartment with your shitty mother to live a shitty life of online classes and pretending everything is normal and okay. Behind you, Leo mumbles, "Sorry, what was that?" which hurts your heart even more.  "Yeah," you continue, taking another timid step towards her. A branch cracks beneath your foot, and your mother flinches, looks up into the sky like the sound of a god appearing will be nothing more than a simple crack.Â
"Yeah, Mum, we're gonna go home, and you're gonna get some rest, okay? You look exhausted."
 "Exhausted," she mumbles. "Home."
 "Home, yeah. Remember home? We liked it there. Things were normal there."
 Mum's nostrils flare. "Normal-"Â
"But our house is also where Ares thinks we are right now!" you barrel on. "He's got our address in his little address book - he doesn't actually know we're at Camp Half-Blood right now."
 Her shoulders deflate, eyes brightening. "Oh. You're right. He's probably visited so many times and we haven't even been there! He's going to be so angry!"Â
"So, so angry." You wrap your arm around her shoulder, gently drawing her away from the crowd of angry demigods, of sobbing sisters and confused centaurs. You meet Leo's eyes only once, and it's enough to shatter your being, enough for the burning of tears to erupt through your senses. You want to turn and run to him, tell him you're sorry, promise to never leave him, but the feelings are so extraordinary and so weird, unfamiliar, that you can't.Â
You turn your gaze to the floor and guide your mother through the crowd towards the Big House, uttering words about home and comfort, and going back to a life you want to abandon for good. You pretend it's all okay, because that's all you've ever known.Â
----Â
Leo finds you that same night.Â
You left your mother in Chiron's care. She fell asleep immediately, and you were free to do what you wanted after that, but the thought of parading through Camp Half-Blood after being in the centre of such a weird scene made your stomach curl, so you stayed by her side until you were positive most of the campers were in bed, sleeping.
Except Leo, of course.
 He sits down in the grass, shoulder brushing yours. You don't look over; you know it's him just from the scent of oil, and the way he cracks his knuckles, and the way he awkwardly coughs into the darkness. These are all little things of him you have memorised. Each one makes your heart ache.Â
Finally, after what feels like forever, he speaks. "You don't have to do all that, you know."
"Do what?"Â
"Stick up for her. Make her comfortable.
" You shrug. "I know I don't."
 "So why do you do it?"Â
"Because she's my mum."
 "She's barely your mum. She doesn't even do the bare minimum for you."Â
True. Painfully, awkwardly true.Â
You shrug again. Leo sighs, tilting his head back. When you glance over, you see him gazing up at the stars, jaw clenched in a way that throws off the soft features of his face you have grown so used to seeing. You don't like it.Â
You reach over and poke his cheek in an attempt to make him loosen up. He closes his eyes. "I don't get it."Â
"What?"Â
"Why you have to be the one taking care of her when she's never taken care of you."Â
You swallow thickly. "I'm not. . . I'm not taking care of her. I'm just-"Â
"Then what was that back there?"
 "That was me trying to make sure my mum didn't get a spear shoved down her throat. It's basic human decency, Leo."Â
He purses his lips, like this is something he has never heard of.
 You sigh, slumping back against a tree. "I don't hate my mum, you know; she's done some fucked up stuff to me, but I don't hate her."
 Leo stares at you. His eyes are lazors, flames, beams pouring into the side of your head, and you want to look at him, but you think it would be a very bad idea right now.
 Neither of you say anything for what feels like forever, which is a big deal when sitting with someone like Leo Valdez. The only noise filling in the silence is the steady drip of rain drops rolling down the leaves, bouncing against the lakes surface. A few ocean creatures peak their heads up, examine the scene, duck back beneath the water.Â
And then, "Are you actually leaving?"
 You bite back a sob. "You didn't expect me to stay here forever, did you?"
 Leo doesn't respond.Â
"She's not well here," you continue, tilting your head back. The moon waves at you. The stars smile. "She was bad at home, but being here - around this kind of thing - it's going to drive her insane."Â
"She's a grown woman."Â
"Ares messed her up." It's the first time you've said it out loud, the truth. Your mother was okay before she met that man. You've heard stories from your grandparents, your aunts and uncles, of the days when your mum was winning medals for her skills in ballet, the days she was getting awards for her academic success, the days where she played mediator in a house full of people who could never see eye-to-eye on anything. You listened to them with only half-interest, because you never fully believed them. You had lived with the crazy side of her for too long by that point.
 But it's true. Ares waltzed into her life, promised her the world, gave her this child with skills beyond human comprehension, gave her a taste of real love for the first time in her life - and then he left.Â
 "Why do gods think they can just get away with that?" you find yourself asking before you can stop. "Mess with people's lives like that. Why do they think that's okay?"Â
Leo sighs. "They run the world. They can do whatever they want."Â
"That seems really unfair."Â
"Yeah, well, it's also unfair that you have to give up your own happiness for your mum."Â
You close your eyes; there it is again, the topic breached. Leo doesn't understand that this is all you've ever known - caring for her, making sure she's okay, being ignored and neglected because you're not the gods child. He doesn't understand that this has been your life from day one. You were never given a chance to mind it. You were never given a chance to know anything else.
 "You know, I think this place could really benefit with someone like you."Â
You look at him. "You're just saying that."Â
He shrugs, picking up a pebble and lobbing it at the lake. Always keeping his hands moving, never being still. "Maybe. Maybe I'm just a little desperate for you to stay." He looks at you. "Is that weird?"Â
You swallow, unable to respond, because you want to tell him no, no of course it's not weird, please keep talking and I'll stay, I'll stay here with you, I'll never leave, I never wanted to leave in the first place.
 Leo looks down at his hands, fingers fiddling with the threads dangling from his overalls. "Sorry. I - I didn't mean to - like - put you on the spot or anything. I just care about you. A lot. And I hate seeing you upset. It bothers me."
 The way it says it, words spoken through gritted teeth, makes your heart stutter. Oddly, it reminds you of those days spent laughing in Bunker 9, calling him stupid as he tried so hard to keep you amused, like he wanted to keep your attention as firm as possible so you wouldn't get up and leave. For once in your life, someone wants you to stay.Â
 And it's sad - heartbreaking, even - that you have been cursed with these circumstances, that the mere notion of staying at Camp Half-Blood is so beyond reality; you're no demigod. Even if your mother were to head home on her own, do you a favour for once, the chances of Chiron being allowed to let you stay are incredibly, incredibly slim. You won't entertain the idea. You won't get your hopes up like that. You won't play to your own feelings, because that has never done anything for you, nothing but leave you in a state of despair.
 And so, you keep quiet, staring out over the lake with Leo by your side, his hands working, his mind probably racing, your heart a steady thump in the distance.Â
---Â
The next day, you are ready to leave.
 You packed all your things the night before. You said all your goodbyes the night before. You and Emma got into a brutal argument the night before, and now you're stood before her, trembling from head to toe as you patiently wait for Chiron to lead your mother to Thalia's pine tree so the both of you can finally be let go.Â
Emma stares at you. She's been doing that since last night, her hands balled into fists, jaw strong, so she looks a little bit like her father; you can say that now. You hate him. You think you'd punch him in the face if you ever saw him.Â
"I can't believe you're actually doing this for her."
 "I never understood why you hate her so much - you're the one she actually cares about."Â
Emma grits her teeth, looking to the ground in that way she so often does when she's trying not to punch you square in the face. "That's not the point."
 "You don't even deny it any more," you scoff. "You've just come to terms with the fact that she basically worships the ground you walk on. How about you start understanding how lucky you are rather than giving me grief for taking care of her?"Â
"Taking care of her?" Emma bursts. "She's your mother! She should be taking care of you!"Â
"Right, but that's not the way things have turned out, so we might as well cut the shit now before-"Â
"Leo spoke to me, you know." You freeze. Your mouth stays open, eyes widening; Leo is the absolute last thing you want to talk about right now, not after last night, not after hearing the hint of heartbreak in his voice when he realised it was too late, you were too far gone, there was no keeping you.Â
Emma nods, even though you haven't said anything, even though you can do nothing but stare at her in complete shock and bewilderment. "Yeah, Leo Valdez, the boy you're head over heels in love with."Â
You splutter. "What?"
 "Oh, don't play dumb! I've seen the way you are with each other. I've seen the way you look at him. I've seen the way he looks at you, and for fuck sake Y/N, you shouldn't have to give all that up for someone like her!"Â
"That person you're on about is our mother!"
 "And what? That means you have to put your entire life on hold for her?" Emma drops her sword in a move close to desperation, startling you when she barrels forward and grabs your shoulders. She holds you at arms length, eyes like fire. "You're my only little sibling, Y/N; it's my job more than anything else to look after you, and I'm not going to sit back and let your selflessness ruin your whole life."Â
You blink, and only then do the tears make an appearance. You think of Leo, even though you hate it, even though you've already said your goodbyes to him and you should just leave it at that. He hugged you, and you hugged him, and you apologised and he told you there was nothing to be sorry for - it was the perfect potential ending, but you don't want it to be over.
 Emma is right; you're jeopardising your own happiness for this woman.Â
Emma stares at you, the tears leaking from your eyes. Her own lower lip trembles, but she's Emma, so she won't start crying. Not properly.
 You inhale shakily, ducking your head down. "I can't let her go home on her own, Em. She'll never make it. She'll never agree to go if she doesn't have someone with her."Â
"So I'll go."
 You freeze. "What?"Â
Emma tilts her head forward, catching your eye. "I said, I'll go. I'll take her home, get her settled, and then I'll get someone to come take care of her - a professional. Someone who should have been there for her a long bloody time ago. You can stay here for a while."Â
Your heart thunders. You're certain you've heard her wrong, because this isn't right - none of this is right. Emma's the demigod. She should be the one staying here whilst you get shipped off back home with your mother. That's how things have always been, how things were always meant to be. But when you look back at your older sister now, there is no glimmer of amusement in her eyes; she's being serious, more serious than you've ever seen her before.
 She squeezes your shoulders, curling her stubby nails into the fabric of your hoodie. "I mean it, Y/N. If you want to stay here-"Â
"I do," you croak out. "I really, really do."Â
"For Leo?"Â
You blink.Â
Emma grins. "For Leo." She pats your shoulder, nearly knocking you off your feet. "Go, before her and Chiron make an appearance. I think Valdez is-"
 But you don't let her finish. You know where Leo is even without her input, and so you throw yourself into her arms, squeal a thank you in her ear before sprinting off down the hill towards Bunker 9.Â
The gods should be yelling at you right now, casting lightning and rain and every other deadly element down upon you, because this must be so far out of the rule book. This must be going entirely against everything they have ever set up, every rule they have laid out - a mortal in one of their demigod camps? A mortal hanging around their children like their even close to being equal. Complete blasphemy.
 But you don't care. Not when you round the corner to see the door to Bunker 9 already wide open, little flashes of Leo Valdez skimming past the entryway.Â
You pause in the trees, craning your neck to catch a glimpse of what he is doing, and it is only then do you see the spanner smash against one of the windows. The glass doesn't shatter, but it shakes and it makes a loud noise, and it's followed closely by Leo yelling out a curse that would get him blown to smithereens if his father were to hear it.Â
You sprint towards the door. "Leo?"Â
He spins around, eyes widening. He grips his hand, blood seeping from one of his fingers, dribbling down his wrist and landing upon his boots. He doesn't seem to care, though, simply staring at you in shock.Â
And then, "Y/N?"Â
You throw yourself forward, grabbing his wrist. The blood from his gets caught beneath your fingers, but you don't care. You stare at it, shaking your head, whispering his name over and over, and all he can do is stare at you, dumbfounded, before he exclaims, "Hey, wait!" and stumbles back, yanking his hand from your grip in the process.
 "Leo, let me have a look at that-"Â
"You shouldn't be here right now!"
 "Okay, Leo, yes, we'll discuss that later, but please, let me look at your hand. What the hell did you even do?"Â
 You reach for him, but he's like a wild animal, startled and afraid. He stumbles back, nearly tripping over a toolbox discarded on the floor. You notice the mess that wasn't there this morning, the tools laying everywhere, sheets of torn paper thrown left, right and centre, broken glass littering the hard floor.
 "Jesus, Leo," you gasp. "What have you been doing in here?"
 "Why are you back? Why aren't you away yet?"
 You lift your gaze, narrowing your eyes. "If you want me to go, you can just say so." And right now, looking at the scene around you and the state of Leo's hand, and his startled expression, you don't even feel bad that he very well might just ask you to turn and leave. Your mind is preoccupied, wanting nothing more than to grab him and force him to shut up so you can pay some attention to the gaping wound on the tip of his finger. His mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. He's staring at you, unable to move, small of his back pressed against the workbench. The blood welling in his fingertip looks to only be getting worse.Â
"Leo," you say softly. "Please, can we talk about this later?"Â
He doesn't respond, but he doesn't run away when you take a step towards him, either. His eyes never leave your own as you reach for his hand and pull him towards a chair in the corner, slowly pushing him into it. You softly ask him to reach into that magic toolbelt of his to pull out some medical supplies, and he does so with trembling hands, never saying a word, never really needing to.
 You get to work in silence, trying to ignore the thumping of your own heart, the tremble of your own hands, the desperate need you have to just apologise over and over and over for scaring him so bad, for startling him to the point where he can't even form a full sentence, to the point where he was willing to run away from you.Â
You clean the wound and bandage it the best way you can, remembering all those times as a child when you would cut yourself by accident and your mum would be too dazed or too neglectful to take you to the hospital or do anything about it herself.Â
Leo watches your hands working wonders until it's all finally complete and you step back, admiring your handiwork with a pleased grin on your face. "Not too shabby."Â
Leo swallows. Finally you take the time to look at him, his pale face and startled eyes; he looks like he's on the verge of tears, which really isn't the reaction you were hoping to receive when you walked back into Bunker 9.
 You fold your arms over your chest, nibbling your bottom lip as you say, "I'm staying."
 Leo exhales shakily. "I don't get it. Last night you were so adamant-"
 "I know. I know I was, but I never wanted to go in the first place."
 "So why-"Â
"Emma made me realise some things." You push yourself onto the workbench behind you, the very same spot you always found yourself sitting when Leo is working away on one of his projects. You used to sit with your legs pulled beneath you, watching him work in silence.Â
 He stares at you. "I fully prepared myself to never see you again."Â
You wince. "I'm sorry."
 And then he's scrambling out of his chair, stumbling between your legs, grabbing your hands, tugging them into his chest, all in that order. You gasp at the touch, the rough fabric of his plaster rubbing against your wrist, the forever warm touch of his skin so familiar yet you crave it so badly.Â
He's shaking his head, mumbling "No," on repeat beneath his breath
. "Leo. . ."Â
"I didn't mean to make you feel bad," he says. "So don't apologise to me again, alright? I don't want it. I don't need it - all that matters now is that you're here, and you - you said you're staying." He looks up, almost timid. "Did I hear that right?"Â
You nod, dazed; he's not mad. He's happy. He's smiling, and his eyes are doing that thing again where they glint and they crease into crescents, and he looks so cute, so happy, so like the Leo you've come to know and love so deeply. It makes your heart stutter. It makes this entire thing so, so worth it.Â
He grins. "Oh gods, Y/N, you scared the shit out of me. I nearly tore this place to the ground-"Â
"I can see that," you croak.Â
He winces, glancing awkwardly over his shoulder. "I didn't mean to - It was honestly an accident, but-"Â
"It's okay, Leo." His head snaps back round.Â
"It's okay?"
 "It's all okay."Â
You reach forward, winding your arm around his neck, dragging him closer. His curls flood through your fingers, his eyes fluttering closed for a split second before he opens them again and says, "Can I kiss you?"
 You nod, because of course he can. He does just that, pressing his lips to yours delicately, so, so delicately, like he's afraid you'll shatter. His hands are tender on your hips, thumbs rubbing gentle, mindless circles into the fabric of your shirt, and it's all so slow, all so gentle, but your heart is exploding into constellations, sprinkling over your being in a way you have never experienced before.
 For someone who is never still, never calm, never quiet, his kisses are like a warm summer afternoon spent wading along a beach. They are aquamarine waters and birds chirping around a morning sunrise. They are everything and nothing and more than enough but never enough all in the same breath.
 He pulls away first, uncertain, glancing nervously into your eyes as he slowly releases you. He takes a steady step back, rubbing the back of his neck, and it takes everything in you not to pull him back in.Â
Instead you laugh, swinging your legs back and forth like a giddy child. "Don't look so sheepish or I'll think you've poisoned me."Â
"I'm not very good at that," he mumbles. "Machines don't usually need kissed, so I don't tend to do it that often."Â
"I'd hope not." You grab his hand, pulling him back between your knees. "I'm sorry for scaring you earlier."Â
He opens his mouth, ready to protest your apologies once again, but you cut him off with five fingertips pressed to his lips. His eyes cross over as he glares at them, making you giggle. "I know you said I shouldn't apologise, but I shouldn't have been so. . . hasty. I shouldn't have lost my temper with you. I should have let you speak-"
 "I don't say very interesting things."
 "You say the most interesting things." You drop your hand, intertwine your fingers with his. "But I'm staying, Leo. I promise." He exhales shakily, like this is what he has been waiting to hear for a while now; it breaks your heart, rejuvenates you at the same time, and you realise suddenly just how awful it would have been to pack up your stuff and head home, to live a life without Leo Valdez in it.Â
---
 Your mother looks a little better. A little healthier. A little happier.
 Emma sits beside her, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, a denim jacket over the top. She looks happy, too, a little exhausted, but you never expected anything less. She's still smiling, though, and when her face appears in the Iris message, she lets out a happy sigh of relief.
 "I thought you two would fuck it up."Â
"Go to hell, Emma," says Leo.
 You chuckle, leaning back in your seat; it's been two weeks since Mum and Emma went back to the flat together, two weeks since you agreed to spend the rest of your summer at Camp Half-Blood, working on a relationship with Leo Valdez. It's been a grand two weeks, yes, but you still have responsibilities back in the real world.
 "So, how's it going?" you ask. "Mum, you're still going to therapy, aren't you?"Â
"Yes," Mum mumbles, sounding more like an anguished teenager than anything else. "I've told you both already, I don't need it - I got over Ares years ago. I have my own family now - he can go to hell."Â
"Tartarus," Leo corrects.Â
"Whatever."
 You grin. It's been so long - so long - since you've heard your mum mention you in the same context as Emma, including your name in the same sentence as the word family. Leo must notice your sudden shift in mood, as he chuckles, placing a gentle hand on the small of your back. He does that sometimes, letting you know he's there, like you'd ever forget. You reach behind you and tangle your fingers with his, subtly placing your joined hands in your lap.
 "A few more weeks," you tell her. "That's all you have to endure, and then they're putting you on that trial, aren't they?"Â
"Apparently," Mum replies. "I was thinking of coming to visit you."Â
You and Emma share a look - the last time your mother was at Camp Half-Blood, things didn't exactly go well. The energy of this place drove her insane, reminded her of days with Ares, reminded her she'd been abandoned by the one man she ever loved.Â
Leo cuts in. "Oh, no! I was hoping Y/N and I could come out there and visit you guys for the week!"
 Your head whips round. "You were?"
 "Well, yeah." Leo rolls his eyes, faux exasperation. "I did tell you about it. I haven't been back to your house since the giant threw that boulder through your window." He rubs his finger along your scarred, damaged knuckles, forever torn from the boulder that destroyed all your nerve endings. "I think it would be a grand old time, personally."Â
"I agree," Emma chimes in. "And it would be less stressful for us - we can just wait here for them to arrive, and you still get to see Y/N!"
 Mum hums, thoughtful, and for just a second, you're certain she's going to revert back to her old ways. She's going to call you scum, pretend you don't exist, make you feel like shit all over again; judging by the sudden grip Leo has on your hand, he thinks the exact same thing. You thought this was over with. You thought your Mum had gotten better, that she finally realised you are her child, too, and-
 "I guess it would be a lot less hassle."
 Leo exhales. "Great! It's a date."Â
"For you two, maybe," Emma grumbles. "Look, we have to leave in two minutes, so this is goodbye."
 "Jeez, Em, tell us how you really feel."
 "See you in a few weeks, assholes!" And before you or Leo can respond, the Iris message is flickering to a close, leaving you and Leo alone in Bunker 9.Â
It's silent for a few seconds. Leo grips your hand, running his thumb along your knuckles, and it suddenly feels so, so hard not to cry.Â
"She's getting so much better," you choke out.Â
Leo's head snaps round, eyes widening at the crack in your voice. "Hey, no. Don't you start crying on me, okay? This is a good thing! Good!" He cups your face, forcing you to look at him. He has that goofy look, his eyebrows stitched together, his lips pursed; it makes you laugh every time.
 You reach up, wrapping your hands around his wrists just to keep the feel of him against you for a little longer. "I'm not going to cry. I'm not a bitch."Â
"It's all good here, Y/N," he says. "I always told you it's all good here."Â
And with his hands on your face, his eyes gazing into your own, the sweet weather of Camp Half-Blood flourishing outside, you know he's telling the truth. It's all good.Â
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Save the Day- Din Djarin x Reader
Request:Â For your DFWL series (which is the best series? I?) May I request for reeza and the twins somehow accidently break a vase or something, and Myles has to be a big brother and attempt to like fix it and try to make sure the parents dont find out cause they went out for a bit? Or just hcs of Myles being a good big bro because i think it would be the cutest! - anon
A/n: Hello lovely! I am so happy to hear that you have been enjoying DFWL so far! I know I have been having a blast writing it! This is such a good idea, so I hope you enjoy this chapter!!! Love ya!Â
This is the next chapter of my Days filled with Love series. You can find the first chapter here! :)Â
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âOkay Ready?â Reeza asks as she grabs the back of Isabets little legs.
âREE VAH!â A pat is given to Reezaâs head and she laughs.
âAlright, hold on!â She leans forward a little and starts to kick her foot, just as Paz had told them bulls do. âMMmmmmmmmm.â She takes off and sprints around the meadow.
Both girls giggle and scream as they feel like they are flying. Tobbi laughs from where he sits with Grogu, crayons and markers all over the porch. Myles happily draws pictures with his fellow brothers.
The five of them were supposed to be being watched by Paz. However, the giant warrior had ultimately fallen asleep on the couch. Who could blame him? Five energetic kids is a lot to watch.
You and Din are out on a date, one eagerly prompted by their uncle. âYou guys never get out anymore. Go have fun! Iâll watch the kids. And maybe you can come back with the news of another!â
You had blushed and complained that your family was already big enough. But the two mandalorians, in their mandalorian way, giggled back and forth. They assured you that in their culture, a family never stops growing. However they both laughed when you sighed, âMy back already hurts.â
So here the kids are, having already worn their uncle out and still lots of energy to keep them up.
âMYLES!â Reeza rushes back to her brothers with Isabet still on her back.
âWhat?â He looks up from his very detailed landscape he was currently drawing.
âBEES!â
âWhat do you- BEES!â Flying behind the two girls is a swarm of insects, instantly recognized from the bright yellow and buzz of their wings. Myles, ever the quick thinker, yells out, âGO TO THE LAKE! THEY CANâT GET YOU IN WATER!â
Reeza runs as fast as her legs will carry her. âOkay Issy, time to learn how to swim!â She gets about hip deep before taking her sister into her arms. Making sure both their heads stay above the water she gets as deep as she can into the lake.
A loud battle cry comes from Myles as he runs to the shore where the bees have stopped. In his hand he pulls the hose and aims it towards the swarm. Holding it like a blaster, just the way his father taught him, he places his finger over the nozzle. The spray of water becomes harsh and unforgiving.
âHAH TAKE THAT! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU MESS WITH THE DJARINS!â
âWAIT WHAT ABOUT TOBBI AND GROGU?â Reeza calls out from the safety of the lake.
âCRAP!â Myles instantly drops the hose and runs back to the house, on a mission to keep his brothers safe. Rushing up to the porch he scoops his brothers into his arms and does a 180, sprinting towards the lake. Tobbi squeals in delight and his little legs kick as Myles enters the water.
The five of them wait for about seven minutes before starting to bicker about who will walk out first.
âMyles, you're the oldest, you go first.â
âBut Iâm holding Grogu and Tobbi, and I can hold Isabet, you canât hold all three of them. We are the older siblings so we have to keep them safe.â
Reeza huffs before realizing her brother is correct. âFine, but if I die itâs your fault.â She hands Isabet to Myles before slowly wadding towards the shore. Itâs a humorous sight. Myles, waist deep in the water with his three squirming siblings in his arms.
All four children watch as their sister walks onto the shore and cautiously looks around. She does a full 360, checking for the insects.
âOkay, itâs alright.â
***
Now in clean dry clothes the children decided that maybe it is safer to stay inside.
Paz is still passed out on the couch, and the kids, trying to be as respectful as they can, decided that the living room is off limits.
They are currently in the kitchen, on a mission for snacks. Raiding cabinet after cabinet they eventually find the items that appeal to them most.
âLetâs eat the grapes in the fridge too, Mom always says we have to eat as many fruits as we do crackers.â
Happy with this, Reeza sits down at the table after strapping her siblings into their chairs.
Myles opens the fridge and grabs the bowl of fruit you had cut up this morning as well as some peanut butter. Reeza opens the packet of crackers and places them in a design on a plate.
âWe shall dine like Kings and Queens!â She announces while tucking her napkin into her shirt. Myles laughs while sitting down at his own seat.
Grogu, noticing the lack of parents, smiles before holding his hand out. A single grape rises from the bowl. Tobbi giggles while he holds a cracker in his fist.
Reeza drops down from her seat and rushes over to the side of the room. âGrogu, letâs play a game. You throw the fruit around and Iâll try to catch it with my mouth!â
Grogu claps his hands in agreement. Instantly the grap flies through the air towards Reeza. She leans towards the right and effectively catches it in her mouth. All five kids erupt in laughter. Well, except Isabet, she just sits with a scowl on her face, but you all have come to realize it is just her natural face.
This game goes on until the bowl is almost empty. Grogu has Reeza doing rolls and jumps to try and get the food. However, on the last piece of fruit Grogu throws it towards her left. She rolls and goes to stand up, butâŠ
BAM!
It almost happens in slow motion. She had run into the tall table you have near the window. Some of your trusted house plants rest there as it is one of the places that the house gets the most sun. The vase with a bouquet of wildflowers the kids had picked you wobbles. It shakes and then tilts off of the table.
They all watch in horror as the vase crashes to the floor. Thankfully it landed on the mat by the door so it only broke into about six pieces, but water goes everywhere.
Reeza turns to her brother, head tucked into her shoulders and tears welling at her eyes. Myles runs about four different scenarios through his head in the span of a couple seconds, weighing each option against one another.
After only five seconds he has a plan. Rushing over to his sister he hugs her. âItâs okay.â Â
âMom is going to be so mad!â Tears start to fall on her cheeks.
âNo no itâll be fine. Weâll fix it. But Iâm going to need your help, alright?â He looks at her. She wipes away her tears and nods. âOkay I need you to go grab some towels.â She nods again and rushes off towards the laundry room.
Myles turns to where his three siblings sit at the table, all their eyes wide. âYou guys stay put, we donât want glass to get into your feet.â
When none of them go to move he turns towards the oven. Grabbing a stove mit he starts to pick up pieces of the vase. Separating the glass and the flowers, heâs happy when he has two piles.
Reeza bounds down the stairs, quieter than usual as she doesnât want to wake their uncle. In her hands are two towels.
âOkay, I think I got all the glass up but be careful. Go ahead and put the first towel on the ground and try to soak up as much as you can.â Following his command she does exactly as told. âI am going to go get some glue, donât let them leave the table.â
Running as fast as he can, he rushes to where his father has supplies to fix about anything. Opening drawer after drawer he finally finds some super glue. âPerfect!â
Making a mental note of where he found the glue he goes back to the kitchen. Analysing the broken pieces he can see where the pieces fit together. Being extra careful, he applies glue to one piece and then another, and presses them together.
âReeza how is the water going?â
âTowel one is soaked but all the water is up.â
âGreat, can you please go quickly throw those in the hamper and put the clean towel back where you found it.â
She nods, her face as serious as heâs ever seen it.
âOkay Grogu, I need your help.â At the sound of his name, he looks up at his brother. âCan you hold these pieces together?â As if it were magic, the pieces are pressed against one another and held in place. Grogu coos, overjoyed that his older brother needs him.
âPerfect! Now I am going to start to glue and add more pieces, so can you do more than one at a time?â
Grogu coos once again and his little eyebrows furrow in concentration. When Myles adds another piece, he effectively holds it right in place. âAlright! There we go!â
Reeza sits down next to her brother, however her usual bright cheery smile is replaced by a frown. âDo you think Mommy is going to be mad?â
Picking his words carefully, Myles turns to look at her. âNo, donât worry about it. Iâll tell them. They wonât be mad at you.â
***
The vase is officially glued back together and it seems to be holding water. The glue is back where Myles found it and the flowers are back in the vase.
âParents alert!â Reeza informs from where she was sitting at the window. In the distance she can see the Crest flying towards the house.
âOkay time for the clean protocol!â
They move faster than they ever have before. They pick up the crayons and markers from outside, put away the dishes from the kitchen, and settle in on the couch with their uncle. The house looks just as you had left it, no evidence of their eventful day.
Just as they practiced, as soon as the door is unlocked, they all close their eyes and pretend to be asleep. Even the twins know the routine by now.
âOh babe, look how cute!â They can hear your hushed voice as you talk to their dad.
âUh hum. You could hear Pazâs snore from the next planet over.â
A soft slap echos through the living room. âDonât be mean, he gave up his day so we could go out. Be nice.â
They listen as your footsteps get closer and you pick the twins up. Still playing the part, they keep their eyes closed.
âPaz?â Your hushed voice tries to wake him.
The giant warrior stirs before finally waking. âHmm what?â
âGlad to see youâre awake. Weâre back.â
âI can see that.â
You giggle. âHow were the kids?â
His arms lift as he looks around and counts heads. âThey were great!â
âThatâs good. Are you going to stay the night? I know itâs late and Iâd hate to kick you out.â
âItâs late?â He mumbles to himself. âOh umm no, I need to get back but if you need me to stay I can.â
âOh no itâs alright. Thank you again for watching them.â
âYeah no problem. You know how much I love them.â
Din has already taken the twins and Grogu up to their room and put them down. He walks back down just as Paz rises from the couch. They give one another a hug and a firm pat on the back. âThanks man.â
âFor sure.â Paz looks back at you before turning towards his brother. âWhen are you two having the next one?â
Din chuckles. âYou try and ask her. Last time I did I had to carry a twenty pound weight around for a week. That shitâs not fun.â
Paz lets out a loud laugh but immediately stops after you scowl at him and point to the kids. âSorry.â
After the three of you talk for a few more minutes, Paz makes his way out of the door. You sit down on the couch between Reeza and Myles. Reeza shuffles a little and settles down onto your lap. You smile and start to softly brush her hair.
Myles opens his eyes, as if he just woke up. âHi Mom.â
âHi baby.â Your arm wraps around his shoulder and pulls him close to you, pressing a kiss to his cheek. âHow was your day?â
âIt was good⊠uneventful.â It takes everything in Reeza to stop herself from snickering.
âOh, thatâs good.â Din sits down on the other side of Myles and places his arm on the back of the couch, keeping all three of you within his hold.
âHow was your date?â
âIt was good, although I missed you guys.â You press another kiss to Myles cheek and he giggles.
âYour mother has separation anxiety.â
Myles laughs while you glare at your husband. âOf course I do! You guys are my babies.â Looking down at Reeza, you scratch her back and you feel a shiver run down her spine.
âTime to go to bed.â Your husband huffs as he stands up, taking Reeza into his arms he beckons Myles to follow him. âSay goodnight to your mother.â
âGoodnight mom.â Myles wraps his arms around your neck and presses a kiss to your cheek. You smile and hold him close.
âGoodnight my love. Iâll see you tomorrow.â
***
You turn the faucet and warm water starts to run. Hands grip at your hips and kisses are placed against the back of your neck. He pulls the zipper down on the back of your dress. Every inch of skin that is revealed to him he sucks and nips at it.
âYou looked so good in this dress.â
Turning around in his arms, you press a kiss to his lips. âMm thank you.â
He growls as you bite his bottom lip.
âReeza was awake, wasnât she?â
âDefinitely.â
You giggle and slip from his hold. âTheyâre so funny. I hope they were alright today.â
He sighs as he realizes heâs not getting as lucky as he originally thought. âCyare, you worry too much. They said they had a great day.â
You slip into the bubbly water and lean forward, silently asking him to slide in behind you. âI canât help it.â
He kicks off his pants and sits behind you, pulling you into his chest. You rest your head against his shoulder and close your eyes.
The two of you just stay against each other in the comfort of warm water for a second.
âCyare?â
âMmm?â
His hand moves over your stomach. âAre you sure you donât want another one?â
You sigh. âDin, babe, the twins arenât even one yet.â
âSoooo?â
You laugh, âYouâre insatiable. You can ask again in a year. I need a break for right now.â
He presses a kiss to your forehead. âI just love you so much.â You turn your head so he can press a kiss to your lips. âAnd our family.â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next Part: Rainy Day
I hope you all liked it!Â
Please consider leaving a comment or reblogging, I love hearing what you all have to say! It makes my day!Â
Love, Lordy :)Â
MasterlistÂ
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The submersion | Intrulogical Mermaid AU
Future intrulogical.
Follow up on this animatic. | AO3
Words: 1728.
Summary: Remus has fun in his submarine. A giant barracuda disagrees.
CW: Dark humour, skeletal remains of a rat, drowning, deep ocean (if there's anything else do tell), death, sexual innuendo.
The submersion
It was cloudy.
And cold.
But that was to be expected when oneâs in the middle of the Atlantic.
âRemus Prince, you dunce, how are you dressed like that?â
Remus turned around to see Ella Da Villa, the captain of the ship he was on, and an old friend. Her short afro was stuffed inside of a beanie, she held onto her sides through her huge puffer coat.
âI know youâd just rather I take it all off, but, honey, I need to at least wear somethingâ.
She laughed.
âWhat you need is to make sure you donât get drenched or--â
âFirst of all, I look amazing all wet. But if thatâs what youâre so worried about, hey, I took care of thatâ he answered pointing at his green rain boots.
The crew looked at them in amusement as they moved the equipment, preparing everything for the submersion.
Ella took off one of her gloves and smacked Remusâ head with it.
âOw! I thought you were against violence!â
âI never said that. But I am against animal abuse, thatâs why I didnât hit you hard. Now go and put on a coat, you dumbassâ.
âSure thing mommy, you know how to be commandingâ he winked.
âItâs captain for you, now go!â
His boots squeaked against the flooring of the deck as he ran to get into the guts of the ship. He managed to hear Ella swearing under her breath.
âHow did he even graduate? Going out in short sleevesâŠâ
Ella was a funny one, Remus thought. It was easy to get under her skin, she also liked to play along which made it even better.
One of the people going up the metal stairs almost tripped against him, there wasnât that much room, after all. Remus jumped over the railing and fell onto the lower level without a scratch.
âOh my god! Are you okay?!â said someone.
A younger guy with spectacular hair held onto his forearm to check on him. Oh, this was the newbie.
âDonât worry, I donât have any lungsâ.
âWhaâŠâ he looked half perplexed and half horrified.
âYou know, we all get it done since weâre going to end up sleeping with the fish anywayâ.
He stood up quickly and mutely apologised. Remus enjoyed the view of his ass going upstairs as fast as possible. New meat was always hilarious.
When he entered the room his cupboard was already open. He liked to leave the sliding doors that way so he could see what was inside, otherwise, heâd forget about it. In a ship, that meant ending up with all of oneâs clothes on the floor, but as long as Remus could see where they were he wouldnât misplace anything. Object permanence was a bitch.
Messy floors did have an advantage, the coat on top of the pile was good enough to satisfy Ella and easy enough to grab quickly.
The backswing of the glove against his shoulder caught him off-guard.
âOw! What did I do now?! This coat is fine!â
âThe coat is fine, yes, but the new guy is shaking like a leaf. What did you tell him? He keeps saying stuff about drowningâ.
âHey, Iâd never mention drowning when Iâm about to get into a submarineâ.
âYes, thatâd be very poor taste, sadly, you have it worse so you must have said something terrible. I expect you to fix this, or weâll have to arrange you drowningâ.
âYou know I love choking on wet thingsâ.
âThen your last moments will be pleasant. Consider me the best friend one could haveâ.
The new guy was holding onto the railing of the ship, staring at the water in concentration. Probably about to throw up or something.
âHey!â
âAh!â he screamed.
âDo you have a name?â
âUh⊠yes⊠umâŠâ
âGreat! I have one too, itâs Remusâ he introduced himself with half a bow.
âIâm Nathan⊠sorry⊠Iâm just anxious⊠itâs the first time I go on one of thoseâ he gestured at the submersible held by the crane of the ship.
âFirst times are always awkward, donât worryâ.
Finally, Nathan let out a laugh, it was a nervous one but it would suffice.
âYou know what I said earlier was a joke, right?â
âOh, yeah, it just caught me by surprise. Youâre the head biologist here, right?â
âYup. Guess you could say Iâm the dom of this studyâ.
âDarn it, here I was expecting to be more activeâ.
Remus smiled in surprise. It was always nice when people had similar humour to his.
âOh, youâll have to be. I expect itâ.
âYou wouldnât expect we could go for some coffee after we get intoâŠâ the date proposition vanished into a look of fear at the submersible.
Remus put a hand over his shoulders. The drowning jokes would have to wait until they were emerging.
âDonât worry, my thicc ass has been there tons of times! Itâs just a lot of waterâ.
âWhile itâs true heâs been there more than you, heâs overplaying his own ass. Itâs kind of droopyâ a heavily accented voice said
âWho are you calling droopy?â
They turned to see a tall blond woman smiling smugly. Erika Engström, oceanographer and the operator of the submersible.
âYou, obviously, do you have water in your ears?â
âNot yet, but weâll see ifâŠâ
Nathan held his breath.
âNah, I donâtâ.
âHe either thinks youâre cute or heâs afraid the captain will throw him off-board if he keeps bullying youâ, Erika told Nathan.
âI wasnât bullying anyoneâ.
âSorry to break it to you, but youâre always bullying people, you donât know how else to flirtâ.
âThen I would be flirting with everyoneâ.
âArenât you?â
âOkay, yeahâ.
âCome on, I have to set up things. Give me a hand, rat skullâ.
âAt least give me a knife or somethingâ.
âYou can chew it throughâ.
One last look at Nathan before following her.
âWell, Iâll leave you to stress out, if I donât help her weâll droâŠâ oh right, no drowning jokes. âWeâllâŠâ
âFlirt with me when weâre back at the surfaceâ.
Remus smiled.
âWill do!â
-----
The light was beginning to fade out. The flickering of the few rays coming through a swirl of silvery fish would be their last glimpses at natural lighting for a while.
It was wonderful.
How the underwater landscape changed, morphing into something out of a nightmare. Never ceases to amaze him. People would say it was all just blue getting darker and darker, and it was! But it was also a thick fog from which anything could come out. He always looked forward to seeing the weirdest fish appear.
There wasnât much room behind the giant acrylic viewport. Despite being stuck so closely together, Remus could feel a chill as the air within got cooled by the deep water. His coat lay forgotten at the back of his chair still.
Once the lights of the submersible switched on, a delicate dance of white dust shined just like it would on a sunny day. This was no room dust. But there was just as much beauty in seeing the marine snow surrounding them. Teensy tiny pieces of dead fish falling all around, making the nicest shapes.
âItâs so quietâ Nathan observed.
âWait until you hear a whale. The first time I did I thought my skull would popâ.
âWhich one?â Erika kept her eyes on the water, but he could see the reflection of a smile curving onto the surface of the acrylic.
âWell, the small one. I know youâd hate to have to scrape my brains off your consoleâ.
âIf you had any I wouldâ.
âThere would still be plenty of bloodâ.
The ship carried on with the descend, soon, theyâd be at twenty thousand feet. Nathan leaned in.
âHey, what did she mean by which one?â he said in a hushed voice.
âOh! Rightâ
He pulled on the string of his necklace to get it from under his shirt. Remus held it in front of Nathanâs face.
It turned, revealing the empty sockets and the front of what used to be a snout.
âI have this rat skull as a necklace! Erika teases me because thatâs how she copes with the fact that she hates it!â
âAnyone would hate it. You wear that thing everywhere. Itâs creepyâ Erika pointed out.
âWhere did you get it?â Nathan asked.
In the dim light, Remusâs smile cast shadows, giving him a grim vibe.
âI used to have a pet rat. When it died it sucked, my brother and I buried it in the backyard. It was there until three years later when we got a heavy storm. The bones peeked through the mud. So I just yanked a bit on the spine and got it. The skull was already defleshed anyway, so, aside from cleaning it a bit, I didnât have to do any of the work. I really like this necklace. I got into marine biology because I began looking at fish skulls and I wanted to see moreâ.
âThatâsâŠâ Nathan began to say.
Suddenly, the submersible turned violently.
âWhat was that?â
âI donât know, I couldnât take a good lookâ, said Erika.
Her frown told Remus something was seriously wrong.
âGuys, weâre picking up really weird signals from here. Are you all okay?â the sound of Ellaâs voice through the radio distracted him from his train of thought.
âItâs all under control, but I am going to begin ascendingâ Erika replied.
âWe havenât taken all the samplesâ, Nathan said.
âWeâll have another chance. Right now Iâm worried that---â
Erika did not have time to finish talking.
Its needle-like teeth loomed over the viewport. This creature was unlike anything heâd ever seen. Part of him felt excited at how terrifying it all was. Sadly, he had the feeling they were all about to die. This fish looked like a giant barracuda and an angry one.
The creature snapped its jaw closed, cracking the viewport.
Seemingly, it didnât find it tasty enough and it swam away even moodier than before. The very least it could have done was eat them.
If youâre going to kill them might as well finish the job.
Remusâ body floated into the dark abyss as he struggled to breathe. Covering his ears tightly, he screamed in pain. The pressure was unlike anything.
Well, it had been fun.
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The continuation will feature Logan and another animatic!
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