#1. working at the plants right after graduation

[apollolewis]

I've Registered for my fall semester and they really do shove all of the history Classes in one room, and the room that every single history class is in never has the wifi working properly, or the ac/heating working properly.

[thehighladywrites]

— “Let’s try something new.”

pairing: professor eris x reader, feyre makes an appearance

summary: Eris surprises you with a little surprise before your exam. After a fun session you insist on going home, so your friends won’t see you. But what happens when he’s nowhere near?

warnings: 18+, nsfw, smutty scenes, fem reader, professor x student relationship, both are obviously of age,semi public sex, remote controlled vibrator, eris both slightly degrading and praising (love that),kidnapping oop👀

amara’s note: this is kind of a wild one, we also get new info of eris’s background👀 this is especially dedicated for all the eris haters and antis💗 if u find any typos, your eyes are deceiving you. Also yes I know reader getting kidnapped is SO 2014 wattpad y/n with her orbs getting sold to a mafia boss coded but it’s for the plottttt🫡🫡

part 1 part 2 part 2,5 part 3

The sound of the loud fan and random coughs echoed through the silent lecture hall, the only sounds where the clicking of mechanical pens and the rustle of turning paper.

The literature exam wasn’t really something you were worrying about since you were dating eris so you just sat there looking pretty, thinking of ways to have fun with him later on. Life really was more beautiful when you didn’t have to worry about stuff like exams and hard work.

Eris always taught you the night after anyways. And it was much more fun being in his bed as he’s teaching you things, giving you rewards if you answer correctly and punishments if you answered incorrectly.

Your thighs clenched at the idea and you subtly bit your thumb at the thought of tonight.

You felt a zap in your lower stomach, clenching your legs even harder as you remembered that you had a vibrator in you. That’s right, you nearly forgot about the way Eris had slutted you out on his desk before asking if you wanted to try something new today.

He had pulled out an oval shaped, bright pink little vibrator. It was shapes like a U so that it was nestled deep against your g-spot while stimulating the clit at the same time.

At first you were a bit embarrassed at the way he just casually put it in your palm for you to examine. His eyes had darken at the way your cheeks had heated. The goosepumps, indicating your excitement, almost made him pounce on you again.

“It’s not very big. You sure this will feel nice?”

He smiles, gently pushing your hair behind your ear before planting a soft kiss on your plush lips.

“I assure you, you will feel pleasure.”

You decided to be petty, stirring the pot a little.

“Interesting. And how exactly do you know that this feels nice? Have you tested it on other girls?”

His lips twitch in a smirk.

“I’ve tested it on myself.”

Your eyes widen at his casual answer. Eris in bed playing with himself sounded like grade A masturbation material, holy fuck.

His smirk only widened at your shocked face.

“Why deprive myself of such pleasure?”

You nodded, your mind feeling a bit fuzzy.

“Uh-huh. You really shouldn't. And neither should I. So, please put it in me.”

“Open your mouth, sweetheart.”

You obey, lolling out your tounge as he puts the toy in your mouth for you to wet.

You hop of his desk and turn around, bending over as you push your skirt up. His hand massages your ass before slapping it, enjoying the way you yelp.

Eris glances down at his F.P. Journe, clicking his tongue at the amount of time remaining before his hall fills with bothersome students.

He can’t wait for the day you graduate and he can finally leave this fucking place. There’s really nothing keeping him here anymore except you. He finally found a legal business he can use as a front so there was really no need to keep playing professor.

It really fucking irked him that teaching a bunch of hormornal idiots was the job his father had decided to use as a front for the business. But money had to come legally from somewhere right?

Convincing people that the mansion was an ancient family estate passed down through generations proved ridiculously easy. Despite the entire place being new, the idiots didn't bother checking the details.

You wiggle a bit, trying to get him out of his thoughts before the doors infront of you opened. Eris quickly put the toy in with a grin, not surprised by how easy it slid in considering how many times he had you finishing on his tounge.

You rise and shift your weight between your feet, ensuring everything feels just right.

“Oh, i just feel light pressure. Will people hear it?”

“No, not at all. Do you want to try it out before you sit down?”

You nod then almost fall to your knees at the strong vibrations. Letting out a sharp gasp you grab onto his shirt, curling your fist in his shirt.

“How do you feel, my love?”

You take a step closer, resting your head on his steady, beating heart.

“Good. I feel really fucking good.”

Once again, he slaps your ass and this time it feels so much better.

“Mind your language.”

Grabbing his shoulders, you jerk him down and kiss him hard, licking and biting his lips before grabbing your bag and using the side entrance to leave the hall, only to come in with the other students through the big doors.

—

Class started 5 minutes late because Eris needed his hard on to calm down. He was for sure getting you back for it. So when he opened the doors, he told everyone you had assigned seats because of the exams when in reality, he wanted you to have the last row to yourself. There was no one sitting in the back except for you so there was plenty of room for some fun.

The test, a multi-page character analysis and study on one of the course books, was handed to you by Eris along with a few extra pens to occupy yourself. But you still tried your best. He was still your professor and you really wanted to show him that you belonged in his class, you wanted to make him proud of you.

All that flew out of your mind when he started the toy, making your whole body tense before relaxing.

Eris started explaining everything to the class and asked if anyone had any questions before starting.

Then the bastard looked dead into your eyes and asked while he upped the speed,

“Any questions in the back?”

You clenched your legs together and gripped your pen so hard it started to crack,

“No professor.”

He nodded, a ghost of a smile on his and told everyone to start.

Seated, you struggled to answer the questions, constantly distracted by him and the pesky remote tucked in his slacks. Squirming in your seat, your face warmed, attempting to swallow with a dry throat.

It felt so good, having every part of you stimulated. Your entire body was always on edge, goosebumps and heat flaring your body. The onlu thing you hated was that during these two hours of pure ecstasy, he didn’t let you cum once. You were only brought to the knife sharp edge and had pleasure taken away. You considered just fixing it yourself had it not been for your nerves and the other students there.

Finally the exam ended and everyone left to discuss their answers at the cafeteria but you stayed put in your chair, convinced that if you moved, there would be a big stain. When the last student left and Eris locked the doors, you stood up, grabbed your things and tried to leave the room. If he didn’t allow you to cum then you wouldn’t allow him to touch you.

Seated in his chair, he observed your every move until you reached the door. Just as you were about to leave, he pressed the highest setting, causing your knees to wobble.

“Tell me, dear. Why are you so angry at me?”

He approached, crouching beside you, gently tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

Okay, maybe he could touch you.

“I’m- wait, it’s too much, Er, please.”

Eris looked at you with mock sympathy and simply went on.

“Did you want to cum? Is that it, hm? My beautiful girl is angry because I didn’t let her cum in a classroom full of others? Are you truly that needy?”

His words mixed with the intensity of the vibrations had you seeing white. You came with a cry, head thrown back and hands grabbing his forearms in a steel grip.

“May I have some more?” you asked with a smile. In response, he mirrored your smile and gladly fulfilled your request.

—

After spending time with Eris in his office, he offered to drive you home, but you opted to walk to avoid being seen by friends at a nearby party.

You should have just let him fucking drive you home

The crisp autumn evening turned unexpectedly traumatic as you strolled home with your AirPods in. An eerie sensation of being followed grew, fueled by a black sedan trailing a few feet away. Heightened paranoia set in, prompting you to quicken your pace.

The car halted, and a tall, red-headed man emerged, his footsteps thudded against the dark sidewalk behind you. As he approached, tension heightened until an unsettling silence fell. Your fight-or-flight instincts peaked, and you turned to confront him, only to find no one there.

Annoyed and frightened, you turned around, only to encounter a wall of muscles but before you could scream, everything went black.

—

Feyre’s pov:

“The number you have dialed is not available right now-”

She tosses her phone onto the couch, wondering where you are. The plan was to get ready together before heading to the party she insisted on attending. She was informed if TA Rhysand's presence, and she couldn't resist checking it out.

She was starting to wonder where you were. You mentioned being ‘busy’with Eris after class, but this was dragging on. Maybe you just decided to bail, but it's odd since you're usually stuck to your phone, and she didn't get a text or anything.

Feyre got a bad feeling in her stomach and decided to pay Eris a visit. She knew it wasn't really appropriate to show up at his place, but that gut feeling wouldn't let go.

And if you were at his house, she’d simply murder you for ignoring her.

You had given her Eris' address a few weeks back, just in case she needed to get in touch with you urgently. Now, she really hoped this wasn't turning into an emergency.

She rolled up to Eris's place, this big gate in the way. Hit the intercom button, started talking.

“Hi professor, it’s me, Feyre Archeron in your AP lit class. Listen, I know this might be inappropriate or whatever but is Y/N in there? I just really need to know since she’s not answering her phone and I haven’t seen her since the exam. If she’s there it’s fine and I understand and I will get outta here but-”

Eris buzzes her in and bolts out to the courtyard before Feyre can even ask about his fancy estate.

Feyre's eyebrows furrow as only Eris appears.

“ Wait, where is she?” she questions.

Eris looks at her with panic, revealing that you left nearly an hour ago.

“Well, if she isn't here, then where the hell is she? Do you think something happened?” Feyre demands.

Eris's eyes harden, jaw clenching.

“Trust me, I'll find out,” he grits out before instructing Feyre to come inside.

🏷️ taglist: @danikamariewrites @daycourtofficial @teenageeggscissorslawyer @jeannineee @natashachelsea @candyjaypoppins @honeysuckle-daydreams13 @acourtofbatboydreams @nocasdatsgay @cyrygher @amara-moonlight @fell-in-luvs @hanitastic @culiehua @daughterofthemoons-stuff @itsphoenix0724 @vanserrasswife @rowaelinsdaughter @redbleedingrose @acourtofwhatthefuck @clairebear08 @hieragalbatorixdottir @rromani-witch @vellichor01 @mischiefmanagers @i-am-a-lost-girl16 @icey--stars @alysena2 @loneliestluvr @meshellexplosionmurder @whatthefuckshappeningrn @thelov3lybookworm @eminvelaris @v3lv3tf0x

[running-with-kn1ves]

In The Book Stacks

A/N: This ones fo my 1(one) Ezra lover. Sorry for any typos! link to Part 1.

CW: making out in the library, possessive behavior, forceful behavior (Ezra holding reader captive temporarily)

Word Count:1900

“You're really stubborn, you know that.” 

Dust poofed into the air as you slammed the book in your hands shut, your nose scrunching at the stench of mustiness.

“No one’s in a library at 8 pm on a friday,” Ezra lowered his voice to a whisper. “C’mon, right here.. Right here is perfect.” He planted a kiss to your nape hairline, softly pulling at your elbows from behind. “Who goes to the science-y section anymore, anyway.” 

He kept trying to convince you with that slightly heightened tone, leg pushing between your knees as he trapped you between the bookshelf and him. You were starting to get annoyed, the shadow and humid warmth of his impatient body hovering only inches above you. 

“I swear if you don’t stop breathing down my neck, getting caught will be the last thing you worry about.”

Ezra was unperturbed, giving a little laugh at how pissed off you sounded. What was so wrong about wanting to give a little love to his fiance in the library? Well- soon to be fiance, you didn’t know that part yet. Just give it a few months. Specifically, the May you graduate.

“Ooh, look who’s in a feisty mood. Are you scared of a little audience?  Of our love… being witnessed.” He pecked at your shoulder, tickling fingers grabbing at your sides to make you squirm.

 You put a book you had taken out back in the hole that it had left, shimming closer to the shelf and farther away from your boyfriend’s antics.

“No; I’d just never do something so abWHORant, especially not when I know you, would make an even bigger scene if one of the librarians caught us.” You rolled your eyes, letting out an exasperated goan; he was beginning to tick you off. “What am I even saying? See, you got me distracted again.”

“A little distraction never hurt nobody,” He swayed, pressing into your lower back with his thumbs, massaging the edges of your tailbone that he knew was probably aching from how much standing and searching you've done in the library already. Nobody who didn’t have a chem test tomorrow! you thought. ”Besides, aren’t you tired of searching for this book? We’ve looked in every isle…twice.” 

You didn’t correct him for the intimate touch at first, finding it soothing and seemingly without the devious agenda he was proposing. But that touch soon moved to a caress, grabbing the sides of your hips, pressing them forward as his midriff touched your back. 

“Books plural,” You sighed, sounding more defeated. “Maybe we should just go home; I shouldn’t have made the mistake of letting you come with me.”

Ezra was like a reward you’re supposed to enjoy AFTER doing an important task; you can’t have a reward in the same room with you though, otherwise all you think about is how needily it tempts you. 

“I’ve accompanied you back and forth during this search, don’t you think I deserve a little bit of your time?” Ezra impatiently jabbed, grabbing your hand that was about to pluck another book. You yanked your arm away and pulled out a flimsy textbook off the shelf with it, refusing to acknowledge the tall, desperate creature beside you.

However, it was hard not to regret the harshness of your rejection as soon as you felt the sinking daggers of Ezra’s eyes.“ You know what--No. I’m sick of this. You’ve looked enough for tonight.”

The book was forced out of your hand and hit the floor with a dust-clouded thud, the sound scaring you with its echo bursting around the entire library. It skidded a few feet away from you as a sweetly warm palm concealed your mouth. 

You were ripped backwards into a sturdy body, far warmer than the 69° library air brushing down your shoulders and bare knees. About to flail and hit your way free, a pair of bottom-heavy lips touched your cheek to stop you. 

“I got off work early--ngh, walked with you all the way here,” Ezra wrapped around you, a squeezing snake intent on suffocating its prey. “And paid for your damn fancy coffee. And you won’t give me so much as a middle school kiss?” 

Ezra looked down at you as your head jerked up, his heavy hand nearly blocking your nostrils as you rapidly huffed through them. What was he… going to do? You weren’t particularly afraid, even with his hand covering your mouth as if you were a hostage he was about to violate. But a thought in the back of your mind was scaring you; any sane person wouldn’t act as if they were going to suffocate you just for something so small as refusing to makeout in the library.

Ezra’s clean scent had been watered down by the day’s heaviness, his heavy exhales against your throat making you wonder if he was having some kind of episode. You would’ve elbowed him off if it weren’t for the other arm wrapped completely around your front sight, the anaconda’s tail keeping you pressed flush against its alluring body. 

You liked that he took charge, that he held your hand with purpose and dragged you to come dance at parties. But this… should you have expected it, since he practically controlled every other physical movement of affection in your relationship? …But who in their right mind would expect their boyfriend to rip them close so violently?

 A pained sound left his mouth as it held open, tongue so hesitantly resting against your lower neck, near your shoulder. It twitched, Ezra seemingly unsure of himself in enacting the obscene display. But by the soft shut of his eyes, the arch of his eyebrows in ecstasy-- you wondered if that was really hesitation, or perhaps a poor attempt to snuff his desperation.

‘Maybe he's savoring your last moments before choking you out.’ That extreme, but maybe-not-entirely-wrong intrusive thought murmured inside you. 

His hand shivered as it stroked your cheek, pulsing against your shut mouth. The other thumbing your forearm as it crushed against your body in his grip, keeping it close as you stood stiff as a board. 

A high-pitched groan left your covered mouth, whining to be released as you could hear a hoarse cough of some librarian or fellow stressed student from the other side of the bookcase. You pleaded with Ezra with your eyes, tugging harshly on his thick coat for him to let you go. 

“stay, quiet..” He mumbled, pressing a finger to his wet lips. 

Slowly, his palm raised from your lips as he watched you for any sudden moves.

Taking a deep breath and a pissed punch at his arm, you turned around to face him. 

“That's what I should be saying!” You scream-whisperered. “We're in public and you're acting like a child who can't gotta toy he wants-- I'm not your mommy-!” 

“Shh!” A voice from the opposite side of the book case ushered. 

Ezra grabbed your beating hands, pulling your wrists tight to his chest as you tried to pound against him. 

He seemed to grow small by shrinking down towards you, pulling your softening hands upward. He stared up so earnestly, like he hadn’t just licked a feverish stripe down your neck with a desire sp hungry that he didn’t consider your wellbeing. 

“Sweethearttt,” Ezra leaned down with a whine, his sweetly soft eyes melting him slowly back to what he was before he tried to suffocate you. “I just want to be yours. Just want to kiss you and keep you…close.”

You swallowed looking at him, bending lower than you to get up close from below, nose nearly touching yours as he leaned up. Who was this overly needy person that replaced your already clingy boyfriend? He was acting more impatient than usual. 

Your frustration melted a little on the outside, your curiosity more potent now that you could sense something was off. 

“You’re being unusually obsessed today. Why do you need my attention so badly?”

You swore you saw Ezra’s face drop, mouth fixed into a plain thin line before it was gone in an instant. 

“Why don’t you kiss me and I’ll tell you?” he grinned, bringing your hands up to his ears, burying them into his hair. 

He circled you back to what he wanted again, nuzzling your nose as he waited for your move. He could kiss you, could relish in your skin and smell right here and now with your mouth too preoccupied to scream. But that wasn’t what he wanted. 

“Prove that you love me too. I do so much for you, stay here with you, take care of everyone else for you… can’t you just show that you love me in return?”

His bright eyes crinkled, losing their shine as the grip pressing your fingers into his hair suddenly began to feel like handcuffs. Yet his face never wavered, staring into your eyes as he waited for your move. This was a test; he wanted to love you, but above all he needed to know there weren’t any… Threats. Whether that be your own weak mind or another man. 

“Wha-,” Your mouth hung open, wondering with surprise where this trial was coming from. Did he see you do something and consider it a betrayal? “I..”

The usual Ezra would gaze back and forth evidently between your eyes and lips, a cute grin decorating his uncannily symmetrical face as he leaned in to kiss you. Now, he was a stoic void that waited emptily, expectantly. 

You scoffed, feeling more ridiculous than when you circled this book aisle. “Fine… if it’s that big of a deal.” 

Your untroubled tone tried to brush it off, but you weren’t fooling either of you. 

It didn’t take much further to close the gap, pressing gently against Ezra’s stiff mouth as he kept your wrists tight against him. Well, if you were going to convince him, you couldn’t keep feeling like a prisoner in his hold. You caressed his cheeks with your thumbs, running your hands down to his neck despite his chokehold trying to keep you still. He eventually let go, however not without rough hesitation.

You felt like you were pecking at a statue, the warm aroma of his skin entering your nose as you pressed your face flush against his, tongue licking at his bottom lip with each kiss you tried to convince him with. 

Ezra softened, just the teensiest bit, unable to ignore the sensation of your warm fingers on his jugular, moving to wrap each arm around his neck as you leaned against his broad nose. A slightly satisfied, indulgent groan left him. He felt like a teenager again, making out in the library with his hands flush against the bare skin of your back beneath your jacket and sweater, fantasizing about the curve of your spine and how your inner thighs would taste. 

He melted, opening his mouth for you and kissing back with the fervor of a long distance lover you hadn’t seen in ages. But in reality, you had just had this same needy kissing session last night, much to Ezra’s pushing. He just wanted to convey how much he loved you, how special you were, to never let you feel inadequate or have the need to run to anyone else ever again.  

“Is that..enough.. To convince you--” You tried to speak between his kisses, cut off each time with a wet peck against the corner of your lips. 

The annoyed clearing of a woman’s throat came from uncomfortably close, foot tapping on the ground as the librarian waited for you two to finish. 

[gunsandspaceships]

Many degrees of Doctor Stark

It is widely known that 616 Tony has several doctorates. The number varies from 3 to 7, but it doesn't really matter whether he is 300 or 700% Doctor. He is one. And he doesn’t use his title 99.999% of the time.

Ok, but what about the MCU?

It is never mentioned whether Tony has a PhD or even a master's degree. Kinda weird. Both the absence of mentions and lack of degrees, since Tony is so smart and productive.

Let’s check, maybe he actually has some.

Here we have a file from a deleted scene from The Avengers (2012):

As we can see, the work is sloppy – there are inaccuracies in his hair color (it’s not black, it’s brown), and the fact that he speaks French was not included. Can we rely on this paper? Let’s not 100%, but we can still use things that don't contradict the movies.

The fact that he received his BS in Engineering from MIT does not contradict this, so we can mark it as valid. He started in 1984 when he was 14 years old and graduated in 1987 when he was 17.

We see no further education in the file. But we know something that this file doesn’t. We watched the movies.

Remember, in Civil War at 0:13:25, in the scene where Tony sees his parents for the last time, Maria tells Howard, “Be nice, dear, he’s been studying abroad”. Tony is 21 here, this is December 16, 1991. Looks like he is on winter break.

But wait… Didn’t he graduate in 1987 and stop then? Well, Maria tells us he continued.

Between 17 and 21 there are 4 years. What could he have done in these 4 years? A lot, right? He is smart and productive, we know that. A master’s degree usually takes 2 years. Tony could earn it in 1. 1 or 2, we still have 2-3 years that we need to fill with some kind of studying. I doubt he just went back and got another bachelor's or master's. That said, he was working on his PhD.

We don't know where. “Abroad” is a very broad concept. Maybe he went to Europe to study at Oxford? We do not know. Perhaps he stayed at MIT and just went somewhere else for the fall semester. We do not know. But he did go somewhere for (most probably) a PhD.

The question is: did he finish it?

Well, his parents died in Dec 1991, and we know from the first Iron Man (0:04:50) that Stane was the interim president of Stark Industries from that date until 1992. Most likely, Tony became CEO before his birthday, that is, May 29, which corresponds to the stated age of 21. He had a few months between.

We don’t know where he was in his degree at that time. But we know he is smart and productive. He doesn’t need 4 years to write a dissertation.

So, there are 2 options:

1) He did not complete his doctorate and devoted himself entirely to the company;

2) He completed it in the few months he had and then took over the company.

Here’s the evidence for the second option:

“Confusing matters more, a recently deleted LinkedIn profile for Tony Stark indicated he received doctorates in engineering physics and artificial intelligence.”

Source: https://alum.mit.edu/slice/who-iron-man

Given all the information and analysis we have, as well as a little logic, we can conclude that Tony has a Ph.D. Even two. He had time to do them. Why doesn't he use his title? Well, maybe for the same reason 616 Tony doesn’t? He doesn’t usually brag. Check out this post if you have any doubts about my statement.

Here are some additional hints:

He gave lectures at scientific conferences (IM1 and IM3 - Bern 1999).

His scientific expertise was not limited to engineering and his company's affairs (all the movies, but specifically I can point you to IM3– the scene with Maya Hansen and her Extremis-enhanced plants in Bern).

“He must have graduated after 1990, because the '90 Brass rat was the first one with the skyline on the edge.” MIT alumni commentary https://alum.mit.edu/slice/who-iron-man

Conclusion (actual): call him Doctor Stark, guys, he deserves it. Despite his modesty about his scientific achievements, Dr Stark has a couple of master's degrees and at least two PhD degrees in the MCU - in engineering physics and artificial intelligence.

[aestheticsarereal]

The Pleasure Principle - e.m.

a/n: Lord have mercy. This is just straight porn. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I did writing! As always requests are always open!

Summary: Eddie finds himself at a strip club one night and sees a familiar face on stage. How could he not request a dance? 

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI! Graphic description, rough sex, Dom!Eddie,choking, swearing, being a stripper? Alcohol consumption, pet names: kitten, doll, etc. sexual tension, creampie, unprotected sex, Wrap it before you tap!

Pairings: Eddie Munson x fem!reader stripper

Wc: 4.3k 

Photo credit: N/A

Do not post my work anywhere!

Friday nights were always the busiest of your week. It was payday and everyone wanted a stress reliever for a hard week’s work. You had claimed your residency at the club a little over 7 months ago. It was pretty hard to miss the neon signs that illuminated the front of the building. A giant yellow and pink flashing neon sign etched ‘PANTHER PLAYGROUND’ with a bright pink cat that switched to a girl arching her back. On the front of the building were other neon signs in hues of blues, purples and pinks ‘Girls Girls Girls’, ‘All Nude’, ‘Live Girls’. The strip club had been located 15 minutes south of Hawkins, where you and most of the girls lived. 

Plenty of graduated seniors and business men made their way there every week it seemed. Most of your shifts, much like this one, started at 10 p.m. and ended near 2 a.m. You had 5 half hour floor sets and the rest of the time was spent in the private rooms where regulars, out of towners or newbies wanted a one on one dance. While you might have been fairly new to the playground, you were the hottest ticket in town. 

You had graduated over a year ago and had been the youngest girl there at a whooping nineteen. That drove everyone up the wall. It earned you the nickname ‘Babydoll’. You played on this by wearing bright and playful colors. Your signature was pink. Baby pink lipgloss, lingerie, heels, makeup, and pink glitter. The more innocent you looked the more bills you collected at the end of the night. Frills, lace, shimmer, you name it. 

It had already been 12:15 a.m. and it was time for your third set of the night, except now you were on the main stage. The reflective tiles littered across were in the shape of a giant ‘T’. It seemed like a catwalk with the pole right in the middle of the stage’s junction. That was your favorite place to dance. You could easily get lost as the spotlight followed you down the aisle. Your friends often asked if you still had stage fright but it was quite the opposite. You couldn’t wait to strut out onto the stage and captivate the lively bodies in the room. 

The club’s walls were bouncing from the bass and reverberation of each of the songs that played one after another. Each girl had a mix that played when they were on the main stage. Through all of the glitter and innocence, your mix consisted of rock and metal. The juxtaposition alone made the room go wild. Scanning  the crowd, you knew tonight was going to be a good one. Weekends in the summer always were. “Next up, you know her, you love her. She's the Panther's girl next door. Give it up for…Babydoll!” The DJ’s voice mixed with the cheers and whistles that echoed in your ears. 

You pranced up the stairs and smiled and waved at some of the familiar faces you spotted in the crowd. Twirling to get some of the tables more loud and playing with your hair that was curled and teased up. Before you planted yourself on the pole, you turned to a random table of guys you're recognized from a few years ago at Hawkins High. It was your way to start a set by blowing a glossed kiss at a new table every night. 

You raised your right hand above your head and gripped the pole tight. Squeezing your thighs and arching your back so your ass was clearly pushed against the cold steel. That’s when ‘Girls Girls Girls’ by Motley Crue blasted throughout the club. Mixtures of 1’s. 5’s, and 20’s were starting to get thrown at you. Intricately swinging and grinding on the pole. Running your hands up and down your body. Bending over and arching to place yourself in positions that leave little to the imagination. 

Right as you worked your way to the chorus you decided to pay the folks at the end of the catwalk some attention. Crawling on all fours, sensually, you heard praises and clapping from either side of you. But that was drowned out. Everything was drowned out as you looked up right at the front doors. The doors had opened to reveal someone who would have never expected to waltz right in. 

Back in your senior year, you had shared a few classes with him. He failed almost all of them. Not because he wasn’t smart but because he struggled but no one gave a shit. Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson. The reason you two got along was maybe for your love of metal and rock or the fact that you actually helped him in class or the few times you bought a quarter off of him occasionally. He always called you a freak but you liked it. Liked that if you two shared things in common then you would gladly wear the name on your sleeves. 

The odd thing was you had never seen him in here before, so now you were intrigued as to why he had been here. But as Vince Neil’s voice reverberated off of the walls, his eyes seemed to catch yours and a wave of shock ran through his eyes but a prominent smirk was etched on his face. This translated into a newfound confidence for you. This dance isn't for everyone anymore. It hadn’t even been for yourself, it was for him. Your eyes followed him as you picked a table not too far from the stage. Just the perfect view to catch you prancing around like a doe. 

Song after song played as he still cradled his amber colored drink. Watching you dance. His eyes raking over your body, every crevice and curve. Watching the way your body moved sensually. It was now 12:45 a.m. by the time you had walked off of the main stage. Collecting any and all bills that belonged to you and stuffing them in your pink fluffy duffle bag that you use strictly for your money. Once you knew your money had been safely put away, you headed out to the floor in search of the man of the hour. 

However, to your disappointment he had disappeared along with his amber colored drink. Just as you headed towards the bar in hopes if the bartender had seen him anywhere, one of the managers turned you around. “Hey babydoll, there is a private dance waiting in room 1. He also paid for extra time.” “Oh okay, how long did they want?” “Guy said he wanted an hour. Paid upfront in cash too.” The disbelief that took over your face. “Phil, you know I can’t do that.” “Sorry sweetheart, but he already paid. Plus he’s new.” 

The sour taste this new guy put in your mouth could just about ruin your night. You practically have to dance for this guy until you close. Of course Phil would allow you to miss your two other stage sets for this fucking dance. You couldn’t help but be a little put off by this guy that you never even met. Who can pay for a full hour dance in cash upfront? As you approached the first door to the private rooms, you took a deep breath in to prepare yourself for the long hour you were about to endure. 

There had been a switch next to the handle. It lets dancers know which room is in use and it allows the customer inside to know that you are about to come in. It works because it is too loud to hear any knocking. Your perfect manicured finger flipped the switch on and you put on your most innocent face. Slowly opening the door and slipping inside you made sure to close the door firmly to make sure the new guy could see and hear that you were ready. 

You had your back to the guy, mainly so you could give yourself as much time to mentally prepare yourself. But as soon as you turned around, the most audible gasp escaped your lips. It was Eddie. He was standing there in all of his glory. Except now he had ditched the Hellfire shirt for a plain navy blue button up. Still adorning those white Reeboks. His hair was still curly and long and tamed this time. His tattoos are more prominent than ever. Especially his chest. However, his rings caught your attention. They still looked heavy on his hand as it draped over his thigh that was spreading wide open. He looked like sex on that chair. 

Your mouth was wide open but no words dared to come out. This made his lips turn up into a giant smile and chuckle at your current state. “Hi babydoll, or can I call you Y/N?” You must have looked stupid. Standing there in 7 inch holographic heels. A pink metallic string bikini adorned your tits and barely covered your ass. Your mouth hangs open like a fish out of water. All you could mutter was a quiet, “Eddie.” “That’s my name sweetheart.” 

Then it dawned on you, he wanted an hour’s worth of a dance. “Why are you here?” He mockingly put a hand over his heart like it had genuinely hurt his feelings. “I can’t come in and see the best dancer in all of Hawkins?” You shook your head and rephrased your question. “No I mean why are you getting a dance from me?” “Again Y/N, I wanted to see the best dancer in Hawkins.” This time he stood from the chair and you were practically at his height. No mistake, he towered over you without your heels. 

“Are you sure that’s the real reason why you’re here?” He dryly laughed at your question. “I had known for a while that you worked down here. So what I saved a bit to come and get some one on one time with the “Panther’s very own girl next door, Babydoll.”’ This confession made something stir in your lower stomach. “Don’t play with me Munson.” “But that would be nice to do.” That smirk never left his face. “You always did intrigue me Y/N.” He had now been circling you, like a hungry shark. “You were a ‘freak’ like me. Quite the opposite of being a ‘girl next door’. But I can see why they like your little innocent act you put on.” You could feel his stare even when he stopped behind you. 

His voice was sending you into a trance. “I always appreciated you for helping me out in class. That reflected when you would come buy from me. But you and I know both why I let you walk away with more than what you were buying.” You shook your head in fear your voice would give you away. Slowly brushing past you, he finally made his way in front of you. “Tsk, tsk sweetheart. I know you’re smarter than that.” 

“What if I’m not?” This intrigued him to continue. “Then come show me how dumb you are. Maybe I can teach you a few lessons.” He finally went to sit back down in the black cushioned chair that was set up in the middle of the room. It was a very spacious chair with plenty of room to fit two people in it. His finger lightly petted his thigh, practically making your mouth water. You stood still in the place you found yourself about two minutes ago. “I guess I should get started on your dance then, wouldn’t want to waste your time.”

It was almost in sync, the way you dropped to your knees and through the small enclosed room, Panama by Van Halen eased its way into both of your ears. You could see Eddie shift in his seat. The sight of you on your knees, crawling toward him like some puppy. Your ass was sticking out in the air, practically swaying back and forth as you worked your way to the chair. You internally thanked him for always manspreading because it gave you more access. 

Your hands slowly slid up his legs and firmly grasped onto his thighs. Your hands were on top of his. You used this as leverage to stand up but to bend over in his face. His eyes darted from yours, to your lips, then finally to your tits that were spilling out of your sparkly pink bikini top. It didn’t help that your nipples were hard and he wished he could just reach out and suck them into his mouth. He could see your lips were moving but he didn’t hear the words that came out. “What’s the matter Eddie,” you pouted, “cat got your tongue?” You giggled and turned around switching hands to balance yourself on the arms of the chair. 

You bent forward, folding in half. Your arms graced down your legs holding onto the back of your calves. He had the perfect view of your ass that was barely covered by the sorry excuse you called ‘bottoms’. He knew he could reach out and just grope you to his heart’s content, but where was the fun in that? You couldn’t believe that Eddie wanted you. Well at the very least,  wanted a dance from you. 

You spread your legs and grazed your thighs with your fingers and pulled at them. You could hear a low groan come from the older guy from behind you. You couldn’t help the smile that etched itself on your face. The thing about big heels was being able to work more on the balls of your feet. You spun around to face his front and could see the strained erection that had been growing by the second in his tight black jeans. 

His eyes followed your every body roll and arch. Teasing was the purpose of your job and teasing was what you would do to this man. Pushing yourself back and onto the floor, you found yourself in the position you first started in. You put your left hand behind you to support yourself, while you sucked on your right thumb. A ‘pop’ rang through the room as it flowed through Eddie’s ears like music. You drug your fingertips down your neck and in between the valley of your breasts. His stare lingered lower to your navel and your clothed cunt. 

Your hair flipped as you rolled away and farther from him to play with yourself. You gripped your tits as your back arched from the black tiles. His groans and growls were enough to convince you to give him some attention. He was clearly aching and you wanted to help him. You climbed into his lap and made yourself right at home on his lap. There was a change in his eyes. It was dark. It was lust. His hands gripped your hips tight as you ground your hips down at an agonizingly slow pace. 

“So what does a man like you do to have enough cash for an hour dance with Hawkins babydoll?” Your fake lashes bat at him and you stuck your bottom lip out in a pout that showed the small golden flakes in your pink lip gloss. His hands were rough and you could feel the calluses on each of his fingers. “Well, I played guitar for a while, but those calluses you feel are from all the cars I work on sweetheart.” Your eyes went wide and all you could was grind down harder at this new information. 

“You like sweetheart? Like that I work a real man’s job. That I earn money so I can come here and see your pretty body dance for me?” This man knew exactly how to make you feel like putty in his hands. You could feel his erection as you were grinding over him and it took everything in you to not whimper at the friction that you were feeling on your clit. But he wasn’t wrong and that was what made you wet. He could read you easily. 

Your hands made their purchase in your hair as you swivel your hips on him and bounce. His hands were working their way from your hips to right under your breasts. He couldn’t take it anymore. You were in his lap, practically naked, just begging. 

He worked his way to your back where the strings of your top were resting. In one fell motion, your top had fallen down. “Eddie!” “I’m sorry doll, I couldn’t help myself. You’re fucking grinding that cunt on my cock and you look fuckin’ incredible.” “You could have asked,” was all you could reply with. “Don’t tell me that.” His hand reached up to your left tit and squeezed hard. Finally you made your first sound of the night. “That’s it baby, mewl for me. Pur for me like a good kitten.” Out of nowhere you felt his harsh smack to your other tit. A whine filled his ears and this only caused him to do it again. 

“You dirty girl, you like it when I slap those tits of yours.” All you could do was nod and gasp as his hot breath caused your nipple to harden even more. His teeth grazed  the sensitive bud as you arched your back into him. Your body was begging him for more. He obliged and engulfed your nipple into his mouth. He sucked and pulled it his teeth causing you to moan and buck your hips into his. “Eddie–please.” Nothing was said except that slap that was given to your ass. “You’ll take what I give you, right baby? Because you’re good and good girls wait.” 

You nodded and sighed as he switched to the other nipple and rolled the left one in between his fingers. Your hands shakily lowered as you undid the sides of your bottoms and threw them across the room. Here you were in Eddie Munson’s lap, naked and grinding down on his cock like a cat in heat. “Look at you all needy and ready for me, yea?” “Yes Eddie!” His hand wrapped your throat as he sat back to watch you. “Look at you, come one show me how bad you want it.”

You pouted at him but picked up the pace as you rocked back and forth in his lap. The direct contact of the denim and your bare clit made you gasp and whine. 

Hisses came from his throat the more your soaking cunt swept over his hard cock. “Just like that Y/N, feel good on me.” “Fuck me Eddie. Please, I need you.” He shushed you and his left hand made its way to your hips to stop you. “Get up,” he commanded. You did as you were told and rubbed your thighs together to generate some sort of friction. He was making work on his jeans. Your eyes were glued on his hands as they slid his zipper down and you couldn’t help but note the mess you made on the dark denim. “Would you look at that? You made quite the mess on my jeans.” 

He slid them down along with his boxers. They sat at the mid of his thigh. Your lips parted in sight of his throbbing cock. It bobbed up and hit his stomach. The tip was an angry red and a prominent vein that traveled down all the way to where his balls hung heavy. Little balck curls adorned his base. Well trimmed but still enough to turn you on. There were a few times in the past you caught sight of his happy trail but nothing like this. 

His head was already leaking precum and what you wouldn’t give to taste him. But right here and now in this moment you were too needy. You need his cock in you and to fuck you like you were his. You wasted no time in slotting yourself back onto his lap. You took your right hand and ran your fingers through your slick folds, collecting your arousal on your fingers. Pumping his cock in your hand, you made sure to get him nice and wet to take all of you. 

“Jesus H. Christ Y/N.” His eyes remained on your hand pumping his cock that was covered in your slick. You leaned in close to his ear, raising your hips right above his tip. “Is this okay with you,” you asked as you licked his earlobe and sank down on him at the same time. A loud ‘yes’ was your answer as you took all of him. You felt so full and so fucking good. The way his cock felt in you, felt like it could have been in your stomach. 

“Feel that Eddie? Feel you so deep in me, feel so fucking good.” Your words were coming out in slurs as you slowly raised your hips and brought them back down, feeling every vein and curve. It was as if you were made to take him, all of him. The way his hard cock rubbed against your spongy walls and he was able to hit that spot deep within you. You continued to fuck him slowly as your clit rubbed against the base of his shaft. 

He had both of his hands on the side of your torso to guide you up and down on him with ease. The pain of his fingers translated into pleasure as you kept going. Taking a break from riding him you rocked back and forth in his lap. Grinding like before but this time he felt every move of your hips. “Yea baby, work those fuckin’ hips just like the little slut you are.” “M’not a slut,” you huffed out. “No? If you’re not a slut, then why are you fucking me like one? Fucking one of your customers?” You shook your head and continued to grind on his cock. “Hey look at me when I’m talking to you,” he grabbed your face, causing your lips to form into a pout. “I said I'm not a slut.” 

He wasn’t having any of it and his hands immediately went down to your ass. You took your hips and raised them as he started fucking up into you. The force and the angle at which he was fucking up caused you to scream out. His balls were slapping up into your ass causing the sound of skin slapping to mix in with the music and your moans. “You’re not a slut huh, guess I need to fuck you like one then.” He was driving up into your cunt, repeatedly hitting that spot that made your legs go weak. 

Your hands made purchase on his shoulders as you tried to meet his thrusts. “See you say your not a slut, yet try to fuck me back.” Whines and moans were escaping your lips as you bounced up and down on his shaft. “Feels s’good Eddie.” “I know it does.” Your right hand slipped in between the both of you and started to rub tight circles on your clit. 

He noticed and started fucking up into you harder to get you there. “C’mon baby, I want you to cum. Cum all over this cock.” His voice, smooth as velvet. His hands were rough. His cock was fucking you so good. It was all becoming too much and you couldn’t hang on anymore. “I know you can do it Y/N, give me your cum.” His voice pleading you sent you over the edge as your orgasm came crashing over you. “Fuck Eddie!” Hot tears spilled down your face and mixed with your glitter. 

You could tell he was close in the way his pace was starting to become erratic. He took you and slammed you down onto his cock as his cum shot up into you. “That’s it, take my cum like the good girl I know you are.” Causing you to gasp at how much he was coming. He kept you there tight until his load was completely emptied in you. 

Neither of you dared to move from your position as the both of you panted and tried to catch your breaths. “I think that was an hour’s worth of a private dance.” You looked up and searched his eyes. It was the same old Eddie that had to make you laugh. You chuckled and leaned your forehead against his. “You’re kinda sweaty.” “So are you,” he retorted. He checked his watch and it had already been 1:12 a.m. 

“Why do you get dressed, go do whatever you need to do to clock out and you can come back to my place and smoke. You know for old time’s sake?” You smiled and nodded at the idea he proposed. “Wait!” Before he could ask you what was wrong, his lips were enclosed in yours. ‘Mmm’. You captured his top lip in your bottom lip as you leaned into him. Pulling back you looked him in the eyes, “I couldn’t help myself, I’ve been wanting to do that since senior year.” He just smiled and gave you pecks all over your face. 

You tried your hardest to get off of his lap without making a complete mess of him or yourself. While he situated himself back in his jeans, you tied your suit back together as neatly as possible. Trying to make it look like you didn’t just get your brains fucked out by the town freak. “Alrighty, I’m going to be right back. Collect my things, pay out the club and I’ll be out front!” He smiled at your cuteness and petted your cheek. “Sounds good Y/N, I’ll be at the bar waiting.”  You turned to head out at the door and you could feel his stare on your ass, “I’ll be the short one in pink.” 

All Eddie could think was that some things never change.

[chahnniesroom]

tenderness | chapter 4: mask on

[noun] /ˈtendərnəs/

1. the quality of being gentle, kind, or loving

2. the feeling of pain, aching, or soreness

pairing: bang chan x female reader

summary: in a world where soulmates are rare and precious, you don’t know why the universe has decided to give you one. you never could have imagined that they would be an idol, and one that you worked with at that, or the challenges that would arise from your bond.

chapter word count: 4.1k

chapter warnings: arguing, emotional/verbal abuse, reader doesn't have a good relationship with her family

a/n: this chapter was very difficult to finish and took me way longer than the rest. luckily the next chapter is already almost finished! i'm excited for that one :)

previous chapter | masterlist | next chapter | read it on ao3

Y/n insists on getting ready for Chuseok at her place instead of the dorms. Once Chan’s dressed in his suit, Y/n sits him down in a chair that she’s dragged into the bathroom. She meticulously styles his hair, retaining some of his natural curls, but taming the mess that he’s barely touched during the past couple of days that they’ve had off. The prickles of the Charge when her hands touch his head combined with the gentle repetition of the straightening iron smoothing through his hair lull him into a relaxed state. 

“Do you want me to do some makeup too?” Y/n’s voice breaks through the silence.

Chan quickly agrees. When he had chanced a glance in the mirror after Y/n had finished with his hair, his bare face had stuck out like an eyesore. She prompts him to close his eyes and when she’s finished, Chan’s shocked. He never knew that Y/n was so talented with makeup. The products that she’s applied are light, barely noticeable, but somehow manage to conceal or transform every feature that Chan’s most self-conscious of, even though he’s never voiced these insecurities to her. He has always appreciated the makeup artists that they had for schedules because he felt like they turned him into a completely new person, the idol version of himself. He’s always considered him with makeup to be Bang Chan, leader of Stray Kids. Right now, he still looks like himself, but… better.

She shoos him out of her room as she changes and does her own hair and makeup. Chan has only visited a couple times, mostly when Y/n has to run in and grab something, so he takes the time to have more than a cursory look around. Surprisingly, there’s not much to look at considering the amount of time that Y/n had been living here before she had moved into the dorms. She has a bookshelf with a number of small trinkets and a fake plant.

There’s a few pictures showing Y/n at her graduation with friends, polaroids and photo booth printouts with Eunsung and a couple of people Chan doesn’t recognize, and a signed photo of Y/n with Xdinary Heroes. The members are all crowded around Y/n, smiling faces pushed together to fit properly in the frame and arms wrapped around each other tightly. 

Chan stares at it hard enough that he startles when Y/n calls his name. He turns around and feels his jaw go slack.

Y/n’s dress is similar to his suit, simple yet luxurious and extremely flattering. It’s also black with intricate gold embroidery, but she has flowers and leaves twining up the side of the dress where Chan has a dragon and wispy clouds. Her hair is in a complicated looking updo with gold accessories and she’s holding a pair of heels that match the rest of her outfit.

Y/n always looks nice. She’s always perfectly put together at work and even at home when she’s just wearing her sleeping clothes, Chan finds her pretty.

But today, Y/n looks stunning. Chan thinks he’s forgotten how to breathe.

“Channie-oppa?” she prompts. “Everything okay?”  Chan realises he hasn’t said anything, that he must have missed Y/n talking to him, and flushes deeply.

“What? Uh, yeah, I’m okay. Everything is fine! Great!”

“Okay… Are you ready to go then?”

“Right! Yes, let’s go.” Y/n is already at the door, but Chan is still frozen where he had been standing in front of Y/n’s pictures. “Just, Y/n-” 

Y/n stops and turns around expectantly. Her stare makes Chan feel tongue-tied again.

“You look nice. Especially nice today. I just wanted to tell you,” he says.

“Aw, thank you. You clean up pretty nicely yourself,” she says, blushing. “Now let’s go, I’m dreading how bad the traffic is going to be.”

—

Chan has never seen Y/n drive, she normally opts to take transit or walk since the dorms are fairly central and they have hired drivers for transporting them to schedules. She’s a careful, yet confident driver, clearly familiar with the route and at ease weaving through the busy traffic. But what Chan’s most impressed by is her car. It’s black, sleek, and quietly powerful, the engine purrs when Y/n presses on the accelerator. 

Chan can finally see all the pieces being put together that make up this version of Y/n, the one that’s a daughter instead of a manager of Stray Kids or his soulmate. So far, he still doesn’t quite understand why she’s kept her family so secretive, other than maybe a general hesitance to share that they’re wealthy.

“Chan-oppa,” Y/n says, right in front of the door. Chan’s almost too busy marvelling at the house’s design to hear her. “Whatever you hear… Whatever they say… Ignore it, okay?”

“What do you mean?” Chan glances at Y/n and finds her looking down, twisting her hands together.

“Just… Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

Before Chan can reply, the door swings open, revealing a large entryway that doesn't seem to have anybody in it. When they step in, Chan sees that there's a household staff person holding the door open. 

“You’re late,” A voice calls from the door that leads from the entryway to the rest of the house. Chan knows for a fact that they’re at least 15 minutes earlier than the time that Y/n said they have to be there. “Your brother and his wife are already here.”

“Eomoni,” Y/n breathes out. “I’m sorry.” She bows deeply and Chan immediately follows. 

When he straightens, he finally sees Y/n’s eomoni. She’s not that tall, just a bit more than Y/n, but is somehow still an imposing figure.

“This is Bang Chan-oppa, my soulmate. Chan-oppa, this is my eomoni.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Have a happy Chuseok with a bright and full moon.” Chan bows again.

“It’s very nice to meet you as well, Bang Chan-ssi.” She inclines her head in greeting. “Thank you for celebrating Chuseok with us. Come on, I’ll take you to where the others are.”

When Chan observes Y/n from the corner of his eye, he almost does a double-take. She’s still smiling and it’s not obviously forced, but there’s nothing behind it. It’s sweet but not happy. If Chan hadn’t spent the past few months seeing Y/n everyday, he wouldn’t have noticed the subtle changes in her expression, how she seems smaller, presence muted.

Y/n’s eomoni waits until they have exchanged their shoes for slippers before leading them the way that she had first arrived. As she does so, she makes a comment about their outfits, mentioning a designer that Chan has never heard of. It sounds like a compliment, but there's a slight edge to it that Chan doesn't know how to interpret.

"Thank you," Y/n replies, warily.

“You’ve never been very careful with your money,” she sniffs. “I guess I was wrong to think that these years of having to rely on just your own income would make you more responsible."

Chan’s shocked by the blatant chastisement, especially in front of him. Y/n’s eomoni doesn’t seem to be joking, but Y/n doesn’t say anything but bow her head in deference.

“I bought it,” he blurts out. “I was the one to pay for it, it was a gift.”

“That’s very generous, Bang Chan-ssi. You have good taste.” Y/n’s eomoni eyes him for a moment, then turns to Y/n. “Don’t get used to it, you don’t want to be accused of being a gold digger.”

Chan’s stomach drops. It feels like one of the video games that he’s played where every option leads to a bad ending. No matter what he says, there’ll be a way to twist it into something that puts Y/n in the wrong.

At that moment, they reach a turn in the hallway that opens up into an enormous dining room. The furniture itself is fairly simple, which draws the eye to a glittering chandelier above the table that throws light across the room and makes it seem even bigger. At the far edge of the room, a number of staff are lined up, heads bowed and hands crossed, just waiting for orders to be given.

There's three people already seated. Y/n's abeoji is at the head of the table, on his left is her brother, Siwon, and beside him must be his wife, Eunbee. They do quick introductions, Chan making sure to bow deeply to each person and smile. Already, he can see stark differences between the personalities and mannerisms of Y/n and her family. Where she is warm and enthusiastic, they are dispassionate, yet painstakingly polite.

“Now that everyone is finally here, let’s begin the meal.” Y/n’s eomoni says, gesturing towards the waitstaff.

The first course they’re served is gorgeous, although Chan’s not quite sure what it is. Delicate layers of something have been twisted together to form a blossoming flower, a petal of green sauce curled at the base. The family chatters around him, as Chan considers the best way to eat this dish without just stuffing the whole thing into his mouth at once. After watching Y/n, he finally breaks the ‘flower’ into pieces and lifts one to his mouth. It’s sweet, savoury, and a touch acidic. Delicious, even though Chan’s still unable to tell what any of the ingredients are.

The rest of the meal follows suit, plate after plate is placed in front of Chan, all of them small enough that Chan’s certain he could eat it in two bites at most if he was alone and wasn’t so conscious of his appearance. He only recognizes a few of the entrees, a perfectly seared slice of pork belly, a tiny bowl of steamed egg topped with pollock roe, and an array of crispy jeon. Everything else is too fancy for Chan to fully appreciate, although they all somehow taste good.

He contributes to the conversation a couple times, but the talk mostly consists of countless updates of people that Chan has never heard of. Based on the scathing criticisms some of them receive, he’s glad he’s never met some of them. It’s mostly Y/n’s eomoni that directs the conversation while the rest of the family nod long. Chan feels off-kilter, this evening is so different than what he's used to that he doesn't know what to do other than nod and laugh when everyone else does. More than ever, he finds himself grateful for and missing his own family.

One of the last dishes they’re served is a variation of raw marinated crab. The meat is presented in the shell, but without the legs for ease of eating. Beside it is a perfect little ball of rice that has been garnished with sesame seeds. Chan rolls the rice ball into the crab shell and smashes it to mix with the meat. He's past the point of stressing over eating it as delicately as possible.

He’s just chewing the last bite of crab when a second shell slides onto his plate. Y/n is nonchalantly sipping her tea, but her plate is suspiciously empty.

“Y/n!” Her eomoni immediately scolds her.

“Chan-oppa enjoys this dish so I wanted to let him have it more.”

“I didn’t have a chance to eat it a lot when I was growing up, so it’s nice to have now,” Chan says. In reality, he’s not especially fond of this dish. He doesn’t mind eating it, but it’s not one of his favourites. Now that he thinks of it, he doesn’t think he’s ever seen Y/n eat crab before.

“If that’s the case, we can just get you another one, Chan-ssi.” Y/n’s eomoni flags one of the waitstaff. They take away both Chan and Y/n’s plates and replace them with new crabs right away. Chan wonders how many extra dishes they prepare for each course. 

“Where did you grow up, Chan-ssi?” Y/n’s abeoji joins the conversation, before her eomoni can make any more comments.

“Australia, I’m from Sydney.”

“Ah, and you came to be an idol? What group are you in?”

“Stray Kids.” When he shows no recognition, Chan adds, “We’re under JYP Entertainment.”

“Ah! Park Jinyoung, he’s a good man. I assume he knows about-” Instead of finishing his sentence, he just uses his chopsticks to gesture between Y/n and Chan.

“Yes, there was a lot of paperwork that he was involved in,” Chan confirms.

“You’re keeping the soulmate bond a secret though, right? How many people know about you two?” Y/n’s eomoni cuts in.

"Yes, eomoni. We're being careful at work to stay professional," Y/n says quickly. “JYP PD-nim is one of the few people who know. The information is kept highly confidential and everyone has had to sign a lot of NDA’s, just like how you also had some to fill out.”

"Good. If people find out there's any relationship between you they'd assume that you only got the promotion to his team because you slept with him."

Chan immediately opens his mouth to come to her defence, but Y/n puts her free hand on Chan’s leg, stopping him from speaking. He feels his face heat with emotion and knows his ears are likely bright red by now.

“Eomoni,” Siwon says warningly.

“It’s okay, eomoni is just trying to protect me,” Y/n says. Chan doesn’t believe that for a second. He can’t tell if Y/n’s eomoni is just trying to get a rise out of Y/n or if she genuinely just enjoys insulting her daughter. He has no idea why Y/n is trying to justify her eomoni’s words either.

"See, Y/n knows. I just don't want people thinking she's some kind of whore," she says matter-of-factly. 

“Eomoni!” Siwon is out of his chair in an instant, horrified. Y/n’s hand tightens on Chan’s thigh, preventing him from doing the same. She doesn’t say anything in response, but is no longer pretending to eat her food, just frozen in place. Her lips are pressed together so tightly the natural colour has been squeezed out, a sharp contrast to her flushed cheeks which are only partially noticeable from under her makeup.

Siwon's wife has to tug lightly at his hand to get him back to sit, but he does so unwillingly.

Chan feels the same way. Anger is roaring through him, his hands are trembling with contained rage and he’s certain his jaw will be sore later from how tightly he's clenching it. The only thing holding him back is the fact that Y/n clearly doesn't want him to do anything and he's afraid that anything he does would reflect poorly on her. His first failed attempt to excuse her still weighs heavily on him.

In the resulting silence, dessert is served. It’s a multicoloured set of three songpyeon that each have flower designs layered on top of them. They taste like ash in Chan’s mouth.

Through it all, Y/n’s eomoni sits unrepentant and unaffected by the reactions of the other members of her family. At the head of the table, Y/n’s abeoji is also unbothered. For him, this is like just another family dinner. Chan’s starting to realise for them, maybe it is.

—

The drive home is blanketed by a heavy tension. You can tell that Chan keeps glancing over at you, but you keep your eyes firmly on the road. Parking your car at the dorms and riding up the elevator is the same, you can tell that Chan is itching to say something, but you’re almost scared to find out what. It’s only when the two of you are side by side in the bathroom, wiping off makeup that you decide to break the peace.

“That went pretty well,” you say mildly.

“What?” Chan looks up and meets your eyes through the mirror in disbelief. “You think that went well?”

“I think it could have gone worse. They respect you, that’s a lot.” 

“Respect? I don’t think they even know what respect is. The way they treated you-”

“That’s different!” you cut in, starting to feel defensive.

“It is! It’s worse! How can you just stand there and say nothing when they insult you like that?” When you don’t reply, he shakes his head. “I can’t do this right now, I’m going to- I’m going to go to the gym.” He leaves without another word, practically running out of the room.

You stare in shock at the place that Chan had been standing, flinching when you hear the front door slam shut. Honestly, things had gone better than you expected. Although you had no doubts in Chan’s ability to charm people, you knew that him being your soulmate would make things more difficult.

Methodically, you finish your skincare routine, then change into your sleeping clothes. You hang up your dress, and do the same to Chan’s suit, which is in a crumpled pile that’s only partially on the bed.

You find yourself in the living room, staring at the blank TV. Without any distractions or people around, there’s nothing to stop you from crying. You’re not even sure why-you had known from the start that things would go bad-but the tears just seem to spill out, dampening your pants that you’re wearing. 

“Hey, you guys are- Y/n what’s wrong? Why are you just sitting in the dark?” You look up to find Felix exiting Hyunjin’s room with a stack of dishes. You forgot that he’s been staying in the dorms with you and Chan during the holidays while everyone else was away. You hastily swipe away any evidence of the teartracks that stain your face and paste on a smile, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy and hoping that the dim lighting hides your puffy face.

“Oh, Felix! I- I didn’t know you were still awake.”

He stares at you for a moment before saying, “it’s only 10.”

“Ah, is it? I didn’t realise.” You pretend to laugh, but neither of you are convinced.

“How was dinner?”

“It was… fine.” You say, smile faltering.

“Oh.” It’s obvious that you want to drop the subject and luckily Felix plays along with you. “Where’s Channie-hyung? I thought I heard his voice earlier.”

“He’s at the gym. Wanted to work out before showering.” At least that’s partially the truth.

“Oh, I see. Nice.” Felix ducks into the kitchen and you hear the clatter of dishes against the bottom of the sink. You close your eyes and press the heels of your palms against them, trying to pull yourself together.

“Hey.” When you look up, Felix is back, hovering at the arm of the couch you’re sitting on. “Are you sure you’re doing okay?”

“Yeah, of course!” you try to say, but your voice betrays you and cracks in the middle of the sentence. “It’s just uhm, Chan-oppa. He- I don’t think he had a good time.”

“Channie-hyung? What do you mean?”

“I knew I shouldn’t have let him come with me,” you say, shaking your head. “I was right, he got really upset.”

“Y/n…” Felix says, pulling you close so that he can hug you. You go willingly, feeling slightly better in his embrace. “I didn’t see him. Are you sure? I know he was really excited about meeting your family.”

“It’s probably better that you didn’t see him. When we got home… He was so angry. I’ve never seen him like that before. I’m so stupid for thinking- I don’t even know what I was thinking, I just-” Unable to find the right words, you just let out a noise of frustration. 

He must hate me, is what you want to say, but somehow you don’t think Felix would react well to that.

“Y/n,” Felix says hesitantly. “How about I go talk to Channie-hyung. You know how he gets all stuck in his head sometimes. I don’t know what happened, but I really don’t think that he blames you for any of it.”

“I- okay. Thanks Felix.”

You’re feeling more calm after talking to Felix, probably a mixture of his soothing presence and the chemicals that you must have released while you cried. When you go to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and find that the growing stack of dishes that have built up during the boys’ days off has turned into a mountain. Wanting to keep yourself busy, you fill the sink with warm soapy water and start to wash them.

When the front door opens, you immediately tense up, but continue cleaning. One pair of footsteps heads directly to the hallway that leads to all the bedrooms, the other approaches you slowly. 

Chan doesn’t say anything, just hugs you from behind.

“Chan-” you start to say.

“I’m sorry,” he says, voice muffled from where his cheek is pressed tightly against your head. “I should have talked to you, explained things. I thought I needed time to calm down, cool off. I was mad. I was so mad. Actually, I still am. But never at you. I just… I can’t believe they treated you like that.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not! I didn’t stand up for you, I should have-”

“It’s okay,” you repeat. “I’m used to it.”

“What they said-” Chan cuts himself off mid-sentence. “What happened to your neck? Are you having a reaction to something?”

“It’s nothing,” you say stiffly.

“What- no, it looks like hives, are there more?” He turns his attention to your arms. You’re wearing gloves to wash the dishes, but since you had rolled up your sleeves to prevent them from getting wet, the few bumps that have formed on your forearms are visible. He yanks up your shirt sleeves, revealing even more of them. They’re an angry red and fiercely itchy, although you’ve done a good job of not touching them so far.

“Y/n, these look- they look really bad. Do you know if you’re allergic to anything? Is it something you ate or is there something else? They weren’t there earlier. Is there medicine that we need to get for you?” Chan’s clearly distressed, tugging off your gloves and examining your hands. You wrest them away, already knowing what he’s going to find.

“It was the crab,” you say, resigned. “I’m allergic to shellfish. It’s okay, it usually goes away on its own by the next day. It’ll probably be even faster now with the soulmate bond.”

“And you still ate it? Why didn’t you say something?”

“What was I supposed to say? You think she cares? I’ve been allergic my whole life and it’s never made a difference. I had to eat what I was given, no excuses.”

“It’s not an excuse-”

“I know!” you exclaim. Both you and Chan fall silent for a moment. “I know. It’s just the way things are in my family. My eomoni just wants what’s best for me even if her… way of showing it isn’t always something I understand.”

“Best for you-”

“Chan-oppa, just- I know we’re not going to agree with this, maybe ever. I know our relationship looks bad. But as much as I hate my eomoni for how controlling, how critical she’s always been, I love her too. In some weird way. As much as I hate the way my abeoji and Siwon-oppa don’t interfere, I understand and I love them.”

“I think I’m just upset, Y/n,” Chan says quietly. “I’m just… upset that you have to go through that. Upset that they don’t treat you the way you should be treated. You deserve more than that. More than them.”

“Well,” you say, wiping away tears that you had barely noticed forming. “It’s okay. Like I said, I’m used to it. There’s nothing I can do."

Chan doesn’t say anything in response. You both know that it’s not okay, that even after all these years, you’re not used to it. There’s nothing that Chan can do or say to fix things and make it better. Instead, he just holds you closer. 

Somehow, that’s enough.

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[sebastianstangirl01]

Close Call

Title: Close Call

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Female Mitchell Reader and Pete “Maverick” Mitchell x Daughter Reader

Warning’s: bad description of flying, near death experience, blood, ptsd, language.

Summary: When a training exercise goes wrong leaving Y/N injured some not so great memories are resurfaced for her father and boyfriend.

Y/N’s call sign is “Rebel”

Authors Note: Some of the terms and information may not be accurate. I am not a pilot so I don’t know how everything works, I used Google to help write this. I hope you all enjoy this and there will be more of these types of one shots to come. Please make Top Gun and Top Gun Maverick requests!!!! I am really into both movies right now and have lots of motivation to write for them!!!

Flying is the most accelerating feeling for any pilot, having complete control over something so much bigger than themselves. The adrenaline rush is what every pilot craves.

But no one craves that rush more than Y/N Mitchell, she was known for her risky moves and confident tone. Definitely taking after her father Captain Pete Mitchell while her fathers call sign was Maverick which was self explanatory Y/N quickly followed in her fathers footsteps with the call sign Rebel.

Y/N quickly made a name for herself in the Navy showing people that she was more than just Mavericks daughter, one of the youngest pilots in history to graduate at the top of her class from Top Gun and the youngest Navy Fighter Pilot to get promoted to Lieutenant. It’s safe to say that Maverick was extremely proud of his daughter and so was her boyfriend.

Bradley Bradshaw, call sign Rooster with the strained relationship that her father and Rooster had because of Maverick pulling his papers to the academy it was a little rocky when they took the step and got together but both men knew that they would always have something in common and that was their love for Y/N Mitchell.

Being called back to Top Gun was a great experience and something that Y/N was a little nervous about, Rooster and her father were civil but it was obvious that their relationship was still very much strained and when she found out that he was going to be their instructor she was worried.

“Please tell me you’ll at least try to get along with my dad.” Y/N told Rooster one night as they laid in their shared bed, Y/N laying on Roosters bare chest as he rubbed circles up and down her back

Rooster sighed softly tilting his head to plant a kiss on the top of her head, inhaling the coconut scent that was her shampoo.

“I’ll try, only for you.” Rooster said and Y/N nodded taking what she could get tilting her head to place a kiss on his chest

“That’s all I ask. We better get some sleep, we have a long day tomorrow.” Y/N said and Rooster nodded

Tomorrow they were doing their first practice for the course they would be flying on their mission, Y/N helped her dad study the rough terrain they would have to navigate so he could build a accurate course to follow on the computer.

“I love you sugar.” Rooster said as he tightened his grip around her waist

“I love you too.” Y/N smiled leaning up to give him a goodnight kiss

──────── 🛫 ────────

Something had been bugging Y/N all morning as she got ready for her test flight, she had a bad feeling in the bottom of her gut. Like something was going to go wrong.

She had just gotten dressed in her flight gear and was standing at her locker looking at the pictures taped to the door. One had her dad and goose together she always loved hearing all the stories about those two.

There was another that had her, her dad, Rooster, Goose, and Carole they were all sitting together on a couch Goose was holding 4 year old Bradley with his arm around Carole and a big smile on his face and Maverick had 1 year old Y/N in his arms kissing her cheek as Y/N had a wide smile on her face showcasing her 2 front teeth. Y/N and Bradley were holding hands in that picture it was like they were meant to be.

There was another picture of Y/N and Maverick from her Top Gun graduation Y/N had jumped into her fathers arms wrapping her legs around his waist and arms around his neck as Maverick smiled and squeezed her waist tightly holding her up, they both had wide smiles on their faces.

The last picture was of Y/N and Bradley, she smiled as she ran her finger across it Y/N was being held bridal style in Bradley’s arms she was leaning back with a wide smile both arms stretched back and Bradley was looking down at her with bright eyes it looked like he was in the middle of a laugh.

Y/N shook her head and closed her locker, she needed to have a clear head. But no matter how much she tried she couldn’t shake the bad feeling. Y/N walked out of the locker room and out onto the runway.

“Hey, you ready?” Y/N’s RIO Ashton Burton call sign Ash asked as he walked up beside her.

“Born ready, I just wish our wingman wasn’t Hangman.” Y/N told him and Ash nodded in agreement

“Me too, but with you flying we’ll be just fine.” Ash said patting her shoulder before jogging ahead

“Y/N!” She heard behind her and turned around to see Bradly jogging towards her making her smile

“Hey.” Y/N smiled as he stopped in front of her and wrapped his arms around her waist

“Just wanted to wish you good luck. Watch your back out there.” Rooster said, it was no secret that he wasn’t Hangman’s biggest fan and with him being the one who is suppose to have Y/N’s back it made him worried

“I’ll be fine babe. I’ll see you after.” Y/N said reaching up to curl the ends of his mustache making him smile

“I love you.” Rooster said kissing the tip of her finger before bringing a hand up to her face, pulling them together letting their lips meet in a short but passionate kiss

“I love you too.” Y/N smiled before turning to walk away glancing over her shoulder to see Rooster still standing there with a small smile on his face as he put his sunglasses on

Y/N walked over to her plane and put her helmet on making sure it was secure before putting her aviators on that once belonged to her dad that he gave her as a gift when she graduated from Top Gun.

“Y/N, you read me?” Mavericks voice asked over the radio, he would be flying alongside them so he could supervise better and see what each pilot needed to work on

“Loud and clear dad.” Y/N answered

“Be safe and remember.” Maverick said before Y/N interrupted

“Don’t think just do.” Y/N finished his catch phrase

“That’s right. Hangman get ready for take off.” Maverick said as Y/N got into the plane and buckled in making sure that everything was in working order, which it was

“You feeling good?” Y/N asked Ash

“Feeling great, let’s do this.” Ash said as Y/N reached her hand back and they fist bumped like they always did before every flight

“Hangman ready for take off. Try and keep up Rebel.” Hangman teased over the radio

“I’ll do my best hangman.” Y/N replied sarcastically

“Hangman you are a go for take off.” Maverick said and Hangman immediately took off in front of Y/N. “Rebel, Ash. You are a go for take off.”

“Let’s blow this popsicle stand.” Y/N whooped before taking off souring into the sky. “Sure is a pretty day today, you enjoying the view Hangman?”

“I’m loving the view Rebel, how about you. My tail shiny enough for you?” Hangman asked

“It could use a little work.” Y/N said rolling her eyes

“Hangman you are approaching the check point, remember you must reach the target in 2:15. Rebel, Ash you’re right behind him.” Maverick spoke over comms

“Copy Maverick.” Hangman said before speeding up and passing the check point

“Here we go.” Y/N said before also speeding up, the force sending her back into her seat as she mimicked each move Hangman did.

She noticed that Hangman was going way faster than they were suppose to making Y/N struggle to keep control of the plane as she sped up to try to keep up with him.

“Hangman you’ve got to slow down. You’re going way too fast!” Y/N said over the comms

“What’s wrong Rebel? Can’t keep up?” Hangman asked

“I can keep up just fine jackass! But for this mission it is about more than just speed we have to hit each curve perfectly or we die. You’re going way faster than necessary.” Y/N said as she followed Hangman around a curve, suddenly the jet jerked causing Y/N’s eyes to widen as she tried to control it. “Fuck we flew right into Hangman’s jet wash.”

“Rebel talk to me what’s happening?” Maverick asked over the comms

“We’re caught up in the turbulence. It stalled one of the engines, we lost the left engine.” Y/N said as she extinguished the left engine leaving them with only the right as she tried to gain control of the plane.

“Right engine is down too.” Ash exclaimed making Y/N curse

“Fuck! Extinguishing the engine.” Y/N said putting the fire out and trying to restart the engine. “Both engines are out! We’ve lost both engines!”

“Rebel you’ve got to get the plane under control!” Ash said

“I’m trying damn it!” Y/N exclaimed as she jerked the joy stick, the plane started spinning out of control towards the ground. “Shit I can’t, we’re spinning out I can’t get control!”

“Eject now! You can’t save the plane! Y/N eject!” Maverick exclaimed over the comms as he tried to clear his own head, memories of the day Goose died seeping into his mind

“Eject!” Y/N exclaimed as she tried to reach for her ejection cord but the G-Force was pinning her to the seat. “I can’t reach it!”

“I’ve got it! Ejecting now!” Ash said reaching up and grabbing the ejection cord

Y/N jerked back as she was shot out of her seat as she was thrown backwards smacking her helmet into the canopy. As her parachute deployed she hung limply as she floated down to the ground.

“Rebel! Mayday mayday! Rebel is down! Rebel is down!” Ash said as he landed a few yards away immediately detaching his chute and rushing over to Y/N dropping to his knees beside her

“Talk to me Ash!” Maverick exclaimed trying to find a safe place to land

“Her helmet is shattered I think she hit her head on the canopy there’s a deep gash on her head she’s bleeding really bad.” Ash said as he put pressure on her head

“Main this is Maverick, we need a medical evach now!” Maverick said. “I’m landing.”

“Negative Maverick report back to base.”

“That’s my kid!” Maverick exclaimed

“There’s nothing you can do for her right now, report back to base immediately!”

Maverick cursed before turning around and flying back.

“Don’t let her die Goose. Please she’s all I have.” Maverick mumbled

“Rebel! Stay with me, open your eyes!” Ash said tapping the side of Y/N’s face. “Helps coming.”

──────── 🛫 ────────

Bradley had never ran somewhere so fast, when he heard about Y/N’s accident he immediately ran out to his car and drove as fast as he could to the hospital she was transported to.

Still in his gear Bradley ran through the hallways of the hospital dodging patients and staff with only one thing on his mind.

Seeing the love of his life.

“Bradley.” Maverick said spotting the kid he watched grow up and love his daughter

“How is she?” Rooster asked coming to a stop in front of him

“She just got here they won’t tell me anything yet.” Maverick sighed frustrated

“What the hell happened?” Rooster asked

“They got stuck in Hangman’s jet wash it killed both engines and caused a spin out.” Maverick said pausing

“Exactly what happened to you and my dad?” Rooster asked seeing Mavericks face

“Yeah. Ash said she hit her head on the canopy luckily her helmet took most of the impact.” Maverick said blinking his tears back

“Where is Ash?” Rooster asked clearing his throat as he could feel it starting to close up

“They are keeping him overnight for observation he’s getting checked out now.” Maverick said

“Family of Y/N Mitchell.” A doctor said coming down the hallway

“I’m her dad this is her boyfriend. How is she?” Maverick asked

“Very lucky. Just a few inches to the right and the blow to her head would have been fatal, she has a severe concussion and whiplash but other than that just cuts and bruises. I want to keep her for a few days to watch her concussion and after some physical therapy she should be back in a plane.” The doctor said making both men let out sighs of relief

“Can we see her?” Rooster asked, needing to see with his own eyes that she was ok

“Absolutely, right this way.” The doctor said gesturing for them to follow him

Maverick and Rooster stopped at the doorway of Y/N’s room, there she laid hooked up to a bunch of wires. She was in a hospital gown that showed the bruises and cuts on her arms and chest, she had a gash on her forehead that had been stitched along with a few bruises.

“You go on in I’m going to call and let everyone know she’s ok.” Maverick said and Rooster nodded walking over to her bedside, he pulled a chair over and sat down beside her.

Bradley grabbed her hand gently and brought it to his lips kissing it in relief, he couldn’t imagine losing her.

“I love you so much. I’m so glad your ok.” Bradley said gently stroking her face

It had been a few minutes and now Rooster was just sitting there stroking her cheek mindlessly, not even feeling as Y/N’s eyes fluttered open.

“Take me to bed or lose me forever.” Y/N mumbled with a smirk, Bradley chuckled remembering how his mom use to say that was her catch phrase that would keep his dad in line. Y/N loved it and has used it ever since.

“Show me the way honey.” Bradley smiled in response, copying his fathers response.

“Hi.” Y/N smiled

“Hi. How are you feeling?” Rooster asked

“Like I got hit by a plane. How’s Ash?” Y/N asked

“He’s fine, was really worried about you. They called his wife she’s on her way.” Rooster said and Y/N nodded

“Where’s dad?” Y/N asked looking around

“He’ll be right back, he called to let everyone know you are ok.” Rooster said as Y/N groaned

“My head hurts.” Y/N whined

“You’ve got a concussion. The doctor said you were really lucky.” Rooster said kissing her forehead

“I am Mavericks daughter.” Y/N smiled knowing that he was basically invincible, or at least that’s what all the admirals thought

“That you are. I love you so much.” Rooster said

“I love you too.” Y/N smiled

[ac3may]

“ the wag diaries ”

The Origin Story

~ Sam Kerr ~

~~~~~~~~~~

• just graduated, you were a pretty average uni student

• except not entirely

• you were a couple of years older than most of your class

• America, Fiji, Asia you had become a full granola-girl, travel fiend for a couple of years

• hiking and surfing through the days, partying with your hostel friends through the night

• you were the textbook “trying to discover myself” gap-year kid

• yes, you even came home with a pair of those classic baggy trousers plastered with elephants

•although things went a little better for you considering the internet fame your YouTube doc got you (but we’ll get back to that)

• with two younger siblings (twins) you were blunt, and impatient

• but ultimately cared far more about others than you did yourself

• they were your best friends

• elys was renowned for his practical jokes and getting in trouble that only you could get him out of

• enya was the perfect, youngest child, spoilt in just the right way

• always encouraging you to let her practice her makeup skills or plant pretty flowers in the garden

• especially when your mum died, they were the only ones able to get you out of bed

• or failing that at least encourage a smile to your face

• specially considering the lacklustre relationship you had with your dad… who wasn’t really your dad

• your bio-father split before you were born so at 8 you were introduced to your new stepdad

• he was your sibling's father though so you always felt out of the loop, especially once your mum was gone

• growing up in a football family you were their biggest fan when they progressed from grassroots to academy and academy to first team

• attending every game clad in blue with a painted face, number 1 soccer mom to the max

• you would do anything for them

• the biggest people pleaser

• even if it meant catching a flight to a homophobic country to watch your brother's world cup debut

• just a wounded soul who’s afraid to disappoint

• absolutely underestimate your worth

• just trying to blend into the background

• despite being a secret slut for attention and craving someone to care for you for once

• you’d portray the perfect child to your family so they assume you’re a rebel kid really

• but you felt pretty average growing up

• you were adored in your hometown, always helping the elderly with their grocery shopping and the kids with their homework

• a babysitter and a tutor

• a football coach too

• you played as a kid, much like your siblings

• but the teenage depression when your mum died meant you lost all character and quit all hobbies

• at least for a couple of years

• alonely kid in high school, didn’t drink before you were of age, never went to a school party, or hung out smoking in a field

• always followed the rules at school, middle-of-the-road type of student, not memorable for being too good or too bad

• you were a classic 90’s kid except you refused to let the era go

• as a kid, your mum’s camcorder was on you always

• you loved filming everything and always forced your siblings into being the stars

• which was especially easy when it was their football skills you were showing off

• when you got older you filmed your travels, mainly to send back home but actually gained some traction online

• and then during covid when you and the twins resorted to your roots

• it turns out a YouTube series about two of Chelsea and England’s up-and-coming stars actually does pretty well

• despite being a film student graduate you had no intentions of following your peers to Hollywood or the BBC

• it was your sister who secured you a job with Chelsea

• a big surprise at Christmas when Elys unveiled a new camera and Enya followed up with a contract to start in the summer

• somehow you had never met any of the other Chelsea players, always rushing off to travel home after watching the game in the stands

~~~~~~~~~~

Sam’s definitely my most worked on wag diaries so far, already got 2 more blurbs lined up about her😂😅

[babygirl-diaz]

I would really love to read a Love Actually style fanfic for 9-1-1 with all the couples. I wanted to write it this year but I am just not in the mood to write fics. So here is my idea of what happens in the story instead:

- We meet Athena first and find out that she is recently divorced after her now ex-husband came out as gay. Every one of her friends is trying to set her up with someone but none of the guys they want to set her up with pique her interest. Until her friend Henrietta sets her up with on a blind date. This is the only guy who sounds remotely interesting so she decides to give it a try. Besides she trusts Hen not to set her up on a bad date. So she goes on this date and meets Bobby. Bobby is cute and funny but after a misunderstanding, Athena leaves.

- Then we meet Hen. Hen is on her way to Athena’s to talk to her after her bad date when she gets into an accident with a lady who bites her head off because she has her son in the car and she thinks Hen is drunk because of how fast she was driving. Despite all this, Hen can’t help but find this woman, Karen, really cute. Except Karen doesn’t think the same.

- Then we meet Maddie and Chimney. These two are already in a relationship. But the spark that was once there in their relationship seems to have fizzled over the years. Chimney has been highly suspicious lately though, and Maddie’s brother plants a seed in her head that Chimney might be cheating on her. So Maddie gets a little paranoid and accuses Chimney of cheating who angrily leaves their place.

- Then finally we meet Eddie. Eddie has just moved to LA with his son after the death of his wife. One night, while he is asleep, some drunk guy breaks into his apartment. Eddie calls the cops but then fights the burglar off himself who thinks Eddie is the one who broke into HIS apartment. The cop, Athena, gets there and arrests the drunk guy, Buck, who claims that he lives upstairs in apartment 916 and accidentally got off on the 8th floor and went to apartment 816. When he couldn’t get in, in his drunk state, he broke down the door. Athena doesn’t believe his absurd story and arrests him anyway.

- They go back to the police station and Buck calls his boss to come bail him out. The boss turns out to be Bobby and he and Athena meet again. Bobby bails Buck out and talks to Athena and they resolve their misunderstanding. He invites her to a Christmas party at the firehouse where he and Buck work.

- Buck goes back to Eddie to apologize and meets his son who takes an immediate liking to Buck. Eddie is still wary of Buck but after his own investigation he found out that Buck indeed lives in the apartment right above him. Buck offers to help fix Eddie’s broken door and the two bond, leading Buck to reveal that he was drunk because his girlfriend just left him and went overseas. Buck then invites Eddie and his son to the firehouse Christmas party after he finds out that Eddie is in the fire academy and about to graduate. He wants him to meet Bobby and hopefully get recruited to his firehouse.

- At the party, Hen, who is also a firefighter, is surprised when she runs into Karen and her son, Denny, again. Turns out Karen is a friend of Chimney, also a firefighter, and he has invited her to the party. It was Chimney’s secret plan to get the two of them together but he is surprised to learn that they’ve already met and got off on the wrong foot. But Hen and Karen talk and resolve their misunderstanding and Denny absolutely loves Hen.

- Maddie arrives at the party with Jee-Yun and she and Chimney refuse to talk to each other but then Maddie breaks the silence and asks “who is she?” to which Chimney reveals that there is no one. He was just taking extra shifts at the firehouse because he wanted to surprise Maddie on Christmas and take her to this expensive, ritzy hotel. Maddie is surprised and she immediately finds Buck and hands Jee over to him so that he can babysit him for the night. She also tells him that they will definitely about his breakup and arrest when she and Chimney get back the next day. Chimney also tells Buck that they’re gonna talk the next day because Buck was the one who practically instigated the fight between Maddie and him.

- All in all, it’s a happy ending.

[canonicallyobserving911]

Eddie Diaz is an awesome dad!

Eddie is an awesome dad who will do anything for his son Christopher.  He left El Paso, TX after his parents tried to convince him to leave Chris with them but he relocated to Los Angeles, CA. He moved so that he could give himself and his son a fresh start. Eddie bought a house and he had a familial support system in his abuela Isabel and his aunt Pepa because they were already living in L.A. He attended the LAFD academy and after he graduated at the top of his class, several different firehouses wanted to recruit him.

He’s sacrificed so much for Chris including quitting his job in 2021 right before Christmas because Chris was scared Eddie would get hurt again or worse he could die while working as a firefighter.  He does his very best to be there for his son and he works hard to provide for him.  Eddie is an awesome dad and he’s demonstrated how awesome he is as Chris’ dad for years.

2x2 “7.1” – Eddie took Chris to school before he went to work.

2x4 (2) “Stuck” – Eddie got ready for work while Chris got ready for school.

3x4 “Triggers” – Eddie comforted Chris after he had a nightmare about his mother.

3x13 “Fools” – Eddie had a conversation with Chris about skateboarding after Chris fell off one of his classmate’s skateboards while he was at school.  Eddie explained to Chris that everyone has things they can’t do and he used himself as an example.  He explained how Chris’s science teacher told him how Chris was good at growing plants but Eddie admitted he wasn’t.

3x18 “What’s Next?” – Eddie and Chris attended May’s graduation party and Chris went away from home for two weeks to attend his first summer camp.

4x2 “Alone Together” – Eddie spent time with Chris while Carla read Chris a bedtime story on FaceTime.

5x6 “Brawl in Cell Block 9-1-1” – After being held at gunpoint by an escaped convict, Eddie went home and spent time talking to his son.

5x10 (2) “Wrapped in Red” – Chris had a nightmare about his mother and Eddie rushed into his room after he heard him scream to check on him. Chris told Eddie he could be dead next year and Eddie quit the 118 so Chris wouldn’t have to worry about him.

5x11 “Outside Looking In” – After Eddie quit the 118, his new job wasn’t what he hoped it would be but he stuck it out so Chris didn’t have to worry about him.  Chris asked him if he missed being a firefighter and Eddie said he did.  During a conversation with Eddie, Chris told him he should return to firefighting and explained how it is scary sometimes but he could be brave.

5x14 “Dumb Luck” – Chris asked Eddie if he was one of the things that makes him sad and Eddie responded, “NEVER!”

6x4 (2) “Animal Instincts” – Eddie got a call from Chris’ school explaining that Chris had been skipping his science club meetings.  Eddie took away his video games but one night Chris waited until Eddie fell asleep and he played the games anyway.  Eddie listened to Chris when he said he didn’t want to be treated like a baby anymore and he reminded Chris that he couldn’t be disrespectful after he called Eddie a jerk.

6x7 “Cursed” – Eddie took Chris to his surfing lesson.

6x8 “9-1-1 What’s Your Fantasy?” – Eddie helped Chris get ready for his first school dance and he waited outside of the school with Carla until the dance was over.  He was so proud of his son and he had tears in his eyes.

[ashbrat488]

Flower In The Desert - Intro

Captain Syverson Fanfic

Trigger warnings: smut(duh), violence, assault

A/N: Will follow (loosely) the storyline of Sand Castle and beyond...

"I don't need your assistance," Violet declares, springing to her feet inside her father's office, eagerly anticipating her new assignment.

"I just want to protect you!" Her father's anger boils over as he slams his fist onto the desk. He had always longed for a son, perhaps excessively, and this had put undue pressure on Violet, his daughter and only child, to fill that role. She yearned to impress him, to make him proud, but she consistently undermined him.

"No, Dad!" She refuses to let his gruff exterior deter her from her mission and counters, "I didn't endure medical school just to be stuck in an office somewhere stateside. I want to be where the action is."

Charles furrows his brow, pinching the bridge of his nose with a frown. "Vi," he warns as she rolls her eyes and takes her seat again. "I'm not your father here..."

"Sorry... Major General Becker. If you aren't my father here, then stop giving me special treatment..."

He sighs, gazing at his daughter who resembles his late wife so much that it saddens him to look at her. "Fine. I will arrange it." He watches a grin spread across her face as she jumps to her feet again, ready to leave the office. "But Vi?"

"Yeah, Dad?" She stops and faces him once more as he stands and approaches her, resting his hands on her shoulders. He was never one for displays of affection, but she knows when one is coming. She braces herself, standing taller and raising her chin to meet his gaze.

"I'm already proud of you... so don't try to be a hero, okay?"

"Dad," she whines, shaking her head and rolling her eyes as he holds her chin.

"Promise me. I lost your mother. I can't bear losing you too."

Her chin trembles under his grip, and she gives him a slight nod just before he pulls her into an embrace, planting a tender kiss on the top of her head. "I promise."

"Good," he clears his throat, pulling away from her. "You'll receive an officer ranking for your education and experience."

She immediately shakes her head as he raises his brows. "No. I don't want to be an officer. What's wrong with Sergeant?"

Charles shakes his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "You said you wanted to be in the battle; I'm putting you in the middle of it. You've been in the army since you turned 18, did ROTC before that, and you have a medical degree. You even graduated high school early, for fuck's sake. I have every right to make you an officer, and I will."

She huffs, rolling her eyes as she hears her father clear his throat. She sighs, standing at attention as she brings her eyes back to his. "Fine."

"Good. I'll have you as an O-1. Second Lieutenant."

"Fine," she repeats, annoyed at the ranking but excited to have gotten her way.

"It's settled then. You'll go to Kuwait and meet with your unit before they head to Iraq, to your new Captain, Syverson..."

"Syverson?" She asks, masking a small smile as her heart flutters in her chest. Syverson was six years older than her, and she had a crush on him ever since they first met when she was 16 and he was working under her father.

"Something wrong with that?" Charles asks, noticing the slight flush on her cheeks as she shakes her head, remaining silent. "Fair enough." He stands at attention with his hand on his forehead. "Dismissed."

She nods, saluting him, and leaves after his command. He takes his seat behind the desk again, retrieving his satellite phone from the top drawer and dialing a number.

A gruff "hello?" resonates from the other end, eliciting a small smirk from him as one of his favorite protégés answers his call.

"Captain... I have a proposition for you."

"Major General... please, go ahead," Syverson responds, his curiosity piqued.

Chapter 1

[planetpiastri]

[1] that damn timing

summary - as a kid, you were sure that you and bradley were twin flames. but then you spent years circling one another, never being single and interested at the same time. so you moved on, and so did he—literally. but mere weeks after your life falls apart and you have to move back home, he returns for the big wedding on the horizon. and maybe, just maybe, this time you'll get the timing right.

warnings - small town/hometown au, gn!reader, benjamin!reader, bartender!reader, no use of y/n, reader is nicknamed 'moonshine,' small town inaccuracies probably, carole and goose are alive because i say so, right person wrong time, language, underage drinking mention, reader works in a bar there will be booze, drug mention, takes place in a fake town in missouri so do with that what you will

word count - 2.6k

this blog is 18+, minors please don't interact

on the rocks masterlist

Senior Grad Night - 10 Years Ago

The barn was decorated with everything the Student Council could pull together. Strings of fairy lights swooped across the rafters, and swathes of tinsel hung down like strange plants. Ribbons and flags were stapled to the old wooden slats, and a huge poster reading Congrats Grads covered an entire wall.

Metal cafe tables had been gathered and placed across one side of the floor, and the other side had been cleared away to make an impromptu dance floor. Speakers were sitting high up on a stack of hay bales, playing some twangy pop song as the senior class graduates milled around the space, laughing and reminiscing.

You sat at a table with your best friend Natasha, examining the mason jar holding a small, flickering candle that sat in the middle of the table. Natasha drummed her fingers on the tin table top, her cheek propped on her hand, watching the dance floor. Glancing over your shoulder, you followed her eyes to see Jake, wrapped in the arms of the same person he’d been wrapped in the arms of for the last four years, and even before that.

“Vom,” you said without meaning to.

Natasha swatted your arm gently. “Don’t be mean. I think they’re sweet.”

“Vom,” you said again, grinning.

Natasha rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. At that moment, someone slammed into your table, their hands gripping the edges to keep it from toppling over as you and Natasha both cried out in alarm.

“Bradley!” you yelped. “What are you doing?”

“Sorry,” panted Bradley, his cheeks rosy as he fought to catch his breath. His hair was mussed, and he’d undone the first few buttons of his shirt, his tie hanging loose around his shoulders.

Natasha wrinkled her nose. “Why are you sweaty?”

“Had to run… here,” gasped Bradley, falling into the seat next to you and grasping his side. “Cops… caught us… everyone… scattered.”

“Cops?” you echoed, eyes wide. “Why would—”

“For you,” he interrupted, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a small tin flask, which he held out to you.

You took it and shared a stunned glance with Natasha. “Is this what I think it is?”

Bradley shrugged. “It’s Grad Night.”

You unscrewed the cap and took a careful sniff, wrinkling your nose. “Where’d you get this?”

“Where do you think?”

You narrowed your eyes at Bradley. “It better not be my mom.”

Bradley shrugged again, his expression hard to read.

“Penny will kill you,” Natasha told him confidently.

“Then stop talking about it and just drink it,” Bradley snapped. “I almost got arrested getting it to you, make it count.”

He met your eyes when he said it, and against your will, your heart skipped a beat. Bradley always had a way of cutting right to the center of you, seeing you in a way no one else saw you. Ever since you were kids, you were sure no one got you the way Bradley got you. But for some reason, nothing had ever come of it.

Probably because he was never single, and even when he was, you weren’t.

Timing was a son of a bitch.

“Thanks, Bradley,” you said before taking a quick pull, but immediately regretted it. You screwed your face up and fought back a cough, holding it back out to him. “Oh, nasty. That is definitely not from my mom’s stuff—she has quality. That is ripe.”

“Okay, Moonshine,” Bradley mumbled, taking back the flask with an embarrassed flush to his cheeks. “Sorry it’s not up to par.”

Natasha laughed, reaching over and subtly taking the flask. “Moonshine. Oh, man, that’s great. Get it? ‘Cause you’re such a grump? And also ‘cause you put away shine better than anybody else?”

You wrinkled your nose. “It’s not a competition.”

“Yet somehow, you always win, Moonshine,” said Bradley with a small smile.

You pushed down the butterflies at the use of the new nickname. Before you could reply, Natasha announced decisively, “That’s it. I’m gonna go dance. Either of you gonna join me?”

“Vom,” you reiterated.

“I literally just caught my breath,” said Bradley.

Sighing dramatically, Natasha stood and walked away from the table, flipping both of you off as she went. You and Bradley laughed, quietly passing the flask back and forth till it was mostly gone.

“Have you two just been sitting here all night?” Bradley asked.

You nodded. “There’s no good music playing.”

Bradley grunted in agreement, taking another sip. “That’s why a bunch of us took off. It was good until we got busted.”

“Tale as old as time,” you hummed.

Bradley snickered. He was leaning back in his chair, his legs spread in a way that only he could make endearing. He ran his hand through his hair, looking attractively disheveled. You forced yourself to look away, turning back to the dance floor. Natasha was now dancing and having a great time with Javy Machado, him spinning her in dizzying circles as she laughed.

“Hey,” said Bradley suddenly, leaning forward and making you jump. “Do you want to get some air?”

“Okay,” you said, a little nervous, and you followed him away from the table and out the big double doors of the barn. It felt like everyone was staring at the two of you leaving, even though you knew no one probably gave a single shit.

It was cool outside the barn. Kids milled around here in inconsistent little groups, some obviously passing around flasks of their own, some passing around cigarettes or joints. The sky was clear and inky blue overhead, the stars little silver pinpricks of light.

“What are you doing?” Bradley asked you abruptly.

“Huh?” Your heart pounded painfully in your throat.

“After summer,” he clarified. “Are you sticking around, or…?”

“Oh,” you said, weirdly relieved. “No, I’m going away to Colorado for school. What about you?”

“Same,” he sighed. “My folks are being, like, super encouraging about it, too, which is almost weirder than if they were upset. Is Penny upset?”

You pulled a face. “No. You know how she is. She graduated and fucked off to Europe for a month with no warning when she was my age. She probably thinks I’m being kind of a square.”

Bradley laughed, toeing at a clump of grass. “I guess that’s a fair point.”

It was quiet for a moment, and you ran your hands up and down your arms. Bradley stepped closer, almost like he didn’t realize he was doing it. You were standing chest to chest, and when you glanced up, he was already looking at you. Your breath caught in your throat as his eyes locked onto yours.

“Bradley,” you started to say

His phone buzzed in his pocket and you both jumped back like you’d been caught. He fumbled for his phone, pulling it out and blinking hard. “It’s Amy,” he said.

Right. His girlfriend.

“You should get that,” you said.

“Yeah. Yeah,” he said again, shaking himself. “Yeah, I’m gonna—step back in.” He shot you a smile. “See you around, Moonshine.”

“See you,” you said softly, and watched as he walked away. He put the phone to his ear, and when he walked into the barn, he made sure to shut the door behind him.

The Benjamin Bar - Present Day 

Your fingers hovered over your phone screen as it glowed up at you, illuminating your face in the dimly lit bar. Those two words—LAID OFF—seemed to stare at you, swarming around your head till you felt nauseous. Sucking in a deep breath, you closed out of the email for the billionth time and slid your phone back into your pocket. You picked up a rag and began to wipe down the counter again, even though it was just as clean as it was five minutes ago.

Classic country music oozed from the old jukebox in the corner. The neon lights over the bar buzzed faintly. In the corner, the mechanical bull was silent and still. The dance floor was shining and empty. Only a couple old-timer drunks were sitting farther down the bar, nursing glasses of whiskey and trying not to fall asleep.

You didn’t hate your mom’s bar; in fact, you really liked it. But it was not where you’d hoped to be spending your summer working.

Things in Colorado had been great—almost perfect. After college, you’d been offered an internship at a real estate company, and pretty much from the moment you’d walked through those doors, the rest had been history. You’d risen up through the ranks until you had your own office and one of the best salaries in the building.

Then one of the partners of the company crashed and burned and took all of its shares down with it. You lost your job, your apartment, and your boyfriend when you found out he was screwing the girl downstairs. Within two weeks, you had gone from top of the world to rock bottom. You had gone from the penthouse suite to your childhood bedroom. You had gone from Associate VP to picking up spare shifts at the bar your mother owned. You had gone from picking out engagement rings to cuddling your pillow at night.

Needless to say, things were a little rough right now.

But your mom was getting married to the love of her life in just over a month, and she and Mav had been nothing but kind and welcoming to you, and all the people you had left all those years ago only had kind things to say to you. All in all, there were much worse hometowns to fall back on than Silver Springs, Missouri.

You checked the clock on the wall even though you knew it had barely moved. You didn’t mind working the early afternoon shifts for your mom while she was doing wedding prep, but they did crawl by. It was only two in the afternoon, and you were already dreaming of getting off work and walking across the street to Blackthorn’s, the local diner.

Then the door to the bar opened, allowing a blinding strip of daylight to momentarily stun you. You blinked, and when the light died down, you thought maybe you’d passed out and started hallucinating.

“Bradley?” you said before you could stop yourself.

Because it was Bradley. It had to be. But he was tall now, and broad, and… and… cool-looking. The Bradley you’d known in school had never been cool. But now he had a cool mustache and a cool white tank top and a cool floral shirt and cool blue jeans and he was in the middle of coolly taking off his sunglasses and coolly hooking them to the front of his shirt.

Your mouth hung open in stunned silence, and he seemed to be just as surprised as you were. He stepped towards the bar and said, “Moonshine?”

That damn nickname. You’d almost forgotten about it.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” you asked, a laugh bubbling out of you. “Oh my god—oh my god, hi! It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” he chuckled, leaning his hands against the bar. “I’m back for the wedding. I came back a little early ‘cause, well, my mom asked me to. And I’ve been saving up vacation days. This trip’s overdue.” He tilted his head. “But what are you doing here? Last I saw you was on a real estate sign outside a mansion in Connecticut. What the hell are you doing in Benjamin’s?”

Your cheeks warmed. “Oh. Uh. That sign is probably gone now. Our company went under.”

Bradley’s face fell. “You’re kidding.”

You shook your head.

“Damn,” he said bitterly, and it sounded like he really meant it. He slid into a stool across from you, rapping his knuckles on the bar. “I’m sorry to hear that. Seriously. How long have you been back, then?”

You shrugged. “Couple weeks now. It’s not so bad.”

“No,” said Bradley, and you were surprised to see he was smiling at you. “It really isn’t.” 

He was quiet for a moment, his eyes scanning over your face. You fought to keep your breathing under control. God, you’d forgotten how good he looked. I mean, you’d thought he was cute in school—but now?

Your eyes flickered down to where his bicep strained against the sleeve of his open shirt before darting back up to his eyes. The outline of a smirk on his lips told you he’d caught your look—but he was looking too, dammit.

“Want a drink?” you asked.

He nodded.

You were relieved for the chance to turn around and grab a glass. You took in a breath, hoping he didn’t notice the way it shook as you exhaled.

“What’ll it be?” you asked without looking over your shoulder.

“The Moonshine special,” he answered.

Fighting the urge to roll your eyes, you grabbed a bottle. Adding a couple ice cubes to the glass you’d set down, you poured the liquor over the ice before replacing the bottle and turning around to hand Bradley the glass.

His eyebrows quirked up when he saw it. “This is the Moonshine special? Bourbon neat on the rocks?”

“I’ve had a rough couple weeks,” you deadpanned.

Bradley barked out a laugh like he couldn’t hold it in any longer. You’d always liked that about him. “Fair enough,” he said. “Cheers.”

And he knocked back his bourbon.

When he slammed his glass back down, you said, “You know, we have shot glasses for that.”

He grinned at you, and you tried to ignore the swarm of butterflies that his smile woke up in your stomach. Ignoring your statement, he said, “So the company goes under, and then you end up back in Silver Springs. No boyfriend to stay with in Colorado?”

You felt your smile fall away, and the mischievous gleam immediately faded in Bradley’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—” he started.

“It’s okay,” you said quickly, shaking yourself and taking his glass, putting it on the rinser under the counter. You cleared your throat. “No, there’s no boyfriend. Not anymore.”

“I’m sorry.”

You hated the way he was staring at you. That was the worst part of getting dumped, and especially of getting cheated on. You couldn’t stand that pitying look in everyone’s eyes when they looked at you.

“What about you?” you said bracingly. “No fiance moping around back home, waiting for you to hurry up and get back? Leaving for a month must have been a tall request.”

Bradley winced. “No,” he said, “definitely no jilted fiance. I haven’t been having the most luck in the old dating department lately.”

“Cheers to that,” you sighed, pouring another two bourbons and handing him one so you could do just that. You both drank, and as the alcohol burned its way down your throat, you realized something.

For the first time you could recall, you and Bradley were both single at the same time.

A chill went down your spine.

Bradley seemed to sense that same tension, because he was suddenly unable to keep looking you in the eyes. He fidgeted, and all of a sudden stopped being cool. He was that same boy that you’d known all those years ago, and that felt like a relief.

Lifting his wrist, he squinted at his watch and said, “Oh, shit. I promised Jake I’d say hey when I got in. I better run.”

“Sure,” you said, clearing both glasses away and wiping down the counter. “Nice talking to you, Bradley.”

He drummed his hands on the bar. “You too, Moonshine. I’ll be seeing you, then.”

“Be seeing you.”

This time when Bradley walked away from you, it didn’t feel like your heart was being painfully squeezed by an angry fist. You breathed easy as his palm splayed against the door and pushed it open, stepping back out into the brilliant afternoon sunshine.

When he left, the door didn’t slam closed; instead, it hung slightly ajar. And that warm strip of sunlight on the floor of the bar had never looked so inviting.

masterlist

@harringtonbf / @spideystevie / @almightyellie / @sunlitide / @holypowell

[uma1ra]

The recitation of this du’a was after Musa (as) was forced to escape from the city, into the desert, and headed towards Madyan.

After a long journey, Prophet Musa (as) came across a group of male shepherds who were watering their flock at a well. Keeping their distance, he noticed two women waiting in the back with their sheep. Why? For whatever reason, they felt it was safer to wait than to mix with the men who were gathered at the well.

They explained to Musa (as) that their father was an old man and unable to feed their flock, so they had to take on this duty. Now keep in mind that Musa (as) himself was disheveled and exhausted from his travels, he likely did not have much to eat or to drink. Still, he empathized with their situation, “So he watered (their flocks) for them; then he turned back to the shade…”(28:24) as he turned back to the shade he recited this du’a, Rabbi innee limaaa anzalta ilaiya min khairin faqeer meaning, “My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need.”

Musa (as) acted in an honorable manner to help these women in a foreign town amongst strangers. He prayed to Allah, asking him to provide more opportunities to do good acts like the one he just did. Also note, after having helped the women he did not stay and mingle, it says “watered (their flocks) for them; then he turned back to the shade”. Musa (as) in this du’a also uses his state by saying that he is faqeer meaning in dire need, or in poverty.

LESSON FROM THIS DU’A

What we can learn from this du’a is if you have any skeletons in your closest you need to pray to Allah and ask yourself what good can I create in the world today?

For Musa (as) the death of the man weighed heavily on his consciousness and he took on the responsibility for self-redemption. Whatever opportunities presented itself to do good was viewed by him as blessing from Allah to right his wrongs.

Ask yourself, how can I make it so that my being here has made the world a better place and not worse?

This does not mean we need to build a foundation helping millions of people, what’s important is that we just start somewhere. What you can do today with what you have is enough, don’t put starting off to some arbitrarily defined point in the future. Avoid the chatter in your mind that wants to procrastinate, “oh, once my kid graduates from high school” or “oh, once I have this, that and the other thing, then I can…”. This is a very dangerous way to rationalize not doing anything because you it’s very easy to begin to believe it.

WE ONLY HAVE A LIMITED TIME ON THIS PLANET

The average person will have 900 months on this planet (that’s 75 years if you do the math) and our childhood occupies 216 months of that (684 months left), this does not include all the months that are lost to sleeping, watching TV, commuting, and working which probably takes up another 70%.

This leaves us with 205 months.

That number scares me.

I tell you this because we should feel a sense of urgency to act now. As the proverb goes, “the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best time is now”.

The sooner you plant the more of a chance you give yourself that the seed can grow and flourish into something much bigger than you ever could have imagined. But even if reality did not match your ambition how could you be saddened by the fact that, (1) you put yourself out there and tried and (2) that you still touched the life of one individual for the better?

And so, we learn through Musa (as), the best way to act and bury your bad deeds is to pile on a much greater ratio of good deeds. Every chance to do good is an opportunity that Allah has bestowed upon you, so you should take it and run. Wake up every day and try to see all the opportunities around you, be grateful to Allah you get the privilege to be of service today.

[ladyfogg]

Who Wants to be Lonely - 1/10

Who Wants to be Lonely – 1/10

Fic Summary: After the ground splits and sends you hurtling into the Upside Down, you come face-to-face with the notorious, and injured, Eddie Munson. Lost and hunted by otherworldly creatures, the two of you have no choice but to stick together if you’re going to find your way home. Masterpost.

Fic Rating: 18+

Pairing: Eddie Munson/Female Reader

Warnings: Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Language, Violence, Angst, Blood/Slight Gore, Season Finale Spoilers

Fic Song: Who Wants to be Lonely by Kiss. Full fic playlist on Spotify.

A/N: This fic came into my brain and decided to not only set up shop but close down any other business until I started writing it. It’s going to be multiple chapters, ten to be exact, and I already have everything outlined and planned. I hope you all like it!

’86 is your year, baby!

You feel it in your bones. Something great is going to happen to you. It has to. After all the struggles you’ve been through something good has to come from it. The last few years haven’t been kind. Not to anyone in Hawkins but especially not to you. Among the disappearances and deaths, you barely managed to graduate and even though the hell that was high school is finally over, something worse looms on the horizon.

Adulthood.

It doesn’t help that you don’t know what you want to do with your life, at least not long term. It also doesn’t help that your overbearing parents keep nagging you over and over again to find some direction. If they aren’t arguing with you then they’re arguing with each other.

Right after graduation, you move your room to the basement, that way you don’t have to listen to their screaming. Your dad designed the basement as an underground bunker for some major world-ending event that might be on the horizon. You don’t remember his exact reasons but as long as you don’t go through his cache of food and weapons, he doesn’t care. He has them stored in a separate room off the main one, the door secured with a padlock. It gives the whole place a very “end of the world” vibe that you dug in your late teens. Not to mention the storm cellar doors make it so easy to come and go without even having to see them most of the time.

You remember being so excited when the mall opened because it meant you’d definitely be able to find a job. And you had, working at the music store. Those months were when you were the happiest. Listening to records all day, taking lunch over at Scoops to chill with those guys. Making good money and saving to get your own place, an apartment where you wouldn’t have to worry about being side-eyed by your parents or walking into another screaming match when trying to get a bowl of cereal.

Then, the mall explodes. So much for that plan.

Finding a new job takes forever, and when you do get one, it isn’t nearly as good as the last. You bag groceries at a small market on Main Street. The hours are long, the pay is small, but hey, it’s work. Eventually, you finally manage to scrape together enough savings to afford a small, one-bedroom apartment near the Forest Hills Trailer Park. It isn’t much, but it’s yours.

Things are finally starting to settle down. That’s the thought you have anyway when you pull your car into the parking lot. It’s virtually empty since most folks in this area work long hours at the plant. You have considered working there as well but prefer having your evenings to yourself when you can swing it. The moon is bright and almost full, the sky dotted with stars. It’s actually beautiful and you take a second to admire it before going inside.

You let yourself into your place, breathing a sigh of relief at being home. It had been a grueling double shift. The usual check-out person had quit days before, stating that Hawkins was a shit show and he was getting out of town before things got worse. He wasn’t the only one. You’d seen a lot of people pack and move after the murders started. From your living room window, you can see the trailer park where that cheerleader’s body was found. As far as you’re aware, that Munson guy is still on the loose.

At any rate, your coworker’s departure left the store owners in a bind and you, never one to shy away from making extra cash, offered to pick up the slack. Which meant that you were checking out customers and bagging, alone, for over twelve hours several days a week.

Thoroughly exhausted, you throw your keys on the kitchen table along with the stack of bills you’re pretending haven’t arrived. Your place doesn’t have much. Just your bed and a dresser in the bedroom, and a couch, kitchen table, and stereo in the living room. The kitchen, if it can even be called that, is basically a stove, sink, and refrigerator shoved into a corner.

The major upside to your apartment, aside from the super cheap rent, is that it has a clawfoot tub. Apparently, when the old mansion was converted into apartment buildings, the tub was too cumbersome to take it out they just left it. Lucky you. This means, after your long workday, you can soak in a bath with your music blaring while drinking the beer that you swiped from work. And maybe while you’re in the tub, you’ll eat the sandwich you got the deli boys to make you after you flirted with them.  

Yeah, that’s exactly what you intend to do.

You turn on the stereo, hitting play on whatever cassette you left in there last. Which turns out to be the newest Metallica. Damn, you miss the music store. Maybe one day you’ll open your own. There isn’t a good one for miles around. That’ll be sick. Blaring Master of Puppets, you reach into your bag and grab one of the cans of beer. That satisfying crack it makes when you open it makes your shoulders relax. Feeling lazy, you drag your bag with you into the bathroom rather than unpack it. You drop it on the floor and kick out of your shoes.

Briefly, you wonder if you should check to see who is playing at the Hideout. There’s a metal band that’s been getting some buzz. It could be interesting. Whatever you decide to do, a hot bath is first on the list. After another sip of beer, you place it on the counter and turn around to start the bath.

However, after you turn the knob, barely any water comes out. God damn it. Not again.

The building is old as shit and the landlord never gave a damn about updating it. Yeah, he’d take your money for the apartment but that’s about it. You try the cold water and the same thing happens. Well so much for that. Annoyed, you don’t register the ground rumbling under your feet. Not at first at least and it’s so slight, you think it’s probably a truck going by. Happens all the time.

Well, since the bath is no good, at the very least you should change out of your work clothes and into something comfortable. You take your uniform shirt off, leaving you in only a tank top and your jeans. The lights start to flicker and suddenly, your stereo begins to cut in and out. Did you forget the electric bill? No, no, you’re pretty sure you paid it. It may have been a week late but still.

This time when the ground shakes, you feel it. It’s enough to throw you off balance and you grab your sink for support. A brief pause makes you wonder what the fuck that was. But then it happens again, and again, and now the shaking doesn’t stop. Holy shit, there’s an earthquake! You’ve never been in an earthquake before. What the fuck were you supposed to do? Run to the basement right? Shit! You can’t! You’re three stories up for fuck’s sake. You won’t make it down there safely.

You catch a glimpse of the tub in the mirror and vaguely remember hearing how people hide in tubs during quakes. Or was that tornados? Shit, you can’t remember!

With no choice, you turn quickly and end up tripping over your shoes and backpack. The strap of the bag gets caught around your foot and rather than stepping into the tub, you literally fall into it, barely missing hitting your head on the rim. You swear, untangling the bag from your ankle and clutching it to your chest as the room continues to shake. It doesn’t let up, doesn’t slowly ease. In fact, it gets worse. The power flickers for a final time before cutting off plunging you into darkness.

Then, everything stops.

You sit there for a moment, breathing heavily and listening to the still silence. And just when you think it’s over, you drop.

Your stomach lurches as the tiles beneath the tub split open and you’re sent plunging down to the next floor. Except, it doesn’t stop there. You keep going, falling through three floors and into the earth underneath the building. Walls of rock and stone seem to rise up around you through the dark. Then the walls start to come into focus, the darkness recedes. But the light isn’t coming from above. Bright red light comes from below, and you’re too scared to look over the edge and see what’s causing it. It gets brighter and brighter as you fall, fall, fall…

In one split second, your world turns upside down and suddenly the tub isn’t under you anymore. It’s above you and you’re free-falling fast. You’re too scared to do anything but shut your eyes, clutch your bag, and scream at the top of your lungs. Suddenly, there’s a moment of weightlessness and then gravity returns and you hit the ground hard, landing on your back and knocking the wind out of you.  You crack your eyes open in time to see the tub coming down fast and, at the last second, you curl your body into a ball, covering your head and bracing for impact. The tub lands upside down on top of you with a loud clang!

You’re dead. You have to be dead. A huge porcelain clawfoot tub fell on you and now you’re a goner.

Your body hurts and your heart is racing, which is the first clue that you’re actually alive. It takes you a long time to register that though. And when you finally dare to poke your head out from under your arms, you are met with darkness again. Your heavy breathing echoes back, bouncing off the porcelain surrounding you. The tub had fallen onto you like a dome, trapping you in a protective bubble.

Outside, you can hear the crash of thunder and more things falling, feel the impact as they hit the ground around you. Several more clangs make you flinch. But the tub is sturdy and whatever hits it bounces off, leaving the tub unscathed. An acrid, decaying smell reaches your nostrils and almost makes you vomit. Or that could be the anxiety of what you just went through. Really hard to tell at this point.

You’re too scared to move. Still curled into a tight ball, you try to get your breathing to return to normal. Deep breath in. Hold for a second. Then deep breath out.

Each time you do, you feel like you’re inhaling ash and eventually, you’re sent into a coughing fit. You can’t stay here. You have to move. You’ll die breathing in the same stale air over and over again. Also, you’re safe for now but what if the whole building comes down around you and you’re trapped under this stupid tub?

Gathering your courage, you release your death grip on your backpack and try to move. You can’t stretch out much without hitting the sides of the tub. Taking another deep breath, you try to push up against it. It doesn’t budge. You try again but nothing. Not even a centimeter. Fuck. Fuck. Now what? As you move around, the ground beneath you starts to give way, the loose dirt sliding under your feet. With no other choice, you dig your way out, using both hands to rapidly move the dirt and rock. It’s a long process and by the time there’s a big enough space for you to see under, your nails are caked with dirt and your fingers are raw. Even then, you have to work a little more to make the hole big enough for you to fully poke your head out.

And what you see, is not what you’re expecting.

You thought you’d see the building or at least remnants of it being collapsed around you. What you do see, is an inky black sky and rolling gray clouds, which you only notice when lightning flashes. Flecks of snow drift past but when one lands on your hand, you realize it’s not snow. It’s the ash you’ve been breathing in.

Terrified and confused beyond belief, you maneuver yourself out from under your porcelain prison and get to your feet. Your legs are weak and your body aches but miraculously, you’re not injured.

But, looking around, all you can wonder is, where the hell are you?

It looks like Hawkins. Sort of. And yet, it’s clearly not. The sky. It thunders occasionally but the lightning is almost constant. And there’s no moon. None. There was definitely a moon twenty minutes ago when you walked from your car to your building.

Speaking of. You look around. There are parts of your building but not the way you would think there would be. It’s like half the building fell through to whatever this place was, and the rest stayed behind. Like someone took a giant knife and sliced the place right down the middle. The ground is littered with cracks around you, but they’re filled in by building parts, the walls of your apartment somehow fused with the ground of this place.

What the hell are you supposed to do? How can you get out of here and get back? Can you get back?

Your mind is racing with fear and you are starting to hyperventilate. Suddenly, from above there comes a screeching noise that’s so high-pitched you have to cover your ears. Looking up in the sky, dark shapes are moving fast, circling and circling in an endless loop. Lightning flashes, illuminating the sky and the hundreds of bat-like monstrosities that have spotted their next meal. You.

Heart racing and stomach twisting in knots, your body is telling you one thing: run.

With your backpack slung over your shoulder, you pick a direction and bolt. Your sock-covered feet stumble and trip over the uneven ground, making you feel like you’re running in a nightmare. A terrible nightmare, the kind where you run as fast as you can but can never escape the dark thing that’s chasing you. This can’t be real. This can’t possibly be real. But when you trip over a large root and scrape your palm as you catch yourself, the searing pain reminds you that you are, in fact, awake. Awake and running for your life.

One of the creatures swoops down as you scramble to get back up.

Its talons rake across your shoulder and you cry out in pain, stumbling in your attempt to escape. It’s bleeding, the warm wet feeling seeps into your white tank-top, changing it to red. The smell of blood only riles the creature up more.  You keep going, trying not to look back even though you hear more screeching. You know the creature is coming back for another attack, not as patient as its kin. This time, you manage to duck out of the way and it soars past your head. For the first time, you get a glimpse of it, and its shocking horrible visage almost makes you trip again.

Have to run. Have to keep going. Have to find somewhere safe.

But where’s safe in this godforsaken place?

Chunks of buildings and walls with no support litter the area around you. You do your best to use them to your advantage, bobbing and weaving through empty doorways and broken storefronts. The creatures screech even louder and now multiple ones are taking their shot at you, swooping, and trying to claw whatever part of you they can reach. In desperation, you clutch the strap of your bag tight and fling it around, hitting one of the bastards dead on and sending it tumbling across the ground.

Before you can celebrate, you see a swarm of them on your heels. Right as you face forward, you realize the ground slopes sharply. There’s no stopping your momentum and you go tumbling down.

Jagged boulders and thick vines tear at every bit of exposed skin, drawing more blood which only enrages the beasts even further. When you finally stop, you’re at the bottom of a deep ravine. You’re not alone. Several bodies are lying motionless around you. One look at their torn corpses lets you know they’re dead. The creatures shriek excitedly, circling you, the lone live prey in their little den of gore. Get up! your brain yells. Move! Move! Move!

Body on fire, you scramble to your feet, slipping on dirt, blood, and who knows what else. You reach the wall of the ravine and swing your backpack onto your back. The stone and dirt are jagged enough for you to climb. But without shoes, your feet are having a hard time finding purchase and you keep sliding down towards the bottom. The creatures haven’t dived yet, and you get the sense that they’re playing with you, watching you struggle before they swope in for the final kill.

You’re almost to the top. Just a bit more…

Your foot gives out right when you catch the edge of the ravine. With both hands, you hang on for dear life trying to pull yourself up. Damn it, why did you never pay attention in gym class?! The one time knowing how to do a pull-up would come in handy! Your socks slide uselessly against the dirt and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The creatures are getting louder and louder. You’re doomed. This is it. This is how you die.

One of the creatures dives and you shut your eyes, flinching, and waiting for the pain. But instead, it screams in agony and when you look, just inches from your face, you see a knife poking out where its face should be.  The creature gets flung off to the side and from the darkness, a figure steps forward.

A pale, blood-stained face, dark eyes, plush lips, and long stringy hair tied up in a bandana come into focus as a young man around your age crouches down to your level. Eddie Munson holds his makeshift spear in one hand and extends his other for you to take.

“Come with me if you want to fucking live.”

Without hesitation, you grab his hand.

He gives you the leverage you need to pull yourself out of the ravine. The moment you’re on solid ground, he’s running and dragging you along with him. The creatures are screaming in dismay. They’re done playing with their food and start to angrily dive down. Eddie’s grip on your hand is tight and is the only thing keeping you from falling down. Your body jerks to the right as he takes a sudden turn and you find yourself in a labyrinth of buildings, all similar to yours, with half walls and chunks of bricks here and there. More bodies litter the ground and you don’t even have a chance to think about whether they’re alive or not.

Then, without warning, Eddie ducks to the left and yanks you down into a small crevice.

“What are—?”

He pulls you against his chest to keep you still and slaps his hand over your mouth, stopping you mid-sentence. You freeze, the sounds of flapping wings and angry squeals flying past your hiding spot. Your body is shaking and your lungs on are fire, not just from running but from holding your breath to try not to make a sound. Eddie still hasn’t removed his hand yet. He’s shaking too one arm curled around your waist to keep you still.

After what feels like an eternity, the angry screeching dies down, replaced by horrible crunching noises. It seems the bats decided to go for easier prey, snacking on the bodies you and Eddie jumped over.  

Only then does he let you go. Immediately, you pull away, putting as much distance between you two as possible. Which, given the tight space isn’t much. He’s still leaning against the wall, now pressing his hands to his abdomen. His spear and shield lay discarded at his feet. Your shoulder is burning and you glance over to see three deep claw marks in your flesh. It hurts like a bitch but the blood is already starting to clot.

You can feel Eddie’s eyes on you and you nervously meet his gaze. “You’re Eddie Munson. You’re that guy they say killed that cheerleader.”

“I saved your life and all you can do is accuse me of murder?”

He smirks and you can see blood in his mouth. It’s then that you realize the hands against his stomach are coated with it. His pale face is somehow even paler now and if you didn’t know any better, you’d say he was on death’s door.

“Did you do it?”

“No.”

You have no reason to believe him. But given the fact that he just saved your life, you’re willing to bet he’s telling the truth. You motion to his wounds. “You’re bleeding.”

“I’m aware of that.” Sliding onto the ground, his face twists with pain. “You wouldn’t happen to be a nurse or a doctor would you?”

“No.”

“Great. Hey, listen, if I bleed out, make sure I look cool doing it. Okay?”

With that, his eyes shut and he slumps over.

---

Taglist

(Some of the tags wouldn’t work and I’m not sure why other than, you know, it’s Tumblr)

@thirddeadlysin​ @imagine-all-the-imagines​ @ladymunson​ @daddychicka  @nerdyboylover @witchymoonbabe​ @fangirling-4-ever​​ @sadbitchfangirl

[murmiss]

Side story

Pairing-Neteyam/Reader

Warning on this chapter - Unreliable data, mention of blood, minor change to the original story, tears, mention of death mention of injury. Summary - This story will tell you about a planet destroyed by humans even before the events of Pandora, about a girl who was captured and survived the loss of wings - an important attribute of their species, about survival, first love and human cruelty.

Pt1, Pt2, Pt3, Pt4 , Pt5, Pt6, Pt7-1

Part Four

Grace was still a young girl who had just graduated from university when the RDA offered her a job. Of course, like any other person, she was insanely happy to get a lucrative job and finally move on to practice. Miss Augustine studied at the Department of Xenobotany, a science that studies the flora of other planets. She was always attracted by these mysterious, previously unknown plants. At university, she was an excellent student in all subjects, Miss "no hangouts, Ellis has a new book on Xenobotany." She didn't have any friends, who wants to be friends with such a "bore"? She was lonely, lost in her studies and books.

At the beginning of her career at RDA, she was assigned as an assistant in charge of all writing work, but later took Mr. Walsen's place. What happened to him?- You're asking. And the answer is simple - money. It was a stupid mistake, an unsuccessful attempt to deceive his boss for a large sum by providing fake research that could cause irreparable damage to the boss's reputation, so after his prank, Mr. Alfred was thrown out of the laboratory by the scruff of his neck. I remember that day, unsuspecting Alfred Walsen, as usual, sat in his office until he was called "on the carpet" to the chief. After a very long conversation, the man flew out of the office with wild screams. He shouted, insulted everyone he saw, overturned tables. Walsen was so not in an adequate condition that a couple of muscular soldiers had to be dragged away to conduct a "preventive conversation", and how do soldiers solve problems? That's right, with fists.

Then Grace was over the moon with happiness, now she occupied the place of the chief scientific officer, and here, believe me, there was a place to roam. Augustine knew firsthand about the "Sixth", but she had never personally seen him. "A humanoid woman from the planet Elea; aggressive, rushes at scientists and disables technology. She used to have wings characteristic of their kind, but they were amputated due to an escape attempt." "all the information Miss Augustine had. "Elea is a poor planet destroyed by humans, she had a deeper connection with everything that surrounded her. It seemed as if a single mind controlled everything, and when he died, everything around him died" - this thought haunted the woman. Just imagine, the whole world disappeared in an instant. After arriving at the base, Grace, of course, wanted to start studying the preserved samples from Elea, but the priority was to meet with her ward.She knew about the ilis, but she had not yet met them, and this is a wonderful moment to consider an unusual creature. It was extremely exciting, the woman made her way through the crowd of scientists, straight to the cherished room, located at the end of the laboratory. Surprisingly, the room is immersed in darkness, the light is turned off, as if the child has long been forgotten, only the cat's eyes shine somewhere in the corner. The creature, hearing someone approaching, began to crawl around the cage, whispering and periodically emitting a guttural growl, trying to scare away the uninvited guest. "Like a cat," the woman thought to herself, not yet realizing that she was hiding in this all-consuming darkness. Grace groped for the switch, blinding light flooded the room, finally allowing her to see the fairy in the cage.

- Hello, honey, I'm.... Grace, Grace Augustine

Across from Grace, there was a child huddled in a corner. The baby looked very bad, she was skinny, her bones were sticking out, she herself was shaking like a wasp leaf, either from the cold, or from fear. She was dressed in a huge worn shirt, on the back of which there were dried blood stains. After the operation, the stitches bled for a long time, no one changed the child's clothes. The spots on her skin were dull, tinged with purple, and there were bruises under her eyes, noticeable on her pale skin. According to the general condition of the girl, it was clear that she had been in this position for quite a long time. As if she had been completely forgotten, this was all confirmed by the view of the room, which was a dusty, stuffy space, in which a metal cot with a thin mattress stood against the wall. The blanket was crumpled up somewhere in the corner, and dried food was smeared all over the floor and walls, or to be more precise, what was meant as "food".Grace was terrified, she was silent, did not show it, while somewhere inside a tornado was raging. She was angry, angry at everyone, at Walsen, at the authorities, at indifferent people. She wanted to scream, cry, hug the poor child, hold him to her and never let him go again. Grace was silent for a long time, not taking her eyes off the restless child. Then the woman acted automatically, she opened the cage and approached the trembling girl, covering her head with her hands, and hugged her tightly, hugging her to herself. The girl hissed and tried to pull away, but Grace hugged her tightly. After a couple of seconds, feeling safe, the fairy calmed down. Miss Augustine closed her eyes, sighing softly. There were thousands of thoughts in her head: "What should I do now?", "So, first of all, feed or wash?"....The same evening, when the baby was fed, Grace learned from one of the researchers that the ilis feed on pollen. Fortunately, they managed to find a similar one. It's certainly not Mtuon pollen, but it's also a good substitute, especially if you add another vitamin in the form of a fruit mixture. And judging by the behavior of the child, she definitely liked the sweet "porridge", not like the "gruel" that Wonsen offered her. Where did the fruits on the spaceship come from? It's very simple, the laboratory had a department completely dedicated to the artificial cultivation of vegetables and fruits for RDA employees. After all, as they say, a well–fed soldier is a productive soldier, isn't it? Although most of the crops grown on the ship were hybrids, they did not lose their properties. For example, Onra fruits were very similar to the familiar apple and were an elongated fruit of bright yellow color, and many similar species were recreated in the laboratory.In fact, they were all created with the aim of getting fast and high-quality food in the conditions of a spaceship

....

The sixth for the first time ate something so delicious that she didn't even know there was anything else besides slime, which she was always offered. The teenager greedily grabbed the porridge, scooping it up with his hands and shoving it into his mouth, ignoring the curious glances of the woman sitting next to him. Of course Grace was surprised: "For 10 years, no one has even touched this child, she doesn't even know what cutlery is!" - the woman thought to herself, looking at the child greedily absorbing the fruit mixture, the stripes on her body shimmered with mother-of-pearl, attracting the attention of the scientist's gaze.So the kid definitely liked the food. "Where to start her upbringing? Math? It's too early, her knowledge of English is not enough... we should definitely start with a general assessment of her abilities.." Looking at his ward, the scientist did not notice how she had already finished. So far, the only thing that pleased me was that the girl did not show aggressiveness and did not hide.

"Mr. Wonsen?"The girl hugged her legs, pulling her knees to her chest. She did not understand where this nasty uncle had gone, although, however, she did not deny that deep down she was glad that he was gone.

- He was fired, now I'm responsible for you, you don't have to worry anymore, dear.. – Miss Augustine stretched out her hand to the child, wanting to pat her on the head, but the baby recoiled in fright, then the woman pulled her hand away, it looks like she crossed the border..The little girl noticed the drooping look of the scientist and was upset, she did not want to offend the new owner.. Especially when it was such a good woman who fed her delicious porridge. The sixth grabbed the scientist by the hand and put it on his head. She didn't know why it was necessary, but she often saw some workers beating local children in this way.

- Grace is good, I feel it, - the girl spoke with a strong accent, she did not speak English very well, although she understood it very well, yet years of living with people bear fruit.A slight smile blossomed on the woman's face, she stroked the teenager's head and couldn't help laughing when she saw the white-haired puppy's eyes. – Six was surprised, it turns out it's so nice when someone pats you on the head.

…….

The Great Mother united two wounded souls.. A child deprived of a mother, and a girl that no one has ever noticed

......

From that day on, Grace decided to seriously engage in the upbringing of a teenager. What was not included in this plan: teaching grammar, writing, elementary mathematics, reading and even eating, she learned anew, already using cutlery. At first it was difficult, the Sixth was nervous, and sometimes it took more than one attempt to figure it out, but the girl took her tenacity..

- Look, honey, it's a spoon, take it in your right hand, see how I'm holding it? Hold it between your thumb and forefinger, yes, like this," the woman repeated several times, showing herself how to hold the spoon correctly.

– It's so hard! Can we eat already? – The girl groaned and leaned back in her chair, dropping the spoon. Since then, her English has improved, but, as strange as it may sound, the cutlery was still terrifying. Do you know when you first pick up sushi sticks and don't know what to do with them? It seems that you perceive everything correctly, but still something is wrong. Here is the same situation, the Sixth gets her fingers confused, forgets how to hold a fork or spoon.

- Well, no, let's try again, – the woman covered her hand with a striped one and again showed how to hold a spoon, after which the girl repeated several times, and finally it turned out.- Grace, Grace, Grace, Look!- The girl squealed joyfully, raising her hand with the cutlery up in order to show her mentor.

- Well done! – Miss Augustine patted the white-haired woman on the head again, with a bright smile, to which she replied with a gentle rumble .

.......

The day turned out to be extremely difficult. All day Grace did not visit the Sixth, and she, in turn, waited like a faithful dog for her mentor. Unfortunately, the RDA has discovered Pandora..Grace couldn't hide her frustration.

Heck! Why don't you all understand! – How Grace wanted to scream, punch this disgusting man, in the person of the boss, and all the others who supported him. One destroyed planet is not enough for them.Human greed has no limits, and Grace already guessed what would happen next. The ships will land on the planet, kill the entire population, rob, and the "lucky ones" will fly away to conquer the next planets. How disgusting it is. Grace has always been close to "space creatures" or "space plants". From time to time, she even had thoughts: "why was I born a human being and right here?". As long as she can remember, she has always been drawn somewhere there, where the stars shine. All this comes from childhood. Her father was a Xenobotany teacher at one of the universities in the city where they lived. Grace loved to read her father's books, reference books on intergalactic cultures, various fiction. Books replaced her friends, saved her from the overwhelming feeling of loneliness.

- Dad, Dad! And what is there? – A little girl was sitting on a wide windowsill, and pointed to the sky. Night. A man is standing next to her, and gently embraces his daughter.

- No one knows…Space, other planets hidden from our eyes and much, much more that we still have to discover - the Father sighed, his gaze was filled with sadness when he looked at the starry sky. The earth is dying, and there is no telling how much more it will have left. But Grace is still too young to know about it.

…...

- The woman was all on nerves, her only desire was to see her little fairy. With all these meetings, she had completely forgotten about the girl, and now she was very worried.As soon as the door opened, the Sixth jumped out of her bed and rushed to the scientist entering the room, hugging her with a wild cry: "Mom!"- it was the first time when the white-haired woman called Grace her mother, and the woman again could not hold back the tears that came out, hugging the fairy even tighter, she did not understand whether these were tears of joy or despair. Of course, she was happy, anxiety was growing in her chest and, despite everything, the woman wanted to hope that Pandora would not repeat the infamous story of Elea ...

....

However, everything was not so bad. Grace devoted herself entirely to studying the flora and fauna of Pandora, was able to find contact with the local population, open her own school, and even got her avatar. All this time, the Sixth actively supported her foster mother, helping her with experiments.When Grace first transferred the avatar's body to the little Ilis was next to her, she tightly squeezed the scientist's hand, her blue eyes shone with interest. Grace was worried, it was unusual to feel in another body, in a bigger, tall and... blue one. But you could get used to everything. Grace's research was in full swing, she even wrote a whole book – a handbook of Pandora botany .

.....

The sixth followed her mother in everything. Her knowledge of English has improved significantly, and mathematics was at an average level, although the girl did not change outwardly in any way. If she were on her own planet, she would be about a thousand years old–a very young age for Ilis. But by human standards, she is still about 13 years old. However, spending time with Grace became more and more difficult, as soon as the authorities found out that their chief scientist was close to an "Alien Being", they reprimanded her, limiting her time and other rights concerning the fairy.Of course, she didn't like it when Grace had to lock her in a room, but there was nothing to do, such a decree of the "evil uncle" Of course, it didn't stop them, and meetings and walks were secret, mostly at late hours when the laboratory was empty. But after they recruited new people, walking became even rarer. It seemed to Grace that a little more and steam would come out of her ears, the load was simply enormous, the avatar project was squeezing all the strength out of her. Some of the new recruits were Norm Spellman, Max Patell and Jake Sully, all of whom arrived on Pandora, someone as a Xenoanthropologist, scientist, or, ultimately, a future avatar. They didn't know about their neighbor yet. The only thing they knew was that they were not allowed to enter the furthest room. And among the newcomers there was a rumor that at night you can hear girlish laughter.One day Jake couldn't stand it and decided to look into the room, it was dark, and a pair of blue eyes were looking at him from the corner, glowing in the dark, before Grace pulled him out almost by the scruff of the neck and did not sing the room with a key. Room Six was off-limits, Grace even threatened the newcomers that if they went into this "pantry", they would grab the most no-no, and judging by the expression on her face, she wasn't joking. Of course, Jake did not listen to the account, the Marine waited until the boss called her and quietly slipped into the pantry. Grace always kept her keys on her desktop, so it wasn't difficult to get them. The door was open, and the light was on this time. A very strange girl appeared before the marine, tall, fair-skinned, with long curly hair, sitting in the middle of the room in the lotus position. She was weaving something, not noticing the uninvited guest, sitting with her back to the doorway. She looked like a little pearl, and I could have sworn I saw the Marine's jaw drop.

"So that's what Grace was hiding," the Marine said, clearing his throat. Hearing the stranger, the girl abruptly jumped up from her seat, standing in a fighting stance and uttering a guttural growl. But this did not frighten the man, he only drove his wheelchair closer to the cage, examining this unusual girl.

– Where are you from? Are you from Pandora?But you are not like other avatars – the man showered the confused girl with a lot of questions.

– Jake! – behind him came the howl of an angry woman slamming the door

– Stupid Marine! What did I tell you?!Oh my god.. A complete disappointment.. The woman came up to Sally with quick steps, grumbling loudly

- Grace! – The girl immediately stood up straight and pressed herself against the protective glass, her eyes glittered when she began to show the scientist her work, somewhat resembling modern baubles..

....

- Grace! Damn, Grace, wait! – the man tried to keep up with the scientist, but it was much more difficult in a wheelchair.

– Jake, how many times have I told none of you to come into my room?Of course, Marines don't know how to use their brains, which is what I was hoping for.. You don't know how to strain your convolutions!

– Grace! But who is she? Is this a resident of Pandora? What is she doing here, and stop.. Why isn't she blue like the others?

– Damn it.. Curiosity ruined the devil-the woman turned on her heel to face the infantryman : "She's not from Pandora. Have you heard anything about Elea? The very first planet discovered by humans? Haven't you heard? This is understandable, Elea was irretrievably destroyed..They've mowed down the whole planet, Jake! There was only one fairy left from the multimillion population!"

- I didn't know..- The man was taken aback by the words of the scientist.

..

After that day, many of the newcomers learned about the last ilis.Grace just couldn't help it when Jake told everyone about the Sixth. At first, the fairy was frightened by these curious people. Two of them just wouldn't let her rest. One was skinny, with simple facial features, and the other was mossy and on some kind of incomprehensible thing. The fairy was very interested, and why isn't he coming? so when he got closer to her, she grabbed his legs and started shaking him. "Why don't you use your legs?"

"Darling, don't shake so much," the scientist's fervent laughter rang out from the next room, hearing which the Little Girl instantly let go of the Marine's leg. The man couldn't help laughing as he looked at this curious child.- It's all right, let her play. His laughter grew louder as he turned his attention to Norm, who was standing next to him with his jaw hanging open, clearly envious of his acquaintance who was getting so much attention.

The girl waved her tail, and her skin shimmered with different shades and shone, she was wearing a huge T-shirt that looked more like a dress.

- Hey, what about me?- Norm could not calmly look at this laughing couple .

....

The days passed one after another, everything was fine, and the sixth was really happy. During all this time, she found a lot of new acquaintances, learned various interesting things. But, in the end, all good things come to an end. Today she will have to leave her home. The evil man locked Grace and Jake with Norm in a glass "box". The sixth was nervous, walking from side to side until Trudy opened the cage with . – Trudy? Where's Grace? – the girl was familiar with Trudy Chacon and was close with her, as well as with Jake.- Firefly, listen to me carefully, we need to get out of here. – Stop it!No! I'm not leaving without Grace! – Please, we have to leave, do you hear me?That evening, Max and Trudy helped the group escape. However, it was not without problems. Quaritch seriously injured Grace, he was on the tail, not letting them get away. Grace just couldn't let her little firefly get hurt.

.....

- go away, go away now! Run into the forest and don't turn around," Grace shouted, pushing the girl towards the forest with the last of her strength

- Don't listen to anyone and avoid people... War was coming-Six didn't quite understand what war was, but the only thing she knew was that it was something bad, "death," as Grace said. She couldn't leave her mother. – Mom! No! We can escape together! Norm will come up with something, everything will be fine.. – No, my girl, it's late, go away!

There was a rustle of leaves behind. Quaritch and his gang of thugs were already close. Unfortunately, during the flight, an emergency landing had to be made, Grace and Six separated from the group, and now they were cornered. The woman understood that she didn't have long left .

....

The feeling of loneliness seized her again, and fear, like quicksand, consumed her whole body. The girl ran for a long time until she found herself in a flower meadow. Her lungs were burning, and her heart was beating at a furious pace. From impotence, she fell on the soft grass and sobbed. The tears did not stop, the sobs turned into anguished screams. She was haunted by a feeling of pain, a feeling as if cats were scratching somewhere inside, as if someone had dug sharp claws right under her skin. This feeling was familiar to her, the same thing she felt when her wings were taken away. The girl sobbed for a long time until she passed out from fatigue..When she came to, it was already dark, and the only light source was a bioluminescent glow emanating from some plants. he lifted her up on his elbows, looking around. Somewhere nearby there was a hiss, the girl jumped up and began to frantically turn around, trying to figure out the source of the sound.

- Grace?

But, unfortunately, Grace will not come anymore.

.....

So a new chapter of her life began.

[sjsmith56]

Comfort - Chapter 2, Eyes of the Father

Summary: Bucky helps Lacey with some chores in return for food and shelter. A comforting gesture becomes more.

Length: 4.7 K

Warnings: Minors DNI, contains sexual content not suitable for readers under the age of 18. Mourning. Reference to drug use.

<<Chapter 1

🔨 📚🛌

Bucky re-entered the house a few minutes later, his back pack and jacket in hand. Before Lacey said anything to him he put a finger against his lips to stay quiet. Cocking his head slightly as if he was listening to something, he walked around the room like he was honing in on a signal. Approaching the bookcase he quietly pulled out several books until he found a small electronic device. After pouring a glass of water, he dropped the device into it. He cocked his head again and this time went into Lacey's bedroom. She followed him, watching silently as he looked up at her light fixture. Stepping onto her bed he reached his hand into the open bowl of the shade and pulled out another device, dropping it into the glass of water that held the first one. Lacey started to say something but he put his hand out again and walked throughout the house listening until he was satisfied there were no more.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

"I can hear a larger range of frequencies than most people," he replied. "As soon as I came in the house I knew there was a different sound and just assumed they planted something. I'm sorry about your brother."

Her lips trembled and she began weeping as she covered her face with her hands. Bucky put his arms around her, holding her, while rubbing her back with his right hand. He stood there with her for some time until her weeping began to subside and she reached for a tissue to blow her nose. As she sat on the couch he sat next to her, looking at her sympathetically.

"Were you and your brother close?" he asked.

"Yesterday was the first time I saw him in five years," she replied. "He fell in with a rich crowd in college and once he graduated kept hanging out with them, even working with a couple of them. Before he went to college we were pretty close."

Bucky listened without interrupting as she told him about her brother looking out for her during her teen years. Then she told him about the fun they had staying with their grandparents in this house, exploring the property and laying out under the stars until their grandparents would call them in to bed.

"It sounds like he cared about you," he stated softly. "Perhaps he left without saying anything to keep you safe. I can stay here for a while longer, in case anyone dangerous shows up."

"What about that boat to Europe?" She looked up at him. "Don't you want to get out of here as soon as you can?"

"There's always cargo ships going there," he replied. "Right now, I think you need someone to make sure you're safe."

"Why would you do that?" she asked, echoing his earlier question to her. "You don't know me."

He smirked then his face softened. "Matthew 25:35," he stated, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I'm not religious but my parents lived by that verse during the Depression from what I can remember. You helped me. I can at least repay that."

"Thank you," said Lacey. "I appreciate it."

His smile flashed again and Lacey felt her cheeks get warm. By his own admission Bucky had revealed he had a reputation with women and she could see why. Those blue eyes and brilliant smile probably got him into a lot of beds. Remembering the bloody bandages she emptied the garbage can from the bathroom into the kitchen garbage can.

"They didn't find these during their search," she said. "In fact, they never went into the bathroom at all."

Bucky pulled the bag out of the container. "Let me dispose of this," he said. "Don't want them to associate you with me."

He left with the garbage bag and didn't return for about ten minutes. For the rest of the afternoon they worked on fixing the windows as Lacey really didn't want to talk to her mother just yet. Bucky found caulking in the garage and seemed to know how to apply it to the windows so it was even. Lacey started painting the windows that didn't need the caulking and by the end of the afternoon had finished them. The upper windows had been sanded by Bucky who showed no fear of going up the ladder to deal with them, unlike Lacey who had put that chore off due to her fear of heights. He came back down and asked for the paint, which she handed to him gratefully. When he came back down from that task she noticed he had paint on his pants and offered to wash them again before the paint set. Remembering something she stepped into the house. He followed her inside and saw her pull the ladder down from the attic access door.

"I don't know why I didn't remember this earlier," she said. "My grandparents never threw anything away. There are boxes of clothes up here. I'm sure there's something that would fit you."

She went up and pulled on the dangling cord of the light bulb. It illuminated the dim and dusty space enough that she quickly found a box marked Clothing. Pulling the tape off she opened it and found a pair of overalls right away, handing them to Bucky.

"May I?" he asked, pulling the box over.

He went through, pulling out several pairs of work pants and T-shirts, as well as a few other things. The button up shirts were too small and he put them aside with a smile. Then he pulled up an old army uniform and looked at it.

"Your grandpa was in the army?" he asked.

"Korean War," she replied. "He was only 18 when he went over. He said it changed him, made him anti war." Bucky looked thoughtful and for a moment Lacey wondered if she had offended him. "Grandpa always compared later wars to World War II. He always thought we entered that one later than we should have. I think he just became more cynical about why they became involved in later wars. Said it always felt like they were manipulated into them."

"He wasn't wrong," replied Bucky, frowning. "I had a hand in setting some of those wars up. HYDRA thrived on chaos and used me to make it look like a war was the only way to deal with some of those situations. They tried to set themselves up as the answer to the chaos they sowed ... the chaos I sowed for them."

He turned his face away breathing heavily and Lacey stood up, moving to stand in front of him as he still knelt on the floor. At first he wouldn't look at her until she finally reached out and grasped his right hand, feeling the heat of it again.

"Don't," she said earnestly. "You didn't have control, they did and they used you as their blunt instrument. I've read some of their decrypted files on the internet and it's obvious they pulled the strings on a lot of what was wrong with this world. They're still out there but you're not going to let them control you any more. I respect that. You are a good man inside and that's what counts."

He raised his head and his blue eyes bore into her deeply. "If they catch me, they can still control me," he said quietly. "There are a series of activation words and all they have to do is say them so I become the Winter Soldier again, ready to do their bidding. I would do it without hesitation because that is how I was programmed."

His left hand gently touched her cheek. Unlike his right hand it was cold, and it's metallic surface felt strange against her skin. Then he dropped it and looked at the clothes he had pulled out.

"I'll take these," he said. "Thank you."

He gathered up the bundle, stood up, then descended the ladder. Lacey put everything else back in the box, turned out the light and went down herself. He was inside the spare bedroom with the door partially open and his shirt off to change into another shirt. She gasped when she saw the arm, realizing how it had been attached to his chest, shoulder, and back. The skin along the edge of the metal shoulder was angry, red, and covered in scar tissue. Approaching the door she gently pushed it open, looked at him with sympathy, as he looked back, almost ashamed.

"It hurts all the time, doesn't it?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "All the time," he replied. "It's integrated into my spine, my skeleton, and my muscles. It weighs more than a normal arm so it hurts my back and affects my gait. Even if I succeed in getting away I can't see how they will ever be able to remove it without damaging parts of my body. The prospect of a normal life with this isn't good."

Hesitantly Lacey approached him so she was standing in front of him. He bent his head to look down at her letting his hair fall over his face. Gently she touched the scarred skin that was adjacent to the shoulder portion of the arm. It felt even hotter than his hand had. She resisted the urge to touch his chest but she did look up at him.

"I'm sorry," she said sadly. "What they did to you was evil. I have no words of comfort except that I believe in you and hope that you find a way to live a normal life."

He was lightly licking his lips and once again she could feel her cheeks getting warm. Just as she was going to step back he put his flesh hand on her arm, locking his eyes with hers. She could have pulled away but she didn't want to and when he touched her lips with his she responded, opening her lips enough to feel his tongue on hers. The kiss was hesitant at first then became firmer as his other hand rested on her shoulder. Lacey felt a pool of warmth form inside of her, filling her with a desire for more. Just as she put her palms on his chest he suddenly released her and stepped back.

"I'm sorry, that was forward of me," he said, in barely more than a whisper.

She stepped back as well then practically ran out of the room and outside to the garage where she leaned against the work bench and breathed deeply, trying to get her bearings back. Never had she had a reaction to a man like that but then never had she met a man like him before, either.

"Get yourself together, girl," she said to herself.

When she came out of the garage Bucky had changed into a pair of the work pants and one of the T-shirts, which further accentuated his muscular physique. He was back up on the ladder again, painting the window trim.

"I've left my jeans on the table," he said, without looking at her. "I hope you can get the paint out."

She went inside, not wanting to betray how she was feeling. Using some dish soap and elbow grease she got the paint out then threw the jeans into the washer again with some of her clothes. Checking the time she pulled some steaks out of the freezer and defrosted them in cold water. While waiting for them to thaw she made a marinade and set it aside. Preparing some potatoes for baking she started the barbecue and put the potatoes in it to get them going. The steaks were thawed by then and she put them into a plastic bag, pouring the marinade in and distributing it. A prepackaged bag of coleslaw with the addition of some salad dressing made up the salad and she put it in the fridge. Turning around she was startled by Bucky standing in the doorway.

"I've finished painting the upstairs windows," he said. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"I was going to start cleaning the garage," she said. "Grandpa was a bit of a hoarder and I thought there might be some stuff in there I could sell. If you want to start that supper should be ready in about half an hour."

He turned away and she watched him walk to the garage, noticing how he walked. It was almost a swagger. When videos of him first surfaced on the internet there were many people commenting about the confidence it showed. Many called him a badass and he developed a bit of a cult following. Knowing what she knew now she could see how he was compensating for the weight of the artificial arm. All together it pointed to a man who was much more than what the media showed him. Her cell phone rang, showing her mother's number on the display. For a moment she considered whether to answer it but knew she would have to talk to her sooner or later. She answered it and almost regretted doing so immediately.

"Hi Mom," she said quietly. "You've heard from the FBI?" She listened to her mother and began to cry. "Don't yell at me! He just showed up unexpectedly, said he was in trouble and left before I got up this morning. I'm still dealing with it." There was still yelling from her mother and Lacey sat down, leaning her face into her hand. Then the yelling on her mother's end stopped and Lacey just cried for a time. "I know. It hurts. I need to do some things here before I come home for the funeral but I'll be there, I promise. Okay, I love you too."

She looked up and saw Bucky in the doorway. "Sorry, I heard you yelling, then crying," he said apologetically. "Your mom?"

Lacey nodded. "She needed to vent," she replied. "As the last person to see Tom alive I was the obvious choice. She wants me home for the funeral." He nodded in an understanding manner. "I might as well get those steaks on."

She went to the fridge and took the steaks out to the grill, laying them on. Bucky had noticed the beer in the fridge and brought two out, opening them both. He offered her one and took a drink of his.

"Can I ask you a question?" asked Bucky. "What were the FBI looking for when they were searching the house and property?"

"I don't know," she replied, frowning. "They never said and I was still stunned at Tom's death.  Once I told them he had transferred the money to a secret account they changed his status from suspect to material witness. Maybe they were looking for something that pointed to the account."

"What did your brother do, job wise?" he asked.

"Stockbroker," she replied. "Why?"

"He would be pretty computer savvy, right?" he asked. "Do you think maybe he put the information on something and hid it here? I can't see a mobster killing him if he was the only source of where their money was hidden."

"He just showed up out of the blue," said Lacey, contemplating Bucky's words. "My grandpa built this house and there are all sorts of hiding places for his money since he didn't really trust banks. It's how I paid for his burial."

Lacey stood up as a thought hit her and went into the spare bedroom. She pulled a night table out of the way and knocked gently on the floor beneath it. One of the knocks sounded hollow and she tapped along the length of the piece of wood until it suddenly lifted up on one end. Lifting the wood she peered inside then placed her hand in and ran it around the interior. Her face changed and she pulled her hand out, opening it to show Bucky a flash drive. His face opened to a smile.

"You were right," she said. "Tom used to hide his stash here. I'm going to call Agent Jones. The longer this thing is here the more likely they're going to come looking for it."

She got back onto her cell phone and called the number on Jones' card. He didn't answer but the person who did said they would pass on the message and she could expect to hear from him. At first she was going to keep the drive but instead she put it back into its hiding place and replaced the wood then moved the night table back over it. Bucky offered her a hand up and they both went back out to the barbecue. About ten minutes later she heard back from Agent Jones who said he would send an agent to pick it up but it could be as late as the next morning before he got there.  It wasn't exactly timely considering how eagerly the agent had the house searched.

"Well, let's hope that gives them the information they need to find Tommy's killer," said Lacey, as she tested the doneness of the steaks.

Bucky pulled the baked potatoes out with his artificial hand while she transferred the steaks to a plate. As she pulled the rest of the food out of the fridge he set the table. There was none of the awkwardness she had felt after the kiss when they sat down to the meal. While they were eating he looked at her questioningly.

"You said your brother hid his stash in that hiding place," he began. "What did you mean?"

"Weed," she said. "You know, pot, marijuana?"

"Reefer?" he asked, then laughed. "Why am I not surprised it's still around?"

"Did you try it back in the day?" she asked. "I don't anymore. It interfered with my writing."

"Maybe once or twice," he admitted, grinning. "It wasn't my thing, and was associated with criminals and musicians. It wouldn't affect me now anyways. My metabolism is so high that I burn off any intoxicants as soon as I ingest them."

They both laughed about it and she shared other transgressions of her youth while they ate. Bucky helped clean up, washing the dishes while she changed the sheets on his bed. Lacey excused herself to write in her room while he continued reading her book until it was dark then knocked on her bedroom door and announced he was going to sleep. Coming out of her room Lacey made sure the outside doors were locked and they both went to their separate bedrooms, wishing each other a good night. Several hours later Bucky heard whimpering and sat up in his bed. Listening carefully he could hear Lacey talking and crying in her sleep. Quietly, he got out of the bed and went to her room, his bare feet hardly making a noise on the wooden floor. He knocked but there was no response and he opened the door to Lacey moving restlessly in her bed while asking someone not to hurt him.

"Lacey," he whispered as he sat on the edge of her bed. "Sweetheart, you're dreaming. You're having a nightmare."

He stroked her arm and she grasped his hand forcefully as she sat up. "Don't hurt him," she pleaded, her eyes open wide in fear but still unfocussed.

"Honey, you're having a nightmare," he repeated, and stroked her hair, then cupped her face with his hand.

She blinked her eyes several times then seemed to wake up because she looked at him with recognition and started to cry. As she pressed her head into his chest he put his arms around her and held her, murmuring softly to her. Gently he stroked her hair then pulled away slightly so he could kiss her forehead. Their eyes met in the darkness of her room, with only the light of the quarter moon peaking through an opening in the curtains illuminating the space. This time he kissed her meaningfully, pressing his lips on hers as they both opened their mouths to let the other one in. He pulled her close into his body and she felt the heat radiating off of him, penetrating her skin. One of his hands threaded itself into her hair while the other went down her back to her bottom pressing her close into him. They both shifted position and Lacey found herself straddling his lap, facing him, their hips pressing into each other. Both of them were grinding against the other, desperately caressing the other over their clothes. Bucky pulled away first.

"This isn't a good idea," he said, breathing heavily. "You're vulnerable. I'm taking advantage of you."

"Just shut up," she said, as she peeled off her sleep T-shirt, exposing her body to him. "I want you."

He gazed at her for a few moments, noticing her lips were slightly open and her eyes were dark with desire. His lips found hers again and the thrust of her tongue against his filled him with a lust he hadn't felt for a long time. With purpose he bent his face to her breasts, mouthing them hard arousing her even further. He wore one of her Grandpa's old undershirts and she pulled it up over his head, running her hands over the outlines of his muscles then pressing her mouth over where she had just touched. Lifting her up he turned back to the bed and laid her down while he nestled in between her legs. He was heavy but used his artificial arm to prop himself up while he mouthed her neck and collar bone, all while continuing to grind his hips into hers. She could tell that he was big, based on the hardness she felt through the old pyjama bottoms he was wearing. A pool of heat had settled in her core and she knew how wet she was in anticipation of having him inside her.

"Do you want me?" he asked in a low voice that dripped with desire. "I want to taste you first, make you ready for me."

"Yes ... please," she added, suddenly feeling needy.

He sat up in a kneeling position and pulled her bottoms and panties off at the same time, then ran the flat of his hand over her body, moving it down to where her heat was gathering. Spreading her legs further apart he bent over and flicked her with his tongue, making her gasp.

"Sweet and salty," he whispered, as he looked at her from between her legs. "Just how I like it."

He buried his face into her again and she could feel his tongue on every part of her, exploring and pleasuring her.

"Fuck, he's good," she thought.

More moans came out of her lips when he used his fingers expertly making her come closer to orgasm. Then he made one more move with his tongue and she cried out as she felt the rush explode from within her. Her hands were all over herself before finding his hair and grasping it, pressing him deeper into her. Then he raised his head and placed his flat hand on her pubic mound massaging it gently. Wave after wave of pleasure radiated up and down her legs as she experienced the echoes of the bliss she felt just moments before. He laid between her legs again, using his artificial arm to take much of his weight off of her and kissed her sensuously, transferring her taste onto her tongue. Then he watched her but didn't say anything, waiting for her to speak first.

"Your reputation is well deserved," Lacey finally said. "I've never ...." She couldn't finish the thought as she became lost in the large dark pupils of his eyes.

"We're not done," he said simply, then he looked down at himself briefly. "Don't be afraid. I'll take my time entering you and let you adjust."

"What do you mean?" asked Lacey, with just a hint of concern.

"Touch me," he ordered, and guided her hand down to his crotch.

Hesitantly she felt over the top of the pyjama bottoms, feeling his hard cock, big in both length and girth. She almost pulled away but instead she stroked him and he smiled dreamily at her. Then he raised himself up off the bed and pulled the bottoms off revealing himself to her. She swallowed nervously as he was the biggest man she had ever seen.

"There's lube in the night table," she suggested. "It might help."

Smiling knowingly he opened the drawer and found the bottle pouring some into his hand and smoothing it over himself. He wiped the remainder off on the undershirt and returned to kneeling between her legs. Lowering himself onto her he watched her face intently as he guided himself into her still wet and warm entry.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered. "I watched as you came and you made my breath catch. I want to make you come again with me in you. You tell me if it's too much. I don't want to hurt you."

As he got deeper into her Lacey couldn't help but hold her breath, as he filled her up tightly. Once he was in all the way he came out and thrust himself into her again. It was uncomfortable at first then as she got used to it she began to respond to him, raising her hips to meet him.

"Fuck," she whispered. "You're huge."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Side effect. You're taking me well. I can feel every part of you and it feels good."

Bucky began to press harder into Lacey bringing moans out of both of them. While he pumped he continued to kiss and mouth her neck and breasts, with the occasional deep kiss. Each thrust was like no other encounter she had ever had, pressing on all the pleasure spots at once. She could feel the pressure building in her and pressed herself onto his girth, trying to find the spot that would accelerate her coming. With a smile, he used his thumb to stimulate her and she was suddenly there crying out in loud gasps as she came again with him in her. Her cries spurred him and she could feel Bucky swell inside of her as he came loudly, thrusting hard several times to empty himself into her. As his erection slowly softened she began to kiss him sensuously, reluctant to end what had been one of the most satisfying sexual encounters of her life. He caressed her gently, also wanting to prolong the tryst they had just shared.

"Are you okay?" he asked, as he pulled out and laid on his side. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, it was incredible," she replied softly. "Were you always this good, with sex?"

He smiled self-deprecatingly. "Every man likes to think so," he admitted. "I was popular with the ladies. Back then I think it was more because I didn't kiss and tell. I guess since this side effect of the serum treatment, my size probably has more to do with it. They equated a man's size with his virility and had big hopes for me."

He looked away for a moment, uncomfortable with the subject matter. "Bucky, this was amazing, even before you were in me," she offered. "I'm on the pill, by the way, no worries about pregnancy."

He smirked in a way that seemed sad. "That's okay," he replied. "I'm supposed to be sterile. They wanted me to breed super soldier babies and no one got pregnant, so they figured I was a dud as a stud."

She looked at him with concern, appalled to hear how he described it. "Is that how they told you?" she asked, incredulous.

He shrugged. "Not to my face," he replied. "Except to be told what a disappointment I was. Don't worry about it. I'm glad no one got pregnant or else they would have a bunch of indoctrinated kids with super soldier abilities doing their bidding." Lacey snuggled up to Bucky and placed her head on his chest, intertwining their legs. "Am I sleeping here tonight?"

She whispered yes and he put his arm around her, kissing her forehead. They both fell asleep easily.

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