#Chris Chapter 5

[crimescrimson]

The Underwater Facility in Resident Evil 6 (2012)

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 5: From the Ground Up

From: You Catch More Bees With Honey Series

Pairing: Mob! Bucky x Farmer! Reader

Summary: It’s time for Bucky to take charge in your absence.

Word count: 4,065

Content/warnings: Interrogation, restraints (not in the sexy way), allusions to violence, swears, name calling, pet name usage, female reader, kissing, horseback riding?

Author’s Note: I REALLY loved writing this chapter. This is where we start to see the other storylines of the Outta Nowhere AU emerge, so keep an eye out as those get released.

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

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Bucky was mad-no, he was seething as he paced back and forth in your home office. It was in the wee hours of the morning when his private jet had landed on the local airstrip. Within that same hour, Sam had personally escorted in the little nerd responsible for a good third of the turmoil going on in Bucky’s head: Jake.

Sam had taken the liberty of pre-binding his hands and duct taping his mouth shut. Bucky was going to enjoy ripping the goatee straight off his mousy little face.

Five hours ago

As soon as Steve had gotten off the phone with Bucky, he called the construction crew. They kept them on call for things like this, but the two of them never thought the stakes would be this high. It wasn’t often that someone important and non-expendable was put in this type of danger, let alone someone Bucky cared about. As he was finishing up the call and directing them towards your house, Sam reached out to him with a sticky note.

On it was a name and the address to an apartment in the city, along with Sam’s scrawled ‘pick her up on your way over.’ Steve nodded as he hung up his call and placed another, grabbing the duffel bag he kept packed by the door and heading out.

Three Hours Later

Bucky hadn’t left your side since the rocks collapsed. Luckily, the two of you had been able to find a small gap in the rocks where you both sat. It wasn’t large enough to keep air circulating, but it was big enough to at least allow the two of you to talk with each other. You and Bucky had shared so much, from him sharing his first business operation with Steve, to you detailing crazy college stories of when you, your roommate, and Curtis would hang out.

Bucky laughed along. There was a whole side of you he never knew. He had studied intently what showed up on paper, and he knew the hardships you’d faced from your deep conversation last week, but this? This was a whole new, more playful side. He was surprised to see your spirits so high despite the situation.

“I do not believe that one bit. No way you were climbing up clock towers at school just to steal the clock hands, or a random brick or whatever. You’re too straight-laced.”

You laughed and rolled your eyes as you leaned your head back against the stone wall. “Oh please, people already pay so much to go there, if anything, I had more than the right to do it. Our money pays for that stuff. Technically we owned it. Not the school.”

Bucky snorted. “You didn’t even pay tuition. Didn’t they pay you to go there?”

“That’s besides the point, Bucket. Fight the man. And anyway, if you think I’m straight laced, you should meet my roommate.”

Bucky grimaced. “Yeah, about that. She’s on her way here right now.”

Your ears perked up. “Decks is on the way? Oh, that’s good. She’ll be super helpful. She’s so organized, although, I can’t imagine she took well to whoever had to interrupt her beauty sleep. Who’s the poor guy?”

Bucky sharply inhaled. “Steve.”

“Oooo hooo hoo.” You laughed. “That’ll be a fun one for both of them. They’re either gonna love or hate each other. What are all the rest of the ETAs?”

Bucky looked at his watch. Well, really, he had been checking his watch this whole time to monitor his pulse, which was over 100 consistently since the tunnel buckled. He was shaking with concern for you, but kept his voice level to keep you calm, a trick he and Steve had worked tirelessly to master. “Ummm… looks like the construction crew should be here within the hour. And I’ll bet Decks and Steve will be pulling up any minute.”

You hummed in acknowledgment. “Anyone else coming that I should know about? So I can figure out where they’ll best fit around the farm? Decks is great with the animals.”

You hadn’t heard all of Bucky’s or Curtis’s phone calls earlier since they stepped out of the cave to make them with better reception. Bucky didn’t want you to know Jake was on the way, mostly because he knew you’d make him promise not to hurt the rat, and he didn’t want to have to make that promise with the high likelihood it would be broken. He decided a better move would be to change the subject.

“So where did the nickname ‘Decks’ come from anyway?”

“Oh! Well it’s actually-“

Bucky heard footsteps near the mouth of the mine. He did his best to politely cut you off. “Wait, Honey, I’m so sorry, quiet for one second.”

He sat there and silently listened, the rustling becoming closer and clearer until he identified it as hooves clopping gently against the soft ground. He heard Curtis’s voice say something vaguely before he moved to get his feet underneath him and brush off his pants.

“I think Curtis is here with Steve and Decks. I don’t want anyone else to come in, just in case it’s still too unstable. Can you tell me exactly what you need them to do?”

You nodded, even though you knew Bucky couldn’t see it and began to lay out the instructions. Decks and Steve weren’t here to clean out the tunnels, they were here to help keep the farm running until you were freed, and no one knew how long that would take. It was best to keep only those who could be closely trusted around until this was all figured out. God forbid the authorities come knocking, or worse yet, Cole. Bucky held onto your every word before briefly leaving the tunnel to relay the information.

Bucky returned to you shortly after instructing Curtis to take Steve and Decks back to the house so they could rest before their long day tomorrow. Everything needed to run as smoothly as possible to not raise suspicion from your absence, which they were going to claim was due to a corn crop farmer’s conference out in Iowa if anyone asked.

After another hour with you, Bucky let you know the construction company arrived and was starting to stabilize the ceiling so they could dig you out. “I’ve gotta go deal with some business, so I’ll be back soon. Plus, I can’t get in the way of these vehicles. But say the word to one of the crew and I’ll be back here in a minute flat. I promise.”

Bucky’s promises meant a lot. That was something you had learned in your conversations. He never said something unless he had a plan to deliver. A man’s word was everything in his line of work.

“Okay, I’m going to hold you to that!” You yelled back.

Bucky chuckled. “I’m going to send Sam back here as soon as he arrives. He’ll keep you company.” And with that, Bucky made his way back to the house.

So this is where Bucky found himself, walking back and forth menacingly behind Jake, who had been tied down to the guest chair in your office. Jake’s eyes shifted back and forth with nervousness as he tried and failed to hold back whimpers and near-hyperventilating breaths.

Bucky had been silent for only ten minutes. He liked the way it made them squirm. He could sit and stare all day, completely unbothered, as anyone he interrogated slowly lost their mind. Of course, there were other, more fun ways, to get information, but he wouldn’t dare mark up your home. He’d never let the one they called ‘The Winter Soldier’ be unleashed in your sanctuary. This is the closest he would ever get, though, and it would never be seen by you.

Bucky stalked around Jake and crouched in front of him. “A milk maid came in here and told me that you’d given him information about this farm. Care to share?”

Jake shook his head vigorously and whined through the duct tape over his mouth. Bucky leaned in closer. What was more terrifying than being yelled at by him? Bucky with an alarmingly level voice.

“Sorry, I couldn’t quite catch that. I can help you talk a little better, but you’ve gotta be quiet. There are people upstairs sleeping, and I can’t guarantee they’ll be as nice as me if you wake them. Promise to be good?”

Jake nodded carefully and slowly. Bucky reached for the tape at the corner of Jake’s mouth and ripped it off quickly. Jake’s head lurched forward, his mouth open with a silent scream between gasping breaths. Bucky examined the sticky side of the tape. There was no hair on it. The steam from Jake’s mouth must’ve reduced the stickiness just enough that it didn’t cause damage. Shame.

Bucky slammed his hands over Jake’s on the armrests of the chair. “Tell me everything.” He gritted out between clenched teeth.

Jake giggled uncomfortably. “Uh….there’s not really much to know, mister…sir….does this have to do with Peach? I thought she owned this farm now. Where is she?”

Bucky growled. “That’s not important right now, but yes, this is about this farm. Tell me everything you told the guy with the soft hands and the jackets that were too crisp to indicate a day of work in his whole life.”

Bucky had no intention to associate that with his own designer crisp suits that he wore everyday back in the city. That was different, it was a totally separate line of work, plus, he wasn’t trying to pose as something that he’s not when he wore them. Anyway, he’s not the one on trial here.

“Oh! You mean Cole? Fucking prick.” Jake mumbled looking down and to the side. “I can promise whatever he said to you was a lie. That guy’s always been awful. He hides a demon face behind his handsomeness.”

Bucky didn’t want to be on Jake’s side, but he couldn’t argue with that. But to keep him talking, Bucky leaned in closer, moving his hand towards the knife on his belt loop. Jake flinched and raised his hands in surrender as much as he could with his wrists tied down.

“Okay, okay, I promise I didn’t say much. At least not on purpose. I was at an investors party up in San Francisco when Cole bumped into me. He was bragging about how he had just inherited his parents’ company and it was way bigger than when we were in high school. Frankly, I didn’t care, I make an effort to forget about a lot from back then, mostly him, so I tried to disprove him by saying that there are still nice little farms around despite his family’s efforts. I told him I still had my mom buy me honey that Peach makes, herself.” He hung his head in shame.

Bucky huffed as he leaned back against your desk and crossed his arms. “Well, way to go. You know, they painted you to be some genius, but you’re an absolute idiot.”

Jake looked up and scrunched his nose. “Well I actually prefer the term loser, bu-“

Bucky raised his hand to stop Jake from talking. “I really don’t care. What matters is that you’ve made a mess for Honeybee that inconveniences all of us. I’ve gotta be the one to work on cleaning this up while she’s otherwise occupied.”

Jake cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brow in confusion. “Who the fuck is ‘Honeybee?’ Are we talking about the same person?”

Bucky sighed and wiped a hand over his face, stopping with it covering his mouth. He looked at the helpless man in front of him. How had you ever dated this guy? If he used to be great, what on Earth happened to him? “God, you’re slow to catch on. Yes, it’s the same person, but I don’t think the sweet peach you used to know and love is in there anymore. Not after you abandoned her. And especially not after you gave up her operation on a silver platter to Cole.”

Jake swallowed as he caught on. He had seen the devious glint in Cole’s eye when they had run into each other, but just thought it was a product of Cole’s braggadocious success. Not his complete hunger for domination. Despite the way Jake left, he still cared for you. He didn’t want to see the thing you loved taken away, especially by the guy who caused him so much grief. The guy your family defended him from on so many occasions. He felt awful. You’d taken care of Jake when he was around, but when the opportunity came for him to do the same for you, he failed.

Tears began to well up in his eyes. “I’m so sorry. Whatever I can do to help, I will, please, misterrrr…….”

Bucky’s shoulders pushed back in arrogance. Jake squealed all the information he had and didn’t even know the name of the man interrogating him. That wouldn’t do, especially if Bucky wanted to eventually release Jake back out into the wild once this was all over. He made a mental note to have someone coach Jake on how to not give up sensitive intel so easily. But for now, Bucky would take advantage of the ease of informational access.

“Barnes. You get to call me Barnes.”

“Ooh! So like a cool nickname only I get to use? I feel so special.”

Bucky chuckled dryly at that. Jake really was clueless. “No. Not at all like that.” Bucky leaned forward, elbows on his knees as his face inched closer to Jake’s.

“Now tell me everything you know about the mines.”

Jake’s eyebrows raised. “Oh? Those old things? Yeah, Peach and I used to make out in the-“

Bucky waved his hand again as he closed his eyes, unable to look at Jake for another second. “No. Skip that part. What else?” He quickly said, dismissively.

“I know they’re old? Like crazy old and probably prone to collapse at this point. But Pe- I mean, your Honeybee does some occasional civil engineering contracting work. She could probably easily whip up a plan to reinforce them.”

Bucky looked at Jake more intently. He liked the way Jake said his Honeybee, but he couldn’t let that distract him right now. And anyway, you were very much your own person. Far from his. If anything, he was yours. He knew about all your business endeavors, but not those kinds of specifics. “Keep talking.”

“Yeah, I kept up with her after school-well, more like I asked my mom to keep up with her. Apparently she’s like, designed bridges for town and stuff. Why? What’s going on with the mines?”

“That’s not technically your business.” Bucky stood there, debating on his next move.

Jake’s eyes lit up as he gasped loudly. “Oh my gosh. Is she in trouble!? Did she get hurt in a mine!?”

Bucky slapped his hand over Jake’s mouth and whisper yelled at him. “What did I say about keeping it down?”

Jake winced and whispered back. “Sorry. Does Curtis know?”

Bucky nodded. “Yes. And he’s upstairs sleeping. Don’t. Poke. The Bear.”

Jake nodded again. He was being so compliant, Bucky figured he could let a few more details slip. Maybe Jake was a little smarter than Bucky gave him credit for. “She’s trapped in one of the smaller caves. I’ve already got a construction crew digging her out.”

“Wait wait wait. You guys have a proper plan for this, right? You’ve gotta put supports in first and then calculate the load-bearing rocks. You can’t just go willy-nilly digging or it could get worse.” Man, based off that language, Bucky had no doubt Jake truly did grow up around you.

“Good observation, Jakey. That’s where you come in. I know I could’ve just called you if I wanted to know what you told Cole, but I needed you in person to know how serious I am. Grab your little computer and we’ll get going so you can run the calculations while Honeybee talks you through them. You can still ride a horse, right?”

Jake moved to get up, only to be stopped by the restraints. Bucky turned around from the door, voice dripping with fake sympathy. “Oh, that’s right, my bad. I’ll get you untied and then we can go.”

Sam was talking with you about where to put which construction vehicles when he heard hooves make their way to the entrance. Bucky dismounted the back of a horse holding a laptop, followed by Jake who was riding ahead of him on that same horse.

“Not a word of this, Samuel.” Bucky growled lowly into Sam’s ear with clenched teeth. “I’ve already threatened the kid with the same.”

Bucky still had no idea how to ride a horse on his own, but would never admit that, so he was actually extremely grateful that Jake could take the reins. Sam had taken the other horse to get to you, leaving only one back at the house for him and Jake to use.

Bucky handed Jake the laptop and patted him on the back harshly, making it more of a shove. This led him to the small hole where you and Sam had just been talking.

Bucky followed at a quicker pace, reaching the area just before Jake could and held his arm out in front of the blond to bar him from going any farther. “Hi Honey, it’s me. I brought you a little present to help out, I hope you’re not mad. It’s your old friend Jacob from high school. Say hi.”

“Jake? Like… Jensen?” You responded, trying to look through the small hole unsuccessfully.

“Yeah, Peach, it’s me. I’m here to get you out. A-and Mr. Barnes wants you to know he’s been nothing but kind to me.” Jake clutched his laptop firmly to his chest, leaning over to be heard better through the small opening.

Bucky gave a stern nod to Jake for already responding well to his coaching on the way over here. Jake sat down by the hole where Bucky had sat before and got to work.

“Okay, Bee. Like I told you before, you say the word and I’ll be here in a minute. You can time me.”

“Where are you going?” He could hear the slight worry in your voice.

“To run a farm. And by that, I mean listen to Curtis.”

You giggled. “Okay, Bucket. See you soon.”

He looked back and smiled before turning towards Sam and pointing into his chest. “You tell me the second she’s close to getting out. I’ll be there.”

Sam nodded. “Sure thing, boss. Need help getting back up on your horse?”

Bucky was already turned away and heading back to your house. He waved a hand dismissively. “No. I’m walking.”

Sam chuckled as he watched the mob boss trudge away. He knew something had shifted in Bucky’s feelings. And he definitely had his suspicions that Bucky couldn’t ride a horse.

When Bucky returned to your house, he didn’t go upstairs. He feared the creaking of the steps would wake Decks, Curtis, and Steve. Plus, he knew he wasn’t going to sleep. Why would he when there was so much to do to help you? He would just get in the way at the mines, so he went into your office. He pulled out the files and article you had planned to show him the previous night regarding Cole from the kitchen, and as he sat down in your chair, he saw a contract with a familiar watermark. Shit.

Fuck. Shit. Bitch.

The letterhead was from ‘Turners Farm Corporation,’ which he had expected, but the associated law firm was ‘Hansen & Co.’ Bucky had his fair share of law firms in his back pocket, but this was not one of them. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Lloyd Hansen was something of Bucky’s rival in the city. He was an unhinged lunatic. Where Bucky ran things with honor, poise, and calculated movements, Lloyd was messy, unpredictable, and reckless. He’d been trying to make multiple steps into Bucky’s territory, geographically and business-wise, but Bucky had done a decent job at shutting it down thus far.

And now Cole was in cahoots with Lloyd, well, not him directly on paper, just his bitch-ass sister who ran the firm. Bucky couldn’t believe-well, actually he could. He could believe that Cole would have teamed up with Hansen to build enough power for a takeover, especially considering it didn’t add up if Cole was making these moves on his own.

Fired by frustration that more than supplemented the sleep Bucky lacked from not just tonight, but this whole week, he snapped a picture of the contract and sent it to Sam. Sam would make sure it made its way through the right channels and contacts still back in the city. For now, Bucky had a more important priority than personally dealing with business: You. He had never been so grateful for Sam.

As he skimmed through the final page of the contract Cole had proposed to you, the first rooster crowed. Bucky got up to gather the eggs and make breakfast like any other day in the routine he’d grown so familiar with over just the past two weeks. But instead of cooking for you, he was cooking for the small army that came to your aid.

Curtis came barreling down the steps first, followed by Decks, and then eventually, Steve, who slumped and slinked down the stairs, reminiscent of Bucky’s first day doing the same. At least they were able to get themselves up.

Bucky plated their food, Curtis eyeing him with a small smile that Bucky failed to notice, and he sat down in his normal spot to start eating. He honestly didn’t have the appetite to do so, but he knew he’d crash without food since he already wasn’t sleeping, so he forced it down, preparing to go over the assignments with everyone once again.

Steve would be doing what Bucky had last week to set up the farmer’s market since it was scheduled to go again. Decks would be taking over the tasks you had, feeding the animals, and then doing sales with Bucky since people already knew his face. No need to raise more suspicion by introducing two new people to an event you were usually at.

Once everyone cleared their plates, they got to work, doing everything they could to be of assistance for the mob boss who was very evidently on edge.

It was early afternoon when Bucky got a call from Sam. He immediately picked it up.

“We’re close, boss. Only a couple more large boulders to go before there’s a big enough gap to pull her through.”

Bucky dropped the empty crates he was carrying onto the floor of the storage shed where he was returning them from the farmers market. Lucky for him, the storage shed was much closer to the mines than the barn.

Bucky was full-on sprinting in a way no one had ever seen. He never had to once he rose to power. All he did was walk, his long strides alone commanded enough respect. But this wasn’t about pride. It was about you.

He arrived at the mine entrance, breathing heavily, just as Sam was holding your hand, helping you step over a pile of sand and pebbles. Jake stood awkwardly to the side as you looked up from your feet to see Bucky quickly moving toward you. A smile took over your face and you sighed in relief. He scooped you up and spun you around before setting you down again and using his large hands to frame your face. Bucky didn’t care about the dirt and grime that had built up on the two of you. All he cared about was your safe return to his arms.

You watched as his eyes darted between yours and down to your lips. You wouldn’t hold back anymore. He had put all his resources into saving you, helping you. Without wasting another second, you leaned up on your toes and smashed your lips into his. When you pulled back, Bucky lost consciousness, collapsing in your arms.

Next >

Bonus A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Tbh I thought some moments in here were so funny, but I’d love to hear your thoughts!! Likes, comments, reblogs, and asks are sooooo appreciated!!! If I could, I’d make a secret handshake with you through the phone for following this plot line with me. 😉🤠

Series Taglist:

@scuzmunkie

@openup-yourmind

@vicmc624

@hawkeyes-queen

@blackhawkfanatic

[uarmyhusband]

POV: Just two pretty people staring at each other 💛

[tenalach10]

hello slipknot tumblr, all 5 of you

drew my fav masks from each member 😳😳

sid: self titled

joey: all hope is gone

paul: self titled

chris: all hope is gone

jim: .5

craig: self titled

shawn: self titled

mick: vol 3

corey: the end so far

i woobified the fuck out of jim’s face sorry

also sid was my favorite to draw i love the creature

[fn-devilles]

'Cause I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every one that you'd be mine 💐💛

[imgonnabesic]

[citrine-elephant]

i do believe i must make a verdugo for leon once he arrives and is built...

[charcuteriecrab]

Chapters: 5/? Fandom: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Leon S. Kennedy/Chris Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy & Chris Redfield, Chris Redfield & Claire Redfield, Piers Nivans & Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield/Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield & Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy & Claire Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy & Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy & Piers Nivans, Ingrid Hunnigan & Leon S. Kennedy, Helena Harper & Leon S. Kennedy Characters: Leon S. Kennedy, Chris Redfield (Resident Evil), Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, Ingrid Hunnigan, Piers Nivans, Derek C. Simmons, Ada Wong, Sherry Birkin, Jake Muller, Helena Harper, Albert Wesker Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Whump, Blood and Gore, Torture, Human Experimentation, Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance | BSAA, Division of Security Operations | DSO, Established Relationship, chreon, Post-Resident Evil 5, Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Language, Major Character Injury, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Hurt Leon S. Kennedy, Hurt Chris Redfield, Protective Leon S. Kennedy, Protective Chris Redfield (Resident Evil), Piers Nivans Lives, PLEASE KEEP THE TAGS IN MIND, Game: Resident Evil 6, Infected Leon S. Kennedy, Wesker is only Mentioned, he's dead, Dissection, Vivisection, Graphic Description of Corpses Series: Part 7 of SunhatLlama's RE Fics Summary: Chris Redfield thought his life would finally turn around after the hell he went through in Africa. He was married to the love of his life, his best friend was back from the dead, and Albert Wesker was finally dead.

But the universe rarely believed in good karma.

[dongpound]

The Foot Clan this next chapter

[storywriter12]

Chapter 5 of my house x Wilson book is up on wattpad right now! Have a read if you like guys and if you like it please tell me what you think of it I have one more chapter to publish and then that's it for my Christmas books

[saintsofwarding]

WE SHALL BE MONSTERS

Header art by Keltii-tea!

Chapter 5: A Story for Donna

"The MARS worked," Rose said. "Aren't you happy?"

Chris looked anything but. They sat together in the BSAA facility's cafeteria. Well, Chris was sitting, and Rose was pacing, back and forth and back and forth. She was on her third cup of coffee- cream and three sugars- while Chris nursed his green tea, dunking the teabag in then slowly withdrawing it before repeating the whole maneuver, his head angled downward, his brows drawn together, a murder's worth of crows' feet cutting lines from the corners of his eyes.

Someone walked past outside the cafeteria, and Rose looked up, eyes big. Just an IT guy. Not anyone coming to get them, coming to take them to see Donna.

"You should be happy," Rose pressed.

"Yeah. HQ is happy. 'An admirable performance.'" He'd gotten off the phone with them a few minutes before. "They're gonna reinstate my control over Hound Wolf Squad for the mission, provided Beneviento cooperates."

"That's good," Rose said.

"Yeah."

He went silent once more. Rose finished another lap, sipping at her coffee, then came to a halt by his side.

"This is gonna work, Chris," she told him. "Not just the MARS, I mean. All of it."

"I'd feel a lot more confident about this if it didn't involve Miranda's bioweapons."

"I know that. I-"

"No, I'm not sure you do."

"You have any better plans, then? I'm all ears."

He glanced up at her, assessing her. "We're still not sure what you are," he said. "Not fully. When Miranda awakened you from the megamycete-"

Rose cut over him. "If you're about to say I'm a dangerous liability, that the BSAA doesn't trust me, that I shouldn't be allowed around humans, then you can save it. I know."

She lowered her voice. "Kind of obvious what with the evil-eye I get when all I want is a snack or something..."

"That's- no, Rose, I wasn't gonna..." He rubbed his forehead, staring down into his undrunk cup of green tea. "We're not still sure how much of Miranda was absorbed into you via the megamycete. How many of her memories still linger within your subconscious. And...with proximity to the village, with more Lords resurrected and reinvigorating the hive mind-"

"You think I could become Mother Miranda," Rose said.

He looked at her again. The answer was plain in his blue eyes.

"You're kidding me," Rose said. "I would never be like Miranda. Never-"

"You said it yourself. The other Lords had no choice in their actions. They were forced to comply to Miranda's bidding."

"I'm- no. No." She slammed down her mug of coffee. "She's...she's dead. She's never coming back."

"So you've never experienced any of her memories?" Chris asked.

"No."

He gave a little nod. "Okay," he said.

"Okay? What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm telling the truth. Unlike you have a history of doing."

He lifted his hands in a little fine, fine, gesture. "I meant what I said. Okay. I believe you. As long as you let me know if that changes."

"It won't," Rose said. "I'm way stronger than Miranda."

"She was the megamycete's original host," Chris said. "Channeling all her energy into keeping the villagers and all her monsters under her control. Freed of that...who can say how powerful she really was."

Silence fell. Rose took up her coffee again, but she didn't want to pace anymore. She slid onto the cafeteria table bench opposite Chris, staring down at the light brown liquid in her cup.

"And what about your mother?" Chris said.

His voice was even, but the words drove themselves into Rose like he'd vaulted the table and punched her right in the gut. She gave a little shudder.

"I don't know," she said.

"She was a bioterrorist before you were born, Rose. She went back to that life after you were taken-"

"He didn't...take me, exactly," Rose said. "My father gave me to him for protection."

"Until he could get you to civilization."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"Ethan was desperate. He..." Chris gave an exasperated huff. "I can't convince you of this, Rose, and I don't want to try anymore."

"Then don't."

He arched an eyebrow.

"Sorry," Rose said. "I didn't mean to be so sassy."

"That right."

"Not really."

He almost smiled. He dipped the teabag back into the cup.

"Ethan and Mia..." he began. "I thought I'd helped them. Got it right. After Dulvey, after cleaning up the mess Eveline and the Connections and Lucas Baker left behind, I thought- I'd saved them this time. I'd helped these ones. I'd got it right. Mia was, uh- well. She was getting through things. Taking meds, seeing a therapist, but...anyone would need to, after what she'd been through for the past three years. I never imagined what she'd been keeping secret. Guess it was even more than I bargained for."

"My father's mutation."

"And then, to be capable of going straight back to terrorism..." He gave his head a little shake. "I imagine her bridges to the Connections were all burnt, but there's always a new den of wolves looking for their newest packmate."

"Anyone can pull anything, given the right situation," Rose said. It was a quality she'd always associated with Heisenberg, for better or worse.

"Yeah," Chris said. "I sure know that."

"And Chris?"

"Hmm?"

"You don't have to worry about me."

"About what, specifically?"

Rose licked her lips.

"Miranda," she said.

She paused again.

"I'll never be like her," she went on, after a moment, her voice small. "I would never do the things she did."

Chris nodded, but he had no words of comfort for her. Those were thin on the ground, these days.

"Sir?"

A researcher stood at the door, clipboard in hand. Chris looked up, at once on alert.

"It time?" he said.

The researcher nodded. "She's ready for you."

***

Down white corridors, past labs, past vaults of biohazards, locked up tight. Rose's palms were slick, so she put them in her pockets as they entered the facility's containment area: a labyrinth of cells, guards at every doorway.

"She's been docile," the researcher was explaining. "To a fault, really. Without flora to transmit her hallucinogen, she's of little threat to anyone. While bioscans indicate she has the same increased muscle density and regenerative capabilities as other Cadou hosts, she's...well. You'll see."

They reached the thick glass of what was clearly a cell. Rose squinted in. The lights were down, the room beyond dark to such a degree she couldn't see anything inside.

"She's in there?" she asked.

"Sure is."

Rose paused. Then, "Can I go in?"

"Best not," Chris cut in. "Can you bring up the lights?"

The darkness within the room eased. It was a dull concrete cell, a cot in a corner, a washbasin in another. At the far wall, in a chair angled away from the observation window, sat a slim figure dressed in BSAA sweats.

Someone had detangled her hair, and it hung in a shining black sheet down her back and shoulders. Long, spidery hands with black nails were set lightly on Angie in her lap. Of her face, all Rose could see was the pale edge of one cheekbone, the tip of a nose.

Donna Beneviento didn't move, not even to acknowledge the change in lighting, nor the voices through the observation window. She might have been a still photograph, a projection on the wall.

"Is she...is she okay?" Rose asked.

"Vitals are normal. Cadou activity is lively. She's all there, physically speaking. As for her mental state- well. Redfield, you saw Miranda's files on her."

Chris nodded.

"Is there a speaker?" Rose asked.

The researcher pressed a button by the window. "Good evening, Miss Beneviento," she said, her voice crackling into the room. "You have some visitors."

There was no response.

Chris shifted his weight, crossing his massive arms over his chest.

"The MARS regenerates tissue," he told Rose, quietly. "But neurological patterns...those can be a lot more delicate."

"So let me in there with her," Rose said. "I can talk to her."

"You-"

"I can talk to her," Rose said, more quietly, pressing the word talk. "Chris, please." She decided to go for the big guns. "If you went to all this trouble of fixing up the MARS, recovering Donna's Cadou remnant, regenerating a whole-ass BOW from a couple pieces of crystal and a prayer, and all she does is give you the silent treatment, won't that disappoint HQ even more than you already have?"

He looked sharply down at her.

"Won't it?" Rose prompted.

"Low blow, Winters," Chris said.

"Yeah, well, did it land?"

A muscle worked in his jaw. "You say she's not excreting her hallucinogens?" he asked the researcher.

"Yes, sir. The room's air supply is kept on its own loop, so we know we aren't being affected out here, and sensors aren't detecting any contaminants inside."

Another pause, then-

"Just be careful, Rose," Chris told her.

They ended up giving her a rebreather anyway, the same kind she'd worn into the antiques shop with Chris; if there was any chance at all of Donna tripping her out, Rose supposed the BSAA didn't want her going on some kind of hallucinogen-fueled rampage.

She stepped into the airlock, listened to the doors seal around her, winced as the icy decontamination fog hissed into the air, stinging against her exposed hands. It swirled away, and the second door unsealed with a chunk.

Proceed, a cool, automated voice said.

With a small, steadying breath Rose stepped through the second door and into the darkness of the cell.

The air slipped over her hands, cool and dry. She stopped in the middle of the room, looking at Donna a few yards away.

Close up, she was smaller than Rose had pictured her. In Heisenberg's memories, the ones she'd glimpsed during her time rummaging around in his head, the ones she'd glimpsed in the deep, painful hearts of his dreams, Donna had seemed more...substantial. Maybe because he'd known her when Claudia was alive, before the both of them had been broken by her death, he remembered her as the person she was before.

Now, she sat in the chair with her head slightly lowered, her shoulderblades sharp as bird bones through the incongruous gray sweatshirt.

"Hey, Donna," Rose said, softly.

A faint rustle. She'd shifted in her chair.

Rose's heart gave a little leap. Was she listening? She pressed on. "Are you okay? Is there anything you need? Do...do you feel all right?"

Nothing. Rose glanced toward the observation window, which appeared as a mirror from this side. She looked nearly as insubstantial as Donna in this lighting, her shoulder-length hair and skin colorless in the faint light from above.

The light...

"It's too bright in here, isn't it?" she said. "I get it. I don't like direct sunlight, either. I guess it's the mold, huh? I mean, makes sense, right, mushrooms don't like the sun..."

She was rambling. Donna seemed to have shut down again; she sat frozen in place.

"Chris, you hear me?" Rose said.

A knock came on the glass.

"Turn down the lights again."

There was a long pause. Come on, Redfield, Rose thought, impatient. Then the lights dimmed; only a faint glow through the observation window allowed Rose to see anything at all. Donna became a dark, indistinct shape, her pasty skin making her hands and trace of a cheekbone seem to float disconnected from the rest of her.

"Okay, Donna," Rose said. "Is that better?"

"You really think she's gonna start blabbing to you?"

The voice grated from the darkness, childish and sly. Angie. Rose couldn't see her, but she heard the faint grind and rustle of her movement. A chill feathered through Rose's nerves as she shifted backwards on reflex. Interesting to look at Angie might be, but a creepy doll was still a creepy doll.

A cackle. "Oooh, scared, little Rose? All your power, and you're still struck silly by the dark..."

"You weren't ever scared by the dark, Donna?" Rose said.

There was a silence. Then she heard whispering in it. Faint, rapid; she made out no words, just that there were two voices involved. She couldn't tell which was Donna and which was Angie. Maybe it was Angie talking to herself.

"Donna isn't interested in what you're selling," Angie said finally. "You gotta go through me."

"Okay," Rose said. She inched closer, a hand slightly lifted. "Fine. That's just fine. You know who I am, don't you?"

"The nasty little spawn of the man who killed us." A hiss, like an angry opossum. "Ethan Winters. Oooh, Miranda liked him, she did. Perfect, she said. Perfect. The answer to everything she'd been working toward since, hee hee, forever. We knew it would be the death of us, but...gotta do what Mommy says, that's what Donna told me."

"You...you knew Miranda's end goal was to have you all killed? To replace you?" Rose's heart began to thump. Imagining Heisenberg slaughtered like he was nothing, imagining the magnificent Lady Dimitrescu cast aside as if she was some expendable thing...horrific. Who could do something like that?

I would never, she thought, savagely, toward Chris. No matter what clever little hypotheses you and the BSAA come up with.

"Yep," Angie said, nonchalant. "But Donna was so grateful to Miranda. Taking her in after her parents...after...Claudia."

Her voice dropped on the girl's name, and as she said it, Rose heard a simultaneous scratchy whisper, as if in echo.

"She took care of us," Angie went on. "We would have thrown ourselves off the waterfall if not for her. We tried to cope. Ohhh, we tried."

Her voice grated down and down, like a gramophone losing steam. "We made our cute friends act it out."

"Your cute friends...you mean the other dolls?"

"Mm-hm! We made them be everyone. Mama and Papa. Me and Donna and Claudia. Even Mister Karl, Donna's meanie brother. And then one by one they fell down until only me and Donna and Karl were left."

"Heisenberg was there when Claudia died?"

"He watched it. He watched her. Held her little hand while she spat blood all over the place." The doll made a theatrical blech sound. "She made such a nasty mess! And after, did he help clean it up? No. No. No, he did not."

"He left," Rose said.

"And he didn't come back," Angie said. "And Donna learned he'd come to spy on them, that he was the reason Miranda decided to give Claudia her gift. And Donna broke apart. And so she went to Miranda and Miranda became her new mother."

Angie gave a little snort. "Donna didn't need him anyway. All she needed was me. No boys allowed in our playhouse. Donna thought he might visit when we buried Claudia but he didn't. It was a pretty burial. Flowers and candles and a grand headstone and Claudia with her hair in braids and her favorite yellow ribbons on the ends."

Another lowering of the voice, a hissing hush, as close to the doll could get to a whisper. Another raspy echo chasing Angie's words, Donna speaking in time.

"So small," she said. "So little. Miranda promised she would live through the gift." Her voice became so quiet Rose barely caught the last words. "Miranda lied."

It was beginning to make a bit of sense. So they'd all once been- well, if not close, at least cordial. Heisenberg had spent time at House Beneviento, had become, like he'd said, a kind of surrogate father to Claudia. A companion to Donna, annoying and entertaining her in equal measure, as he was wont. A break in her agonizing loneliness. And when Claudia died, nothing between him and Donna was ever the same again.

Oh, god, and what loneliness it was. The kind that drove someone to go back to the thing that had destroyed them, just so they didn't have to face another day in an empty house.

Rose lowered her hand. Her fear had died down, replaced by a hollow ache, close to tears. All she wanted to do was go to Donna and hold her hands in the dark.

She didn't.

She took a short breath.

"Donna," she said. "Mister Karl is why I'm here now." Another glance toward the glass. Don't you stop me on this one, Chris. "He's gone missing. He was taken, stolen away. And now I'm gonna go get him."

"Why?"

"Because-" It was a long, long story. How to sum it up so that one homicidal doll and one broken, emotionally bankrupt, childishly delusional mutant would understand? "Uh-"

"Was your papa's vengeance not good enough for you?" Angie screeched, over whatever arguments Rose was about to make. "You gotta get him back to make him pay? Is that it?"

"No! No-"

"You should have left us alone. Left us to be dead! Donna doesn't want your pity. She doesn't want this cage. Again and again, so many birdcages. Why can't you just leave us be?"

"Because I need you! Because I want your help, okay? Just listen to me-"

"Our help?" A high trill of laughter, impish and maniacal, like what she'd said was the funniest joke in the world. The sound of sharpening knives echoed from the dark. Rose's palms began to sweat. The doll didn't have any hidden weapons on her- the BSAA had examined her thoroughly- but in the darkness it was all too easy to imagine rusty blades coming from nowhere, going for the eyes. "Our help? Why do you want Mister Karl back, anyway? Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!"

Frustration mounted. How could she make them get it? How could she possibly plead her case and atone for her father having killed them and impress upon them just how much she needed to rescue Heisenberg all in one? She couldn't. She couldn't. This was impossible.

No, Rose thought, with a strange little shudder.

Not impossible.

She reached up to her rebreather and pulled it away from her face, tossing it aside. Chris could chew her out later. Angie instantly shut up.

"Because he took care of me," Rose said. "Like he wanted to do for Claudia. But this time, he got it right. He saved me. And because I love him, and I want him back."

Her voice trembled. She stopped.

Another short breath.

"Please," she said.

Fabric rustled. Not the antique silk and lace of Angie's dress, but sweatshirt material. Donna. Rose blinked as she saw the figure in the chair rise, and turn, her feet in their gray slippers silent on the floor.

Donna stood before her. She was about Rose's height, her long black hair framing an oval face startling in its pallor, and in its beauty. One dark eye looked, levelly, back at Rose. The other was gone, the skin on the right side of Donna's face bubbled and twisted, swollen in a tumorous growth, short veiny tendrils writhing like the touch tank at an aquarium.

Rose caught a trace of a scent- bitter and floral, there and then gone again. Donna's lips twitched in what might have been a smile.

"Our little Rose," she whispered. Her voice sounded like it had rusted somewhere deep in the darkness, a spare whisper, dry as moth wings. "You lived."

"I did," Rose said.

Donna nodded. "I'm glad," she said. "I wanted to say no. To Miranda. But I was scared. Now...she's gone, yes?"

"Yes."

"Good," Donna said. "Then I can help you. First..."

She hesitated, a delicate pause, and fidgeted with a bit of lace on Angie's dress.

"Yes?" Rose said.

"Tell me the the story," Donna said. "It's been such a very long time, and so much has happened. I want to hear everything."

[crimescrimson]

The Underwater Facility in Resident Evil 6 (2012)

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 5: So That’s What It Means

From: The Rainmaker Series

Pairing: Mob! Steve x Forensic Scientist! Reader

Summary: Steve finds out something he’s been wondering for awhile

Word count: 3,594

Content/warnings: Kissing, thigh grinding, nice det. Lang, mean det. Walker, soft!Decks, strong!Decks, mentions of death and murder, light mob themes, secrets, old ladies who love to objectify young men, swears, misogyny, pet name usage like one singular time

Author’s Note: Hehehe I’ve been waiting for this one. Turn it up!

I’d love it if you dropped a comment, reblog, or ask to let me know what you think!! (Otherwise, I’m just screaming into the void by myself, which is fine, but I like it when the void screams back)

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

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Just when Steve thought things couldn’t, they got worse. At least on the business end of things. Lloyd seemed like he was closing in. The previous death of that employee from his salon was followed by a string of half a dozen, all working for him and Bucky in different capacities. It included their civilian services, as well as those involved in the undercover operations. This was bad, and was only going to get worse if there wasn’t a plan to step up and put an end to the series of turf wars they’d found themselves in.

On the bright side, which still wasn’t technically great under the circumstances, all these occurrences meant he got to visit the precinct more and see you.

Yours and Lang’s desks were stacking up with cases. They all seemed related, but you weren’t quite sure how yet. And for some reason, you kept seeing Steve coming in for quick interviews. It’s not like you really wanted to complain, though. You wanted to see him, and you were happy for it to happen since this increased work load was making you too exhausted to do more of it outside the station.

As you were doing data entry in your lab with the door cracked open, you saw a tuft of blond hair move into your field of vision above your computer screen. A smile instantly graced your face, but you kept your eyes on the results.

“Steve. Hi. Get into trouble? It’s like you’ve got permanent residence at Lang’s desk.”

Steve laughed and came in, closing the door behind him. “Eh, not quite, but if I’m being honest, as much as you know I like Scott, I wish I were here more often just for you instead of these unending cases. Speaking of which, you have a minute?”

You nodded, still typing on the keyboard while you listened to him. “Yeah, let me just get this in really quick, then I’m all yours.”

His fingertips tingled at that and a warmth rose from his chest to his throat. Oh how he wished that was true. He wished you were his, but more than that, he wished that he could be yours. All of him. But that wasn’t something he was ready to discuss yet. You knowing his whole self. Things were going too well right now for him to mess it up by dropping that bomb on you. It wasn’t the right timing.

As you slipped your gloves off and went to wash your hands, Steve locked the door behind him and took a step forward. You dried your hands and came over to meet him, looking up into his eyes. Oh how you wanted to swim in them; a pool of peace amongst the craziness outside. Despite how busy Steve always seemed, time with him made everything else go away.

“So what do you want to ask me?” You rocked forward on your toes, happy to focus on anything but work for a second. Right, that’s what it was, definitely not excitement to see him, even though your heart was racing and your legs felt restless.

“I wanted to know if you were busy this weekend. Maybe you and I could do something.” He looked between your eyes with a smile, but it was slowly falling in anticipation for your response.

You winced, sucking in a sharp breath. “Unfortunately, I am really busy this weekend. I’ve got some guests I’m hosting. But you’ve at least caught me right now. And I’ve got a bunch of free time next week. I can text you my schedule later.”

Steve nodded, leaning closer to you. “You’re right. I’m happy to at least have you for right now. Even if it’s just a few seconds.”

You couldn’t help the way your body was drawn in just like his. Or the way your hands traced up the front of his suit, which was honestly growing on you, the feeling of the expensive fabric surprisingly pleasant. Or how your fists gripped his lapels tightly and pulled him close, down to your level. Or the way your lips hovered closely to each other.

Steve whispered in the closing space. “Seeing you sometime next week for much longer would be great. You let me know as soon as you can.”

In your affirmation of his request, your lips brushed against his while his one hand snaked around your waist and the other came up to your cheek. Your fists grew tighter, needing him infinitely closer.

Normally, Steve would mind the potential wrinkles of his designer suit. He was wearing his favorite today, mostly because he knew he’d run into you. But if that damage was coming at your hands? Hell, that made it all better.

Your eyelids fluttered shut, which Steve took as his signal to do the same, his lips softly pressing against yours. The kiss was sweet and careful, tentative, yet venerative. It was short, and interrupted way too soon for your liking by a knock on the glass of the lab door, where you had luckily closed the blinds before.

The two of you pulled away with a breath of a laugh, looking down at your feet before looking up again with a smile at the other. Steve spoke first.

“I, um, I should probably go.”

You nodded, mouth still slightly agape as a remnant of the moment. “Yeah. I’ve got a lot of work to do. And you’ve got…”

“Meetings,” Steve finished for you. You forced a small smile.

“Yeah, always meetings.” It was true. Every time a moment was cut short, it was meetings, but this small talk was also so you could make it seem like you weren’t just kissing a civilian in your lab. Whoever was on the other side would at least hear voices, not lip smacking, although the kiss was nothing like that. Steve slowly backed the two of you towards the door to start heading out, but he still wanted to take advantage of you letting him hold you for as long as possible.

“But to double check, you’re really not free this Saturday?”

You shook your head. “No, I’m totally booked. But if I’m remembering correctly, I could probably swing something in the middle of next week. Like Tuesday? Maybe Wednesday? Is that too weird? I’ve got all evenings off, so any time that’s good for you is good for me.”

Steve smiled, or more like beamed at the thought of you offering up all your free time to him, but still spoke softly, breathily, a hand still on your back. “Yeah, that works. I’ll text you.”

“Okay.” You didn’t even realize the way you bit your lip when you nodded, the slightly harsher sensation holding nothing to that of his soft lips. You were granted another soft smile under sparkling eyes.

“Okay. Goodbye, Sweetheart.”

Steve gave you a kiss on your hairline, reaching behind him and unlocking the door as quietly as possible so whoever was on the other side didn’t know it was locked in the the first place. Goosebumps took over your body at the whole thing. The pet name, the forehead kiss, the actual kiss. Luckily, they were under your lab coat, so he couldn’t see how much he truly affected you. Steve dropped his other hand from you, the warmth from them replaced by the air conditioned lab environment too quickly for you liking, before turning and opening the door. He excused himself to walk past the two detectives on the other side, Lang wearing a smirk and Walker, a scowl. Once he passed though the two-person wall, he turned back to wave goodbye to you with a wink and a salute.

You did your best to hide your smile at that, biting at the inside of your cheek and focusing on the detectives in front of you. If there was one thing Walker could do, it was kill a mood.

“Detectives. How can I help you?” You opened the lab door all the way for them to come in. Lang stood in the middle of the room with a file folder while Walker leaned up against one of the tables, something you’d told him not to do several times. Well, it’s his problem if a solvent eats though his ugly collared shirt, not yours.

Lang handed you the folder, still barely smiling at what he knew he’d interrupted.

“Got another case, Decky. Sorry to keep piling them on like this, but we just can’t figure out who’s doing all this. Or at least we don’t have enough proof yet.”

You grabbed the folder, flipping through the pages, before you dropped it over on the desk by your lab computer, the one surface in the room that was lean-safe, but Walker didn’t seem to care about that. You let out a dramatic sigh, crossing your arms. “Okay, thanks. I guess I’ll get back to work, then. I’ll let you know when I have the time to get though that.”

You gestured towards the case with one of your shoulders, but Walker slammed a fist on a table. You didn’t even care about his quick anger and poor intimidation attempt. He probably shouldn’t touch that surface with his bare hands, either, but you guessed he’d find his own punishment for it sooner or later.

“Is something wrong with that, Detective Walker?”

He walked over to you, his looming presence replacing the same space where Steve previously was, but this time it was much less enjoyable, so you took a large step back, holding out your hand. “Chill for a second there, buddy. Give me words.”

Walker huffed before looking at Lang, not even you. “Do you seriously trust her with this string of cases when she was just in here privately talking with one of our suspects? This case is important and I’m not gonna let her screw it up because she can’t keep her legs closed.”

That sent you over the edge. This entire time, Walker had been trying to undermine your abilities. He’d been doubting you, and blaming you for every one of his responsibilities that went wrong. And now, not even directly addressing you for the unfounded accusations.

“Walker, I’m sure there’s good re-,” Scott began to speak up before you cut him off.

“What I do in my lab is none of your business if I still serve you the data you ask for. There has never been a single occurrence where I’ve fraternized with a true suspect of an open case, and this is not me starting now. Plus, that is absolutely inappropriate for you to insinuate. Some of us take our jobs seriously and hold the law with regard. I kindly suggest you fuck off unless you want to know what the floor tastes like.”

Walker stood still, continuing to face Lang through your entire monologue, which may have been smart for him, because if he looked into your eyes, he would’ve turned into dust from the burning glare. Scott looked at you with a smile, content with the way you were able to shut Walker up and shut him down. He simply nodded in a thankful gesture, before guiding Walker out of the lab and giving you a thumbs up.

Before you knew it, Saturday was here and you were preparing to host your guests. You’d set out a veggie tray and everyone was arriving one-by-one until a single person was left to wait for. She was coming late, probably after dinner, anyway, so the rest of you got to it for a few hours, laughing and snacking in your apartment.

Steve was busy like there was no tomorrow, because if he didn’t keep working, there might not be. He was constantly relaying commands and shifting things around. The weekends were a busy time for him in general, so he was lucky when he’d gotten the time to spend with you before, but now it was seeming impossible. Luckily, he was sure he’d make it work to line up with your free time next week. He had to.

Steve was racing through city streets to another meet-up when his phone rang. It was Bee. She hadn’t called him too often at all. In fact, all he’d really been getting from her recently were short, sporadic texts. This had to be important, then, so he picked up right away.

“Hey, Bee, what’s going on? Long time no talk.” He was expecting to have a good conversation with a good friend. Someone he got along with, but she seemed frantic.

“Hey Steve, no time for formalities, I need your help.” Steve instantly locked in at that statement. Was she in danger? Why would Bee call him and not Bucky?

“Okay, shoot.”

“I just got off the phone with Bucky, but do you know where Decks is? I’ve been calling her all evening and she hasn’t picked up.”

He continued weaving, but started to slow down due to his focus on the conversation.

“Last I knew, she was having a weekend in. She’s hosting a bunch of guests at her place. Some sort of party I think. Why? What’s going on?”

Steve sent a short message to Sam to either take over or reschedule the meeting. If something was wrong or Decks was in danger, he needed to rush to her. Personally.

“Um, I kind of need her to clear her schedule for next Saturday to come back and win a game of pool.”

Steve wanted to stop in his tracks at that but kept going just in case.

“What? A game of pool? Why just for that? That’s so random. And even so, you don’t think you could win? Or me? I think we both could play pretty well.”

Bee laughed on the other end of the line. Sure, there were a lot of details she was leaving out, but there also seemed to be a lot he didn’t know for how much time he’d been spending with Decks lately. “Oh Steven, you sweet, naive, summer child. No, and I’ll tell you more about it in a second. But are you getting close?”

“Yeah. I’m in the car now. Just a few blocks away from her place. What does this all have to do with? Why does Decks have to play? Is she really that good?”

“Just move quickly. I need to know if she can do it because otherwise I’m not sure if I’ll have enough time to find someone just as good. She’s actually the best. Bucky will fill you in on everything else, but the farm kind of hinges on it. And for your information, Decks is good at all games. I thought you knew that. She’s like, literally a pinochle world champion and a great card dealer and definitely would’ve beaten you at pool that night at the bar if she wasn’t trying to be nice. We used to always say she should’ve gotten a PhD in game theory.”

Steve was taken aback at the onslaught of information. “Wait a second, you bet the farm!? And Decks plays pinochle? That well!? Is that-“

He was sprinting up the steps to the apartment now, not wanting to take the time to wait for the elevator. He reached the door finally and knocked, faintly hearing ‘come in, Marge’ from the other side. Who on earth is Marge?

He cracked open the door to hear the loud sound of chattering, but not before he smiled at the vase of flowers sitting on the kitchen island. The ones he had sent the past week. His head turned toward the dining room table and all sound stopped as he was met with several pairs of eyes.

Steve gasped and dropped his phone from his ear in shock, seeing a familiar woman in a green visor at the table surrounded by old ladies, dealing cards. “Oh my gosh. Card games. Deck of cards. So that’s what it-“

He pulled the phone back up to his ear again. “Hold on, Bee. I’ll call you back later. I’ll take care of all of this...just. Let me tell her, okay? I’ll handle it because I don’t think I can get into the details without telling her everything. And I want it to come from me.”

He hung up the phone and put it in his jacket pocket before looking toward the table again with his grandest, albeit partially forced this time, smile.

You were focused on dealing cards to your game group, the old ladies surrounding you at the table like they did every so often when you had the time to meet up. A few rounds had come and gone, but your partner, Marge, still wasn’t here since she had a family event that she said she’d be coming from. That was fine, and now you’d be expecting her any minute.

You heard a knock on the door, which must’ve been her. Upon seeing the door open, though, you could tell it definitely wasn’t a little 70 year old lady with white hair in her signature yellow cardigan. It was a tall blond man about your age, decked out in expensive black material.

“Steve, what are you doing here?” Your eyes were wide in surprise. He was on the phone, but promptly hung it up after taking a survey of the room.

The old ladies piped up. “Yeah, Steve.” “Hello, Steve.” “Nice to meet you, Steve.”

Steve sheepishly waved at the women sitting around the table across from you. You turned to your sides to see them all making flirty eyes, especially the lady sitting to your left who still hadn’t stopped waving. “Janet, hop off. He’s here for me.” You looked back at Steve. “Wait, you are here for me, right?”

Steve looked around before looking at you again with an awkward chuckle. He was still partially out of breath from how quickly he got here, but it was finally settling. “Hi ladies, um, yeah, it’ll just take a second, though. Can we talk in another room?” He pointed over his shoulder.

You nodded and took off your hat, grabbing his hand and dragging him into your bedroom, softly closing the door. You stood with your back against it, palms pressed flat as if when you moved, the ladies on the prowl would come flooding in to steal your man. Steve turned around back towards the door to look at you. “I’m sorry for just showing up.”

You straightened from your slouched position on the wall, placing a hand on his chest. He seemed a little stressed. “No worries, I just wasn’t expecting to see you today. Is everything alright?”

Steve didn’t want to ruin your day, so he held it in for now. “Um, yeah. Was just in the neighborhood, so I figured I’d take a chance and visit. I realized you’ve never seen it, so would you wanna come over to my place this week? Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday? We’ll play some pool? Bee’s asking if we can come back to the farm this weekend. Figured you and I could practice so we can win with our eyes closed.”

You laughed and smiled, leaning closer to him. “Sounds good. I’ve got this entire coming weekend off, too, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Probably a mercy schedule with the hours I’ve been pulling lately.”

Steve couldn’t help but lean in, matching you, as he nodded. “I bet. I can’t wait to spend more time with you this week, though.”

His arm was bracing him above you on the door. He knew he should’ve held back, not pushed it farther until he could lay everything on the table for you to see, but how could he resist when you were looking at him like that. Eyes wide and wanting, happy almost, even though he dropped in unannounced, something he knew you historically weren’t a fan of.

He was close enough to share a breath, so you leaned on your toes and were met by him leaning down. As the two of you kissed, Steve knew he should stop it in the back of his mind, but it all just felt so good, so he kept going, tongues dancing. He needed more, kissing down your neck and nudging his thigh between yours as you began to grind against him, gasping for air and moaning softly at the pleasurable sensations surrounding you. You wanted to keep going, too, until you remembered the several people just in the other room, waiting for you. “Steve, I, uh… as much as I really, really like this, I have some guests to host. Also, I thought I had told you this was a no-work-clothes-zone, but since you’ve got to go anyway, I’ll let it slide. Pick this up Tuesday?”

He pulled away and nodded, a somber softness in his eyes, taking in the last time you might look at him like this before he had to tell all. He loved the way your were poking at his suit jacket, playfully scrunching your nose, but still locking eyes with him. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, no problem. Walk me out?”

“Of course.”

You grabbed his hand and walked him to the door as all the ladies in your dining room whistled, and oohed and ahhed at him. As he stood in the hallway, the door just cracked enough for you to fit through and hopefully deter the wondering eyes of your card group, Steve left you with a kiss on the cheek.

Next >

Bonus A/N: Did you catch it? Did you catch where the nickname came from? Yeah, I knew you would. Smarty pants.

Taglist: @evie-119 @hawkeyes-queen @ronearoundblindly

[uarmyhusband]

Pretty Boy Swag 💅✨💛

[rakkikuroba]

Resident Evil 5, nothing changes except everytime someone says Uroboros it’s changed to Natalia mispronouncing Uroboros : "Oubarobo"

[merlettamustdie]

Okii so my collections almost complete!! I finally got .5 The Gray Chapter and like the vinyl color is gorgeous!! So here’s my 5th Slipknot entry in my vinyls and cd collection series <3

Thank you for looking at my post (: here’s my cat photo as compensation + what I’m listening to atm 🩶🩶